we heart Lassco 3 Pigeons. x

a few weeks ago I finally made it to Lassco 3 Pigeons, the reclamation group's Oxfordshire branch at Milton Common.

I have been wanting to go for ages and I just had to share my trip with you! the very lovely manager was kind enough to let me take a few (ok, a lot of) shots whilst I was trecking around their site. it was a beautiful sunny afternoon and I think I could happily live in their grounds amongst the outbuildings stacked with reclaimed doors peeling with a hundred years worth of paint...
I do love a wander around a reclamation yard although they always have a slightly spooky, forgotten air about them- perfect for a Halloween party- but ever so slightly disturbing... (is that just me?)

..and Milton Common really does have a reason to be even spookier than most:
I think this might well have been the tree that John Price hung from back in 1785... rather grim...

...but dispite it's rather gruesome history, Lassco had some fantastic finds.

I am again quite gutted that I didn't make it here whilst I was we were doing up our flat a few year back. These concrete tiles below (spanish?) would have been perfect for us. In fact, if no one beats me to it, I might just have to head back and buy them.
curios of all types filled the Lassco site's main building- it was literally filled to the rafters. And in amongst the doors, taxidermy, parisian statues, railway sleepers and marble busts there's a little tea room serving the most delicious of fruit cake (I urge you to try this if you ever visit- actually one of the best I've had in a long time!) which just gives you yet another reason, if you needed one, to divert off the M40 for a few minutes (hours)...
the most pristinely kept set of magazine journals I've ever seen. I think there must have been about 100 of them:

this intricate parquet flooring was one of my favourite finds. Isn't this just stunning? It looked as though it has been badly infested at one time but that didn't detract from how stunning it was. I need a house to put this in. Plus a good dose of woodworming treatment just to be on the safe side...
and my other favourite find was this garden table. I really, really had to control myself to stop buying it. When I got home and showed Mr A, he said 'why didn't you buy it?' and (apart from I'm not supposed to be buying anything at the moment- holiday coming up shortly!!) I actually don't know what stopped me. I do love a bit of weather-beaten rust AND I do need a desk. aybe I'll be heading back shortly for a rusty table and cement tiles.

Lassco 3 Pigeons

London Road

Milton Common

Oxfordshire, OX9 2JN

01844 277188

open monday-saturday 10am-5-pm

we heart a lingerie sample sale. x

If you're looking for some bedroom lingerie or underwear for your wedding night..
Rigby and Peller's latest sample sale started yesterday and continues today and tomorrow:

Thursday 10am-8pm
Friday 10am-7pm
at
20thCentury Theatre
291 Westbourne Grove, W11 2QA

Hurry- gorgeous smalls at up to 95% off! x

one year on... x

one year on...


time has just flown by and I can't believe it's a year ago today that Mr A and I exchanged vows! we had such an amazing day and we have great memories... here's to the next 50years!

love. x

inspired: cake toppers. x

it's been a bit of a revelationduring my blog searches to find so many creative and imaginative cake topper ideas out there. long gone are the days of the tacky plastic bride and groom figurines (thank goodness) and in their place, brides have personalised their centrepieces with a wide range of gorgeous ideas.

I do love when wedding parties incorporate their floral themes with food decoration, but for our wedding, I really wanted to have a personal keepsake from our day.

I had seen these wooden characters (unpainted) on Etsy (ours were from Goose Grease) and as James didn't know anything about my dress, I painted our mini-me's in our wedding outfits. In fact, James saw both me and my wooden doll for the first time in the green dress at the same moment! I have our dolls sat in our living room as a happy reminder of that moment!

I did have another set of toppers which I had been saving since I was 15...

On holiday with my parents, I came across these Mexican day-of-the-dead skeletons and have had them carefully wrapped in tissue paper since! I didn't think they were totally appropriate (slightly morbid) for our day, but they're making an appearance now in the run up to our first anniversary!

but I do love the unusual ideas out there right now.

here's some gorgeous ideas I have come across recently:

above photo found on 100layercake

there have been so many 'birdy' themed weddings out there over the past few years. I like that the above is a little different in style and the below is using the theme but executing it in a slightly more original idea. So pretty!

above photo found on 100layercake

magic mushrooms?!:

above photo found on 100layercake

royal couple for the day:

above photo found on 100layercake

I do love the use of the mini bunting below to spell out a phrase or even the couple's names- so sweet!

above photo from 100layercake

we heart summer sample sales! x

if you don't have any plans for this or the next few sunny weekends,

here's some sample sales which might tempt you indoors for a bit:

BROWNS BRIDAL

this sunday, 11am

expect the usual queues at BROWNS so get there early

if you want to bag a designer gown at up to 70% off!

12 Hinde Street, W1U 3BE

DAVID FIELDEN

saturday 9th july, 10am-6pm

gorgeous and often unusual wedding and evening gowns from the talented David Fielden

241 Fulham Road, SW3 6HY

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

friday 22nd July, 8am-7pm

huge discounts from the massively talented Matthew Williamson at the music room venue!

The Music Room, 26 South Molton Lane, W1K 5AB