I hope that you all have had a relaxing festive break and will be celebrating 2014 in style. Lace in the desert will be taking a short break until January 2014 when we will be coming back with a bang…..watch this space!
A very excited Jessica x
The new collection of Rosa Clara wedding dresses for 2014 is truly stunning. Structured dresses with billowing skirts, lace overlays and intricate detailed embellishments reminiscent of haute couture. Rosa Clara is stocked all over the Middle East but unfortunately not yet in the UAE; a quick hop over to Qatar it will have to be.
L: Ceilan R: Carol
L: Cedro R: Cerdena
L: Cintia R: Cecilia
L: Celta R: Calima
L: Copla R: Celia
L: Cueta R: Cauce
L: Cameron R: Ciclamen
L: Cabo R: Cancun
L: Camino R: Clarisa
L: Cazorla R: Clio
Like many brides I was completely head over heels for any ‘boho bride’ that I laid my eyes on whilst planning my wedding. I just loved (and still do) the tousled hair, the disarranged bouquets and the yards of long flowing lace and silks. Well today is all about going back to the emergence of the modern day bohemian vibe; the hippies of the 1960’s – 1970’s.
There is much to be taken from this era in terms of wedding day styling. Think VW camper van, mismatched table settings, flower crowns, bags of colour, crochet and maybe throw in an oversized floppy hat for good measure.
Whilst a full blown hippie wedding might not be everyone’s taste, there are definitely pockets of this era that will add to a bridal boho vibe just perfectly.
I always struggle to get into the festive spirit here in the desert; bright blue sky, warm sunny days and an abundance of sand are all so far removed from the cold, dark and blustery Christmas I grew up with in England.
One thing that always warms my Christmas cockles is present wrapping. I love it. I started last night wearing my new winter scarf and rocking out to all the festive tunes from ‘Santa Baby’ to Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’. Oh I do love a good old Christmas tune. I honestly think that they’re good for the soul. I digress….
Today’s post is about inspiring your Christmas day wrapping. There are so many creative ways to wrap your gifts for your nearest and dearest and here are some of them. From fresh greenery and berries to stamping and glitter, there are some simple and some not so simple ideas for you to take on-board when performing your own Christmas routine.
Now I don’t know about you folks but I do find unique wrapping paper hard to come by in Dubai – my go to is Paperchase but if you know of any shout-out worthy stationery shops here in the UAE please do leave a little comment below as I would love to know about them!
One of the best finds I have come across are printable gift tags on Etsy; perfect for those last minute presents and for those of us wanting something a little different from the norm. There are hundreds of these out there but here are a few of my favourites:
Mooseberry Printables: White Tags and Black Tags
Left: Pixel Perfect Shoppe Right: Design by Tracy
Left: Christine Marie B Right: In Digital World
Celebrity red carpet couturier of choice, Romona Keveza’s Spring 2014 collection paid tribute to timeless style. Named ‘A Passage Through Time’, Keveza’s latest offering fused great fashion moments of the past with a modern sensibility. Each gown within the collection represents a particular era; from the elegance of the 1920’s right through to the millennium and into the future, this collection is exquisitely diverse. 
A vintage touch is one of the most popular themes for any wedding day and with good reason; it’s just so darn romantic.
For this moodboard I’ve taken inspiration from Downton Abbey (if you haven’t watched it then you really should) and the early 1900’s without trying to get too distracted by the Gatsby era of abundance and art deco.
One of my favourite new loves has to be the shoulder necklace which fits in perfectly to a vintage vibe, in fact these images are making me hanker after one myself. You know, for all the balls I attend….I digress.
If like many brides you want to achieve a romantic look but don’t want to go overboard on a vintage theme, then why not add some ‘splashes’ of vintage. Lace, old suitcases, leather bound books and lavender are some of the easiest ways to achieve these ‘splashings’. This is an easy and accessible theme to incorporate into your day and if you’re a fan of the this era I guarantee it will make your heart soar. 
Lace In The Desert 