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Creating Wedding Memories That Will Last

wedding memoriesCreating wedding memories that will last

“All of that effort, and the day goes by in a flash” – words of wisdom from about anyone and everyone I’ve met who has been married. It’s a horrible thought though, isn’t it? Spending months (read: over a year) planning your wedding, for only a few hours of actual memories. And as much as I would love for it to to be an exaggeration, deep down I know that I’ll be so caught up in the moment that the day will fly by.

It’s not easy coming up with innovative ways to create lasting memories. Of course there are the tried and tested favourites, such as photographs and videos. But I want something more.  All of this got thinking, how do I create wedding memories that will last?

Wedding Memories That Will Last

One particular item I had on my to-buy list was a wedding guest book. It didn’t take long before I found the perfect one on Not on the High Street. All I had to do was come up with something unique. A light bulb went off in my head – I had the idea that instead of dedicating it to just people’s messages, it could become a wedding scrapbook, of sorts. So over the last year, amongst all the planning, I’ve been saving keepsakes. Things such as our save the dates, customised bits from our favours, menus, ‘advice for the bride’ cards from my hen party etc. And once the big day is finally over, we plan to combine everything. It’s only something small, but it means we’ll have something physical we can look at whenever we want a hit of nostalgia. Something that will eventually combine all of our hard work, the emotions of the day, and the beauty of our wedding.

In this post:
Wedding Sign by Mee & Es Designs*
Wedding Guestbook by Tillyanna*

How did/would you create your own wedding memories?
Read more of my Wedding advice and tips.

wedding memories wedding memories

bloomzy /

Planning a Wedding is Bad for Your Health

Wedding is Bad for Your HealthPlanning a Wedding is Bad for Your Health

Yes I said it, and I refuse to take it back. Planning a wedding is seriously bad for your physical and mental health. I have personally been planning my own wedding for just over a year – and there’s still 3 months to go! It might sound like I’m overreacting but it definitely ranks in the top 3 most stressful tasks I have ever willingly taken on.

You spend your spare time stressing over gigantic issues and teeny tiny ones alike. And I haven’t even mentioned the cold sweats you get as you watch your bank account depreciate, invoice by invoice. It makes sense that you’d feel a bit sick, right?

Planning a Wedding is Bad for Your Health

Not only does wedding planning affect your mental health, but it also affects your physical health – with the latter most often being linked to the former. Whereas I usually catch a couple of colds a year, I’ve found myself coming down with a ton of them; not to mention the various other illnesses…and stress! And I know I’m not alone. Unfortunately I have quite a few friends who have been/are going through the same thing.

But I don’t want to leave a nasty taste in your mouth with this post. I want to try and offer up a few solutions for those who may be in a similar situation, or know someone who is going through it. Here are a few tips for making sure you stay healthy both mentally and physically, whilst planning your wedding.

5 Tips for staying healthy whilst wedding planning

  • Ask for help
    • Where possible, ask your friends and family for help. They will love knowing they’ve contributed towards your big day, and it will ease off the pressure on you.
  • Get your vitamins
    • Stress can really mess with your eating habits, which can leave your body feeling a bit off. Something as simple as making sure you eat well can help keep nasty illnesses at bay.
  • Take some ‘me time’
    • Taking some time for yourself is so important, whether you’re planning a wedding or not. For me it’s the little moments such as sitting in a cafe with a good book, or popping on a sheet mask whilst watching Netflix.
  • Followed by some ‘us time’
    • Your wedding is a celebration of the love between you and your partner, which is easy to forget when you’re arguing about seating plans and chair covers. So make sure you take some time just for the two of you in the lead up to it.
  • Follow my 5 key wedding planning tips

So what do you think, is planning a wedding bad for your health?
Read more of my Wedding tips (and rants).

Source: 1, 2

Wedding is Bad for Your Health

bloomzy /

Style: 1 Skirt 4 Ways

Click image to enlarge
As soon as I pick up a potential clothing purchase I automatically start contemplating outfits.
A few days ago I bought a new waterfall skirt (it sounds dreamier than dip-hem), and that’s what I did.
It’s no wonder I’m such a fan of things like Polyvore and putting together coordinates in photoshop.
Therefore today’s post is a little bit of fun for me and hopefully helpful to a few people also.
I put together 4 separate outfits, all using the same skirt as the central piece.
My style varies a lot between trends and fashion ‘labels’ and I think that’s reflected here.
I managed to add a few Baroque pieces, and the outfits range from casual to slightly more formal.
I also wanted to think a little bit about accessories, make-up and nails – as I know I dress those to match.
I think the outfits themselves though are pretty self-explanatory so I won’t ramble on too much.
The skirt featured is from Topshop, and the items included are from various other High Street stores.
Please comment if you’d like to know where any of the items are from.
‘1 ___ 4 Ways’ is something I’d like to continue with.
Would you guys like to see more of this kind of post?

bloomzy /

Guest Post: Top 5 Summer Hairstyles

Today’s final, and wonderful guest post comes from freelance blogger Brooke Samsonite (she blogs here, and tweets here). She will be sharing her take on the top 5 latest fashionable Summer hairstyles for you to re-create – enjoy!

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Top 5 Summer Hairstyles
At the peak of the summer season, we’re seeing several hair styles that are making waves—literally.
In most cases, it’s not surprising to see where some of these trends got their starts, but like them or love them they’re the hot hairstyles of summer 2012.
If you’re looking for a new style or just wondering where your current style fits in with today’s fashion, we’ve got you covered. Without further ado, here are this year’s top five summer hairstyles:
1. Side braid

A lot of celebrities are opting for various renditions of the side braid, from fishtail braids to loose, flowy wraps. Loose side braids are easy to accomplish and look better with a lot of body. Volumizers, mousse and setting your hair with rollers first can help achieve this. Fishtail braids are a little difficult to achieve (tutorial here), so they may take practice to get the right look, but their summertime appeal is off the charts.
2. Side chignon

A popular hairstyle for brides, the side chignon has a relaxed, yet elegant, appearance. But this isn’t a wedding-specific hairstyle. There are plenty of settings where the side chignon can come off beautifully. It works for holiday parties, nights out and can even be a quick-fix when you’re in a hurry. And getting the look is simple enough that virtually anyone can put it up and pull it off.
3. Ballerina bun

Dream of being a Bunhead? You’re not alone. Part of ABC Family’s summer lineup is “Bunheads,” a popular television show about the ballerina life. Whether duplicating the show’s hairstyle is intentional, girls are donning the ballerina bun. To get the look, many girls use a hair donut accessory (buy one here) to get a tight, even wrap on their bun, which can be secured into place with bobby pins.
4. Beachy waves

Does long, wavy hair ever go out of style? Not on the beach, and certainly not in the summer. Blonde highlights are a staple color pop for beachy waves, but this hairstyle looks great with any hair color.
5. Shades of red

If you’re up for trying a bold hair makeover, try going with red. But before taking the plunge, make sure you get the right color for your skin tone and are diligent about maintaining red hair. You can’t lose, because if you don’t like your color choice, you can always dye it again.
This list doesn’t imply that creativity has no place when it comes to your personal style. But if you’ve been searching for some direction to bring your hair up to speed with the season and the trends, you should be set for a little experimentation and a lot of summer fun.

Sources; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 
bloomzy /

Scarves, Deco and Sailors?!

The ‘Scarf’ Trend
A few examples from April issue of Happie Nuts.
I’m sure you have all noticed or at least heard by now about the current Scarf boom in Gal. If not then definitely check out this post by Mitsu – everything you need to know, and a little how-to for those a bit unsure of what to do.
Scarves can be seen in most current issues of Gal magazines, whether worn on the head or as an accessory – although the head scarf seems to be most popular right now.
And all of the models are working it; Popteen’s Wei Son & Yui Kanno, Momoeri, Romihi is stocking up on Bandanas from SBY, and it’s also a fave with Nori & Tae.
I had a go this past week, and here are a few pics;
Left; Regular scarf made into a bow
Right; Ready-made lace bow, wrapped around my bun (thanks Samispo0n).
The ‘hippie’ look that a few models seem to be working.
And to prove that even animals can work the current Gal trend…
My puppy – Sam XD
What do you think of the current Scarf trend?

Deco-Den
You may remember one of my fledgling posts about deco-ing my cellphone, here.
Well I had a long train journey back to uni this weekend, so I thought I’d give it a go – yes on the train, haha. No I’m not crazy, I cheated and used a glue sheet on the phone, so it was a lot easier.
I used pink gems and pearls to accent the pink and creme purikura of my boyf and I…
What do you think?

Finally, some fancy dress…
I went out to a club night with some friends last week, and the theme was ‘Nautical Night’ – pirates and sailors. I originally wanted to be a pirate but in the end opted for a Sailor theme.
How is this related to Gal, I hear you ask.
Well I’m sure that Gal’s love to do fancy dress as much as everyone else (possible idea for a post?!), and I tried out some new hair/make-up so I thought I’d show you.
17 Blue eye dazzle dust (poor lighting doesn’t show it off),
Dolly wink liquid & pencil eyeliner,
Accent lashes.
I curled my hair and placed it into bunches, unfortunately my hair is very thin, as you can see in the pics above. That was my hair teased!! My hair dresser keeps telling me to stop straightening, backcombing and dying my hair etc. I would opt for extensions but that wouldn’t offer my hair much relief either, haha.
Does anyone have any tips on thickening your hair – with products/vitamins etc?

bloomzy /

Deco…

★Deco★
If you’re familiar with Gal then it’s almost impossible to ignore the phenomenon that is デコーデン, more commonly known as just ‘Deco’. Of course Deco is not only limited to Gal. In fact the majority of Japan’s female population (and even a few male’s ;D) love it.
My strangest encounter with Deco was on the Ginza line, in Tokyo. As we stopped at a station, an older woman, who I guessed was in her late fifties boarded the tube with a fully decorated cellphone proudly hanging around her neck. Of course there’s no reason for her not to have one, but it just goes to show how popular Deco has become.
Deco goes so much further than just cellphone’s and camera’s. A great example can be seen on Mitsu’s blog, ‘Universal Doll’. From make-up brushes to…a bike!! The girl certainly has talent, and a whole lot of patience lol
I have Deco’d in the past, always using simple techniques with plain coloured crystals. But now, I have a new cellphone and I am hoping for a little advice from you guys. THIS is my new phone (albeit temporary, until I move to Japan this Summer). It is only slightly bigger than the palm of my hand and I love the sleek black exterior, but I feel like it could do with something more.
So I’m asking for advice, or idea’s.
Let me know what YOU think…
Sources; 1, 2