It’s happening!

By this time next week I will be a Mrs. I am excited, elated, nervous, slightly terrified and a little sad. Since we live so far away from home, we made the difficult decision of getting married here in London in a very low key ceremony without family and friends. I have never wanted a big wedding, and in all honesty, we simply can’t afford one. So it will be small and emotional but special all the same and maybe some day soon, we will visit our family and friends back home in South Africa and have a party so big, that it makes the Jubilee celebrations look like a garden party. So it’s hardly surprising that I am feeling wedding-y today and wanted to share some of the pictures from City Hall and Registry Office weddings that have inspired me. How about you? Did you have a small/large wedding or did you elope?

Have a lovely weekend all!

Click on the image to go to its source.

An unexpected discovery!

London had a bus strike last week and it was a shambles. The bus companies were advising that you take a tube, the tube companies were advising that you take a bus and I just got so fed up with the whole thing that I ended up walking what felt like half way across London. It turns out that walking to work is pretty awesome as my route takes me along some of the most breath-taking sites and buildings that London has to offer. One such building is Hotel 41 near Buckingham Palace. The black and white chequered floors with the dark wood panelling in the lobby immediately caught my eye – it just looks so warm and inviting and… actually quite British! It turns out that the rest of the hotel is just as elegant and chic. I am particularly fond of the simple monochromatic colour schemes in the bedrooms and the beautiful light fittings throughout!

All images via Hotel 41

Beaming!

My Wednesday posts are usually born out of an inspiration folder bursting at the seams with beautiful images. This week, my mind is full of ceiling beams. They don’t really need an explanation, they are just a necessity in my life. I can’t decide which look I like more though: timber beams in all their natural glory, jazzed up with a bit of colour or toned down with a lick of white paint… actually seeing them all here together, I think the natural look gets my vote!

Which one would you pick?

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

Knole Park Revisit…

On a very cold, windy January morning, we took a little trip to Knole Park – a beautiful park in Kent which is home to a mediaeval deer herd and a stunning Jacobean house. We loved the park so much but unfortunately the house wasn’t open when we visited so we vowed to return during the summer to take a peak inside – which is exactly what we did over the weekend. I was pretty bummed to learn that you couldn’t take pictures inside (just picture a huge creaky house, filled with exquisite tapestries, rare furniture and intricate detailing) but I did manage to snap some better pics of the deer herd mooching about in front of the house. I was munching on a banana which seemed to intrigue one of the deer who came right up to us to take a sniff. Now, I probably shouldn’t admit this but I kind of freaked out and hid behind Jordan. Not one of my finest moments. Scared to death by Bambi.

All images via Wishful Thinking

Breath of fresh air…

Something I have always coveted, but know I could never be able to live with, is painted white floors (question for those of you who have them: does it really show up every little bit of dust and fluff? Please say no…) These floors, combined with neutral painted walls, abundant natural light and architectural features, would create a near-perfect setting for me. If you thought this sounded too good to be true, then you would be wrong because I found it. It shouldn’t surprise you that it’s Swedish and for sale too!

Images via