L I F E G O E S O N

Good Evening!

Well as usual life has been rather hectic. Im writing this today 6 weeks away from my wedding date, and 1 month after starting my new job, which has been a fantastic move. I loved my old job so much and was devastated to leave, but I have settled into my new job really well and I feel really secure in it. I have noticed I am feeling a lot healthier and I now switch off when I get home of an evening, which I never had before.

Since last September my life appears to have been consumed by wedding things, I almost worry I will be bored after the wedding as I wont spend so much time on one thing. It got me thinking about other people weddings. My partner and my family have always said I should work for an events firm as I am so organised, and recently I have been thinking about how much I would love to be a wedding planner. Obviously I am aware there is a huge difference between arranging your own wedding and arranging someone else's, but honestly I think I would be very good at it, I have surprised everyone with how calm I have been. I am prone to stress about everything so the fact that I have been so calm and relaxed about everything has been really quite surprising.

So I was looking on the internet at wedding related articles and I found a picture of a beautiful cake, which instantly reminded me of my friend, and bridesmaid Hanna. She loves everything to do with Alice in wonderland, so with that in mind I began to explore the theme of Alice in Wonderland and relate it back to weddings, and I was surprised how much imagery I could find. I came up with lots of ideas and got quite excited thinking about other themes that could be applied to weddings- for example, how amazing would a Great Gatsby wedding be?

What do you think would make an interesting wedding theme?

Kayla

x x x 

A Personal Touch

I don't like to share too much online, or in fact at all. But as you know i am getting married (in less than 3 months-EEK!) and it really ahs made me think about things.

I was brought up mostly by my grandparents who sadly are no longer with us, it would have made my wedding day complete to have my Papa walk me down the aisle. 

So i decided i wanted him to be there in some way or another- it really hurts to think he will be missing this.

I have done a little research online, and it appears to be common to wish to include those we have lost in the day. Many mention these lost love ones in the speech- something i hope to do if i can keep it together (not looking likely at the moment!), while others have created a table designed to commemorate the loved ones.

Some brides use their bouquets to make it feel like their loved ones are walking them down the aisle, by using charms attatched to the flowers. I really love this idea and think its subtle but beautiful.

I considered this idea and in the end decided it was not for me. Instead today i got my Papa's initials tattooed on my body. It was hard to choose where to place it, i love tattoos but i always said i would place them on me in places where i can hide them if need be, or show them if i chose too. However i wanted these initials to be viewable on the day, so i have chosen the top of my shoulder blade. I got a little teary after having it done, knowing that my Pops will be physically with me on the day. To add to the personal touch, i spend months reading old letters and postcards to find his initials in his own handwriting, so that i could have his own writing tattooed instead of a regular font.

So here was the design- and i am thrilled. As soon as i got in the car to go home a song came on my music system which really summed up how i have been feeling about him and my Ma (grandma) lately.

I've been needing you lately

When the sun goes down

I don't know where to find you

So, I just drive around

I feel like a stranger in this place

I want to see your face

I've been needing you

I've been needing you lately

I've been missing you lately

Things just aren't the same

All I'm feeling is lonely

Sometimes I call out your name

I want so bad to believe

Somehow you can hear me

I've been missing you

I've been missing you lately

So i apologise for this post- it is not my usual style, but something i felt needed sharing.

Thank you for reading

Kayla

xxx

Real Life Disney

It is well documented that i have an extreme love for Disney. I cannot place my finger on why, maybe i love the idea of a perfect reality, or maybe it takes me back to my childhood.

However my love for Disney has just grown. New York-based animation artist Jeff Hong, 35, has imagined some of the company's most popular characters battling the grim conditions of the  real world. 

These images are so powerful. They remind me a bit of Banksys work, using basic images to display a powerful meaning.

These image display Disney characters facing issues we see every day in reality- from poverty to pollution, and even the worlds obsession with image and appearance.

Pollution of our oceans meets the little mermaid

Homelessness meets cinderella

Mulan battles the polluted smoggy air

Winnie the Pooh is surrounded by deforestation

Belle feels pressure to change how she looks

Bambi becomes ornamental

101 Dalmations are treated badly and taken away from their owners

Ratatouille is used for animal testing

Simba is taken out of his natural habitat and placed in a zoo

Dumbo is poorly treated by a cruel circus master

Robin Hood is restrained after rioting

Alice becomes involved with illegal substances

Tiana is affected by racism

Esmerelda is homeless and afraid

What do you think of these images?

Kayla 

xxx

Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival celebrates its 67th anniversary this month.

The Daily Mail showed an article with sketches of the most famous Cannes red carpet dresses and i found it quite nostalgic to look back on all these iconic dresses. It makes you wonder what dresses from this generation will go on to be iconic and admired by my children, and even grandchildren.

I love these sketches, im tempted to draw them out and paint them on a canvas to hang in my room (not sure my fiance will agree with the decor!) . I am particularly taken with the dresses of Monica Bellucci and Paz Vega- but maybe thats just because i am a sucker for a red dress.

Which of these is your favourite?

Kayla

xxx

Baftas

So less uni work means more time for personal projects... including watching TV... ahem researching!

The TV Bafta Awards were this week and there was a definite trend in the style of dresses worn.

I love watching the award shows just to see what people wear! While some seem to look amazing, there are always those who either disappoint with a  rather lack lustre outfit, or wear something totally bizarre- and not in the good way.

At the Baftas- Black was the new black. Personally i love a black dress, i love how you can take the whole look back and focus on one thing, be it crazy accessories, or big hair, or an unusual cut of dress.  I love the elegance that a black dress denotes, the classic style it emulates. Think classic Chanel, or even the one and only Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffanys.

One of my favourite looks of the night was by Helena Bonham- Carter. It is no secret that i adore this woman. I think she is so interesting and intrinsically beautiful and creative. I love this look on her, she always dresses her own way, but while the dress itself is more understated than her usual style, the glasses add a little punch of wackyness. She oozes glamour here while still retaining her own style- and i think she looks stunning.

Another of my favourite black dresses was by Broadchurch star Jodie Whittaker. This style is so simple but just different enough to make her stand out. She looks flawless and effortless.

Caroline Flack wore a long gown which looked gorgeous- showing she doesn't need to display her amazing legs to look smoking. It reminds me of some of Vivienne Westwoods dresses with the volume and origami style folds. 

James Cordens wife Julia Carey looked drop dead gorgeous, and announced she is also expecting! Im not sure if its the baby or the dress, but she looked beautiful. Her dress was elegant but the gold detailing reminds me of Alexander McQueens designs, and perfectly matched her clutch bag.

I usually do not look to Sophie Ellis-Bextor for a style icon but i really liked her dress this year. Like her i have very pale skin and it is very difficult to find clothes that do not wash you out- and indeed makeup can also pose a huge problem. She looks amazing here and manages a smokey eye highlighting her pale skin rather than washing herself out.

Who were you favourites from the Baftas this year? And what is your ultimate black dress?

Kayla

xxx

Catching up

So i know i promised to post more, well i have finally finished my degree- so now i can dedicate more time to this!

A lot has happened recently and to be honest it has all been overwhelming! I am now looking forward to focusing on my health and finding a job that will hopefully lead to a career.

Expect lots of wedding updates and hopefully (fingers crossed) updates on the job situation!

Thanks for sticking with me

Kayla xxx

Wedding Talk

So, this is the start of what is bound to become rather a collection of wedding related blog posts. I have annoyed many people already by flooding my social media full of wedding related posts- but i don't really care. Its important to me and it is an exciting time, i hope only to marry once, so why shouldn't i get excited about it.

Of course for most people, the dress is the big deal. I booked to try some dresses on a few weeks into our engagement, just to get a feel for what i thought i may like. No matter how well you think you know your body and how well you think you dress- always try some on. It turns out a dress i had eyed up for months- didn't look right on, and one i picked out thinking it wouldn't suit... well it looked amazing. I took my two girlies with me, people i knew would give an honest opinion, but i would recommend not taking any more than two people. At the end of the day the decision is yours- too many opinions can be very confusing.

So after trying on many and trawling through the internet, i still did not know what i wanted. As many wedding dresses start from £800 onwards, i knew i was looking at a more budget variety. Here comes the debate. There are plenty of websites and ebay sellers who offer the same dresses as other designers, but at a highly discounted rate- sometimes less than £100. Why so? Well these dresses are made in china and are basically copies of the designer dresses. Ask about these on a bridal forum and expect a huge debate. from what i have seen, many people buy these dresses and find that the dress is spot on, the perfect dress at a fraction of the cost. However they carry a risk, for each happy bride there is another whose dress turned out to be less than satisfactory. Anyhow i had decided EVENTUALLY that i wanted one of two dresses. Both of these from a bridal store were in the region of £1000- somewhat out of my price range, however online from these Chinese copy cats  i was looking at between £100-£200- much more reasonable.

Being a fashion student i figured- what the worst that could happen? i thought if the dress comes and i don't like a part of it, ill upcycle it, ill rework it until it is right, i have the skills necessary. And then while searching online i found a woman selling my dream dress, my £1000 dress.... for jsut £200! It was too good a deal to miss! However she would not post it, and to cut a very long story short, im very lucky that my wonderful bridesmaid was happy to drive 2 and a half hours away to pick up my dress. (Thank you Helen!!!). To top it all off, when i tried the dress on it fitted like a glove, i could not be any more thrilled! 

So for me, the wedding dress part of my wedding planning, went quite smoothly. I am now the proud owner of a genuine Mori Lee wedding dress, and i know i will feel not £1000 but a million pounds on our special day.

My advice for dress shopping

Number one- always go try some on.Pick some you like and some you hate. try them all on, book 10, 20, 30 sessions. Just try on everything

Number two- go with your gut. I didn't have the big "Oh my god its the one!" moment. i didn't cry. But then i never had that moment about my partner either, i just knew. I knew he was the right person, and i knew this was the right dress. It looked great, and it was super comfy, what more could i want. I think people put too much pressure on themselves finding "The one" when it comes to the dress. Its a dress. Just a dress, wear what you like and what makes you feel good- don't stress.

Finally its a dress you wear once. It does not have to cost the earth. By all means if you have a huge budget, buy through a bridal store. But if you don't there are options! Buy off the rack from a bridal store, buy second hand or buy copies. If you buy second hand, insist they dry clean it first- this saves you a job. But think of it this way, you know this dress has been worn for mere hours, and you are paying for a fraction of its original cost! What a bargain! And if you choose a Chinese copy, be savvy. 

 Personally i would suggest buying through ebay as ebay usually favour the buyer in any dispute, so you know you are protected. Also only buy from sellers with near 100% feedback, again you are more likely to have any disputes resolved as they don't want their feedback destroyed! Finally have a back up plan. Your dress may arrive and not be perfect. Either keep the cash to one side to buy another dress if it all goes wrong, or make good friends with a seamstress!!

Hope this helps any brides to be!

Kayla 

xxx