We've Moved!!

Hello!

It's been a while! I've been working on lots of behind the scene things in recent months for the business and one of them is a new blog!

Visit us here and follow us for all our updated news!

Our New Blog!

Our new blog links directly from our website now, and we've also linked our Flickr gallery from there too. Just visit the site and click on Gallery at the top to see what we've been making.

TiarasAndFascinators.com

You can also follow us on Facebook for lots of info. We're currently holding a giveaway! When we reach 100 FB fans we're giving away a pair of our gorgeous Romance Earrings in a colour of your choice. Visit us, Like us, and suggest us to your friends to be in with a chance of winning!

Our Facebook Fanpage

We're also on Twitter!! We've been busy! Follow us here!

Tweet With Us!

I've loved PinkTigersDen and I want to thank all of you who've read over the last few years and hope to see you over at the new blog soon!

Have a great day!

N x

*Wave*

I'm still here! I've had a February blogging hiatus. I realised it's exactly a month since I blogged!

But it's good to have a break, right??

Anyway, big wave! I'll be back soon...

Oh, and well done Amy Williams for providing GB with our only Gold medal at the Winter Olympics. We came a resoundingly crap 24th in the medals... obviously saving our best for 2012...

N x

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My Mom was 60 last Friday. She's on a cruise in Dubai with my Dad for her special birthday, and although I found it very difficult to not see her on that day, I spoke to her which was brilliant, although very emotional for me and I did have a few tears when I put down the phone!! My sisters and I arranged for her to have some champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in her cabin, and for it to be decorated with happy birthday things to make sure she knew we were thinking about her, even though we couldn't be with her which I know she loved!!

Anyone who reads my blog will know that my family are the most important thing in the world to me and my parents have been my rock during pivotal points in my life, from petty fallings out with school friends when I was a kid, to the amazing birth of my baby, and the awful time I had when my husband left me and P when she was 6 months old and my consequent divorce and the hard times, both financially and emotionally that accompanied that. Throughout everything, they've put their own life on hold to make sure I was supported, loved and cared for, from taking 10 minutes out to dry my tears whilst sitting on my sister's bed in my school uniform, to cancelling major holidays and making unbelievable personal financial sacrifices to ensure that I didn't lose my mind or house during the worst times. For them, I know that these things are second nature. They would do exactly the same for all 3 of their children, and love us all equally and unconditionally. It's not even a question of whether they would do anything for us, it's a question of how soon they can do it for us to make it all better. My dad's famous quote is "You're only as happy as your unhappiest child." Something any parent can associate with, I'm sure. (Wise old bugger, my Dad...)

I was thinking this morning about how my family knows we love each other and my conclusion is that we show and tell! All the time. When we leave we say 'I love you' and hug and give each other a kiss, when we text we say 'I love you' when we're done, when we do things for each other, the silent 'I love you' is always there behind the action and for me, those acts and words mean the world to me. I know if anything happened to any of us, we would all feel like we'd been totally loved by our family for our whole lives, and I'd have no doubts that my parents, my sisters and my daughter know how I feel about them and how much they mean to me, even if we have disagreements! Our love as a family has no barriers and that's the way I like it. We're not overly exuberant, we just have this energy that says that no matter what, we'll be there for each other.

My parents have taught me a lot about how to be a good parent and it's something that I'm constantly trying to emulate in my role as a mother. My Mom has been the best mother I could have ever wished for. She's my friend, my confidante, my sounding board, my cooking instructor, my childcare, my role model, but most of all, she's my Mom, and I couldn't love her any more if I tried. She means the world to me, and I don't know what I'd do without her constant support, advice, love, guidance and understanding.

Happy 60th Birthday, Mom.

I love you more than you could ever imagine. And then a little bit more. :)

N xxx

Enquiries and Custard

It's been a quiet winter on the wedding front, but this week I've had several enquiries for multiple orders which is really encouraging. I guess spring and summer brides are starting to tie all their loose planning ends together now and making sure that they have the right accessories to complete their looks. I can't wait to get making again.

One of my friends lives in Prague, and his wife is having a fascinator off me for a wedding in February which I'll really enjoy making. I used to really dislike making pieces for friends as I found it a lot of pressure and as a perfectionist was always worrying that they wouldn't be pleased with what I'd done for them, but after doing a few I've realised that everyone's been more than happy, so now I love it! J has the most gorgeous dress to wear with her head piece. I love the ruffles and the way the gorgeous fabric reflects the light. This is her dress.

And this is the Joanna fascinator she'll be having to go with it, in Wild Rose to match her accessories.

On a positive note about my newly found lactose and egg intollerance, I've found out that I can replace eggs with Bird's Custard Powder in my baking! I'm going to try it out this weekend with a batch of cupcakes and cookies. Hopefully the vanilla flavour will enhance the flavour of the baked stuff because the egg substitute powder tastes disgusting! I'm not sure if you can get this outside of the UK, but I totally love the flavour of this stuff and I'm excited that this might be a good substitute! My Mom always uses this powder and mixes it with milk to make custard and it's been a staple in our family ever since I can remember. One of my favourite puddings is bananas and custard, although I'd have to make it with lactose free milk now!!

Yummy!

N x

True Love

My daughter is in love. She's 6. He's 6. She writes in her diary how much she loves him and that his best friend is called Luke. It's very cute. She showed me her diary yesterday, giving it to me with a giggle and as I read it, I realised why I am so in love with my girl. Her affection for her beau is real. She feels her emotions, and she's not scared to write them down, with accompanying pictures of stick people looking smiley and happy. Her youthful naivety melts my heart, and I hope that when she grows up she feels love with all the intensity she feels it with now, at 6, but with passion, and that that love is returned back to her with the same vigour.

N x

Hello Ducky...

Well, it's a bit all change here. The cat's had her collar off and is absolutely loving her new found freedom after 10 days, doing flying leaps onto our big cat and generally jumping about all over the place. The operation obviously hasn't phased her one bit, although she still has a big bald patch on her side where she got shaved. I think it's going to take months to grow back!

P is off school again and has a chest infection. I took her to the drs last week and could have told him that then, so as he didn't give her any medication we've ended up going back again today. Very frustrating. She'd be well now if she'd have had those meds last week, and consequently she's missing another day off school. She's paparazzi shy...

The benefit is that we have Zac Efron on the DVD and he's getting his head in the game! Gotta love Zac bustin' some cool moves on a Monday morning!...



I've finished knitting my cousin's little girl a duck with a big fat 'F' on his bum for the first letter of her name. Now the snow's all gone, I can get to posting it! She loved the penguin I did for P, so hopefully will love her new ducky!

Follwing on from my new obsession with food blogs, feast your eyes on THIS baby!

                                                        (Photo credit to notsohumble.blogspot.com)
Isn't she the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen? She's a lemon meringue lamington made by my favourite blogger Ms Humble. Be sure to catch her blog here and join me in daily salivation. She is like a food deity, producing the most edible pictures and text, coming up with amazing recipes and generally making me want to move to Seattle to live with her. A sugary, cakey, moussey, meringuey, lemoney, chocolatey inspiration. I love her. And that lemon meringue lamington.

Dad, P and I managed to do some sledging and build a great snowman at the end of my parent's road last Thursday when it snowed ALL day and we had so much fun. P was ill after this, so I guess all fun has its downsides! Here's my Dad sledging! We haven't done this for years! And our snowman with his sprout eyes, carrot nose and red pepper lips!

Apparenly the UK hasn't had snow like this for 30 years. It's been great, but I'm so glad it's gone now... although it's forecast to come back later this week so I won't hold my breath!

N x

No One Puts Cupcake In A Corner...

My new obsession is reading cupcake and cookie blogs. It's not the baking that floats my boat, it's the genius artistic ability these women have to turn some sugar and butter and eggs into the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Their creations are absolutely beautiful and it makes me want to bake. Therefore, I am setting out on a cupcake and cookie mission. I want my cupcakes and cookies to be beautiful. I want people to think I'm a cupcake queen. And it might give me something to do whilst I wait for the wedding season to pick up. Who knows, I might get so good I can offer wedding cupcakes to my brides...

Talking of bridal cupcakes... get this. I found it on a fabulous blog called IronCupcake and it's probably a sugar fiend's dream!! How could you say no?

In honor of Since1910.com’s 100 year anniversary, Since1910 is offering a $106,794 cupcake.

The diamond cupcake is available in vanilla or chocolate and features a 5.48 ct Round Diamond on top of the cupcake. The diamond advertised is a GIA certified 5.48 ct round diamond – F color – Si2 clarity – Good Cut. There are many diamond options for the cupcake, which will affect the total price of the cupcake.

“We are thrilled to offer this amazing proposal dessert for those discerning patrons who want to create a once in a lifetime memory.” – says Eric Peerless, Vice President of Since1910.com

Peerless states that they will ship the cupcake and diamond via Free Fedex overnight anywhere in the world.

After hearing a surprising amount of engagement stories from men who proposed using dessert as the proposal vehicle, Peerless decided to offer this incredible dessert via their website.

For more information contact http://www.since1910.com at customerservice@since1910.com or 1-800-979-1910

I'll take 2!! 

N x