Building up confidence…

Bear with me on this post, as it is going to go off on little tangents!

A couple of months ago I went up to Salford for the day and visited the amazing Florentyna Dawn, a fabulous wedding and occasion wear company, that has items ranging from size 6 to size 50!! And they are simply stunning.

Certainly trying on all the wonderful gowns, having my hair and makeup done and getting photographed in the wonderful outfits did amazing things for my own personal confidence, and of the other bloggers and ladies there.

We had a fabulous day, filled with beautiful outfits, hats, champagne and cupcakes. It really was a special kind of day.

If you want to see how I got on, find my post here – a pampered princess for the day

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I had an amazing day there, and before we all left, we were given the opportunity to fill in a complement jar for each other. This was all organised by the lovely Lisa of Girl Geek in a Dress and was such a wonderful idea I wanted to share it with you all.

This makes a perfect personalised gift, especially for that special person in your life, or someone who may be going through a tough time. It is also ideal for a special occasion, such as a Wedding, or an Anniversary.

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Basically, all you need is an empty mason jar, (or reuse old jam jars) some chalkboard labels, a chalkboard pen and some small squares of coloured paper.

I find that it is best to sit down in a quiet room, with your slips of paper, a cup of tea/coffee and no distractions. Then think about that person/couple/occasion and write down one wonderful thing on each slip. These can be compliments, inspirational quotes, things you love about them or even a wish.labels2

Fill out as many slips as you can, folding them up and putting them in the Mason Jar as you go. Once filled, write out their chalkboard label, stick to the front, and Voila!

The idea is that once given to the recipient, they can open the jar and take out a slip whenever they need cheering up, or they want to reminisce about the particular occasion you have made it for.

You can of course decorate the jar with fabrics and ribbons, little gems or lace, depending on the occasion.

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Imagine getting one of these during your wedding. Opening that jar and having a multitude of things written down about your special day. It doesn’t have to be a compliment that you leave. Wishes are perfect – for example “May your love last a lifetime”  “May the memory of this day live with you forever” are perfect things to note down.

For someone as soppy as me, I would have loved to receive something like that on my special day. Instead of a guest book where people can leave their comments, have a jar on each table?

It really is a lovely gift to both make and receive. I have resisted opening my jar since I was given it. I didn’t want to “waste” them, and have kept them for emergency cheer-ups!

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All the slips inside are anonymous, so I will never know who wrote what. But today, I opened the jar for the first time and took out a little pink slip. This morning I was feeling a little down and unsure and not really myself.

Then I opened that pink slip, to see that a beautiful stranger who I had never met before the visit to Florentyna Dawn had written this…….

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Immediately I cheered up, a smile appeared on my face and the World looked a little brighter.

That can never be a bad thing, can it?

If you’d like to give it a go, here is a couple of places where you can get those supplies…

Chalkboard and Pen

Mason Jar

Is this something you would ever make for a friend in need, A special occasion or that important person’s birthday?

Have you done anything like this, and how did it go down?

Till Next Time
Tx