While perusing some of my fav daily blogs today, I came across a post from Gala that caught my eye, under one of her regular features, ‘Curious Tuesday’, where she and her readers attempt to find out more about one another. Her latest subject — & typically a frequent part of my conversations recently — is marriage. Is it good? Bad? Happy? Sad? What do you think? Have a look at my answers and then please feel free to share your own!

Photo by David McNeil

How do you feel about marriage as a concept? Realistic? Romantic? A pipe-dream?
Well, considering I’m engaged to be married next year, it’s a reality for me and my beau! I think it’s also something very romantic — the day, the idea, everything — and romance is also a very real thing too. I completely realise it’s not for everyone, but I’ve been lucky enough to come from a loving home that hasn’t been destroyed by divorce or separation, so I’m not pessimistic about the reality of spending my life loving one man, or romance in general. Even if I had been involved in a family with a loveless marriage, I’d like to think I wouldn’t tar myself with the same brush & instead realise that what I have with my fiance, is a life, love & laughter like no other, & not all marriages end in disaster! I have every faith & trust in us as a couple, & a wedding day is like the butter-icing on top of the perfect cake that is our relationship, & while we have nothing to prove to anyone after 5 years together, it’ll be nice to celebrate with friends & family and have an amazing party, that says, “This is us and we’re serious!”

Do you think you’ll ever want to get married?
Yes. (Clearly!) I think throughout my life I’ve assumed that I’d get married one day. I’ve never been one to have a clear idea of what things will make my day perfect, but since Ashley proposed, I have got a bit Monica about it all, with my wedding folder!

If you did get married, would you want a big blow-out celebration or would you keep it low-key?
I think our day is going to be somewhere in the middle — it’s in quite a grand venue and we’re having a fairly massive after-party, but we’re only having 60 people to the day and everything’s going to be quite ‘DIY’. I don’t want an expensive, polished (boring) Martha Stewart wedding! We’re definitely putting a stamp on it, and throwing out some traditions.

If you are married now, how has that changed your relationship?
N/A! Although for the record, I’d like to say things will only get better — marriage is the next stage in our relationship before having babies.

If you’re married, how did you celebrate it? Knowing what you know now, would you have done it differently?
N/A! But it’s going to be completely fun, chaotic and memorable — not just for us, but our guests too!

	Filed under: Life and Love, Weddings On: Thursday, August 19, 2010 Love: No Comments »

Hello, gang!

My little world has been so full of wonderful little moments recently, that I’ve struggled to find the time to share them with you all. Here’s a sneak peek at our friends amazing wedding and my niece’s second birthday. How time flies!

	Filed under: Life Through The Lens, Life and Love, Photography, Weddings On: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 Love: No Comments »

Today is the first day that I’ve turned my computer on in at least a week! Life has been even more chaotic than usual, as I had to sit my Department Manager panel— which is like an assessment— at work and there was so much training I had to do. Thankfully, I passed so a new store with my very own department, plus a nice pay rise is coming my way! Finally the 12hr days are beginning to pay off (& I’m sure there’s plenty more to come!)

When I’ve not been cracking on with retail jargon, I’ve been photographing a friends wedding and spending some quality time with my own bridesmaids. Apart from that, I’ve been exhausted. Truly, exhausted. I’ve lost my focus with blogging a bit, but it’s not something I intend to give up! I just need to muster the energy to tidy my flat (I can’t work in messy conditions!) and find the time— hopefully being at my new store will help— to blog, because I have so much to share. I’m still reading all your lovely blogs and comments!

	Filed under: Admin, Life and Love, Work On: Monday, July 26, 2010 Love: No Comments »

The lovely little village I live in had their annual fete today, complete with bunting, maypole dancing, barbecue’s, bric-a-brac, old books & antiques, cupcakes, locally produced cider & preserves, ice-cream, a dog show and lots of other charming stalls, all by local people. It was lovely to see something so quaint, where it seemed the whole community and it’s schools had got involved. It was certainly a lovely day for it!

I took my lovely little addition to my camera family along with me for the ride— it has all the manual controls I love about my DSLR, without the heavy bulk! I’d definitely recommend it, for something you can just pop in your bag.

	Filed under: Life Through The Lens, Life and Love, Photography, Travel On: Saturday, July 3, 2010 Love: 1 Comment »

Oh, yes.  Goodbye 22, hello 23! 

My birthday has completely crept up on me this year, what with work and wedding planning.  I don’t feel old as such but older— I’ve never really been a clubbing girl, but even last years fancy dress shenanigans didn’t appeal this year (perhaps partly because I’ve had no time to plan anything!)  Instead, I’m spending time with my family today, getting my nails done and then going to a fish and grill restaurant with Ashley this evening, having my girls over for a slumber party (with movies, cocktails, cupcakes, pizza and gossip!) at the weekend, and visiting a South African – Indian restaurant on Sunday with my family, with a friends hen ‘do somewhere in between!  Life is jam-packed this weekend and I love it.

Me on my 22nd birthday last year, with Ashley

It’s been quite a big year for me, with a lot of independance— myself & Ashley moved out together, we got engaged and have started to plan our wedding (and I picked up some gorgeous cupcake samples today!), and I have gone from a supervisor to a Department Manager (which has been a challenge and as much as I love and loathe it at the same time, it has made me a stronger person!)  I’ve crossed lots of tasks off of my 101 in 1001 list, and met lots of lovely blogging ladies and I’ve developed my personal style.

A friend at work didn’t realise it was my birthday today, but I told her I wasn’t too excited as it was an unimportant one (i.e. not 18, 21, 30 etc), to which she exclaimed, “Every birthday is important!  It’s another year that you’re alive, happy and healthy!” And she’s right. There is SO much more to come for me (and you!) So if you weren’t going to celebrate your birthday this year, please, please do!

I don’t usually believe in horoscopes / astrology, but I found this on astrology.com.au to be quite apt:

Your personal ruling planets are Moon and Uranus.

You have a strong sense of your own individuality and pride yourself on the fact that you are different. Not just in your personality but your tastes are also eccentric and the way you communicate your ideas and opinions may be just as unusual and unorthodox. In a traditional environment this approach may not always work for you and may only serve to label you a “fruitcake”. Try toning down some of these unconventional traits and you may be surprised to find that people will in fact not only accept but come to love them.

You are just as likely to attract unusual partners and may even prefer the bizarre – again, learn to balance the extremes in your nature for a fulfilling life.

Your lucky colours are electric blue, electric white and multi-colours.

Your lucky gems are Hessonite garnet and agate.

Your lucky days of the week Sunday and Tuesday.

Your lucky numbers and years of important change are 4, 13, 22, 31, 40, 49, 58, 67, 76.

Famous people born on your birthday include Julian Sorell Huxley, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gower Champion, Meryl Streep, Tracy Pollan, Nicholas Lea, Chow Sing Chi, Carson Daly, Steve Irwin and Heather Donahue.

Me?  Fruitcake?!  Never…

	Filed under: Life and Love On: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 Love: 6 Comments »

Image by Helgasms!

Life has been absolutely hectic, and not in a good way either!  A typical day involves waking up at 4am to get ready for work and be there at 6am, ask to go home at around 5pm (yeah, asking to go home when I’ve already been there 11hrs with just a 30 minute break, thankyouverymuch!), get home at around 6pm and make dinner and tidy up a little for when my fiance comes home at around 7:30pm, eat and then fall asleep on the sofa at around 9pm, before mustering the energy to climb into bed shortly after.  There’s simply been no time for blogging, seeing friends or family, housework, photography, reading, or anything fun!  This does not a happy Aimee make.  6pm isn’t exactly late to be getting home, but it is when you’ve been up for 14hrs, and have to get up in another 10!  This job is killing me, both physically and mentally.  I’ve applied for exactly 34 jobs since 6th May and I’ve heard zilch, and I’m starting to lose the will to live.

In happier news, our wedding plans are going swimmingly!  The thought of it has been keeping me going, when sometimes I’ve been so tired, bored and irritated (at work) that I just want to cry.  I’ve been talking dresses, cupcakes and colour schemes to any ear that will listen.  I love it.  I think I might be turning into one of those mothers with newborn babies that can’t talk about anything else but their offspring.  This wedding is like my little sprog!  We’ve got so many great, unique ideas!  I just want to plan it all now— and while that’s a GREAT idea— some of it is just not feasible to be doing this far ahead.  We have been designing our Save The Date cards though, and they’re going to be awesome.

I’ve also been working on my 101 in 1001 list, which I haven’t even managed to finish writing yet!

Do you have a 101 in 1001 list?  What’s on it?  I need some inspiration!  What do you want to accomplish in life?

	Filed under: 101 in 1001, Weddings, Work On: Sunday, June 13, 2010 Love: 3 Comments »

Sometimes, I find myself sitting in my work uniform when I get home and it never feels like the day has actually ended. I veg out in front of the TV and then I realise if I did this every night, life would pass me by quicker than you can say ‘procrastination’! I’m not saying I want to come home and work, work, work, but it’s important to do something with your spare time, isn’t it? If there’s one thing better than finishing work for the day, it’s coming home from work AND pampering yourself into complete relaxation and tranquility, with a few little, simple treats and feeling like you’ve accomplished something too (no matter how small.) Bliss! So, put your feet up and let the unwinding begin…

Image by Pink Sherbet Photography

Get organised. Work, unfortunately, doesn’t always end at your front door. If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to fully de-stress if you know there’s a pile of washing up waiting to sparkle, or the floor needs vacuuming, or something equally tedious. It’s tempting to kick off your shoes and just relax straight away, but spend just 10 minutes doing something, whether it’s sorting out your finances, putting a load of washing on, or putting your clothes away. A little weight will be lifted off your shoulders instantly!

Shower. Wash the day away! You will feel so much better.

Feet. If you haven’t got one already, invest in a foot spa. They’re lush. You can always make do with your own DIY attempt though— fill an old washing up bowl up with bubbles and hot water, and feel the tension rushing out of your body! Finish up with a foot scrub and massage a scrumptious body butter into your toots! Yum. Make sure you pay extra attention to your aching muscles and dry skin.

Nails. There’s no better quick pick-me-up than a mani-pedi! File your nails and paint them your fav refreshing shade. Don’t forget your (now lovely and soft) toes either! It might be miserable weather (in England at least), but who knows when you might have to crack out the sandals next!

Music. Put on some soothing music and lay down for a while. Alternatively, put on the heaviest tunes you can find and rock-the-fuck-out! Whatever floats your boat.

Books. Reading is really important, but something I rarely find the time to indulge in. Now is the perfect time to kick back and relax with a trashy book. Whatever genre, it has to be exciting— it doesn’t count as fun if you’re reading something related to your job or studies!

Hobbies. Do whatever it is you enjoy— photography; baking; blogging; composing music; riding your bike; craft; knitting; hacking up old clothes into new; whatever it is, get stuck in.

Friends. Contact that friend that you’ve been meaning to speak to for ages, whether it’s face-to-face, over the phone or via email. Catch-up!

What do you do to unwind after a long day?

	Filed under: Articles, Hints, Tips and Advice, Inspiration, Life and Love, Work On: Wednesday, June 9, 2010 Love: 4 Comments »

I’ve re-hashed the title of this post so many times, since I’ve started writing it.  20 Things To Do On A Rainy Day.  20 Ways To Brighten Up Your Life.  20 Ways To Cheer Yourself Up.  Yadda, yadda, yadda!  But none of those options seemed apt, because actually these are just 20 things you should do— today, tomorrow, next week, whenever.   They might make you cry with laughter, make you think or simply put a smile on your face.  Give a bunch of them a try & inject some more laughter, happiness & love to your life!

Indulge in a guilty pleasure & be unafraid to be silly.  If you secretly like 80s hair metal, play it loud & proud!
Do the housework in your fav pair of heels.  Vacuuming suddenly got sexy!
Build a fort, with blankets, chairs and whatever else you can find.  Climb inside & read a book.
Go on a Facebook cull and delete people who you haven’t actually spoken to since you’ve added each other!
Write a love letter to your partner or best friend.  Seal it with a kiss.
Sing a song or hum a tune when you’re getting ready for the day, to lead things in the right direction.
Don’t sit down when you come in from work, until you’ve completed two things off of your daily to do list.
Have a pyjama party, with friends, or alone with a good book, movie or even your laptop!
Transform your hair – curl it, straighten it, dye it or give it a trim!
Spend a couple of hours looking for that job that you keep meaning to look for. Apply today, don’t hesitate.
Be the star of your own fashion show & take ridiculous photos.  Don’t be afraid!  Share them!
Buy some new tunes & make an awesome playlist to listen to while you fall asleep, for blissful dreams.
Plan your next holiday or round-the-world trip & start budgeting for it now.
Compliment a stranger on how ace they look.  Be bold.  Be Brave.
Sign up for volunteer work & encourage others to, too.
Make your friends / family their fav meal, ready for when they come home from a long stint at work.
Snuggle up outside underneath a blanket with your friends all night, watching shooting stars.
Strike up a conversation with someone you haven’t spoken to in ages, just because.
Get a fabulously glittery & girly manicure.  Flash them to anyone who’ll look!
Plan a party or night out with a theme that makes you smile with happiness and laughter!

	Filed under: Inspiration, Life and Love On: Monday, May 10, 2010 Love: 3 Comments »

There’s a woman I know who constantly rubs everyone up the wrong way. You know the type— she believes she is the Queen, looks down on everyone, and every other word is ‘darling’. Every argument she has comes back to her education and upbringing, and she tries to belittle everyone else.

One thing she really hates is swearing. Cursing. Expletives. Whatever it is you like to call it! She is not a fan. She claims that if you swear, you’re showing that you don’t know how to express yourself and you haven’t been educated appropriately. So is this true?

In short, no. I’ve got news for you lady— times are a’ changin’! I’ve had a fantastic education, received good grades & have a wide vocabulary, but sometimes, “Oh no” or “Please go away” just doesn’t cut it. They say, “It’s not big & it’s not clever”, but actually I think it is really clever to be able to just use one word that has so much venom, passion and aggression to display your feelings, don’t you?! I think it conveys what you mean, pretty clearly! Maybe it’s not always appropriate for every other word to be ‘fuck’ or to direct it to someone personally, but I think swear words are a great use of the English language.

Rob Brydon: When I was small and my dad just happened to hit his finger with a hammer for something new, he used to say, ‘Hells bells and buckets of blood.’
Stephen Fry: That’s a good saying ‘Hells bells and buckets of blood.’ I usually just say “Fuck it!”

If it’s good enough for Fry, it’s good enough for me!

	Filed under: Articles, Quotes and Musings On: Sunday, May 9, 2010 Love: 10 Comments »

Nothing about us or our relationship, is very traditional— we were ‘official’ within just a week of our first date, we moved into the first flat we saw, booked the first wedding venue we visited, Ashley didn’t propose on one knee (although he did ask my Dad for his permission for my hand!) and we’re not getting married on a Saturday, or in a church— so our wedding day is going to be no different! There’ll be all the similar routines, but we want it to have a big personal, cosy, DIY kinda vibe— we don’t want a carbon copy day with a big professional photographer, a white three-tiered wedding fruit-cake with dainty flowers and the like. We’re all about balloons, bubbles, wishing trees, glitter, tattoos, tunes and an amazing after-party!

We also don’t want boring, impersonal invitations, which is why we’re going to be designing our own! There are SO many fantastic ideas going through my head, particularly with all the amazing inspiration on Flickr and I spent hours yesterday making prototypes.

Who are your fav designers in the blogosphere?

	Filed under: Flickr Favs, Inspiration, Weddings On: Monday, April 19, 2010 Love: 4 Comments »