And the winner is...

And the winner of a very pretty package of stationery is..

Well done Jowhara! Please get in touch with your postal address, and I will send your package off to you very soon.

And to every single one of the 151 people out there who entered my giveaway, THANK YOU for entering.

My online store will be up and running {SOON} and then you too can have a slice of pretty-ness. I am fighting with the postal service in South Africa (that is the holdup) everything else is up and ready to go. As soon as I win the battle, you will all be the first to know.

Have a wonderful weekend!

x

Life After the Dress {Episode 3}...Irene Woodhams

Today I am introducing you all to the lovely Irene. Irene is my third guest here on the blog in my new blog series entitled {Life After the Dress}. In this series I am interviewing real woman and asking them questions about their lives after their wedding day. I am asking them real questions about their marriages, and of course having them give me and you some pearls of wisdom that they might like to share. If you would like to read more about this series, or if you would like to be featured here on the blog, click here or you can drop me an email here or leave me a comment below.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)
My name is Irene (Lulu to family and close friends) and my husband’s name is Moresby. I am 57 and Moresby is 61. I do a little freelance work as a Kitchen Designer and sell retro/vintage items. My blog is called ‘Lulu, Yesteryear Redeemed’. Moresby is a mathematics teacher. We have been married for 34 years (next month) and have two sons. We have lived in the same house for 32 years! To some this might be boring but to us, our home is full of memories!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?
Oh dear, I have not thought about Disney characters for a very long time! I would say I am a little like Snow White who has a cheerful, trusting nature and motherly character. 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?
A group of people from our church would meet in the Addington Hospital Chapel before going off to visit patients who did not receive visitors. I remember the day Moresby walked into the small chapel and I thought, wow, what a nice looking guy! He had his hands in his pockets and a friendly smile on his face. 7 
months later we were married! Many family and friends thought that we were rushing but we knew that the Lord would be the foundation of our marriage. I was 23 and Moresby was 27.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Our wedding was wonderful. We got married on 21 December 1979. I don’t just mean the pretty things on the table or the flowers. Even after all these years, I have memories of holding my dad’s arm and how emotional he was as he walked me down the isle. The excitement and smile on Moresby’s face that I was about to become his wife. The pastor’s message. How we held hands as we said our vows to each other and to the Lord. And lastly as we turned to leave the church and saw everyone sharing in our joy! 

My advice to brides-to-be is to enjoy every moment of your wedding day because it all goes by so quickly! Ask family and friends to take lots of photos – often they capture special moments which the photographer doesn’t. 

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be? 
To be honest, all I hoped for was our marriage to be a happy one. But we both realized that to be happy we would always have to consider each other. We decided that we would never make a decision no matter how small without consulting the other. We still do it to this day. As the years passed we bought a home, had children, lived on a tight budget so that I could be at home with the boys and then we went through the teenage years! All those experiences brought happiness and challenges to our marriage. Sometimes we reacted differently and had to find a way to work through the situations together. Or at times one was stronger than the other and visa versa. The greatest joy was having children. I could not imagine my life without them.

Now that 34 years has passed we don’t sweat about the small things like we used to, we now joke and laugh at each other – most times! We have come full circle – the boys have left home (sometime ago!) and we are on our own once again and 
loving it!! 

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?
I am still the same person with the same values and beliefs. Maturity and life experiences over the years has taught me to be a little calmer and to wait on the Lord for change. What makes it sweeter is that Moresby has been my anchor when I have been emotional (blame it on my Greek heritage!) and I felt like a little boat bopping up and down on the sea of life.

I still have my wedding dress so I pulled it out and ironed it to photograph it for all to see. It is still in good condition, as if it was made yesterday except I that I can no longer fit into it!

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
happy, content, safe. 

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you've learnt the hard way?
Oh yes! Chat about everything BEFORE you get married e.g. each others role in the marriage, finances etc. Ask advice and guidance from older couples who set a good example. Good marriages don’t just happen, it takes communication and hard work . Always appreciate your spouse’s good qualities. If you only focus on each others faults and weaknesses you will become discontented. I know it can be hard at times! Remember, love is not a feeling: it is an unconditional commitment. Trust and forgive because there will be many times when you will need forgiveness! And lastly, try your best to respect and talk kindly to each other. I admit it is not always easy but you will reap the rewards if you do. 

To my husband: Thank you for being honest and kind. A man who loves the Lord and a good example to our sons. On a lighter note: thank-you for helping me make our bed every day for the last 34 years!
Ephesians: 5:33 "However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband"

You can find Irene at the following places:
Blog LuLu-Yesteryear Redeemed
Facebook: Lulu Shop

If you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! If you would like to be featured here in this series, please do drop me a message here, I'd love to hear from you.
x

Blogging...Where to Begin. Day 4 of our {Creative Business} Series

Welcome to Day 4 of our Creative Business series.  So far we've had Caitlyn answer the question: 'What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business?' on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. Megan addressed the question: ‘Should you combine many passions or just choose one?” on Megan Galloway Growth Coach. Ilze write on: 'The importance of Professionalism – website & photo’s' on Ilze Louw Photography, and now here I am to introduce you to the world of blogging.

Blogging. Everyone seems to be doing it and as a newbie blogger it can all seem very intimidating.

But that's where I come in. I will be sharing with you tips for starting your blog as well as some advice for growing your blog and getting it to where you want to be.

If you have any questions at anytime, feel free to pop me a line on Facebook, or drop me a comment below this post. 

A blog is a 'mini-website' in that you ideally are able to run everything by yourself, without having to have designers make changes for you. A blog is a space for you to share what you love with the world, to journal, to keep memories and of course as a space for you to market and sell your product.

Here are some of the most popular blogging platforms, all of which cost nothing to set up:

Wordpress (to be clear I am referring to the free version of Wordpress, click here for more info), Blogger. Tumblr

My blog used to be on "Blogger" and that is why it had the 'blogspot' segment on the end. It is completely free and was my favourite platform due to it being so very user friendly and easy to navigate around. Also, it is implemented with Google so if you use Gmail/Google Plus etc everything works seamlessly.

Wordpress is another favorite in the blogging world, but I find it isn't as user-friendly as Blogger. But, if you have to time to fiddle and play around it can be a lot more powerful!

To go "dot com" and drop the 'blogspot/wordpress" you have to buy a domain name through a site like GoDaddy for Blogger, and through Wordpress.com for Wordpress (to learn more about the difference between Wordpress & Wordpress.org click here).

I launched my new website (this one) last year on a relatively new platform called SquareSpace (see image above). It doesn't have a free version (only a 14 day trial for users to test to see if they like it) but with the paid for package it includes a domain name, so you don't have to worry about going through an external site like GoDaddy. And the templates are just gorgeous! Have a look for yourself...click here. Their target markets are artists (photographers, designers, small business owners and bloggers) and their platform is built on providing users with a media rich experience. Think clean lines, and beautiful design. I am so happy with them! My blog looks a lot more professional with SquareSpace and I am able to change all the design myself without any coding!

At the end of the day, what platform you choose is all about personal preference. I know people are often very interested in Wix as their marketing is very good and you often see their adverts all over Facebook, but I found Wix was to hard to make changes an their free platform is very limiting. I would stick with bloggger or make the move straight away to Squarespace if you want to be taken seriously. 

This is a really important question to ask yourself before you even think about starting as it will form the building blocks of your business/brand. This is different for everyone. Some people enjoy seeing their words and thoughts come alive on the page, others enjoy the feeling of affirmation that comes from gaining another follower or like on Facebook. I have loved meeting new friends through my blog, as well as the outlet it has given me to be creative, something I never dreamed was possible.

Whatever your reasons are for first wanting to start your blog, write them down (I've created a fun brainstorm printable for you to download and print out to help you along your way), so when you start to feel guilty for not having written a post in months don't beat yourself up about it. Instead, go back to your list and remind yourself of the real reasons you wanted to blog in the first place, I'm sure you will feel inspired to get started again. You will go through times of frustration with your blog, and sometimes all thats needed is a little time off to feel inspired again.

BUT if the main motivation behind why you want to start a blog is to make money or to get sent items to review, then I am terribly sorry to bust your bubble but this only happens to a tiny amount of bloggers. If your main goal is to make money, your readers will very quickly pick up on this and stop reading. Your readers want to be entertained, inspired and motivated, so give them that. If you are passionate about your content your readers will be too!

As important as the why is behind your blog, your branding is what differentiates you from everyone else and makes your blog special. If you take your blog seriously, so will everyone who reads it. One way to make that leap into the realm of 'seriousness' is by building a brand around your blog. To help you with this, you need to create a consistent message, and have everything you do, on and off the blog, send the same message. Think email signatures, blog headers, blog side bars, business cards, stamps, personalized stationery...the list is endless. And all of this needn't cost a fortune. The simplest way to build the foundation for your brand is with choosing a particular colour scheme, fonts and a basic design. You can get the help of a graphic designer if you really want to go that extra step, but the majority of the basic blogging platforms like Blogger, offer loads of customization options built into them. Think about your target audience (are they young and funky, in which case bright colours would work well. Or are they slightly older and more conventional in their thinking? Then a modern, clean and classic design and layout would probably work better).

By filling in the free mind map printable found below, you will be able to build your brand around the 'What do you love' section. If you love nature and the outdoors, your chosen colour scheme might revolve around earthy colours like khaki and emerald. Here is a great website to get your mind around colour combinations...Design Seeds. Here are a few more tips for the basic design of your blog to help you formulate your brand {click here}

After you've given some thought to your branding, now here comes the hard part. Picking a name for your blog. Your blogs' name sets the tone for your brand (and of course will have implications for showing up in google searches) so pick carefully. See who already has your name, or anything similar to it with a basic google search. Choose something that won't be outdated in a few years (and you should definitely be seeing your blog in terms of the future and "In a few years time" kind of way. 

Don't let this overwhelm you. We all have to start somewhere (click here to see my first few blog posts, eek...I'm glad I have them to look back on!) we learn by experience and our tastes change as we get older. Embrace that and let your blog grow with you into something you are proud of. 

I find I am at my least creative when I stare at other peoples awesome blogs all day. I find I am unable to think of anything new or original to write about. How I deal with this (and I have my incredibly creative husband to thank for most of my ideas) is to go for a walk, camera in hand, and snap away at anything and everything that takes my fancy. Sometimes I take a notebook and jot down notes about my day, about the people I see around me, about the things I want to do with my life. Pretty soon I have a messy jumble of potential content for my blog. Look around your world, your office, your family, your community for idea's. Do you work with some strange and fascinating people, what about interviewing them on your blog? What about doing a post about a day in your life (with photo's of everything that makes your day unique)? The world around us is so rich with colour and life, its an endless supply of idea's if we just take the time to look.

I used to think that my blog would become popular by just reposting great content I found on sites like We Heart It and Pinterest. I've now come to realise that there are too many mediocre blogs out there that just repost other peoples creative content. That's why I try to post original content on my blog. That doesn't mean I don't 'borrow' idea's from other bloggers, but it does mean that if I want to showcase an awesome DIY lampshade, I will try to make that lampshade myself, take my own photo's and write in my own words how to go about making one yourself. And I always make sure to link back to the original source of the idea, as a way of saying thank you for the idea.

But now I'm getting distracted...the title of this tip is to take your own photographs. You really don't have to have an amazing camera to take incredible photo's. You just need to play, and fiddle with your camera and the angles to get your photograph just right. This is how I started getting into photography. Etsy has a great article on taking better product photographs, click here to have a read.

The most important thing with taking photo's for your blog is to take, and take, and take, and take some more! For this one photograph, it took 9 takes until I was happy with it one. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, you can always hit the delete button!

Most bloggers would probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but for me it works. I am a very organized person, I love to plan EVERYTHING and my favourite past time is making lists (can you say *nerd*). But I find that if I spend too long planning a blog post, I lose interest in it and it stays in my draft box for weeks, even months without ever seeing the light of day. If an idea comes to mind, I straight away log onto my blog, start a new post, and I just roll with it. I try not to leave it till the next day to finish it, as I often get distracted by the next post. In some ways I find this helps me stay inspired as I am always putting new content up, and my readers know that they can come back every day or so for something new. This pressure helps me to stay motivated to continue putting posts out there!

Your readers want to know about you, so be true to yourself. This doesn't mean gushing about each and every last detail of your day and how depressed you feel after finding out that your local Woolies Food was out of fresh basil. But rather, this means writing in your own voice and letting your personality shine through the page. Don't be scared to put yourself/your business/your idea's out there, your readers will respond to your 'genuineness'.

This is the question I get asked the most by my readers, and it's what I still ask myself! But, I'm afraid there is not secret. There is no hard and fast way to gain 100 new followers on twitter, or to get 1000 new page views in minutes. 

You just have to be patient. You have to provide content that your readers will enjoy, and you have to do so constantly. There is nothing worse than stumbling onto an awesome blog only to see they haven't updated since last year January. A good way to share the blog love is to leave comments on other blogs that you enjoy reading. It's a wonderful feeling getting just one comment on my blog (I am speaking from my own experience here) and if that is the case with you too, then why not take some time to leave thoughtful and meaningful comments on some of your favourite blogs. Don't feel that your one comment may mean nothing if there are 999 others on the blog, as a blogger I can tell you that each and every single comment leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Take some time to connect with your favourite bloggers on Twitter and Instagram, reply to each and every tweet your receive, as well as to each comment you may get on Instagram. This helps to build meaningful and long lasting relationships with your readers and followers.

Find your niche, whatever that may be, and stick with it. I have had a real hard time in narrowing down my focus here on CityGirlSearching, I was trying to do too much and was scared to commit myself to one box. I'm not a beauty blogger, but I like writing beauty reviews, I am not a travel blogger, but I do go to some amazing places and I want to share the photographs with my readers, I'm not an expert in fashion but I do like sharing the odd outfit post. All of these different elements led me to define myself as a 'lifestyle blogger' but I still don't let that term fully define who I am here on the blog. This blog is a space for me to share pretty-ness...be it in fashion, beauty, in the home or in another country.

Here are some of my favourite bloggers (some are local ladies, and others are International). Use this list as a guide & to learn from what these ladies are doing right. Focus on their blog design, their photographs, their content, see how they engage with their followers, and then apply it to your own blog:

Indieberries hilarious cartoons by local SA blogger Che

Nadia vd Mescht beautifully crafted blog by Durban creative Nadia

EmmaJaneNation one of the first blogs I ever started following by lovely local SA blogger Emma (her photography is gorgeous!

Vivianna Does Makeup one of my all time favourite beauty blogs written by Vivianna

A Beautiful Mess a funky and fresh lifestyle blog by Emma & Elsie

MilkTeef lovely beauty and lifestyle blog by the sweet Emma

Milk Bubble Tea such pretty-ness by Becky

WishWishWish fashion done right! A gorgeous blog by Carrie

SuperficialGirls another local SA lady; Carlinn, who focuses on fashion & beauty

PinkPeonies lovely Luzanne writes this beautiful beauty blog

PuglyPixel design tips and tutorials from the fabulous Katrina

Lost in Travels a travel blog to inspire your wonderlust (and lots of tips for traveling with your hubby, as well as keeping on a budget!) by Chelsea

Cupcakes and Cashmere a super inspiring lifestyle blog by the gorgeous Emily

I could go on for days about starting up your first blog, but the biggest piece of advice I can leave you with today is don't ever give up. I {often} have days where I feel like no one reads this blog, and that I put so much time and effort into it and I get so little back. Other days I want to high five ever person I see because I got more than 3 likes on a photograph on Facebook. If you are doing what you love, then it will never be work.

Above is a freebie printable I've created to help you in your blogging journey.

Try to fill it in before you start your blog, to give you more focus and direction. Here is mine, filled out and taped onto the wall, to help remind me of where I am and where I want go. Below is more detail to help you fill in the blog brainstorm printable.

*Why blog: jot down all the reasons you want to blog, from wanting to be a superstar celebrity to wanting to create a place to journal your thoughts and dreams. Nothing is too small or insignificant.

*What do you Love: write down all the things you love (eg family, friends, God, nature, fashion, beauty, design, interiors, photography...) then cross off those that are too personal, or those you wouldn't want to publish all over the interweb. What you are left with is a list of elements that make up you! This will help you with later on with your branding.

*Sharing your Love: list the ways in which you want to blog (through photographs, by writing, by drawing and illustrating, by creating cartoons and other graphic based content). This is how you will express yourself on your blog.

*Creating Content: List some of the ways I have outlined above here, and any others you can think of (reading other blogs, going for walks, photographing random events and elements, journaling...etc)

*Growing Readers: List some of the ways I have outlined above (networking, leaving comments on other blogs, tweeting, Facebook mentions, emailing potential clients/others in your industry) and add your own ideas too.

*Your branding: create a board on Pinterest (you can make it secret if you don't want anyone to see it just yet) and start pining every thing that takes your fancy from colours to fonts, to design, to blog layouts. Have a look at this board for some inspiration. You need to choose a maximum of 3 or 4 colours, then 2 fonts that you want to use to help keep your brand cohesive.

I hope you have enjoyed my post on blogging, and I hope that some of it has been useful to you. If you have any questions, please drop me a comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy blogging everyone

x

Getting to know you {Inspired by The Barn Blog}

The lovely Allyssa at The Barn Blog {one of my all time favourite design blogs} did a post a short time ago entitled "Getting to Know you" as part of a series she runs aimed at getting to know her readers better. Such a lovely idea!

So, I am using her post as some inspiration here, and of course to help me get to know you better, my dear readers, better.

Here are a few questions I'd love to know your answers to. And to kick things off, below are my answers too.

1. Do you have a secret talent?
2. What is your favourite meal of the day?
3. What Disney character are you?
4. How do you take your tea/coffee?

{That's me with my strong and sweet cup of tea!}

1. Hmmm...I'm not sure how secret this, or how much I can call this a talent but I am pretty good at cleaning. And I'm not just talking about washing a few dishes here :) I'm talking about the kind of cleaning that needs a lot of scrubbing and plenty of elbow grease. I'm not sure why, but after scrubbing and cleaning I am always left feeling refreshed and happy. It's good for my house, and good for me (as bizarre as it might sound). Oh, I'm also pretty good at baking, even though I very rarely follow a recipe (a little of this and a little less of that goes a long way in my kitchen) and somehow the majority of my booked goods turn out to be delicious!

2. My favourite meal of the day has got to be breakfast. Throw in some pancakes, bacon, a little maple syrup, some freshly cut fruit and I am a very happy chappy.

3. I think I am most like Princess Jasmine (every girl wants to be a princess!) in that I am free-spirited, headstrong and at times very willful. Jasmine is also kind and caring, and is considered to be clever and intelligent (I like the last part!). She also has a love for adventure, and often accompanies Aladdin on his journeys.

4. I take my {TEA} strong, with milk and quite a bit of sugar...I have rather a sweet tooth!

I look forward to reading and learning more about you! 

x

Don't forget to pop on over to Megan's blog later today where she will be addressing the question:

"Should you combine many passions or just choose one?” for the second day of our Creative Business series {CLICK HERE for more info on our series}

Connect with Megan on Twitter @meganjgalloway and on Facebook. 

DIY Advent Calendars {Christmas Inspiration}

Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the end of another year and the lead up to Christmas than with a home made Advent Calendar. Christmas isn't as big here in South Korea as it is back home in South Africa, we even work right up until Christmas eve and only have Christmas day off. So, to get into the spirit, my lovely friend and fellow South African blogger Caitlyn has organized a ladies craft morning next weekend where we are all going to me making advent calendars for each other. I am very much looking forward to it, and of course I am armed with gorgeous pieces of stationery (and washi tape...don't forget about the washi tape!). 

Here are a few ideas for you, so that you too can get crafty. Don't forget to enter my Stationery Giveaway {CLICK HERE} where you can win your own pretty package of special stationery all the way from here in Korea!

{A Bubbly Life}

{A Merry Mishap}

{A few Things from My Life}

{Stylizio}

{AntiLight Craft}

This week marks the start of our {Creative Business} series! Today Caitlyn is sharing 'What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business?' on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. Make sure to pop on over there today.

You can connect with Caitlyn on Twitter @caitlyndebeer and onFacebook.

Happy Weekend!

Dear lovely readers,

I found this quote floating about on the interweb and really had a good giggle when I read it. So I thought I'd pop it on a photograph of some delicious vanilla almond shortbread I baked earlier this year. I hope it makes you smile.

Happy weekend everyone!

Don't forget about the wonderful {Creative Business} series starting on Monday, where nine lovely South African ladies will share their advice on starting your own creative business!

And of course, if you haven't done so already, make sure get your entries into my stationery competition {CLICK HERE} to win a pretty package of some of these goodies:

Creative Series Launch... Two Weeks of Tips for starting your own {Creative Business}

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own creative business but have had no idea where to even begin???

Starting on the 18th November, 9 of us South African bloggers and creatives we will be launching a  hugely exciting blog collaboration series where we’ll be looking at 9 of the top tips we believe you need to get started with your own creative business.

An introduction to the series: 
Let me introduce you to the lady leading us in all in this awesome series; Caitlyn de Beer. I did a photoshoot for her a little while ago (click here to see photographs of this gorgeous and talented young lady) and redesigned her new blog. Here is what this series is all about, from the lady herself:

"I started my own business just under a year ago and as one does, I have learnt so much along the way. I am so passionate about people stepping out of their comfort zones and actively pursuing their dream job. I have met a number of creative’s through my Coaching as well as my life, many of whom, have BIG dreams of starting amazing photography, jewelry, life coaching, interior design, beauty, writing, art, graphic design, image consulting and fashion, but have no idea where to begin.

In an attempt to spark that dream in your heart again, and to help bring it to life, I have put together a 9-day series called “Tips to starting your own creative business”. I do not claim to be an expert on all the areas I wanted to cover, and so I contacted a number of amazing, creative woman all of whom have started their own creative businesses in the past few years. Over the next 9 days, these women along with myself, will be sharing on topics I feel they have earned a right to be considered ‘experts’ in.
Expect to be challenged, inspired and motivated to get going with creating your dream job!!"

Now, if only I had been able to follow along in a series like this when I first started blogging. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way, so here's to hoping some of these tips help you get started with your creative business!

Here’s the coming weeks line up:

PS - I’d seriously advise subscribing to each of these blogs, so you don’t miss out on any of the awesome posts in this Series. This series of posts are NOT to be missed!! *Click each image to see more about each post

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Lastly, here are 10 reasons why you should follow our series:

1. According to Startup.com, the average age for people to start their own businesses is between ages 35 – 40. Why remain ‘average’?? Make your big move now. Get something going, no matter how small it is and you’ll be 10 steps ahead of the rest of your market when you reach their age.

2. Why live another day with your talent remaining hidden from the world.

3. You can learn from our mistakes and thus save yourself time and money!

4. We even share advice on how it’s possible for you to finance your business & lifestyle, when you don’t have big startup capital available.

5. You will have our details, so if you ever need business advice in future; we will only be an email away.

6. It’s FREE!!!

7. Who knows, this series may one day be a part of your “How I became famous” story J

8. You can stay in contact with the blog collaborators and thus start building your network immediately.

9. If you leave comments on our posts, we may just ask you to write a Guest post on one of our blogs. That way, you’ll get your business out there sooner than you imagined!

10. We’ve taken the plunge and trust us, it’s the BEST decision we ever made. Now…it’s your time to shine!! 

Know someone who could benefit from our series??  Click here to tweet

Autumn in South Korea {Naejang Mountain, Jeungeup, Korea}

Here are some photographs from our trip to one of the most famous mountains to see the Autumn leaves here in Korea; Naejang Mountain. We were told that the weekend we had decided to go was THE weekend to see the leaves, and although you can't really tell from the photographs (I am a bit of an artist at concealing unwanted elements!) the WHOLE of Korea seemed to be with us to see the colourful show of nature.

It was spectacular, we simply have nothing like this back home in South Africa, and I literally had to be dragged away from each and every tree (you can only have so many photographs of leaves I was told).

An{other} update & a GIVEAWAY!

Dear readers,
Is inevitable that when starting your own business there will be many bumps and hiccups along the way. I have had lots of computer trouble lately (and not the small kind either, I'm talking the hundreds of dollars or thousands of rands kind of trouble) and I am still without my glorious machine.
And, I have run into a few issues with the South African postal service too.
BUT I am still determined to get my site and shop launched soon, so please do bear with me. I want it to be perfect :)

So, to say thank you for your patience, I am hosting a giveaway! Yippee!

But, this giveaway is going to a surprise of sorts, think of me as your Secret Santa (not so secret as you do know who I am, but secret as you don't know exactly what I am going to be giving).

I WILL tell that you that it will be filled with {pretty-ness} and could contain any of the below:

To enter  simply use the fabulously easy entering system below.
The winner will be drawn on the Friday 22nd November. This giveaway is open to international entries too!

Christmas Styled Shoot

A little peek into a lovely styled shoot I did this weekend...and a shot of behind the scenes (it is winter here so please excuse the oversized pj's!) to give you an idea of what goes into a photoshoot like this one.

Happy Tuesday everyone, Christmas is just around the corner!
x

CGS Online Stationery Store {An Update}

Dear readers,

I have mentioned on various social media platforms that I will soon be launching my new website, and my new stationery store. I have had a few hiccups along the way, the main one being the postal system in South Africa. I want to make sure that I have an absolute sure way of getting you your lovely goodies before I launch.

Please bear with me while I do my best to figure out all the nitty gritty logistics on this exciting new venture.

In the mean time, I am leaving you with some images to get you excited for what is to come soon.

P.S As a thank you for being so patient, I will soon be hosting a giveaway next week of some of these delightful goodies! So keep your eyes peeled!

x

Life After the Dress {Episode 2}...Chelsea Diamond

I am so excited to introuduce you all to the second lovely lady in my new series {Life After the Dress}. I started this series last month with Natalie Hutton (click here to read her story), and in it I will be interviewing ladies of all ages and asking them about their lives, after their big day. It is my hope that you feel inspired, and leave my blog feeling hopeful and happy, with renewed energy for your relationship, or excitement for what the future may hold for you.

For a lot of woman, it is too easy to get caught up in the fluff and glitter of the actual wedding day, and very little time and thought is spent on preparing for what comes after. Marriage is such a wonderful journey, and once the cake has been cut and the guest have left, it's just you and your new husband, and the rest of your lives.

I hope you enjoy reading Chelsea's story, I so looking forward to meeting this bundle of energy (her travel blog is just such a rich source of information, and she has wonderful advice for traveling with your hubby, and tips on keeping in your budget too!). You can pop on over to her blog here.

Enjoy!

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

Hi everyone! I’m Chelsea and I blog over at Lost in Travels. A blog to spark your wanderlust, encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and explore, all while staying on budget! My husband and I were married three years ago when I was 22 and he was 27 (I’ll let you do the math ; ) Scared by the thought of ‘settling down’ after we got married, we packed our lives into two suitcases and headed half way around the world to South Korea to teach English. We’ve been here almost three years now and haven’t looked back!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

I had to think about this one since it’s been awhile since I’ve seen the movies! I would have to say Ariel based on her sense of adventure and curiosity of the unknown!

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

My husband and I have a little bit of a different story. Long story short, I saw him through friends in common on Facebook and added him on a whim. After two months of talking, he got up the nerve to fly to Chicago from Tulsa where he was living and visit me for the first time. So the first time we actually met was in the domestic terminal of the O’hare airport! If you want more of the ooey gooey details you can read the whole story here.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

I wish I could say that my wedding day went smooth but as with any big event, there are always bumps in the road. But with all that being said, nothing horrible happened and I still remember the day for the most important part, saying goodbye to dating and hello to life living with a boy!

My biggest advice to brides is to not sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day, it won’t matter anyway. I remember my mom rushing into the bridal suite hours before the wedding, stressed that the rental company had delivered one less tablecloth than we needed. Expecting me to be equally stressed by this I simply told her that we would have one less table then. I had gotten to the point that I didn’t care about the small details anymore, what did that matter when all I really wanted was to have fun that night and get to the honeymoon!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

Yes and no. Which I think every married woman can relate to. I was never one of those people with rose colored glasses on who thought that marriage was going to be love notes and snuggles in bed every day (even though I wish!) Marriage is challenging in new ways everyday. It stretches a person, makes them realize how much work a successful relationship really takes. Sacrifices must be made, feelings must be cared for and communication is key. I say all this but at the same time, it’s the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. When we look back at our relationship when we were first married, we thought is was so great. But we had no idea how much better it would get with time. But it takes all of that hard work and all of those trials to go through to get us to where we are today. Especially living abroad together we have learned to heavily rely on each other, to be each other’s biggest support system. Something I think would be possible if we never left the states but not in the magnitude that it is now.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I need to RELAX! I’ll be honest, I married a daredevil. The more dangerous the activity, the more my husband wants to do it. When we were first married I was so uptight! Always telling him to be careful, telling him not to do certain things because they were dangerous. After a year of this I learned that he’s a big boy and he loves me and therefore would never do anything that he knew was beyond his limits (duh). Too bad I didn’t learn that sooner!

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

Adventurous, spontaneous, comfortable

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

Always be in pursuit of your love. After being married, it can become all too easy to get too comfortable in marriage and as a result stop trying. I encourage everyone to continue to date his or her spouse throughout your marriage.

You can find Chelsea at the following places:

• Blog: lostintravelsblog.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lost_in_travels
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LostInTravels

I hope you enjoyed reading the second post in my new blog series, if you did, leave me a note in the comments. I love hearing from you! x

If you would like be featured here on my blog, drop me an email (citygirlsearching-at-gmail-dot-com).

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

x

October through Instagram

And so another month has come and gone. We are enjoying the beautiful Autumn colours and falling leaves here in South Korea (we don't get anything like the colours here back home in South Africa) and so have been going a little nuts over the reds and the yellow hues. But, it means winter is fast approaching, and apparently our little town of Buan gets a ton of snow. Brrrrr!

But, at least the snow makes pretty pictures (trying to look on the bright side here!) and it also means a new, big and fluffy feather duvet is a completely justified purchase, right??

Heres to a new month full of opportunity. Happy November everyone.

x

Photography Styling Challenge {Bedroom}

Today marks the second month of Redesigned by M's wonderful photography styling challenge. Each month we are given a new theme, and we have until the first Monday of the next month to post our photographs. The photographs must be unedited, and must have been taken since the start of the challenge in June this year. Click here to see my photographs from last months theme {Morning}.

Some of my thoughts behind my shoot:

These photographs are of my friend Cassandra's room here in South Korea. Here in Korea, as part of our contracts with our schools, we are provided with housing. Now housing is a pretty strong word for most of our accommodation. For the majority of us, we are given a single, one room apartment (one room meaning that that one room is your bedroom, kitchen, lounge, study and entertainment area). We eat in our 'rooms', we get ready in them, we relax in them, we sleep in them. Thank you to the lovely Cassandra for all her idea's, and for putting up with me climbing all over her pretty room.

On that note, here are my submissions for the theme {bedroom}:

If you'd like to find out more or even join us in this wonderful challenge,click here

Make sure to pop on over to see the other members of our challenge:

Redesigned By M

redlovinpixie

At The Corner Of Happy And Harried

My Food Tapestry

Inge Kathleen Photography

Pies And Puggles

A Woven Life

City Girl Searching

The Delicious World Of Chefette Spicy

I Live Under A Rock

A Tree Grows in the Bayou

Fun & Flirty Photoshoot...Laura Whang

Last weekend I took some photographs for a new friend. Readers, meet Laura. Laura is a newlywed, she is married to Rich who is Korean American, and they have just landed on South Korean soil for the start of what will {hopefully be} a long stay. 

I am helping Laura re-brand her blog, which at the moment is housed over here. She writes hilariously about her adventures here in Korea (she is a whole lot more funny than me, and she writes so well). If you'd like to get more of a feel of life here in Korea and the odd things that happen to us on a daily basis, pop ob over to her blog and say hello. I will let you all know when her new site is up and running, and you can get a little feel for the other creative things I have been keeping myself busy with (blog re-branding). 

A weekend in Pohang, South Korea

This past weekend Farmboy and I headed to the city of Pohang which is on the eastern side of South Korea. We met up with some new friends, Laura and Richard (who are just the nicest and coolest people ever...they both lived and worked in Hollywood...and have loads of stories about all the celebrities that ate in the restaurants they worked at. How cool is that?!). I am going to be sharing some gorgeous photographs I took of them soon! Laura also writes a hilarious blog about life here in Korea...click here to visit her blog.

Here are a few Instagram snaps of our whirlwind weekend (it was a 5 hour bus journey to get to them from us here in little ol' Buan, and so many a nap was taken, and the evidence is below. I became a cushion for Farmboy, I'm sure that should have been the other way around?). We ate lots of delicious (that does not include the bug larvae!) food and had a wonderful weekend away. We also spent our first night in a Love Motel (but thats a post for another day).

Enjoy!

x

Trust

Most of the time life is just peachy here in Korea for the Huttons. I often get lovely emails from readers who tell me that they really love reading my blog, and that it looks as though we live the perfect lives. I am always thrilled to get such lovely messages from strangers, and most of the time, the reason everything seems to be so peachy is because I consider myself an incredibly positive person, who tries her best to make the most of every situation. And I believe this is really important. Life isn't perfect for us, its really, really good and we have lots to be thankful for, but at the same time, we try our absolute best to make the most of each and every difficult situation we find ourselves in. Like the time we booked an incredible trip to Mongolia (flights and all), and were told a week before that we had to cancel it due to our leave not being approved. Or the time that Farmboy was stranded on an Island for the best part of 2 days because of a storm. Or the fact that we miss our families a lot of the time and are scared that we may not see some of them ever again.

Though all of this, and the crazy situations we find ourselves in daily here in Korea, I try to think about how God is using the situation for his good. Often, I'm left feeling frustrated, and crying out about the unfairness of it all (one of the reasons that made leaving South Africa easy this year was that I was unable to find a job. Even with my degree, even with my postgraduate degrees, even with my skills in photography and design and social media, I was unable to find a job). But then God reminds me just how much I have to be thankful for. Despite my inner turmoil and feelings of inadequacy, He reminds me just how much I have accomplished, and how much I am still going to do. 

The past few days have been incredibly stressful in our little household. My computer has been freaking out, and as I use my computer for just aboutEVERYTHING I do, this has been a pretty bad thing. I have a Macbook Pro, an awesomely powerful machine which has been excellent for all of the design and photography I have been up to lately, but, being such a powerful machine, it's going to be extremely expensive to repair. Apple don't ever repair faults, they replace. So, even if it's a small part that has given up the ghost, they will be replacing my mainboard. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that, and I will be finding out later this week.

In the meantime, I have loads of projects I am working on, client photographs to edit, my new website and online store to finalise and launch, and I have no computer. Needless to say I have been very grouchy and feeling a bit like the world is going to end. I have been taking on too much, and something as small as my computer going on the brink should not be having such a devastating effect on me. 

BUT, after the tears and the shouting (my poor husband has had to deal with a bit of a monster the last week) I have finally got the point of it all. I know that God is trying to teach me something (I am not 100% of what it is yet) but I know that I have been spending far too much time caught up in the online world, and my blog, and I have been missing out on a lot of 'real' life. I have been missing out on small moments that I should be enjoying with my husband. Instead I have been huddled up in bed, intensely focused on my blog and Facebook and twitter and Instagram and and and. Looking up only vaguely to grunt a thank you for the copious cups of tea being handed to me.

And just when I thought I might hit breaking point yesterday, I saw the above quote. It has helped put things into perspective for me, and I hope it does the same for you. 

Here's to a new week, seven new days full of promise and hope, and life and laughter. And chocolate, there's always chocolate!

x

Traditional Hanbok Wedding Shoot...James & Minhee

Last weekend I went off on a little adventure without my hubby side kick, to the traditional South Korean Hanok Village in Jeonju. It was there that I met up and photographed a delightful couple, James & Minhee.

Mr & Mrs Urban got married in July this year, and as a way of celebrating Minhee's South Korean heritage, they wanted to have some photographs of themselves in the traditional Korean Hanbok (wedding dress) to show James' family back in America. I was thrilled that they chose me to be their photographer, as this is the first shoot of this kind that I have done (and I hope to do many more!). 

James and Minheem you two were a delight to photograph (Minhee was just as easy as sunshine to capture, and her natural beauty just shines though...no editing needed!). 

I wish the two of you have a lifetime of happiness and joy, wherever your futures may lead you.

{Minhee...I hope you enjoy these photographs, the rest of them will be on their way to you soon!}

Life After the Dress {Episode 1}...Natalie Hutton

I am very excited to introduce you to the first lovely lady in my new blog series entitled "Life After the Dress". In this series I am going to be interviewing lots of different women from all walks of life, and asking them about their lives after all the fluff and excitement of their big day. I hope that their stories and words of wisdom will inspire you, and that you enjoy following along in this series as much as I have loved putting it together. 

I also hope that those of my readers who may not be in a relationship or who may not be anywhere near ready for marriage, may feel inspired by these wonderful and very different stories. There is no cookie cutter for the perfect relationship. Life is about learning and growing, and trying to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. If you are able to be that person with someone else, how wonderful. But that is not always the case. Be happy and content with where you are right now, you never know what {or who} may be waiting around the corner.

I am very happy to now leave you in the hands of Natalie (who is actually my very own sister-in-law!). 

Welcome Nats! It's so special for me to have you here.

Enjoy!

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)
Hi there. My name is Natalie and I am married to a dashing Hutton called John. Our birthdays are 72 days apart (not sure why we know that!), making us both 29 years old at present and we are coming up to our fifth wedding anniversary in December! We live in our newly bought first home in a little village in the Midlands called Hilton, in South Africa. John is the best English teacher in the land, and I am currently loving children through remedial teaching at a local primary school. I'll be going back to university next year though to finish my studies towards becoming an Educational Psychologist.

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?
I think I would have to say Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.” Ariel is clumsy, I have no shortage of that! She is also a bit whimsical and shy, and she gets insecure about her decisions– but she is daring enough to hold fast to her dreams (especially when it comes to her prince). 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?
I used to joke that I was going to university to find a husband....and I did haha! John and I were in the same church at Rhodes University and we were both involved in similar things – he was a youth leader, I was involved with the kids church; we went to the same camps; we had the same friends; we took the same subjects...there were lots of places that we saw each other but we didn't really know one another. He was known as Twitch back then – he was one of the popular gentlemen amongst our greater circle of friends at Rhodes University. All the girls loved him! I, on the other hand, was a super-nerd and hardly had a social life. My nickname was Fishalie (my maiden name is Sturgeon which is a type of fish; Natalie+fish=Fishalie). I was shy and worked a lot! I remember the first time I hung out with Twitch in 2006. A group of us were in his res room and we sat chatting and cracking pecan nuts from his farm for hours. He was a third year then and I was a second year. He had long hair and really wasn't my type. Then Twitch started doing sweet things for me: he'd leave cryptic notes on my windscreen wipers; walk me home across campus with an umbrella on rainy evenings; wash my dusty car; plan his route home via my res in the hope that he'd 'bump' into me...And then for the 6 days leading up to my birthday in 2007, he left me a birthday present every single day – either on my car or on my res doorstep – and this just blew me away. He was so romantic about this friendship pursuit! However, I was terribly cautious and 'ran' in the opposite direction until one night. John arrived at my res one , unannounced. I was studying (surprise surprise!) We still hardly knew each other then but he asked if he could have some Rooibos with me. To this day he mocks me that I had no sugar or milk for him and assumed he drank it black and bland like I did. I brought it out to him and to my surprise, I walked with him to the garden outside my res where we sat for hours chatting, watching the moon and looking at the stars. If you'd known me back then, you'd know how uncharacteristic this was. It was all terribly romantic and I have been lost in him ever since....It was only months later that I visited him on his farm in Creighton and he took me for a walk which lead to a picnic laid out for us amongst hay bales, where he read me a hand-written poem and asked me to be his girlfriend! 

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Our wedding day was a beautiful start to our marriage. At about midnight the night before our wedding, there was a humongous electric storm. It made me panic a bit, but I also believe that God knows every inch of our souls, and it almost felt like a gift because we both adore thunder storms. The weather played nicely for the actual day and it was cloudy for our photographs which allowed for gorgeous photos by our now world famous photographers – Jon and Tina Reid (based in London). Also, a good friend composed our wedding march, and two others wrote and performed a song for us. We were surrounded by love and beauty on the day. It really was a wonderful way to begin our precious journey together! 

If I could go back now, there are little details I would change, but it will always be like that because you grow up, fashions change, your relationships change and you get to know yourself better in time. All these things are unknowns on the days leading up to your wedding though. Your wedding reflects who you are on the day you say “I do,”and that is what is important.

For all you beautiful brides-to-be: 

Do pre-marriage counseling and ask those hard questions so that you are on the same page on the day you walk down that aisle to your prince!

Get someone to video your wedding. After 5 years, I find myself watching our video more and more - it is perhaps my biggest wedding treasure (and it is such a tear jerker!).

Enjoy your engagement season – it only happens once. Your wedding isn't the event, your marriage is. So build that friendship and enjoy that wedding day!

And finally, decide now not to worry about anything that goes wrong on your wedding day – your bridal party will take care of it!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?
It has, by far, been the richest 5 years of my life. I feel like it has been unique for us in that we spent the first 3 years of our marriage in Japan which was completely removed from everything familiar and comfortable. So we became each other's comfort and companions and that was a treasured start to our 
marriage. We have had the opportunity to travel to fun places like Thailand, Philippines and China, and at times it felt like we were having a three year honeymoon. Marriage has been much more fun than I expected.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?
I am a control freak and I am a lot more sensitive than I thought. I am not always right. God made John to complete my life and this has restored some broken areas in my life. Marriage has been a personal journey for me in getting to know my true self and that has been so exciting and wonderful! I have also discovered the hidden geek in me; that house work isn't my favourite hobby; and that I love 
TV series and desserts more than I ever knew I did (it is so nice to share with someone.)

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
Speck. Tack. Cooler. (aka spectacular)
Real answer:
Friendship. Beautiful. Fire. 

 Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

I am humbled by marriage and it is a beautiful, challenging and constant refiner. I'll never forget these pearls from our pre-marriage counseling: Put God first because a cord of 3 strands is not easily broken; and just be the first one to say sorry.

I hope you enjoyed reading the first post in my new blog series. If you would like be featured here on my blog, drop me an email (citygirlsearching-at-gmail-dot-com). I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

x

My Girls Middle School {Sports Day}

A little glimpse into my life here in South Korea, teaching English at an all girls middle school. Middle School is the in between stages of Elementary & High School (we don't have such a thing in South Africa, we just have Primary & High School). I am officially qualified as a Foundation Phase Teacher, and so am equipped to deal with the ages of five to nine years. Not sixteen year old girls! But, my girls are just so lovely, and I so enjoy the time I have with them. I think I have been very lucky with my school placement, had I been put into a mixed school, with sixteen year old boys, I think I would have a very different outlook on life.

So here you go, some jump rope, tug of war and volleyball, throw in a healthy mix of peace signs and you have your typical South Korean school...