by Jackie Brooks | Aug 26, 2016 | Fashion, Featured, GloBeauty, GloWellness
Choosing a wedding dress for yourself or a relative is a serious undertaking, in line with the big day itself.
I accompanied a close friend who was helping her daughter select a bridal gown and accessories this week, and approached it with great trepidation.
The young lady in question was a plus size 16 and had been fed with horror stories of all gowns being a size 6-10 with no support for ‘real women’ sizes and snooty shop assistants shaming you into crash diets and expensive designs.
Claire, the bride to be had booked an appointment with a local Wedding Shop, Love Me Do Brides in Park Street, Kingston.
I arrived early and as I had a long journey from my Buckinghamshire home, was dying to use the bathroom. I crept into the shop apprehensively, to be warmly greeted by two lovely ladies, who were ready to receive the bride to be and her companions. They pointed me to the restroom and then made sure I was comfortable on one of the squashy settees and offered me refreshments as it was a very hot day.
When the bride to be and her mum and auntie arrived – they were completely geared up to help in any way possible. They were also incredibly helpful in helping us to cuddle and feed Claire’s young four month old twins who were brought along to share the big occasion.
The bride to be was very quickly put at ease as she tried on the dresses, her size not even slightly an issue. In fact many of the dresses were too loose, and so her confidence was rapidly restored. They assured us that all sizes are catered for.
She tried on a total of ten dresses, and loved eight of them – but finally settled on a stunning lace featured gown, which enhanced her curves and accentuated her good waistline.
She explained to Jo, the personal dresser who had been designated to look after Claire for the hour’s slot, that she was on a Slimming World diet, and so was advised to have the final alterations done close to the Wedding Day as they had a seamstress on hand to turn it around in 24 hours. They even offered to do a last minute steam of the garment.
She rounded off the session by selecting a pair of lovely high heeled, cushioned satin shoes, for extra comfort, a tiara and a veil – the latter of which she hadn’t even considered.
As there was a sale in store, the total for the entire package was only £730. The dress had by chance been reduced from £1,200 to £599, the shoes were half price at £25 and the veil and tiara made up the rest.
Our young bride to be left the shop elated and full of confidence, a wonderfully successful outcome.
I had a chat to one of the partners, and she told me that although the outlet premises are neat, their stock is extensive and constantly updated. They have been going for eleven years – and I can see the reason for their success.
I am quite sure that many other bridal outlets provide an equally supportive service – but I would personally recommend this small Kingston upon Thames outlet – and it would even be worthwhile to make a special journey, however far away you are, as their unique approach and care would be hard to compare.
http://www.lovemedobrides.com/weddingdresses.aspx
by Jackie Brooks | Aug 15, 2016 | Featured
It is true that creativity is 10 percent inspiration and the rest sheer hard graft, and the same can be said with lighting – meaning your room may have beautiful furniture and décor but if your rooms are not carefully lit, your home can fall short of any kind of atmosphere.
You will know yourself that any movie worth its salt will have the most stunning lighting effects to illustrate each scene, from romance to danger or sheer celebration.
You don’t always have to invest in extortionate designer floodlit wall or ceiling lighting to create the desired effect. The Lighting Superstore offer a range of superb products that should light up your day as well as various areas of your home, and depending on your style of interior, there should be a good match, whether it be an ultramodern or shabby chic. There is also a fabulous sale on at the moment which you should investigate if you are looking to brighten up your space.
At http://www.lightinthebox.com/ you will find some beautiful inspirational pieces like the Retro Silk Industrial Plumbing Lamps Cafe Bar Restaurant Creative Chandelier and other unique designs to enhance your home and place your own stamp on your domain.
Candlelight is another favourite when creating an atmosphere, and there are a multitude of great ideas that spring to mind from dinner parties to romantic soirees and bathroom spas. Some of the most beautiful candles can be sourced from uk.merakishop.dk/meraki? where they are free from any kind of pollutants and yet full of stunning aromas in various colours and catering to every taste.
Have a look at http://www.felixlightingspecialists.co.uk/ if you want to invest in some stunning pieces that will see you through as a once in a life time buy. Original outside the box vintage designs with recycled metals and retro-futuristic sculptures. If it is uniqueness you are looking for, you have reached Nirvana.
Last but not least http://www.homebase.co.uk is another superb place to shop, and has a variety to choose from, including some great Tiffany lights – not the real thing of course, but this reflects in the price, and you will want to look around its selection of lighting products which will give you some great ideas and help you select the atmosphere to die for. Not literally of course, unless you are planning a murder mystery night, and you can also achieve that – as it is all in the lighting.
by Jackie Brooks | Jul 13, 2016 | Featured, General, GloWellness
Our lives are one big ‘stress ball’ – sounds like a song doesn’t it! Well we are advised endlessly on how to avoid the negative effects of stress itself. But a recent survey has revealed that stress can indeed be a healthy stimulant for the brain and can in fact prolong life and in some cases enhance mental activity.
As someone who has studied psychology and indeed been in therapy myself, albeit as part of my degree education, my very wise counsellor would always say to me if I was feeling the pressure of any situation ‘go with the stress and don’t try to push it away, because if you do it will come back tenfold’. He would also insist, well before his time that a little bit of stress won’t kill you, but indeed would give you the awareness and energy needed to act in certain situations.
A bit like an actress friend who always has first night nerves, which are always viewed as a positive in the theatre, as they give the performers an edge when they appear on stage.
A recent study has revealed that short time stress has a positive impact on the immune system – which is great for fighting infection or healing wounds. In one study, individuals who experienced moderate levels of stress before surgery were able to recover faster than individuals who had low or high levels.
Stress can help us meet our everyday goals at work and at home. The family and financial responsibilities can come with some pressure and stress, but without these elements their endgame would hardly ever be achieved, and as long as the stress does not get out of hand, can help finalize any undertaking, either commercial or domestic. It can even assist with boosting memory.
Technically speaking, when the brain perceives some kind of stress, it starts flooding the body with chemicals like epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. This creates a variety of reactions such as an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Plus, the senses suddenly have a laser-like focus so you can avoid physically stressful situations — like crossing the road and avoid being run over by a bus!
The key to stress is to keep it under control and not live in a constant state of anxiety. When this happens it can have a negative effect, and there are many self-help books and homeopathic remedies on the market to alleviate this kind of constant pressure without running to your GP and getting hooked on tranquillizers.
We would advise that you pick up Stanford professor Kelly McGonigal’s new book, The Upside of Stress, a fascinating and quick read on some concepts that might just give you an insight into the benefits of stress.
For instance, she states that while we tend to view stress as the enemy, there are actually other beneficial and physiologically positive types of stress; and that making stress to work for you is as simple as changing your mindset and the way you view stress itself. A fascinating and informative read and one that may also change your life.
