Tuesday, September 11, 2012

THE ONE WITH MY FAST APPROACHING DRESS MEASURE

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Eek – just eighteen days until my first measure for my wedding dress. Eighteen days. EIGHTEEN DAYS. I’m not ready!!!

I never really knew what kind of wedding dress I’d go for, I didn’t dream of my wedding dress as a little girl and didn’t know what shapes or styles suit my body. There is just so much choice – how can you settle on just one look? So when we started our wedding planning, I headed out to a few bridal stores to try and find out what I like. Straight away I disliked pretty much everything. I just found the boutiques ever so overwhelming, tizzy and frankly, a little too much. Sequins, lace, tulle, jewels, flowers, ruffles. Confuse-balls.

The day I went to Vera Wang was a whole other experience though. Ryan and I were in New York in early October to scout wedding locations, check out churches and so on. I mean, what is a wedding trip to New York without a visit to Vera Wang. I feel I need to preface this next part by saying it was hot and muggy in New York and I had packed minimal clothes. So off I went to Vera Wang in my best ‘holiday’ outfit that I had and took the subway from the East Village up to the Upper East Side – 991 Madison Avenue in fact. I turn up and the streets were impeccable, lined with designer stores and designer people, it was far less busy than other parts of Manhattan, with well dressed models lazily going about their business of being ever so fabulous. I looked down at myself and very quickly realised that I looked a right mess in comparison. My sandals, shorts and sleeveless blouse gave the impression that I was about to visit the Bronx Zoo and not about to walk into the world’s most well known wedding dress boutique. Upper East Side I was not. Even more embarrassing than that, when I arrived at the shop front I stood there taking photos of what I thought was just a window display but quickly discovered it was a window and when I sat in the waiting area before my Consultant collected me, I realised I had stood just outside that window taking photos as other brides to be were sitting in the very same waiting area I was in watching me as I clicked away like a silly tourist in her silly Zoo outfit. Cringe.


The other brides to be in the waiting area were equally as glamorous as our surrounds, flanked by their glamorous mums and glamorous bridesmaids, groomed to perfection having looked like they stepped straight right out of a magazine and into the waiting area. I became quite nervous as I was on my own, however I was quickly put at ease when my lovely Consultant, Francesca, welcomed me to Vera Wang with the offer of “champagne, juice, sparking” which I quickly accepted and sipped my champagne up the giant staircase to what felt like heaven. It was the most amazing dressing room I’ve ever seen, huge private rooms came off the main floor which was full of dresses. Francesca  knew by looking at me exactly what dresses would suit my body and pulled about five and popped them in my dressing room before asking me to walk around and pull any dresses that immediately catch my eye. I tried on about twelve dresses and of course, the dresses that Francesca selected were in fact, perfect for my body. I fell in love. I fell in love with each and every dress. It was such a far cry from the visits I had been on in Melbourne trying on dresses and feeling ever so overwhelmed by the sequins, lace, tulle, jewels, flowers, ruffles.

I was convinced I had found ‘the’ dress and walked out on cloud nine. I skipped down Madison Avenue and met up with Ryan to tell him all about the fact that I was going to buy a Vera Wang wedding dress. I had all the details, they took my measurements and I simply just had to place the order with Francesca via email nine months out from the wedding date. I was really excited when I came back to Melbourne and started Googling the dress and found that it was everywhere. On every single wedding blog, there was this dress. Quite quickly, it went from being ‘the’ dress to being ‘that bloody dress I see on every single wedding website’. I grew tired of the dress and the fact that it was no longer special and realised I’d been caught up in the experience that Vera Wang provided. They made me feel so special in their fancy boutique with their champagne and motherly approach. I decided to put my dress plans on hold. It was too early anyway and I had plenty of time to look around.

Around the Christmas holidays just gone, a funny thing happened. I was walking around my local area and what did I see but a new bridal boutique with a stunning wedding dress in the window. Sure enough, when I met with the designer at One Day Bridal I finally realised that a custom made wedding dress was for me. No more sequins, lace, tulle, jewels, flowers, ruffles for me. Just a lovely experience with a gorgeous designer who is inspired by so many wonderful bits and bobs which I also adore. 

Kyha has come up with a wedding dress design which screams Natalie and on 29th September, I will be measured for the first time. It’s a scary thought because this date has crept up on me out of nowhere and I feel ill prepared. Should I be at my ideal wedding weight now? I’m certainly not there yet and it makes me so nervous. I don’t want to see myself in my wedding dress looking far from my ideal but with only 2.5 weeks until the big measure, I have to just suck it up (and suck it in) and stick to my fitness plan so that over the next few months I get to my ideal the healthy way a.k.a the slow way. Just stay consistent with the old exercise regime. I don’t want to be one of those psycho girls who gets a bit outrageous with the weight loss. It just isn’t my style but weddings can do crazy things to people. Fingers crossed I avoid the craziness…and fingers crossed the torturous (fun) run I’ve signed up for with the girls from work pays off and I run some of the excess kilos off my little 5’1 frame.

Now, back to my carrot stick *joke*

All my love, 

Monday, September 3, 2012

THE ONE WITH MY BESTIES WEDDING

Monday, September 3, 2012


In 68 days I’ll be standing by my besties side as she marries the man of her dreams and I cannot even tell you how excited I am. I don’t want to give too many sneaky deets away about the wedding except that it will be magical.

Shanelle and I have known each other since we were eighteen, introduced by our mutual bestie Louise, and we’ve grown up together over the past 13 years. We’re very similar, and yet we’re also very different. Geminis, there’s just no telling with us really!

She’s the kind of friend that everyone wishes they had. She is beyond thoughtful and really goes out of her way to be there for everything going on in your life. You know, the friend that remembers not only your birthday but your partners too, the friend who remembers your anniversaries, the friend who remembers if you have a big meeting at work, the friend who checks in with you after you have been to the doctor, the friend who gives you objective advice, the friend who will dance with you until the sun comes up, the friend who will drop everything to spend time with you when you need her, the friend who you can talk to on the phone for hours on end when you actually have nothing to say and the friend who would defend you to the death if it came down to it. 

And the more I get to know John, the more it becomes clear that they really are perfect for one another. Two peas in a pod. 

So it makes me ever so happy that Shanelle is set to marry her Mr. Big in only 68 days. I love saying 68 days, it just feels so soon. Weddings make me so happy but this is all the more special due to the fact that I’ve watched Shanelle and John meet and fall in love. There is nothing nicer really. 

All my love, 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

THE ONE WITH WEDDING PLANNING

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Well. I always knew weddings were stressful but lately I’ve come to realise the extent of the stress as the months trickle down to single digit numbers until our wedding in May. Eek.

The first initial buzz of wedding planning has worn off and I now approach it with a checklist plus quick and accurate decisions. I’ve given up on the hours and hours of research into twelve different DJs and the what they each offer. I’m simply a “find one and book it” kind of girl these days.

I couldn’t have been any luckier in the fact that most of my friends are married (or are almost married) and therefore they’re passing on their words of wisdom and believe me, I’m taking every bit of it onboard. It’s fascinating to observe the girls and how each of them organise and plan their wedding days. And I’m loving the fact that every one of my friends have planned weddings that differ so much from one another. It’s lovely to see their personalities shine through.

One of my dearest friends Anna, who I will always refer to as Huffy even though she is now a Porter, has been dishing me out loads of advice. I’ve known Anna for five years after she started working with us when she moved from New Zealand to Melbourne. She is one of those people that you just fall in love with instantly because she is completely outrageous and hilarious. And you can never get annoyed with her because the soft spot for Anna is just…well…ever so soft! 

Anna married her husband Ben at a gorgeous winery in Adelaide on a perfectly  glorious day. She couldn't have asked for anything more perfect really.  We've been chatting about weddings lately and I’ve told Anna that I’m nervous that the wedding planning could turn stressful (I’m stressed about getting stressed! Ridiculous) and she passed on some little gems of wisdom to me that have actually made me remember not to get caught up in the small things that really don't matter (i.e. the font used on the menus, the spacing between each table at the reception, to decorate or not decorate the church gates).

"Just do what YOU want, don’t listen to other people. It’s not about anyone else but you. Enjoy that. It’s a huge achievement being able to say you did it yourself, and it’s a great start to your life together knowing you can set goals and achieve them together"

"Honestly I got so stressed out and angry, and if I had of just ignored everyone else the whole experience would have been far more enjoyable. AND FOR GODS SAKE, it is NOT your job to entertain people when they get to NYC, do your own thing with your family but people are on holiday, so don’t feel obliged to entertain them for the duration. I felt like when people came over from NZ I had to look after everyone (which no one expected at all, I just felt like that). This is why I forgot my toothbrush, hair extensions and wedding shoes when I got to the hotel the night before. I ended up sleeping in my bridesmaids Qantas PJs she’d been given when they had lost her luggage. When I realised I had forgotten my tooth brush I locked myself in the toilet and called Ben in tears ahahhahahaha"

"To me getting married is about the life ahead of you, not the one day. I just took the attitude that I would rather focus on that than micro manage every little part of the day itself.
I got so stressed throughout the whole process that I ended up crying a couple of times. Then I just decided this was about Ben and I. No one else. And everything was better when I realised that"

After all of this, Anna told me she had posted her RSVP card in the mail and so now i'll be hanging out by my letterbox all week waiting to receive it all the way from Adelaide because I think it might be my first RSVP. And an RSVP 'yes' at that. It means so much to me that wee Anna will be at our wedding. After all, she was there when I first met Ryan. Bless.  

Love to you all, 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

THE ONE WITH KANYE WEST

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

This crush I have on Kanye West is starting to get slightly out of control. And I don’t even know how it started.

The guy is a jerk and he certainly make some questionable choices.Kim Kardashian. Need I say more?

But then I saw this photo of him and it made me smile. Like my crush on Jay Z (is there a pattern here?!), it all comes down to swagger.


Love to you all, 

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

THE ONE WITH MY FIRST FEW DAYS IN SINGAPORE

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Date: Tuesday 31st July 2012
Location: Poolside, Sentosa  Island, Singapore
Temperature:  32 degrees and what feels like 100% humidity
Feeling: Slightly sunburnt
Music:: Rihanna ‘S&M’ blaring out of the poolside bar

I love travelling and always knew that I would travel to places near and far at any chance I could get. Today, I write to you from Singapore.
We’re here as Ryan has some work to do however, following his two day conference; we will be holidaying for another 5 days. After a very long and very cold few months in Melbourne, this trip could not have come at a better time.

Our first day in Singapore was Sunday and luckily Ryan had the day to relax before his work commitments. Ryan had organised with a friend here in Singapore to give us a tour of Singapore.  Gerald was the perfect tour guide who chauffeured us around in his Lexus, air conditioning pumping, and a very comfy back seat for me who was struggling with a head cold I’d picked up on the flight to Singapore. Not sure why I fall sick on every trip I take. Grrr.



So, off we set with Gerald and Ryan’s boss Nick. First stop, ‘The Thian Hock Keng Temple’ full of praying worshippers and incense smoke. It was fascinating to learn the practice behind seeking answers from bamboo sticks.



Next stop, a hawker centre, which is basically a food court except there is no McDonalds, Subway or Hungry Jacks. These food courts have stalls full of authentic cuisine. Some of these stalls have been owned and operated by the same person for twenty years, making and serving the same few dishes and perfecting the recipes over time. Lots of the hawker’s stalls proudly display awards they’ve won for their food. Now…I’m possibly the most unadventurous person when it comes to foods but I didn’t want to be disrespectful to Gerald who had taken us to a specific stall and ordered a sample selection of four different soups to try. It didn’t go so well. The first soup I tried was so thick and oozy, like a caramel sauce that tastes of nuts and sugar, topped with some bread croutons. I gagged as soon as it hit my tongue. The next soup was pure black and reminded me of squid ink. Surprisingly, this soup was even sweeter than the one before. I gave the other soups a miss.



After the soup taste test, Gerald promised us he would take us somewhere nice for lunch. Off we set again and Gerald gave us a bit of commentary along the way on different buildings and the beautiful trees and plants that line the streets and freeways. To my horror, we arrived at the ‘nice’ place that Gerard promised. Casuarina Curry. Indian cuisine, my least favourite of them all. Again, Gerald ordered for us and out came an array of different foods. Noodles. Lamb curry. Chicken curry. Prata.

My favourite part of the tour was what came next.  Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. A tropical rainforest with a walking trail that took us through the jungle and gave us the opportunity to come face to face with some hyperactive macaques (tiny monkeys). They were so confident, they marched right up to us, almost as if they were about to leap onto our heads. As it turns out, so many people feed the macaques fruit on their walks that they’re now so used to humans walking through their rainforest, they simply approach you without a worry in the world. The walk was about 45 minutes and by the end, I was sweating in places I didn’t think possible.



Sunday afternoon saw us back at our resort on Sentosa Island for some relaxation by the pool before Ryan was off for an evening mixer with work. I don’t mind entertaining myself when Ryan is at these conferences as it gives me a chance to have little adventures on my own. However, Sentosa Island is ever so strange. It’s literally an island full of resorts, a few touristy things like a zip line, Universal studios and man-made beaches, a mini monorail and that’s about it. So, my dinner options were really limited. All of the resorts offer these amazing buffet dinners however they come at a cost of $65 per person…not really ideal when dining on my own. So, I hit Chilis. I know, I know…I’m a terrible tourist for eating at an American chain but honestly, there is so little choice on this island. Which meant I also ate at Chilis Monday night too. 

With not much for me to do on the island, I spent Monday and Tuesday trying to kill time. I managed to get in some gym sessions before spending hours on end by the pool where I have been lounging with a girly novel. 



Tonight, Ryan and I are off to Marina Bay for dinner and drinks overlooking the Singapore skyline. A chance to dress up and celebrate being on holiday together before we are off the island tomorrow and we stay in the heart of Singapore until we head home Saturday night.  

On the agenda for the rest of the week:
The Botanical Gardens which I’m imagining to be very ornamental and perfectly groomed.
The Zoo & Night Safari, bring on the lions!
Chinatown & Little India, for Ryan to experience some more tasty delights while I gnaw on a plain piece of roti bread.
Orchard Road, for shopping, shopping, shopping. Bring it on!
And of course, a Singapore Sling at Raffles. How can you not?

And now, it’s time for me to take another dip in the pool.

Love to you all, 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

THE ONE WITH PINTEREST

Thursday, July 26, 2012
P.S. You can follow me on Pinterest. 


Seriously, it's a girls best friend.


http://pinterest.com/girlaboutlove/

Love to you all, 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

THE ONE WITH FANCY EVENTS + LASTING FRIENDSHIPS

Thursday, July 19, 2012


The best thing about my job is that I get to celebrate the end of financial year with a black tie event. This year we celebrated at Eureka 89.

I was still struggling almost 48 hours later with what was possibly one of my worst hangovers of all time, bar karaoke (and inappropriate microphone cord grinding) back in 2007. Is it because I’m too old for a night of champagne guzzling? Or the fact that I didn’t eat a meal the day of in the lead up as I was run off my feet getting glammed up for six hours straight. Seriously. Six hours. It sure is hard being a girl. 

We danced as if we were in the dancers quarters in Dirty Dancing, we sang along with the band until we were hoarse in the throat (cringe at the flashback to Mustang Sally), we sweated until our makeup was running off our faces. And it was the best night ever (but I say that every year).

I've made some truly amazing friends through work, most of which have come and gone (yet I’m still here) and I chat to them all every few days. Here are some photos of my gorgeous friends I have made in the past six years.


After all of the years and all of the friendships, I've been so lucky to celebrate big birthdays, weddings (wedding dress fittings) and babies with the girls. And this weekend, one of my all time favourites, Anna, is coming to Melbourne for a much needed catch up. Cannot wait!

Anna and her husband Ben are the most suited couple on earth and nothing makes me happier than when Ben and Ryan watch on as Anna and I talk endlessly, laughing until we cry and Ben will always say "they are the same person". Bless. 

Love to you all, 





























Thursday, June 14, 2012

THE ONE WITH THE GREEK, THE IRISHMAN AND THE AUSTRALIAN

Thursday, June 14, 2012





I thought that Ryan was Greek. It was his dark features. It was his confident walk. It was the fact that I didn’t know him from a bar of soap. Mr Mysterious. When I eventually met Ryan all those years ago and we got to chatting, I was surprised to hear his Irish accent come out of his Greek body. And to be honest, I was so happy because who doesn’t love an Irish accent? No matter what is said, it’s just always fun. And I’m not sure I could deal with a Greek mother in law – how on earth could I compete with their cooking for a start.

The Irishman = tall, dark and handsome. A true joker, full of craic. Sports fanatic, I’d say borderline obsessed. Considerate and thoughtful. Ever so romantic.
The Australian = spoiled and showered with lovely gifts. Very lucky indeed.

I celebrated my thirty first birthday yesterday and wasn’t looking forward to it one little bit. I mean, thirty one. That’s like proper grown up age yet I still feel as though I’m about twenty five. So I woke up slightly grumpy “Urgh, it’s my birthday”, all tired and not wanting to get out of bed. You know, pretty pathetic. Lucky for me though, my Irishman was excited and he promptly handed me my lovely birthday card and gifts. It cheered me up immediately. Not because of the presents, but simply because Ryan had gone to so much trouble to write me a lovely card and he was so excited to celebrate the day with me. That made me over the moon happy.

And celebrate we did. Another Irishman trait...drinking. I adopted that one last night. Mojitos baby! Radio Mexico in St Kilda was our dinner of choice and honestly, my taste buds have never been happier. Char grilled corn on the cob with cheese and lime. Pulled pork tacos. Chicken and green rice. Hangar steak tacos. Then, just when I thought that I couldn’t eat another morsel, we had birthday cake waiting for us at home. Strawberry sponge, delicious.

However, the Irishman was not so happy this morning when I announced that it’s still my birthday week and that the party is not over yet.

The Australian = cheeky. 

Love to you all, 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

THE ONE WITH MY ENTOURAGE

Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Let me start by prefacing this blog entry by telling you that I’m not a diva. Really.
I had a great day today…no work…just a few hours spent with one of the most creative and fabulous ladies ever. Zowie Evans, my hairdresser of eight years. I adore her. And not only because she can work wonders with my damaged blonde locks, but because three hours with Zowie feels like two minutes. We talk and laugh, talk and laugh for hours and yet I’ve come home today kicking myself at the things I’ve forgotten to discuss with her.
So today we were chatting away about weddings. Zowie was married last year so was giving me lots of advice, pretty much all along the lines of “why do the typical things if they aren’t things you actually like”. A girl after my own heart. Anyway, while chatting away I put it out there that should Zowie coincidentally be in New York on May 15th 2013, I’d happily hire her to do my hair. It breaks my heart that it will never happen.  
Zowie: “You need to just fly your entire entourage over Natalie”
Natalie: “Seriously. Who do I think I am, Mariah Carey?!”
Hahahahahahahahahahahaahhahahahahahahahaha.
The thing is, I’ve managed to find myself some truly awesome contacts here in Melbourne over the years and now I can’t imagine going to anyone else for hair, makeup, nails, spray tans and so on. My own little dream team is just that, a dream.
And to be honest, I think that I’ve been a real pleasure with the wedding planning so far. I even checked with Ryan and he agreed. It’s been a breeze. No stress. No drama. No tears. No tantrums.
But now I really want my dream team in New York with me on the wedding day. WHY DON’T I OWN A PRIVATE JET?!
Love to you all,

Sunday, April 29, 2012

THE ONE WITH A SURPRISE BABY

Sunday, April 29, 2012
How is it that I didn’t know one of my friends was pregnant until she announced the birth of her baby girl on Facebook?! Admittedly, we don’t have a call each other up relationship, but in the past two years, we have managed to catch up for drinks and dinners every few months. So, not knowing she was pregnant with her second child comes as a real surprise.  I mean, we’ve spoken in the past nine months. Confused-balls.
It’s made me take a quick little look at how I manage my friendships and I have to say, I’m not the best at it. While I love all of my friends so dearly and enjoy hearing about their lives, relationships and what they have going on in life, I’m just shocking at returning texts/calls/emails. I get distracted and think I’ll reply later when I’m at home on the couch, but in all honesty, I just forget.
 Kelly, Sarah, Me, Shanelle & Leanne
And so as of this weekend, I’ve decided that I really need to make more of an effort at keeping in contact with the girls because what is life without your friends, hey?
Love to you all,

Saturday, April 21, 2012

THE ONE WITH SUPER WOMEN

Saturday, April 21, 2012
I have a few really close friends. My besties. And it makes me really proud when I think about each and every one of them and how they’re all such strong women.
My Mum comes from a large family with seven kids, five of which are girls. You’d think you’d get a pretty mixed bag with five girls, however being raised by my Nanna meant that they all have a bit of sass about them, they’re pretty loud, talkative and fun, and they have a whole lot of backbone. My Nanna was a force to be reckoned with and I adored her so much. She was sometimes ridiculous and was just non-stop with the chat. I see a lot of her in me. I love all of my aunties for so many different reasons but mostly because we have fun together. Sure, there can be some hairy moments (you know how it can be) however they always have your back, no matter what. I have always felt like I was the other sister, not the niece. Possibly because some of us are close in age and we kind of grew up together, possibly because I always referred to my Grampa as my substitute Dad, or possibly because we are a close knit group when it comes down to it. They all have their strengths but as a whole, look out! They could kill you in a game of trivial pursuit, out sing you in a sing star battle and drink you under the table.
So it really comes as no surprise that I have somehow managed to surround myself with a strong group of friends over the years. I always refer to one of my long time besties, Bianca, as the strongest person I know. She is a super woman. Seriously.
Bianca and I went to high school together way back when and while we attended the same school, it wasn’t really until Year 11 that we became friends. There was a brief one week long friendship during Year 8 camp when we shared a room with eight other girls  (and I admired Bianca’s sunflower shoe string strap summer dress and her sandshoes that went with it), but that friendship was short lived. Once we were back at school again following camp, we never really spoke. That was until we hit our second last year of high school. As soon as we became friends, we were as thick as thieves.
Following our graduation from high school, it wasn’t long before Bianca and I moved out of home and into a rental together. Good lord…there are so many stories that I could share with you but honestly, I can’t bring myself to type them out. They are mortifying.  We battled along together with little cash and lots of partying but then there were the times when we’d just put our PJs on, hire DVDs (actually, I think they were videos back then) and eat ice-cream together for whole weekends. Bianca and I could laugh for hours with tears running down our cheeks and we never took ourselves very seriously. All we did was laugh.
We’ve been through a lot together in the last 15 years and I’ve watched as she has grown into the most amazing woman and mother. I’ve seen her meet her fiancé and make the most gorgeous little babies. Miss Super Woman has always been strong. Whatever crap gets thrown her way; she takes it on and sorts it out. Her life in Darwin just amazes me completely. Not only is Bianca a fabulous mum to her gorgeous three children, she also works full time, studies and is engaged to a man who works in the armed forces so more often than not, he is away from home with very little contact for months on end. And yet, with all of this going on, Bianca is completely selfless. Honestly, she is 100% selfless. She could be having the worst day or the worst week but you’d never hear her complain about it. She is always there for all of her friends no matter what, she is so upbeat and happy all the time and she just radiates goodness. Pure gooey goodness.
There are often times when I’m tired and exhausted, and I’m juggling a few things at once (you know, going to and from work, being tired, trying to exercise…pathetic how busy I think I am) and my mind always wanders to Bianca and I ask myself how she does it. Seriously. Three kids. A job. Studying. A fiancé. A sister. A friend. Super woman!

I love that Bianca is my friend. She seriously is one of a kind. Bless.
Love to you all,

Saturday, April 14, 2012

THE ONE WITH MUSIC + MEMORIES

Saturday, April 14, 2012
Anyone who knows me knows that I love music. I love everything about it. I enjoy nothing more than singing at the top of my lungs and dancing like I’m in a club when really I’m just in my lounge room. I love going to concerts. I download new songs for my iPod every week. The 2am karaoke escapades are where you see the real me. And it ain’t pretty (isn’t that right Mel B…? So many laughs, so many laughs). And doesn’t everyone love memories that come when you hear certain songs? So many memories pop up for me when I hear music. Some I’d really rather forget too. You know, like the 5am last song before the lights come on memories. Why are those ones still ever so fresh in the mind? Cringe.

I’ve always had the most amazing musical plan mapped out in my mind for our wedding day. I thought that I was Miss Thang with my musical prowess and the way I went from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner music to dancing to farewell so magically. That was until I discovered a few things:

1. We’re not allowed to play recorded music during our church ceremony. All music must be played by organ. Not ideal as I had a whole instrumental number lined up by way of The Verve. Disappointing.
2. The cost of the French jazz trio I fell in love with after a late night Saturday session Googling said band is almost as much as the entire wedding itself.
3. And I can’t even talk about how much of a shock I received when researching bands for the reception…costly. Ever so costly.

So, I’m going to rethink my wedding music until I get it absolutely spot on because music makes me happy and I want our wedding guests to have the most amazing night. To the coolest soundtrack that I can compose.  I’m going to weigh up every single musical option, cost and song so I get it just right because music is going to make the reception a truly awesome night.

Turns out, there is one thing I’m sure of though and that is I think I finally have my ‘something borrowed’. You see, I love the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. I’ve just never been able to come up with my something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. That was until I was going over my musical styling’s and remembered that one of the songs I had imagined being played while Ryan and I sign our marriage certificate was actually the song that my aunty Felicity walked down the aisle to. So, while this ‘something borrowed’ may not be a physical object, I think my ‘something borrowed’ is going to be her wedding entrance song ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’.

Now…just for fun, here are some of my more fun musical memories. I hope some of these will make you laugh, sing your heart out or bust a move.

Let’s Get Married (Jagged Edge) – reminds me of Catherine Saad (as she was way back then) and I dancing at Bourbon Street…worst nightclub on earth.

Milkshake (Kelis) – randomly reminds me of an old employer who gave me the Kelis CD for my birthday and we would play it in the office and shake what our mammas gave us.

Dilemma (Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland) – Shanelle, I won’t go into all the details out of sheer embarrassment but this reminds me of you!

We Are Family (Sister Sledge) – The Bywaters family on the old SingStar. Cheeseball fun.  This video is HILARIOUS.

Do You Feel Me (Anthony Hamilton) – every time I hear this song, I think of Ryan.  

Stronger (Kanye West) –triggers my curiosity for Kanye.

I’ll Make Love To You (Boyz II Men) – Row A at Boyz II Men concert a mere five years ago with Catherine as we relived our youth. They still have it BTW.

Never Forget (Take That) – the obsession, the stake outs, the chasing, the tears, the VHS concerts, the teenage crush. Louise, they were our One Direction.

Rise & Fall (Craig David ft Sting) – my sister and I would duet this song together ALL. THE. TIME when it was released and still to this day I call her and play this song down the phone singing along. I was Craig, she was Sting.

Bonnie & Clyde (Beyonce ft Jay Z) – makes me feel love

Love to you all,

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

THE ONE WITH SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Ah Easter, how I miss you already. Four days away from work, catching up with friends and family, fancy meals out, a pamper day with Shanelle, red wine, Easter eggs, my new risotto maker, DVD marathons. Unfortunately, it’s now back to the daily grind. Meh.

This year is a bit different for Ryan and I given we’re saving our pennies (except over the Easter weekend which saw our budget get thrown out the window for a few days…not so much) and therefore, we’re not going on any holidays in 2012. Super sad face. There is usually one slash two holidays for us each year giving us something to look forward to, something to get excited about as you battle your way through the long and tedious weeks of work. This year there is no holiday to look forward to. Meh again.

I had so been looking forward to Easter and the break from work, which let’s be honest I was in desperate need of, and now it’s over I have no countdown to anything. Except of course our wedding….in 13 months. Let's not forget about that. 

So it is with great pleasure that I’m now going to throw myself into full on wedding planning. Look out desk buddies, you may (scrap that, you WILL) be bombarded with excessive talk of wedding shoes, wedding favours, wedding flowers, wedding food, wedding everything, starting from now.

While we have our venues booked, our photographer and my dress confirmed, we still have a hell of a lot to get sorted. And so it begins. Luckily I’m already armed with gorgeous wedding stationary, notebooks, folders and a planner (courtesy of one desk buddy who may possibly regret showing an interest in anything wedding related once I really start talking her ears off). Now I just need to start crossing things off my list.

Oh and one thing before I go…this new risotto maker…it's life changing. No more stirring, no more uncooked rice after 30 minutes of adding stock cup by cup, no more agony in my right arm. Simply add ingredients, put the lid on and press a button. The end result: creamy, oozy, delicious risotto. Perhaps I’ll bring the risotto maker to New York and just whip up a batch for the wedding dinner. Save us some pennies right there. 

Love to you all, 

Thursday, March 22, 2012

THE ONE WITH WEDDING LOVE

Thursday, March 22, 2012
I have a cold. The sore throat, the runny nose, the sore feeling behind my eyes...meh. Double, triple meh.

So while trying to rest up on my couch and kick this germ as quickly as possible, I've been trawling through photos of couples on their wedding day.

 
These ones made me swoon "awww..."



Love to you all, 

Thursday, March 15, 2012

THE ONE WITH THE TERRIFYING BMI RESULT

Thursday, March 15, 2012
From slightly overweight (damn you BMI and your harsh words) to long and lean like Jennifer Aniston (my ideal) in the blink of an eye. Don’t I wish.

I keep seeing these purely disgusting ads on TV for some sort of magic potion that you drink and it expands in your stomach leaving hardly any room for you to eat food. Apparently Sophie lost 20kgs in 14 days by drinking this magic potion. The thought of these kind of ‘lose weight fast’ products makes me feel physically sick. Who on earth would put themselves through something so vile? After a bit of Googling, I’ve discovered some horrible side effects to these magic potions and know too well that they are actually more like the devils juice than anything else (not sure why but that instantly makes me think of Michael Jackson and his Jesus Juice. Eww).

Meal replacement shakes. Fat blaster tablets. Expand in the belly potions. NO, NO AND NO.

A well balanced diet and regular exercise leads to a healthy lifestyle - it’s not rocket science and everyone knows this is the healthy way to drop fat, but my goodness gracious me, it is hard work. How do I stop going for the trusty old favourites like hot chips and donuts and stick to nutrient rich quinoa, fresh vegetables, high protein meals and most importantly, sugar free snacks. HOW I ASK YOU. It seems impossible.

One of my favourite bloggers, Amanda @ Me Vs The Bulge, makes it seem so easy, even though from reading her blog I know too well that in fact, it’s not been easy at all. She is just so determined and strong willed. Inspirational she is. She has me hanging on her every word, simply because I love reading her story and seeing her progress. She is looking so amazing after losing something crazy like 25kgs. She is currently training for a Sports Model contest which is being held in a few weeks, and I can’t wait to see some photos because she already looks like a winner.  

But for me, there will be no sports model competition to get me motivated. Simply a white dress. One white dress that is going to change me in so many ways, and I’m mostly talking physically, sister. Kyha over at OneDay Bridal has sketched me a stunningly fabulous dress which gives me six months to get myself in tip top shape before she starts creating the dream dress. Scary but ever so exciting at the same time.

Love to you all, 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

THE ONE WITH HERB FARMING

Wednesday, March 7, 2012
It’s really just been one of those weeks at work, the kind of week that you find yourself sitting in disbelief at the random things people come to you with… “the printer says it’s out of paper….the fridge smells…is this the photocopier?... I don’t know how to use my own brain…can you think for me Natalie?”.

ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

All harmless questions yes, but surely there is more to life than cleaning out our office fridge?! It’s weeks like these that I find myself sitting on the train traveling to work, completely lost in my own thoughts as I brainstorm get rich quick ideas. The thought of no more sucky Sandringham train line is like a little piece of heaven.

Last week I found an article on herb farming. Is there anything I can do with that? Ryan was baffled when he received my email with the article attached. He called me straight away “Herb farming? Seriously….herb farming?”. I had to laugh because he was right. As if I was going to start herb farming. Although, I do quite like the idea of having my own little herb patch, planting them, nurturing them, packaging and selling them. How much could I make on a bunch of sage…two dollars? Hardly worth my time but I do quite like the idea. Home all day long, tending to my little herbs, relaxing with some tea in the backyard. Bliss.

If only I had a skill. Something I was good at. Something that could possibly turn into a nice little income. Reading magazines for a living? Eating donuts for cash? Going on luxury holidays to earn a wage?

One of my dear friends and I recently sat down and turned to each other in slight desperation trying to give each other some awesome, never before heard of, fabulous, millionaire making ideas. We came up with nothing. Nothing that hasn’t been done before. Nothing revolutionary. We resigned to the fact that we get paid pretty good money in our current jobs and that’s really all we need at the moment. Sigh, sigh, giant big fat sigh.  

It just takes one idea. Share a good one with me and I may even split my profits with you when I hit the big time. 

Love to you all, 

Monday, February 27, 2012

THE ONE WITH THE INTERVIEW

Monday, February 27, 2012
Congratulations on your wedding. How are you feeling now that it’s all done and dusted and you’re Mrs. Kemp?
Thank you. I feel great, happy, relaxed and proud to be the new Mrs. Kemp. There is a part of me which is sad that it’s all over now as I had such a great time planning and organising the big day. And look how gorgeous my new husband is.

You made a stunning bride. Tell us about your dress?
Thanks. My dress was inspired by two dresses that I had seen in a magazine the day Lee asked me to marry him. Off I went to Baccini & Hill and they were able to create something with the same style for me which included the antique lace from the 1950’s.


Did you have a theme or a look that you were going for with the wedding?
Ha ha. Lee would even be able to answer this question as all he heard me say was ‘vintage, edgy and1950s’, so I guess that answers the question. We also wanted to incorporate our kombi in there so the boys arrive in ‘Norm’ our kombi and it made a great prop for photos too.
 
You were quite the organised bride. How did you find the whole planning process? Any tips?
I loved every minute of the planning process…almost as much as the big day itself! The whole thing was really fun. As you know I’m super organised, so my tip would be to book early to get what you want. I started off with an inspiration board and it just took off from there. I have a very distinctive style and decisive personality so that helped I guess.

What part of the wedding planning did you spend the most time on?
Hmmm, those amazing blue Badgley Mishka shoes. I managed to find the last pair on sale in a small little boutique in Canada which happened to be just the right size. The Bridesmaids dresses and shoes were a challenge to fit different shapes and sizes but we got there in the end. One other thing was the succulents for the wedding favours - there was a bit of planning and organisation that went into those but they were a big feature for the table settings and worth every minute.

Did you find any websites handy when planning your wedding?
Apart from the obvious stylemepretty.com and polkadotbride.com and lots of random blogs, Google images was my best friend. I found everything through Google images.

Your Dad gave you away at your wedding. How did you feel walking down the aisle?
I was worried I would be a crying mess. Luckily I was happy, relaxed, excited and able to take it all in. Once I hit the top of the black carpet, I almost cried but then looked up at Lee, winked at him (which is very odd for me) and then managed to hold it together. It was great to have dad share the aisle with me and I particularly love this picture of us.
I saw you wink at Lee from the top of the black carpet and I had to turn away because it made me tear up! Very very sweet.
I’m just obsessed with the photos that I’ve seen so far. OBSESSED! Where did you go for photos and did you have an idea of what you wanted your photos to look like?
The amazing, lovely, fabulous Sally Goodall was our photographer. The only way to describe this woman is that she is made of pure sugar. Not only is she professional and captures some amazing pictures, she is such a beautiful person to share the day with.


Tell us a little about the reception venue and the styling?
Butleigh Wootton is a beautiful old manor house based in Kew and as soon as we walked in on our first viewing, we fell in love with it. It’s traditional, intimate and perfect for us and what we were going for.

Your band were the fabulous White Tree who had everyone up and dancing. Did you have a favourite song they performed?  
They were great, weren’t they? I think my favourite was my entrance song; Songbird by Eva Cassidy, it was up there with the best! It was sung beautifully. I also remember loving ‘You’ve Got The Love’.

For those who weren’t lucky enough to be there and see the first dance fill them in….
Ha ha. Okay, the first challenge was convincing Lee that it was a good idea. His response was that if we are going to do a first dance, it can’t be too cheesy, can’t be too serious and “we will have to nail it”. After seven 45 minute lessons at ‘Let’s Go Dance’ in Brighton, we had a perfect little performance to a 1950’s swing song called Mr. Lee. The lyrics were perfect and the dance was actually one of my highlights of the night. There were a few technical moves as it was quite an energetic dance, so I had a little costume change also. We both loved doing it and I believe there is some video footage getting around.

I have to tell you, I was SUPER impressed. The dance was highly choreographed and complicated and you looked so professional.

I adored your wedding shoes so much that I’ve decided that I’m going to wear coloured heels for my big day. It was quite a mission finding those though, wasn’t it?
Ha ha, oh yes it was. But they were worth it. You may have noticed that I changed from my blue wedding shoes into Blue suede dancing shoes for the first dance. Having a shoe change was a great excuse for buying 2 pairs of fabulous blue shoes. I highly recommend a fun coloured pair of shoes which people may catch a glimpse of as you walk down the aisle.
And what did you choose for your bridesmaids outfits?
I went a little controversial as I wanted my bridesmaids to wear ivory.  My dress was oyster with ivory lace and I wanted them to match. I just love lace and the dresses we found for the girls were perfect. They all loved them but they didn’t come easy to find!
Pippa Middleton really started a trend with the white bridesmaids dress. It is such a stunning look and makes a great impact. Did you follow any wedding traditions?
I swore I would never throw a bouquet. After a few champagnes, I ended up throwing the bouquet. I love the traditional sit down dinner, cutting of the cake, first dance and all those things that I associate with weddings but a few tweaks like NOT wearing a garter, walking down a black carpet instead of a red carpet made the day more suited to us.

What do you think your guests will remember most about your wedding?  
Hmmm. Hard call, probably the dance. I would think some guests might not have much memory past 10pm. I’m hoping they all took their succulent’s home and they don’t kill them, which will be a nice reminder of our big day.

Do you have any advice for brides to be? Particularly those who are getting married in New York in fourteen months from now and are about to kick their wedding planning into overdrive?
Enjoy every minute of it and just don’t stress about it. I loved all the little things we had to organise, from the invitations to the seating plans, and it was so great to see everything come together on the day. I loved the night before the wedding with the girls too, getting ready and all of the excitement of the day. Oh and obviously seeing Lee standing there waiting for me to come down the aisle.

And now for the honeymoon. You’re planning a big trip later in the year?
Ohhh yes we are and I can’t wait for 3 weeks of holidays. Europe here we come.
 
It’s hard to believe that your wedding has been and gone after so much talk and discussion for the past year. Now is the start of your new married life with Lee. Sending you both lots of love.
And a very big personal thank you for letting me run all my ideas past you on the run up to the big day. Now onto your wedding. 


Love to you all,