I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy and peaceful New Year. I hope that it’s very kind to you all, and brings lots of exciting things. Personally I’m looking forward to a lot of changes (moving out of London, change of career direction, starting another blog, becoming a Mrs) and as the image below says, just being happy. And worrying less.
Thank you for your continued support, means a lot xx

{images via pinterest}

One of my resolutions for next year is to take more pictures, and to do that I’d love a digital SLR to help me take photos that look that bit more special. But for now I’m quite happy to snap away with my iPhone and use Instagram to instantly create a different spin on the image:

{from top: our Christmas tree // our festive living room // Chelsea by night}

I feel like a proud parent. My beloved blog turns 1 year old today, and, my… hasn’t she grown (see here for my first ever post. Bless). I can’t believe how much has changed in a year. I dipped my toes into the blogosphere after reading so many others day in day out, and thinking, really, how hard can it be?! So, turns out, pretty darn hard! But, y’know what… it doesn’t matter. As I’ve said before, {what you fancy} is my creative relief from an oh-so-corporate day job, and it doesn’t matter how exhausted or cross-eyed I am from staring at a computer screen all day, blogging never gets old.
But it’s not just the actual blogging that I love; it’s the community that comes hand in hand. It’s the newfound friendships between like-minded people, the sheer extent of the creativeness that exists out there, the emails, the tweets, the pinning, the instagramming, but most of all, the feeling of ‘this is what I’m meant to do’. Twee, but true. I don’t know what direction it’s headed and where it’ll be this time next year (hopefully with a sister wedding site to keep it company), but if it’s anything like the past year it makes me unbelievably excited. Bring it on. I don’t want to sound all trite or anything, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your support, messages, and for visiting my little blog as often as you do. It means so much I can’t even tell you. And finally thank you to my amazing fiancé, who created this site based on my cobbled-together Powerpoint presentation… and still remains bewildered by my love of scatter cushions and “show candles”.

Now, remember those quizzes that you used to email to friends when you were a teenager, with a load of questions all about you? Howzabout a quick fire version. If we’re heading into our second year together, I think we should get to know each other better… (copy and paste into comments, and replace with your answers):
Where do you live? SW London
What do you do? Event manager by day, style blogger by night
Favourite high street store? Zara or Anthropologie
Favourite designer? Mulberry
Most visited website/blog? Pinterest
Favourite film? Anything with a wedding or a last dance
Style icon? Diane Kruger
Top of ‘laminated list’? Bradley Cooper
Weakness? Cheese
Aim for 2012? Escape the corporate world & escape to the country
Spending Christmas…? With family in Hertfordshire
Can’t wait to hear your answers! And thanks so much again, El xx

Because sometimes we need a reminder that the direction of our day is in our hands:

{image via Rue La La}
… this, my friends, is my most-used mantra. Works a treat.

Just a quick note from me this Friday. Day-to-day my blog touches on subjects that in the grand scheme of things, don’t really make a huge difference. It’s about the little details that decorate your life and that, if they’re your thing, may bring a smile to your face should you be having a particularly ‘blah’ Tuesday. Therefore on days like today, I feel especially humbled by those who have served their country and given the ultimate sacrifice in order that we are able to enjoy the freedom that we do today. So to all those who are either no longer with us, enjoying their retirement or still fighting for us to this day, I will remain ever grateful and in awe. Happy weekend everyone.

{image via pinterest}