by Carla Louise | Jul 2, 2015 | carlalouise, High Days & Holidays, Memories, Photography, Style |
Well, originally intended to be secret, and actually a small, intimate and utterly joyful celebration of one of the happiest and best-suited couples I know.
I chose my outfit around the shoes… which is becoming a bit of a habit!
A London wedding and being unofficial photographer meant long dresses were out – and I didn’t want to detract from the polka dotted, blue-and-red-and-white shoes. (which, for the record, I can walk and run in!)
So I chose a pretty beaded navy blue dress with a glorious chiffon skirt… 
My hair was in ringlets when we left the bride’s room – sadly it doesn’t hold curl so by the time we arrived at the pre-ceremony brunch, it was more wavy, and by the time the ceremony was over it was straight again!
Here’s the gorgeous couple cutting their cake…
Aren’t they brilliant? It was one of my favourite weddings to date, and I was honoured to capture it in photos for them as well as being their witness (surprisingly nervewracking!)
by Carla Louise | Apr 14, 2013 | Adventures |
This weekend, I’m mostly in absolute awe of anyone with a toddler or two. My best friend (and old housemate!) came to visit for the weekend, and after a Friday night spent drinking gallons of tea and catching up, we headed over to Layer Marney on Saturday for a spot of babysitting. 
Her niece and nephew are both under 4, and I’d only met them briefly at her wedding last summer… the children’s parents were off to an adults-only wedding and I have to confess that despite my multitude of cousins, who I’ve looked after unsupervised for years, I was a bit nervous.
However, they were as good as gold and after popping to the beach with their mum in the morning so they could get to know me, we spent a very rainy day making cards (translation: covering things in glitter glue), playing pirates using beds as ships (surprisingly fun, I may introduce this as an after-dinner game) and watching Shrek. Because dragons and pirates are a really big deal when you’re three and a half 🙂
(more…)
by Carla Louise | Oct 9, 2012 | Uncategorized |
Smiled about cuddles with a pug puppy on the way home one night
Met lovely new people at the fabulous Sophia & Jon’s wedding (no photos, forgot my camera, but it was a gorgeous day)
Loved rehearsing for next weekend’s cabaret night with some of my favourite girls in the world
Took on a project for my Dad in exchange for which he will write off the money I still owe him for Poppy – aren’t parents brilliant?!
Met new, wonderfully like-minded people through Escape the City
Worked on business plans, proposals and prices in response to a few exciting conversations I’ve recently had
Got tickets to the Free Range Festival (run by Free Range Humans)
Tried to resist buying enormous feathered showgirl headpieces
Bounced ideas, plans and worries off my completely amazing friends and family
Entertained at home – I’d forgotten how much I love cooking for people and having friends over en masse
Rode my cousin’s new horse for the first time (she was fabulous. I am no longer riding fit!)
Saw two burlesque shows (Proud Cabaret and An Evening of Burlesque)
Went to a tea party held by a dear friend and a hen party for someone I’d never met (both were fabulous)
Got Poppy through her MOT and service on time for the first time since owning her
(technically in October, on the 1st) Quit my day job! (for another one, which I think is much more aligned with my skills and what I want out of life. And isn’t in London.)
So yes. Despite illness and a lot of emotional wrangling, September was pretty amazing. Let’s see if October lives up to it, shall we?!
by Carla Louise | Jul 15, 2012 | Memories |
I have been ridiculously busy for the last few weeks, and each of the events deserves a proper post. However, as I’ve just arrived home from CAE 2012 (camping with the car club in Yorkshire) and I have washing and other such glamorous things to do, I thought I’d do a bit of a sneak peek with some photos, and link to the posts when I write them over the next couple of weeks 🙂
Here goes:
The first weekend in July, I did a stall at the Maldon Motor Show with the fab Annastasia Midorigreen and her other half Dan – we sold handmade, vintage and Star Wars figures. It definitely gave me the bug and I came home all inspired. The classic cars that showed up (all 700 of them) were amazing too.
Then on Wednesday I flew out to Jersey for my best friend’s wedding. I was one of four bridesmaids and it was a fraught lead up but absolutely gorgeous day, despite the pouring rain. Julia is now a Wilson and it’s still not quite sunk in!
And this weekend I have been to Yorkshire camping with my car club. This is always a highlight of my year – you couldn’t hope to find a lovelier bunch of people, and I always look forward to the meets we have throughout the year. This one is the biggest by far, with usually around 40 cars. Much eating, drinking, talking and laughing goes on…
Friday morning: How many MR2s can you fit outside one house?! (black is Rob’s, blue is Russ’s, red is mine, silver is spare)
Anna and I when she arrived, catching up and looking cute:
Laughing despite the rain with Ally and Luke:
Dan, Brad, Nige, Karine & Jim demonstrating that rain will not stop us having fun… 
More on all three later – now I’m off to find food and catch up on sleep!
by Carla Louise | Jun 16, 2011 | Uncategorized |
A random selection this week… it’s been an odd sort of week but there have still been things to smile about!
- Today is Lizzy’s 21st. Squee! Happy birthday chica! Cocktails tomorrow… and blue hair!
- Corsets – I love them! Hoping to order a couple for the Fling and Heather’s wedding
- lying in the sun on the floor at lunchtime, making notes and not caring what people think
- being super-inspired for all my different projects and making tonnes of plans
- BBQing in the rain for my Gran’s 82nd birthday
- Rollerskating… I can still do it! Eeeeee! And flying round the rink is definitely one of the best feelings in the world
- 2 new members for etc – and it’s only our first exhibition! now planning lots of other things to do with it
- dinner with an old friend who now lives abroad – these catchups are glorious but all too rare
- seeing my advert published in an email *pic*
- my housemate finishing an assignment, thus giving us an excuse to go out for dinner
- the Fling is coming…
- hunting for cars for the rally – found a Golf which would be awesome
- have survived the day job for three months this week
- as mentioned in a previous post, the clientsfromhell.net and damnyouautocorrect websites – so much inappropriate but much-needed laughter!
- a girl on the tube this morning wearing the MOST gorgeous vintage lace dress, with her hair in victory rolls, bright red lipstick and carrying a parasol. I wanted to be her!!
- My blackbird popped up on my way to work this morning too – I thought he’d abandoned me since the rain arrived!
- My friends are amazing – able to improve my mood even if I’ve had the day from hell and am all emotional and rubbish. I obviously know this anyway, but it’s wonderful to be reminded.
by Carla Louise | Jun 9, 2011 | Personal Development, Thrifting |
Ok, so I’ve missed a couple of Thursdays… this week I’ve been ill Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and off work Tuesday and Wednesday, so have had more time than usual to scribble stuff down that makes me happy.
- Weddings. I love wedding blogs, I love helping to plan my friends’ weddings, I love going to friends’ weddings. They just make me daftly happy!
- Inspiring business planning with Lou at the weekend – I think between us we might do the kick starting we’re not really managing alone while working full time and juggling all our other commitments.
- Skating – see previous post, I think I have a new addiction!
- Daft girlie films – Legally Blondes, Aquamarine, Glee…
- My blue hair had its first outing and got lots of compliments, this made me happy 🙂
- Slapa 2! For those not in the know, Slapa was lovely Les’s car (yep, an MR2, how did you guess?!) which sadly met her demise on a corner in Tuscany… she rolled. Les and Anne got out unhurt but Slapa is no more. This made me incredibly sad, but yesterday they posted that they’ve found a new Slapa, she’s silver and can have the plate transferred – so they’ll be at CAE with a ‘2! 😀
- Christina Perri. I have a bit of a (unrealistic, as I don’t do tattoos lol) style crush and I love Jar of Hearts. Which I very much wasn’t expecting to! Adore the dress she’s wearing in the video as well!
- The Pinup Body workout. I’ve not been to one of these yet, but Naomi happened to mention it and it looks amazing! Definitely on my to-do list 🙂
- A new member for Etc Collective, on the strength of our exhibition – can’t really put into words how happy this makes me. However this also means the pressure is on to find a new exhibition space!
- My vintage duvet cover – it’s absolutely gorgeous! And fits my floral/vintage room perfectly… and is so much better quality than I could buy new. And has withstood three hot washes without shrinking or damaging or fading. Perfect.
