If you are planning a Wedding or a Special Occasion, then please think of the environment when choosing your mode of transport to and from the venue.  Here are some eco friendly ideas to consider:

• Can you and your guests actually walk, taking in the fresh air?
• Could you arrive by pedal bike, or a tandem cycle?
• How about turning up in style, in a beautifully decorated horse and carriage.
• Is there a local bus or train service nearby that could be used instead?
• If necessary, hire a limo, minibus or a coach to collect and drop off your guests.

Post 100, my goodness!

As part of our environmentally friendly theme, why not use some gorgeous potted bulbs as your table centre pieces at your Wedding.

These can also be used as gifts for the Bridal party which won’t die after a few days, but will be seen blooming year after year around your Wedding Anniversary. 

The pots need not be plain, you could make use of tea cups, tea pots, glass bowls, wicker baskets and more, see the images above for your inspiration.

My last festive blog for this season.  You are sure to be soon taking down all your Christmas decorations, if you haven’t already done so and with this in mind, I have a few suggestions of how to recycle your Christmas cards.

• The worst you could do, is to simply make sure you pile them into your blue bin, for the local council to recycle them.
• In support of The Woodland Trust, hand your cards into Tescos, M&S, WH Smith or TK Maxx, and in turn they will plant 1000s of new trees.
• If you fancy a bit of crafting, take some scissors and a single hole punch, and cut out various images from your cards which can be used as gift tags for Christmas 2009.  Any oddments of thin ribbon or wool can then be tied to each gift tag, making them ready for next year to decorate your wrapping paper.

Happy New Year everyone, from Sarah’s Creative Occasions!

And if you are thinking of setting yourself a New Year resolution, do make it a good one and one that you have a good chance of maintaining.

My resolution is to promote looking after our enviroment, and so I will be bringing you lots of ideas throughout January on how you can be more eco friendly with your Special Occasions in Ayrshire.

When I first moved to Scotland in 1989 I was greeted with many new Scottish traditions, Hogmanay being one!  My family had never really celebrated the New Year, so on our move northwards we had our first experience of how the Scots celebrate.

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year.  The most common custom is “first footing”, whereby immediately after midnight a good friend will cross the threshold of your home and bring you a gift, such as:

• Salt
• Coal
• Whisky
• Shortbread

The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year.

Enjoy your Hogmanay celebrations!

Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788.  It has since been set to folk music and is sung for the clocks striking the New Year in.  Everyone will form a circle and link crossed arms, singing Auld Lang Syne.

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll be your pint stoup,
And surely I’ll be mine,
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

Chorus

We twa hae ran about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine,
But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit
Sin’ auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn
Frae morning sun til dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.

Chorus

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie’s a hand o’ thine,
And we’ll tak a right gude willie waught
For auld lang syne!

Chorus”

Meaning of unusual words:
Auld lang syne = Former days and friends
stoup = tankard
gowans = daisies
braid = broad
Gude willie waught = friendly draught

The traditional gift to mark 3 years of marriage is leather, and here’s a few ideas on how you could incorporate leather into a gift for family or friends:

• To bring a smile, gift wrap a bar of Imperial Leather soap
• His and hers leather wallets
• Leather address book, diary or journal
• Passport cases made of leather
• A beautiful travel clock bound in a leather case
• Leather gloves for the Winter
• Trip to Walsall Leather Museum
• A story written by Stephen Leather

My sister is a Capricorn, and so are you if you were born between December 22nd and January 21st.  Capricorn is symbolised by the goat, and is the 10th astrological sign of the Zodiac.  Capricorn is considered to be an earth sign, negative and femine, likened to an introvert.

The traits of a Capricorn include:

• Disciplined
• Practical
• Careful
• Reliable
• Self-critical
• Hardworking
• Shrewd 

Happy Christmas from Sarah’s Creative Occasions

Enjoy and be merry!

Over the next couple of days when you are roasting potatoes, turkey, goose, duck or a ham, remember to keep all the left over fat in a container and when you have a cupful you can make these delightful treats for the birds.

• Cupful of used fat, melted into a pan
• Stir in a cupful of bird seed
• Add a cupful of porridge oats
• Sprinkle in a handful of raisins
• Pour into 2 half coconut shells, or 2 plastic disposable cups (ensure they have a loop of string attached)
• Leave to set overnight somewhere cool
• In the morning, hang them out on a tree and the tits will flock in