Phew! What a week. I kicked it off with a trip to see Elbie to get my scary roots sorted out and decided, on a whim to go for something new. Don’t worry, the pink is still very much intact, but with some added lavender to my roots! Its quite hard to photograph and is actually a lot more purple than it looks in the photos but what do you think?

Then on Tuesday I continued my style makeover with a trip up to Birmingham to get some tattoo work done. I’ve had my sleeve for about two years and while I loved it there were always a few bits of it that bugged met. The red bits were too red (sounds stupid but I was really after something more – surprise, surprise – pink!) and some of the details were a little flat. I wanted it to be more colourful and girly basically! I found Leah Moule via Instagram and immediately knew she was the girl to help me out. Her candyland-esque designs just made my heart sing!

I was super nervous on the drive up. I know it’s stupid as I’ve already spent 18+ hours under the needle with this sleeve but I find tattoo studios weirdly intimidating places. I also didn’t have any totally solid ideas about exactly what I wanted Leah to do. I was putting my faith in her completely to just ‘make it better’! But I need not have worried. Leah, and everyone at Spear Studios, was super friendly and put me at ease instantly. The walls were decorated with Cath Kidston pink wallpaper and there were cupcake motifs everywhere. I slurped tea and we gossiped about trashy tv shows as she worked. I had clearly found my people!

Leah asked me what it was I didn’t like about my sleeve to help her come up with some ideas. I also showed her a pinterest board where I’d collated some designs. We decided to add some purple clouds to offset the red, to add definition to the face and to add some new details to fill in some of the weird gaps. Anyway, I’ll stop boring you with this long ass story now… but needless to say I’m thrilled with the changes already. I have to go back in August for one final session but I’m already so much happier with how it looks. YEY! Having such a huge tattoo that I wasn’t 100% happy with was really starting to get me down so I am over the moon that I’ve finally been able to get something done about it.

I’m now trying to decide if I’m brave enough to continue the design on the underside of my arm too… I have a cool idea for what it would be but it’s pretty ouchy down there!

Weddings & Weddingy Things

♥ What marriage means
♥ Love this bride in blue
♥ Joshua Tree elopement
♥ Fairytale Disneyland wedding
♥ Incredible woodland elopement
♥ Cornish cliff top wedding
♥ 15 awesome wedding tattoo ideas
♥ Crafty eclectic wedding

Photography: Apryl Ann Photography

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I’ve gotta tell you, I’m quite excited because this week Gala, Shauna and I booked flights to Santorini for Gala’s 30th birthday! We’re going to spend a few days there then we’ll be hopping on the ferry over to Mykonos for a blissful three nights in a five star hotel… I know, it’s totally extravagant, but it is Gala’s birthday and after a crazy-busy and Blogcademy-filled 2013 I think we all deserve a good holiday! I can’t wait to lie on the beach, drink and eat way to much and just generally lay like broccoli for a week.

Would you believe I haven’t had a proper Summer holiday for years… like, I can’t even remember the last time. Are you going on a Summer holiday this year?

Weddings & Weddingy Things

♥ Nine perfectly good DIY wedding tips had me laughing out loud (and the comments from people who clearly don’t ‘get it’ make this even better!)
♥ Kate Spade launched a collection of bridal shoes, jewellery and bags and they’re so cute. Wedding dresses next please!
♥ Pretty Pantone décor ideas
♥ Photographer pops the question by using the viewfinder of his camera
♥ Big Sur elopement

Photography: Evynn LeValley Photography

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After a glorious bank holiday weekend (22 degrees, who would have thunk it?!), it’s been properly rotten weather-wise in the UK this week. Come on Summer, what gives?! I do realise that it’s a terribly dull past time to talk about the weather but it’s almost like a national compulsion – us Brits just can’t bloomin’ help it! This misery that has been the drizzle of the past few days hasn’t stopped me trying my darnedest to get ready for Summer though. I treated myself to the biggest and most awesome floppy hat this week, Thank you Ms Spade. I hope it’s warm while I’m in New York next month, this baby needs a proper debut!

So how has your week been?

Weddings & Weddingy Things

♥ Beautiful loft wedding
♥ French destination wedding
♥ Aqua and sunflower wedding
♥ Love this ‘will you be my bridesmaid’ box idea
♥ 50 free fonts – great for DIY wedding stationery
♥ I can’t wait to see more of this shoot, can you?!

Photography: I Got You Babe Photography

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Photography: Brooke Davis (amazing!)

OK not really… but it rhymed and made me laugh! Oh Christ, I need to get out more. Actually it’s a sad, sad state of affairs when the highlight of your week is going to Costco with your Mother. But I’ve never been before and that kind of stuff generally excites me. Pacing up and down the aisles wondering who on earth would ever need to buy 12 packets of spaghetti or 72 loo rolls… and where do those people store it all?!

This week has just been a bit dull though. Everything I needed to do really just required me to be glued to my computer… writing, rewriting, organising, compiling… all that fun stuff. So I’ve got nothing too thrilling to report today although I did buy enough green juice to hydrate an army at Costco and apparently I’m going to be quoted in the Daily Mail’s You Magazine on Sunday. I must remember to leave my hovel to go and pick up a copy…

Note to self: Must try harder to keep up the pretence that being a blogger is an exciting and glamorous life. Hum, maybe next week…

Weddings & Weddingy Things

♥ Geometrics are big right now and I totally love this styled shoot based on the concept
♥ (Related) make your own geometric table runner
♥ Intimate Melbourne wedding
♥ This orthodox Jewish wedding had 25,000 guests! (and you thought your guest list was getting out of control…)
♥ This book table numbers tutorial is super rad!
♥ Casual wedding by a pond

Photography: Yannick Schön for Paul Liebt Paula

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Photography: Devlin Photos

Phew what a week! On Monday we launched two new dates for The Blogcademy (Austin and Melbourne) and as ever, we’ve been floored by the response. I can’t wait to meet all these shiny new Blogcadettes that are signing up for these classes! Our secret forum is getting pretty packed out and it’s so thrilling to get to know all these babes online before we meet them in the flesh in their respective cities. Yey for new friends!

In other blog news, on Tuesday I spoke on a panel of ‘Superbloggers’ for Cosmopolitan Magazine in front of 200 eager wannabe bloggers… not intimidating at all (this is a lie). But, luckily, it went super well and I’ll be sharing photos and the full story from the event over the weekend. If that kind of jazz interests you then be sure to pop back then.

I also told you last week that Gareth & I did a shoot with Lisa for the Rock n Roll Bride Magazine didn’t I? Well we got the photos back this week and they are SO CUTE. I’m totally breaking my own rules because I’m supposed to be saving them as magazine exclusives, but I literally can’t help myself… I have to share one little sneak peek (above). I guess it was worth traipsing around Brighton in the biting wind to find the perfect cherry blossom tree to get these shots after all!

And finally, if you’re in the UK and you pick up a copy of Grazia this week you might see a familiar blogger quoted in an article on low key weddings. EXCITING!

PHEW busy, busy! Until next week…

Weddings & Weddingy Things

♥ Loving these woodland portraits and the bride’s stunning dress
♥ Found my (check)mate
♥ Beach inspiration and wedding dress wows!
♥ Totally in love with this Kate Spade inspired wedding shoot
♥ Bohemian Portland park wedding
♥ Beeeeautiful NZ bay wedding
♥ Rockabilly vegan high tea wedding
♥ Technicolour Muppet wedding. Check out this bouquet!

Photography: Ryan Green Photography

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Flower crown from To Fashion and Floral!

After a glorious start to the week (a bank holiday weekend with actual sun, who would have thunk it?!) it’s starting to become a little less sun-drenched in the UK today, but that’s certainly not going to put a dampener on my spirits. Gareth & I started the week with a trip to Bekonscot model village, a pub lunch and a walk… Christ how old are we!? But it was so lovely spending a whole day outside, away from our computers and spending some quality time together. We definitely need to do it more often.

We also went to my friend Jo’s wedding over the weekend which was awesome (photo above of some of the rainbow instax that I took). We had so much fun and I can’t wait to see David’s photos – especially the photo booth and the dancing shots because, oh boy, did we make a spectacle of ourselves!

Today we’re off to Brighton for a shoot with Lisa which will illustrate one of the many brand new articles that I’m working on right now for issue 3 of the magazine. It’s all coming along so well and so quickly (I’m totes excited!) and I can’t bloomin’ waaaaait to see how it all turns out.

Apart from that it’s been a pretty uneventful week though… And you?

Weddings & Weddingy Things

♥ Love this Brooklyn wedding
♥ Pre-wed shoots aren’t usually my bag, but this woodland one is way too gorgeous
♥ Technicolour Cinco de Mayo inspiration
♥ Mid-century wedding inspiration
♥ You have to check out Scene Setter. These giant letters would totally make your wedding reception, no?

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