Homemade Sugar Scrub ~ Perfect as a Gift for Friends, Family, Bridesmaids

I love the idea of making something as a way of thank you, what with all the help we get from family & friends during the run up to the wedding, many of us want to give a gift to show your appreciation.

{as a side note i also love this idea to do at a bridal shower, get all the ingredients together with different oils and the girls can mix their own scrubs, pack them and take home}

So most sugar scrubs have the same basics Some kind of sugar (organic, raw, white, or brown), some kind of oil (almond, avocado, olive, or vegetable), and some kind of essential oil to make it smell nice.

This DIY tutorial was by Darcy @ smart bottom enterprises

Sugar Scrub is so incredibly easy to make! You take your pick of ingredients, mix them until you like what you see and feel, pour it in a jar, and you're done! It takes all of 3 minutes to make. Kind of.

'Kind of' meaning that you could be finished right then and there, or you could be like me and spend the next 3 hours fancying up all the jars to make them pretty. I just can't give a naked jar as a gift. It goes against everything I believe in.

Anyway, here's what I used for the basic sugar scrub:

Demerara Sugar /Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
Brown Sugar
Olive Oil
Sweet Orange and Peppermint Essential Oil 
Aloe Vera Gel
Mason Jars

I didn't really measure anything, but I probably did a 50-50 ratio of the sugars to the olive oil. I started with just the Turbinado Sugar and Olive Oil, but the mixture was a little too coarse for my liking, so I added regular Brown Sugar until I got a consistency that seemed nice. Then I added drops of the Sweet Orange and Peppermint Essential Oil until the scrub smelled wonderful. And I added some Aloe Vera Gel, because it's good and I happened to have some. I don't know if the Aloe made any difference. But I like it, so there you go.

Oh man, sugar scrub is good! I kept trying it out on my hands as I mixed it. It made them soft and luxurious! I do have a little warning for you, though. If you use it in the bath or shower, be careful because the oil in the scrub can make your bathtub slippery. I wouldn't want anyone to fall and break a hip. For me, the danger is totally worth the sugar scrub experience. But you could also just keep a jar of it at the sink and only use it on your hands. Because look at it! It's gorgeous.

After I finished mixing, I filled all my Mason jars with the goodness.

Then I printed up some cute little labels for the top and mod podged them on. I'm hoping they'll be a little more water resistant that way. I also printed up some instructions and hot glued them to the side of the jar. I figured once the sugar scrub recipient reads the directions, she can take that part off if she wants.

I tied a little wooden craft spoon to the side of each jar with raffia.

Then I wrapped each one in a clear goodie bag. Extra fancy!

Totes doable right? personally I love i love Ylang Ylang, Lavender, or Bergamot for the essential oils

oh and if you want to pretty your jars up with lace? of course you do, then check out this DIY fabric and lace jars tutorial by Sara at Under the Vintage Veil

with thanks to Darcy, originally seen on smart bottom enterprises

Quirky, unique & funky way to arrive at your wedding + Real Wedding ~ Oliver & Reetu's Wedding

Do you remember these the Ambassador car? They were in every Bollywood film? It is after all considered a definitive Indian car and is fondly called "The king of Indian roads"

So when Suzie Goodman of Karma Kars got in touch about her 1950's-style vintage Indian Ambassador car with its bejewelled interior of red and gold. I was excited and wasn't disappointed, heart the retro vibe.

  

Do you love it? perfect if you dig the vintage, boho, retro look. Its also a little fun even if your having a really traditional wedding.

Here's a look at Oliver & Reetu's Wedding, doesn't the bride look amazing? {reminds me of Kate Moss wedding, must be the picture-perfect Cotswolds setting, floral head garlands for the girls, oh and the brides loose waves and her minimal make-up}

"Reetu, {the bride} who works in fashion, designed and made her own dress as well as the bridesmaid's dresses. They are all embroidered with the date of the wedding, the couple's initials and birthdays. Karma Kars Cotswold was there all day & night. Our first job was picking up the bride and her father from the Fossbridge Inn where she got ready with her sister and 4 flower girls. After the couple's woodland ceremony, a traditional Indian drummer escorted the bride and groom to the lawn where guests enjoyed champagne, canapes and even a bit of bangra style moves! Before their full Indian curry wedding breakfast, the car was used for some quiet moments of togetherness's and a backdrop from some amazing shots. Over the afternoon and into the early evening, the car was part of the entertainment, for photos, general talk about its history and some trips out for family members. The evening saw guests eat, dance and and gorge on marshmallows around the fire pit. At 1am, the generator was turned off, some guests camped in the field next to the barn, others sloped off to nearby hotels. We proudly drove the couple back to their country house hotel and as we pulled away, we could see the groom carry the bride over the threshold into the lobby!"

Thanks to Suzie for getting in touch & her words

Car ~ KarmaKars-Cotswold
Stay ~ Fossebridge Inn
Venue ~ Cripps Barn
Photography ~Joy Pictures (07989 393360)

Facebook: facebook.com/KarmaKarsCotswold

Twitter: @KarmaKarsCots twitter.com/#!/KarmaKarsCots

this is not a paid feature

Rain on Me!

I don't want it to rain, but you know it will right? 

via www.hellobrolly.co.uk

{Guest Post} Elephants at your wedding?? by Kismet @ The Unreal Bride

Maybe it is my latest obsession with all things animals- from lions to hyenas to elephants thanks to my recent trip to Kenya but whatever the reason- it’s keeping me inspired!

Today I will focus all my energy on elephants or heffalumps like I like to call them (remnants of my Winnie the Pooh days, I suppose!).

Via

If you are an animal lover like me , then including a favourite animal-in this case an elephant in your wedding would seem the right thing to do! We have all seen people who have their dogs and cats included in the wedding, then why not an elephant? Well, that’s easy enough to answer-they are kinda big, like humongously huge! Okay so we can solve that problem by not physically having an elephant present but by including them in other ways in the wedding.

I have to mention though that some people even ride in on an elephant instead of a horse, which is more conventional in an Indian wedding. I kid you not- my own fiancés brother did that! It was a bit mad but no one will ever forget that.

Via

If you aren’t as adventurous as these grooms, then maybe some elephant inspired invitations would be nice!

Via

Via

Via

Apart from just being adorable, elephants played a major part in Indian history – from being hard workers to being part of celebrations (think heavily adorned with a prince sitting on top) and of course one of the most popular Gods is Ganesha who is famous for his elephant head (but that is another story).

Via

Sorry! Got a bit diverted off topic there but felt the need to share that bit of info J

I found this cutest guest book as well which has these elephants on it and would fit perfectly with our elephant theme.

Via

I am a huge huge fan of Pinterest, okay maybe a bit of an addict too but Etsy is amazing too with its huge treasure trove of resources. The guest book was found on Etsy and so were these cute cards!

Via

Last but definitely not the least are these amazing bracelets from The Lucky Elephant which I think would be the perfect thing for your bridesmaids/best friends or maybe even with your wedding outfit. Aren’t they the most adorable and beautiful things ever?! They might have been the inspiration for this entire post!

Via

With that I leave you to think if you would consider whether you would like to have ellies as part of your décor or not!

Thank you so much Rabbia for having the Unreal Bride here- we enjoyed it and hope you did too! J

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Indian Weddings by Simran Chawla

When was the last time you went to a bookstore, and came across a detailed book about asian weddings, I don't recall.

Simran Chawla has written a book called Indian Weddings. As Indian weddings continue to evolve and grow into a million dollar industry in the wedding world, this book is a snapshot of Indian weddings in America as they are today. The weddings featured in the book are from all over the country, from a beach wedding in California to the Washington metropolitan area where a groom arrived on elephant in front of DC's famous Mayflower Hotel.

Featuring beautiful photography its conveys the joy of Indian celebrations, and the text helps brides and guests to understand Indian marriage traditions. Though the book features mostly South Asian Americans, this is a universal book about Indian wedding traditions today and is available worldwide.

I asked Simran, how she got to writing a book like this? 

"I have a journalism background and later pursued creative writing classes. My older brother was getting married at the time and I found myself writing essay after essay about family wedding traditions for my classes. I finally decided to put my thoughts together into a book. I’ve always loved our weddings and found myself constantly looking to the UK for Indian wedding eye-candy. Asiana and Asian Woman Wedding magazines were so amazing to me, as we had no resources like that in the States a few years ago. I’m so glad now that my book can hopefully be a resource to brides in the States, UK and worldwide. With this book, I truly hope couples will be inspired to take some time out from wedding planning to actually talk with their families about the traditions that are about to change their lives forever."

I lived in the Washington, DC/Virginia area my whole life until last August when I moved to the UK after my own wedding.

Personally i haven't read the book, but i imagine it would make a good present when someone gets engaged, and that it would be helpful to vendors who might not be familiar with Indian weddings.

here's what people are saying about the book so far: 

On Amazon - http://amzn.to/lpjWNw

On Desi Wedding Magazine – A “can’t live without it guide” http://desibridemagazine.com/profiles/blogs/epic-giveaway-the-cant-live

see the Indian Wedding facebook page here

Say It with a Note

In an ideal world life after marriage would be full of romance, but in reality you can be so busy with work, life, family, friends, children, blogging ;) that romance gets a little sidelined, keep it alive by leaving a note, on the fridge, under the pillow, on the steering wheel, lunch box? and make them smile :)

images via http://weheartit.com/tag/love%20notes?page=3

The cutest way to say thank you - the momiji way

These mini Japanese dolls are impossibly cute and have a huge following, each resin doll is hand painted, and at the base you have a tiny folded card for your own secret message.

just choose a doll according to the mood or emotion you want to convey...

perfect present for a friend or your own dressing table, giving them away maybe harder than you think.

Try celebration doll - sister, who declares Hey sister! You really are a top banana. 

and likes are writing lists and playing uno.

best friends doll                                   book club by luli bunny doll eve      

pixie                                 vintage doll coco

www.lovemomiji.com

The Wedding Tree

This is a great alternative to the guest book, choose from finger prints to dot, and match to your colour theme. setting up a table so your guests can leave a lasting impression.

Found some lovely people on etsy, who do all types of tree see below.

GreyDogDesigns

GreyDogDesigns

GreyDogDesigns

lots of colours to choose from  - GreyDogDesigns

SayAnythingDesign

SayAnythingDesign

SayAnythingDesign

SayAnythingDesign

SayAnythingDesign

SayAnythingDesign

SayAnythingDesign

lovliday

lovliday

lovliday

lovliday 

SayAnythingDesign

 GreyDogDesigns

images via pic 1 pic 2  pic 3