It’s quite hard to believe that this year is coming to an end isn’t it? It’s been such a pivotal year for me, and definitely one that I’m going to always remember. 2018, you sure made your mark!

For todays post I thought I’d chat a little bit about the things I’m looking forward to in 2019..

Becoming an auntie.

I am oh so excited to be an auntie, it’s a fact I still can’t quite believe! I definitely don’t feel wise enough to be granted that role, but I’m sure I’ll get there one day. In March we will be welcoming a little boy into our family, and I can’t wait. We have my sisters baby shower in January too which will be lovely.

Going on honeymoon.

It feels like quite a long time coming, but we are heading off on a cruise in Dubai in February, and I’m looking forward to it so much, especially some sun! I’m definitely a summer baby and always happiest when the sun is shining, so I’m desperately longing to feel the heat. We still need to plan what day trips we want to do yet, so I’m going to do some research into what feels most suitable for us.

Our first wedding anniversary.

In summer 2019, we will have been married one whole year! As I’m writing this, I have no idea what we’ll end up doing, but I’m positive we’ll do something fun to celebrate.

Working with more brands.

I definitely want to work with more brands, both on my blog and Instagram (I’ll come on to that in a minute) next year. It’s so nice to build a relationship with brands and I find the process really rewarding. I’m really proud that I’ve had the chance to work with the ones I have already, and I’m hoping I can continue that in 2019. I also want to reach out to more brands too, which is something I haven’t done for months but I think it will push me out of my comfort zone a little, which is a good thing.

Building my Instagram.

I’m sure you know by now how much I’m enjoying Instagram, so in 2019, I’m setting myself a bit of a crazy goal. I want to reach 5,000 followers next year, and because I do partly believe in the law of attraction, I’m putting it out there into the world. I really do enjoy having goals to focus on, so that’s one thing I’ll be keeping in mind throughout 2019 to try and reach.

Learn how to knit.

A bit of an odd one, but I’ve been wanting to learn how to knit for years, and this Christmas I’ve chosen a small beginner knitting kit as a christmas present for my dad to get me! We are actually going away for a few days just after New Year for some relaxation, so I might take it with me then to cosy up on the sofa with.

What have you got to look forward to in 2019?

This is probably the only chance I’m going to get to post a little something before the big day, and I doubt many of you will be reading blogs at this time of year, I know it’s crazy busy isn’t it?

I wanted to pop on and say a huge thank you if you came over here and read any posts from me this year, we’ve reached over 75,000 views in one year which is just incredible, and quite magical I think. I appreciate every single one of you. Blogging is still one of my first passions, and I love that I can write something, send it out there, and you can read it from wherever you are and what you’re doing. Connecting with other people brings me so much joy!

I have a new blog post going live next week at some point, so maybe something for you to read if you’re having a chilled festive season. I will still be posting twice a week from then on, so nothing is going to change around here 😉

This year has been a huge year of transformation for me, and definitely not one I’m going to forget in a hurry.

Wishing you the best Christmas! Enjoy all the chocolates, take some well-needed time off, and if you find it tough this time of year, remember it’s only one day and you can do it.

See you next week! xxx

I really enjoyed putting together part one of behind the Instagram, so today I’m back with part two. In this version, I’m going to show you the before and afters too, aswell as all the behind the scenes stuff!

Lets start with the above picture, one of my most recent ones. I really love the effect of making things out of book pages, and it’s something I’ve done a few times before. I had the idea to try and make snowflakes, so I spent my Saturday morning watching Youtube tutorials and luckily, it was very easy to pick up! I couldn’t find any string to tie them together, so I used a gold necklace instead which you can’t really see. I actually asked Dan to take a picture of this with me outside, but it didn’t turn out how I wanted (plus I find getting other people to take them really stressful, anyone else?). I added some further detail in the Bokeh app, one of my go-to’s at the moment! I really love the finished look and the handmade feel of this picture.

I found the idea behind this ‘book tree’ on Pinterest, a place which I find so useful when you’re struggling for creative inspiration! I borrowed some of my stepdad’s books because I didn’t have many of the same size, added some fairy lights around them and laid on the kitchen floor, Dan stood over me to take it. The things you do for Instagram, eh? I edited it the same way I do with all my pictures, using Lightroom, and again the Bokeh app.

I love the playfulness feel of this picture! It’s one of my favourite I think, plus you can’t beat a candyfloss cloud can you? I added that in afterwards aswell as some mini marshmallows (which you can’t really see unfortunately), and some little snowflakes to add to the festive feel. I came up with this idea the same way I usually do with the others, when I’m trying to go to sleep!

Probably the most extreme of the before and afters, my book shoes! I did some leaf shoes, that you can see in my first post of this series, so I wanted to try something of the same vein again. I spent the morning trying to draw a decent pair of shoes on an old book page (one I didn’t love that much, obviously) and then added them in using Photoshop, aswell as the stacks of books which I’ve used on previous pictures before. This was one of my most popular photos I think.

I’d love to know which picture is your favourite? x

This happy things post is going to be all about the festive feels, so if Christmas is your thing, you might like this one 🙂

#1 Buying some new baubles! Every year I like to treat myself to a couple of ‘special’ baubles, and this year I picked up a three star one from Homesense, and a lovely home scene from Sainsburys. It’s so nice seeing them on the tree.

#2 Having an excuse to eat all the chocolate. A chocolate santa on an evening? Sure thing. The odd celebration or two while watching the TV? There’s no harm in that surely. It’s the season after all. The lovely team at Thorntons send me over a cheeky elf to enjoy on these cold nights with a cup of tea and I’m so excited to crack into it! I always use to get a Thorntons treat from Santa when I was little, so it feels so nostalgic and comforting to be reunited with their delicious chocolate again. They are for sale on their website for £5.00 (£7.00 for personalisation!) , and I think it would make a great stocking filler, plus theres also a 3 for 2 offer on too!

#3 Festive reads. Around Christmas I like to get in the spirit by reading a few festive books, to really soak up all the magic. I’ve just finished One Day in December which I absolutely loved, so if you have any other recommendations for christmas books, I’d love to hear them!

#4 Getting all cosy! One of my favourite times of year is coming home from work, and turning on the Christmas lights and lighting the scented candles. It makes me feel so happy inside!

#5 Being at home. This month I’m going into quite a bit of a hibernation mode, which is completely opposite to last year when I was running around frantic trying to do all the festive things. But I’m loving being settled at home, watching Netflix and taking long hot baths whilst it’s so dark and cold outside.

#6 Wrapping presents. I love wrapping presents so much, and I always start at the beginning of the month so I can do it in sessions, and not feel overwhelmed with just how much I’ve bought to wrap up! I’ve been doing it this year with Vlogmas on in the background, and it makes me so excited.

#7 Festive Instagram pictures. Instagram is so festive and sparkly at the moment, and I’m lapping it up! I’ve tried to add the festive feel to my photos and lots of Christmas goodness, so I hope you like them if you join me over there. I’m enjoying seeing everyone else’s photos too, it’s so magical at this time of year.

#8 Finding the perfect present. I feel like with some of my presents this year, I’ve really nailed it. I can’t wait to see the faces of my loved ones when they open them up on Christmas Day.

#9 Christmas shoeboxes. A few weeks ago at work we did the Christmas shoeboxes for charity, and it always feels good to help people in need out, doesn’t it? I like to imagine all the children will love receiving their boxes and opening sweets, stationary and cuddly toys.

#10 Films galore! I’ve only watched one film this year, but I’m so looking forward to snuggling up over the next few weeks and watching loads of festive films!

Whats made you happy lately? Bonus points if its Christmassy 😉

If you’ve followed me for a while on Instagram, this summer you might have noticed that the style of my photos have changed slightly. Now, they are much more focused on creativity, playfulness, and a touch of imaginative/whimsical fun too. That’s not to say I didn’t think my other photo’s were good enough, I just found my passion in a place I didn’t even know existed at the time.

Instagram is a platform I’ve always felt like I used to struggle with if I’m being honest, I was never totally happy with what I shared, and my pictures didn’t make me joyful, or fufilled. I kind of just did it, because I thought I had to share something. It all felt lacklustre and empty.

When I discovered Kika’s instagram, thats when my eyes started to brighten a little. I realised that there was a creativity that I had which I wasn’t using, I wasn’t letting my imagination flourish in my photos, and more importantly, I wasn’t being myself. A while later, I signed up for Sara Tasker’s Instagram course, Bloom & Grow. I absolutely loved the whole course, and it made me feel refreshed and renewed about how I could use Instagram to express my individuality.

Fast forward, 5 or 6 months and I feel happier with what I’m posting on there, than ever.

I’ve also received such great feedback, and after putting in the effort, it seems that now my account is starting to grow too- but I’m trying not to focus on the numbers as much, and just focus on great feedback and posting pictures that excite me.

Of course there are times when I don’t feel creative, or have any photo ideas, and I’m working on those moments to not resist them, and stay grounded in the knowledge that it will always come back. There are also things I still want to work on and pictures I don’t feel I’m able to do justice right now, either because I don’t have a tripod/high ceiling, or ways of photoshop that I’m not great at yet. But that’s okay.

It feels so good to feel positive about the Instagram platform. Once I started posting what I loved on there, it changed my outlook on it completely. I hardly find myself moaning about it (or a lot less anyway), and I actually enjoy logging on and using it.

Who knew? Maybe social media can be good for us afterall.

How do you feel about Instagram? Do you have your own style on there?