Weekly Wishes

I have seen these kind of posts on a few of the international blogs that I follow. In a nutshell, they are all about your goals and wishes for the week ahead. What you want to achieve, and what you hope to get out of your week. Popping them here on the blog will hopefully help me to stay on track with the things I want to do or get done. I get rather distracted (if you could just have a quick peep into the drafts section on my website...half written posts hiding away, left forgotten, or simply discarded after I got bored or changed my mind with the topic). Nadia does a wonderful 'Meet Free Monday' post on her blog every Monday...perhaps I can convince her to join in this community with her posts.

Today I am linking up with The Nectar Collective where Melissa has a wonderful community of women who link up their weekly wishes and are there to support and encourage one another.

It's Monday, and the perfect day to share my wishes for the upcoming week. If you'd like to join in simply click here (and then click on the comments section of the top post) and link up your blog post. Melissa has some guidelines for you to follow, and to give you more of an idea of what's what with these posts.

Have a wonderful week everyone <3

Weekly Wishes 

1. Go to sleep earlier (I have been so tired over the last few weeks, and before I take the vitamin/blood test route I am going to give the 'more sleep' way a try first). I wake up naturally beore my alarm every morning at 05h15 so I can get some exercise in for the day. Then my day begins at 08h00 and I am home by 16h45. Three evenings a week Farmboy and I have night classes at 18h00and we only get home after 20h00. We still have to eat supper and then I have to do all the little things around the house I usually do when I'm free in the afternoons. So I have been going to bed later and later, and this is probably the culprit for my mid morning slumps. It's usually around 11am that I start nodding off at my desk, and only gets worse after lunch. Hoping that a few extra zzzz's will do the trick.

2. Remove my iPhone from my bedroom. I have a terribly habit of checking my phone ALL the time. It's the first thing I do when I wake up. I have read some studies that say the blu LED light from cell phones can cause disruptions in your sleep cycle, so I hope that by keeping my phone in another room while I sleep will help me sleep better, and help me get the balance right between social media and just enjoying real life.

3. Finish my 30 day yoga challenge (if you want to join in simply search for the #summersplits2014) and pop on over to my feed and say hello (@roxyhutton)

4. Drink more water

5. Finish my English Camp planning (I'm hoping to do a photography based English camp for my middle school girl this summer...they can already take the perfect selfie, so let's see if they can so the same with different subjects and themes).

What are some of the things you're hoping to get done this week?

Disney's Frozen inspired Wedding shoot by Nadia Meli

Disney's recent release, Frozen, has taken over South Korea by storm. I still can't walk through the halls of my school without hearing at least 10 different voices screaming 'Let it Go'. No one really knows why this particular animation has has became so popular here in Korea, but, regardless of the why, I can't help joining in, no matter how fed up I am of hearing the same song over and over again. And there really is no denying that Frozen was a fantastic film, with subtle (and not so subtle) changes to the traditional fairytale story that make all of us ladies feel some kind of connection with Elsa.

While planning a Frozen inspired lesson for my middle school girls I came across this beautiful styled shoot by the talented Nadia Meli. Nadia lives in Germany and has such a beautiful portfolio of images ranging from romantic weddings to soft lit lifestyle photography. She was very sweet in allowing me to showcase this styled shoot here. Isn't it lovely?!

It was Nadia's work that inspired me to really dip my toes into the world of styled photoshoots (I started off with a flower crown shoot with a Korean friend, then captured a South African friend at a temple here in my town, complete with red roses and full red lips. And yesterday I finished a fun filled picnic inspired shoot on the beach...photographs to come soon).

Thank you for making such pretty pictures Nadia, I hope my travels bring me to Germany one day so I can meet up with you over a cup of coffee or attend one of your incredible workshops.

x

You can find Nadia at the following places:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Zoey and Jasper...an overdose of cuteness

I stumbled across something last weekend that made me smile. And I can't keep it to myself, I have to share it with you. If you love photographs of sweet little ones, and you love photographs of the furry variety then this series is going to rock your socks off.

Grace Chon is a delightful lady who responded to my email right away, asking if I could feature her work here on my blog. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, little boy and two rescue dogs (Maeby and Zoey). In her spare time, Grace photographs homeless dogs looking for their forever homes and donates her photography services every year to multiple dog rescue groups in Los Angeles (see I told you she was lovely!). Grace has also been photographing her son (Jasper) and Taiwanese rescue dog (Zoey) in a series of adorable 'twin' photographs that are bound to make your day that much brighter.

The story of Zoey the rescue pup is a happy one, although it didn't start out that way. Zoey started out life in a gutter in Taiwan, after being abandoned along with her brothers and sisters. A school girl walking by scooped up all the puppies and carried them to her home where she later contacted the Taiwan Animal Rescue Team.

'A kind volunteer at the Animal Rescue Team, Joy, found foster parents for all 5 of Zoey’s siblings, but decided to foster Zoey herself because she was the runt and the sickliest. She also gave her the name she came to America with - Star. Joy fell in love with Zoey and said she might have kept her, had she not been moving to China for a new job.

She says she never knew what happened to any of the puppies, and all that she knew of Zoey was that a Korean girl in Los Angeles had adopted her. Joy says she’s been waiting for 7 years to hear more about the puppy she fell in love with. As the photos of Zoey and Jasper broke around the world, Joy saw them in China. She had a hunch that it might be the sickly little 2.5 pound dog she nursed to health in Taiwan - and she was right.

Joy has been sending Grace photos of Zoey - from the first night she was at her apartment, to the final photo they took of her with a China Airlines stewardess before she boarded her flight to Los Angeles' (Zoey and Jasper).

I hope you enjoy these photographs as much as I do, and that you make you smile.

Happy Friday everyone!

x

"About Zoey:
Zoey is a 7 year old rescue mutt from Taiwan. She loves hiking, playing fetch with her toy squirrel, eating crumbs off the floor, and Jasper.

About Jasper:
Jasper is a 10 month old Chinese-Korean mutt from Los Angeles. He loves going for walks, eating pancakes and meatballs and yogurt and oatmeal and cereal (sometimes all together), and his best furry friends Zoey and Maeby. 

Zoey and Jasper’s mom is a commercial photographer specializing in animals, lifestyle images, and celebrities with their pets. When she isn’t furiously editing photos during Jasper’s nap time, she likes to garden and watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." (Zoey and Jasper)

Instagram: @thegracechon #zoeyandjasper

Facebook: Shine Pet Photos

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegracechon

Web: www.gracechon.com

Jasper & Zoey on Tumblr: http://zoeyandjasper.tumblr.com/

Life After the Dress {episode 11} Cindy Alfino

Welcome to episode 11 in my Life After the Dress series. In this series I interview married woman and ask them questions about their lives after after all the fluff and sparkle of their big days have passed. You can read all the other interviews by clicking here. 

Today I've got the lovely Cindy and her gorgeous family here on the blog. Cindy has her own delightful corner of the web "3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House" in which she chronicles her family adventures, putting finger to keys to help keep all the memories alive. Married at 20 and a mommy to three by 25, this lady knows her stuff. So grab yourself a cup of something warm and get ready to be inspired.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?) 

Hello!  I’m Cindy (27) and I’m married to Seth (29) – we live in the most beautiful city in the world, which is Cape Town of course.  In March we celebrated our 7 year anniversary.  In case you didn’t spot that, it means that I was the tender young age of 20 when we got married – at that time my parents still had to sign in consent (the legal age has since changed to 18).  Aaah, good times.

Since then we have been blessed with 3 gorgeous kids – Kyla (4), Riya-Ray (3) and Knox (18 months), parenting together has been so much fun (despite the hair tearing out moments) that we blog about it as 3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House.

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’? 

I don’t know why, but my first thought was Rapunzel.  Maybe it’s the long blonde hair thing that we have in common or that she likes to beat people with frying pans, who knows?

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet? 

We happened to go on a church camp together when I was 16 years old.  Our eyes met from across the room, there might even have been a nervous, shy smile shared and then it erupted from there.  I go into far too much detail in this post if you feel like taking a little trip back into time and my embarrassingly new blogging days!

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

In hindsight I think that our wedding was actually so perfectly “us” at that point of our lives.  Sometimes I wonder if I had the chance to do it differently if I would, but it would probably lose some of the casual, understated charm that I remember so fondly today.  Also, weddings now are just so beautiful but it sometimes feels like people get too lost in the décor/dress/event in the stress to have THE PERFECT wedding, that they lose sight of each other. 

I was borderline Bridezilla with my file, my almost to-the-second schedule and my strict instructions for no one to be late or wear white. But you know what?  Things didn’t go absolutely perfectly and other people wore white (I know right?!). 

My advice is to do what you feel you need to have a great day and then on the morning let go and enjoy it – come what may.  It’s hard to think of like this, but it really is only one day in the rest of your lives together – when I look back at our life, this day is obviously special but definitely not the only one that defines our relationship.

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

Yes and no.  Knowing that Seth and I are “doing life together” is such a joy to me.  Being able to parent our babies and grow old together is something that I try not to ever take for granted and I think our love has grown deeper because of it.  Knowing that we are in it together for the long haul – despite what obstacles may come is very comforting and, dare I say, essential for any partnership.

However - marriage is no joke.  Despite what people may make you believe about it, it actually takes work to survive.  Although we spent as many waking hours as we could together before we were married, nothing quite prepares you for living together which we only did after we were married.  The first year was a bit rough, with us finding our feet and adjusting to our new environment (read: Seth adjusting to just how untidy I was), but through a lot of communication and the occasional blow out, we made it through to the other side. 

I really do think the first year is the hardest by far. 

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

 That I am more selfish, untidy and stubborn than I ever thought possible.  But at the same time, I never knew I could love so much or as deeply.

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

“Tackling life together”

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

We went on a marriage course before we got married and that already helped us to set realistic expectations in marriage (I’d really recommend it).  But what actually being married has taught me is that there are 2 important things to try and remember:

Manage Expectations – Don’t have all these expectations of your husband, especially if you know that it is out of his character to live up to them.  I’ve found that it is pointless being mad at him if he didn’t even know that I wanted him to do something.  Express your expectations to him and then if he doesn’t do it, you can be angry ;)  This is especially important once you become a Mommy – whose turn is it to go and give baby a bottle or walk around trying to get them to sleep?

Talk It Out – Early on in our marriage I would get so intensely upset about something, but instead of talking about it, I kept it bottled up.  Instead of dissipating, it grew and grew, I added more things to it and eventually I was so mad at him that we had a huge an unnecessary argument about the stupidest things.  Being open about it and talking about things as and when they come up has saved my sanity.

Oh, and get a dishwasher – that managed half my expectations in one go.

Flower fairy pictures (middle two photographs) taken by Magical Moments In Time

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BlogLovin 

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Life After the Dress {Episode 10} Erin Kendrick

In this series I interview married women of all ages and from all walks of life and ask them real questions about their lives now, after all the glitter and sparkle of the day is over. If you'd like to read more about the series and meet the other lovely ladies I have interviewed, click here.

Today I have a very interesting love story for you, from Erin who blogs over at  Traveling Techies. Erin and her hubby are also here in South Korea, but they aren't doing what 99% of us are doing here. They are doing something a lot more interesting.

So grab yourself a cup of tea  and get ready to feel inspired.

x

Image by Dorette from Dots I Am Photography

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do
you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)
Hello! My name is Erin and I blog at Traveling Techies! My husband and I are both 28 and we've been married for about 3.5 years, the last 2 years of that spent working in one of the largest shipyards in Korea. We're both engineers (a little nerdy, I'll admit it) and love to travel which is how we ended up a long way from home! We make sure to post fun stories about the places we're traveling and also what it's like working in a Korean shipyard. I hope you'll come check us out! 

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?
I'm going to go with Belle from Beauty and the Beast here - not only is she a brunette just like me (brunettes definitely have more fun!) but she was smart, witty, and able to see the beauty inside people which I think is wonderful. I'd like to think I'm a little like her...I'm usually pretty quick to make a joke to make others laugh and I always try to remember not to judge a book by its cover and get to know people for who they are inside. 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?
Math class. I know - so romantic...just how I always dreamed it would be! It really is a true story - we met in our differential equations class sophomore year of college and became really good friends over the next 3 years. Once we graduated, we realized we missed each other more than we missed our other friends so we decided to see if dating would work out. Secretly, we both knew that if we ever started dating, that would be it - we'd get married and spend the rest of our days enjoying life together. And, that's just what happened! He moved down to Texas and we started working at the same company, about 6 months later - he asked me to be his forever and we had a beautiful wedding in New England a year later. 

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back
and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Absolutely - I married the man of my dreams and got to celebrate with my family and friends - it was fantastic! We made it our goal early on to: "Get married" - and, all I can say is...mission accomplished! Did everything go as planned?! Of course not...it was pouring with rain...I mean, seriously POURING rain the night before...it even woke me up with all of the thunder and lightning, but it didn't waver my spirit in the least. The next day, as soon as I started putting my dress on, the sun came out in full force. It ended up being great because the grass was extra green for our pictures which was awesome! 

We also had a cross word on our programs to entertain our guests and the way they were printed, it left off some of the boxes. My mom came to me confessing the error and how sorry she was that she didn't catch it and I just laughed and said, "Well, we stumped a church full of engineers...there's no way they can solve it then." 

So, my advice is to remember the end goal is to start your new life with your husband and let everything else be like water on a duck - just let it roll off and keep your smile bright!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?
I would say it's been better than I imagined - we're traveling the world together and loving it. We make sure to spend quality time together and encourage each other in all that we do. While there have been some bumps in the road and things didn't work out the way we planned all the time, we have absolutely loved being married to each other and are both extremely thankful with how our story has unfolded thus far.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?
I CAN cook! In college, they used to tease me because I couldn't really make anything other than sandwiches and Kraft macaroni and cheese. Once we got married, I really loved to make dinner for my husband. I started trying all kinds of new recipes and it's now one of my favorite hobbies! My hubby tells me I have become quite the cook and he's always happy and well fed so it's a win-win in the Kendrick household. 

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
This came straight from my husband: "Pretty Damn Sweet"

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers
about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or
something you’ve learnt the hard way?
Keep your sense of humor - go the extra mile every day to make your hubby or wife laugh and make sure to laugh with them. We feel so much closer to each other when we laugh and often bring up funny stories later because they are inside jokes for us which makes us smile even more. They say a belly laugh is good for your health (lower blood pressure, reduces stress, etc.) and I can assure you that there is nothing better than rolling on the floor laughing with your spouse; it really makes you happy all around. Making those extra efforts to do this as often as possible will keep such a fun spirit between you that even when the stresses of life (finances, major decisions, family drama, etc.) start to get to you, you've got a way to release that for a little while and feel awesome together.  

Top and bottom left Images by Dorette from Dots I Am Photography

You can find Erin at the following places:

Blog

BlogLovin

Pinterest

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

x

Pretty Packages in the mail

A few weeks a go I received a very lovely package in the mail from my friend and fellow South African blogger, Nadia. Everything was put together with such care, such love and all in all...such pretty-ness! These pretty little packages are taking the world by storm under the name 'snail mail' (just do a search on Pinterest or Instagram to see the amount of time people spend on creating pretty packages of stationery and letters to send to friends and pen pals across the seas). 

In essence snail mail is the term given to the physical mailing of letters, which is such a rare thing these days with people opting to instead send instant texts and emails instead of the slower (ie snail) postal service. But, nothing quite beats that feeling of receiving something special from the post man, and that is what Snail Mailing is all about. Nadia has written a wonderful post with more information on snail mailing and how to find pen-pals to exchange packages with...click here to see more.

I have received some lovely packages in the past few months...click here and here to see them. 

Do you enjoy snail mail? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below <3

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How to create your own homemade stationery {Guest Post}

Today's lovely post is from the very creative Yu Rong, who lives in Australia and has a delightful blog, xo-lovelee. I 'met' Yu Rong on Instagram. She posts the most beautiful photographs of stationery and letters, it's all just so pretty. Each of her photographs is lovingly styled and put together, and I spend hours pouring over every single detail. So I contacted her and asked if she would like to be on my blog, and share a little stationery love for all of you. Thank you for your wonderful words and pictures Yu Rong...it's been lovely following your blog and Instagram and getting to know you <3

Hello hello! My name is Yu Rong, the girl behind xo-lovelee; a fellow blogger and lover of beautiful stationery that is stylish and functional. I adore love letters, pretty colours and washi tape. 

As an avid snail mailer and penpaller, I have seen the most creative way to send beautiful mail. I cherish all the letters that I have received but there is always a special place in my heart for handmade notepaper that have been put together by the amazing creative minds of the writer. There’s something gorgeous about holding something handmade that someone has put time and effort into. Today, I would like to bring to you a combination of all of the above with some handmade stationery paper that can be used for letters, cards and notepaper!

This isn't hard, I promise! It’s super easy and fun to make. All you need are the basics, paper in whatever size you would like, grid or blank, and one of my obsessions at the moment, many different kinds of washi tape!

This is one of my favourites – to make this look, select four to five washi tapes that coordinate with one another. 

The next step is to tear off different lengths of the coordinating washi tape and layer them across the top of the pages. Don’t be afraid to get messy, you can trim off the excess when you’re done!I had so much fun that I just had to make another set!

As you can see, using different washi tapes can give you a different outcome, so don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know what you can create!

Another one of my loves are stamps, the above stamp was purchased from Oh Hello Friend and it makes the most perfect start to a letter, don’t you agree?

I love buntings, so of course I had to create this! Using different washi tapes, cut triangles and stick it on the paper in a row. Mix and match colours, use different patterns of washi tape and whatever else that tickles your fancy! This is very versatile and you can use this for birthday or party invitations. Feel free to use skinny washi tapes as borders for around the paper in order to “dress it up” a bit. 

I've already told you that I love snail mail so an air mail themed paper is required. Using air mail themed washi, I lined the top and bottom border, layering it. 

Washi tapes come in a large variety of patterns, colours and different themes. This makes them very versatile for many different creative creations. I hope you had a good time looking through these and that it inspires you to create your very own handmade stationery!

Do say hello! You can find me at:

Instagram: @xoylee 

Blog: xo-lovelee.blogspot.com

Life After the Dress {episode 9} Ché Dyer

In this series I interview married women of all ages and from all walks of life and ask them real questions about their lives now, after all the glitter and sparkle of the day is over. If you'd like to read more about the series and meet the other lovely ladies I have interviewed, click here.

Today I am so happy to have Ché up on the blog sharing her stories with us about her life after the dress. 

Ché and Warren are a fun loving South African couple living in London. Ché is a ball of energy and smiles and I feel like I have known her for years (even though we have only met once in 'real life' our paths have crossed virtually and we seem to have just missed each other wherever we have gone...we both went to Rhodes University, then to South Korea to teach English and then we were both back in the Midlands area for a short time before we both got married). We also both love sharing our passions with you on the world wide web. Ché has a delightful and hilarious blog called IndieBerries, the perfect place to pop on over to forget about your worries and your strife (no idea why The Jungle Book appeared in that sentence*) but her blog is witty, and full of fun, just like her. 

So grab yourself a cup of tea, make yourselves comfortable...and enjoy! x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

I’m Ché, I’m 28 and my husband is Warren who turned 31 last week! We are originally from South Africa, but currently live in Wimbledon, London. I am a freelance illustrator and designer and run the blog indieBerries. Warren is a portfolio manager for a Hedge Fund Firm. We have been married (almost) one year!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

Ooh, this one is a toughie! I don’t actually know!
I’d like to say Belle – if only for her epic library – and I definitely married a  handsome beast.
Or maybe that seagull from The Little Mermaid – I always feel like I’m losing my marbles.

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

We met at Rhodes University  - at a formal dinner. Really, there was nothing “formal” about it. We were all dressed like “Trailer Trash” and they served us KFC straight out the bucket.  

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

Our wedding was absolutely EVERYTHING I could ever have hoped for and more. We had the most incredible, beautiful, sunny day with our most favourite people celebrating with us. Unfortunately, we lost all our professional wedding photos in a horrific “dog-meets-hard-drive” accident

– so maybe if I could change one thing, I would have hired a different photographer! But, if hiring a different photographer meant that anything else about our day had to change, then I’d keep everything exactly as it is.
planning, preparing and the big day with the your gorgeous man! Think out the box! We had an awesome “food story” to go with our food and the guests LOVED it!

Make it your own and celebrate in a way that means everything to you. (also – double check your photographer’s back up system!) And my advice to brides is to ENJOY the planning and the preparing!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

Warren and I have had a strange journey – when we got engaged we were not even really dating, and we had been living in two different continents for the previous 3 and a half years (it’s a long story), so just about everything “after the dress” was new and exciting – including just being in the same country!  Moving into our first house together was SO exciting! (And super weird to begin with!) 

Q6: What do you think makes marriage work?

Being mindful, of yourself and of your partner –  appreciating him/her, having their best interests at the forefront of your heart. Laughter, love and complete support – even if it means sacrificing something for yourself – so that no matter what pitfalls or speedbumps you encounter in this life – you will always know that there is one person who will undoubtedly believe in you, always stand up for you and always protect you. Become the one thing – whatever it takes - that makes them feel happy to wake up every morning and come home to every night.

Q7: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

That I have a freaken EXCELLENT taste in men.
Just kidding.

Warren has taught me to believe in myself on a level that I have never experienced before. He has taught me increasing patience and forgiveness and how to really listen, through the way he lives his own life and the way he is with me. I feel so privileged to spend so much of my time with such a true gentleman.

Q8: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would those words be?
Beautiful precious cocoon

(I asked the same question to Warren and he replied with, “Better than sex” –which, is slightly inappropriate)

Q9: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

I read somewhere recently a quote which said, “Don’t be afraid to be the one who loves the most” and I absolutely love it!

From my personal experience – I can totally say, before you move into your first house together (whatever stage of your relationship that may be) make sure you find out the exact procedures for trash and recycling – or else you will end up, up to your elbows in two weeks worth of stinking garbage juice – and there will be tears. Trust me.

You can find Ché at the following places:

Blog

Facebook

Etsy Stationery Store

Instagram

Twitter

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

x

Life After the Dress {episode 8} Fiona Rossiter

I am very excited to feature the lovely Fiona Rossiter today, the lady behind Cape Town based lifestyle blog Inspired Living. Fiona is the 8th guest I have had here on my blog in my Life After the Dress series where I interview woman of all ages and walks of life and ask them real questions about their lives now that all the fuss and fluff of the big day is over. 

I am hoping that when Farmboy and I get back home to South Africa in a couple of years time I will be able to meet these ladies for a real cup of tea. I have learned to much from each of them, and I love posting each of their stories here on the blog. Thanks for being a part of this Fiona! 

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

Hi I am Fiona and I am happily married to the love of my life, Grant! Last year was quite an emotional year, with me reaching a major milestone in my life! I turned 40!!! Something I still do not like to say out loud but am starting to accept! My hubby Grant is only 11 months older than me so we keep each other young. We live in Noordhoek, Cape Town – in my opinion the most beautiful city in the world (not biased at all)! We have been married for 17 years – it’s was our anniversary on the 7th of December. I cannot believe how time has flown, it seems like just yesterday he was down on one knee, proposing to me! We have two gorgeous girls, who make our world a better place – our lives would not be complete without them. I am a full time mom, blogger and true creative at heart, with too many ideas and not enough hours in the day. Grant is a Portfolio Manager for an investment company (in his own words he makes other people rich ;) but a true entrepreneur at heart!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

Amazingly this was a bit of a difficult one to answer, I could not decide on my own, so I opted to do two on-line quizzes to see what the “experts” had to say! As a Disney Character I am apparently like PINOCCHIO yes Pinocchio! Even I was surprised – the synopsis:

“You like to work towards dreams you have, but you sometimes get tempted by the devil in disguise. But when it comes down to it, you're quite a happy person who just wants to be the best they can be!” I had a good giggle but in essence this is all very true. As a Disney Princess I am apparently much like Jasmine, as I dream of freedom from my lifestyle and I hate pompous jerks (ain’t that the truth)!

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

Funny story really – I was essentially his boss. I worked at a jeweler and he started working there, as a holiday job, while he was at university. I hate to sound cliché but it was love at first sight – well for me anyway! We were young but I think we both knew what we wanted out of life – or at least we thought we did. We did date for four years before we got married, which I think was important to establish our relationship.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

My wedding was amazing, something fairy-tales are made of! Not having my own mom around when I got married was tough but I have been blessed with the most amazing mother in law! We did get married very young and were the first in the family to tie the knot, Grant is one of four boys and I have a younger brother. As you can imagine there was great anticipation from all involved, being the first to get married {no pressure at all ;)}. Would I change anything about my wedding day - yes I probably would. Our wedding was way too big but being the first in the family we did not know better. We had a very traditional wedding which we both wanted but I guess if I did have to do it over I would have a smaller more intimate affair. Please don’t get me wrong, I loved every minute of my day but know what I do now I would do it differently – I am wiser I guess. So my advice for brides-to-be, is no matter how big or small your wedding, make sure you actually enjoy it – dance, have fun because it is a once in a lifetime experience!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

I think that life is never exactly what you expect it to be but if you had to ask me if I was happy - I would definitely have to say yes. Growing up I dreamt that I would meet my prince charming, get married, have two children and live happily ever after – see dreams do come true!

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I am an extremely stubborn person and a perfectionist, someone who does not like admitting when I am wrong {which is mostly never} but marriage has taught me that if you want to be happy, you need to make allowances for others and at times compromises. This is true for all relationships in life but especially true, if you want your marriage to work. I was extremely independent before we got married, so for me the biggest lesson has been to learn to rely and trust someone else. Oh and as my hubby will tell you I am very high maintenance!

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, TRUST

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you've learnt the hard way?

I think the most important thing is to marry your “best friend”, yes it is important to marry for love but you also need to “like” the person you are marrying. If possible marry someone with the same beliefs and morals as you have, this is especially important when it comes to parenting children. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying marry a carbon copy of yourself that would be boring but discuss what you want and envisage for your life before you get married, to ensure you are actually on the same page! Oh and most of all have fun, remember to laugh – if nothing else it keeps you young!

You can find Fiona at the following places (in particular on her Youtube channel where she posts great videos about her favourite makeup and beauty products, as well as showing you how to use the products!)

Blog

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

x

Life After the Dress {episode 7} Caley Rosenberg

Todays lovely interviewee is the sweet Caley who blogs over at Ellie Love. I feel like I've known Caley for years, thanks to the wonders of social media. We haven't officially met in person {yet} but I have loved following along in her blogging journey and seeing photos of her cute little one on Instagram. Her blog is a delightful place to wonder around and get lost in, so grab yourself a cup of tea and read all about her life after the dress.

In this series I will be interviewing ladies of all ages and asking them questions about their lives, after their big day. It is my hope that you feel inspired, and leave my blog feeling hopeful and happy, with renewed energy for your relationship, or excitement for what the future may hold for you.

Happy reading!

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

Hi lovely CityGirl Searching readers. I am Caley and I blog over at Ellie Love. I am married to my gorgeous blonde husband, MC and we live in Durban, South Africa. Both born and bred in this beautiful coastal city, the sun, sand and sea are our home. I am a qualified primary school teacher but I am now a stay-at-home mom to our little 20 month old daughter, SJ and baby #2 on the way (due June 2014).  MC works for a Mining Facilitations Company and is involved in many mines in Africa and investments worldwide. We met in 2006, got engaged in 2009 and got married on 2nd October 2010 - a blissful and eventful 3 years of marriage.

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

I would have to say Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Ariel is a free-spirited mermaid who knows her mind and doesn't follow the crowd. She overcomes the hurdles in her life and follows her dreams to find her Prince Charming and live her fairytale. There is also something magical about a mermaid's tail and living under the sea.

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

You can read our full story here but a short version is: we met in a local night club with me staring at MC's crotch area, admiring his impressive belt buckle (cringe!)

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

Our wedding was the most magical day of our lives - everything ran smoothly from start to finish and we had a lot of fun with special family and friends. We loved all our little details and really felt that everything was a true representation of us as a couple. A dream come true.

As the times and styles change over the years, there are definitely things I would do differently if I were to re-do it all over again - especially as there was no Pinterest during my wedding planning! But I would change anything from our special day.

My advice to other brides-to-be - stay calm and enjoy every moment. There is so much to do, so much to think about and potentially a lot to worry about but it really doesn't matter. Things find a way of all coming together and as a bride, it really isn't for you to worry about on your big day. Enjoy every moment from the second you wake up and open your eyes with a tummy full of butterflies and excitement to the pure content feeling of falling asleep in your husbands arms. The day goes by so quickly and you don't want to miss a thing - especially because you were too busy worrying about something trivial. Have fun and enjoy!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

It has been everything I had imagined, and so much more. Marriage has been the most wonderful commitment MC and I have made. It was also the start  of our lives together, in the same country (after our long distance dating) and spending every moment together has been magical. We have been blessed with a special bond and an incredible friendship that has blossomed into a strong and beautiful marriage - full of fun and special memories as well as sticking together and growing as a couple through the difficult times. "Life after the dress" has been exciting and fast paced and a great adventure, as well as the start of our sweet family.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I have learnt that I am a changed and better woman with MC by my side. He brings out the best in me as well as calms me down and keeps me level-headed in moments of need. He has helped me grow as a person in all walks of life, realise my potential and encouraged me when I had my doubts. I have learnt to that I can defy all odds (and my upbringing) and be the wife and mother that I always dreamed I would be.

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

Loving, supportive and exciting.

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

Never say a bad word about your spouse and never put them down. You are there greatest supporter and number one fan, and your belief in them is what keeps them going each day. I cannot find a negative thing to say about my dear hubs and it's not because he doesn't have faults or traits I don't agree with but he is the man I married with everything so amazing about him, and the man I fall more in love with each day.

You can find Caley at the following places:

Blog

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

x

My top South African online stores

Source: DeathToTheStockPhoto

Online shopping in South Africa is definitely on the up with more and more stores offering free delivery and other great specials when purchasing online. But, it is a relatively new concept and a fair amount of shoppers prefer to physically touch the products they plan on spending their hard earned money on. Also, there is the age old fear of credit card fraud and the South African postal service to contend with too. I have been fighting with the post man when it comes to delivering my packages from my online store, but I am very happy and I hate to say it, surprised, to have had a 99% success rate on all my deliveries so far (the 1% being a package I sent to my mom last year which I believe has made its way back to me here in Korea after a rather unfortunate loss of the post mans arrival notification). I have a long term business plan for a nation wide delivery service, just for South Africans, that is fast, reliable and affordable...who wants to invest??? :)

BUT...the postage services are increasing in efficiency, with many online stores choosing to send packages with private services with a more reliable track record and all the shop owners I have spoken to have had no issues whatsoever. Which is good to know as today I want to highlight some of my favourite South African online stores. I haven't shopped at all of these yet as I have been out of the country for a while now, but there are a fair amount of birthdays coming up for my family & friends, I think I will just have to make some purchases soon.

(I had planned to blog about my Top 5 favourite stores and then spent hours scouring the web to fill my last 2 spots, but thanks to all the input from my lovely readers on Facebook, I was able to narrow their loooong list of great recommendations down to 7!).

And here they are, in no particular order:

Links to each website:

CityGirlSearching

ElephantShoe

LittleHoneyPot

Yuppiechef

Style36

Hey Gorgeous

HelloPretty

Life After the Dress {episode 6 } Kathryn Rossiter

Today is the sixth episode in my Life After the Dress series where I interview real women, asking them real questions about their lives after their wedding day (click here to go back and read the other episodes).

Today I am very happy to introduce you to the beauty and brains behind the lovely lifestyle blog Becoming You. Kathryn and I have been in contact for a while, but in between kiddies parties, Christmas and my computer going on the brink, it's taken a little while to get her post up.

So go grab yourself a cup of tea and get ready to be inspired.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

My name is Kathryn, I'm 33 years old and have been married to my husband Brad for 12 years in April. If you do the sums you'll discover I got married when I was only 21. A child bride as some of my friends like to tease me! We live in Cape Town and have 2 kids aged 7 and 3.

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

You'd think with the amount of Disney that gets played in our house that I would have a definite answer to this question but I'm really not quite sure who I identify with. So instead I did a quiz called "What Disney character are you" to discover that I am in fact... Mary Poppins - does she count as a Disney character? Or must it be animated? In that case I want to be a princess ;)

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

How did you meet? is one of my favourite questions to ask couples too! Probably because our story is quite unique. Not many people can say that they met on a blind date! I'm now a big advocate of taking a chance when it comes to meeting "the one" - I encourage my friends to go on blind dates, try internet dating, step out of their comfort zone. I had to and it paid off beautifully...

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

My wedding at Suikerbossie in Hout Bay was so lovely, I have very fond memories of the day. I loved the process of planning it and became quite involved as the project manager with a HUGE file of ideas but back then (sounds like it was centuries ago) the wedding industry wasn't nearly as hectic and as long as you had a venue, dress, florist and photographer you were good to go. The only things I might change looking back is to have had beading on my dress, less plus+1s I didn't know and that my honeymoon flight wasn't at 4am the next day! The day goes by in such a blur of busy-ness that my advice would be not to sweat the small stuff too much as often you don't even notice that stuff and neither do your guests. It makes you so incredibly busy in the run up to the wedding and takes the focus off what is actually happening - you're marrying the love of your life!! On the day something WILL go wrong so expect it and then just roll with it! Hand over responsibilities to as many people as you can so you can just glide through the day and enjoy it. And don't forget to stop every now and again and sit back to soak in the day. Capture little pictures in your memory of the people, fun, smells, views, everything.

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be? 

Yes and more! We didn't live together before we were married, in fact we didn't sleep together either! I know some people think that's pretty crazy or weird, but for us it was the best decision we made and we are so blessed to have only known each other. The first year can be up and down while you both are still finding your feet and needing confirmation of your partners commitment to the relationship but if you can push through those times, keep talking always and use every conflict to help you grow in your understanding of yourself and your spouse, then they will be worth it!

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I was pretty undomesticated moving overnight from my parent's home to our marital home so I had to learn a lot about cooking, cleaning and I still do! I've learnt how to communicate better and that it's important to talk even when I don't feel like it or don't have the right words to say, I need to be prepared to talk things through and that's a start.

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

An Honest, Fun, Partnership

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

I've learnt that giving each other a little bit of space and room to breathe is far healthier than living in each others pockets. In the first year of marriage I remember trying to do everything together but keeping your own interests and having something that is uniquely yours, especially once you're a mom, is so NB for your sanity (and his). Spending time with my girlfriends and maintaining those relationships is also very important to me but I'm careful not to over share with others about our private world especially if my husband is sensitive about a topic. Another top tip is to travel with your spouse as you learn a lot about them that way. You can do this before you get married or after but I would say you need to do this before you have kids so that when the going gets tougher (once the babies arrive) you have some fun memories to fall back on to pull you through. Also our pre-marriage course and counselling sessions that we attended (before we were engaged!) were invaluable and I recommend everyone does something similar through their local church or marriage counsellors as they help you to discuss the big questions you might never have thought of. 

You can find Kathryn at the following places:

Blog

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Each lady I have been in contact with so far has taught me so much about life and marriage, and I feel so honoured to be able to share their stories with you. Thank you Kathryn, and thank you to each of the wonderful ladies I have featured here so far. You are all so inspiring <3

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

x

Meet Miss Milly & a {Giveaway}

Today I am really happy to introduce you all to a lovely lady, business owner and new blogger; Theresa from MissMilly.

Theresa is from South Africa (yay for local talent) and is the brains behind her creative craft business called Miss Milly. 

Miss Milly is about
birds and the beauty of vintage
craft and being happy
washi tape and wood
hearts and handmade
pastel and pretty
owls and foxes

It's all about {pink} ice cream!
And above all God.

For prices you can visit her Facebook page (click here) which has all her current stock. And to contact Theresa directly you can pop her an email on missmillysa{at}gmail{dot}com.

You can visit MissMilly at the following places:

Blog

Facebook & Store

Pinterest

CityGirlSearching & MissMilly Be Your Own Valentine Giveaway

To introduce you all to her products, MissMilly is giving away some beautiful hand crafted washi taped goodies; a pretty heart brooch, matching earrings and a matching bobby pin. All you have to do is use the fancy Punchtab giveaway thingymagiggy below. You can enter in a variety of different ways (a few of the mandatory but most of them are extra's) and each way earns you another entry {please let me know if you have any problems, I know the entry system has given people hassles in the past when using Internet Explorer. If you are having issues, try refreshing your browser, or if you are able to, try visiting my blog again using Google Chrome}.

*Giveaway ends on Friday 31st January at 11pm (South African time).

*This giveaway is only open to South African readers.

Good Luck!

x

Homemade Natural Facial Cleansers

I recently stumbled upon the beautiful Free People blog which is filled with beautiful photography, beauty tutorials, fashion inspiration and so much more.

The blog is run by four creative young women who aim to inspire their readers to 'embark on creative, fun, enlightened and fashionable adventures each day'.

This post if all about their natural homemade facial cleansers. Dump the chemicals and raid your pantry and fridge your skin will thank you for it.

{Each of the photographs and graphics in this post are credited to Free People

First up is a cleanser for DRY SKIN.

This is the first one I am going to try as the hard water and cold weather has wreaked havoc on my skin. If only honey didn't cost an arm and a leg in Korea...

'The base for this cleanser is plain yogurt, which, apart from its natural cleansing properties, is full of protein to soften your skin. It’s also a bit acidic, so it acts as an exfoliator, removing unwanted dead cells from the surface of your skin. Honey acts as a humectant, drawing moisture into your skin and keeping it there, as olive oil adds further moisture. Apples give your skin vitamins A, B, and C, as well as a dose of antioxidants to keep you looking fresh'.

Next up is a cleaner for NORMAL SKIN:

Oh I wish my skin was back to its normal-ness. I have't had norma,l or combination skin as it's sometimes referred to, since I've been here in South Korea.

My skin fluctuates between oil slick and parched, depending on the snow or the humidity.

'For those whose skin tends to be somewhere in between dry and oily, this cleanser is for you. The yogurt and cucumber nourish and clear your skin without drying it, while the mint adds a pleasant soothing experience'.
 

Last of all we have a cleanser designed for OILY SKIN.

I have been told on numerous occasions that oily skin ages a lot slower, and as such will lead to fewer wrinkles with age. I'll get back to you on that in 15 years time.

'For those whose skin tends to be on the oily side, let lemon and oatmeal be your new friends. Lemon acts as an astringent as well as a disinfectant, killing any bacteria that may otherwise cause breakouts, while oatmeal exfoliates the skin, absorbing excess oils in the process. Honey will restore moisture into your skin, balancing out any dryness that could have been caused by the lemon'.

Have you ever tried to make your own cleansers or masks? A fellow South African bloggers, Luzanne of Pink Peonies, blogs about wonderful homemade face masks she creates for different skin types. Pop on over to her blog for more DIY beauty recipes.

Blogging Tips...Keeping your Blog Post layout consistent

Have you ever thought about the actual design (layout, image sizes, fonts, graphics) of your blog posts? 

Think about the blogs that your enjoy reading. What do you like about them? I'm sure they make it easy for you to find content, to scroll, the actual blog post content is easy to read (the font isn't so small that you have to squint at the screen to read the title) and the general layout of each post is visually appealing. This makes the whole experience of reading a blog enjoyable. There is nothing worse than finding a blog with great content, but it's hard work just to sift through it and read the actual message of their posts.

So today I am going to be sharing with you some tips for your own blog post design, as well as some resources to help you if you don't happen to have a graphic designer friend who makes you free elements for your blog...

1. Use a Mixture of Images and Text

This helps to break up the monotony of the black and white visual elements of a written piece. If I come across a blog post, no matter how interesting it may be, if it is just line after line of black writing I immediately switch off and head to the next blog. I am a very visual person, and am attracted to pretty pictures. That's not to say that you can't have long posts with only text in them. Take a little time to use spacing properly (the term used here is 'white space') which makes text easier to read. If you do use images that aren't your own, always make sure to reference properly.Look what happened to this blogger when she incorrectly sourced someone else work. 

Here is a useful tool for finding the source of an image called src-image bookmarklet (just copy the url of the image, which you can find by right clicking and selecting the 'copy image url' option) and pasting into the search bar.

Plain text can be thought provoking and look great when done right (look here at my friend Kerry from Midlands Musings who writes beautifully and makes me actually want to read through more than 3 sentences at a time).

The most important thing here is to plan your post before hand and decide whether you will be using pictures or text, or both, and think about how to make them look more appealing in a blog post.

2. Choose your fonts and stick to them

If you are using Blogger for your blog, you will have found the template editor to be your best friend when it comes to the customizing your blog. From there you have complete control over the colours of your text, the fonts, the font sizes and the layout of every element. The lovely Katrina over at PuglyPixel recommends limiting the number of fonts you use to no more than three (one for post titles, one for the sidebar titles, and another for the post body). Too many fonts tend to make a page look really busy. Additionally, when choosing fonts for your text, aim for legible fonts in a readable size. Whatever font you choose, keep legibility in mind. The most readable font under 14px is Verdana and larger than that, Arial is the most readable." PuglyPixel.

When I first stared blogging I changed fonts like the weather, and still do from time to time. But now that I am designing my new website, it's important for me to establish my branding and to keep it consistent, so readers are able to place my blog design with my brand. It will make your blog look more professional and cohesive.

Blogger has a whole range of different fonts built into it, so you can really get your hands dirty and get creative to ensure your blog stands out from everyone else's.

3. Set a standard width for your blog post images

When something sticks out, you tend to notice it, and think that it must be a mistake. Keeping your image size in blog posts consistent helps with providing an overall professional and clean impression. You can use a free program like PicMonkey to change the size of your images. When I create graphics and edit my photographs for my blog, I always resize them to be 650px, that is the default size of my blog post. Doing this keeps everything neat and tidy. By also resizing your pictures you ensure that they download quickly when people open up your blog. You can also use a site like PhotoBucket to store your images and resize them before uploading to your blog.

To create collages like I do here on the blog you can either use a fabulous paid for program like Blogstomp (I use Blogstomp to resize all my images, create collages and add my watermark to all my photographs) or a free online editing program like PicMonkey.

These are a just a few tips to help you on your way. Pop on over to these lovely blogs to learn more:

Elembee "Creating a Graphics Style Guide"

Glossary "Blog Design...A Couple of Tips"

InResidence "Amateur Blogging Tips"

AshleyEllaDesign "Creative Blogging Resources"

If you have any questions about blogging, or anything that you aren't clear about from the above tips, please pop me a comment below and I'll get back to you soon. Please also leave a comment if you have any other tips for making your blog posts pop!

Happy blogging everyone!

x

{Snail Mail} Gratitude

Last month I took part in such a fun mail swop (the term being used to describe the recent revival of postal mail is snail mail) called The Snail Mail Collective. This particular snail mail package swop was organized by the lovely Melyssa of The Nectar Collective and Chelsea of Lost in Travels. The idea behind the Snail Mail Collective is this:

"It’s an easy, international package exchange. Aka, send a package, get a package. The goal is to provide an avenue to connect and get to know people from all over the world by exchanging packages and encouraging postcards each month. This is a great way to not only meet people around the world, but to also learn about new cultures and make new friends!" Melyssa

I signed up last month and was paired up with Rima who is from Indonesia but currently lives in California, USA. Rima runs the lovely blog Bulu by Rima which documents her and her man (she calls him PillowMan) adventures around  South East Asia. Rima is a Full-time Registered Nurse in Interventional Radiology/Emergency Medicine and a part-time Amateur Baker. She is just lovely! And we both LOVE stationery, so we were a match made in heaven (as you can see from all my wonderful goodies below).

Each month there is a theme that goes along with your package, and we have to try and keep the contents of our parcel under $5. Last months theme was gratitude. I am grateful for all the pretty things that I can find here in Korea, click here to see what I packaged up and sent to Rima!

This month will be the last month that the Snail Mail Collective will be run, there are still 2 days left to sign up so pop on over here if you still want to take part!

Thank you for everything Rima, I have loved getting to know you over the past month and I look forward to reading more about your adventures on your blog.

x

{Creative Business} Series wrap up

Friday last week was the last day of our 2 week series featuring tips and advice from nine South African ladies on starting your own Creative Business. I learned so much from the other ladies, and really enjoyed being a part of the series. To find out what the series was all about, click here.

Here is a wrap up of all the posts. How did you enjoy the series? Did you find the tips useful? I'd love to hear your comments below <3

What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business? on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. 

“Recently I was asked what I feel the most important thing to consider is, before starting your own business. Fortunately being relatively new to the ‘owning’ your own business scene, I knew just the answer….It’s a simple why. The why should come before..” click here to read more

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Should you combine many passions or just choose one? on Megan Galloway Growth Coach.

“So, you want to start something. Something unique. Something creative. Something that gets you bouncing out of bed in the morning ready to inspire and to be inspired. Wonderful! Problem is you have so many ideas, so many passions … how can you possibly know where to focus your energy? As Barbara Sher has titled her book: What do I do when I want to do everything? Sound familiar?..” click here to read more

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The importance of Professionalism – website & photo’s on Ilze Louw Photography. 

“When I started my business I was all over the place, in every aspect, and then I came across this…DEFINE YOUR STYLE AND BUSINESS IN 3 WORDS. So I did, I wrote down 3 words that I wanted to describe my business and stuck it somewhere where I could see it every day. It’s a funny thing, but once I wrote down those 3 words, and seeing it every day, people started telling me (without knowing about my words), how they see my work and business, exactly pin pointing those 3 words. Defining your style and business will not only help you, but will show the outside world that you are serious about what you do, that you have a clear vision and plan.” click here to read more

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Blogging – Where to begin on CityGirlSearching. 

“Blogging. Everyone seems to be doing it and as a newbie blogger it can all seem very intimidating. But that's where I come in. I will be sharing with you tips for starting your blog as well as some advice for growing your blog and getting it to where you want to be.” click here to read more

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How to use Social Media to promote your businesson Sunflowersandspears. 

"It gets really tricky to try to understand how a hashtag(#) can help you get more recognition and an @ symbol is no longer just the middle of an email address but a way of finding people. I have become extremely passionate about Social Media and it's incredible way of turning a business that was once a name on a business card into a name on people's lips. If that is what you are craving for your new business then read on as I try to explain to you how it all helps." click here to read more

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Creating an Online Store on Happiness Is. 

“Ever wanted to sell your products on an online store, but didn’t because it seems scary? I’m going to give you some insight into what’s out there, best practices and what to watch out for.” click here to read more

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Networking on Coffey and cake. 

“We’ve all heard it before... “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and this has become so true in my journey as a young creative. Networking isn’t easy, it requires courage to step out and make that call, or organise that coffee meeting even if you aren’t sure you will have anything to talk about with the other person. However, networking is one of the most powerful first steps you can take when starting out on your own.” click here to read more

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Bridge jobs (the secret to financing your creative business)on Ruby&Swallow. 

Today we're talking about starting your company while you're still working. How do you juggle both, how do you make sure you don't burn out and more importantly, how you can work towards turning your business into something you can do full time? We've got some tips for you from our very own experiences in growing Ruby+Swallow.” click here to read more

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Creative or Critic: Who’s driving your business venture? on Loving Mondays. 

“So you’ve started your new business venture. Well done – it’s taken lots of courage! But who’s in the driving seat when decisions are made? And who is getting the most airtime when it comes to moving forward? The Creative or the Critic?” click here to read more

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So there you go! A whole load of free resources to help you make get your creative business up and running, and of course, to help you in the road to success. If you have any questions, please feel free to pop a comment below and I'll get back to you.
Good luck!

x

Life After the Dress {Episode 3}...Irene Woodhams

Today I am introducing you all to the lovely Irene. Irene is my third guest here on the blog in my new blog series entitled {Life After the Dress}. In this series I am interviewing real woman and asking them questions about their lives after their wedding day. I am asking them real questions about their marriages, and of course having them give me and you some pearls of wisdom that they might like to share. If you would like to read more about this series, or if you would like to be featured here on the blog, click here or you can drop me an email here or leave me a comment below.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)
My name is Irene (Lulu to family and close friends) and my husband’s name is Moresby. I am 57 and Moresby is 61. I do a little freelance work as a Kitchen Designer and sell retro/vintage items. My blog is called ‘Lulu, Yesteryear Redeemed’. Moresby is a mathematics teacher. We have been married for 34 years (next month) and have two sons. We have lived in the same house for 32 years! To some this might be boring but to us, our home is full of memories!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?
Oh dear, I have not thought about Disney characters for a very long time! I would say I am a little like Snow White who has a cheerful, trusting nature and motherly character. 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?
A group of people from our church would meet in the Addington Hospital Chapel before going off to visit patients who did not receive visitors. I remember the day Moresby walked into the small chapel and I thought, wow, what a nice looking guy! He had his hands in his pockets and a friendly smile on his face. 7 
months later we were married! Many family and friends thought that we were rushing but we knew that the Lord would be the foundation of our marriage. I was 23 and Moresby was 27.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Our wedding was wonderful. We got married on 21 December 1979. I don’t just mean the pretty things on the table or the flowers. Even after all these years, I have memories of holding my dad’s arm and how emotional he was as he walked me down the isle. The excitement and smile on Moresby’s face that I was about to become his wife. The pastor’s message. How we held hands as we said our vows to each other and to the Lord. And lastly as we turned to leave the church and saw everyone sharing in our joy! 

My advice to brides-to-be is to enjoy every moment of your wedding day because it all goes by so quickly! Ask family and friends to take lots of photos – often they capture special moments which the photographer doesn’t. 

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be? 
To be honest, all I hoped for was our marriage to be a happy one. But we both realized that to be happy we would always have to consider each other. We decided that we would never make a decision no matter how small without consulting the other. We still do it to this day. As the years passed we bought a home, had children, lived on a tight budget so that I could be at home with the boys and then we went through the teenage years! All those experiences brought happiness and challenges to our marriage. Sometimes we reacted differently and had to find a way to work through the situations together. Or at times one was stronger than the other and visa versa. The greatest joy was having children. I could not imagine my life without them.

Now that 34 years has passed we don’t sweat about the small things like we used to, we now joke and laugh at each other – most times! We have come full circle – the boys have left home (sometime ago!) and we are on our own once again and 
loving it!! 

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?
I am still the same person with the same values and beliefs. Maturity and life experiences over the years has taught me to be a little calmer and to wait on the Lord for change. What makes it sweeter is that Moresby has been my anchor when I have been emotional (blame it on my Greek heritage!) and I felt like a little boat bopping up and down on the sea of life.

I still have my wedding dress so I pulled it out and ironed it to photograph it for all to see. It is still in good condition, as if it was made yesterday except I that I can no longer fit into it!

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
happy, content, safe. 

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you've learnt the hard way?
Oh yes! Chat about everything BEFORE you get married e.g. each others role in the marriage, finances etc. Ask advice and guidance from older couples who set a good example. Good marriages don’t just happen, it takes communication and hard work . Always appreciate your spouse’s good qualities. If you only focus on each others faults and weaknesses you will become discontented. I know it can be hard at times! Remember, love is not a feeling: it is an unconditional commitment. Trust and forgive because there will be many times when you will need forgiveness! And lastly, try your best to respect and talk kindly to each other. I admit it is not always easy but you will reap the rewards if you do. 

To my husband: Thank you for being honest and kind. A man who loves the Lord and a good example to our sons. On a lighter note: thank-you for helping me make our bed every day for the last 34 years!
Ephesians: 5:33 "However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband"

You can find Irene at the following places:
Blog LuLu-Yesteryear Redeemed
Facebook: Lulu Shop

If you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! If you would like to be featured here in this series, please do drop me a message here, I'd love to hear from you.
x

Blogging...Where to Begin. Day 4 of our {Creative Business} Series

Welcome to Day 4 of our Creative Business series.  So far we've had Caitlyn answer the question: 'What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business?' on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. Megan addressed the question: ‘Should you combine many passions or just choose one?” on Megan Galloway Growth Coach. Ilze write on: 'The importance of Professionalism – website & photo’s' on Ilze Louw Photography, and now here I am to introduce you to the world of blogging.

Blogging. Everyone seems to be doing it and as a newbie blogger it can all seem very intimidating.

But that's where I come in. I will be sharing with you tips for starting your blog as well as some advice for growing your blog and getting it to where you want to be.

If you have any questions at anytime, feel free to pop me a line on Facebook, or drop me a comment below this post. 

A blog is a 'mini-website' in that you ideally are able to run everything by yourself, without having to have designers make changes for you. A blog is a space for you to share what you love with the world, to journal, to keep memories and of course as a space for you to market and sell your product.

Here are some of the most popular blogging platforms, all of which cost nothing to set up:

Wordpress (to be clear I am referring to the free version of Wordpress, click here for more info), Blogger. Tumblr

My blog used to be on "Blogger" and that is why it had the 'blogspot' segment on the end. It is completely free and was my favourite platform due to it being so very user friendly and easy to navigate around. Also, it is implemented with Google so if you use Gmail/Google Plus etc everything works seamlessly.

Wordpress is another favorite in the blogging world, but I find it isn't as user-friendly as Blogger. But, if you have to time to fiddle and play around it can be a lot more powerful!

To go "dot com" and drop the 'blogspot/wordpress" you have to buy a domain name through a site like GoDaddy for Blogger, and through Wordpress.com for Wordpress (to learn more about the difference between Wordpress & Wordpress.org click here).

I launched my new website (this one) last year on a relatively new platform called SquareSpace (see image above). It doesn't have a free version (only a 14 day trial for users to test to see if they like it) but with the paid for package it includes a domain name, so you don't have to worry about going through an external site like GoDaddy. And the templates are just gorgeous! Have a look for yourself...click here. Their target markets are artists (photographers, designers, small business owners and bloggers) and their platform is built on providing users with a media rich experience. Think clean lines, and beautiful design. I am so happy with them! My blog looks a lot more professional with SquareSpace and I am able to change all the design myself without any coding!

At the end of the day, what platform you choose is all about personal preference. I know people are often very interested in Wix as their marketing is very good and you often see their adverts all over Facebook, but I found Wix was to hard to make changes an their free platform is very limiting. I would stick with bloggger or make the move straight away to Squarespace if you want to be taken seriously. 

This is a really important question to ask yourself before you even think about starting as it will form the building blocks of your business/brand. This is different for everyone. Some people enjoy seeing their words and thoughts come alive on the page, others enjoy the feeling of affirmation that comes from gaining another follower or like on Facebook. I have loved meeting new friends through my blog, as well as the outlet it has given me to be creative, something I never dreamed was possible.

Whatever your reasons are for first wanting to start your blog, write them down (I've created a fun brainstorm printable for you to download and print out to help you along your way), so when you start to feel guilty for not having written a post in months don't beat yourself up about it. Instead, go back to your list and remind yourself of the real reasons you wanted to blog in the first place, I'm sure you will feel inspired to get started again. You will go through times of frustration with your blog, and sometimes all thats needed is a little time off to feel inspired again.

BUT if the main motivation behind why you want to start a blog is to make money or to get sent items to review, then I am terribly sorry to bust your bubble but this only happens to a tiny amount of bloggers. If your main goal is to make money, your readers will very quickly pick up on this and stop reading. Your readers want to be entertained, inspired and motivated, so give them that. If you are passionate about your content your readers will be too!

As important as the why is behind your blog, your branding is what differentiates you from everyone else and makes your blog special. If you take your blog seriously, so will everyone who reads it. One way to make that leap into the realm of 'seriousness' is by building a brand around your blog. To help you with this, you need to create a consistent message, and have everything you do, on and off the blog, send the same message. Think email signatures, blog headers, blog side bars, business cards, stamps, personalized stationery...the list is endless. And all of this needn't cost a fortune. The simplest way to build the foundation for your brand is with choosing a particular colour scheme, fonts and a basic design. You can get the help of a graphic designer if you really want to go that extra step, but the majority of the basic blogging platforms like Blogger, offer loads of customization options built into them. Think about your target audience (are they young and funky, in which case bright colours would work well. Or are they slightly older and more conventional in their thinking? Then a modern, clean and classic design and layout would probably work better).

By filling in the free mind map printable found below, you will be able to build your brand around the 'What do you love' section. If you love nature and the outdoors, your chosen colour scheme might revolve around earthy colours like khaki and emerald. Here is a great website to get your mind around colour combinations...Design Seeds. Here are a few more tips for the basic design of your blog to help you formulate your brand {click here}

After you've given some thought to your branding, now here comes the hard part. Picking a name for your blog. Your blogs' name sets the tone for your brand (and of course will have implications for showing up in google searches) so pick carefully. See who already has your name, or anything similar to it with a basic google search. Choose something that won't be outdated in a few years (and you should definitely be seeing your blog in terms of the future and "In a few years time" kind of way. 

Don't let this overwhelm you. We all have to start somewhere (click here to see my first few blog posts, eek...I'm glad I have them to look back on!) we learn by experience and our tastes change as we get older. Embrace that and let your blog grow with you into something you are proud of. 

I find I am at my least creative when I stare at other peoples awesome blogs all day. I find I am unable to think of anything new or original to write about. How I deal with this (and I have my incredibly creative husband to thank for most of my ideas) is to go for a walk, camera in hand, and snap away at anything and everything that takes my fancy. Sometimes I take a notebook and jot down notes about my day, about the people I see around me, about the things I want to do with my life. Pretty soon I have a messy jumble of potential content for my blog. Look around your world, your office, your family, your community for idea's. Do you work with some strange and fascinating people, what about interviewing them on your blog? What about doing a post about a day in your life (with photo's of everything that makes your day unique)? The world around us is so rich with colour and life, its an endless supply of idea's if we just take the time to look.

I used to think that my blog would become popular by just reposting great content I found on sites like We Heart It and Pinterest. I've now come to realise that there are too many mediocre blogs out there that just repost other peoples creative content. That's why I try to post original content on my blog. That doesn't mean I don't 'borrow' idea's from other bloggers, but it does mean that if I want to showcase an awesome DIY lampshade, I will try to make that lampshade myself, take my own photo's and write in my own words how to go about making one yourself. And I always make sure to link back to the original source of the idea, as a way of saying thank you for the idea.

But now I'm getting distracted...the title of this tip is to take your own photographs. You really don't have to have an amazing camera to take incredible photo's. You just need to play, and fiddle with your camera and the angles to get your photograph just right. This is how I started getting into photography. Etsy has a great article on taking better product photographs, click here to have a read.

The most important thing with taking photo's for your blog is to take, and take, and take, and take some more! For this one photograph, it took 9 takes until I was happy with it one. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, you can always hit the delete button!

Most bloggers would probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but for me it works. I am a very organized person, I love to plan EVERYTHING and my favourite past time is making lists (can you say *nerd*). But I find that if I spend too long planning a blog post, I lose interest in it and it stays in my draft box for weeks, even months without ever seeing the light of day. If an idea comes to mind, I straight away log onto my blog, start a new post, and I just roll with it. I try not to leave it till the next day to finish it, as I often get distracted by the next post. In some ways I find this helps me stay inspired as I am always putting new content up, and my readers know that they can come back every day or so for something new. This pressure helps me to stay motivated to continue putting posts out there!

Your readers want to know about you, so be true to yourself. This doesn't mean gushing about each and every last detail of your day and how depressed you feel after finding out that your local Woolies Food was out of fresh basil. But rather, this means writing in your own voice and letting your personality shine through the page. Don't be scared to put yourself/your business/your idea's out there, your readers will respond to your 'genuineness'.

This is the question I get asked the most by my readers, and it's what I still ask myself! But, I'm afraid there is not secret. There is no hard and fast way to gain 100 new followers on twitter, or to get 1000 new page views in minutes. 

You just have to be patient. You have to provide content that your readers will enjoy, and you have to do so constantly. There is nothing worse than stumbling onto an awesome blog only to see they haven't updated since last year January. A good way to share the blog love is to leave comments on other blogs that you enjoy reading. It's a wonderful feeling getting just one comment on my blog (I am speaking from my own experience here) and if that is the case with you too, then why not take some time to leave thoughtful and meaningful comments on some of your favourite blogs. Don't feel that your one comment may mean nothing if there are 999 others on the blog, as a blogger I can tell you that each and every single comment leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Take some time to connect with your favourite bloggers on Twitter and Instagram, reply to each and every tweet your receive, as well as to each comment you may get on Instagram. This helps to build meaningful and long lasting relationships with your readers and followers.

Find your niche, whatever that may be, and stick with it. I have had a real hard time in narrowing down my focus here on CityGirlSearching, I was trying to do too much and was scared to commit myself to one box. I'm not a beauty blogger, but I like writing beauty reviews, I am not a travel blogger, but I do go to some amazing places and I want to share the photographs with my readers, I'm not an expert in fashion but I do like sharing the odd outfit post. All of these different elements led me to define myself as a 'lifestyle blogger' but I still don't let that term fully define who I am here on the blog. This blog is a space for me to share pretty-ness...be it in fashion, beauty, in the home or in another country.

Here are some of my favourite bloggers (some are local ladies, and others are International). Use this list as a guide & to learn from what these ladies are doing right. Focus on their blog design, their photographs, their content, see how they engage with their followers, and then apply it to your own blog:

Indieberries hilarious cartoons by local SA blogger Che

Nadia vd Mescht beautifully crafted blog by Durban creative Nadia

EmmaJaneNation one of the first blogs I ever started following by lovely local SA blogger Emma (her photography is gorgeous!

Vivianna Does Makeup one of my all time favourite beauty blogs written by Vivianna

A Beautiful Mess a funky and fresh lifestyle blog by Emma & Elsie

MilkTeef lovely beauty and lifestyle blog by the sweet Emma

Milk Bubble Tea such pretty-ness by Becky

WishWishWish fashion done right! A gorgeous blog by Carrie

SuperficialGirls another local SA lady; Carlinn, who focuses on fashion & beauty

PinkPeonies lovely Luzanne writes this beautiful beauty blog

PuglyPixel design tips and tutorials from the fabulous Katrina

Lost in Travels a travel blog to inspire your wonderlust (and lots of tips for traveling with your hubby, as well as keeping on a budget!) by Chelsea

Cupcakes and Cashmere a super inspiring lifestyle blog by the gorgeous Emily

I could go on for days about starting up your first blog, but the biggest piece of advice I can leave you with today is don't ever give up. I {often} have days where I feel like no one reads this blog, and that I put so much time and effort into it and I get so little back. Other days I want to high five ever person I see because I got more than 3 likes on a photograph on Facebook. If you are doing what you love, then it will never be work.

Above is a freebie printable I've created to help you in your blogging journey.

Try to fill it in before you start your blog, to give you more focus and direction. Here is mine, filled out and taped onto the wall, to help remind me of where I am and where I want go. Below is more detail to help you fill in the blog brainstorm printable.

*Why blog: jot down all the reasons you want to blog, from wanting to be a superstar celebrity to wanting to create a place to journal your thoughts and dreams. Nothing is too small or insignificant.

*What do you Love: write down all the things you love (eg family, friends, God, nature, fashion, beauty, design, interiors, photography...) then cross off those that are too personal, or those you wouldn't want to publish all over the interweb. What you are left with is a list of elements that make up you! This will help you with later on with your branding.

*Sharing your Love: list the ways in which you want to blog (through photographs, by writing, by drawing and illustrating, by creating cartoons and other graphic based content). This is how you will express yourself on your blog.

*Creating Content: List some of the ways I have outlined above here, and any others you can think of (reading other blogs, going for walks, photographing random events and elements, journaling...etc)

*Growing Readers: List some of the ways I have outlined above (networking, leaving comments on other blogs, tweeting, Facebook mentions, emailing potential clients/others in your industry) and add your own ideas too.

*Your branding: create a board on Pinterest (you can make it secret if you don't want anyone to see it just yet) and start pining every thing that takes your fancy from colours to fonts, to design, to blog layouts. Have a look at this board for some inspiration. You need to choose a maximum of 3 or 4 colours, then 2 fonts that you want to use to help keep your brand cohesive.

I hope you have enjoyed my post on blogging, and I hope that some of it has been useful to you. If you have any questions, please drop me a comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy blogging everyone

x

Getting to know you {Inspired by The Barn Blog}

The lovely Allyssa at The Barn Blog {one of my all time favourite design blogs} did a post a short time ago entitled "Getting to Know you" as part of a series she runs aimed at getting to know her readers better. Such a lovely idea!

So, I am using her post as some inspiration here, and of course to help me get to know you better, my dear readers, better.

Here are a few questions I'd love to know your answers to. And to kick things off, below are my answers too.

1. Do you have a secret talent?
2. What is your favourite meal of the day?
3. What Disney character are you?
4. How do you take your tea/coffee?

{That's me with my strong and sweet cup of tea!}

1. Hmmm...I'm not sure how secret this, or how much I can call this a talent but I am pretty good at cleaning. And I'm not just talking about washing a few dishes here :) I'm talking about the kind of cleaning that needs a lot of scrubbing and plenty of elbow grease. I'm not sure why, but after scrubbing and cleaning I am always left feeling refreshed and happy. It's good for my house, and good for me (as bizarre as it might sound). Oh, I'm also pretty good at baking, even though I very rarely follow a recipe (a little of this and a little less of that goes a long way in my kitchen) and somehow the majority of my booked goods turn out to be delicious!

2. My favourite meal of the day has got to be breakfast. Throw in some pancakes, bacon, a little maple syrup, some freshly cut fruit and I am a very happy chappy.

3. I think I am most like Princess Jasmine (every girl wants to be a princess!) in that I am free-spirited, headstrong and at times very willful. Jasmine is also kind and caring, and is considered to be clever and intelligent (I like the last part!). She also has a love for adventure, and often accompanies Aladdin on his journeys.

4. I take my {TEA} strong, with milk and quite a bit of sugar...I have rather a sweet tooth!

I look forward to reading and learning more about you! 

x

Don't forget to pop on over to Megan's blog later today where she will be addressing the question:

"Should you combine many passions or just choose one?” for the second day of our Creative Business series {CLICK HERE for more info on our series}

Connect with Megan on Twitter @meganjgalloway and on Facebook.