How to Plan an Autumn Wedding

Are you dreaming of a wedding surrounded by warm-coloured landscapes and filled with a cosy atmosphere? An autumn event could be the perfect option for you. Blend the charm of classical autumnal décor with seasonal modern trends to make the day feel both stylish and personal. Whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, the guide offers ideas and advice to make your nuptials truly memorable. Choose a Venue and a Date Immerse yourself and your guests in the autumnal landscape by selecting the right venue. This could be outdoor spaces like woodlands or rustic barns where seasonal elements can be easily incorporated into the décor. Autumn in the UK is known for cool and sometimes wet weather, so a flexible setup with indoor options is essential. Embrace a Bold Colour Palette Merge traditional earthy tones with vibrant accents to create the perfect autumnal colour palette for your wedding. Opt for colours like burnt orange, rich gold, and maroon to reflect the hue......

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5 easy ways to improve your Apartment

When I first came over to the UK I lived in Edinburgh, a city I absolutely adore. What I always loved about the city was all the beautiful old flats above the shops right in the heart of the city and I was over the moon to find a wonderful two bed flat only 15mins walk from the hughstreet which I rented with a friend. Since then I have rented a few different flats and apartments and as we gear up to sell our house apartment living is still not out of the question as there is something really appealing about living right in the heart of the city in a stylish flat. I thought I would share a few tips about styling and apartment and that interior decoration doesn't have to be overly expensive. 1. Declutter    As apartments are usually a little smaller than houses the first step you should take is to bring down the clutter and simplify every room. Get rid of all trinkets and unneeded paraphernalia, and bring accessories down to the basics before trying to come up wit......

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Love travel and have a spare room. Tips on hosting guests

I n recent years there has been a big shift in tourism trends being adopted by homes to create an authentic experience of combining the convenience of a hotel with home decor and living like a local. It seems the more we travel the more we want to incorporate new trends into our home lives as well as getting a more culturally authentic experience. We have adopted this into the way we make our travel arrangements having stayed in Airbnb apartments, hotel apartments and serviced apartments which have given us a great base to explore the local area as well as being self catering which is our preferred way to travel with kids. This recent trend has led to the serviced apartment sector  as well private room rentals becoming increasingly popular and, as a result, increasingly competitive. Previously guests were simply looking for a comfortable, welcoming experience around them and surrounding them but now they are also looking for a space that is going to add to their overall ......

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Styling a guest bedroom

When we move we are hoping to have a small study space or extra guest bedroom where our friends can come and stay for a few days and explore the Welsh Capital. Being an expat means that I have lots of friends and family who I would love to visit and the prospect of being able to style a space like this is very exciting.  Of course space would be limited, a spare room would most likely be the small space such as a box bedroom so keeping things simple but stylish is key to making the most of the room. I have put together a little moodboard of a few key bedroom accessories I think would make the room feel welcoming, comfortable and cosy but still on trend.  1. In a small room the main furniture would consist of the bed, side table and small wardrobe so space for a large lamp may be limited so this Copper Desk lamp would be a great space-saving choice. 2. I love notebooks and when I travel it's often the time I feel most inspired to write something down, so ha......

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Bringing nature into the heart and home

Vintage woven basket £18 As the weather has slowly started to warm up with blue skies scattered between cloudy ones we have started to spend more time outdoors on countryside walks as well as in our own garden which has been taken over by weeds and is in need of some TLC, something Mr A and I love to do together although this year we are running behind on our vegetable patch but hopefully a few more sunny days and we will be well on our way. Vintage Galvanised watering can £21 I really love bring nature into the home, especially when it's flowers and produce that has been grown on our own garden. It's made me think about a few bits and bobs I want to pick up, perhaps a flower press, some new gardening tools, a beautiful woven basket to collect flowers in or a vitnage watering can to display them in. Either way I love all the inspiration that the outdoors can give you and I am really looking forward to pottering round in the garden this summer and hop......

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TinyMe Giveaway with BetterVouchers

I have a really exciting little giveaway for my readers this week. I have been working with the lovely people over at BetterVouchers which is a fairly new money-saving voucher site that is a little different to others by manually going through more than 14000 retailers to hand pick only the best deals with a minimum of at least a £10 or 10% saving with no sponsored listings all the vouchers are voted up by visitors actually using them. I don't know about you but whenever I buy anything online I always check to see if there is some kind of saving to be had, I mean why not and this is a great site to check before making any purchases. They have kindly offered one of my readers the chance to win a £50 voucher to Tiny Me, a beautiful site that offers the cutest and quickest customised products for kids, from stationary to decor, clothing and books there is so much to choose from, with my favourite being the wooden name blocks It's super easy to enter and the giveaway en......

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Prints for the home

The other day I stumbled across some beautiful prints from the Etsy shop The Motivated Type and looking at my bare walls I had to buy some and to be honest it's felt like it's been ages since I have made a purchase for the house and I literally cannot wait for the three prints to arrive. All his work is mainly typography, using inspiring or homely words to set a happy tone for the day. There are a few other prints I have my eyes on as well, last year I picked up a cute record inspired print from Made.com and now I really want this camera one - it's such a happy little print and would be perfect for our living room or hallway. I also want more art on Mr A's and the babies rooms and bring some much needed colour onto those walls. I love all the quirky kids interiors and decor from Olli & Ella and they have a great little selection of simple and stylish prints perfect for a child's bedroom. ...

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Protecting your home

Over the past few years we have collected some great little pieces for the home and things that really represent us as a couple and as a family as well as many sentimental items that we would be heartbroken if anything happened too. Having grown up in South Africa I have always walked on the side of caution, making sure our front door is always locked and windows shut before leaving the house, keeping expensive items out of sight, not leaving my phone in view in the car as over the past few years both here and back in South Africa I have been the victim of minor crime. Luckily nothing too serious, mainly just phones being taken although I did have my bag stolen from my car and it contained my passports, camera and a few others things - luckily the passport was mysteriously popped through my letter box but I lost everything else and there is nothing more than that sinking feeling when things are gone. As with everyone it's important to feel safe and secure in your home......

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Christmas at Celtic Manor

So earlier this month I was kindly invited to an afternoon of wonderful conversation, beautiful table decor and of course some delicious tea and cake at the Celtic Manor - a stunning 5 star hotel on the outskirts of Newport as part of #MyCelticXmas. It was lovely to be given the chance to preview their Christmas Cream Tea and I can honestly say I was not disappointment at all, from beginning to end the whole experience was seamless and was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. When I arrived I was greeted by the friendly staff and offered a drink before be shown to my seat alongside some other lovely local bloggers. We had a quick briefing about the what the hotel offers and what to expect from the day and an insight into the new Celtic Manor blog which is really worth a read. I am already planning to return to take the little man to the Winter Wonderland which sounds amazing. After the briefing we were introduced to the head pastry chef who wa......

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