Plans in action!!

hello,

Thank you all so much for the really lovely comments on my last post. I am feeling so lucky at the moment and very very excited. The last few days have all been a bit overwhelming really. Suddenly loads of our friends who I don't see very often have been in touch all of whom have known for months about the reaffirming of our vows and each day brings news of someone else who is coming for the day. It's so nice.

The day is going to be low key despite the fact that lots of people will be there. The plan is to have our vows included in the usual sunday service at our church. Neil's chosen hymns that mean a lot to both of us and are the ones we enjoy the most. A couple of our friends are singing and playing during the service. After the service we are having a jacobs join buffet where basically everybody who comes contributes something to eat. Neil apparently has planned to cook 24 hour pork courtesy of Nigella which we have had a few times before - it's ridiculously easy to do and tastes wonderful. After the buffet we are going to the local pub which is on the bank of the river ribble and overlooks a lovely park for a few drinks and then thats that really. We've then got a week off work while Jamie goes on a school holiday so we've got a couple of days booked in Harrogate (courtesy of travellodge doing an offer of rooms being £9.00 a night) and hopefully I'll finally make that trip to skipton I yearned for a few weeks ago.

Basically because we have no money at the moment I've spent the last few days thinking how I could 'pretty' up the church hall. Neil has been so romantic in organising and planning this whole day and somehow I'd like to do something to reflect that and help make it look romantic on the day. So, I've been through my pretty paper stack - I have hoards of paper like most people on here have fabric and have been busy punching it into heart shaped confetti to scatter on the tables. I would have like to make some bunting but just don't think I'll have time to do it so then I remembered Lucy's (attic 24) hearts hanging from the ceiling on valentines and think I might be able to recreate that - what do you think??

As for something to wear - Our church is pretty modern and I regularly turn up in Jeans but as this is a special day I am absolutely over the moon as I have bought a dress!! I never wear dresses as I can never seem to find one to fit my very top heavy body shape. But I scoured the internet and saw a dress that caught my eye and was an absolute bargain(£13.50 and its brand new)!! It's black and white swishy and swirly and when it arrived this morning I was so pleased that it looked as I imagined it would. It's paired with a three quarter sleeve knot fronted top and this big corsage. I love the corsage but might change it for something in a brighter colour but haven't found one yet so we'll see. If I'm honest I would have loved a dress in shades of pinks, lilacs, summery colours but the reality is I am not your average off the peg dress shape so the fact I actually found a dress in the first place is definately a novelty. And as I said before we are pretty much broke having spent the last year rewiring, replastering etc etc our house (it was about to be condemmed for unsafe wiring so was a pretty scary time which wiped us out of the little savings we had).

Please let me know if you come up with any ideas for making a room look pretty that costs next to nothing - all ideas welcome, and thanks again for the lovely comments I've really appreciated every single one of them.

Hope you are having a good week.

Take care

Janette

xxx