7 Questions ...


I am sorry that I didn't start the Foody Friday yesterday it is just that I have not been able to experiment in the kitchen yet as my order was cancelled and had to wait until tonight to receive it. I do hate it when that happens as I am forced to go out and eat which is a real bummer !!! Anyhow, I promise that I will have a sweet recipe to share with you next Friday which is a real favourite of mine.


In the meantime I would like to leave you with another link up from the lovely Gentri from Gentri Lee. 

It seems I am required to share a funny photo of me. So here is one of me 'pretending' to drink the entire contents of this bottle which the waiters at the resort actually thought I would after I told them I was contemplating it ! Ha ha. (I was a little tipsy that night and think I may have caused quite a stir !) Oops ! Well I had just gotten engaged I was allowed to be a little naughty ! And I did starting with the champagne at breakfast !!!

Righty ho on to the questions now.

1. If you could be any princess- which would you be and why? 

I would be Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I always loved her beauty and her wonderful voice. I like the fact that if I could be Ariel I could roam the sea and the land and be friends with all the sweet natured fishes of the sea oh and I get to marry a handsome prince mmmmm !

(source: freeimage)

2. Do you have any odd habits? (do things in order, words that you say too often, etc).

Lol well this one really makes me laugh because in London I think most people think that I am a little odd due to the simple fact that I am so friendly. I like to chat a lot to anyone really, shop assistants, non talkative moms at the nursery (what is their problem ?!), random people at the bus stop, my neighbours. The list is endless. I think the world would be a happier place if we could just talk nicely to each other not just with friends and family but with complete strangers too. Is this really such an odd thing ?!!

3. What's your "go to" outfit?

Jeans, a t-shirt and sweater most of the time. I am a nanny so I tend not to wear my nice clothes as they only get snot on them !

4. Do you have any siblings? What are their genders, ages, order of age, names, etc?

The simple answer is 'no'.

5. What's your favorite precious stone?

A rose quartz because it's pink and spreads love.

6. If you had a check in your hand for 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?

I would pay for someone to come in and finish renovating our flat. Have a really nice holiday somewhere truly exotic like Fiji and start investing in my own business as an event planner.

7. What do you love most about yourself- physically (eyes, smile, hair, etc. I don't know a good way to word that question...) 

Right now my skin as I have just holistically cleared my skin of acne. I am so happy and grateful ! 

Now it's your turn. Click on Gentri Lee above and link up (it's actually rather fun !).

I HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAVING A LOVELY WEEKEND ?

Love Chrissi x

Wedding Wednesday ...

I have been thinking a lot about how to keep children entertained at weddings and while there are a few ideas out there there is nothing that really makes me want to burst with excitement. My philosophy is if it makes me want to squeal with joy then chances are the little ones will love it too. (Some reason this always seems to work well for me anyway).


I want the girls to feel like princess's and the boys to feel like knights in shining armour. I want smiles and happiness. Miserable children equals miserable parents and the negativity is contagious.

So what to do that is the question ! Personally, I think it is a good idea if there are enough boys and girls to keep them on separate tables. Therefore, you can create separate themes without encountering gender issues and arguments. This is where you can let your imagination run wild but just remember a few basic rules to avoid problems. 

DURING DINNER

My suggestion is that activities during meal times are kept to a minimum so as not to distract the child from eating and sweets are not brought onto the table until dessert has been finished. Otherwise you could be dealing with hyperactive kids during the dinner which to me in not such a great thing !

However, saying that if you intend on having speeches during the start of dinner then you really can't expect a child under 12 to sit for longer than 10 minutes without losing the plot. So ensure that a little amusement is given to them just when speeches begin. Such as a colouring book and crayons, beads for making a fabulous bracelet or necklace or even a sticker book for the boys whatever you choose though make sure to keep anything messy to a minimum no one wants tacky hands everywhere !! By the time the main arrives this activity will no doubt have fazed out and they should be ready for more food.

AFTER DINNER

The tables should be set up with activities to keep them entertained for at least an hour. After which it should either be their bedtime or if old enough after having been filled with sweets and sugary stuff the children will want to hit the dance floor. Don't hold back they need to get this sugar rush out of their system before they hit the sack !

If you know that the kids are going to be too much of a handful then maybe hiring a sitter or two (depending on how many children there are) to ensure that they remain safe and entertained may be a good idea; that way the adults can relax and enjoy themselves whilst they know their children are in good hands.


OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

If you are thinking of outdoor activities for the little ones I can't think of anything better than a fairy light lit tent for the girls to dress up as fairies in and make flower crowns to adorn their pretty little heads and a tipi tent for the boys to play cowboys and indians or whatever takes their fancy ! 

These pictures have me screaming "I wish I was a kid again".

(source: pinterest)

(source: famwest)

(source: kidsteepee)

Aren't they just to die for ?! I'm sure the children would love this idea. It all looks so cosy and cute. Most of these can be made by hand and are cheap and cheerful to make; just what I like!

A list of other suggestions would be outdoor jenga, french bowls or even a skittle alley. Another great one would be a bouncy castle to exhaust the littles ones lol they will surely be very easy to settle down after hours !

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Inside you could have a movie room filled with cushions and covers to allow the children to chill out while watching a film or two. A photo booth with fun props not just for the adults but for the children too; I can guarantee that they will love this ! Face painting or even organising an activity that involves both the children and the adults will have the little ones running around in a crazed frenzy. The game that comes to mind is the one where you have to collect so many items in so many seconds. The team with the most wins. Children love this.

As you will see from searching on the internet there are a lot of activities out there but the ones that make me tick are ones with a flair of originality and difference. I will think hard over the next year about activities and I will all let you know what I come up with.

In the meantime my last advice to you is that if you are planning your own wedding and looking at children's entertainment don't get carried away and organise too many things for the kids to do otherwise they might just feel overwhelmed and agitated and chances are their parents will start to feel the same way too.

IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS PLEASE LET ME KNOW !

Love Chrissi x

Monday's Inspiration ...

(source: etsy)

Ok seriously this blog needs sorting with a bit of restructuring. 

At this present time there is an awful lot that I don't know about and have to learn so please bear with me whilst I try and find my way and improve things around here.

In the meantime my aim is to have a:

{Mantra Monday} ... inspiring phrases that help me to stay focused and committed   towards my dream of becoming an event planner.

{Wedding Wednesday} ... as we all know I am loving my own wedding planning, problem is though I am getting a little carried away and blog about it a little too much so my aim is to speak about it only on a Wednesday !!

{Foody Friday} ... I love to cook and try out new recipes so anything that does work out I would love to share with you guys !

And whatever else makes me tick I will throw in on the in between !

As for now though. I am just back from France and am absolutely exhausted so I will have to leave it there until Wednesday.

WHAT HELPS YOU TO STAY FOCUSSED / MOTIVATED ?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW !

Love Chrissi x

7 Questions ...

I am off this weekend for fun times with friends in sunny Bordeaux (at least I am hoping the sun shines for us). So please excuse me for the quietness around here till Monday !

In the meantime I would like to leave you with a fun link up I discovered via the lovely Melissa from Living Holland.  

1. What do you when you're sick ? Do you act like a baby ? Tough it out ? Have any weird cravings ? Cry ?

I tend to whine ALOT ! The reason is I never have anyone to nurse me back to health. My fiance is not much of a good doctor which makes me sad and hence I whine to compensate. If I could have my way I'd have my mommy here in London to look after me but she is over 100 miles away. Boo hoo ...

If I am not too sick though as in fever and just wanna sleep all the time. I tend to lie on the sofa snuggled under a nest of blankets, sipping tea whilst watching fun girly flicks ... they always make me laugh despite the snotty tissues or whatever else is happening with me !

2. What do you do to find motivation when you feel you've lost it ?

I meditate. I lie down somewhere comfortable in corpse pose and listen to a guided meditation. Nothing fancy just a simple track off you tube. It almost always grounds me and helps me to focus and find my passion and love again for whatever it is that I am suppose to be doing. 

3. Do you wish time away or do you savour every moment ?

Darn it's kinda hard for me nowadays. I wish time away a lot lately simply because I want to speed up summer (or what I think is summer here in the UK ?!) so that I can go on holiday to Greece the end of July. It makes me sad though. I use to be very good at living in the present moment. 

4.If you could be any mythological character, what would you be and why ?

Kobaloi as I like to tickle people a lot and for some reason I like to jump out on my friends and family in an attempt to scare the living daylights outta them ! Hahaha i think I might have actually been this character ... seriously ! We have too much in common !

5. What is your current biggest weakness and are you working on fixing it ?

Lol ok you might say it has something to do with your personality, I say it has more to do with my consumption of sweets ! Oops yes my biggest weakness is that I am addicted to Haribo, gummy bears and liquorice. Oh dear and to top it all off I am not working on changing my weakness. I am not even embarrassed !

6. How do you greet someone when meeting them for the first time ?

I am a very bubbly person so probably with a huge cheesy grin on my face and peck on each cheek ... ! Most of the time I swear these people think I am a freak and a complete wanna-be above everyone else; so very upper middle class. But come on I have a pretty darn excuse. I am forever having to peck away it's second nature to me after dating a french man for 6 years !

7. How do you grocery shop ? Do you write up a list ? Go in with no idea of what you're looking for ? Have meal plans ? Bring your own shopping bags ?

I shop online. No I am not lazy ! I don't have a car in London as it is a nightmare to drive around and a fortune to park. And as the grocery store is like 20 minutes away from my house and up a hill I do not enjoy dragging bag after bag of groceries all the way back home. So I plan my meals for the week and then visit Ocado and order online. Lots of people do it in London ! It's the thing to do .. very hip lol !!

So there you have it. That was actually quite fun. But why is my life never serious ... I am a practical joke ! 

IF YOU LIKE THIS WHY NOT JOIN IN ON THE FUN ?

Link up here. 

Love Chrissi x

Wedding Wednesday ...

Ok now I know that I need to get a grip on the wedding planning and it taking over my entire life which is why I have decided to not talk about weddings on here until Wedding Wednesday. Cause I am almost certain that non of you especially those of you that are married want to here me rant on and on about weddings this and weddings that all of the time. Am I right ?! So i'll keep it quiet until Wednesday's !

Righty ho well the topic I want to talk about today is wedding invitations and handwriting.

(source: sidebyside)

To me receiving a wedding invitation is a special thing. I want to know that the couple inviting me are inviting me because they really truthfully and wholeheartedly want me to be there with them on their special day. Therefore, an invitation with my address written in a crazed hurry just really doesn't fit the bill; there is just no love in it. OK maybe they have a lot to write which is fair enough but seriously ?! 

I am funny I know but I am a perfectionist ! In my household it's a completely different story. My fiance has been settling down most nights head to paper, pen in hand practising and practising his calligraphy so that it is just perfect for when we have to send our invitations out. I personally do not want to have them written in a rush and then sent out in a hurry, no that's bad energy to me and believe me it's contagious. 

Invitations set the first impression and I really want my heart to skip a beat with excitement. So friends please think seriously about not only the type of invitations you choose but also how you will write out the addresses. Choose a theme and stick to it. Bad handwriting just sets a bad impression and people might actually think 'do they really want me there?'.

Now I have found a fabulous one to help you if you are struggling with calligraphy. Have you heard of faking it ?! Genus I tell you. Find the calligraphy style you like on word or whatever software you use. Type out the name and address use ...... font arrange the sizing so that the address fits snuggly on the envelope and print up in a light ink like pale grey (have a run through on cheaper envelopes to practise) then fill in the print outs with a paint pen like so.

(source: projectwedding)

Isn't it just fantastic ! I am sure I will do this in future with all my invitations and not just the wedding ones ! I mean you must agree receiving something like the following is just so exciting ?! It really thrills me when people put an effort into writing nicely.

(source: pinterest)

(source: etsy)

(source: ohsobeautifulpaper)

(source: pinterest)

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ?

AM I BEING A LITTLE TOO HARSH ?

Love Chrissi x

A Little About me in Instagram ...


Lately my blog seems to have been more about weddings than anything else and while I love planning my wedding and blogging other things in my life seem to have been neglected. This makes me sad.


Don't get me wrong I enjoy the planning I really do but I enjoy other things too. Like yoga and meditation, baking and interior design. They make me happy. I like it when things around me look beautiful by candle light and when I am more in my heart space and less in my head. Spirituality makes me happy and I love to coincide this with a serene and peaceful home and environment. 


We brought our flat just over 2 years ago and although there is a lot still to do I feel that my space really is becoming more of a sanctuary, a place to relax, feel happy, safe and at peace. During the 11 years that I have lived in London never have I been able to call it my home until now. It is such a relief and I am thoroughly grateful to God.


I think we all need to be grateful for the small things in life and these pictures shown below via my Instagram account help me to remember how lucky and blessed I am to have such a beautiful home. Oh and of course neighbour (the peonies were gifted to me yesterday by my lovely friend Annie) thank you so much.  As Annie is fully aware I have quite a thing for flowers and love to have fresh blooms sitting pretty on my coffee table. Wouldn't you agree flowers call for a happy life ?!


In the meantime namaste ! And if you enjoy my pictures then please please follow me on instagram: christianaholt.

DOES ANYONE ELSE PRACTISE YOGA OR MEDITATE ?

IF SO HOW HAS IT HELPED YOU IN YOUR LIFE ?

Love Chrissi x

Tea on the Terrace at Fetcham Park ...

Can you imagine how delighted I was to have discovered this sweet little event happening on the 14th July at Fetcham Park in Surrey ?! It was a really beauty call from the heavens lol just what I need right now ... I am so super excited to be attending this decadent afternoon of tea and cake with live music to shake my little bootie along to; lets just hope the sun shines and the rain clouds stay away at least for a couple of hours ... hope that is not too much to ask for sweet weather gods !

Hope to see you there !

Love Chrissi x

Adorable and cheap bridesmaid dresses ...

Recently, I have started looking at bridesmaid dresses for my girls and although I know exactly what I want them to wear and what length they would prefer I can't help but coo over a wide selection of these affordable dresses by ViponSale.

There are plenty of others to choose. They have various colours and materials but I personally prefer the lighter chiffon ones as I am more into the romantic style than anything else. However, if your wedding has a really striking colour theme then there are great vibrant colours too to suit your wedding. Reviews are also pretty good. So if you are looking for dresses at prices under £100 I would certainly advise you to pay this site a visit.

WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE ?

Love Chrissi x 

Outdoor Weddings, Yurts and Tipi Tents ...


Ever thought of having your wedding somewhere different ? These spaces have been really calling out to me lately partly due to the fact they are outside and I have always had a thing for the great outdoors and communing with nature. I think a part of me is a little trippy hippy at heart being at one with our mother earth makes me so happy !


The only issue living in the UK is the unpredictable weather system. Having an outside wedding may be wonderful and beautiful but you have always got to prepare for the worst. Rain apparently is a lucky omen on your wedding day. Lol a good one to keep in mind !


Tipi tents and yurts offer a solution as do hunters and umbrellas. If the weather allows then extending the party outside with a campfire, pretty fairy lights in the trees and a live band is heaps of fun. 

(source: cornishtipiweddings)

(source: papakata)

Doesn't it look fantastic ?! I love the natural feel to the ideas; the fire, soft lush pillows and animal skins or fake skins whatever you prefer, the wooden tables the ivy and fairy lights it is all looks so magical and special.

It just so happens that couples in the UK seem to be setting a trend for weddings in the open accepting nature and working with it, this really makes me smile. I would love to style an outside wedding it would be heaps of fun.

For more information visit Cornish Tipi Weddings and Papa Kata I am sure you will be splendidly pleased.

WOULD YOU BE UP FOR THE CHANGE ?

Love Chrissi x

Wedding Video ...

This is nothing but a short post tonight, but one that thrills and delights me and has me grinning from ear to ear. I love this video perhaps you have seen it before ?

(source: you tube)

Love Chrissi x

Wedding Website ...

As I am based in London, the wedding is in France and three quarters of both of our families live nowhere near where we are getting married ! I thought that just maybe a wedding website with all the juicy details and gossip might be the best thread of direct and easy contact. But having never in my life done such a thing and with no idea of where to start. I was wondering whether any of my readers have any advice on which website works well ?

Things that I would like to concentrate first on is making sure that our website is:

a. simple to follow for both the English and French sides of the family, and

b. aesthetically pleasing.

Other thing that is important is that the service is FREE ! I really don't want to have to pay for this, but then again if it is really good I don't mind paying a small fee.

Here are a few of the designs that I am cooing over. They are so delicious and so damn cute.

(source: weddingknot)

(source: riflecompany)

(source: weddingjojo)

So if you have any ideas please let me know.

 I LOVE YOUR SWEET MESSAGES

Love Chrissi x