Our Wedding, A DIY Project - Make Your Own Garter

I've always liked the tradition associated with weddings of "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" and knew that I would try and stick to it. 

Old was easy, I've always wanted a silver sixpence included in my wedding so I could tick that off the list

New was equally easy;my dress, shoes and accessories.

Borrowed and blue was proving a bit more tricky.

My grandad passed away in September 2000 and had always been someone I looked up to so it made sense to have him with me somehow. My mum has one of his rings so I'm 'borrowing' that for the day and having it attached to my bouquet.

That just left something blue. As our colour scheme is sage green, cream and gold I just couldn't see where blue would fit in, until I stumbled across some garters in a bridal shop.

Hidden under my dress and a bit of fun I immediately knew what my something blue would be.

As complicated as these look they are surprising easy to make.

Mine took about 10 minutes from start to finish.

So whether for your big day or for your hen why not give it a try?!

You will need 

Net or lace

Ribbon

Elastic

Sewing needle

Thread


1. Measure the part of your thigh that you want to wear your garter and cut the elastic 1cm shorter than your leg measurement and the ribbon and net/lace twice the length of your leg measurement (this will give you a nice gather)

2.Pin the ribbon to the net or lace in the desired position and sew a running stitch along the top and bottom of the ribbon making sure there is enough space for the elastic to pass through (don't worry about it being perfect as you won't really see it)

3. Thread the elastic through the garter under the ribbon but on top of the net/lace.  As the material is twice as long as the elastic, once the elastic is halfway through pin the end in place so it doesn't spring back through. Continue threading the elastic through until it's out at the other end.

4. Once the elastic is threaded through, slightly overlap the ends and stitch firmly together.

5. Adjust the material around the elastic until you are happy with the look then stitch the two end of the material together.

If you like you can finish your garter off with an embellishment.
It really is that simple

If you do have a go at making your own garter I'd love to see the finished product.

M xx

What Does Christmas Mean To You?

In our house it is officially Christmas! The tree and decorations are up, the kids are enjoying their homemade advent calendars, the festive baking has begun, cards are all ready to post and present wrapping has started.

I look around the house at some of the decorations that I've had for many years and memories come flooding back of past Christmases, the fun, the laughs and the feelings they recreate and it gets me thinking what does Christmas really mean to each of us?

As a not particularly religious person Christmas doesn't hold all of the Christian beliefs for me, however, there are elements which I think can be universal; goodwill to all, love and general positivity. Then there are the other elements that really make Christmas for me. The simple things, like snuggling up with the family to watch Christmas films, making homemade gifts for friends and family, creating new memories whilst remembering old and creating traditions for our family unit are just the tip of the iceberg.

I have to admit that I am Christmas crazy but I feel it's one of the rare times of the year that kindness prevails and almost anything can happen if you just believe in the magic of Christmas!

So while I now go back to planning the rest of Decembers activities for the family please just take a couple of minutes to answer the question...What does Christmas mean to you?  

M xx

What Black History Month Means to Us

As Black History Months draws to a close I have been reflecting on what exactly it does mean to me and my family and as a family that is fortunate enough to be rich in a number of different cultures I feel it is an important job for me as a mum to educate my children on all of the different histories and cultures that make up 'us' as a family. Whilst this is performed as part of our daily lives in the food we eat, languages and terminology used, family practises and tales of old, Black History Month is a great way of highlighting some wonderful and courageous people who have helped shape the world we live in today and bring to light the many different traditions from around the world.

One of the reasons I felt compelled to write this post is as a mummy blogger I frequent many parenting forums and networks and there has been very little mention of black history month and in some cases no mention at all.

I could spend hours going on about what black history month means to me and reel of names of many black people who have contributed to the world we live in but this post isn't about that, it's about seeing and hearing what black history month means to my children.

I asked each of them what black history month means to them and here are their responses 

Mikhayla-Jae, 11

"I believe Black History Month is a celebration of achievements and movements made by not just famous individuals but by lesser known people too. It is a time to reflect on what is great about our cultures and traditions and acknowledge some of the wonderful things people have done for us. We can also use this month to let our mentors and role models now how proud we are of them and grateful for their contribution to our lives."

Jason-Derrecce, 9

"To me Black History Month means achieving goals  and proving that skin colour shouldn't limit our ability to be who we want to be."

Samuel-Lewis,4

"It means I am proud of who I am and love my mummy and daddy, 2 grandmas,2 grandads and nanny. It means that I get to eat lots of different foods and hear different songs. I love my family."

Couldn't have put it better myself.

M xx