{Our Wedding} Official Photographs

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Finally, I am able to pop these photo's up! All of these incredible photo's were taken by the talented Jacki Bruniquel, thanks so much Jax, Farmboy and I are so glad that we picked you to capture our special day.

 Here are a few highlights...

{I will be posting lots more in time and under particular headings with lots of tips for other bides-to-be!}

A little context for new readers...Farmboy and I chose to get married on his family dairy farm in the small town of Creighton, just outside Ixopo, KZN. He proposed in March this year and so began 6 months of prepping and planning and convincing my Dad that yes, I really did want to get married amoungst the cows! 

Words can't even begin to explain the hard work that was done by family and friends to get the barn and the shed ready for our big day. You see, the farm is a real life working farm. The Shed (where we had our reception) is the home to the calves after they have been removed from their mums. The Barn (where our ceremony took place) was used for storage and the shearing of sheep, as well as the home to a very special little owl.

So, with that in mind, Farmboy and his Dad set about hand crafting all 18 tables, I set about sourcing vintage plates, knives and forks, champagne glasses and mahogany tiffany chairs (who would have ever thought this things would be so hard to get hold of!) and so began the wedding prep!

To everyone that lent a hand, an afternoon or even an entire month to help make our dreams come true, we love you all so much, and it would never have been possible without you!

An {engagement} tea party

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Last weekend we celebrate the recent engagement of our dear friends Ryan And Liesa (who own the awesome Rollin Vintage and Friends store in Howick...click here to see some pic's of the store). 

Farmboy and I were there to chink glasses with the happy couple and wish them all the best for their wedding...What a happy day!


The lovely couple









Our Wedding Venue...{The Set Up}

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Here are a few gorgeous photo's from our special friend Sophie of Sophie Smith Photography

(if you can remember, Soph did our engagement shoot a few months back and we were thrilled with the photographs...these are no exception!). 

Sophs, thank you for capturing these special moments, and for being on hand to help out with all of the preparations!! 

These photo's will give you a little bit of an idea of all the hard work that went on behind the scenes to make our dream venue a reality. These are just photo's from The Shed. The Barn, where our ceremony was held was a little dark to capture properly, so will post those as well as all the official piccies from our photographer Jacki Bruniquel soon!

These lovely ladies were incredible with my flowers! Thank you Gail & Ren!!!! Lots and lots of love to you two! x

serious face, arranging those bird cages was hard work you know ;)

My Farmboy, making his handmade tables just right

Crockery was hired from 

A Vintage Affair

 in Joburg! They were so delightfully perfect on the tables, I was thrilled!

The Hutton Brothers, enjoying some tea!

Weather proofing The Shed! The day before the wedding it poured with rain! We were so worried the same would happen on the day, but it was all sunny clear sky's on our Big day!

Tea break time!

Tired busy bee's!

#PhotoOfTheWeek...Balance

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Last week's theme for our photo challenge was Balance. I love how each and every one the submissions is unique! And how each and every team member is getting so creative with their shots, well done everyone, they are awesome!

This week we have a new member to welcome to the team...so welcome Cayleigh! I can't believe how this little challenge has grown over the last 6 months! Looking forward to seeing your piccies Cayleigh :)

Taken by: Cayleigh S
"There's no secret to balance, you just have to feel the waves"
Taken by: Kaylee

"Heels"
Taken by: Kayleigh
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving"
Taken by: Keith

"A balanced meal"
Taken by: Natalie

Taken by: Tanya
"Balancing Act"
Taken by: Megan

Taken by: Sue-Anne
"Tongue to balance tail"
Taken by: Roxy

Meet {Amy Borrell}

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Amy Borrell is a freelance Illustrator and Designer based in Melbourne.
She has a BA in Design (Honours) from RMIT and spends her days working
on all kinds of lovely projects with clients across publishing, fashion and 
retail; whilst drinking lots of tea!

{You can visit her blog here and click here to visit her shop to own some prettiness for yourself}

If you have ever read the Frankie Magazine (you really should if you haven't, you can get yourself a copy here) you would definitley spy her illustrations throughout the magazine, as well as their 2012 Journal.

How lovely is her work! I want to have all her illustrations framed and hanging all over my house...





 


Simple *Face Wash* {review}

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Wandering the aisles of Clicks I found myself doing a double take when I came across the Simple range of products. The Simple range of skin care products have been voted the number 1 skincare range in the UK. All their products are free from dye, artificial pefume & harsh irritants and are perfect for even the most sensitive of skin.

I was very keen to try the Simple Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash, since it is 100% soap free, contains pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E and bisabolol. The texture is creamy and goes on smoothly, I'm not too crackers about the smell (it sort of doesn't really smell like anything, and compared to the delicious scent of StayClear (click here) it sort of doesn't really smell like anything...but I guess thats the whole idea behind it having no artificial perfumes!

It does the job well enough, doesn't leave my skin too dry after use, and definitely feels 'kind', but I won't be making this purchase again. The prices are very reasonable though, and if you are on the look our for a product that you can actually decipher the ingredient list on the back then give this one a try :)

Find it at your nearest Clicks & Dischem for +-R47




Andrew & Bianca {Wedding}

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A few weekends ago Farmboy and I headed off to Balito to celebrate our sister (well, our sister-in-law's sister, so I guess that makes her our sister too?!...geewizz family titles sure do get complicated!) at Collisheen Estate.

It rained, and rained, and rained the whole day...but the clouds gave the entire celebration a very romantic ambiance. 
Here are some photographs from the day...
 
 
 
My handsome hubby
 
as of a month ago...my new brother and sister-in-laws :)
The Handsome Hutton clan

#PhotoOfTheWeek...Bright

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This past week's theme for our weekly photo challenge was 'Bright'. Well done to everyone whi submitted a photograph! They are really great! 

Every week, the team is given a theme (each team member is given a chance to choose the theme for the week) and then each person has 7 days to take the perfect picture. It can be as edited or as natural as you like, the only rule is it has to be submitted to me by Sunday evening (South African time) so that I can get the post up asap on Sunday night/early Monday morning! 

And we have a host of new members to welcome to the team...Tanya (you can visit her blogs here and here, and Sue-Anne. Welcome ladies! I'm looking forward to seeing your photographs!

If you'd like to join in, just drop me a line at citygirlsearching@gmail.com and I will send you that week's theme and you can get started right away!

Taken by: Kayleigh
"Hello Mr Sunshine"
Taken by: Megan
"Bright Light"
Taken by: Roxy

Taken by: Tanya
"Hidden Brightness"
Taken by: Natalie

Taken by: Sue
"Bright Water"
Taken by: Tammy
"Bright Red"
Taken by: Sue-Anne

{Inspiration}

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I wanted to share these beautiful images from one of my favourite blogs, A Creative Mint. Each and every photograph leaves me feeling more and more inspired. I hope they do the same for you.

This collection came from her colour inspired set of posts entitled *Spring*

Have a wonderful Sunday
xxx





Rollin Vintage & Friends {Howick}

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After a tiring Saturday morning spent stand up paddling with Ryan & Liesa, we headed on over to their shop Rollin Vintage & Friends to see how the shop has been coming along. And all I can say is wow! I first posted about their exciting new venture into realm of retail in May this year (click here to see where they started off) and I can only say that the shop is booming and looking absolutely fantastic!
In their own words:
"Rollin Vintage & Friends grew out of an appreciation for Proudly South African, hand crafted, recycled goods.

As our personal business Rollin Vintage grew, we wanted to expand our horizons and venture forth into the retail world. We bumped heads with consignment, mark ups, bad attitudes and service toward our product. One morning Ryan woke up with an idea that changed all of this for us.To start a shop where we could represent the crafter, selling their items at their prices and on their behalf, giving them the best service and value for money - Rollin Vintage & Friends was born.

We have sourced products which meet one or all of the following criteria - being hand crafted, proudly South African and Recycled. We want to promote crafters who are taking a chance on their skill and living their passion - doing what they love"

Here are a few snaps from the store, click here to see more!






{Movember Madness}

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Happy 1st November everyone! Or rather, I should Happy Movember!

Last year, to celebrate, Farmboy and I held a little Movember Mixer here in Pietermaritzburg to get all our friends into the spirit of Movember. Basically it's really just an excuse to guys to grow those tufts of hair on their upper lips for one month in the year, and use the excuse of 'Im doing this for charity' when the girlfriends complain ;) but really, Movember is all about supporting and raising awareness for about prostate and testicular cancer. And it's not just for guys, girls can become Mosisters, to support hairy men (now I'm not saying you should let a jungle grow under your arms, you can sport a top tash like mine in the pictures below!).

To find out more visit www.movember.com

Here are some snaps from our bash last year, we are hoping to do the same this month too! If you are around the PMB area towards the end of November, feel free to pop in! Details of the event will be on my Facebook page....


Beautiful Wedding Dresses {Grace Loves Lace}

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After hunting down my perfect wedding dress (which i eventually had made right here in Pietermaritzburg >> photo's to follow soon!) I have been really interested to see if anything similar has been done/is stocked here in South Africa...alas, to the best of my knowledge, most bridal shops stock your traditional cupcake meringue-eske dress (which I must add looks gorgeous on some) but which was just not my cup of tea. 
Then I saw these images on fellow SA born blogger Jessica-Lee's blog, and I just had to share them with you.
Grace Loves Lace is based in Australia, and each dress is made to order. Their prices range from +-R7000 (exl postage) and upwards.
"At Grace we personally hand make stunning ready-to-wear wedding dresses from the finest French laces and silks together with gorgeous veils & accessories . The collection takes inspiration from the ‘free-spirit’ of the Bohemian era and combines it with the charm and authenticity that exists only in the most beautiful vintage & antique heirloom pieces of yesteryear."

What's not to love about them...they are each so beautifully crafted, and so easy on the eyes, see for yourself:
all images from GraceLovesLace found via Diary-of-a-Day-Dreamer

#PhotoOfTheWeek...Love

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And we're back! After a 6 week break from the Photo Of The Week Challenge, we are finally back! 
How the challenge is works, is a theme is emailed out to everyone on the Monday, after which team members have until the Sunday to take one photo that they feel captures the theme. It can be as edited or as natural as you like. I just have to have the photo by Sunday evening so that I can put the post up on Monday morning.

Click here to see the previous photo's during the last 6 months of this challenge!

If you would like to take part in our Photo Challenge, simply drop me an email at (citygirlsearching@gmail.com) and I will add you to our mailing list. 

"Love: something to smile about"
Taken by: Rachel
"Mourners braving the rain to pay their respects to the former King of Cambodia outside the Royal Palace"
Taken by: Vicky

Some quick context:
The former King of Cambodia died 2 weeks ago and I have been amazed at the outpouring of love for this man. He was deeply revered by the people and many braved rain, distance and expense to come to the palace to pay their respects. Cambodians love the King deeply for securing the country's independence from France and he was referred to as King Father by the people and referred to Cambodians as his 'children.'
'Love & Friendship'
Taken by: Roxy
Taken by: Keith

'Puppy Love'
Taken by: Megs

If you would like to take part in our Photo Challenge, simply drop me an email at (citygirlsearching@gmail.com) and I will add you to our mailing list. The new theme for the week is sent out to everyone on a monday, and then each team member has until that Sunday evening to submit their photograph to me. It can be as edited or natural as you like...so go wild!

{Stand Up Paddling} Midmar Dam

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A few photo's of what we got up to this weekend with our newly engaged friends, Ryan & Liesa (whom you may recognize as the faces behind the awesome Rollin Vintage & Friends store in Howick).

We tried Stand Up Paddling, which is a whole lot harder than it looks, topped off with some hot coffee to help our tired bodies recover...and all this before 8 o'clock on a Saturday! And now it's time for a Sunday in bed :)


{Straws}

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I've had a few friends and readers ask me where I got the coloured straws that I used at our wedding, so I thought I'd do a little post on them :)
There aren't many places that sell them, especially in the Pietermaritzburg area (you can get them at the decor/party shop at the Cascades centre here in Pietermaritzburg, but they are pretty pricey there). On the other hand, pop online and order them from In Good Company ...they have loads of different colours too!
Here are some snaps of my little collection




30 super household cleaning tips!

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This isn't usually the sort of thing that I blog about here, but...being a newlywed, these tips are just too darn useful not to share! Thank you to my favourite South African magazine, Idea's! Your monthly magazine is what I most look forward to at the start of each month :) 

You can follow Idea's for lots of design and decor inspiration on Pinterest (click here), and Facebook (click here).




1 Minimise odours in your fridge by placing an open container of bicarbonate of soda or a piece of coal on one of the shelves.

2 Remove rust from chrome by wiping it down with tinfoil that has been dipped in cola. To polish chrome, rub with a crumpled piece of tinfoil.

3 To clean an electric drip coffee maker, fill the reservoir with half water and half vinegar. Place a clean filter paper in the basket and run through the machine’s entire cycle. Repeat twice more using plain water.

4 Add half a cup of bicarbonate of soda to your wash cycle to help remove stains and odours from your washing.

5 Polish stainless-steel cutlery by rubbing the pieces with a cloth dipped in vinegar.

6 To help avoid a clogged drain, put a few tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda into the drain every couple of weeks and flush it down with hot water.

7 Before squeezing a lemon, heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds. This will increase the quantity of juice that you will be able to extract from the lemon.

8 A mixture of dishwashing liquid and sugar is effective for removing oil and grease from dirty hands.

9 Make your candles last longer by placing them in a plastic bag and putting them in the freezer for 24 hours before lighting.

10 Clean the bottom of an iron by sprinkling coarse salt onto a clean cloth placed on top of your ironing board. Set your iron to its highest setting and then iron back and forth over the salt.

11 To descale a washing machine put a cup of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser and then run the machine empty through a complete hot wash cycle.

12 Use cornflour to remove oil stains from delicate fabrics. Cover the stain with cornflour. Leave for a few hours. Shake the clothing free of the flour and then hand wash, or wash on a gentle machine cycle, using a detergent that is suitable for delicate fabrics.

13 Stop drawers from sticking on their runners by rubbing a bar of soap across the runners to make them glide smoothly.

14 Clean a microwave by adding four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. boil for five minutes in the microwave, allowing the steam to condense on the inside, then wipe with a soft cloth.

15 Clean stainless-steel appliances by wiping with a small amount of baby oil on a napkin.

16 Remove cat and dog hair from clothes and furniture by rubbing the items with damp rubber gloves.

17 Add two teaspoons of vanilla essence to each one-and-a-half litres of paint to reduce overpowering paint smells.

18 Remove mildew by mixing one part bleach with 11 parts water. Wearing rubber gloves, use a sponge or soft-bristled brush to apply the solution. Rinse with a damp sponge and wipe down.

19 Remove rust stains on white clothes by applying a mix of cream of tartar and lemon juice. Leave to dry, rinse thoroughly then wash as usual.

20 Retard grease build-up in your oven by periodically wiping the interior with a vinegar-soaked cloth.

21 Remove rust stains on white clothes with a mixture of cream of tartar and lemon juice. Apply the mixture to the stain, leave to dry then rinse thoroughly before washing as usual.

22 Remove deodorant stains from a garment by dissolving two aspirins in a little warm water and applying the paste to the stain. Leave the paste to dry, then brush it off and launder the garment as usual. Be sure to test this on a hidden spot first to see whether the fabric dye holds.

23 Erase scuff marks on smooth leather shoes by rubbing the marks with the cut edge of a raw potato and then buffing.

24 Clean a narrow-necked vase by filling it with hot water and a couple of fizzy denture-cleaning tablets. Leave to stand overnight, then rinse and dry.

25 Sanitise a cutting board by using a scrubbing brush and a mixture of one teaspoon of bleach with one litre of water. Do not rinse. Let the board air-dry on its side.

26 Remove old paint stains from wood or plastic by softening with linseed oil. Wipe off. For tougher stains, use a razor blade and carefully scrape off.

27 Clean your coffee grinder by grinding acupofriceinit from time to time. This will sharpen the blades at the same time.

28 Make your home smell fresh by simmering orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves and abayleafinapot of water for half an hour.


29 After you have cleaned your paintbrushes, rinse them in a little fabric softener to make them softer for the next job.


30 To remove stains from a teapot, fill it with cold water. Add a little chlorine bleach or a fizzy denture-cleaning tablet. Leave for an hour then rinse thoroughly.

{Blogging} How to Centre your Header Image

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The first time I uploaded a header image (instead of the default text that Blogger automatically uses when you first start a blog) I was left with an image I really liked, but some rather nasty looking 'space' towards the left. Here's how to fix that :)

1. Upload your header image (Layout > Configure Header > Upload)

2. Go to Template Designer (Template > Customize) and click on the following in the top left of your screen: Advanced > Add CSS and add the following piece of code

.header-outer {
margin-left:260px;
}

Now you will need to adjust the “260″ value, depending on how large your header is, and how wide your blog is, so just play with the number until it looks right.  (the smaller the number, the more to the left your header will move, and the larger the number, the more your header will move to the right)




And there you have it...Easy peasy :) Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to help you with your blog.

xxx

Blogging Tips {new series on the blog!}

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Dear readers {friends, family and other lovely people who follow my blog!}.

 I am starting a new series here on CityGirlSearching entitled Blogging Tips which will feature simple & easy tips to help you make your blog look and feel 'better'. 

I hope this series of posts is useful to you, let me know if they are and if there is anything you are looking for in particular, and I will do my best to find the easiest and simplest way to do it.

For the time being, these tips will be {design/layout} based, there might be a few {content} based tips thrown in along the way :)

**as this blog is hosted by Blogger, I will be sharing these tips & tricks for Blogger blogs. If you are using using another blogging platform eg Wordpress, i'm afraid these tips won't be of too much use to you. But, in the future, I'm hoping to expand to include those platforms too! So stay tuned**

I will be posting the first blogging tip tomorrow!

See you then

xxx