Happy weekend...

Happy Friday!!

The week's highlights.

1. Holidays. With Tom's job we can only go away at certain times of the year, and that time is approaching! We don't want to pay out for a big holiday seeing as we're in super saving mode, but we're planning a few weekends away so we don't go mad. I'm currently looking at a few days in le Paris, flights from Luton are the cheapest option for us and I've recently found airbnb, where you can hire apartments and they all look amazing and are cheaper than actual hotels! We're then going to Barcelona in September, Tom is going for work and I'm going to meet him after and we'll stay on for a few days. I love Europe, love the short flights, the weather, the culture and all the food.

2. I got my hair done. I got a bit obsessed with KMidd's hair after the royal baby was born and decided that after 3 years on a hair dye ban that now was the time to inject a bit of life back into it. My appointment was yesterday morning, after my consultation and patch test last weekend. Safe to say I did not look like Kate when I left. More Rogue from x-men. I don't really understand how the stylist thought it was good, but I gushed over how much I loved it and literally ran out because with all the faffing and blow-drying I was now late for work. I plucked up the courage to ring up last night and explain the highlights were just too bright and went in this morning to have them toned down. They're better now and I have some brunette shampoo and conditioner to even it all out a bit as well. But the lesson I have learnt is...you won't ever look like Kate Middleton. Ever.

3. Fitness and life crisis. Last night I watch Run Fatboy Run followed by the finale of the girls The Island on Channel 4. Safe to say I now feel that I am wasting my life and should make the most of being 25 while I can. One day I'll be complaining of a bad back with a child hanging off each arm and I'll wish I'd been more active when I could. So I googled tough mudder obstacle courses and how to apply for The Island next series whilst finishing off my chocolate. But it was dark chocolate. Even Kate eats chocolate yeah?

We're heading back to Rutland tonight for a couple of wedding meetings tomorrow, then back to the Midlands in the evening to lounge around together all day on Sunday. All with Harvey in tow obviously.

Gemma

xXx

Saving for something big - 7 top tips.

I always think it's very unfair how your mid-twenties are normally the time you need to buy your 'biggest' things. Getting married and buying your first home require big savings and unless you have money tucked away somewhere, this means saving for a long time. Not just saving here and there, big HEAVY saving.

Tom and I have been putting money aside each month properly for about a year now, but it's only when we got engaged it all became very real and we fully realised how much money we needed. I have set us a pretty small budget for our wedding. Humongous when you think how much is going on one day, but pitiful in the wedding world. If we already had our own house then I imagine it would be different and obviously we still want to have an amazing day and not look back with regret, but we feel uncomfortable throwing all our savings on one day, then heading back to our rented house and starting from scratch on a deposit. It would be so easy to spend £20-30k though and still not even have gone that mad.

But saving IS hard, when you're already paying so much on rent and bills it hurts to put all the rest into your savings account. I'm 24, I want to go on holiday to Bali and buy a Mulberry handbag from Selfridges and buy ALL the Jo Malone candles. But I want a house more, because those things in this house would be wasted. The feeling of knowing we're renting our house drives me mad, I can't cope with how temporary it feels. I want to get stuck in and make my own home and that is impossible when it's someone else's house. It's just uncomfortable all the time.

What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?

I grew up with my nose in book. Every year when we were packing for our summer holidays my mum would take my brother and I down to the tiny village library and pick out which books we wanted to take with us. We were only allowed to take out 6 at a time (library laws) so we examined the shelves long and carefully before choosing, and had read them all by the time the plane left sunny Spain two weeks later. Thinking back now they must have had a huge baggage allowance in the old days because we did not choose small paperbacks (and I can barely fit my toothbrush in my bag now without doing the shuffle of shame in the airport, trying to wear all my clothes so I don't have to pay extra for my overweight bag). We must have read every book in that library, then we advanced to the one in our nearest town which was very exciting because THAT'S WHERE DAD GOT HIS BOOKS FROM! (This was it, I'd made it).

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a recluse. I still spent the majority of my day playing outside with my friends. Growing up in the countryside we would spend ages down at the park, wading through the river trying to catch crayfish, be-friending people who had trampolines in their gardens and waste hours and hours up a tree trying to make a tree-house (we only managed to tie sticks to the branches to sit on). But every night I would be tucked up with my book and when mum told me to turn my lights out I'd sneakily carry on reading, fumbling for the light and jamming the book under my pillow whenever I heard either of my parents walking past my room. Books are so important to a child's development and mine will be drowned in them. The language, punctuation and grammar is obvious, but also filling a child's head with so many different stories, character and ways of life must help them in the long run.

It's Monday, but it's okay!

Happy Monday! 

I had a lovely weekend of not doing much in particular, which is just what I needed. Carbonara, dog walks, mini eggs and Gardeners World are what weekends at home were made for really.

I spent last week totally stressing about wedding planning and have had nightmares every night about something going wrong. I forgot to buy a dress, I forgot to tell Tom the date of the wedding and he didn't show up, the BBQ dramatically blew up and we had no food etc etc. It's been very easy to get overwhelmed by it all, especially as I've made the super clever decision that I want to do everything myself because a wedding venue wouldn't do it right (good one). I spent a whole 2 days frantically trying to source gold cutlery. I think I must have contacted at least 10 suppliers, which are surprisingly difficult to find. About 20 types of silver cutlery, but no gold. I mean, who WOULDN'T want gold cutlery at their event? Apparently everyone. Tom's asked if this is a necessity and if I need to be obsessing about it this much seeing as we still have 16 months until the wedding and we haven't even decided which venue we're going to book yet. But I was adamant, there would be no wedding without them, tears were shed - WITHOUT GOLD KNIVES AND FORKS THE DAY WILL BE RUINED. I've calmed down now (only because I've found and booked some) but I've also realised that maybe I can slow down a bit and there will still be a wedding at the end of it.

My wedding spreadsheet is now obscenely extensive, there's currently 7 sheets on it and counting. But I've done a to-do list and even though it's scarily long (and I've only ticked one thing off on it, and I only put that on it so I could tick it off) it feels much better and manageable to see exactly what needs to be done.

Crazy control-freak that I am, with my spreadsheet in hand (literally in hand - I have it on my phone so I can check it whenever the mood strikes) I am ready and ON IT. But also, I just drank a huge mug of coffee so maybe that's helped as well.

What helps you feel in control and Beyonce-ish? Or am I alone in my madness?

Happy Monday all! (Lies, I hate Mondays).

Gemma

xXx

Happy Weekend!

Happy weekend!

I have been counting down to Friday this week.

It’s not even been a particularly bad week, the last few days have just seemed such a struggle. Thank god it's here now! We’re driving back to Lincolnshire tonight for the weekend to see both families, so it should be a busy but nice few days.

I’ve got a mixture of posts ready for the next couple of weeks; some food recipes, top tips for hardcore savings, the truths of living with a boy and our week in Kefalonia last year.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and make sure you hug your Mum.

I have armfuls of tulips for mine!

Gemma

xXx

9 ways to Spring Clean your Life.

I've said this before, but I REALLY love Spring.

After months of feeling so cold you can't even imagine wearing less than 7 layers and just curling up into a ball on the sofa all the time, it feels amazing to walk the dog without a coat and with only one scarf on (in the depths of winter I wear three, with gloves, and 2 pairs of socks, and earmuffs, and sometimes I wear jogging bottoms over jeans. I hate the cold).

It’s good to finally stretch out in the weak spring sunshine and come out of hibernation. But then you have a look around and see that actually you’ve not done a lot over winter and everything needs a bit of sprucing up. And there is nothing I like better than a good spring detox.

3 smiley things for this week.

Happy Monday everyone!

What a lovely sunny Saturday we had! I spend the day walking the dog, visiting the Garden Centre and tidying up our little garden. We were meant to be going to the Cotswolds on Sunday for a day trip, but as it rained most of the day we drove into the city centre and looked around the shops instead. I accidentally bought a new skirt, and a cake, and pointed out all the things in Selfridges I 'would like' for my birthday. Seeing as they came to the grand total of £89 million+ I think I may have got carried away. Tom says I'm 'over-reaching'.

A few things to keep me feeling perky this week:

Happy Weekend!

I’m so glad it’s the weekend. You know sometimes just everything seems to go wrong at once? 

Well it’s been a very un-fun week.

I have a pretty heavy schedule tonight to welcome the weekend in though; hunters chicken dinner then Crufts and Gardeners World on the telly. LIVING.THE.DREAM

Tomorrow I am having a deep Spring clean (physically, mentally and house-workly), and I’m very excited. I have Epsom bath salts, a new book and kitchen bleach!

Sunday is a rare day when Tom has a weekend day off so we’re going to make the most of it and head off somewhere. Probably the Cotswolds for a long dog walk and stopping off at a dog-friendly pub on the way home. We were at the Peak District exactly a year ago and I wanted to go there again but it's maybe a bit too far for just the day.

I’m just realising how elderly this is making me sound. But I like my geriatric life. Who knows, maybe I’ll jazz it up and sow some plant seeds as well and clean my car. Oh god, I just remembered I applied for an allotment last night as well. Is this it? Have I peaked too soon?

Happy Friday everyone, hope you don’t go as mad as me!

Gemma

xXx

Religious vs. Civil Ceremony

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When it comes to arranging your wedding, the most important part should really be the actual getting married bit.

That's the whole point of it all apparently.

When I was younger I had always assumed I would get married in our local church. The village I grew up in is very pretty, with the River Chater running right next to the church and it's where my Mum and Dad got married. I went to the Church of England Primary School in the village as well and it was where the teachers would take us for bank holidays and special services.

March Goals

HOW is it March already? This year is whizzing past so quickly.

I like March. I start to remember what warmth feels like and that maybe there are other outfits to wear other than my slinky 3 jumpers and 2 pairs of socks combo.

It's a good month for slowly coming out of hibernation and planning for the rest of the year. 

The first Monday of Spring.

'Nothing is as beautiful as Spring'

I love Spring, it is the most exciting season of the year.

After the long and grey winter where you don't really want to move too much, the slight warmth of the Spring sunshine gives me enough energy to go outside and plant those sweet pea seeds I bought last year, open all the windows in the house wide and maybe even clean the car that I've been putting off all winter (hmm it'll just get muddy again - but maybe I could at least bin all the chocolate wrappers and hoover the hair that I've shed over the past 3 months EW). 

Happy Weekend!

 

Fri-YAY!

Friday afternoons are definitely a magical time! 

Only a couple more hours until a full 48 hours of freedom.

I haven't done much this week other than going to a baby shower at work last night. PINK!

And this morning me and Harvey had a little lie in then a long walk in the sunshine. It felt seriously Spring-like!

It'll all be alright in the end.

I'm not feeling particularly dreamy today.

Everything seems to be on hold at the moment. The new build house we're waiting for, work contracts, elderly cars and being in full-on saving mode.

The house is the worst part. I can never really relax and feel at home in a rented house, it's temporary and it feels it. We've still actually got things in boxes from the last move. There's only so much planning and forward-thinking you can do until you have to just stop and wait.

But sometimes you just have to suck it up and really think about the good things you have in your life.
We're getting married, we've got the dog, we both have jobs and we have savings ready to be spent.
It'll be alright in the end!

Waiting is rubbish, so I guess I'll have to keep myself busy in the meanwhile!

Gemma
xXx

I've been drawing...

Whilst there are tiny hints of Spring if you look close enough, the branches are still bare and any tiny buds are firmly closed against the cold. I miss green!

Mr Blue Tit was abandoned because Harvey was furiously pulling at my slippers, wanting me to throw his bloody ball for him.

I struggle to get back into things if I've left them half way through. Horrible puppy.

Boys. Yak!

I'm going to talk about a boy. Ewie.

Being brave.

I seem to spend a lot of my life worrying and over analysing absolutely everything until I squash myself into a tiny corner of my brain and do absolutely nothing.

 There are lots of things I am interested in and want to pursue, and last year I was regularly beating myself up trying to work out what it was I wanted to do. So I ended up not doing any of them and cried most evenings to Tom asking "Is this it? Is this actually it now?" Really cool Gemma.

But then I realised, why am I only be allowed to pick one thing to do forever? Try as much as possible before you talk yourself out of it, how do you know it won’t work out until you’ve tried it?

Love is in the air!

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Fri-YAY!

Have you had a good week?

It's been rather uneventful for me, but I am still definitely looking forward to clocking out of work at 6.30 tonight!

I have been getting all dreamy over big studios this week, with huge windows and sunlight streaming in. I love Cressida Campbell's studio (above photo), she's an Australian artist who creates beautiful one-off woodblock prints and I stumbled upon some photos of her workspace when I was reading an interview of her. With a studio like hers I can't ever imagine running low on inspiration and suffering from artists block. For now I'm having to cope with our teeny back bedroom on our old computer desk!

Monday Mantra

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Happy Monday!

Weekends always fly by so fast. I had a chilled out Saturday reading books and doing as little housework as I could get away with. My friend stayed overnight after a drink in town and we had a very lazy Sunday; jammies until 2pm, and only then getting dressed to walk the dog and go to the pub for food.

But now it's Monday, everyone's back at work and it seems as if the past couple of days never happened.

Balance is very important to leading a content life, and sometimes it feels like you only need to tip one way ever so slightly to feel everything start to slide. It always seems very difficult to get that perfect harmony, but if you think about it, it's simple.

Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.

If you have those three things sorted, everything else is much more manageable.

Gemma

xXx

Happy Friday!

Woop woop! We did it!

It's been very cold here this week, but today has been glorious sunshine. I walked Harvey before work and it was so nice to feel the warm sunshine on your skin. For the first time I feel like maybe Spring will come after all! I am definitely getting bored of the cold now and wearing layer upon layer all day and night.

Nuthatch.

05/02/2015

Birds we saw whilst walking through the woods last weekend.

A Nuthatch creeping up and down a tree, and glimpses of jewel-coloured Bull Finches flickering between the branches.

How to perfect an all-white wedding.

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Colours make a huge different to the setting of any event, but especially a wedding.

Whilst I'd personally never set a theme, I think it's important to pick a colour or set of colours to work around. If not you can get a bit carried away and lost, picking one simple idea and sticking with it creates a much bigger impact than a jumble because you couldn't decide.

I'm currently toying with a few colours to go with, the first of which is all white.
It can seem a bit cold, but you can create a variety of looks; from minimalist and simple to fairy tale-esque and whimsical. Personally I would go for floaty and dreamy fabrics it creates a fresh and light look perfect for the big day!

February goals.

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Happy Tuesday all.

Did you have a nice weekend?

Mine was long and tiring with wedding venue viewings but I'll discuss the outcomes of them later.

Bah February already!? Christmas was 6 weeks ago!

I feel like it must have been productive month, but I'm not too sure what's actually happened.

Friday feeling.

Woop woop it's Friday!

I hope everyone has had a good week? It's gone quite quickly for me actually. It has been a nippy one though, it's been trying to snow for a few days now but this morning we finally woke up to a white blanket covering everything. The puppy loved leaping through the piles of it when we went for a walk through the fields this morning and had to be wrapped in a towel when we got back to dry off.

e is for...

Engagement!

(I swear I didn't plan that).

I'm engaged! Well I guess we're engaged because you know, Tom apparently also has to be involved.

We woke up to our disgusting 06.45am alarms as usual on Christmas Eve because we both still had work, to Harvey barking for a wee. Tom went down to let him out and I could hear him rummaging around in the lounge. I was still in bed and the puppy came running upstairs and did his adorable little morning routine of jumping on my head, pulling my hair and biting my face. It was as I was trying to prise my abandoned bedsocks out of his mouth that I noticed a note wrapped around his collar. It said that a christmas elf had been and to come downstairs quick for an early christmas present. We went downstairs and Tom was sat under the tree with a present for me. I probably should have been really suspicious, but it was still only 06.55 by then, and it was quite a big box so I just thought it was going to be something weird and silly. I opened it and there was a huge card inside, I had pointed this one out to him when we were doing last minute christmas shopping the weekend before, pretending to moan why he never got me christmas cards that say 'to my dearest, the love of my life on'. I looked up and he was on one knee and talking to me. I'm not too sure what he was saying but I finally got the jist of what was happening. All that was going through my head was; "But wears the ring? Why is it so damn early? I don't think I looked in the mirror on the way downstairs so he's waited 7 years to do this when I probably have make up under my eyes and my plait is all falling out." But yay! Out loud I obviously said yes!

Yay 2015!

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Happy New Year! 

I know it's super late, but it's January so it still counts.

We moved house mid November and the Sky engineer guy has just installed our internet today. After 8 weeks of me shouting and wailing down the phone to them ("how are we supposed to live like this?!?") it turns out they've been trying to connect the line to the wrong house. Good one Sky. Today's engineer was totally baffled as it has literally been a 5 minute job.

It looks like this year is going to be a busy one for us now. We got engaged on Christmas Eve (eeep!) and this has now forced us to think about plans further ahead than next weeks dinner schedule.