The Wedding Boutique Cheshire

Last weekend I spent the day with Fiona of the Wedding Boutique Cheshire, beautiful model Erika, and Sam, lovely hair and make-up artist from Beauty Call. We went to a rather fabulous house in Peover and took some pictures of Erika in some of Fiona’s gorgeous dresses that she stocks in her boutique. Here are a few shots of the day…

Getting ready – always an important part of the story!

Made by yours truly! Quite impressed if I do say so myself!

Fiona also stocks gorgeous hair accessories – they are so beautiful I don’t know how anyone could choose – in fact how anyone can choose one particular style for their wedding and not change their mind a hundred times is beyond me!

This is one of my favourites I think. Also it was my favourite dress. SO pretty.

Loving this one as well! Erika looks so pretty and the birdcage veil is FAB.

Well, had to get another shot of my bouquet!

And it wasn’t just posed – what a shame you can’t hear anything from a photo because Erika played beautifully!

And lastly, the lovely Fiona of the shop itself.

To learn more about the Wedding Boutique Cheshire, visit the site at http://www.weddingboutiquecheshire.co.uk/

The shop is at Heyrose Golf Club which is only a few minutes drive from Knutsford. The beautiful dresses, tiaras, veils, hair accessories and friendly service are well worth a visit!

A x

Shooting beautiful blue-haired Olivia in Manchester city centre

I love these pictures! How to add a splash of colour to your blog or FB page – take pictures of someone with VIBRANT coloured hair. This was last week in Manchester city centre. It was FREEEEEEZING, even for me wrapped up with hat and handwarmers, so poor Olivia must have been all a-wobbly-shiver, but you can’t tell from the pictures, she hid it well!

I’m having quite a time deciding what pics to include so I’ll put a few more on my FB page at some point if you want to go have a nose there too.

This was one of our first, “warming up” pictures so I was surprised one made it into my favourites! Loving the way the light hits the side of Olivia’s face and her shoulder.

Beware. Some of these stones wobble, as we found out. Thank goodness for camera straps, that’s all I can say.

My plan was to make a mini-map of our Manchester meamble through photos of signs but I think we only ended up with two – I was constantly distracted by the next picture jumping out at me.

Oh I can’t remember what this shop is.  No matter, I like the colours and Olivia’s expression!

I love this one – Olivia’s profile, her reflection and the nice golden thingymajig, whatever it is. I think it’s part of the window display.

Groovy background eh?! Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, dontcha know.

And here we move onto Market Street. I think this might be my favourite shot of the day! Not just because of David Beckhams, er, lunchbox, but just the randomness and because it made me laugh that people were giving us strange looks as they went past. And the colours  in contrast to David’s black and white.

No, THIS is my favourite shot. Definitely.

I love this one too although I kind of wish I had included more of Olivia’s shadow, or taken another one of it and maybe just her feet. I want her shoes.

On our way to St Peter’s Square, we thought it might look good if we took a picture with a train coming towards us. We had to be snappy (ha!) so Olivia hid my handwarmers behind her back for a quick pic. The metro driver must’ve got a tad annoyed as he was blasting us with his horn. It was ages away! We ran.

And then we moved to Albert Square, after causing an incident that must stay between myself and Olivia. And the security cameras.

LOVING the chinese lanterns!

Isn’t it funny how the most natural of movements can be so striking?

Sometimes simple is best. Eyes, lips, hair.

Isn’t she gorgeous?

For some reason this reminds me of an advert in a magazine. I’m not sure why.

I think this is the street between the Town Hall and the Library. Again, just liked the black and white contrasting with Olivia’s vibrant hair.

Time to stop for coffee. Well it was actually time to stop, fullstop, but I couldn’t. And I’m glad I didn’t as the next picture is one of my favourites.

Who would’ve thought Starbucks would be such a good place for a pic?

Blue nails too!

Back to Victoria to go homeward. The red curly bits caught my eye.

As did this shiny hot dog stand. There are some pictures I really like for reasons unknown. This is one of them.

Sorry Olivia – it was these last few pictures that made you late for your train. I think they were worth it though! Thank you and hope to see you again soooon!

A x

Vintage-inspired boudoir shoot with Eleanor, a beautiful English Rose

I hesitate to call this shoot “vintage” as I know this word is becoming very over-used, and often incorrectly so. But there’s no getting away from the vintage craze at the moment! So all I will say is that this shoot was “vintage inspired” or, “inspired from a bygone era”and actually, some of the items we used are actually very old. Honest.

Anyway never mind all that, introducing the lovely Eleanor. Isn’t she gorge? She is one of my previous brides, you will find her Alice-in-Wonderland themed wedding in a previous post, most likely.

Lips, eyes. That’s what this pic is about!

Ooh I still love black and white. Am surprising myself recently though by keeping most things in colour.

Think this might be my favourite of the bunch. The angle of Eleanor’s head, leaning on the hand, the sultry eyes, the fallen-down strap and the RED lips! Beautiful.

Looks Marilyn Monroe-ish to me on this one.

I love how light and shadows make this pic.

Really like the silhouette of Eleanor through the nightie on this one. So pretty.

LOVE. The nightie. THIS is real vintage. Had no idea why I was buying it last year from a vintage fayre in Alderley Edge, NOW I know why – this picture!

Loving the giggles! Every ounce real as well – I had to crop this pic as in the original you could see my baby girl’s hand in the middle of Eleanor’s chest – she was helping, you see. She’ll be a great assistant one day soon.

I love this one. And it’s only a bedside lamp causing that lovely warm glow. I love our wallpaper too – not that you can really see it, but that really must be vintage, it’s been that that long.

Ooooooh, saucy shoes.

Back to this chuffin window, thinks Eleanor. There’s only so many times I can stare at the same old trees.

Ok so these last 2 aren’t in the boudoir, clearly. Nice though! I think Eleanor looks like a film star from a bygone time.

So there we are, shoot at an end. Thank you Eleanor, for letting me use these gorgeous pictures, and for the delicious cupcakes!

Just so you know, Eleanor has her own business – Elouise Designs, making handmade wedding stationery. It is truly gorgeous and well worth a visit to her website, http://www.elouisedesigns.co.uk/

I will be doing a post dedicated to her stationery at a not-too-distant future date so WATCH OUT for it.

Back soooooooon

A x

 

My New Years resolution craft efforts

So I did make a resolution to make more things, clothes mainly, this year. And Holy Basil, I’m actually doing it! I did promise to keep you updated with my efforts so here is photographic evidence.

I’m supremely impressed with myself with this one! Yes it’s a little crazy but I like it like that and it fits Perfectly! It took a lot of trying on and then altering, trying on and altering but I got there in the end. The only mistake I may have made is not washing the fabric first. It’s quite snug so if it shrinks in the wash I’ve had it.

This is the first time I’ve put a zip in anything I think. Pretty neat eh!!I didn’t actually use a pattern either. I used a book called “Yeah! I made it myself” by Eithne Farry – it’s described as DIY fashion for the not very domestic goddess. And it’s great!

Made this to hang on a door – before this, our many millions of gloves, scarves, hats and handwarmers were stuffed in a too-small box and constantly being pulled out by little hands. Not perfect but very practical. However I won’t be making one again in a hurry, not in this material anyway – it was HORRIBLE to sew – its that oil-cloth-like, shiny tablecloth fabric and I had to pull it through the sewing machine.

Actually, strictly this was the work of last year – I made it and a couple of others for some special little girlies including my fairy god daughters. It’s SO EASY to make and so effective! You can find tutorials for making your own no-sew tutu on youtube. Yep that’s right, NO SEW.

Cheating again, I made this last year too but thought it deserved to be included as I have now run out of craft pics. Little hearts hanging over the fireplace.

Right that’s it for now. I assure you I am still a photography blog and not a craft blog! For a real craft blog I would direct you to the following.

http://marypoppins-homesweethome.blogspot.com/

Gowwwwwwwwjus!

A x

Lymm Cross

I realised the other day that I have never taken photos of Lymm Cross, that I can remember. Which is shocking as Lymm is home sweet hometown for me. I thought I had better put this to rights and took these few pics just to say I had. However I have added another resolution to my already dangerously long list and vowed to take more pictures of Lymm this year. I took a few only as it was threatening to rain and I was also attached to Bailey, my monster dog who thought Lymm was extremely interesting – especially the bits that were just beyond the length of his lead. And balancing my camera in one hand is never a good thing, not when you’re as clumsy as I am.

Lymm Cross is a sandstone Grade I listed structure featured in the village centre. Apparently these type of crosses used to be commonplace across the country, but the one in Lymm is one of the last few remaining of it’s kind. The actual purpose of the cross is a mystery… for now, it is Lymm’s most well-known landmark and irresistable to children to scamper up to the top – I remember.

The stocks are replica ones. The original ones apparently dated back to 1775. I wonder how many people have posed for pictures here…

I like this. Hopefully a bit different to all the normal shots of Lymm Cross.

This is my favourite shot. I had to get into a weird crouched neck-craning position whilst asking Bailey nicely not to go crazily chasing after any other dogs just at that moment. Luckily he complied.

A x

A sunny afternoon with Oscar

Last weekend I spent a sunny afternoon with five year old Oscar, a gorgeous and willing subject. It turned into an afternoon collecting sticks but I think I managed to shoot some good pics of him along the way!

As Oscar’s lovely mummy Mary is a bit of an Instagram fan, I thought I would give some of the pics a bit of a retro filter. Love this shade of sky!

Right, come down now Oscar, lets see that cutie pie close up!

THERE he is.

SO glad we did it last weekend and not this one. The sun was perfect. This weekend has been grey and miserable and we would have been blown away. I was aiming to get lots of hazy, dreamy pictures, by shooting into the light and purposely creating some glare. Oh now what’s it called? I want to say DU JOUR but I don’t think I’m quite right. Come on brain.

CONTRE JOUR! Means “against light.” That’s it. Oh and I didn’t even get it from Google. My brain does still work! I love this one – cheeky little smile.

The aforementioned stick collecting commences.

Little boy + sticks + tree = the above photo.

This one looks to me like a little soldier, marching with his rifle.

Oscar and his collection of sticks.

Perfect little log table. Oscar wanted to take them home and volunteered Mary and I to do so. Needless to say, they stayed put.

I’m loving that light.

How much do you love that pocket hankie!

And he’s off again. Boys.

I love this one. I love the glare. Flare? You know, that sunny hazy effect. The way that long blade of grass to the right is all illuminated. Actually, it might be one of my hairs? Either way, I think it looks nice!

Oscar and a tree, Instagram style. Well I think it is – I don’t actually have an Iphone but anyway, I like the effect.

The bow tie is just the best, no?

Wow – a real model pose!

Wouldn’t have had that sky this weekend.

Cheeky Oscar. Sat on a fence.

My first black and white picture of this post. I’m surprised at myself because ordinarily I love black and white above anything else. But something about the light and haziness I thought was shown better in colour on most of these pictures.

My last few shots were sneaky as really, Oscar had had enough. There’s only so much running round, stick collecting and tree hitting one little boy can take!

A x

Baby Felicity

Get ready for a few “AHHHHHH”s – here is little baby Felicity, less than 2 weeks old. What a little cutie. It’s SO important to have these early photos done – they’re not newborn for long and before you know it they’re 1!

Safe in mummy’s arms

Teeny toes, I love them!

She’s not sure…

She’s even less sure…

Oh no! Don’t cry!

There’s something so special about newborns! Brand new and wrinkly, the world is so new for them and everything must be so strange after their watery home. I love photographing them, little fingers and toes and their random expressions. Thank you Felicity!

A x