Moving and Shaking

I think it's pretty safe to say there's been a lot going on this past month. We have had a number of friends come and visit us in Sydney which has been a real treat, and it's been a real adventure showing them our favourite spots and hidden gems. I also returned back to Perth just in time for Mother's Day, where my own mother treated everyone else around her to a homemade pasta fiesta boasting an array of handmade varieties and flavoursome sauces. Gee, I missed her cooking!

Here's a little of what I've been up to, as told through my lens:

1. The Strand arcade; One Teaspoon Home in Surry Hills
2. A seal charm Marc gave me as a memento
3. I miss this funny little face; boarding a flight back home
4. The Pie Tin is still one of my favourite Newtown haunts; cat in a pot plant?!
5. A slice of France in sunny Paddington
6. Finally got round to reading the lovely messages in our guest book; always adore a Kombi
7. Epic vine in Surry Hills
8. Fab glass cactus cocktail stirrers picked up in Paddington for $1 each; it's nice to be able to return to Moore and Moore, where we were married, for coffee and cake whenever we please
9. Handmade pasta courtesy of my talented mother
10. $10 bargain Rubi studded flats; tried out nail caviar with a couple of girlfriends

Moving to Sydney

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This is just a quick note to let you all know that, as of yesterday, Marc and I have officially moved to Sydney. Any recommendations of places to eat, live, shop and the like would be much appreciated! We barely know anyone and have only been here a couple of times so it is sure to be quite the adventure.

I'll keep you updated on how we are settling in, and in the meantime I am looking forward to finishing off the posts from our honeymoon to make way for the big event - a complete wedding run down!

Welcome to my new blog

Hello and welcome to the new home of The Velvet Bow! This revamp sure has been a long time coming, in fact the whole process began early last year before I had to put it on hold due to the chaos of wedding planning. In mid-December I decided enough was enough and got in touch with Smitten Blog Designs to help me out with a fresh new blog design and a higher degree of functionality.

Part of this meant changing platforms from Tumblr to Blogger, so I ask that if you follow me through tumblr on Bloglovin' you update your feed to www.thevelvetbow.com instead. I'm still in the process of moving all my archives across to here as there is no easy way to do it, but once that's complete then it will be super easy to search for exactly what you need, whether it be past DIYs or wedding-related jazz.

With the new design also comes a new wave of possibility as to what I'll be posting about on here. For one, entries will be much more regular with new features slowly added to the mix. I have some exciting collaborations and projects coming up which I can't wait to reveal more about, and towards the end of the month I will be posting what I have been excited about for months - all things wedding!

So leave a comment to let me know how you like the design, and watch this space for lots more to come.

Goodbye house

As of today we are officially moved out of our flat, almost two years to the day we got the keys. It’s a bittersweet feeling because I had really grown to love that poky little place with all its quirks. It felt like the first proper home Marc and I had made ourselves, and represented our first real shot at living alone after a few years of share houses and a short attempt living in the city in a shoebox apartment.

But I am even more excited about moving to Sydney and finding a new, better place to call home. I am dreaming of wooden floorboards, light-filled rooms and maybe even a bathtub if we are lucky enough. In fact, I have already made a Pinterest board dedicated to wishlist furniture for our new abode.

It’s going to be fun chronicling our adventures through house-hunting, to furnishing the place, to settling in and getting all our faux deer heads up on the wall. Even I’ll admit my collection is getting a little silly!

2012 in review

The New Year has come around oh so fast and I actually can’t believe that one of the best years of my life is over. 2012, I’ve got to hand it to you - you were amazing. If someone were to have told me this time last year what was in store for me, I don’t think I would have quite believed them. It was one of the most formative years of my life to date, and I know all that crazy change I have experienced is going to continue long into 2013. For a while now I have lived by the motto “change and creation”, and the past 12 months have so perfectly summed that up. So before I jump headfirst into the next chapter, here’s a little reflection on the year that was - what I got up to, the highlights and the pinch-me moments:

• Beginning my first job in journalism after a stint of work experience in January. The West Australian has been the greatest learning experience imaginable and I find myself thinking daily, “I love my work!” It’s going to be so sad to leave in a few weeks when we move to Sydney.
• Holding the second White Elephant vintage clothing sale with my pal Robyn before she flew the coop for the fab city of Melbourne.
• Watching three of my favourite musical acts live: Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver and Sigur Ros.
• Travelling to Sydney for a few days to take part in a fun blogger project.
• Speaking of Sydney, planning and preparing for said move. I have been dreaming of this for years and the time has finally come.
• Attending the second annual Christmas in July do at our friend Alice’s house. That girl always puts on a fabulous soiree.
• Overhauling my health and fitness. This was one of the biggest accomplishments of my past few years and one I am keen to talk about in more detail in the near future.
• Marc and I entering our seventh year of dating and growing better together every day.
• And here’s the big one: getting married! What a journey that was, from the scheming, to the engagement photo shoot, to the big day itself. Photos aren’t too far away I promise!

Check back tomorrow for my 2013 plans.

Happy December

Photos from our most recent Paris trip, this time last year

Ever get that feeling of sadness when you have been planning something for a long time and suddenly it's over? I've had it before after my two big Euro trips, but this post wedding blues takes the cake. But I am making it my business to focus on all the positive things around me, so I thought I would take a leaf out of Amanda's book with her 'Things to look forward to' posts and write one of my own to focus on all the fantastic things that are happening this month. There sure are plenty things to be happy about in December!

• Starting new traditions with my new husband
• Getting into Christmas mode by crafting gifts and baking gingerbread
• Continuing with my fitness and health regime (I'll write a post on this soon)
• Donning a bikini and heading to the beach
• Planning our honeymoon (more on this later too!)
• My 23rd birthday this week
• Watching the annual Christmas parade for the first time as an adult
• Starting to edit our wedding film and hopefully learning more about my camera in the process
• Making the most of the time with my friends by planning fun adventures

Tell me, have you felt down after a big life event? How did you bounce back?