Purple and Pearls

Ok so I may be a little late with my New Year wishes but I have been a rather busy bee!

It was our very first Christmas in our own place and we had huge fun decorating our home and making our own Christmas traditions.  We decided whilst on our honeymoon that we would buy a tree decoration from every place we visited, it was a great idea, we spent a wonderful evening with our memories as we embellished our tree with the ornaments we had collected.

We hosted a Christmas Jumper Party, which was a huge success!  Our flat was full of the best (read worst!) jumpers you’ve ever seen!  Everyone made such an effort either scouring eBay and charity shops for the second hand beauties and even DIYing!  Yes someone did staple felt Christmas tree’s to a cardigan…

The week’s leading up to Christmas were mad – as I’m sure they were for most families.  I baked and decorated 16 Christmas cakes to give as gifts, so spent many a night (with the help of my wonderful Mom) finishing them off.  I have to say though the response has been more than worth it.

I’ve also been busy making plans for Purple and Pearls – the next chapter! which brings me on to my New Year’s Resolutions

1. Have more of a positive attitude.
2. Focus 100% on Purple and Pearls
3. Spend more time appreciating the good things I have.
4. (The obligatory) DIET!

I’m not sure how well the above will all fit together but I’m determined by the end of 2012 to be in a better place.  I moan far too much about things I definitely have control over.  So I’ve decided this year – if I don’t like it, I’ll change it.

It was lunch time at college.  As I sat chatting with a friend a boy she knew from one of her classes came over and asked if he could sit with us whilst he “waited for Geoff”

As the common room filled we got talking, one by one more of his friends came in and with each one I’d ask “Is that Geoff?”  I think I was actually hoping Geoff wouldn’t come so he would sit with me a little longer.

As it happens from that moment on we actually became really good friends, spending any spare minute we had together.  I would always look forward to Thursday’s.  We both finished college early so would meet up and walk slowly into town always stopping at Starbucks.  He’d order a cappuccino and I’d have a hot chocolate.  It was there about a year after we first met that Has asked me to be he’s girlfriend.

10 years ago today.

Last night our flat was taken over by Zombies…!  Pretty scary stuff!

Thankfully my husband is rather educated in Zombie-removal after spending many hours watching George A Romero films.

We managed to usher them out with the promise of alcohol  and an invitation to the Zombie Ball at Birmingham’s Ballroom.

I’m pleased to say order has been restored and our apartment is back to normal……….or is it?

Mwhahahahaha!!!

Cupcake inspiration from the very wonderful Blue Door Bakery

Monday 15th August, my closest friend Suzie gave birth to her beautiful baby boy Max.

He is beyond perfect and I am head over heels in love with him.

I’m also over come with love for Suzie – I am in complete awe of her.  She really is amazing.  I just know that together with her husband Rob, they are going to make the most wonderful parents.

xxx

I have recently gone from no job, to part time job, for full-time-all-the-time job!

After being made redundant a few months before the wedding and spending 6 months struggling to find a job, feeling low and losing most of my confidence I found a relatively easy 3 day a week job.  It was at this point I decided to put wheels in motion and really really start thinking about the steps I would need to take to begin my own wedding stationery company – a dream of mine.

It was strange, being unemployed left me with endless hours to fill.  You’d think it would be the perfect time to set myself up in front of my laptop and dedicate all my energy into creating beautiful stationery,  but something happened.  Any motivation I had went into getting out of bed and dressing myself.  I realise how dramatic that sounds and to clarify I was far from depressed, but not having a job really knocked my confidence.  It wasn’t until I started my part time job that I really began to feel motivated and confident enough to start designing.

On my days off I’d sit and design, evenings after work the laptop would come out.  I have a notebook where my ideas live and any time I couldn’t get to my laptop I’d scrawl down words, shapes and roughly sketched out visions.  I had so many ideas and I’d find inspiration from any thing and every thing… Notice I’m talking in past tense?

A part time, 3 days a week job was great for a while and perfect for allowing me to nurture my growing ambition, but ambition and dreams can only get you so far.  You also need money.  Unfortunately my pay was only enough to get by with no nice added extras and so it was time to go back to a full time position.

Second week over and I can honestly say I have never worked so hard before in my life!  My new hours see me working 40 hours a week and rarely returning home before 6.30.  By the time I’ve had dinner I’m exhausted and any creative thoughts I once had have flitted off with my energy.

I feel incredibly guilty that I’ve neglected Twitter and very out of the loop!  I miss it, but I just seem to have no time to tweet (at least not for me, I’m tweeting on behalf of my new company!)

I haven’t opened illustrator in over 2 weeks and I feel guilty.  Once upon a time it consumed my spare time and even a night not spent playing around with ideas would make me feel anxious.  I’m slowly adjusting to my new working commitments and I hope that after a few more early nights my brain will be back to normal and I’ll be over run with shapes, colours, themes and ideas once again.

Stay tuned.. hopefully someday soon Purple and Pearls will be providing beautiful and unique wedding stationery,  that or you’ll find me in the corner catching some zzzz’s!

Note: To prove my point I actually started this post 6 days ago…

“We’d like to get married too, but we just want to have fun first…”

Something that was said to me recently.  True story.

I’m not entirely sure what the thinking behind this comment was?   Is it a worry to the unwed that once you’re married you become a couple who bicker about chores, become preoccupied with bills and money or just plain boring?

Well, we’re only 7 months in but I can safely say that Has and I are still having fun (shock!)  Yes we’ve a had a very stressful few months, moving house, me being unemployed and having to find a job, moving jobs and illness but we’re still smiling.

We laugh, smile, joke and have fun just like we did before we were married and yes we argue but it’s never long before one of us cracks a joke and the whole thing is forgotten.  I’m not saying that married life is plain sailing but some how it’s so much better.  I can’t really explain how, except that I am truly content.

Having fun with friends at the Download Festival

For Christmas Has handed me an envelope.  Inside this envelope was a piece of card.  He had asked his Dad to write down our wedding date in Arabic for me to have as a tattoo.

It’s something I had talked about before we got married.  I thought it would be really lovely to have our wedding date tattooed in a slightly different way that gave a nod to Has’ heritage.

I finally got inked last weekend.   I have had tattoos before and was rather nervous about getting one on my foot but it hurt a lot less than I had expected and was over before it really began.

So, now it’s more or less healed here is my tattoo of our wedding date.

Actual translation is 5 November 2010.  I also think it’s pretty cool that it is written in my father-in-law’s handwriting

Some people already donate blood. However, those who don’t tend to fall into two categories: too squeamish or too forgetful. Both reasons are totally understandable, conquering a phobia of needles or blood is a huge thing to ask, as is scheduling the time for a regular appointment to donate.

It is an astonishing fact that only 4% of the population provides donations of blood for the rest of us. That’s a lot to expect of so few people. Especially when this is one of those times when you really can have a massive impact on the lives of others, by doing something so simple.

So, why are we campaigning for this? Many of us have been affected first-hand by the importance of having a ready supply of blood, and realise how very different life could be without it. Just stop for a minute and think what might happen if you couldn’t get the blood transfusion that you take for granted will be there. This is the perfect forum to bring it to the forefront of people’s minds, especially those who have been contemplating donating blood but just haven’t got round to doing it yet.

If you’re physically able to give blood do please try to make time, it can literally make you a lifesaver. We would love it if donating blood became a regular habit for you, something that is done on a regular basis without giving it a second thought. If you can’t donate then please continue this campaign by asking all those you know who can to make an appointment – ask them to do it now… today, not when they get round to it.

Do read this blog and the associated posts from all of those involved in this campaign. There will be some very personal stories that we hope may open your eyes to how important blood donors are and how you never know when you may be the recipient of the blood that these wonderful people give.

If you feel that you are ready to donate blood, please go to the Give Blood website to find your nearest blood donor session.

I have been one of the many people who have had to rely on donated blood.  At just 8 months old I had an accident.  I was scolded by boiling water from a kettle.  The accident left me with damaged skin on my neck, chest, arms and hands.  Some areas of skin were badly damaged so I had to have an operation to graft healthy skin from my leg on to the worst affected areas of my body.  Due to my age and the nature of the operation I had to have donated blood.  It’s something we all take for granted that it will be there when we need it most.

Please visit these other fantastic blogs all involved in this inspiring campaign.

Tattybojangles Vintage Hen House

Plans & Presents Wedding & Event Planning

Anna and the Ring

All Wrapped Up Wedding & Event Planners & Coordinators

Emily Jayne Image Consultancy

Fiona Kelly Photography

Mission 2 Wed

Boho Weddings & Events

Hannah Dornford-May Photography

Source Images Photography

Purple & Pearls

My Spare Thoughts

Aisle Rock

Tamryn Kirby

Bride and Chic

The Honeymoon Project

Cake for Breakfast

The Wedding Reporter

I must have spent a good 20 minutes today going through the photos on my phone today.  In the run up to the wedding I snapped everything and anything and so many of these pictures had me laughing today.

Making favour boxes at Suzie’s house eating buttons and making up names like “Stringy von Stringypants” when strands of hot glue flew around the room

A very happy Sophie trying on her bridesmaid dress for the first time at her fitting.

Sleepy Hayley on the way home from the hen weekend in London.

Mom having her hair trial, after which we went and had a lovely lunch together.

I found Hayley’s nail tips hilarious – obviously they were cut down but before they were I had to take a picture at Hayley’s claw!

The day we picked up the suits (obsessed with taking photos at this point!)

Waving the men goodbye the morning before the wedding as they set off to play golf at Nailcote

After the men had finished their round of golf, they joined us at the Nailcote bar for a couple of drinks to relax.

Checking in on the marquee, as the staff were setting up the room ready for the wedding.  We caught them dancing around the room.  Ha!

Suzie and Hayley showing off our pre-wedding dinner menu because they had our names on!

Day of the wedding: Speeding to the hair dressers.

Hair done.  Jokes about no head banging from Hayley so her hair stayed in place

Ready to go.  The photo I sent to Twitter just moments before I went off to get married!

(All looking a little shaky I might add!)

Feels more like home!  I’m not going to linger on the bad stuff because we really do feel more settled but the first couple of days were hard.

This is how it looked when we moved in

Complete with broken sofa, heater, blind and extractor fan.  Smelly rugs, dusty old lampshades, a TV from the 1950s and minimal furniture (we’re renting fully furnished.)

Fast forward 3 weeks,  a lot of unpacking, cleaning, moving, complaining, a few aching muscles, an air freshener or two and a fat lip and we’re finally at a point where we feel cosy.

The landlord replaced the broken sofa with a nice new leather set, fixed the heater and we have the majority of our things now out and about.  Things will probably move again because we have a side board still to come.

We still lack storage in the kitchen but it’s certainly looking a little cuter now we’ve put up our picture clock and decorated the microwave with a few picture magnets.  I also love that I can have all our cooking and baking books out on show. (Sorry I forgot to take a photo of inside our fridge cribs-styley… maybe next time!)

We’re blessed with a large hall way which has two storage cupboards to hide all of our unpacked boxes (!?) and also our bookshelf.  I love having our books out on display along with a few decorative items.  Above the shelf is the frame that people signed on our wedding day.

Our bedroom is now a more welcoming place to be, we haven’t finished with this room yet as we still have to work out a few storage issues but it’s definitely getting there.  Also – how much do you love our chandelier!?  My godparents surprised us with it just after we moved in and I think I’m in love.  For anyone who has seen Anchorman, Has said to me the other day “You actually love lamp”

The bathroom got kitted out with a few new accessories including new artwork.  We picked up a few vintage looking postcards when we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon, as well as really cool map of the islands.  So we framed them and hung them up in our bathroom.

Only problem now is, every time I go to the bathroom it makes me miss Hawaii even more!

So there you have it, our first marital home!  Huge thank you for all the cards, gifts and thoughtful tweets, you’re all so lovely!  (Sarah, Kerry brownies were a huge hit and they’ve all gone!)

So what do you think?!

x