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Best Friends Forever? A Pampering Party Forges The Bonds

One of the best, most simple pleasures in life is to have a group of friends that you’re in sync with. You don’t have to be clones of one another. Preferably you won’t be. It may be best if you think of the Spice Girls. I know they mostly ended up hating one another, but you all have your role. Nothing as binary as “I’m the funny one, she’s the sarcastic one, you’re the sweet one”, but they define themselves.

Friendship groups like this work because you can hang out as pairs. Everyone might have their OTP, but you can call any one of them and know you can talk. And you can talk to different friends about different things. Relationship problems? That’s Sandra. Workplace issues? That’s Rita. Forgotten the capital of Finland? Ask Pamela. (Yes, I’ve taken the names of the imaginary group of friends from Mambo No. 5. And it’s Helsinki.)

With friends like this, you can call and hang out pretty much any time. But it’s also vital, for the sake of team spirit, to have a planned meetup every once in a while. You set the world to rights and plan other things – girly holidays, nights out, even weddings. And one of the best ways to spend a day with friends is an at-home pampering stint.

The Venue

Well, it’s at one of your houses, obviously. It’s up to you to decide whose. Maybe one of you has a bigger house. Maybe one of you is located more conveniently for travel purposes. Maybe one of you has family who are in and out all the time. Avoid that one, this is a team event. Maybe you just do it on a rotation basis. There’s not a specific set of rules here, you can’t codify friendship. That much.

The Essentials

You wouldn’t play tennis without racquets, you wouldn’t go skiing without alarming dayglo bodysacks. And you don’t have a pampering day without the essentials. You need food – takeaway and sweet treats are essential here, pampering has no place for cooking. Something to drink is vital – whatever each of you is into, make sure there’s a supply. And pampering isn’t right without big bathrobes – Richard Haworth hotel linens are among the best options.

The Time

Any decent gathering of friends has within it the potential to take on a life of its own. It can go on for some time, including into the early hours. So it’s best to plan it for public holidays or times when you’ve all got freedom from work. But we all have busy lives, so it is important to take time where you can find it. It’s not always easy, but it is so worthwhile.

Whenever you have a friendship group like this, you know there will be trials and tribulations. There may be fallings out, there may be shouting rows. And as you get older, your interests may go in different directions. But as long as there is that thread of friendship, you can be a team for decades. You just have to make sure you nurture the connections. Time with good friends is so very, very precious. 

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Get The Vintage Fashion Look

Since the 1990’s women have been rockin’ various vintage and retro fashion looks, aaaw yeah they have! Vintage fashions are about waaay more than just what you’re wearing; they say a lot about the music, lifestyle, and your attitude to life. But with so many vintage looks out there, how can you get the right one that looks best on you? Well, read on to find out….

01

1940’s and 1950’s

The forties look has been a pretty popular look for the last ten years or so. It all started to come into fashion around the time that the shabby chic movement began. Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that culturally people always try to look back to a better time when things get austere? Anyway, the 40’s and 50’s silhouettes like the ones shown here have been gaining popularity ever since. In fact, they are so popular now that they are even a mainstay in the wedding dress market. A sure fire sign that they are here to stay, hoooray!

The 40’s look is more about the slim dress that accentuates your curves. Look for covered buttons and pussy bows for the right details. Try stores like Vivien of Holloway or Lindy Bop for these styles. The 50’s look embraces the full skirt more. This is a great look for any shape, as its creates the illusion of a small waist. This is because skirts and dresses in this style are often fitted on the top, with a definite waist and then flared out. You can wear the dresses on their own or with a petticoat which will give you that oomph for a real rock ‘n roll flared look.

02

1960’s

1960’s styles come in and out of fashion pretty regularly. The short shift dresses are effortlessly stylish and show off a great pair of legs. Last season we saw a lot of paisley print in new fashions as well as a nod to the 60’s. Remember that your vintage look, doesn’t have to be made up of purely vintage items. Mix and match new and old for a more modern and up to date take on your chosen era; modern ankle boots and a biker jacket add a great twist to a vintage look creating a bang-up-to-date fressh look just for YOU! Colours that work well for a 60’s look are schemes in greens, blues and orangey browns for that authentic feel. Pair short dresses with flat shoes for throwing some shapes and a high beehive in your hair if you want a really authentic look!

04

1990’s

The 90’s look is probably the look of choice at the moment. Trawl your local vintage shops and ask your relatives if they have anything that the used to wear back in the day in their wardrobes that you can purloin. You can also get plenty of items from vintage stores and 90’s styles new pieces. Neutral minimalism and Grunge were massive iconic looks of the era. Shops like Charlotte Russe are a good bet for some reasonably priced items with a definite 90’s feel. You can get Charlotte Russe promo code online too to save you some money on your shop, which is always ace! Car boot sales and auction sites are a good bet for accessories like mini backpacks and the occasional golden find of an authentic band t-shirt. Speaking of band, t-shirts, even Primark have jumped on the trend and offer cheap Nirvana or Stones t-shirts, which can be cut to make something like this, making it extra cool! 

Pick an era, any era, mix ’em up together and with modern finds, dressing with vintage is the MOST fun ever and is by far the best way to make a look which only you will be wearing!

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Be an Expert Party Thrower With these Tips

 


Do you want to become known amongst your friends and family as an expert party thrower? Being able to throw an amazing party that your guests never forget is a skill that will come in reeeeeal handy over the years. Who doesn’t love a good party with the people they love? These tips will help you!

Consider The Personalities Of Your Guests – If you’re inviting a certain type of guest, consider their personalities. A party you throw for your adult relatives versus kids is going to need to be completely different to be enjoyable to them. What sort of food will they like? What sort of decor and atmosphere? What music? Consider them first to make sure they have the very best time.

Consider The Occasion – The occasion can also affect how you throw the party too. If you’re looking at surprise birthday parties, you can afford to have a lot of fun with them. If you’re surprising your parents with an anniversary party, you want it to be quite romantic and sentimental. Classy or fun? Cray-cray or casual?

Know How To Pick A Good Venue – Knowing how to pick a good venue is totally key to your party. You have the option of throwing the party at your house, in a hall, at a restaurant – whatever suits the occasion. But you need to consider the following things:

  • Is there enough room for your guests?
  • Can your guests arrive easily?
  • Are there any extras or features?
  • How much is this going to cost?
  • Can entertainment set up easily at your venue?
  • Can you pre-empt any problems?

You need to ask yourself all of these questions in order to become a great party planner!

Improve Your Decorating Skills – Even if you’ve picked a lovely venue, you may still have to decorate a bit to get the right theme. Hang some banners, balloons, confetti, and other bits and pieces to set the scene, look on Pintrest and Instagram for super and original ideas. These things can make a big difference to the party atmosphere. If this party is for kids, really focusing on the decorating can make it quite a magical experience for them!

A Good Playlist Is A Must – A good playlist is going to be invaluable to your party. You want all kinds of songs on there, songs that everybody will enjoy. Mix it up a bit. Get everybody up and dancing. Have some power ballads people will sing to, and crazy dance songs that will get people up on their feet. Of course you can hire a DJ or band, but you want to make sure they are suitable for the atmosphere you’re trying to convey. Make sure you tell them if there are songs or genres you don’t want. Some people want cheesy pop, some people think it’s way too, well, cheesy!

There are so many more things you can do too, depending on the kind of party you want. You can play fun party games, give out bags – whatever makes your eyes and heart light up. Use these tips to get you started and everybody is totally gonna have a blast!

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Engagement Ring Shopping As A couple- How to make It Special


Over the past few years, a new engagement trend has occurred – choosing the ring together. Traditionally, the guy would pick out a ring before popping the question. However, today that’s not always the case. The truth is, a lot of men worry that they won’t get it right when it comes to choosing a ring.

It can seem like this takes the romance out of him asking you to be his wife, but it doesn’t have to. Ring shopping as a couple can be fun, romantic, and a great way to celebrate your engagement. It may not be a traditional approach to take, but that’s okay. All that matters is that you and your husband-to-be are happy and excited for your future. To make ring shopping together extra special, here’s some ideas to consider.


Have a chat beforehand – The first thing that you should probably do is have a chat with your partner about the engagement ring and what the budget for it is. The last thing you want is to find a ring that you love, only to find that it’s out of budget. That’s why it’s best to know the amount you have to spend beforehand, to prevent any upset or embarrassment when shopping. It’s also a good idea to find out whether he’s buying the ring or whether you’re splitting the cost between you. The chances are he’s paying for it, but it’s still best to check.

Get inspiration – Before you head out ring shopping, it’s a good idea to get some inspiration. The best places to find inspiration is online – there are plenty of ring stores that you can browse to get ideas. You may even find a make or style of ring design that you love, such as Verragio rings, that you can then use as your inspiration. It’s worth taking the time to get inspiration, as it will make shopping for the perfect design that little bit easier.

Plan a whole day out – Make the day that you go ring shopping special by planning out a whole day together. Arrive at your chosen shopping location early, get a coffee and a pastry, spend some time browsing all the best ring stores – make it a celebration. Take the time to try on ring designs that you never thought you’d like. As you never know, you might end up liking something different. Ask your partner’s opinion and listen to what he has to say – ask him if there’s a ring design he envisioned you wearing. It’s important that he feels included in choosing the ring, even if he hasn’t picked it out himself.

Take the wedding bands your want into account – Oh and don’t forget to take the type of wedding bands you and your partner want, into account. Your engagement ring should, ideally, match your wedding bands in some way. So when picking it out, it’s important to think about yours’ and your partner’s wedding bands. Take the style, make, and metal into account, to ensure that your wedding bands can be what you want them to be.

It might be traditional that the guy choose the engagement ring before popping the question, but that doesn’t mean that’s how it has to be. Believe it or not, choosing the ring together can not only be a lot of fun, but also a fantastic way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials. whoop!

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How to make a special day even more perfect


Special days come around every so often in life. Well, if they were every day they wouldn’t be special, would they? It’s days like these that we ring in red on the calendar and plan for in advance. These will provide the photos you look back on years down the line. Which puts a lot of pressure on the day itself. We’ve all had one of those days which we looked forward to for months but it never quite lived up to it. Avoiding disappointment on the big days is essential. This will require planning and may require delegation. Many of us may prefer to keep control of everything but you often find when you get to the day that you’ve spent so long planning, it can be an anticlimax. Perhaps you’re so focused on the fruition of your hours of planning that you cannot relax. Maybe, because nothing is a surprise, the day itself just seems commonplace.

To ensure that a red letter day is as glorious as it should be, make sure you’ve got the following things nailed down:

Theme – It could be a wedding, a prom, an anniversary or a campaigning event. Whichever it is, a theme is the thing the day hangs around. For a wedding this might be completely traditional, and this is easier to plan. However, if you have a theme in mind, everyone needs to be on message. Say it’s a prom. Does everyone know it’s a Guys and Dolls theme? This can affect dress code, food and drink, location and a lot more besides.

Attendees – A special event can have hundreds of people there, or it can have just two. If it’s a wedding, chances are that there are more people there. If it’s an anniversary then you might have a few special locations planned before a quiet, romantic dinner. This can affect how travel is planned. Arriving at a special restaurant in a stylish ride from a VIP Chauffeur Car Hire service is hard to beat for intimacy.

Schedule – Planning an itinerary can be a challenge because there is an impulse to cram as much in as you can. This is where a lot of people get anxious, because the more that’s on the schedule, the more chance there is for things to go wrong. Allow room to breathe. If people are timetabled to arrive at eight for drinks at 8.15 before a meal at half past… you get the idea. Less really can be more. Keep in all the essentials and space them out enough to give everyone a chance to take a moment.

On any special day, the most important thing by far is that everyone can enjoy themselves. That’s as true for a moonlit gondola cruise for two as it is for a black-tie fundraising dinner. If you get yourself into a mindset where everything has to be planned to the letter, it’s the opposite of fun.

Special days may only come around every once in awhile. When they do come around, it’s best to be thinking “the last one was amazing, let’s try to beat it!”. Far better that than “Let’s not have another Yule Ball incident, OK?”.

 

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