Autumn already

 Can you spot Meadow in Grandad's garden?^^^^^

I can feel it, it might be 22 degrees today but Autumn is coming. It's cooler in the mornings and misty. I love Autumn. I love boots and scarves and being cozy. I'm wearing my leather jacket ^^ at every opportunity before it gets too cold.

What are you looking forward to this Autumn?

My list is.

Wearing this jumper with this and these (I have everything except the boots. Sigh)

I am going to Paris and staying here

Definitely taking time to browse Merci, the last time I visited, me and Tasha jumped up and down on the spot in excitement (yes, we do spend waaay to much time around 3 year olds)

Going to visit here for the zillionth time as I need some artistic culture. Pinterest is the closest I am getting to that at the moment (and Naomi's blog)

Working on being a more tolerant with Rich and definitely with Meadow. I find myself constantly shouting at someone about something.

Asking myself, when I am stressed "do I need to worry about this? Will I care in 5 years about this?"

Enjoying more, buying less (HARD HARD HARD)

Getting my god damn sofa steam cleaned. Buying a white linen herringbone expensive sofa, not my finest move. (although a baby at that point, was not on my mind.)

Being kind. Paying attention. I never want to waste a minute and multi task too much. Today in the queue for my lunch, I took the time to speak to the person serving me, and ask him about his day. Not text/email on my blackberry. He gave me my coffee on the house. It is the small things.


What is on your list?

XO

Thankful Thursday

I. The most beautiful roses. Ever. The colour makes me happy.

II. Meadow looking exhausted. Denying it. NO I am not tired. I DO NOT want to go to my bed. No Mother. No (NB Mother is her new word. It makes me feel ancient. Thanks for that Meadow.)
Her latest hilarious expressions are "It's good, huh?" and "WHAT YOU SAY?" whilst holding her ear!! Hahah!

III. Hello baby. My newest Mulberry! It's vintage from eBay and had me literally jumping for joy when it arrived. It is so precious! (NB Thanks to my amazing fashion designer friend Hazel, who spied it and tipped me off xo)

IV. My newest Whistles dress layered with an old French Connection top. Looks amazing on, and will show you tomorrow :)
You know how much I adore Whistles, and I adore blogs but I got uncharacteristically, and inexplicably cross at LFW and how many bloggers they gave free outfits to. I work so damn hard to buy all my Whistles clothes, and I admit it. I begrudge so many of them getting decked out for free! I do! It makes me a jealous idiot but I don't care. It's how I feel. Obviously if I was one of them I would be singing a different tune. But there you have it. Honest jealous ranting. Over and out.

Now I'm off to stuff work emails and sit down to Season 5 of Californication. Only the BEST show ever made.

Hope you are all having a great week and Courtney, if you are reading this, your legs are ridiculous and I'm proper jealous of them. Carla, I still can't decide what to buy on Net-a-Porter, Kim please can I come live with you in California for the winter, Naomi still so excited to see a candid of your man and maybe even your builder and Hannapat, you and your amazing crafting, kills me. Yes, my blog readership is so small (only the most amazing people ever, it's a small niche) I can mention most by name! And I LOVE it!

xoxo

Wednesday Instalife

So a few more Instagrams!

Coffee with condensed milk (bonbon) so yum. Can feel my waistline widening. 

Favourite outfit, all saints shorts, whistles bag and scarf.

New sunnies!! I had a horrid sinus headache and when at the pharmacy, in my feeling crap, head pounding but multitasking with Meadow (who was touching everything) way, left my new Gucci's in the pharmacy!! Of course I remembered 10 minutes later.... But they were gonzo! Damn thieves! So what's a girl to do? Cheer herself and her sinuses with new Raybans.... Happy Wednesday everyone! Xo

What's up Wednesday?

I. Loving my brightest of bright (yes they ARE that colour) Zara trou and yes still loving that scarf! I am wearing it every day at the moment. Not loving the shirt as after wearing for an hour it crushes and that is my ultimate no-no. And that sums up my love/hate/love relationship with Zara..their clothes are really quite disposable. I'd rather pay more and wear more....
II. Meadow dashing past. No don't wipe my face. No don't want to wear my shoes.
III. Gardening with Papa. Melted my heart a little bit. Until she saw me and started chucking those wood chips at me. Quite violently. She sort of hates me at the moment because I am working so much and get home late and then do emails. So I guess there will be more wood chips coming my way, because I am away with work for a few days. Eeeks.

Stay tuned for a what's in my bag and how to downsize! Coming soon! Maybe tomorrow before I dash of to London for back to back meetings! Love! xoxo

PS me: shirt/trousers both Zara. Shoes, KG. Scarf. Whistles
Miss M. dress Next.

PS I got a PARKING TICKET today. Sucks. 

Wedding Wednesday

So I got an email (thank you, sweet reader CJ) asking for a post on weddings. Shooting weddings, being a part of a wedding day, is a gift. It's one I do not take lightly. A lot goes in to shooting a wedding,  the least of which I am on my feet and constantly thinking, waiting, watching, for a whole 8+ hours (unless you have decided to skip the evening, and want me for 4 hours). Yep, definitely accounts for the wrinkles on my left eye.
I am so lucky with my couples who pick me (us) and they tend to get married in amazing venues (see that little baby above!!) and are chilled and have great looking guests (my bride above works for ASOS as a buyer..say no more)

If you are getting married...here are my words of wisdom (not on marriage, hell no! just on photography!)

1. First and, to me the most important fact...after the champagne is drunk, the last guests leave, and the honeymoon begins (enjoy) the only reminders of that wonderful day will be your fabulous memories. your spiffy new ring, and your photos.
2. With this in mind. Allocate a decent part of your budget to a decent photographer. Maybe cut in to the flower/dress/shoe budget if you have to. Flowers last a day. Photos are your lasting reminder.
3. Pick a photographer that suits your style. For example, I hate posed, group style shots. I am a journalistic photographer. So if you want lots of family, styled shots, pick a photog who is happy to do that, a more classic style of capturing your day.
4. Spent time on the photog's website. Look through their last few weddings. Even if they are different venues to yours. Check it out baby!
5. Meet them. skype them, call them, email them. Ask every question that is on your mind (but please, please don't ask if we shoot RAW :)
6. Make sure the images are yours. You have paid a lot of money for them (I hope) and they should be yours to copy,email, post to your blog, facebook etc etc.
7. Thank your photog. There is always a lot of thanking the bridesmaids (natch) the venue, the florist, the master of ceremonies, the string quartet, the minister...errr hello! Hello! Over here with the majorly heavy equipment! Yes, there you go. Thank you! Look after them. Feed them. We respond well to all of the fore mentioned :)

Any other questions...email/comment/tweet/instagram me.... :)

Oh yes and if you want to see more, hop over to our site.

OOh maybe I should start a Wedding Photographers Style Blog. FYI I always wear a new dress from Whistles it's my lucky anti rain charm.

XO

Sunday Monday on a Tuesday

The weekend whizzed by, as I was shooting a wedding on Saturday (which I will post a few pics from this week) It was a great day...always such a pleasure to be a part of such a special day. I also spent way to much time blog reading and God Instagram!!! I am literally glued to it. I really need to PUT MY IPHONE DOWN occasionally. I am all too aware I am missing out on real life with my constant screen watching and email checking. It is so addictive.

Still in love with my Whistles newest scarf addition, and a denim top from Topshop.
Meadow having a little Sunday morning lie-in, in Mamas bed :)
The new Toast catalogue (eugh can't spell catalogue and my spell check is not working - is that right??) arrived and I want it all.
Shame I am penniless! I had to pay for our flight to Spain and they were ridiculously expensive, now that Meadow costs an adult fare. Still I cannot WAIT to be away from everything and sitting with my baby on a beach!
New cushions for our extremely uncomfortable 1940's bistro chairs, and a selfie pic of me beside me! Finally warm enough for bare legs (mine are not the greatest and need lots of fake tan). This was about 2 hours before Meadow knocked the frame over and smashed it!
Last but not least, my Bill Amberg silver angel! I love her so.

A big thank you must be extended to my new followers and for all your lovely comments! It's so nice to be found :) I am working hard to make this blog in to something that you all want to see.
Hope you are all having a wonderful week xoxo

Tiger Tot and Tasty Tuesday

 So....it was our Village Fete on Monday and the SUN was SHINING! That, my friends, is unprecedented in this cold old country! Meadow had a ball, except for the meltdown over having to take her shoes off for the bouncy castle, and loved her second facepainting of the weekend. Grrrrrrr.
Loving my nooooo scarf it's such a pop of colour for me and I practically want towear it 24/7. (And no not sponsored by Whistles I swear)

Our beach holiday is beckoning, and as my gym time has been few and far between, I am eating super clean (ok except for the chicken mcnuggets and odd chocolate button) and LOVING this smoothie. It's so simple. Chopped fresh pineapple (locally Sainsbury's are doing pineapples for £1 - steal) and whizzing it up with Almond milk, fresh almonds and a spoonful of organic Maca. Very cleansing and energizing. Beach bikini bod. I'm coming for ya :) And it tastes all the better in my new Starbucks tumbler! How frikkin' cool is that puppy?

Hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend. xoxo

Silent Sunday

PS Outfit; Whistles chambray shirt Vintage necklace
Barbour Jacket. Massimo Dutti top.
PPS Dummies are out for Meadow during the day. But she crawled under the bed and appeared with 4. Damn it.
PPPS Not loving the pose in the Barbour. What am I doing?? Still it's a cute jacket, i'm just not doing it justice. Sorry barbour. My bad! xoxo

So it's Saturday

SO we kept it pretty chill today
I wore my new bling, but still searching for the perfect black t-shirt
We played in the garden. Meadow was doing a fine impression of Elton John in a pair of his hand me down sunnies. I took some snaps for Meadow's "photoblog" as she really wanted one. "Daddy, Daddy come check out my photoblog" she said to Rich earlier! We laughed for ages :)
Another thing to add to my list!
Can you see the one and only bluebell in our garden?? I was in a rush so it's not the greatest capture :)

Spent an hour or two looking through blogs. I always look at some successful blogs and think, argghhh mine is better! My photography is sharper! My kid is cuter! (But I'm happy for them that they have done well, natch) But when I was looking at Cupcakes and Cashmere, I read some of the comments, and God! She has haters! People are SO RUDE and post things like 'you look fat in those pants". It must, no matter how successful you are and how confident you are as a person, be hard to read stuff like that. Or hey, maybe she doesn't. And maybe she is at peace with 'you can't please all of the people, all of the time"
It is such a double edged sword, blogging. My experience has been so positive, and the reader who leave me comments are sweet and thoughtful. I'm not sure I could deal with nastiness....so maybe it's a good thing I have a perfect little niche of niceness here. If it ever changes. I reckon I'd come out fighting :)

Anyway! Useless Saturday ramblings. Hope you are all having a good one with happy positive people surrounding you! xoxo

Outfit: Jacket:Topshop, T-shirt: COS, Necklace:H&M, Ring:Vintage, Bag:Mulberry Alexa

Friday! TGIF!

I know you should never wish your life away, but God I am so Thankful It's Friday!
A few shots from today.
A new necklace! Some jewel love going on here. I can't wait to get a snap of it with a plain black t-shirt. Which believe it or not. I do not own. Yet. The only one I have seen that I like so far was £65 from Splendid. Hmmm.
Our anniversary cards to each other!
I'm loving my red at the mo, and teamed my little jacket with a favourite dress for work. Excuse the pasty little legs, I did have on tights, but like I did as a schoolgirl, the minute I come in the door, it's all about kicking off those boots and tights! So I decided to post my legs as a reminder to buy me some St Tropez ASAP :)
Miss M comes charging in from nursery! Hello Mummy Hello! Give me a HUGGIE.
How I love my girl so! Even if she does get snot and food smears all over my dresses!

Hope you all have the most wonderful weekend!
xo
PS For those of you who asked...this is the link to my London print..... and I got mine from the Etsy shop...still need to buy New York!

me outfit..jacket Topshop (old) dress Whistles (still not sponsored me hurumphh)