Love is in the air...

So after all the hard work and preparation my BFF put in over the past few months her big day finally arrived!!  

I was super excited (obviously!) and wanted to share the big day with everyone.  But since it was her big day and not mine I didn't want to invade her privacy by plastering it all over my blog.  

So I got to thinking about the little parts of the day that tell a story without invading people's privacy.  I know that many brides now think along the same line and have pictures of their shoes and dress etc taken before hand but as a guest I took some different shots that I thought I would share them with you.

So here's my attempt at putting their fairytale day into anonymous pictures...

Tissues at the ready just incase (it was a good job too!)

Inside the church waiting on the beautiful bride!

After all the tears were dried and mascara reapplied it was time for the wedding breakfast; lamb shank on a bed of mustard mash.  My eyes were bigger than my belly but what I managed (I did have a starter too!) was super yummy!

With a little rest and some drinks in the sunshine I managed to find some room for this amazing banoffee dessert which I shared with the BF... Thankfully he ate most of it otherwise I would have burst!

Even at weddings I gladly swap my champagne for a nice cup of peppermint tea after the meal.  How very British!

Although I couldn't eat the cake (it wasn't gluten free) it did look absolutely beautiful and the mint choc chip layer (yip you read that right!) went down a storm with the other guests.

So after the speeches and the cutting of the cake the bride and groom had their first dance under these dreamy chandeliers... 

Me being me I came prepared with some sensible sandals!  Good job too after that feast because I definitely needed a work out!

Just like me the BFF loves her tea so these cute and quirky (just like her!) favours at the end of the were a perfect finishing touch :)

So as the happy couple embark on their new chapter in life I would just like to finish up this post by thanking them for including me in their big day and wishing them a life time of happiness and a very sunny honeymoon!! 

With all my love L xx

Pinterest you are the sunshine on every rainy day!

I have to admit I am probably a little late on the Pinterest band wagon; but I am sharing it with so many people that have never heard of it I don't feel too bad about it! For those of you who haven't heard of Pinterest yet this post is for you!

So what is Pinterest I hear you cry!  Well my explanation of it has been described as many things but none of those descriptions can be repeated in writing... so lets just say my descriptions have been "poor".  So I thought I would turn to the source and let them explain....

"Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing things you love.  No matter what you’re interested in, there’s a place for it here."

To be honest this is pretty much how I explain it and I usually get met with a blank look. 

It does sound a little cryptic but I think that's part of the charm... for people like me it makes me curious and once you have a look I think you'll agree it is definitely worth investigating.  So for those of you who want to satisfy your curiosity head on over to http://pinterest.com/all/ (this way you can have a nosey around before you sign up to it - which is completely free by the way!) Once you sign up it doesn't take long to get the hang of the boards; how to set up your own, how to add to them from the feeds and how to add your own finds online is really simple  and once you start you'll be hooked!  So move over Candy Crush there's a new addiction in town! (F.Y.I. I am not on the Candy Crush band wagon and nor do I intend on joining it so please stop sending me requests... you know who you are!!)

Top tip that I forgot to mention to the first few people I described Pinterest to (which probably explains the blank looks and harsh words)- to many people it may look like just a strange picture gallery at first but by hovering over or clicking on the pictures you can repin a find to your own boards so you can always find it again, comment, like or go to the original source.  Being able to go to the original source is great, I've found so many amazing blogs, recipes, inspiration and tutorials on how to do... well just about everything imaginable!

If any of you guys want to add me on Pinterest (you will once your hooked!) you can find me @ http://pinterest.com/lisasmalluk/

Happy pinning everyone and let me know what you think!

L

I don't just want to read books; I want to climb inside them and live there!

I am a self confessed book-oholic! 

Ever since I was little when I would beg my mum to read just "one more chapter!" of my favourite childhood books; Roald Dahl - Fantastic Mr Fox, The Brothers Grimm -  Illustrated fairytales and absolutely anything by Dick King Smith, to name but a few! I have always loved well written books and the magical journey they take you on from reality into the depths of your imagination.

I have only fallen out of love with books once and that was during my time at uni.   I was forced to read mountain after mountain of the most boring material known to man so I stopped reading for fun and wouldn't read anything that wasn't required as course material: and even then I began to skim read as fast as possible! 

But thankfully those days are behind me and I am now back to loving literature. 

Those dark days, as awful as they were, have helped me understand why not everyone loves to read. I think I should probably make a mention to my sister at this point. Growing up together I never understood her loathing of books: we are chalk and cheese in every sense brunette/blonde, quiet/loud, sensible/wild... So it was probably inevitable that we would have opposite opinions on this subject as well! So to you Lynn I'm sorry for all those late nights my reading light kept you awake!

 (See what I mean, like chalk and cheese)

Anyways... with this understanding and a renewed love for reading I thought I would do a couple of book reviews with the hope of inspiring anyone who wants to give reading another shot but needs a little help getting started. 

Not got that problem? Then hopefully you will find a new title that you can try stuffing in your suitcase this summer! 

First things first though, for those of you that aren't head over heels here are a few of my golden rules that will hopefully help you out before trying any new books:

1 - Don't read what you don't like! You wouldn't eat something you're allergic to that you knew was going to make you sick, so why force a book on yourself that is going to make you sick of reading?! My best advice is to pick a book, whether fiction or non fiction, that contains something you are interested in.

Don't feel like you need to read the "it" book unless it's something you're interested in: because chances are it's not worth the hype anyway.

2 - Don't be afraid to shop in what British book stores call "teen literature" or "young adult" as the Americans call it. 

Twilight, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and pretty much all the latest blockbusters (can they not come up with any original scripts these days?!) are from these types of sections. 

The title of these sections suggest that these books are placed together solely based on their target audience but I don't think this is the case.  I think the way in which the books are written make them much easier to read and as they tend to be broken into a series of shorter books they may not be what literary snobs would consider adult fiction so they class them as juniors.  Well to those snobs I say "You can keep your so called grown up books because I'm going to hold on to my youth!"

3 - Once you start a book and you realise you don't like it after a couple of chapters do not feel like a failure for giving it up! 

Think of it like that top you bought but didn't have time to try on and only realised after you see the pictures on Facebook how terrible it looks! You can't return it but you know you'll never EVER wear it again. It's the same with books. 

So my advice is to just sell it online (Amazon do a great buy back scheme) or donate it to a charity shop and go shopping for something new.

4 - And last but not least don't give up.  If novels aren't your thing try short stories, or non fiction or just read to your kids (or even yourself!) before bedtime. Because let's face it, nothing beats a good fairy tale!

Well I think that's all my words of wisdom for today! Hopefully you have been inspired to have a look at some new books and maybe even read some of my up coming reviews to help you on your next choice...  If so then watch this space!

Up first will be a review on "The Selection" by Keira Cass.

Oh and one last thing: thanks for reading :) it may just be a silly little blog, but it's a damn good start!

Speak soon

L x

Dundead - are you scared yet??

Dundead is back!  Dundee Horror Film Festival hosted and run by DCA (Dundee Contemporary Arts) is back for its 3^rd season next week… be prepared to hide behind your hands people!

I have said to myself for the last two years that I HAVE TO GO! But me being me, I always end up missing it and I usually only remember when I see someone walking down the street in the awesome Dundead T-shirts!… but this year I am definitely, maybe going to make it!  (My usual commitment level at its best!) 

For those of you interested in checking out the full line up please check out the DCA page @ http://www.dca.org.uk/whats-on/films/category/dundead.html or like them on Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/dundead

If like me you can’t decide which one to go see then you should take advantage of the “Survival Pack” offer which allows you to buy six film passes and receive your very own bonus survival pack which contains the Dundead T-shirt, festival merchandise and more for an amazing £30. Just add popcorn and someone to hold your hand and you’re ready to face the monsters of the night.

My top picks for this year are:

1.     Would You Rather (which is a UK premier no less!), Thursday 2 May at 8.30pm.

Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) gives a larger-than-life performance as Shepard Lambrick, an eccentric aristocrat who summons eight desperate individuals to his secluded mansion with the possibility of a financial reward if they agree to take part in a parlour game – the parlour game quickly leads to torture, sadism and death.

Billed as a film in the mould of Saw or Hostel, but with more going for it due to its restrained direction, intelligent screenplay and fine ensemble cast.

To top it off the screening will be kicking off with a selection of vintage cinema adverts and trailers and the chance to see short film Familiar (Canada 2012, 24m), directed by Robert Powell.

2.      The Hidden Face, Friday 3 May at 6.15pm

Filmmaker Andrés Baiz follows his acclaimed debut, the violent crime drama Satanás, with this tense, intriguing thriller.

Adrián (Quim Gutierrez) is a young orchestra conductor who moves into an isolated mansion with his fiancé Belén (Clara Lago). Their relationship begins to turn sour when Belén believes he is having an affair: then one morning she disappears. The police initially suspect Adrián, but the investigation is soon dropped when they cannot find any evidence. Moving on, Adrián becomes involved with a young waitress (Martina García) who he invites to live with him, but she starts to hear noises and experience strange events in the mansion.

This screening will be preceded by Human as Animal (US 2012, 4m), directed by Kristina Klebe.

3.     The Lords of Salem, Saturday 4 May at 8.30pm

The fifth feature from Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses) is dubbed as the director's most ambitious film yet.

In the city of Salem, Massachusetts (where the notorious 17th century witch trials took place), strange events occur when a wooden box containing a vinyl record arrives at a radio station. It is addressed to Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie), a DJ who hosts a late-night show, with a note saying it is “a gift from the Lords”. After Heidi plays the music on air, she begins to experience bizarre and traumatic visions. Billed as a deeply unsettling audio-visual experience, The Lords of Salem must be seen on the cinema screen to be truly appreciated.

This screening will be preceded by a chance to see Out There (Ireland 2012, 15m), directed by Randal Plunkett.

Noteworthy – From the review I think this one may be a bit too much for me but if you think you have the stomach for it then the “ABCs of Death” showing on Sunday 5 May at 6pm covers 26 ways to die from A – Z…. see what they did their?! And they say horror isn’t witty!

Also for those of you who love the classics you won’t be disappointed.  With features such as “Blow Out” featuring John Travolta (1980), The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1922) and Body Double (1984) included in the festival line up the the vintage horror section covered.

If you guys do make it to any of the features I would love to hear what you thought so please comment below or leave a comment on the Facebook page @ www.facebook.com/pages/All-Things-Unique/118911991620797

Speak soon – as long as the monsters don’t get me first!

L

Memory Bears

Just ordered some teddy bear patterns to make some memory bears.... Never heard of a memory bear?! Don't worry they are pretty new to me as well! Wish I had heard of them 6 years ago.

Basically you use fabric that means something to you and use it to make a memory bear; this is great after both sad and happy times.

Example include; using your wedding dress (or if you want to keep it then a flower girls dress makes a perfect alternative), baby's favourite blanket or clothes once they grow out of them, grandparent shirt, etc or if you wear a uniform with logo they make great graduation or retirement gifts as well. This list is clearly not exhaustive and I would love to hear what other people have made them out of/for.

Hopefully the bears I make turn out as well as these examples! I'll post some pictures once they are all done and let you judge for yourself...

 

Magnetic board

I have been looking for ideas for a magnetic board but didn't want the normal metal sheet or white version hanging on a wall so was thrilled when I found this on Pinterest today....

And it's so easy and cheap to do!  All you need is:

1. Metal oven cookie sheet (obviously the ceramic ones won't work for this!).
2. Fabric of your choice (obviously thicker fabrics such as velvet etc. won't work as well unless you use extra strong magnets so always check before you put the cover on permanently) or if you prefer paper would work equally well; especially wrapping paper or scrapbook paper.
3. Scissors.
4. Magnets.
5. Buttons.
6. Ribbon.
7. Glue (spray glue is best for the fabric or paper so that it gives an even coverage that doesn't soak through and then something stronger for the ribbon and magnets, I would suggest a glue gun).

Once you have everything you need it's a simple as covering the board and checking your magnets are strong enough to not only hold through the material but also anything you plan on putting on the board... photos, to do list, inspiration print outs etc. then cut the fabric or paper to size and glue down.

Cut ribbon to size and glue down for a hanger (helpful hint - I often find that when gluing ribbon or other hanging strips it's best to use a bull dog clip to hold the ribbon in place until the glue has dried to ensure it bonds thoroughly).  If you want a ribbon bow as in the picture above use the same technique.

Then simply stick the magnets to the buttons and you are done!

Let me know if you guys try this and leave pictures of any of your masterpieces in the comment section below.

L.

Lisa with a capital L

I love a bargain and I couldn't resist when I seen this adorable pink gingham in Ikea for only 50p!!

Ikea in Edinburgh were selling off the old stock sample hangings (if you've never checked out the fabric section in Ikea this is pretty much what it says... samples of the fabrics hanging above the rolls of fabric so you can have a proper look at the pattern before you buy).  I decided that I would make a throw pillow for my bed to go with the new pink throw I had also picked up in Ikea (also a bargain at only £5!) and I decided that I didn't want to make another plain rectangle set or squares so I opted for my initial "L".  To get a feel for the size I folded the fabric to roughly what I thought would work best and placed it on the bed to check...

(I also made the cushion sitting on the chair to the left which is super simple and literally takes only 10 minutes - I am thinking of doing something similar soon so will show you how then)

 

I decided that this size seemed a little on the small side so I folded the fabric a couple more times until I was happy and drew a rough guide on the pillow fabric before unpicking the fabric which was sewn down one side and along the top and bottom.  I then ironed the fabric until the fold in the middle was gone and the fabric was flat (actually I can't take credit for the ironing, my boyfriend made the silly mistake of asking if I needed anything ironed after he was done with his shirts and ended up with the freshly washed bedding, the fabric and what he claims was half my wardrobe! Well he did offer...).

 

The next step was to draw a rough shape on the pillow ( I just washed some old pillows which I don't use after getting fluffier ones).

 

 

 

I then cut the pillow case along the bottom and pulled out the stuffing part.  The next step was to use a ruler to measure and make small marks as the outline of the shape before joining the marks together to make the shape in full this helps ensure that the shape ends up even and symmetrical. 

 

 

 

Once the shape was marked out fully I then traced the outline on to baking paper (as I didn't have any pattern paper to hand and this is a simple alternative)  I then cut around the outline of both leaving around a one inch margin and then pinned the two sides of the inner fabric together and pinned the paper to a folded piece of fabric and repeated.

 

 

 

 

 

I then stitched the lining fabric together leaving enough room to stuff the pillow and enough room on the gingham to allow the pillow to be put inside. I decided to do both a lined pillow and an outer cover in case I decide to do another cover in a different fabric so if you want to make one but are only going to use the one fabric cover you can skip the lining step and simply stuff the outer cover.

 

Once the inner pillow was stuffed using the stuffing out of the original pillow (I pulled small/medium pieces from the stuffing and teasing them apart before stuffing them in to the new pillow cover to help create a fluffy rather than lumpy pillow) I sewed up the seam that was left open for the stuffing to go in and then put the pillow cover over the pillow (which was much harder than I had expected because of having to make sure the points were filled properly) and then did a quick hand stitch up the outer seam before using the machine to close the seam properly.  I had intended to put a zip in the seam but didn't have one that size so if you intend on making a few covers in different fabric I would recommend putting zips in (hopefully I will get around to it at some point). 

 

And the finished item?  Well see for yourself.....

 

 

 

Obviously if you don't have a name beginning with L this can easily be swapped for most letters although I'm not sure S or C would work as well unless it you use a stiff fabric that can hold the weight of the stuffing without collapsing down on itself. 

 

I have quite a bit of fabric left over so if a Letter pillow isn't for you but you love the fabric let me know... I'm thinking a little stuffed elephant??

 

I hope you enjoyed my first blog post!  I know not everyone will be interested in sewing so if that's you don't despair!  I plan on posting blogs on a vast range of topics so check back to see what's happening here in the wonderful world of All Things Unique.

 

L.