I have finally created our Save the Date postcards for our wedding. Parents have been on at us to get save the date cards out and I really couldn’t be bothered to waste money on buying some. But falling under pressure that guests really need to book the time off and with over half of them being too old for an email, I decided I’d just make my own.
I spent ours browsing Pinterest and seeing what designs were about. There’s plenty of free printables about that you can use but none that I really fell in love with. We recently bought some kraft card stock to have a play about with so I thought this would be perfect for our Save the Dates. I wanted to keep the design really simple and just black so it wasn’t going to cost lots in ink. Then I found a wonderful design on Pinterest called the Save the Date rubber stamp from stampcouture Etsy shop. I was gutted it was a stamp as I really didn’t want to go down that route. So I decided to copy the design and use similar and different fonts to get the design I wanted. I also chose to use a little calendar on the back of the postcard and a space for an address to post them out.
I spent an afternoon with a ruler and my craft knife cutting A4 kraft card stock into four so we could print them out, while Simon mocked up the design in Photoshop. I am so pleased with how well they turned out. And it cost us about £3 before stamps.
Author: Deborah
This month I’m switching from favourites to a monthly update. It includes some favourites but I kind of want to use this to look back at the month and remember all the good things that have happened rather than some of the crap that goes on in life.
Life Update
This month I started the Couch to 5K program as it’s one of the things on my 30 before 30 list. I’ve been telling myself to do this for years, but I’ve finally found a couple of people to run with in the area and we’re doing it each week. Sometimes I feel too embarrassed to do a run with them when we move up to a harder one, so I practise with my other half first. This means I’m going on 4-5 runs a week instead of the usual three. It feels so good though and I’ve now completed week 6. Nearly there!
We sorted a couple of wedding things this month. We got the Banns sorted and we also booked our honeymoon. I originally wanted to get married abroad but family pressure made us decide that whatever we do we’re going on an amazing honeymoon! We booked with Kuoni and I was really surprised they price matched a cheaper deal I’d found online. Always worth asking, right? Also, free chocolates.
One of my favourite things this month was going on a course for work with Emarketeers. It was called SEO Content and Copywriting and was run by the founder of Emarketeers. I’ve done a few courses with them and this was by far the most engaging and interesting. It taught us the basics of SEO and gave us lots of tools and tricks to try out. I went back to work singing this courses praises. Definitely one to sign up for if you want to learn more about writing and creating content with SEO in mind.
Monthly favourites
This month I am definitely addicted to the Hemp hand cream which I picked up in a recent Body Shop haul. Even though it’s spring now my hands feel really dry. They always feel so much better when I use this.
This is the month that I learnt all about planners. I didn’t know people could get crafty with their planners or that you could really use them to organise your life. Man I need some organisation, I have lists everywhere! So I bought myself a Filofax and now I’m in love. You can read all about my Filofax planner setup and accessorises (washi tape is a must).
It’s a bit indulgent, but I’ve been seriously loving salmon and scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast. We’ve had it a few mornings and I can’t get enough.
Favourite blog posts this month
I am an avid blog reader and spend so many hours on bloglovin catching up with what everyone’s getting up to. I started reading Forever Amber a few months ago and I LOVE her style and dream of those pretty dresses all the time – if only I had an excuse to wear them and some extra income to buy them. I loved her post this month on building a wardrobe that works for you. It really made me think about having a capsule work wardrobe so I’m not always adding pieces that never get worn.
As a soon to be bride, I love reading about other peoples wedding plans. Hahn’s post with beautiful engagement photos made me so excited for our pre-wedding shoot.
I love finding out a bit more about bloggers and enjoy fact/list posts (like my A-Z facts about me). In a format I’ve not seen before, Michelle from Life Outside London told us more about herself in lists of four things. Plus, any post with cute spaniel photos is going to get a lot of love from me. Which reminds me, the other day we were in IKEA and a lady was pushing a trolley along with a gorgeous black cocker spaniel in it. It stood there and lent its chin on the edge of the trolley and enjoyed the ride.
Author: Deborah
Last weekend I decided to switch off from social media and the computer, laptop and tablet. I barely even touched my phone either. It didn’t start off intentionally. The bank holiday weekend started with no alarm, a lie in and a yummy breakfast of croissants and pain au chocolat. The house had got a bit messy and there were still boxes that hadn’t been unpacked since we moved eight months ago, so the aim for Saturday was to CLEAN and TIDY! It felt so good to throw out so much crap.
Sunday we had a fry up for breakfast before getting to work on the downstairs. We rearrange the living room furniture and I LOVE this new layout. It works so much better and once we’ve finished decorating I can’t wait to share it with you. Before it was the sofa facing the TV and then a snuggle chair that never got used. Now it’s the snuggle chair in front of the TV and the sofa at a 90 degree angle. The snuggle chair is so comfy for us both to sit on but it also makes the room more sociable. When you walk into the room the first thing you see is the chairs rather than the TV, and that’s what I wanted. I don’t want the room to revolve around technology.
However, after moving the room around I didn’t really feel up for cleaning the rest of the downstairs so I started a puzzle. My other half bought me this puzzle for Christmas and it’s 1000 pieces. I’ve never felt like I’ve had time to do it. We spent a good 5-6 hours doing it on Sunday and then more on Monday. It still wasn’t finished. Time just flew by while doing it together and chatting. It’s not very rock and roll but it was fun. Most of all, it completely relaxed me. I hadn’t been that happy in ages. The entire weekend felt like bliss. I wasn’t rushing around or stressed about anything.
Monday’s breakfast was salmon and scrambled eggs on toast, which is my favourite indulgent breakfast treat. We puzzled a bit in the morning and then headed out to IKEA, Next Home and a huge M&S. We picked up some bits from IKEA for the house and had meatballs for lunch. I don’t really like the meatballs and wish I’d just gone for a hotdog. Is it only me that doesn’t like their meatballs? The gravy seems to make me feel a bit sick. They had lamb on the menu a couple of months ago and that was amazing. M&S and Next Home weren’t a success but gave me lots of ideas for how I want the house to look when we have some money for furniture. It made me really excited to make our house homely.
Monday evening we watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and it really finished off the bank holiday perfectly.
Lucky me I also got Tuesday off for the Queen’s birthday or something like that, however Simon had to work. All alone in the house those worries and stresses started to creep back in. I went back onto social media and turned the computer on after 3 days and fell straight back into usual habits and I definitely don’t feel as good. But hey we’ve all got to work. This has definitely taught me that switching off now and again is really important.
Author: Deborah
The other week I got so excited that we booked our honeymoon, I went straight out and bought some bikinis and beachwear. I headed straight for Primark for some cheap bikinis and cover ups. They have so many pretty designs but I limited myself to just one from there – the blue, yellow and white striped detailed bikini with gold buttons. I also picked up the beautiful blue and white striped cover up which goes over it perfectly. I also picked up a cream one that is really similar. You can’t go wrong with Primark bikinis, right.
I then headed to New Look and I found a lovely bikini but the size didn’t fit and when I went to exchange it they didn’t have my size and it was in the sale – sob! But I did get these gorgeous white crochet shorts and wide fit white beaded swirl sandals. The sandals are wide fit and I have very narrow feet and they fit perfectly – no idea how someone with wide feet will get these on! They’re really comfy and I can’t wait to wander around the beach in these.
I was after a plain black bikini but I’ve really struggled to find one that fits. I really wanted a bra style bikini to have some support, so this mono optic bikini top and bikini briefs from Next was perfect. I love the pattern and hope it will look amazing with a tan.
Now I am just counting down the days until we jet off on our honeymoon and I get to wear all this!
Author: Deborah
Molly’s Den is a treasure trove of vintage, antique and homemade items. My mum popped in there a while ago and said I had to visit. So this weekend we headed down to the depths of Winnall outside Winchester. It doesn’t seem to be sign posted so when your sat nav is busy telling you to turn around you have to just keep on going!
It’s a huge warehouse full of goodies plus some shipping containers outside with even more wonderful stuff. The idea is that lots of different traders rent a space in the dens so you get to look through records, vintage clothes, antiques and lots more! You could basically spend all day here to see everything.
I had to try really hard to resist purchasing anything. I fell in love with a candle holder that was outside but I’m trying to be good and not buy items I don’t really need. I also really want an apron. But there’s just SO much here!
There were signs all over for the Toasted cafe upstairs. We were walking around and thinking, where’s the upstairs? I don’t remember seeing any stairs? We finally found the staircase at the beginning of the warehouse (there’s also an entrance from outside). The menu looked so good but whenever an all day breakfast is on offer anything else is completely ignored. We both went for the bacon butty and oh my goodness it was the best one I’ve had. I’d never thought to have it in a brioche bun before! This place is my go to cafe for meeting up with friends in Winchester.
If you’re into your vintage, retro, antique or handmade finds then this is definitely the place to go. There’s also three other Molly’s Den‘s in the South.
Author: Deborah
I feel like I’m in planner heaven right now. I used to go around with a work diary, a personal diary, a notebook, notes app on my phone and a calendar on my phone. Post it notes were everywhere and all hell would break lose if there was an appointment in one book but not another. Does it still exist? Shouldn’t it be in both? Why has life gotten so complicated?!
Enter the Filofax. Oh Filofax, you have changed my life. I’m being slightly dramatic but I feel super organised and not procrastinating by writing lists organised either. I have put everything into my new Filofax and I take it everywhere with me. I tried the patent domino in mint which is gorgeous but it arrived with puncture holes in it which is weird – patent marks easily. So I opted for this material English Bloom cover story personal sized Filofax.
I’d seen a lot about other types on planners on blogs and YouTube, especially the Erin Condren life planners which look amazing but I’m too stingy to pay the shipping from the US. I wanted something that I could personalise and make my own. Use it how I wanted to. I thought Filofax’s were quite rigid and you could only use the inserts available. It never occurred to me to MAKE MY OWN. How simple is that?
My other half asked me one night what I was watching on YouTube, I replied “planner porn”. There are so many videos on people showing you their planners. How they’ve laid them out and unboxings, and even following them each week creating that week in the planner. It’s weird! But strangely addictive when there’s nothing else to do.
I’ve been using my Filofax for two weeks now and I love having everything in one place. I have six tabs but mostly use four sections. It feels like another creative outlet really, however geeky it may be.
2015 diary
I have 2015 week to two pages Filofax inserts that came with it. They aren’t great but I’ll stick with them this year and design my own for next year. I often either hole punch notes into that week or paperclip notes to it. I use this as a personal diary but add work things in if it takes me out of town.
I want to create inserts which have the week on one side and then on the other have a to do list, meal planning, exercise tracker and things like that. I’m not busy enough to fill out a week on two pages and definitely not a day a page. Who are these people?! Do they even have time to use a Filofax if they’re so busy?
Blogging
In the blogging section I have a month on one page so that I can pencil in a schedule of blog posts. Working full time I need to have an idea of what’s coming up, but I can always move things around if I feel like some spontaneous content. I also have a table which includes the post title and then tick boxes when I’ve written in, taken photos and when it’s ready to publish. The last page is a lovely list of ideas. I’m also going to create a page which has Instagram hashtags and what filters could be used in certain situations. I also seem to have post it’s stuck all over this section.
Wedding planning
In my wedding planning section I have my budget breakdown, a list of suppliers and their contact details, a to do list and some honeymoon ideas.
Personal lists and everything else
This final section has lists of things I want, places I want to visit and books to read. I have a tracker for TV series and a table to fill out when I’ve done a run from the Couch 2 5k plan. I’ve also included my overtime and annual leave tracker for work in here as it’s so useful to keep on me at all times.
Most of my inserts have come from Philofaxy or I’ve created new ones based on their templates, so please check them out.
I haven’t watched any planner porn in a few weeks now, but if you want to, I’ve left a little walk through of my new Filofax below.
Do you have a planner? Or if not, how do you keep your life organised?
Author: Deborah
Oh man where to start?! I haven’t been reaching for my bookshelf that much recently because stuff needed to get done. Reading seems to always be the first thing to suffer even though it’s one of the main things that calms me down. I’ve been sneaking off at work during lunches to read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve heard a lot of people rave about it and I wanted to read it before watching the film. I actually had this book years ago with the original cover but couldn’t get past the bathroom floor. Then I watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory while on holiday in the New Forest and they made me want to give it another go. Apparently it’s life changing?! So I ran out to a charity book shop and found it – I’m gutted it’s the film cover version but hey ho.
I’m having a love hate relationship with it. I loved Italy but really struggled to keep reading the middle section. I’m finishing up the final section at the moment but nothing seems to be as good as Italy. Maybe it’s because I love food and dream about Rome and Venice all the time. Have you read Eat Pray Love? What do you think? Is it only me that liked the first part?
I picked up Deliciously Ella‘s book last month and it has to be the first cookbook that I’ve sat down and read from cover to cover. I never read the intros of books but this one you really feel her enthusiasm and personality in it. Maybe that’s because she’s a blogger first – it was just more relatable. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but I love how she gives you a basic list of ingredients to get and it’s not intimidating like a lot of recipes can be.
A colleague at work lent me the three fashion books and they’ve been a nice break to dip in and out of while waiting for food to cook or eating breakfast in the morning. The One Hundred by Nina Garcia has such beautiful illustrations and includes 100 (obviously) things that the fashionista should really have. Take it with a pinch of salt and it’s really interesting. It’s quite a few years old now and you can see where life has shifted – an iPod is definitely not a necessity now our mobiles are good enough.
Another Nina Garcia book, The Style Strategy, is broken down into three topics – what do I have, what do I need and what do I want? Again it is exquisitely illustrated and has quotes from designers and celebrities throughout. She goes through what items you need to get and what you can get rid of. Again, you can’t take it too seriously unless you have deep pockets. She does say it can be daunting investing in pieces when you have no money – but that they should last for years. And that’s true, I buy lots of cheap clothes that will only last a season, whereas pieces I invest in do tend to last a lot longer. This book is full of some really good tips.
Gisèle Scanlon‘s The Goddess Guide is just gorgeous. Well, I love the cover, but I found the pages far too cluttered for my liking and I found some pages really hard to read. Saying that, it’s been my favourite to flick to a page and just read while the dinner is cooking. It’s full of tips on pretty much anything. I know where to go for the best macarons in Paris and also how to best care for a cashmere jumper.
Hi there, I’m Deborah. I live in Hampshire with my husband and spend my time baking, making and getting out in the fresh air. Find out more or get in touch.
