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Ciara And Russell Wilson Wedding Rumors Confirmed? Insiders Release Statement!

Ciara and Russell Wilson wedding rumors were addressed by insiders as the couple spent the recent holidays together.

According to a report from E! News, the R&B diva and NFL superstar are already talking about marriage. However, there is still no specific date for their highly-anticipated wedding.

"They will be getting engaged one day soon though, as they both openly talk about their future with each other," an insider said, as cited by the source above.

Moreso, the source shared that the two are both eager to have their own children.

"They know in their hearts they are meant to be with each other," the source said. "They are in such an amazing place now in their relationship."

The two recently took to Instagram to express how much they enjoyed their first Christmas as a couple.

"Kinda like had the best Christmas ever," Ciara wrote alongside a photo of her with the Seattle Seahawks player. "Theme: Love, Happiness, Gratefulness, and Family. Nothing can amount to the value of those gifts."

The quarterback also shared a holiday photo with the songstress.

"Special day with a special lady... @Ciara," Russell Wilson captioned his post with.

Aside from Ciara gushing about Russell Wilson, the mother-of-one also took to social media to announce how much she loves her son, Future Zahir Wilburn.

Christianity Today reported about Ciara's post for the one-year-old boy, who is her child with ex-fiance and "Rich Sex" rapper, Future. The latter was dumped by Ciara amid rumors that he cheated throughout their 18-month relationship.

Even though things did not work out between Ciara and Future, the "I Bet" singer expressed via Instagram how much their child has blessed her.

"Children are a blessing from the Lord; the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalms 127:3," the singer wrote alongside the mother-and-son picture.

Ciara also confessed that she and Russell Wilson both plan to raise a large family once they get married. "I definitely (want more children), yes," she said. "(Russell and I) discuss a lot of things ... a lot of good things."

You beauty, time now for marriage and career

A Dunedin beauty queen is relaxing in her family crib in Central Otago, has "no regrets'' at performing a haka in China and looks forward to both working as a doctor and getting married.

Miss World New Zealand Deborah Lambie (25) said she was enjoying relaxing at her parents crib in Bendigo, near Cromwell, after a "full-on'' month, including competing at the Miss World pageant in China.

The pageant final was on December 19 and Dr Lambie was placed 15th among the 117 contestants.

She returned to Dunedin on December 23 to celebrate Christmas with her family.

"I really needed a rest, so it's nice to be back,'' she said from Bendigo yesterday.

On her return, she was "surprised by the reaction'' to the haka she performed at the pageant and the mixed response it received on social media.

"I made a massive effort to learn it properly and I hadn't expected that polarised response ... I have no regrets about doing it at all.''

The people at the pageant loved the haka and she loved performing it, she said.

Before leaving for China, Dr Lambie finished her study at University of Otago's Dunedin School of Medicine to attend the pageant, she missed the chance to graduate with her class earlier this month, but had no regrets about missing her graduation ceremony and was happy to have been representing her country.

"It's just part of the opportunity cost. Sadly, you can't be in two places at once.''

She will start work as a doctor at Wellington Hospital in February next year.

Wellington was the home town of her fiance, David Cameron.

The pair recently announced their engagement on social media, although the proposal was made in Wanaka more than a year ago.

The engagement was never a secret but the time seemed right to make a public announcement, she said.

Mr Cameron (27) is the founder of LearnKo, an online platform teaching English to Chinese students.

The pair met when studying in Dunedin and Dr Lambie expected their wedding to be held in about a year.

"We are thinking Dunedin [as a venue] but it's not official.''

Easy holiday wedding or party themes

At this time of year, most people will be celebrating with loved ones and friends. It’s also a bumper time of year for proposals, so there are more than a few readers who will be planning for a Christmas wedding in 2016. This is why today’s column focuses on celebrations!

Here are four themes for adding extra special meaning to your Christmas wedding or holiday party:

• Nostalgia Lane

Nothing gets guests socialising better than bonding over old photos. Group your beautifully framed old photos along with postcards or letters sent to you by loved ones over the years, treasured ornaments and mingle in some family heirlooms for a one-of-a-kind tablescape. This theme lends itself well to black and white décor, or you can even mimic the vintage colour of old photos by using sepia, brown and ivory tones for your table setting.

 

• Contemporary Christmas

Need a more chic and minimalistic approach? Try this theme with a cool, colour palette of your choice of mint green, apple green, ice blue or white and mix in metallics such as rose gold, silver or gold. Think of angular or mirrored vases, aluminum or tin letters spelling out words such as “Joy” or “Merry”, a glass ornament wreath for your centrepiece, crisp table runners and tall glass cylinders filled with twigs, pillar candles or hard candies.

• Rustic Christmas

This theme is for brides/hostesses who love a more earthy, casual and even homey feel to their décor. Think about colours like brown, rust, cranberry red, ivory, forest green and dark blue. Create the rustic mood by using décor elements and accessories in your reception/party area that fit this theme, such as wooden animals, pinecones, berries, twigs, sprigs of evergreen, fruit, burlap, raffia, branches, grapevine wreaths, chicken wire and bird houses. You can use chalkboard place settings and stash your favours or appetizers in baskets, tin buckets or display them on log slices. To add a more Trini touch, try a tablescape of sorrel, cinnamon sticks and gold-sprayed coconuts atop a banana leaf table runner.

• Glam and Sparkle

This sophisticated theme can be portrayed with the use of metallics in the décor and invitations. Imagine a tablescape that includes garlands of crystals, glass beads or pearls strung onto candelabras or hung onto white-washed branches; or a table strewn with clear glass ornaments that have been filled with iridescent glitter or dusted with gold foil. White and ivory feathers, sequins and mirrors can also be incorporated into this theme. Colours that suit this theme well are gold, silver, pewter, bronze, ivory, white, pale pink, purple, ice blue and black.

I’d like to wish all my readers every blessing for the season and I hope you’ll enjoy your entertaining this year.

3 Habits for Healthy Skin this Season

Want a glowing complexion? The services of a professional esthetician can run you a pretty penny, but luckily, an at-home routine can promote great skin, too.

For a convenient and affordable spa effect at home, consider the following.

Healthy Habits

Your skin truly is a reflection of your overall health, so adopting habits that benefit the entire body is crucial for a glowing complexion. Strive for a well-balanced diet, rich with essential vitamins and nutrients and be sure to stay hydrated. If you are a smoker with a desire to quit, the promise of healthier skin may just be the motivation needed to kick the habit. Drink in moderation. Lastly, get plenty of exercise -- just be sure to wash up shortly afterward to avoid clogged pores.

At-Home Care

Innovations in the skin care marketplace are making it easier to develop a routine at home that promotes the same smooth, glowing skin you can get from a spa treatment.

For example, the Panasonic Micro-Foaming Cleansing Device is a gentle Japanese-style cleansing tool, designed for deep, gentle pore cleansing.

On a daily basis, first use your favorite cream, lotion or oil cleanser with its warming makeup removal plate to loosen and remove makeup with its heated makeup removal plate. Then, use a foaming cleanser along with the Japanese-style cleaning brush to cleanse your skin, purify pores and gently remove dirt, excess oil and lingering makeup.

Supplement this routine with more targeted cleansing twice a week. Use the silicone brush attachment and your favorite cleanser to focus on problem areas, such as blackheads around the nose.

Smith Village bustles for wedding

Susan Evans imagined her daughter and five bridesmaids getting ready for a December wedding in her Beverly bungalow, but she decided there might be too many challenges.

“Photographers usually move furniture around to take photos; plus, it’s Christmas time, and my home is all decorated,” Evans said.

Rather than remove decorations or worry about what to do with her family dog, she called her dad, Roy Uddman, a resident of Smith Village.

“The closets in my house are small, but his bedroom closet is big enough for my daughter’s wedding dress. The gown has a large train, so we decided to store it at Grandpa’s home.”

Evans was considering renting a hotel suite to serve as headquarters for the bridal party to prepare on her daughter’s wedding day, but then she remembered that Smith Village has guest suites for relatives of residents.

So, she contacted her father’s sales counselor, Loris Vander Velde, to reserve a suite. As a result, the morning of the Friday, Dec. 18, wedding, Smith Village apartment number 4308 was bustling with activity.

Five bridesmaids wearing rhinestone-studded tank tops that read “Bridesmaid” were joking and sharing stories while makeup artist Sam Sansone applied makeup to the bride, Alexandra Evans, 28, a fourth-grade teacher at St. Daniel the Prophet Catholic elementary school.

“I’ve known Alexandra since I was 5,” said Rachel Hoffman, a bridesmaid and resident of Beverly. “I grew up with her. She and I became people together.”

At that, another bridesmaid, Gina Bozyk, the groom’s sister, let out a laugh, and used her phone to take a photo of Hoffman drinking a cup of tea. Bozyk had introduced the bride to her brother, Brian Noffsinger, 31, a pipefitter.

All the while, photographer Gilbert Reyes was snapping images of the bridesmaids’ playful antics.

Around 1 p.m., a bus-size limo pulled up to the entrance of Smith Village ready to transport the bridal party to Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 9401 S. Oakley Ave.

Waiting patiently in the lobby and dressed in a brown suit and tie, the bride’s grandfather, Uddman, said of the couple: “I’m happy for them. They’ve been going together for a long time, and of course, I was wondering, ‘Well, when is this going to happen?’”

Uddman moved to Smith Village in June of 2014 from his Beverly home of 42 years.

“I’m happy the girls were able to get ready here,” he said. “Everyone here has been so nice.”

Smith Village officials were happy to accommodate.

“We’re thrilled when residents like Mr. Uddman truly realize Smith Village is their home,” said Vander Velde. “They can plan any kind of celebration or activity here they would have hosted in their home. And sometimes it’s even better. It’s easy to accommodate larger gatherings because we have so much room.”

Retired from a 44-year career with General Mills and 15 years with Central American Group, Uddman stood tall next to his granddaughter in the Smith Village lobby, where they posed for photos shortly before boarding the limo.

It was one of life’s fairy-tale moments.

About Smith Village

Smith Village is a continuing-care retirement community, located at 2320 W. 113th Place, that is sponsored by Smith Senior Living, a not-for-profit organization serving older adults since 1924. It provides spacious residences and engaging programs for independent living, as well as assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing care.

Smith Village also offers short-term rehabilitation services for residents and others requiring assistance after surgery or a medical incident.

Dec and more lead guests at Frank Lampard and Christine Bleakley's wedding

The bride and groom certainly have a lot of friends in high places

Christine Bleakley and Frank Lampard's A list wedding saw some big names turn out in their best tux and gowns today for a stunning ceremony.

This Morning star Phillip Schofield was one of the first to be spotted at St Paul’s church in Knightsbridge with his wife Stephanie Lowe.

Dressed in a sharp black suit while his better half sported a elegant black dress, which she teamed with a chic cream coat, the couple looked all set for the lavish evening ceremony.

Next up was Louise Redknapp and her footballer husband Jamie - who is Frank's cousin.

The former Tottenham midfielder looked dapper in a black tux while his wife oozed elegance in a complimenting gown.

Jamie's football manager father Harry Redknapp was also spotted making his way inside the church.

Ant and Dec , who have both worked with Christine in the past, then arrived with their wives Lisa Armstrong and Ali Astall.

Having recently landed back on British Shores after hosting I'm A Celebrity in Australia, the presenting duo looked delighted to be at their pal's big day.

Piers Morgan and his wife Celia-Walden were also in attendance. The couple have been spotted lunching out with the groom and bride on various occasions in the lead up to the wedding so their invites were expected by fans.

Dragon's Den star Kelly Hoppen , who is a good friend of Christine, was also seen mingling with guests looking as elegant as ever in a satin dress.

And of course, former Chelsea player Frank invited a string of his football friends along to the big day.

His ex-teammates John Terry , Petr Cech and Branislav Ivanovic were all invited and spotted catching up as they prepared for Christine to walk down the aisle.

Follow all our updates from the day below.

Christine Bleakley and Frank Lampard tied the knot today in an intimate star-studded ceremony, surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

The bride stunned her fans when she arrived at the church in a white lace v-neck gown, showing off cleavage and her incredible figure.

Frank stopped to wave to fans, and was surrounded by his family outside the church.

Star guests on the big day include John Terry, Phillip Schofield, Louise and Jamie Redknapp, Ant and Dec and many many more.

Christine and Frank flew back from the US earlier this week ahead of their big day, with the former Chelsea footballer's daughters - Luna and Isla - being dropped off by their mum Elen Rivas on Saturday.

The happy couple wanted Ed Sheeran to play on their big day - will he be able to make it?

Is ‘slow fashion’ speeding up in Charlotte?

Stan Fraser slices his scissors through dark indigo selvedge denim made 90 miles away, working for a customer who lives mere minutes away.

In his Cedar Street studio, he’s making belt loops out of Greensboro-based Cone Mills denim. He’ll place them when his Charlotte buyer comes in for the second fitting of her custom jeans.

In east Charlotte, Corey Dergazarian is sewing tweed to leather in the studio where she makes her Sans Map bags, and over in Plaza Midwood, Scott Hofert’s ColsenKeane Leather studio is buzzing as leather workers fill holiday orders.

This is what slow fashion looks like these days in Charlotte.

If the now-famous slow food movement aims to replace fast-food drive-throughs with farmers-market meals, slow fashion aims to wean us from cheaply made, high-volume, fast-fashion brands.

Instead, proponents would have us stock our closets with a modest amount of high quality, long-lasting garments, made in a way that doesn’t hurt the environment – or the workforce creating them. (Locally made, from locally produced materials, is even better, but not required, say supporters.)

“I think we are indeed in the midst of a grass-roots revolution in fashion,” says New York journalist Elizabeth Cline, who wrote the 2013 book “Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion” and still tracks the concept. Americans buy on average 68 garments a year, according to Cline, with only 2 to 3 percent of clothing sold in the United States made here.

Fast fashion – in which trends began going from runway (costing thousands) to chain-store-at-the-mall in weeks – meant nearly anybody could chase trends, she says: Cheap pieces didn’t need to be well-made, they only needed to last the few weeks until the next trend. And that led to millions of pounds of discarded clothing.

“Consumers are very wary and fed up with the fast fashion system – because they now realize that it’s bad for the environment, and when (apparel companies) make a $5.90 dress, they’re not making sure that the process takes care of workers and the environment.”

Steven Barr, retail and consumer leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, agrees, and points to millennials as a driver: “This is a generation that cares deeply about the planet and people. ... Millennial shoppers are making their own choices.”

Slow is catching on

Photo:lace bridesmaid dress

Envision, if you will, a cotton T-shirt. Solid color, single pocket on the front.

You can find one for $6.99 at one of the fast-fashion retailers around town. Or you can pay $36 for one from Zady.

Online, the shirts look alike. What you’re paying for with the more expensive shirt, say slow fashion proponents, is partly knowledge and partly geography: New York-based online retailer Zady uses Texas-grown cotton for its “.02 The T-Shirt,” and produces them in North Carolina: The cotton is spun in Thomasville, knit in Lincolnton, cut and sewn in Morganton and printed in Burlington.

The rest of what you’re paying for? Zady says it will last longer, look better and feel softer than $6.99 counterparts.

Charlotte shoppers seem increasingly interested in the idea.

Thousands packed the Fillmore last month to shop for locally crafted clothes, accessories and home goods during Vintage Charlotte’s winter market. (Sellers of vintage goods – also a component in the slow movement – were also numerous at that market.) In Ballantyne Village, a storefront called “the 3H Shoppes” (Homemade, Handmade and Homegrown) opens every Tuesday and Saturday to give local artisans a place to sell directly to shoppers.

Watch Instagram and you’ll see new local makers of apparel, jewelry and accessories materialize almost monthly. Some are sold in brick-and-mortar stores or pop-up shops, while others sell mainly online through websites like Etsy, an e-commerce website that focuses on handmade items.

Slow fashion isn’t a one-size-fits-all theory. Some makers source items locally, with a commitment to North Carolina materials. Others use goods from other states or overseas, but from sources they say are ethical and eco-friendly. Some come with a high price tag; some items are similarly priced to their mass-market counterparts.

The common thread: Shoppers can know more of the story of how what they’re wearing came to be.

Sourced here, sewn here

Perhaps the best-rounded slow fashion brand currently in Charlotte is Fraser’s Anarke Jeans brand, which he makes at his studio and shop, Straight Stitch & Co., in the shadows of Bank of America Stadium. Fraser produces much of his Anarke brand custom and bespoke jeans from selvedge denim made by Cone Mills in Greensboro. (He sources some denim from Japan – “they’re more edgy with their styles; they have a heavier look” – as well as Italian and Turkish denims, but the majority of the denim he works with comes from Cone.)

“The first thing people say is, ‘Wow, it’s made right here!’ People from Charlotte, they want that,” Fraser says. “I’ve been here two years and I’m steadily getting new customers. I’m still seeing new faces.”

He stocks some off-the-rack jeans, jackets and more, but his main business is custom and bespoke jeans for men and women, and they run $300 to $600. The cost is about 10 times the price of a mass-produced brand like Levi’s, but in line with high-end off-the-rack brands like Tom Ford.

To customers with sticker shock, he says that selvedge denim has a tighter, heavier weave that far outlasts traditional denim counterparts. You wash the jeans less frequently and they develop creases unique to their wearers – a look selvedge-jean-wearers love. He’s had a pair of his own for about eight years, he says.

Fraser says he’s tickled, but not surprised, at how enthusiastic customers are to be intimately involved with the making of their jeans. They select their own style, fit, pocket placement, fasteners, etc.: “It’s like Build-A-Bear,” he says. “They come in and build their jeans, and I sew.”

He estimates it takes about three to four days, or a total of more than 20 hours, to create a pair of custom, bespoke jeans, and he usually asks customers to come in for three fittings. (By contrast, Fraser says his ready-to-wear jeans take about two hours to sew.)

Customers often pop into the shop to watch Fraser sew their jeans and take photos of the process. That artisanal pride can be a key part of slow fashion.

One-of-a-kind, for more than one generation

Scott Hofert has a Jerry Maguire-esque manifesto on the website for his Plaza Midwood-based, custom leather goods company, ColsenKeane Leather:

“When we transcend surrounding ourselves with disposable nonsense and create pieces of value and travel companions, if you will, the patina of our lifestyle allows the well-made items we own, wear and carry to rise in value. If wine took the form of an accessory, we’re setting out to create it.”

Hofert, a husband and father of two young sons (the company’s namesakes, Colsen and Keane), was working a desk job with a nonprofit company five years ago when he bought a hide of leather for fun and, unable to find a nice case for his new first-generation iPad, made himself one. Compliments poured in, so he made a few more and put them on Etsy. They sold within minutes.

When he took the leap to move into making bags full time, he created a website where people could get to know the process behind their bags.

“Sometimes we have to tell people, ‘It’ll take us three weeks to get (a custom) order to you.’ They don’t mind,” he says. “If I tell them, ‘We can send it out today,’ they’re almost disappointed.

“What people are buying, in my mind, is the narrative. I can walk into a big box store and buy something, or I can be part of the story.”

His customers pay upwards of $500 to $2,000 for the leather duffles, totes and satchels that are handmade in his studio, but he says he expects them to be handed down for two generations – or more. Because his goods last so long, makers like Hofert need a constant stream of new customers. So he has a huge online presence, and says he’s constantly filling orders from all over the United States and overseas.

“A lot of our clients are consumers in a different way,” Hofert says. It’s not uncommon, he says, for clients to say, “I want just one of everything – but I want it to be nice.”

Waste not: Upcycling

You won’t find Corey Dergazarian ordering bolts of fabric for her handbag company, Sans Map.

She scours thrift stores, estate sales and leather industry remnant sales for textiles that speak to her, aiming to give new life to the best garments from yesterday by turning them into high-quality, intricately stitched bags.

For some bags, she takes leather trench coats she finds in resale stores, cuts the lining out, and washes the leather on a gentle cycle in a washing machine, then puts it in the dryer on low, until it has a fabric-like quality. Some leathers wouldn’t do well in the wash; for those she uses leather cleaner on them until they feel good to the fingers.

She still sews on a vintage Necchi sewing machine she found when she and her husband lived in his native France. She uses an industrial machine for leather and tougher fabrics.

“I like the fact that something has a story behind it. Who wore this? Where did it go? With vintage things, there’s a certain quality that you just don’t find with store-bought fabric,” she says. Even when scouring thrift stores, she looks for items that have a story. “I wouldn’t cut up something from Banana Republic – it just doesn’t give me any inspiration, it doesn’t feel unique.”

Her company’s name, Sans Map, is the fusion of the French word for “without” (pronounced as if you’re saying “song” but stopping before the g) and the English word “map.”

The result: Bags that are clean-lined with classic styling. They’re available through her website, Etsy and locally in Frock Shop, a shop that sells both vintage and new items on Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood.

Trendy brands can be slow fashion

So slow fashion leans toward the timeless and away from the trendy or transient.

But hot brands can still be slow.

Since their rustic-style jewelry business began landing in national magazines and more than 150 boutiques worldwide, Charlotte sisters Jacqueline Stafford Buckner and Elizabeth Stafford White have seen growing demand from trendy women who crave their pieces.

But they have kept production in Dilworth, where they and a small team of employees (three full-timers and five part-timers) hand-brand leather straps and string together antlers from the American West alongside wooden African trade beads from Mali, Nigeria and Ghana and shells from the Philippines and Florida. Prices range from $35 for a girl’s necklace to $250 or more for women’s necklaces. (They’ve recently added home goods and accessories.)

They started in 2013 and say retailers quickly asked about big orders. The two stepped up production, but say they refuse to ramp up so much they’d have to rely on machines or send production overseas. They say they vet suppliers to be sure antlers are naturally shed and beads are carved by fairly paid workers.

“Our products take time to make,” Stafford Buckner said. “Quality is worth waiting for.”

Read more here:blue bridesmaid dress

GSP Trooper Nathan Bradley's Wedding in Georgia

We would like to congratulate Georgia State Patrol Trooper Nathan Bradley on his recent nuptials!

We first introduced you to Trooper Bradley the week after Halloween when we learned about the kindness he showed toward four orphaned children when their parents were killed in a car wreck.

Trooper Bradley responded to the crash in Morgan County on October 31 that killed residents Donald and Crystal Howard. They were returning home after going to the store to buy face paint for their children. Bradley, along with a county deputy and deputy coroner, went to the couple's home to notify the next of kin and were greeted at the door by the Howards' four children, ages 13, 10, 8, and 6-years-old, all dressed in costumes and waiting for their parents to return home.

"They kept reassuring 'My parents will be here soon, they went to the store to get more candy and face makeup; they’ll be right back.'" Bradley said.

The kids had no family in the area and would have to be turned over to the Department of Family and Child Services while authorities tried to locate a family member. Watching the children play in the front yard, unaware of their parents' deaths, the trooper said he felt ill. Not only would the children discover they'd lost their parents, but they would spend Halloween in a county jail until someone could tend to them. Trooper Bradley decided to care for the children until their grandmother arrived from Sarasota, Florida, which is a seven hour trip.

Trooper Bradley took the children to get something to eat and afterwards brought them to the GSP Post in Monroe where they were joined by his Corporal’s family. They brought the Howard children candy, popcorn and a variety of Disney films. Other residents who heard what happened showed up at the post with goodie bags and toys. Trooper Bradley said the Sheriff also showed up with four buckets filled with candy.

Bradley set up a GoFundMe account to help the Howard family raise money to cover funeral expenses. His goal was $7,000, but it has been exceeded by more than $491,000. Their grandmother has set up trust funds of $100,000 for each of the kids.

Last month, Trooper Bradley married Stephanie Humphries. The two said "I do" on November 15 at a beautiful venue, Carl House, in Auburn, Georgia. Their wedding photographer, Sarah Eubanks, shared some photos with us of their special day. Take a look above!

Please join us in congratulating Trooper Bradley, a man who truly goes above and beyond the call of duty!

Carey Mulligan stands out in putting patterned gown

Carey Mulligan stands out in striking patterned dress… as Kate Winslet and Laura Carmichael show some leg on the British Independent Film Awards red carpet

With some of Hollywood’s biggest names shunning predicable blockbusters to star in gritty low-budget films, independent film is more popular than ever.

So it was no surprise to see some stellar actors turning up to the Moet British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday night.

Leading the way at the star-studded bash at Old Billingsgate Market was guest of honour Kate Winslet, who is due to receive the Variety Award for her contribution to film.

Leggy lady: Kate Winslet looked smart in a black dress and blazer as she arrived at the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday night

Standing out: Carey Mulligan covered up in a striking floor-length patterned dress

The mother-of-three showed off her tanned legs in a fitted black knee-length dress with floral detailing, which she teamed with a smart blazer.

She had her blonde hair styled in tousled waves, with smoky eyes and nude lips completing the look.

Also in attendance was new mother Carey Mulligan, who is up for Best Actress for her portrayal of Maud in women’s rights movie Suffragette.

Quirky: Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael wore a black, navy and red mini, with female silhouette detailing

Lady in black: Swedish actress Alicia Vikander showed some leg in a black dress with side split

The 30-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Evelyn in September, covered up in a striking floor-length patterned dress.

The checked dress featured a nature theme, with a parrot, leaves and flowers dotted over the material.

Fellow Best Actress nominee, Marion Cotillard went for a long black dress with cut-out detailing on the shoulders.

Joie de vivre: French actress Marion Cotillard looked elegant in a black sparkly gown with train

Taking the plunge: Suffragette actress Anne-Marie Duff showed some cleavage in a low-black length floor-length dress

The French star has been nominated for her performance as Lady Macbeth in the big-screen adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy.

While Carey and Marion were going for floor-length, Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael opted for a sexier look.

The actress, who plays Lady Edith in the hit period drama, showed off her slim legs in a navy and red mini dress with female silhouette detailing.

Lady in lace: Helena Bonham-Carter went for a more daring look than normal in a long black lace dress with mini underskirt

Oscar buzz: Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who has been wowing critics in Brooklyn, looked fab in a sparkling black dress, while Vicky McClure wore navy co-ord dress and bomber

Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, who is up Best Actress for The Danish Girl, flaunted her fabulous figure in a long black dress with side-split.

Suffragette star Anne-Marie Duff stood out with one of the sexier dresses of the evening with a low-cut black number.

Anne-Marie will have to battle her Suffragette co-star Helena Bonham-Carter for the coveted Best Supporting Actress title.

Stunning in satin: Model-turned-actress Agyness Deyn wore a striking structured gold ballgown with Chinese embroidery

Feeling blue: Actress Gemma Chan looked stunning in a long blue gown as she posed up against a champagne fountain

Dazzling: Julie Walters certainly looked the part in a glittery blue floor-length number, which she teamed with a silver clutch and heels

Helena went against her usual red carpet style and showed off her legs in a daring sheer lace black dress.

It appeared black was the dominant shade of the evening when it came to fashion with Olivia Colman, Zawe Ashton and Saoirse Ronan all going for the colour.

Speaking on the red carpet as she arrived, Irish actress Saoirse – nominated for Brooklyn – admitted she was trying to ignore the Oscar buzz surrounding her performance in the movie.

She said: ‘No, I don’t … haven’t thought about any of that stuff. You can’t think about the pressures because otherwise you’ll just become a basket case.’

Of course, it wasn’t all about the ladies with leading men Colin Farrell, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Luke Evans and Douglas Booth making dapper appearances.

Ladies in black: Fresh Meat star Zawe Ashton looked sexy in a shimmering wrap dress, while Olivia Colman kept it simple in a black dress and silver pumps

Irish actor Colin will be going up against Tom Courtenay (45 Years), Michael Fassbender (Macbeth), Tom Hardy (Legend) and Tom Hiddleston (High-Rise) for Best Actor.

This year’s nominations were dominated by The Lobster with nods in seven categories, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Actor

Following close behind was 45 Years and Macbeth with six nominations, while Brooklyn, Amy and Ex Machina had five a piece.

Film totty: Irish actor Colin Farrell, who is nominated for Best Actor in The Lobster, looked smart in a black suit, while Chiwetel Ejiofor opted for a grey suit

Mingling: Helena chats to Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar before the awards presentation

Cheers! Nick Moran did the honours and poured champagne into the coupe glasses in the champagne fountain

And the British Independent Film Award nominees are…

Best British independent film

45 YEARS Tristan Goligher, Andrew Haigh

AMY James Gay-Rees, Asif Kapadia

EX MACHINA Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland

THE LOBSTER Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos

MACBETH Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Laura Hastings-Smith, Todd Louiso, Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, Justin Kurzel

Royal wedding cake baker Fiona Cairns shares tasty cake and biscuit recipes

Fiona Cairns, who famously made the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s eight-tiered wedding cake, is joining forces with Wallace and Gromit for their BIG Bake charity fundraiser.

The baking queen is the author of several cook books and her range of luxury cakes is sold in Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose.

She’s now calling on the nation to whip out their whisks, preheat their ovens and take part in this year’s BIG Bake to help sick children in hospitals and hospices across the UK.

The event, supported by Homepride Flour, runs from December 7-13 and Fiona says: “The work that Wallace and Gromit’s Children’s Charity does to improve the lives of sick children in hospitals and hospices is beyond measure. With two wonderful children myself, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must be when one of your children is seriously ill.

“Whether you are an accomplished baker or a beginner, it is so important that we all do our bit for this year’s BIG Bake so we can raise more funds and support these families.”

Here are three of Fiona's delicious dessert recipes.

Allergen-free chocolate cake (Serves 12 )

This is egg, dairy and nut-free, but is a really dark, moist, quite fragile chocolate cake for everyone to enjoy.

Ingredients:

140ml sunflower oil, plus more for the tins

360g self-raising flour

60g cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

400g golden caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tsp white wine vinegar

400g raspberries

Icing sugar, to dust

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 160°C/340°F/gas mark 3. Oil two 23cm cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

3. Stir in the sugar. In another bowl, measure the oil, 400ml water and vanilla extract, and then add to the flour mixture, stirring in the vinegar last of all.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer emerges clean.

5. Leave the cakes in the tins for a few minutes, and then run a knife around the rims and turn out on to a wire rack. Remove the baking parchment and leave to cool completely.

6. Put one cake on a cake stand or serving plate, and top with most of the raspberries. Place the other cake on top, and scatter with the remaining raspberries. Sift over an even layer of icing sugar to serve.

Sticky toffee cupcakes with salted caramel (Makes 12)

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

180g dates, pitted and chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

180g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

80g unsalted butter, softened

150g light muscovado sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the buttercream

(For the caramel method)

125g white caster sugar

80ml double cream

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Alternative (dulce de leche method)

3 or 4 tbsp dulche de leche

½ tsp sale

1 tsp vanilla extract

160g salted butter, softened

200g icing sugar, sifted

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 170°C / 350°F / gas mark 4. Place the paper cupcake cases into a cupcake tin.

2. In a heatproof bowl, pour 180ml boiling water over the dates and leave them to soak for 20 minutes. Then, with a fork, gently break up the dates and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar for a good five minutes until very light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs gradually, beating between each addition and slipping in 1 tbsp flour about half way through to prevent curdling. Lastly, fold in the remaining flour and then the date mixture.

5. Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 – 20 minutes (the tops should spring back when pressed with a finger). Remove and leave to cool.

6. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. For the caramel method, dissolve the sugar and 60ml water in a small, solid-based ban over a gentle heat, then increase the heat to a boil. Wait a few minutes, leaving the pan undisturbed but watching it like a hawk and, as soon as it changes to a wonderful caramel colour (like strong tea) and is thicker, remove immediately from the heat, stand well back, and add the cream. Be very careful as it is searing hot and it may splatter a little.

It will react, or ‘seize’, and you may think it has gone wrong; it hasn’t. Keep stirring, adding the salt and the vanilla. Leave until stone cold.

For the Dulche de leche topping, simply mix it with the salt and vanilla.

7. Cream the butter and icing sugar for at least five minutes in an electric mixer (or use a handheld mixer) and add the caramel or the dulche de leche.

8. Put the buttercream into the piping bag fitted with the star nozzle and pipe it on to the cakes, or spread it on with a palette knife.

Giant Jam Sandwich Biscuits (Makes three 15cm biscuits)

Ingredients:

250g plain flour, plus plenty to dust

50g cornflour

100g icing sugar, plus more to dust

250g unsalted butter, softened and diced

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

6 tbsp strawberry jam, lemon curd, or caramel spread

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 160°C/340F/gas mark 3½ . In a large bowl, sift the flour, cornflour and icing sugar together. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract.

2. Gently bring the mixture into a ball, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so as this buttery biscuit dough is very soft and needs to firm up.

3. On a very well-floured board, with a floured rolling pin, roll out half the dough to 4mm thick. If the dough is too soft to work with, place the board of rolled-out dough into the fridge to firm up for another 30 minutes or so.

4. Cut out three circles at a time using a 15cm baking tin or plate as a guide. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cut a heart shape from the centre of three of the biscuits.

5. Place the biscuits on two or three baking sheets lined with baking parchment and make a serrated pattern all around the edges. Rest in the fridge or at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, re-cut the central hearts straight away if necessary, and cool on the baking tray. Don’t try to move them until they’re cold!

7. If you are using jam and it is not smooth, warm it slightly in a small pain, then press through a sieve to remove any lumps. Let it cool completely.

8. Spread two tablespoons of jam on to each of the whole biscuits and dust those with heart-shaped holes with icing sugar. Place the tops of the biscuits on the bases.