Do Me A Favour
One thing we love here at Style Guide are the cutest, most gorgeous favours. They're not the easiest things to get right and often you run the risk of repeating what many brides before you have done. So unoriginal! However, during my daily net surf I came accross the site Products with Personality. Not only do they have bucket loads of the most amazing favours but they also have place cards & holders, favour boxes, eddible favours as well as accessories like fans, cake toppers, decorations and bridal accessories. Not only is their selection and colour range amazing they ship to Australia! There will be no doubt your guests will ohh and ahh after receiving a gorgeous favour from www.pwponline.com. Visit the site to browse the massive collection and learn about shipping costs.


Damask mint tins (mints not incl.)


Monogramed Hershey's Kisses


Tea pot place card holder


White wooden fan

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Cath Kidston inspired kitchen tea party
I absolutely love Cath Kidston fabrics and am excited to have found some of her stationery items at Amazon. The recipe organiser and kitchen notes would make great gifts or favours. It would match in really well with our Tea Party story that we featured in Issue 1 of the magazine. You could download our FREE tea bag labels and tea tin labels from our website and buy some matching Cath Kidston napkins from a good newsagent to fit in with the theme. I have also seen at Spotlight a similar strawberry fabric sold that you could use as an inexpensive table cloth or runner.









napkins

tea bag label template

tea tin label template

Posted by Emma Henderson

Follow the Yellow Brick Road
As more and more stores are beginning to stock their shelves with the autumn/winter offerings one thing is becomming clear. Black and yellow is back. My favourite piece of clothing is the LBD (little black dress for those unaware) but it's nice to see it in a new light. Donna Karan got the idea quick smart with the DKNY Ikat print strapless dress. I couldn't resist putting together a Polyvore (my new addiction) to give your a head start in sprinkling your wardrobe with some sunny love.


Black & Yellow - by EmHarrison on Polyvore.com
Click on the Polyvore to find out more about the pieces.

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Be My Valentine
I stumbled accross these cute downloads from the gorgeous Twig and Thistle blog. Just download the template and print. I love both of the designs and just wish I had more time to make them and bake the goodies by tomorrow! The template for the paper bags could be printed on a sticker and stuck on a bag, box or anything you can think of.


template


template

Posted by Emma Henderson

How Sweet It Is
I love these sweet little heart sugar cubes from Cox & Cox in the UK. Wouldn't they look great served with tea & coffee at the end of the reception teamed with little heart-shaped biscuits. They ship to us in Australia, and they're on sale at £9.00 for 30 cubes + postage - so order now if you're keen.



Posted by Jane Cameron

Elum Stationery
I am so excited that Pepe's Paperie has opened a store in Adelaide! I absolutely love this paper shop as they stock so many beautiful things. I was most excited about seeing the Elum desk set there which I had been admiring from afar at their US website. I love the designs and think they would be perfect for writing thank you cards for your wedding. Each desk set contains over 315 pieces and you can even buy refills when you need to.





Posted by Emma Henderson

From Another Time
I often feel like I should have been born in a different time - around the 1900s I think. Dresses like these transport me to this time - where workmanship and attention to detail were standard, not exceptional. This amazing dress dated from 1913 came to Antique & Vintage Dress Gallery from the granddaughter of the original owner, Martha Yocum. Martha, wearing her Edwardian gown, was featured in the local newspaper... "The bride was prettily attired in a gown of faulle brocade trimmed with duchess and point lace."

This dress has been sold but there are many, many others available for purchase from this website - from all eras! If nothing else, the styles and details will provide a wealth of inspiration when planning the gown of your dreams.







Posted by Jane Cameron

Every Girls Secret Weapon
Created by well-known models, Danielle Atkin & Sarita Stella, Secret Weapons is a range of accessories designed to make those seemingly impossible fashion choices a reality. With 8 saving graces in the Secret Weapons range, they are guaranteed to enhance your womanly assets and ensure that looking chic is simple and pain free. With all products in the range priced under $40 it's never been easier to pull of that little slinky dress or wear those sky high heels with confidence! Visit www.secretweapons.com.au to view the range and buy online!


Invisistraps AUS$9.95


Nudi Bra AUS$29.95


The Secret Weapons collection

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Join the Crew
In my last post I mentioned my latest obsession - J Crew. Where do I start? Firstly their range of everyday wear is fantastic but they also have the most wonderful wedding collection.

They have umpteen bridal gown designs from which to choose together with the sweetest bridesmaids, flowergirls and ring bearers' outfits. Oh, and did I mention the groom? Be sure to stop by this section on the website!

Really, there is such a choice of colour, fabric and style - it will fill you with inspiration for your wedding.

You'll need to use a service like Bongo International in order to purchase from J Crew as they don't ship internationally. Where there is a will, there is a way!






Posted by Jane Cameron

Free Valentines Day Card Download!
Are you too busy to visit a newsagent to pick up a Valentines Day card for your loved one, or just sick of the over the top lovey dovey cards that fill the stores? Your in luck as stationery designer Sarah Drake has made available a cute FREE Valentines Day card template to print out yourself.



Posted by Emma Henderson

Shopping Overseas
If you're anything like me, you might just be a little bit green with envy at the incredible choice of products available overseas. Bemoan no more dear friends... Bongo International to the rescue.



A little over a week ago, I found something I simply could not live without at J Crew in the US - and it was on sale! They don't ship to Australia so I looked into setting up an account with Bongo. I opted for a single use account so I could test out the service before subscribing. It was incredibly easy to get started - I just keyed in my details and within a few minutes I was emailed my 'address' in the US which I could use for my J Crew order.

Next I had to wait a couple of days for an unspecified amount to be deposited into my credit card account by Bongo. Once the amount was there, I had to notify Bongo and my account setup was one step closer to completion. Finally I had to scan in a couple of forms of id and email them, together with an USPS form to confirm my identity.

Done! All I had to do was sit back and monitor my account to see if my delivery had been received by Bongo. J Crew were pretty speedy - it was delivered to my new US address within 3 days. Then within a day, Bongo had it on its way to me on the other side of the world.

I received my package on Friday - in perfect condition, amazed at the speed of the whole process.

They offer two kinds of service - per use and subscription. I would definitely opt for the subscription-based service as there are good savings to be had if planning to shop internationally on a regular basis. This service also means Bongo can hold multiple items at their warehouse and then ship them altogether. This would be really handy if you were buying from different suppliers around the same time (think favours, dresses, stationery!).

It's really important too that you know how much each parcel weighs before committing to a buying spree as deliveries are priced per pound and even small parcels can be deceptively heavy!

I was so impressed with the service. It was completely hassle-free and easy to use. It has opened up a whole new world of shopping to me - no longer do I have to pine over those things I thought were out of reach.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Cocktail Hour
There's one thing I love on a hot day and that's a cool, refreshing cocktail. As it's Friday I thought what better day than to share with you some of my favourites. More and more couples are choosing to incorporate signature cocktails into their weddings so maybe these will give you a few hints. Drink up!

The Mojito
60ml white Rum
20ml fresh lime juice
lime rind (optional)
20ml gomme
8-12 mint leaves

MIXOLOGY:
Slap the mint between the palm of your hands before adding to a highball glass. Add sugar syrup, lime rind and give it a quick muddle. Combine this with fresh lime juice and a double shot of white rum. Give the mix a quick stir before filling the glass with ice and topping with a dash of soda water. Garnish with a mint sprig or two fresh mint leaves.



Singapore Sling
40ml Gin
10ml cherry heering
10ml cointreau
10ml benedictine
74ml pineapple Juice
10ml fresh Lime Juice
Dash of Angostura Bitters
2 dashes grenadine
Soda

MIXOLOGY:
Combine all ingredients except the soda in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and shake vigorously then strain over ice into a highball glass and charge with a splash of soda. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.



Lychee Caipiroska
45ml vodka
5 lime wedges
2 lychees – canned
2 teaspoons sugar

MIXOLOGY:
Muddle lime, lychees and sugar in the glass half of a boston shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously then pour into rocks glass. Garnish with a speared lychee.


All recipes from www.cocktails.com.au

Posted by Emilie Harrison