Help Sara & Stu win a wedding!!!

Today I'd like to ask you lovely lot for your much needed help for a school friend from my home town  Macclesfield..............Sara & Stu have made it to the finals of Silk FM's "Win Your Wedding" but now they need all the votes they can get to be in with a chance of winning their wedding!

The voting opens on Monday 10th September 2012 so leading up to then, they have a Facebook group which they're asking as many people to join as possible so they can get all the up to date information out in one place - CLICK HERE to join their Facebook group so you'll be ready to vote on Monday!

I asked Sara for a little bit of their background so you can get to know them and see that it really would be fantastic if they could win their wedding! 

Here's what Sara had to say:

"I had started working at the Tytherington Club as a waitress and, as is the norm in the industry, there is always a lot of banter between chefs and waiters. Stu was a chef, funny hard working and a loveable rogue. He was easy to get on with and was always telling jokes and playing tricks on the other chefs. He was 20 and I was 24 and neither of us were in a relationship we even joked that if we didn't meet someone by the age of 30 we'd get together! (Typical film episode!!) 

We would stay up till the early hours watching films but were still only friends. We arranged to go ice-skating with friends, but our friends let us down. Typical hey!! So we went together Stu was an ice-skating pro showing off going at the speed of lightening around the rink. Where as I was clinging onto the side for dear life and when I did venture out I fell on my arse several times. lol. He helped me up and tried to give me some pointers, he even held my hand going round the rink to steady me. That is when I knew he was the man for me. So we went on our first date; bowling, fish & chips and a drive, ending in a 11 year relationship. 

We now have 2 wonderful children Luke is nearly 4 and Eliza is 4 months, last August Stu proposed. Why did it take him so long I hear you ask? Well it takes Stu several hours to choose a pair of shoes he is that indecisive. We went back to Yorkshire for a night out for our 10 year anniversary. We went for a fabulous meal and a comedy club - a rare night out even with one child. It was amazing and back at the hotel Stu got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. 

It’s been a rollercoaster of a relationship, we both suffered with depression after Luke was born and pilled on the weight; me coming in at a hefty 18st 2lb and Stu 14st. I tried dieting on my own with some success but when Stu joined me as a support (because he didn't think it would work for him) we really took off and we have now both lost 3 stone each. Stu is target member at slimming world and although I still have more weight to loose I know I have Stu's support to do it!! 

Stu & Sarah since their weight loss - looking gorgeous!

We entered the silk fm competition in the hope of winning as saving for a wedding is near impossible with two children especially as I am studying to do a degree at MMU.
As we have both done so well with our weight loss it would be amazing to feel like a princess for the day! Stu is Scottish originally from Dundee and we would love a traditional Scottish wedding - kilts and everything!! Luke would look so cute in a kilt. Voting opens on Monday 9am and people can vote by going on www.silk1069.com "

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP 

It will only cost you a very small portion of your time and really would make a world of difference to Sara & Stu if they won! Go on do something lovely - it'll put a smile on your face!

Vote for STU & SARA

Love Kate x

Wedding Wonder of the Week! The Cake Box

Happy Wednesday!

Today I have a lovely Wedding Wonder of the Week to introduce you to!  Let me introduce Liz from The Cake Box and her beautiful elegant cakes..........

• Tell me a bit about yourself and your company.

I have been designing cakes for over 13yrs and my company The Cake Box in Cheshire caters for any design and budget. I get a lot of repeat business which makes my job worth while.
 

• Are you married?

 Not Married at the moment but fingers crossed hey !!

• What attracted you to working in the wedding industry?

I started cake decorating at a young age with my grandma and my passion for cake decorating bloomed from there

• What is your favourite part of working with bride & grooms (to-be)? 

Getting the chance to be part of their special day and designing their bespoke wedding cake and seeing their faces when its revealed.
 

• What is your most favourite wedding theme at the moment?

White, classic, simple, elegant design

• Top wedding tip?

Always have a budget and colour theme

• What do you think the next big wedding trends might be?

Royal Wedding cakes 
 

• Where can we find your fabulous company?

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/thecakebox2012
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/box_cake
WEBSITE: www.the-cake-box.net 

• What are your plans for the future?

Open a shop in Macclesfield, increase my customer base and spend a day working at Choccywoccydoodah

Well I'm certainly excited for the new shop opening in my home town of Macclesfield! Big thanks to The Cake Box for sharing all this with us!

Love Kate x 

Friday Feature - Beautiful Cuticle!

Happy Friday!

Today I'm super pleased to introduce the very lovely Imogen from Beautiful Cuticle as my Friday Feature. I have 'known' Imogen for a while as we have many mutual friends in our little home town of Macclesfield, but it's not until recently when we connected on Twitter did we spark up a great friendship. Not only is Imogen a talented business woman she is also a totally fab and lovely girl as you shall see.........

• About you......who you are, what you like, what you don’t like…. Basically anything you want to share

I'm Imogen Hope, I'm a mum and wife. I love friends, yoga, meditation, swimming, friends & family.

• About your company......when, why and how you started, what your company does and why it does it best, where can we find you (email, website, shop, etc)

Beautiful Cuticle started in February 2012. I decided it was a career I wanted to follow after I'd had my son (Jonah now 2) as i knew it might be my only chance to re-train (originally I have studied art, design and art history) and I wanted to do something I had a genuine interest in and could start my own business with so I could work around my family. It's a mobile nail technician service that does all nail treatments from manicures, pedicures to luxury spa treatments to extensions, overlays, Shellac and pamper parties. All in the comfort of your home at a time to suit you. BeautifulCuticle is THE best because it's friendly and professional with the best quality products and services, knowledge of the beauty industry, fashion industry and all the latest trends available for great prices.

Email is Imogen.hope@hotmail.co.uk, website is www.beautifulcuticle.com, phone number is 07948276535

• What or who inspires you?

The people who inspire me are all my friends who I've got to know more since starting my own business who are in the same position. People who have connected with me via twitter and Facebook, it's a beautiful little community who all support and elevate each other. As well as Kate Lewis cards I have friends making cushions, bags, cider, selling lingerie, painting, making jam, hiring vintage crockery, opening shops, cafes and more! All these little local business' are inspirational to be taking on the big guys and winning and I love to be part of that.

• Top 3 on your wish list right now?

1. A massage ( house moving is taking its toll!)
2. One of my husbands made from scratch currys and
3. Lots of sunshine!!

• Tell us your best/ funniest joke…………go on its Friday!

How do you make a duck into a soul singer?

Put it in a microwave till its Bill Withers ;-)

(Aahahahaha LOVE it!)

• What do you have planned for this weekend?

So much! Friday I have a wedding reception, Saturday we move house, Sunday my husband and I are going away to Chester for the day/night because Monday is our 3rd wedding anniversary then it's his birthday! Busiest weekend ever!

• Finally (thank Chrunchie) what give’s you that ‘Friday-Feeling’?

A chilled glass of Pinot.

Thanks so much to Imogen for sharing all of this with us........which reminds me I must book an appointment with Beautiful Cuticle for a wedding in June I'm going to! Good luck with the big move this weekend, I hope it's sunny for you! And Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday to Nick! 

Love Kate x

Made In Macclesfield

Hello!

I'd like to share with you a little 'badge' I've created to add to some promotional literature for my local area of Macclesfield.

I think it's really important to "BUY LOCAL" when you can, and I think its getting more popular by the day. Here in Macclesfield we've been lucky enough to have a monthly Market in the town centre which has grown into something fabulous. Our local market is called "Treacle Market". Treacle Market is a quality Arts, Antiques & Crafts, & Food and Drink Market that takes place on the last Sunday of each month.  It's held on the cobbles of the historic old Marketplace and Chestergate in Macclesfield. The next market is this Sunday (29th April 2012) from 10am to 3.30pm - so get down there!

A fabulous local gift shop, Mootiful, stocks Kate Lewis Design greeting cards and they have asked me to print a small banner for the display to include "made in Macclesfield" as customers are always happy to hear that the cards are designed & made by a local gal! 

So here is my 'badge':

I think it looks quite striking and I might get some stickers made to go on the front of the card bags! What do you think? I might even extend my range!!!

Have a great weekend especially if you decide to visit Macclesfield and the Treacle Market!

Love Kate x

Friday Feature! Cash4Chaos

Happy Friday!

Todays Friday Feature is a real treat, a fantastic band from Macclesfield, Cheshire called CA$H4CHAOS. Let your inner rockstar/ rockchick out and enjoy......

• Tell us a bit about your band......when, why and how you started, what music you play, where can we find you.....

We’re Cash4Chaos a loud catchy punk rock band from Macclesfield. 

We got together 6 and a half years ago, just playing covers of all the old classic punk (Sex Pistols, Clash etc). It went really well and we ended up playing all over the north west… like all good things it came to an end in 2008 and for the last 3 years we just got together for a gig once or twice a year. At the end of last year we got our hunger back and decided to get back together permanently, but only playing our own songs. 

Photo by Stu Lowndes 

photo by Stu Lowndes

We’ve all played in original bands writing material in the past and wanted to get back to that. We lost a couple of members along the way and are now down to a 3-piece, but all 3 of us are original members from 2005. 

Nige, Mark & Andy aka cash4chaos

We've been writing our own material since early this year and have already played quite a few well-received gigs locally and are quickly building up a following, and are just putting the finishing touches to our debut album, ‘Show Us What You’re Made Of’ which will be released next week. We’re on facebook www.facebook.com/cash4chaos and twitter  http://twitter.com/cash4chaosuk

Our debut single is available for FREE download here

downlaod the single "i don't care" for FREE now!

• What or who inspires you?

Songwriting- wise it could be anything, from who we are and what we’re about, to things we see on the TV or observe around us day to day. Performance- wise obviously all the early punk, but we’re also heavily influenced by great rock bands who are known for putting on a good show such as AC/DC, KISS and The Wildhearts. Shoegazers we are not!

• Top 3 on your wish list right now? 

1.  Get the album out! It’s due to go up for free download first on our facebook page and at www.soundcloud.com/cash-4-chaos, on 1^st November
2. Get it released properly, probably with digital distribution
3. Get some representation, someone who can help push us to the next level, get our album heard and start writing the next one!

• Tell us your best/ funniest joke…………go on its Friday!

Knock Knock.

“Who’s there?”

Interrupting sheep. 

“Interrupting sh”….BAAAAAAAAA!!!!

• What do you have planned for this weekend?

Cash4Chaos are playing at the Millstone in Macclesfield tomorrow night to celebrate the launch of the album. We’ll be starting at 9pm with a set of the raucous punk covers that we first made our name doing, then at 10pm we’ll be playing the album back-to-back. We’re also playing at the Board Inn in Whaley Bridge next Saturday, and the Swan with 2 Necks in Macc on 12^th November.

The debut album

"Show us what you're made of"

will be available for FREE download

on 01.11.11 

 facebook or soundcloud

• Finally (thank Crunchie) what gives you that ‘Friday-Feeling’?

We all have full time jobs, so knowing we’ve got a whole weekend to concentrate on band stuff and just enjoy ourselves in general… especially if we happen to have a gig!

Massive thanks to Andy from CA$H4CHAOS for taking the time to share all of this with us. If you're out and about in Macclesfield on Saturday night pop into The Old Millstone to have a listen - you will not be disappointed!


Have a great weekend all - I know where I'll be on Saturday night!
Love Kate x

Friday Feature! Welly Fest

Happy Friday Everyone!

I'm sooooo excited to be sharing Welly Fest as my Friday Feature today! If you're in the Macclesfield, Leek, Rushton Spencer area you HAVE to come along - I'm going and can't wait!

• About Welly Fest......what is Welly Fest......when, why and how it started, where can we find more details? Website, twitter facebook etc……

Welly Fest originated as a beer festival with music 3 years ago.

We had a free slot in our weekend programme of charity events so in conjunction with Wincle Beer Co I arranged a few of my friend’s bands to play and organised it in 2 weeks. It was fantastic! Over 500 people turned up, and there was an amazing atmosphere. Everyone seemed to appreciate the range of beers that we had sourced.

The Next year we re-titled it Welly Fest as the weather wasn’t too kind for us, and added more bands to turn it into a beer and music festival. The number of bands wanting to play was overwhelming.

This year Welly Fest will be bigger and better than ever, and is now Staffordshire Moorland’s BIGGEST beer festival with over 40 barrels of beer plus ciders and perrys! For more info check out www.facebook.com/wellyfestuk www.twtitter.com/wellyfestuk or www.wellyfest.org.uk 

• When is Welly Fest? And what time can we be there? (with our wellies of course)

It all kicks off this Sunday (Sunday 28^th August) 4pm-10pm at Heaton House Farm. (on the A543 between Leek and Macclesfield) Don’t forget your wellies!

• What fantastic bands will be playing?

We have some fantastic local bands! Mozart’s Go-karts, Cash 4 Chaos, Hot Vestry, Simple Confessions, One Room House, Robin Pierce Band and Mystery Creatures.

• What else will be going on?

Apart from the beer and music, there is also a Tug-o-War competition, along with Segwaying and Zorbing – which I defiantly recommend trying – so much fun!!!

• Tell us a bit about you…go on! (what you like, don’t like, favourite things, why you love Welly Fest, etc)

The reasons why I love Welly Fest is because it gives a different opportunity for local talent to showcase themselves. One of the bands that played last year managed to get on to a BBC radio station! I also love watching people laughing and enjoying themselves.

• Top 3 Welly Fest things you’re looking forward to?

Wellies, Beer and Music of course!

• Tell us your best/ funniest joke…………go on its Friday!

What did the hat say to the scarf?
"You hang around - I'll go on ahead."

• Aside from Welly Fest what else do you have planned for this weekend?

Saturday we are holding a brand new event called ‘Big Tent Event’ (www.bigtentevent.org.uk) featuring a TV comedian, and lots of fantastic talent and on the Bank Holiday Monday a Country Fayre and Farm Fun Day (www.countryfayre.org.uk) which attracts approx 8,000 people. The 3 events make up a charity weekend in aid of Cancer Research UK, Midlands Air Ambulance, Donna Louise Trust, East Cheshire Hospice and RHSA.

• Finally (thank Chrunchie) what give’s you that ‘Friday-Feeling’?

Getting phone calls of my friends inviting me out. Some of the best nights are last minute ones.

Thanks so much to Sarah for letting us know all about Welly Fest - I hope some of you are inspired to come along I'm sure it will be a fantastic day!

See you there - don't forget your wellies.......

Love Kate x

Friday Feature! Anna Dolan from Mootiful Gifts

Happy Friday all!

I'm so excited to be sharing my first ever "Friday Feature" with you........the very fabulous Anna Dolan from Mootiful Gifts.

• Tell us about you......who you are, what you like, what you don’t like…. Basically anything you want to share...

I am Anna Dolan half of a sister double act who created Mootiful Gifts I love working with Emma (my sis) on new designs and products for our brand and seeing our ideas turn from sketches to actual gifts in our shop is very exciting. I like vintage shops, buttons, cream teas, my fellas cooking, laughing with friends, sunshine!  I don’t like rudeness, thieves, coffee cake, deep water, scary films, salad cream urghh!! 

Photo by James Russell

• Tell us a bit about your company......when, why and how you started, where can we find you, etc....

Our company Mootiful Gifts is a design-led gift shop in the heart of Macclesfield; we design and hand-paint/make gifts for all occasions births, christenings, birthdays, engagements ,anniversaries, weddings … 

Both myself and my sister come from textile backgrounds which we studied many moons ago I went on to study fashion design and Emma became a freelance designer. In our spare time we would sell our products on local market stalls and craft fairs the response was so good in 2000 we took the leap and opened our first gift shop. Due to the success of our products in 2004 we decided to grow our brand and sell to the trade market which allowed our gifts to be sold in outlets all over the U.K and Ireland.

The totally gorgeous Mootiful Gifts, Macclesfield.

Our company is unique, as everything we hand-paint/make can be personalised and designed bespoke for the customers wishes, whatever ideas a customer has we can create a gift for them.

Come and visit and have a mooch! 

You can find us here at: 3 Queen Victoria St, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 6LP (opposite the TSB)

Check us out on www.mootiful.com

Join our herd on Twitter @mootifulgifts

Give us a moo info@mootiful.com  or 01625 500613

• What or who inspires you?

Travelling to a different country inspires me I love nothing more than going on mini adventures immersing myself into new cultures and surroundings I love old buildings and can spend hours quite happily wandering around towns and cities taking it all in. Other artists/designers inspire me every trade show I go to especially the BCTF in Harrogate I am still amazed of the talent we have in this country there is always something new and exciting to see and it makes me proud to be British.

• Top 3 on your wish list right now?

A holiday!!!  A british bulldog called Ralph  A lottery win - wouldn’t we all!

• Tell us your best/ funniest joke…………go on its Friday!

Where do cows go on holiday?       Moo York!  I know that’s terrible but I had to get a cow joke in!

• What do you have planned for this weekend?

My fella is a chef so not many weekends spent together but happy to say he is off on Sunday so thinking lazy Sunday lunch in a pub is needed. (Oh and a couple of cheeky vinos well it would be rude not to!)

• Finally (thank Chrunchie) what give’s you that ‘Friday-Feeling’?

A nice ice cold glass of prosecco  but not too many as I have to open the shop in the morning and always regret the “just one more!”

I am udderly over the moon to be the first Friday Feature for the very lovely, talented Kate Lewis. 

Thanks so much to Anna for sharing a bit about her life with us. LOVE the cow joke! And ooh prosecco - is it wine o'clock yet.......If you are ever in the Cheshire area you have to go and have a 'mooch' in Mootiful - it's a gorgeous shop and the personalised gifts that Emma & Anna make are truly stunning, plus they have some other amazing products from Gisela Graham, Claire Ogden Jewellery, Think Pink, to name just a few!

Hope everyone has a great Friday, stay safe

Love Kate x