My NEW Wedding blog...

For those of you who are interested in following my progress with the Challenge and the planning and creating of this handmade wedding...

Please do join me over at:

http://imaginelovely.blogspot.com/

Challenger of the utmost kind...

Sometimes out there in blogland you stumble across something that really speaks to you. It's timely and moving, beautiful and thought provoking- it might be just what you need in that moment.

 This is what happened when I came across the beautiful blog of Dottie Angel.

Apart from being gorgeous and full of wonderful things (including the photos above) Dottie Angel has started a movement of sorts, a challenge of the utmost kind.

I love a challenge. I thrive on challenge! I thought to myself... I'm in! So for 365 days starting today I swear I will only buy secondhand or handmade for my wardrobe and for my home. Sounds fairly easy right? I mean most of the stuff I purchase already fits into those categories. Well we better step it up a notch...

Included in my personal challenge will be my wedding!

Well our wedding... we vow that everything from this moment on for our wedding will be either second-hand or handmade. EVERYTHING. Invites, decor, dress, flowers, cups, plates, saucers... everything.

It's going to be a super challenge of the utmost kind and I'm going to blog about the adventure right here.

Isn't he a wonderful man he is to agree to this challenge.. thank you Adam.

Why would I want to do this?

Well firstly, weddings are an environmental disaster. Check it..

 -The average wedding produces 63 tons of CO2 and 400-600 pounds of trash. With 2.5 million weddings a year in the United States alone, the impact is huge. I want no part in that!

Secondly, cost:

-The average wedding costs almost $40,000 and weddings are a $60+ billion industry. 

Apart from that seeming to me like a hideous waste..

Adam and I are saving to buy a small acreage here in the pretty country town of Daylesford. On that land we will build the dream house we are designing (made from strawbale) and we will grow veges and milk goats be sustainable and self sufficient. (sigh...) 

$40,000 would buy a lot of strawbales! 

But most of all, I want to get creative. I love that instead of popping out to buy something instantly, every detail will require thought, creativity, inspiration and effort. The outcome has to be something amazing. It will also require us to involve our wonderful friends and family, use their skills and have them feel part of the process and share in the joy of what we create.

So I do hope you will join me on this adventure!

(This post has been repeated on the my new blog, which is devoted to the challenge!)

Wedding inspiration..

 

It's a year away I know, but things are all about wedding planning around here!

I've cleared most of my usual commitments (except the children, the garden, the animals and personal craft projects!) to make way for a year of planning and crafting for the big day.

 

 via project wedding

So just a warning, my blog is likely to include lots of wedding stuff from now on. My visual diary of ideas and inspirations. as you can see i finally found a use for one of those patterns I blogged about here.

Via Poppytalk

Please don't be put off if you don't like weddings, it's not going to be traditional, soppy, cheesy or frou-frou.

via Designsponge 

Everything, hopefully down to the marquee (which we are planning to make from recycled truck tarpaulins), will be handmade, vintage or recycled. It's going to be a hands on, team effort and it will include lots of amazing local Daylesford produce and crafts people.

via sarahseven on etsy

Our mission is to create a wildly fun and beautiful wedding, that is as environmentally gentle as possible, all within a very modest budget.  So stay tuned!

 

via Miss Pickles Press

Included in this post are just a few of the gorgeous images I have been inspired by so far, there are so many more to come!

More Bunting Radness!

On the weekend I received this gorgeous little package from the super talented Neen from Nettle & Brier. It contained the most beautiful personalised bunting...

In case you don't have super x-ray vision and can't make it out, it says 'Tania 4 Adam 4 Eva' and it's for the engagement party this weekend. Awwwww....
I love it so much! Such pretty patterns. I think it will later find a permanent home in our bedroom.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Neeness!

Engagement Bunting...

So last month, on my birthday in fact, I got engaged. I was whisked away blindfolded to a secret location where my love had set up a romantic picnic complete with cold bubbles and my most favourite foods. Set amongst pretty shady trees on the edge of field of lavender at Lavandula he gave me his grandmothers rose gold and diamond ring. It was perfect.

Which leads me to the engagement party I am currently organising. Yesterday I made pretty bunting from one of the ancient Readers Digest's I got from a garage sale. They have the most exquisite hand painted covers (they deserve a post of their own) but whats between the covers of those books is of no use to me!

The weight of the paper was just perfect for the job and I love the aged yellowing at the edge of the pages. I love too that they are pretty but understated you know, not all bright and crazy and look at me (which is my usual style). Just classically beautiful.

After I had made them I found I had pile of perfect little paper lovehearts at my feet- so I stitched them together in this sweet little garland. A lovely little by product I must say!