My Autumn Wardrobe

'Autumn mornings: sunshine and crisp air, birds and calmness, year's end and day's beginnings'-Terri Guillemets

Source: Pinterest   

I do rather love this time of year <3 As October approaches I can look back on the month of September so happily-the month I got engaged, started my new job and celebrated my 26th birthday. October will be mostly a month of working for me although I have a week off I am looking forward to at the end of October where we can celebrate Halloween and all things spooky. 

As the colder days approach, I have taken out all my summer clothes and put them into storage to make room for lots of fluffy jumpers, warm dresses and thick tights. I am not generally a 'top and trousers' kind of girl during the warm month but during autumn and winter I live in jumpers and jeans/trousers. I have also purchased some new boots to prepare for weather and some cute slippers for inside (I have already started wearing my teddy bear onsie haha!). I thought I would share with you some of my favourite pieces from the Cherbear autumn/winter collection. 

OWLS

I love owls and I have my beloved jumpers and this cute blue shirt I bought from Primark for £12-quite a lot for them but it feels good quality!

ANIMAL PRINT JUMPERS
My favourite ones being my super cosy cat and bunny jumpers!

COMFY CARDIGANS
Especially my bicycle print one from Forever 21 and my red wool cardigan that I got for just a fiver from Primark! It feels lush!

Warm boots
I recently invested in two pairs of boots from Primark-the suede ones have already let in some rain which sucks after only a few wears but they are so comfy!

  
I may be in the minority but I do love the weather this time of year-the air is cold and crisp and there is nothing better than snuggling at home in the warm drinking hot chocolate!
xoxo

Cheryl...turns a year older!

Well I am now officially 26 years old! A year closer to 30, eeek! 

 

I had to work yesterday but once the working day was over I rushed home like a little kid to open my birthday presents! I got completly spoilt by my Mum and Michael (as well as getting some other lovely pressies from family and friends), I feel so lucky! After I opened my gifts, I got cosy in my PJ's and we watched The Hunger Games on DVD and got a huge Indian takeaway-it was perfect! I thought I would share some of my favourite pressies which I received...

Kindle

 Michael bought me a Kindle for my birthday and I love it already, especially browsing for free books! I am still getting my head around using it to be honest but I am hoping it will help me get back into reading and I will take it to work each day for my lunch break, once I have bought a pretty cover for it!

Wedding bits and bobs

My Mum bought me lots of bits and bobs to help with my wedding planning including 2 books and a special 'bridal notes' book! I can't wait to use them!

Scrapbooking Kit

I also got a scrapbooking kit so I can make a wedding scrapbook-I can't wait to get creative and make something pretty!

Back to the Future Sweater

I love this Back to the Future sweater from ASOS, it will be great with jeans when it is cold, ust to wear around the house-plus anything BTTF related is a winner for me!

Pretty bedroom signs

Smellies-including some amazing Yankee Candles!

Cath Kidston Bag and voucher!

Great British Bake Off book (I love this show, can't wait to try some recipes!)

Mr and Mrs Game

 

Me and Michael are going to enjoy playing this game hehe! I got lots of other bits too as well as this lovely new coat from Dorothy Perkins from my Mum! 

I feel so lucky and grateful to have got so many gifts and cards, I feel very loved! Now I am 26, I feel ready to enjoy my life and not let me anxiety hold me back anymore. I am ready to make life changing decisions and do what is best for me. Also, by my birthday next year I very much hope to potentially be a mummy! :D However what ever happens, happens and I will take it all as it comes and enjoy every special moment life brings :)

 xoxo

Wedding planning: Finding the perfect dress!

Well after a lot of searching, I have finally found my dream wedding dress. Unfortunately it is way out of my budget! I don't really want to spend more than £300 on a dress (after all it is only for one day) so I have been searching through Ebay and websites such as Pre-Loved which sell second hand dresses. I am always a bit hesistant to buy a dress online which is why I hope to see one in 'real life' at some point. My main concerns are that the sizing will be wrong and returning is difficult or that I get conned...which is always a possiblity! I always had an image in my mind of my perfect wedding dress and this design called 'Shanna' by designers Sottero and Midgley just sums it all up:

•  Short sleeves (I don't like strapless wedding dresses and I don't like my arms!)
• A white dress
• Lots of pretty lace
• A vintage feel (particularly the 1950's)
• Long and flowing but not poufy (that is very important!)
• A nice fitted waist but not a corset (I want to be able to breath on my wedding day!)

 I am not in any major rush to get one but I am visiting a wedding fayre this weekend so if I saw something amazing for a good price then who knows?! It may seem strange to buy the dress before we book the venue but who cares! We will book things when we are ready and know for sure where we want to get married-we also have to think about food, the photos, music, transport...the list is endless so thank god for my wedding planner! The dress is important to me though, I want to feel beautiful when I walk down the aisle! I am dreaming of walking past a vintage shop and seeing some unique genuine 50's wedding dress for £200 but when does that ever happen in real life?

I have been browsing Pinterest for wedding dress inspiration and found this beauties which I love-what do you think?

In other news-it is my birthday tomorrow! I can't quite believe I am going to be 26, I still only feel about 18, lol. I had a wonderful weekend seeing my friends and going to the theatre with my mum and Michael-they have all made my birthday feel so special. Unfortunately I have to work tomorrow but when I get home I shall open presents, eat cake and get a nice Indian takeaway! Thank you to everyone who has given me lovely cards and gifts-I really appreciate the thought :) I will do a birthday blog in a few days! 

Until then xoxo

Overcoming my anxiety

I thought I would do a completely non-wedding related post today (I am sure some of you are relieved!) and talk a little bit about my anxiety right now. As most of you know, my anxiety and depression is something I have always been completely honest about and also aware of in myself. I don't deny what I have-I just try to fix it or should I say live with it the best way I can. 

I don't know when it was but in recent months I have felt myself almost reach a 'milestone' in my life when I realised that I only have two choices. I can either let it destroy me and ruin my life or I can fight it the best way I can. So then I asked myself what exactly WOULD help me fight my anxiety? Would it be to actually experience the things that make me anxious? So that then I can see that in actual fact, it's not all that bad? 

That is exactly what happened to me last week. For many, it would be nothing, but Michael went away on a school residential trip for 3 days last week and it was something I had built up in my mind for months. I don't know if you could label it as 'separation anxiety' but I do find it incredibly difficult in situations where I can't just pick up the phone and call my Mum or Michael when I need to. I'll admit I rely a great deal on both of them. When I have a plan in place, I am fine but knowing that Michael couldn't just call me when I wanted him to, made my mind bubble over with worry. There was only so much we could discuss it-I just had to treat the days normally, keep myself busy with work and just trust that he was ok. After all the months of built up anxiety, I actually felt really proud of myself by the end of it. No anxiety attacks, no tears, just normal every day feelings. To come through that showed me that the things that occupy my mind are not as bad as how I think they are. For me anyway, this was a mini milestone in the illness that I suffer from. 

These past few weeks for me have been life-changing in such a good way-for the first time I feel 'grown up', I feel I can take on what is asked of me, I feel like my future is exciting and that the things I grew up wanting to happen, like marriage and babies and the like, are finally happening to me. Me, the 25 year old woman who always felt like she had a 8 year old child trapped inside her. Don't get me wrong, she is still there but now it's ME, the woman, taking charge and doing things for herself...to make herself happy. The 2 most important lesson I have learnt in recent years is that you cannot torture yourself worrying about the things you cannot change and that you only need to keep the people in your life who put in as much effort and care as you do for them. I feel so sad looking back at the years I wasted feeling that way and I do not want to look back again in 10 years time and think the same thing.  It would be wrong and completely premature of me to say I had 'overcome' my anxiety as certainly it is something I will always feel throughout my life (I expect no less) but at least I can say that finally, I can cope and that it will soon hopefully become just a pale background in my life. I believe these next 2 years in my life will be making of me and I will become the person I have always wanted to be. Someone who is strong in mind and soul and lives life to the full. 

xoxo

Wedding Planning: Researching venues Part 2

I am still busy researching venues online and I have certainly found lots of beautiful places but not many within our budget, especially in London. As I have mentioned in many a previous blog post, Michael and I love Arundel and think it would be a perfect place to get married. When we visit in December we shall be visiting the only two places you can get married there-Arundel Town Hall and the Norfolk Arms Hotel. Arundel is within easy reach of London (about an hour from Clapham Junction) and also from the South of England and if booked in advance, tickets can be as little as £5 return! But the main reason is because of it's quaintness...and you can even get a town crier!!

Arundel Town Hall (images from www.arundeltowncouncil.gov.uk/)

The town hall is probably the more expensive of the two venues costing upwards of £700 for 2 1/2 hour rental (if you want to get married on a Saturday, which we do!) The benefits are the beautiful terrace (perfect for photos) which look over Arundel and its castle and also the fact that you can hire it out for an evening party and bring in your own caterers/DJs etc. The main problem with this venue is of course, finances. What I need to figure out is whether it would be cheaper to find a venue which provides menus, Djs, hotel rooms etc or whether it is cheaper to do it all separately!

Norfolk Arms Hotel, Arundel

 The Norfolk Arms Hotel is a small hotel right in the centre of Arundel, about 5 mins walk from the castle. Rates are reasonable to stay here and whilst it is 'old fashioned' I think it has a lot of charm about it and isn't pretentious like some hotels I have seen online. Also they provide reasonably priced menus and from what I can see, you can bring in your own entertainment and party the night away! (well at least until midnight). It also have the benefit of being able to hold the actual ceremony so everything can be done in one place, even the sleeping!

They also currently do an 'all in one' package for £3750 for up to 60 guests which includes all the hire fees, ceremony, 3 course wedding meal, some drinks for everyone, banqueting manager, evening buffet, DJ and party up until midnight. Pretty good huh? The hotel has some wedding fayres up until next March so no doubt we will try and make a visit to have a look.

xoxo

Wedding Planning: Themes

So every day I have been coming home from work, eager to get online so I can get some wedding inspiration! I am already obsessed and I have admittedly just created my own 'wedding drawer'. I have already bought a few bits and pieces for inspiration and put them in there, I may never need them but some things are just too pretty to resist! I have already started to think about a 'theme' (although I don't think you necessarily need to have one!) and of course, I love all things vintage. However a 'vintage wedding' is so vague so my problem is trying to narrow it down to what kind of era and what type of vintage wedding I would like. I personally love the 50's! Of course, Michael has a say in what we have! However I think he is happy for me to decide on things like this as long as it's not too crazy! Using pinterest  I have put together a mood board of vintage wedding ideas and I thought I would share some on this blog....(all images are from Pinterest and not my own)

Vintage style wedding cake

I love this wedding cake-I love birds and bird cages and have images of tables with white decorative cages filled with flowers and pearls and little love notes.

 

Pretty lace flowers

I love this little bouquet of flowers covered in white lace-I love anything lacy and the colours of these flowers are perfect-I see myself carrying something like this down the aisle!

50's wedding dresses

I love the style of 50's wedding dresses-the 'fullness' of the bottom and the cute extra details like a ribbon sash. This one in particular is so adorable, I don't think it is something I will find easily though.

Vintage wedding extras

This little collage of retro wedding ideas is fab-I love the idea of having old fashioned sweets and bags of popcorn. There are tons of things you can buy on Ebay...I want them all!

Vintage lace accessories

More white lace but I love it! I really would like a parasol and I will most definitely break tradition and wear pumps. I DON'T DO HEELS, not even on my wedding day!

Aren't they all beautiful? I have already got some cuts out for my planner and started looking into venues which have a vintage feel to them. At the moment it is all my head but slowly my ideas are coming together!

xoxo

26 years...

So in 2 weeks time I shall we turning the grand old age of 26, not old by any means but I am slowly beginning to get closer and closer to 30 and my teenage years are becoming more of a distant memory. My 20's have been amazing in my ways and I think, I believe, that by the time I am 30 I will have accomplished many of the goals that I have set for myself. I have had many highs and lows in my life, like anybody. My childhood up until the age of 13 was wonderful, full of cherished memories and many moments I look on fondly. My teenage years were some of the worst of my life. My 20's so far, have been life-changing and if I look back on how I was when I was 16 compared to now, I do feel proud of how far I have come. So I thought I would take a little look back at the special moments I have had in my life so far...

5

Ah, being 5 is just great isn't it. When I was 5, I had no care in the world. I loved going to school and I loved learning, always ready to go with my pencil case with a million smelly pens. My primary school days were the happiest of my life. I was always the 'reserved quiet one' but once you got to know me, I could be loud!

10

 When I was 10 I still loved going to school, being a school councillor and pretending I was a Spice Girl. I still had my grandparents, I had friends and I was looking forward to starting secondary school. I remember telling my Year 6 teacher I wanted to be a teacher like her-even then I loved helping to look after the younger children.

13-17 

There are barely any photos of me from this period of my life-I was extrememly unhappy and I guess you could say troubled! However I got through it with the help of my mum and started to get stronger as a person. I didn't enjoy school, but I managed, despite missing tons of school, to get 10 GCSE's Grade A*-B which I am always quite proud of.

19

 When I turned 19, things got significantly better in my life. I had friends, a great social life and I had managed to get into college so that I could gain a qualification to get me into university to study Journalism. However, most significantly of all, I met Michael who as you all know by now, is the love of my life! To say that meeting him has changed my life is an massive understatement.

23

23 was a fantastic age for me-I had spent 3 great years at university, made some fab friends, been on some wonderful holidays and graduated with a 2:1 degree in Journalism and News Media. I still struggled a lot with my anxiety especially around this age and it wasn't easy. I had started working in a nursery and realised my passion was working with children.

 

 25

25 has been my favourite age so far of course! I have finally found a job I am happy in, I have coped well with my anxiety and depression (although I still find it hard, I can think much more positively than I ever have before) and of course...yes you know...I got engaged! I am so excited to be 26. By the time I am 27 I will be married with (hopefully) a little Michael or Cheryl as part of the family. For the first time in a while, I look forward to getting up each day just to see what life brings. I have learnt so much, mostly through my own mistakes and some bad experiences but I HAVE made things better for myself. I could have wasted my life moping about but I am so truely glad I kept going.

xoxo

Wedding Planning: Researching venues

I guess one of the most important parts of wedding planning is finding a venue! Whilst me and Michael are not planning to book anything until next year, it is still fun looking online at potential places we could get hitched. My main issue is whether we want to get married close to where we live or in a completely different town. As I have mentioned before, Arundel was always a top choice for us because it's a beautiful, unique little village but unfortunately due to its quaintness, prices are pretty high! I am sure it is worth it but I would still like to look elsewhere. Michael and I will be taking a trip to Arundel soon anyway so whilst we are there we have decided to look at their town hall as a potential venue. 

Last night, I thought I would look much closer to home-that being South West London. I found two places in particular which stood out for me. Especially a place called 'Glenmore House' in Surbiton in Surrey (which is not the most romantic of towns but only an hour away) as it has had amazing reviews and from their website, it looks lovely. What do you think?

They do everything-the ceremony, food, evening parties (which is a must!) although I couldn't find much on cost, it is definitely somewhere I am going to enquire about. I love the style of the building and the fact that you can choose to decorate how you wish-very important for me!

I also found somewhere called 'Morden Park House' which is also about an hour away from us and easily reachable from everywhere. Again, Morden isn't the most romantic of towns but something appealed to me about the look of this venue-it really is stunning. The house also has lovely gardens-although as far as I can tell, they do do things like catering/evening parties. For me, it would be a whole lot easier to do everything in one place.

I am still very much undecided but somewhere like these two is definitely along the right lines. I am going to keep saving a bit more before we commit to booking anywhere. However I have started buying a few bits and pieces and I also now have a wedding planner (thank you Becky!) which I will be filling in from today! I am also going to try and go to the National Wedding Show next month just because I would love to see some dresses and it will be great fun for me and my Mum.

Ooooh exciting stuff!

xoxo

September rocks!

Ah well this month has been amazing so far! I love September! Getting engaged, starting a new job (which is fantastic, I have a wonderful class and the school is extrememly welcoming and kind) and I have a lot to look forward to. My birthday is on the 25th, I turn 26 (eeek) and I will be meeting up with some friends for drinks, yummy food, quizzes etc, unfortunately I have to work on actual bday though! And then I am going to see Matilda the Musical yay :) I am feeling ok about turning 26, closer to 30 I guess but the next few years for us are going to be life-changing so I am excited for the future. All in all, I am feeling very bright right now, here are a few things I am loving this month...

Wedding Planning

Ah yes, another mention of weddings! Sorry but it's all I am thinking about right now. I haven't done any major research as I am overwhealmed with how much information there is out there-at some point soon we will decide what type of venue we want and will visit some places. We would love to get married in Arundel, a beautiful Sussex town and there is a pub/restaurant/town hall there which would be perfect so that will mean we can have another excuse to visit there! I have bought a few bits and bobs, mostly stuff for inspiration (of the vintage type) but I am mostly looking on Ebay. Two really great websites I have found are DotComGiftShop and Not on the High Street

I have also been looking at wedding dresses online, a bit too early I know (and perhaps I am prioritising wrongly lol) but I know I would love something lacy, the one below I have seen on Pinterest is similar to what I would love to wear. Do you like?

My new job

My new job is super :) I met my class for the first time today and they were lovely, it is nice to be with a younger age group and I have a really good feeling about it all. It's still early days but I am hopeful :)

Asos.com

There is so much on there I love and they always get stuff in when I am at the end of my pay packet, sob sob! I love this Back to the Future sweatshirt, I already have a hoody but who cares?! My Mum has very kindly bought it for me as a birthday pressie so I can't wait to snuggle up in this with some jeans.

Autumn arriving!

Source: Pinterest

I may be in the minority but I am glad summer is over! I really like September and Autumn in general...the weather gets cooler, I can get my onesie out and also the TV gets way better! I am loving Great British Bake Off right now as well as X Factor and I can't wait for the new series of Downton Abbey and Dragon's Den.

Christmas is even closer!

Source: Pinterest

My ultimate favourite time of the year. I just love Christmas and the feeling when you finish work, you can relax and listen to cheesy xmas songs, eat tons of bad food, watch Christmas films...ah it's all just wonderful <3 I have already started thinking of possible Christmas gifts and Ebay is always the best place to start!

So many things to look forward to :) This weekend, Michael and I are going to the Duxford Air Show in Cambridge, as I bought tickets for us for our anniversary. I have never been to anything like this before so it will be interesting! On Sunday I hope to relax and do some shopping with my Mum, I have a busy and intense 7 weeks ahead of me before half term!

Now I am going to read my wedding magazine and have a foot spa, lovely stuff!

xoxo

Wedding planning...so this is where it starts!

I have only just got engaged and I am already thinking about our wedding, it's crazy! I guess you can never prepare too early for these things though. I always knew me and Michael would get married eventually and I always had ideas in my head even before we got engaged. However it was still very magical to me, especially seeing him get down on one knee, I can't help being a girl who likes tradition!

 source: pinterest

  

I have so many questions running through my head...when do I start planning? What do you have to do to get married? How long do you need? These are all questions I will probably have answered in the next few months but for now I will be using this blog to share my ideas, my findings, my thoughts on our wedding and the process of planning it in general. Myself and Michael both work on a low wage so we cannot afford a big fancy wedding but I love all things thrifty and we have savings so it definitely is do-able. So watch this space for all my future posts, they will be interesting I promise...well, if you like weddings that is! 

I plan to do posts about finding cheap venues, going to wedding fairs (no doubt I will visit many because they seem so fun), looking for a dress, trying to create a vintage theme, doing it all on a budget really. We probably aim to not spend more than around £4000 but you can never put a figure on these things. I don't believe you have to spend £20,000 to make a wedding special, after all it is for one day. 

So spread the word guys, I shall still be doing lots of non-related wedding posts too (I appreciate it can be boring for many!) when I get the time but would love some followers here too...thank you.

xoxo

Cheryl...GETS ENGAGED!

Yes, as most of you know I am now a engaged lady and I am super duper happy! Michael proposed to me yesterday whilst in Rome and it was every bit as romantic as I imagined especially as we were celebrating 6 years together. I am still beaming from ear to ear and after all the giddy excitement we went for a beautiful meal at our favouite Rome restaurant and no expense spared, we both got HUGE steaks and big desserts-it was awesome! 

The ring was my Nan's engagement ring and is beautiful and I think, very unique <3 To know she wore it makes it feel very special for me.

Michael and I have discussed when we like to get married and have decided on August 2014 which gives us enough time to plan and book things. I have to tell you, being an extreme planner anyway, I am SO excited to plan our wedding. Michael would like to be part of it obviously but I am hoping my thrify nature will come into play when it comes to things like invitations, favours etc. We have ideas on where we would like to get married but for now I shall enjoy researching, it will be a lovely thing to keep my mind off my anxiety and I am really feeling that happiness in my heart that I have always felt desperate for. I am thinking of perhaps starting a new blog for my wedding planning if anyone is interested in reading it? 

Oh and our holiday was fantastic! I coped well with everything (flying etc is always tough for me) and we ate ice cream, walked for hours around the city, scoffed on pizza and calzone, visited museums and all the main sights. I took A LOT of photos so I will do a blog this week about our holiday. For now though I shall keep gazing at the sparkly diamonds on my finger and dream of all the great things to come :).......xoxo