Chairs, tablecloths and other stories...

Well thank goodness today I am having a semi-normal day and I don’t like leaving a negative post at the top of my page so I’m moving on.

On the wedding front we are heading to a wedding fair in Belfast on Sunday to suss out some tablecloths. Yes tablecloths. That big important decision when it comes to wedding planning. Would you believe that the bane of my life at the moment is deciding whether to go with hiring beautiful chairs for the venue and therefore also extra-long tablecloths to hide table legs, or just good old chair covers with short tablecloths (and therein saving ££s).

Mr M begged me on Saturday night when we were out for dinner not to have a wedding related conversation all night! Do you know how hard that was for me? To have his undivided attention all night – no Call of Duty on PS3, no quarry-blowing-up documentaries on Quest – and not thrash out all the nonsense in my head with him? V. hard lol!

Today I found (via We Met in a Bar) Ashley’s blog, Under the Sycamore. In the last hour of going through her archives I have been inspired, smiled, cried and wished for kiddos (and a new camera). You should go see.

No weddings there at all – Mr M would love it!

photo credit

Normal day...

Things have been a bit crazy around here.
Between family illnesses of the leukemia, depression and final days of old age type we've been busy fretting and doing what we can to help these three lovely people. Mix in continued 'debates' about wedding plans and work demands and I'm crying out for a normal day.
I came across this quote (by Mary Jean Iron) a few months back and over the last few days I've been reciting the bits I can remember off the top of my head every time I feel the pressure and try to remember it's not always like it is now.

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are… Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return."- Mary Jean Iron

I definitely treasure my normal, boring, simple days.

Snaps from 365...

In the absence of having anything else newsworthy I want to share some photos from my Project 365 so far. Mr M and my family have got used to me lurking around with a camera now every.time.they.see.me. I've only missed one day so far and I'm ok with that.

Some days there is gorgeous light and are so many things to snap and other days there are just dark clouds and nothing inspiring at all. These are some of my favourites - other days include snaps of a mouldy orange and a portable hard-drive. See what I mean about non-inspiring days? :)

I hope you like them.

How is everyone else getting on with 365? Still inspired?

Happy Valentines Day...!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you are getting some loving over in your corner of the world, wherever that may be.

Over at our place Valentine's Day came early with a celebration on Friday due to the fact that Mr M is in Dublin working this weekend. Mr M always cooks for me on Valentine's but this year the lovely people at Marks and Spencer made it altogether too easy for him with their £20 for a complete romantic meal deal - rose cava, rose et al. It was gorgeous though - thank you my lovely.

I've shared a few personal photos of our special evening with you today. I have learnt from these photos that a) I seem to take a lot of photos at the same angle, b) I need new plates, c) I have a "best side" and this one doesn't show it.

Today, sans Valentine, I went to see some wedding bands at a bridal fayre showcasing some of "the best in Ireland". One in particular, with a super brilliant reputation, really disappointed me - the room filled fast when they were due on but they went round the crowd making embarrassing remarks most of the time commenting on people's weight etc instead of just singing. I was one of the unfortunate victims when they tried to get me to sing but really I just wanted to say into the mic, "You're totally overrated sonny". I did like one in particular though which will mean we'll have to stretch the budget - as in double it - if we are to go for them. Wish me luck with raising that subject with Mr M!!

Highs and lows...

Sometimes I think to myself "Oh my goodness - I'm engaged"! It hit me again today and I took a moment to think about what that means. I never imagined that I would ever find someone who would want to marry me and that doesn't mean that I didn't have boyfriends, I just never thought someone would like me that much. I thought about the fact that "engaged" is for grown-ups and that must mean that I'm a grown-up. The fact that it lasts such a short time and within a flash we'll have moved on to the next stage. I think I want to start saying it more - "I'm engaged".

Sometimes it can be stressful though and that can put a bit of a dampener on it. I thought making all these decisions would be fun but its a lot of pressure on a girl. I'm afraid that in the end all the bits I've chosen won't go well together and it will look one big awful mess instead of the beautiful day I have planned in my head. When Mr Marshall and I have "debates", over for example wedding cars, I have to try and remember the reason why we are discussing them in the first place - we want to be married. It brings you back down to earth a bit. However cars are indeed a bit of an issue because the bridal car Mr Marshall has set his heart on is one that I physically cannot get in to (low roof/high step). Hmm.

I do have a very romantic view of how this time should be for us - all loving and blissful and well, romantic. But at the end of the day life passes by as ever doesn't it and things still have to be got on with?

I think I'm feeling sorry for myself today because I fell down the stairs last night. Nothing broken but my pride and arm are badly bruised.

Send me happy thoughts everyone, please!!

photo by James Christianson via Style Me Pretty

I found the answer...

Friends, I have been obsessively researching chair hire companies, wedding DJs/bands and vintage cars and that is what has been keeping me away from you. We are going to see some gorgeous cars on Sunday and I can't wait.

I'm finding more and more photography blogs are getting added to my Google Reader and when I went to fill in Deal Or No Deal's contestant application form I found myself answer the question "What is your dream job?" with "Photographer!"

I am absolutely loving Project 365 and since I learned how to use Photoshop actions in Elements I am in my glory! I might share some of my better pics at a later date if I find the courage.

For anyone who is intersted, I found the answer to my earlier question about Jose Villa - How can he manage to do it every single time? It's film. Simple. The man himself answered it on his blog a few days later (he must have read my mind) and after browsing London-based photographer Polly Alexandre's blog, whose photos have a similar look, this was confirmed when she also professed a love for film. She produces beauties like this...

Oh my goodness, if I don't get a nice bright light on my own big day I'll be so disappointed. Andrea - if you are reading - I think I might turn out to be a diva!! I hope you're ready for me!