Boris the Easter Bunny came through for us

Hello Lovely Readers, 

The heat from the beginning of the week had certainly disappeared by the time my extended back holiday weekend started on Thursday morning as it was cloudy and grey-white skies outside. I had hoped, at this late stage of Corona-time, Mr Warehouse and I would be taking a trip somewhere like Venice or Paris or somewhere beachy in anticipation for our wedding, however, we are not. But all is not lost as I said before, our Easter weekend started early as Mr Warehouse and I had booked off the Thursday.

Now I would absolutely love to go into the nitty and gritty reasons as to why both myself and my fiance had reserved that day off in particular - Trust me - But all I will say is that because of legal proceedings and the court case still going through I do not want to jeopardize the case and so, therefore, I won't say much more than that but trust me, once this is all settled, I will be putting the kettle on and spilling the tea EVERYWHERE!

But, other than the above, My beau and I had much-a-to-do in order to get our little garden ready in time for the myriad of guests we were due over the weekend. As explained a few weeks ago, our plans started last year when Mr Warehouse and I had thought about a small extension or conservatory. This was something we had actually seen one of our neighbors do in their garden and whilst it was seemingly simple and took only a few hours to build and construct from the timber frame, that type of thing was costly.

So in lieu of this idea and with nothing else to occupy our weekends during the first lockdown, we decided to take the plunge and get the patio extended. However, after looking at the cost of extending we were still being quoted nearly a grand for the work and that was just labor. No parts, no cement, no sand, not paving slabs. For the better part of six / seven months that an English summer hangs around, I just couldn't see the real value it would give. But after we consulted next door (she had laid the patio herself, not a huge amount, but nevertheless, she did it) it gave Mr Warehouse and I the confidence to take the plunge. We purchased the much-sought-after Buff Riven Tiles but with Coronavirus scuppering our plans for family BBQs and summer parties in our newly extended garden, there they lay in our garden for the winter.

But one sunny Saturday afternoon I headed outside to Mr. Warehouse digging. After weeks of chatting through different ideas and ways, we could do what we wanted but on the cheap, he thought it would be a good idea to see just how easy it would be to lay just one row. And so we did. One slab, then two. Three and four and then two more. Admittedly it took nearly four hours the first time (all the while I was literally working in just a bra - And not even a sexy one at that), and a lot of sweat, and lumping dirt and heavy slabs around. But we did it.

I was proud. Proud of being able to save me a damned pretty penny. Proud of actually helping out and doing some heavy laboring and landscaping. Proud of being able to get what I want without a financial compromise. Now don't get me wrong, neither of us are Bob The Builder or Charlie Dimmock, but weekend after weekend we have gone out in the mostly cold and grey weather to do another row of the patio, each Saturday and Sunday chipping away at it. Friday Afternoon we finally finished. Seemed kind of apt considering Good Friday Jesus moved a rock or something and Mr. Warehouse and I were doing the same - Kinda!?

After collecting some railway sleepers for edging the patio (because Mr Warehouse cut on a wonky angle) and the Gazebo from B&M, we were ready to host. Nearly. The luxury Steel Framed Gazebo took several of Saturday's hours to construct, but once up it is perfect for relaxing and chilling out under during those long summer nights or to shelter from the rain. I even had several messages from the neighbors asking where it was from and how nice it looked. And so the scene was set - Cute coffee table with some freshly cut pink roses in a tin pot, my reupholstered and restuffed garden seat cushions (handcrafted by yours truly), the rusty old fire pit, a garden rug, and our garden was ready.

Sunday was soon here and after staying up late to bake an Easter choccie cheesecake, marinated my leg of lamb in minty goodness, and tidy the house I was more than ready for my loved ones to reunite and see each other first time in months. I hadn't seen my Dad properly in person since before Mr. Warehouse and I went to Turkey on our "Fuck off Corona" Holiday, probably my birthday weekend in September maybe, and my Nanny Pumpkin would have been much, much before then, possibly as far back as last summer.

I had been planning East-mas (as I was calling it since it was our Easter and Christmas combined) since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a road-map detailing that from Monday 29th March 2021, outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed in private gardens. And so with a gin glass in hand swirling with ice and lemonade Gin my guests arrived. I was so happy and excited. We chatted and even exchanged belated Christmas pressies with my Nanny Pumpkin all whilst the sun shone on.

Mr. Warehouse and I battled it out for the Easter egg hunt my Dad had set up whilst our backs were turned and in good time the lamb made an appearance, the smell wafting through the garden and no doubt into other peoples. Followed with some garlic baby potatoes and simple salad, the lamb was deemed one of the tastiest pieces of lamb my guests had ever tasted and the choccie cheesecake went down even better with people fighting over the last slice.

I honestly forgot all about the pandemic for a short while and it almost seemed like a normal Easter afternoon in the sunshine. This is something I could definitely get used to and I think that I will now take Easter as my time to host in years to come because let's be fair, they can only get better, right?

'Til next time, Love A.Lou x

Remember, if you would like to purchase anything then please feel free to check out my store at: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Wooftys or visit our Instagram @WooftysDogTreats and use "TATOATS21" to get 10% off your first order over £15.00.

A glimmer of hope for us all?

Heidi Hi,  

Snow is yet again fluttering down again this week, making our lives in lockdown a little less mundane and more interesting than the last nearly eight-weeks (fuck that's depressing). Today I start working from home (again) although this time I have a plan. I have moved the spare room around, I plan to buy a nice office chair, maybe a beanbag for the corner of the room and any guests I have to join me (probably one of the dogs or Mr Warehouse after he gets in). I even invested in a huge Mandela wall art piece so I can make it more boho and relaxing whilst WFH this time around, not that I need to be any more relaxed as the new job is like night and day from my last with so much less stress and the overwhelming intensity has disappeared entirely. Whilst it is different in terms of the work culture and workloads, I am enjoying it and honestly so glad I made the decision to move.

Tomorrow I will start my first full day working from my "new office" and am already so excited to light a new candle - The little things I suppose. But you have to take them where you can get them as the world is still amongst a grip of the COVID-19 Pandemic. As much as I have tried to distance myself from it, socially and otherwise, it is hard not to ignore that the UK has now surpassed over 100,000 deaths from the disease. The BBC confirms that the death toll is fading fast with just over 300 being recorded today (Monday 08 February 2021), a drop of 200 in the space of a fortnight. With more than 12 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine surely the end is in sight now? That's almost one in four adults in the UK - Incredible!

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the government will set out a "roadmap" for easing restrictions in England on 22 February. You can understand why people are chomping at the bit to get outside and back to normality as during the current lockdown the public have been told to stay at home other than for limited purposes such as essential food shopping, medical appointments and work. With schools also closed, I know many a parent who is slowly going insane being driven up the wall by the constant neediness from their children and seemingly never-ending want for snacks. To be fair though, I am not a child and Mr Warehouse nor a parent and yet I display all those traits of nagging offspring.

Here's hoping we can soon join the likes of the Isle of Man. Sky News reported last week that the small island situated between England and Ireland were able to welcome back pupils to schools and businesses could reopen. People will be able to leave their homes but don't get excited for your holidays just yet though as the borders will remain closed to outsiders. And don't think they fuck about either as the article goes onto explain that In December 2020, a man was jailed for breaching COVID-19 regulations after riding a jet ski to the island from Scotland to visit his partner. Ahh, sweet love or utter stupidity?

The island had not seen any "unexplained" community cases of the coronavirus for just under three-weeks and so this meant that islanders could hang up their face-masks and tell social-distancing to do one as many families and friends hugged for the first time since last year. Sky News continues that the current lockdown restrictions have been entirely lifted in the Isle of Man thanks to the "supportive, patriotic" public who have been praised for the way they have followed measures to tackle COVID-19. When being interviewed, Chief Minister Howard Quayle told Sky News "we had no COVID on the Isle of Man from the 15 June 2020 to the 7 January 2021 but sadly, we had some cases on the Isle of Man in which we had to go in quick and fast, shut down our island to enable us to eradicate".

One day. One day this will all be over and all but a blemish on our otherwise normal lives. A fortnight from now we will know a little more I am sure - But for now, we live by our windows, watching the world go by and waiting for the day we can get out and join them.

'Til next time, Love A.Lou x

Some things never change.

Good Evening, 

One week ago I sat here writing to you from my sofa, anxious in anticipation for my grandmothers funeral. I was dreading it and more than most for a multitude of reasons. Now I know that no one ever looks forward to funerals, but this one will be especially fraught with emotions, and, as with last time, the tension and anxiety will be riding high. I laugh to myself now as I write this to you, it seems that funerals, whilst are not the happiest of occasions, always seem to be dogged for me with huge anxieties and bouts of doubt and uncertainty about myself. And this time will be no different. 

As with Granddad's funeral just over two years ago now almost to the day, I recall waking up on the morning of the funeral. I could see the bright May day beaming in through the spare room window across the hallway. And just as before, I wanted to curl up in my duvet, hide away and pretend that today was not happening. Instead, I pulled myself from slumber, my Puppy for once being kinder to me this morning and not jumping on me as he normally would, affectionate little licks to gently encourage me to get up and along with the day. Isn't it funny how animals sense these things, especially so when they come and cuddle up next to you on the sofa as you write this?

As normal, or at least as normal could be I dropped Mr Warehouse at work and headed home for a strong coffee and mind-numbing telly. Soon enough though it was time to get ready. Dressing in a black long-sleeved soft jersey wrap dress, nude tights and black heels I was all set. Hair in a plaited nape bun and fascinator fixed in place I got in the car ready to go. The journey was quiet as I thought about the attendants, my mother and brother, both of whom I had not seen since the last family funeral when I first started dating Mr Warehouse. Its been five years.  

"I suppose," I thought, "on a positive note, the Coronavirus pandemic means she can't come within 2-metres of you". I smiled at the thought. Soon enough we were approaching my Hometown and as we turned into the neighbouring street of my old family home I saw the hurse pull in front of us. Mr Warehouse asked if that was Nanna, or if it could be someone else, but as the vehicle in front took a left, I was certain she was making one last visit to the church before heading home. As the car slowed coming into Nanna's house, Mr Warehouse rested his hand on my thigh and gave me a sweet and gentle squeeze. Stopping the car he motioned if I was OK. I would be, I just needed to get today over and done with, as we all did. 

I could see some familiar faces amongst the people who had come and seen her off. Neighbours, friends and family all there for one last goodbye. My eyes fell to my Nanny Pumpkin and Uncle Africa from Ireland who was now staying with my Nanny Pumpkin (don't ask, easier not to get into it). Immediately I made a beeline for them as I knew they were my safety net, there for me and my family. I spoke with Uncle Golf a little and his younger brother, my Uncle KON. I went to see how my Auntie DD was holding up and my cousin too. At only just a teenager, this was a lot to handle. I can't imagine the pain he must be going through, especially after seeing her pretty much once or twice a week since he was born. The shock of seeing a coffin in the flesh (excuse the pun, but Nanna would have appreciated it) for the first time can be overwhelming and a bit much, especially for someone so young. 

My fiance and I took him aside for a second to console him, showing him the beautiful flower arrangement I had made on behalf of the grandchildren, my brother included as he sheepishly stood in the background with my mother, too ashamed to raise his head above the parapet I expect. After speaking with Auntie DD several weeks ago, It had been suggested to do something similar to my Granddad's funeral. Obviously, I included my brother, texting him last week to let him know of the plans and if he would like to be included he was more than welcome. Of course, he never replied, and of course, I still put his name to it as he was and still is the grandson of the dearly departed, despite not showing an ounce of remorse for not showing himself in the final few months and years of her life. I only wish he could man up and just be apart of this rather than hiding in her shadow. 

As 1pm approached we all headed into our cars, out of the way of the biting cold that she [Nanna] had cast over us from Scotland. Pulling away from her home, my thoughts turned to the next part of today. At the graveside, I was going to say a few words as I had divulged in last weeks blog post. Since there was going to be no church service due to the Coronavirus outbreak (even after Boris' announcement yesterday) there was a need to pack the occasion out and make it feel more than just a box and hole situation. As expected, my poor cousin was in no fit state to say anything let alone put words together in order to form a sentence in front of everyone and so the suggestion of something lighter about our time as grandchildren with Nanna was definitely best left to her memorial ceremony and celebration hopefully in a few months time when all of this is over. 

Pulling into the Cemetary I could see my father's car which gave me great comfort to know he was here, mostly because of the "am I, aren't I" conversations we had a few times over the last few weeks. Regardless of if he came or didn't, there would be backlash either way. My father would have been ridiculed for showing his face and coming if he had turned up and equally would have been bad-mouthed had he not come to the funeral of a woman that was once your mother-in-law. My Dad, accompanied by his new wife, was there to support me and my Auntie and Uncle's as well as my brother. Standing in the background I was glad of his presence. 

Moments later, in the freezing cold with the sun shining, I read from the freshly printed pages my monologue as posted last week. It went down well. Very well in fact, my uncle passing comment about not being about to follow such a touching tribute which I thought was lovely, especially considering how much I pawed over it and fretted about its broadcast. The moments slid by as we watched her be lowered into her final resting place, next to Granda, and soon we all started to dissipate into the Cemetary. 

All was well and we bid goodbye to close family and family friends with promises of meeting again once this Lockdown had lifted Mr Warehouse and I headed for the car. Uncle Africa wanted to speak with my mother and brother, alone, and so had asked if I could take my Nanny Pumpkin home. This delayed my catch-up with Miss Tweedle-Dee, something I was going to need after all this, but I was happy to assist as I knew that some stern words would need to be had. Although just before we left, my father made a bold move by walking in their direction. Before I knew what was happening (and truth be told I still don't) I heard my mothers voice ring out across the small parking lot. 
"BACK OFF" She bellowed, screeching at my father and holding a firm hand up in protection. Of her? Of her son? Who knows. All I do know is that my father only wanted to speak with his son and offer both him and his ex-wife his condolences. 

Sadly it seems as all the years have rolled by, the anger and searing pain are still raw. My brother is still hurting and my mother is still her old self, melodramatic and over the top. I just wish that we could all be civil. Enough time has passed for us to all get over ourselves and just accept that in certain situations we need to put things like this aside. Obviously, my mother never got that memo and instead embarrassed not only herself, but also my brother, who seems to have grown just as bitter and hateful as she is. Some things never change ...  

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

To invite the Children or not to invite the Children?

Hey, 

"Save The Dates" still on hold (I know, I know) Mr Warehouse have been making other plans and desperately trying to negotiate that guest list down. As described in the post a few months ago "The Gluttonous Guest List", our original rough number of about 65-70 for day guests is creeping up and up and the majority of our wedding party was more "Warehouse=family-heavy". With our venue, a stunning village hall in Stagsden, nestled away in the heart of the Bedfordshire countryside, its pretty hall and ideallic gravelled garden I am sure will be plenty big enough for our guests. Although more recently, cutting down our wedding guest list is like Hercules battling Hydra – cut one person and two more seem to grow in their place.

However, with mine and Mr Warehouses most recent look at the serious swelling of our guests and that with the addition of kids, cousins, cousins kids and every man and his dog it is easy to see how things have quickly got out of control. Seeking out some advice online, I have yet again stumbled upon the website Bridebook.co.uk - Pretty much a one-stop-shop on all things wedding and getting married. Some advice they have on guest list has been really helpful such as cutting out children from the wedding party, for part or even the whole day! "This is a dilemma lots of brides and grooms struggle to settle within themselves, never mind with each other. But you’re not a bad person for requesting this – lots of couples do. Not only does it cut costs and numbers but it gives the parents a night off to enjoy themselves too if they so wish" Bridebook.co.uk says. Some helpful advice we have known about for a while. Mr Warehouse and I tried to broach this subject a few times however it always ended in disagreement as there are far too many children. 

I suppose I sort of just thought that family is family and whilst I hate not being able to put mom, dad and kids, heck even the family hound on the invite it is something that we simply cannot afford. If we just work with the adults here, that is everyone over the age of 10/12 (with a few exceptions of the close family members) the numbers come to about 85-90. Introduce all those cherubs and darlings and you have a wedding party of well over a hundred. No problem and all fun and games until you realise these people need to eat and the cost of that is already a bone of contention as the "W" seems to increase the price several times over! 

I mean we could always Billy bullshit an excuse, saying that we were not allowed to have any children at the venue, however, I very much doubt that this would have been the case since the Warehouses are very accustomed to the church we are going to be wed in. Instead, we have decided to be totally honest and upfront about our plans for our big day and have asked all of those family members that have children if they would mind us just inviting mom and dad. I was surprised (although I am not sure as to why) that people have been totally OK about it all, some of them relieved they can leave the kiddi-winks at home or with a babysitter and enjoy the evening letting their hair down. Truth be told they are all understanding that weddings can be and are expensive and so as much as we would love to invite all the children of our friends and family, it is only possible to accommodate the children of close family, mainly down to cost. 

After reaching out I was glad and relieved at how many people had said that it was our special day and whatever we wanted they would accept. If it was children then great or no children still great. I was pleased with the relaxed attitude and feelings everyone replied with and truth be told good make me feel a little silly for sweating so much over it all. So does that mean that Mr Warehouse and I will be sending out our "Save The Dates" this weekend? Well maybe not as we have a few things planned and in the pipeline for home renovations and summer fun, however, I am sure that once we do get round to it in the next couple of months we will have a much better idea on numbers and therefore invites, favours and catering will all be much, much easier. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

The Bride Bible

Afternoon All, 

Lying in the sun on my newly purchased sun lounger I was enjoying my garden far more than I ever thought was possible. Obviously, I knew from living in a top floor penthouse apartment I would relish having a garden of any sorts. Then, when I moved downstairs to my ground floor flat I excitedly planned parties and patio barbecues on my new outside space. Soon however I grew tired of the Courtyard garden I had and longed for some grass and maybe a shed. Now I have it I wonder where and what I will want for next, however as I spent my long Easter bank holiday in the sun, Pooch by my side and with the noise of Mr Warehouse's gaming in the background I delved deeper into wedding magazines and planning books. 

Following on from last weeks blog post, I have taken great joy in trawling the wedding planning website "Hitched.co.uk". This got me thinking and after some more research found tonnes of wedding websites dedicated to giving the best advice possible to a successful big day! Scrolling through the websites, blog posts and articles online (in-between cocktails and trips indoors to make said cocktails) I came across some more helpful tips and tricks from "Brides.com". 

Top advice from "Brides.com" comes in the form of crafting. They say that it is essential to remember that you’re not in this alone! After all, a wedding is the coming together of two people and their friends and families so take your bridal party, family members and maybe even your fiancé and ask for their help. Be sure to delegate some tasks to take some of the load off of you. Have you got a friend with flare, a crafty cousin or a baking bestie? If yes then rope 'em in too and get your address book to be your vendor list. I can almost guarantee as in our case you will have someone who knows someone and no doubt they will be able to give you not only a genuine quotation but also maybe make a little more of an effort or even do you a freebie if you're lucky! People love to help and in my experience as soon as I started discussing wedding planning, friends, family and associates were throwing themselves at me to offer up services or names of people that could help. 

I would summarise that most people nowadays be the cost of a wedding and probably keel over from a heart attack. If however, they have not succumbed to the shock then I would imagine they would think that the DIY could be a cost-effective way of creating your dream day on a budget. Doing it yourself can add some nice personal touches too, just don’t go overboard or you’ll end up with more work than you know what to do with. Feel free to go the DIY route with things that can be done well in advance, like favours, table numbers, etc. For things like flowers or food that need to be done close to the wedding date, professional help is best, however, I have decided myself to cut down on costs entirely and make all of my bridal parties flowers and arrangements myself. I have chosen to do this on the basis that the boutonnieres for the groomsmen and best men and the bouquets for the bridesmaids and maid of honour can be kept as a gifts. I also happen to have a bunch of faux flowers that I have picked up along my way through wedding buying, most of them fairly inexpensively on ye olde Facebook Marketplace. 

Another interesting take on modern wedding etiquette that certainly didn't happen in either mine nor Mr. Warehouses parents time was that of social media. Whether you want to broadcast your wedding to the world or have an unplugged wedding, the strategy is important. Hashtags, signage and photo booths are a great way to get guests posting on social. If you’re more private, include signage about an unplugged ceremony or have the officiant make a quick announcement before proceedings begin. Mr Warehouse and I have yet to have the discussion as to whether we would like people to hold off posting until we have, although I am almost certain that he will tell me I would be a major bridezilla by asking people not to post before I do. I love the idea of having our wedding just for those that are there in the moment and not having mobile phones in your face, just like so many generations before us. However, that being said I also enjoy the attention and the fact that my wedding would be broadcast to my following on social media including old school friends that I no longer speak to, ex-boyfriends that could have been and maybe a few enemies along the way would fill me with great joy. 


It seems that organisation is key when planning your own wedding, and I think that this will be especially true, if, like us, someone is on a shoestring. There are so many balls up in the air at once, you need a way to keep track of everything. My advice - Spreadsheets. One of the many wedding planning management apps or programs out there can help and places like "Hitched.co.uk" and "Brides.com" both have helpful budgeting tools. I suppose though that I will just remember that even with the most meticulous planning and organisation system, there is bound to be some chaos from time to time. 

Whatever happens, the control freak inside me says I should probably try my best to plan ahead and not be too hard on myself when the inevitable happens on the big day. however, we've still so much left to plan and the plenty of time to do it in a very much doubt that there will anything left till last minute.

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Seeking out our Scorsese

Evening Ya'll

So after fulfilling my weekends ambition of having a matching Pyjamas day on the sofa under plenty of blankets watching back-to-back episodes of Say Yes To The Dress UK and Teen Mom UK, I had to move from my pit, if anything to the glass desk and my emails that awaited. On sifting through copious amounts of free this and buy that were multiple wedding admin to work through. My quest for wedding suppliers continues and on the agenda most recently along with the long list of caterers and others is trying to find a videographer that Mr Warehouse is, at the very least, grinning and bearing with. 

When I first thought about my wedding planning journey I realised that I would want some sort of video footage, and that was long for Mr Warehouse stepped on the scene. I suppose ever since doing Media Production and Media Studies at college as a student I realised the importance and deep-rooted connection that you can have to a video with sound and vision as opposed to just a still image. Having said that, I have already booked a photographer whose work is incredible, albeit just starting out she still commanded a £575.00 price tag. But the way I see it is that you cannot put a price on your memoirs and with her approach and "look" certainly far from the in your face and staged posing that my fiance was expecting following his interactions with wedding photographers in the past. Mr Warehouse has pretty much stated right at the beginning of our wedding planning journey and knowing that I already wanted something on film that he does not want a videographer at all, let alone one that will be in everyone's face like a fresh-faced news reporter asking for guests current opinion on the dress and what marriage advice they could give to the bride and groom. 

But alas he is so ill-informed as there are plenty of different styles and ways you can have a wedding video nowadays. There are some companies who will simply edit together a video compiled of your own footage coupled with your guests. There are several other companies that will lend you there cameras and equipment so that you can film a high spec video yourself, only to then send back the cameras along with the footage and they will edit it into a feature length or highlights reel. And I suppose that the real top-dog of videography packages would be someone coming to shoot your whole day, starting with the preparation of the Bridal party at home with me and the girls, transitioning through to the moments at the church and just before we become husband and wife. Continuing through a good videographer will capture everything from the heartfelt vows through to the giggles in the speeches, flowing nicely the cutting of the cake, our very first dance as a married couple and ending with some candid shots of the Dance floor as people start to let the alcohol take control. 

When I look back on my wedding video in years to come, be it after an argument, with the kids, with the grandkids even or just us, I want to be transported back to that magical day and remember all the little things that happened and that my eyes didn't catch. I want to listen to people give me advise and laugh at everyone's antics. I want to look back and see the face and movement and words, listening to their voice as I remember that they are no longer with us. In all of that, chances are, no matter how sharp mine or my new Hubbies memory is, we won’t remember every single detail of it off by heart and it is for this additional reasoning, as well as the emotional side why nowadays couples like me (and Mr Warehouse) are opting to have wedding videography. 

Forget the out of focus and wobbly videos your Uncle Joe may have filmed in years gone by, cutting off heads and filming the floor when he was meant to be filming your entrance; The new breed of wedding videographers are producing high quality and imaginative wedding day films using digital camera, up-to-date technology and editing techniques to create a variety of filming styles, all with a timeless touch!

We have looked into different methods such as edit only or DIY-shooting and then sending it off to a company to edit together. Companies like Shoot It Yourself have put a spin on wedding videography where they provide the video cameras and its the happy couple's friends and family who film and shoot the video. Afterwards, the cameras are returned for the Shoot It Yourself techies to edit into a beautiful film. Whilst this is low cost and very much a DIY and home-video feel, it is not something Mr Warehouse feels comfortable doing the whole "vlogger for a day" thing! 

As we are finding through our (mainly my) searches, you pay for what you get so some thorough research is needed before we even commit to a company or person. A high-quality wedding film can involve one or two cameramen on the day and an editor, if not the cameraman themselves for the best part of a week, so we must expect all this to be reflected in the price. However that being said, I have reached out to a few friends and old acquaintances and have had a few reasonable quotes back, however, my latest venture to the college for my catering may also prove lucrative in terms of using the media students as well as those from the food tech department. Either way I am sure we will find our Spielberg somewhere!

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Playing with the big boys

Evening!

So I am sure that you are all very excited to hear the next instalment of my wedding planning journey accompanied with all the trials and tribulations you would expect in planning the biggest day of your life. However following some sad news a few weeks ago regarding one of Mrs Tweedle-Dumb's relatives passing away unexpectedly, my best friend and bridesmaid will be flying home within the next few hours. 

Personally, I was not really close to Mrs Tweedle-Dumb's family member but would have liked to go to the funeral in order to provide some comfort and support her family as they have for me over the last few years. Unfortunately, a combination of meetings that cannot be postponed and lack of annual leave means that I am unable to, however, that does not necessarily mean that I do not feel bad about Mrs Tweedle-Dumb having to return under these circumstances, especially on her own.

Her imminent yet unanticipated visit back to the UK is not only a chance to say goodbye to a much-loved member of her family but also to indulge in some QT with friends to maybe take her mind off other matters, if only for a short while! With this in mind, I have booked ourselves tickets to the biggest wedding show in the UK - The National Wedding Show. With everything a bride and her entourage could every dream of or need to plan the perfect wedding under the beautiful glass-domed roof of Olympia London. Amazing wedding dresses, stunning catwalk shows, expert advice and the chance to meet your potential wedding suppliers face to face I couldn't pass this chance up, especially with free tickets. I will certainly be sure not to forget to take time for a glass of bubbly in The Champagne Bar! 

Amongst some of the vendors and exhibitors at the event, my fellow Brides and I can shop hundreds of the UK’s finest wedding suppliers & bridal brands covering everything from dresses to cakes. With inspiration, help and advice from over 250 wedding specialists, thousands of dresses from all the leading designers and a showstopping catwalk to experience the latest bridal trends with groomswear, accessories, make-up, hair and more it will certainly be a long day, but worth it. 

Who knows maybe I will find the dream dress? The one. The absolute epitome of perfection that screams my name without even me wearing it! After the last visit to try on wedding dresses, I am keen to get a few more visits booked in especially when I have both of my maid-of-honour and chief bridesmaid at my disposal. Whilst finding the perfect wedding dress is essential to my big day, The National Wedding Show may be the best place to start. 

An unrivalled selection of bridal shops and designer labels brought together under one roof means me and the girls can explore hundreds of different designers, styles, colours, lengths, embellishments, accessories and more, all in one place. With something to cater for every taste, every budget and every style, fingers crossed I’ll find the one!  I can try on as many dresses as I like with no appointments necessary and I am sure that many exhibitors will be running exclusive at-show discounts and offers. The stunning catwalk show will also be a great place to hit up and take the weight off and judging from the website will be featuring dresses from David’s Bridal, Lady Bird, Halo and Wren and many more. 

Here's hoping that deep-V Morilee satin gown is in the sale for under my five-hundred quid budget. Although to be fair when I saw it at a wedding fair last weekend and a few weekends ago also the price tag was well over £3,000.00. Even if I am not able to find my dream dress in the next few weeks whilst Mrs Tweedle-Dumb is over then I will have plenty of time to have another look around and check out some sales before I need to get serious about buying my dress, although I suppose I need to wonder where the dreaming and playing in white dresses stops and the buying starts. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

The Gluttonous Guest List

Hello one and all!

Shocked and disgusted I ended the phone call to the caterer. I am beyond the words to describe the sort of supplier that would not just double but nearly triple the price for a wedding sit-down meal in comparison to the same event without such connotations. Mr Warehouse's and My wedding is, as I said before, essentially a "family event" and should have no rhyme or reason as to a catering company increasing their prices so drastically. I assured you all last week that I should get a resolve and indeed I have, although not one I wanted. 

In response to a phone call with another young lady in the office as the main manager was conveniently unavailable for my phone calls, I was told that "further to your recent conversation with the Catering Department, unfortunately, it is not a viable option for us to provide catering for your Wedding due to the overheads involved as the waitressing staff alone cost £12 per hour. As discussed we are unable to provide other peoples food alongside our own and we only ever cater for an entire event. We feel it may be best that you go with the alternative catering company. We are sorry that we have been unable to help you further on this occasion."

Frustrated and annoyed I informed them that it was "unfortunate that I was not able to speak with the manager but that we will as a result not be using yourselves and would be hesitant to use your services or restaurant again but we will be sure to take our £1,500.00+ order and use a caterer that does not put up their prices by nearly treble the original when catering, no matter what the event be it wedding or small family affair as ours is." 

And so the hunt is still on. For caterers and for Wedding suppliers or items alike. This week has left me a little blue since there is not much now left to organise, email about or call people to get quotes for. Most of the sourcing of suppliers has been done and the booking process won't be much far behind that. Since Mr Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year (I think we can with a variety of vouchers, money off codes and a good old haggle) I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and some would say maybe neglect my gorgeous Hubby-To-Be, putting all of my focus and energy into planning our dream day. 

After settling down to a rough number we realised that the majority of our wedding Party was more "Warehouse-Heavy". Our venue is stunning or at least will be by the time we put our stamp on it. Nestled in the heart of the Bedfordshire Countryside, Stagsden Village Hall is an old school house converted into a pretty hall with an ideallic gravelled garden and interior features. Large tall and wide windows will perfectly frame our top table and the wooden floors will be partied on all night long I am sure of it. With round tables, it was the perfect venue and ticked all the boxes including plenty of room for outdoors mingling and fun, plus extra space to bung the kids when they get rowdy or tired. The chairs are unsightly but I am sure that they can be tarted up. 

However, with Mr Warehouse and I looking at was the guest list and how much it is swelling with each and every month that seems to pass with the addition of kids, cousins, cousins kids and every man and his dog it is easy to see how things can quickly get out of control. If we just work with the adults here, that is everyone over the age of eighteen (with a few exceptions) the numbers come to about sixty to sixty-five. Introduce all those under legal drinking age and you have a wedding party of nearly ninety already. No problem and all fun and games until you realise these people need to eat and the cost of that is already a bone of contention as the "W" seems to swell the price like an excited horse in a field of fillies! 

I have a few ideas up my sleeve in respects of getting what I want. I always do. Well, most of the time. But if I don't then there are always a few good alternatives that are less costly but don't necessarily rely on the whole served-at-your-seat vibe, more of a DIY serve from the table kinda vibe. And so I suppose until next week wish me luck in finding a desperate supplier for a broke-ass Bride and Groom! 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Things Will Be A Little Different This Year!

Hello,

I always knew that this Christmas would probably be the hardest that I had in a long time. Not only will Christmas Day be spent with the family missing one important member in particular, my grandfather, but also that I am without my best friend who is over five-thousand miles away in LA. 

On Friday, before of debauchery of our Christmas parties with our work colleagues, Mr Warehouse, Miss Tweedle-Dee and I met at a local restaurant for dinner. You see our normal tradition of going out on Christmas Eve to celebrate the final few hours before the big day was not possible this year as Miss Tweedle-Dee was flying out to LA to spend Christmas with the American newlyweds Mr and Mrs Tweedle-Dumb. As such our normal Christmas Eve meal had to be brought forward as she flew out today and so we now found ourselves in a quiet corner of a gorgeous fine dining restaurant in a posh end of "The Shire". Exchanging gifts felt as though we were missing someone out of the loop. Obviously this was not the case as I had already wrapped and packaged Mr and Mrs Tweedle-Dumb's package to post out the following day as Miss Tweedle-Dee was not able to take with her. 

With one thing or another taking over as life normally does I had found myself at the post office this evening and after being rather disorganised making myself several days late for posting the precious Christmas parcel, I was then informed that the parcel itself was quite heavy and large therefore would cost quite a bit to post out to the states! Devastated I asked for the damage and nearly fell over when I was informed by the post office clerk that it would be nearly £80.00! Deflated I returned home to Mr Warehouse only for him to ask why I was still carrying around the Christmas parcel. After explaining my difficulties to him he suggested that we should open it up again and split it down into smaller and lighter packages that would be much cheaper to transport. 

This was certainly not what I wanted. I already had visions of my parcel that I had been hugging since I had finished wrapping it being delivered to the sunny Los Angeles apartment that she and her new hubby occupied, opening it with glee and excitement, probably not even anticipating any presents that were not being handed through Miss Tweedle-Dee. I had already imagined what the Skype or WhatsApp video call would have been like whilst Mrs Tweedle-Dumb read out the clues and jokes that accompanied each and every little present. Disappointed I decided to have a look into other courier companies that may be able to ship for a little less, however after a short search online using the trusted Google homepage I was unable to get any quote less than £50.00. 

Almost bordering on giving up I started to search on Amazon and eBay for more Christmas presents I could purchase for Mr Warehouse, maybe even hoping for a last minute deal on a game he has been after for months. But that is when it suddenly occurred to me that Amazon is a worldwide company and whilst eBay may have difficulty in delivering a parcel to the US when the billing address and card are registered to the UK, I was certain that I would not encounter the same problems with Amazon. And so I gave it a go and low and behold it worked, at least I think so anyway?! Fingers crossed it actually arrives with the recipient! 

Whilst I was sad to see my best friend off to a whole new world and life in sunny L.A, I do sometimes feel upset that she isnt here. I am sure that Mrs Tweedle-Dumb feels the same and when I bought my first home and gave house tours and threw my first house party and got engaged and all of that she wishes she was back here as much as I would be to be out there. Nothing will ever replace my first ever best friend. I felt ashamed and guilty of my selfish thoughts before when I thought about Mrs Tweedle-Dumb moving away with her new hubby, partly because I would not have given a flying fuck about who was left behind or what they were feeling - I would have been long gone, but partly because I wanted her to do the same. 

Since Mrs Tweedle-Dumb left, Miss Tweedle-Dee and I have been just fine back here because we know that despite how hard it will be finding a good connection for WhatsApp Video calls or messaging at odd hours of the day and night; Our friendship will be OK. As much as it makes me feel devastated to think of my life here in England without her, I need to remember that it is not all bad and I am sure Mrs Tweedle-Dumb will be home soon, in the flesh rather than the fun that we will all have trying to successfully achieve a (three-way) Skype session or FaceTime . 

But this year is different. I suppose that this past year there has been quite a few changes in my life which has made Christmas a little different. Granddad will not be here and neither will my Tweedles, off living their best lives in sunny L.A. But this year has brought many good things too - I have a new Fiance and a New Job as Marketing Coordinator but most of all, I have a swanky new home to hang my stocking and hope Santa fills it with all that resides on my ever growing wish list! 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Turning off the Christmas Lights

Heyy,

So let me start this week's blog post about telling you exactly how much I love my fiance Mr Warehouse, however as much as I loved spending every waking moment with him I would also like to have some time by myself on the sofa watching some sort of crappy episodes of back to back Teen Mom OG or Homes Under the Hammer.

Finally though after what has seems like months, at last I last got a lovely long Saturday morning lay-in and a good binge of TV all washed down with a huge mug of coffee and maybe a mince pies or two. OK OK maybe it was the whole box, but in my defence they were going out of date and oh my goodness they were so crumbly and sweet. Besides, if one is not allowed to binge TV and eat copious amounts of food over the Christmas period then quite frankly what are you doing with your life?

During the run up to this time of year I either spend it out and about most evenings catching up with friends, on holidays or mini breaks away to somewhere more christmassy than Bedfordshire or just simply in a salon somewhere trying to make myself look beautiful for the party season whilst searching for a sequin sparkly plus-size dress that does not exist anywhere in any size other than anorexic or dead-for-a-week. But this year is different. I suppose that this past year there has been quite a few changes in my life which has made Christmas a little different. Granddad will not be feeding the dog from his bed, Mr and Mrs Tweedle-Dumb are off living their best lives in sunny L.A, I have a new Fiance and a New Job as Marketing Coordinator but most of all, I have a swanky new home! 

Ahh yes the dynamics of Christmas has changed. But that is not to say that anything will be overtly out of the ordinary this year compared with last. Yes obviously my grandfather wont be there which in many ways will be sad for all of us as a family, however that being said, Christmas was a time for all the family to get around his bedside and take the piss, tell jokes, laugh and enjoy each others company - Or put up with it, depending on which members of the family you asked. Christmas is a day for celebrating and despite his absence, I plan to do just that. I plan to enjoy the company of my loved ones on Christmas day and will start it as normal with Mr. Warehouse and pooch in our new abode, opening the presents we have been hiding from each other for the last few months and eating chocolate for breakfast as any normal twenty-six/seven year-olds would do. 

Next will be bundling ourselves into the car for a trip round to My future families, Big Brother Warehouses, to have a spot of brunch (usually pigs in blankets although I am not sure why) and to watch our nieces and nephews open their presents from "Santa". You would have thought after generations he would remember to drop them at the right house! Nevertheless off we go again, on the move for the final time, back home to the other end of the 'Shire to spend Christmas dinner with my family, hopefully staying well into the evening and making use of Nanny Pumpkins glorious Cheese-board and over-indulgent Buffet. 

My Grandpa loved this time of year, good TV, family around cracking jokes and any excuse to have the house and garden filled with lights that went off any time you breathed a little to heavily, setting the whole Bungalow into a Vegas styled, all singing all dancing light show. My favourite part of being their grandchild was to sneak round the lounge when someone was sleeping and clap so that the singing Santa came alive, blaring out another nauseating Christmas hit! My brother and I used to laugh and giggle when "someone" would activate the Christmas lights and music, sending Nanny Pumpkin into a spin about why they were all going off again and waking Granddad from his afternoon snooze. 

I think it will be odd this year for sure but that is not to say it will be bad, he is in a better place and to an extent the family can relax a little as we won't have to wait on him hand and foot. Nanny will be sad I am sure but even she will probably find solace in the silence and normal lighting. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Blood Makes You Related, Love Makes You A Family

Hello,

Waking up on Saturday morning was probably the most relaxed I think I have had any morning waking up in my new home thus far. The last week or two had been strained to say the least and contributed to me losing my bag a few times with Mr Warehouse. Still in a bit of pain I was dropping him to work and picking him up every day which was starting to grate on me without having any of my own free time. Nevertheless a weekend away from it all and a quick calculation of our first mortgage payment and few bills that are coming in make it look and feel as though things will not be as tight as initially thought in the first few months of home ownership. Whilst I may well be math's dyslexic I am however quite good with working out financially whether something is a viable option or not, especially so when looking at our savings for the house and now going forward for the wedding. 

Hearing my fiance watching TV downstairs probably with the dog by his side made me grin with happiness as I rolled over to welcome in the brightness from outside. Now that is not to say that Saturday was at all a gloriously sunny or beautiful day for weather. If anything it was Far flung from that and was overcast, grey, drizzly and quite windy. Perfect weather for a Gazebo! Knowing that Mr Warehouse had probably silenced my alarms a few hours ago it was certainly time to get out of bed. Trundling down the stairs, still in my pyjamas and rubbing my eyes and waking myself up along every step, I wondered about coffee, only to hear the Bae call in from the lounge down the hallway that he put the kettle on a few moments ago anticipating my arrival. Such a sweetie! I think that the only way this morning could have possibly been any better is if he had brought it to me in bed. But today was not a day for lounging around in your duvet with a coffee in hand. Oh No! Today was the day that it finally felt all so real. I was engaged. I was a home-owner. And I was about to celebrate it all with the ones I loved most. 

Rushing around like a headless chicken, Mr. Warehouse and I didn't even stop for a cuppa or breakfast, soldiering through to put up the gazebo, lay out food, make the house presentable and decorate for a party! As the afternoon broke, we had our first guests, Momma and Pappa Tweedle-Dee. Unfortunately Miss Tweedle-Dee already had prior commitments with her cousins and so was unable to make it but I was so glad when her parents turned up to warm us into our new home as our first proper guests. Showing them round they kept saying how proud they were of me and also of my fiance and how lovely it all was. 

Soon after the next set of guests arrived, my Auntie and eldest cousin. Again the house tour began and after about the third or fourth I was glad for Mr Warehouse to take over a little with the hostessing as I mingled with our house now full of guests. "OK so maybe a few too many invites went out" I thought as I pondered what would have happened if more of the people who were meant to come had not of dropped out. Where would they go?! Probably that gazebo! Door goes again and I think about how I swear there was a TV comedy sketch show about doors constantly going and people piling on in. Regardless I welcomed them all in, Nana's, Uncles, Aunties, Cousins and friends. 

As the afternoon worn on so did the guests, and with every glass of Prosecco Mr. Warehouse topped me up with the more fuzzy I felt. Most of my side of the family stayed, a good majority of the afternoon and into the evening, mingling and chatting with each other and catching up after the more somber occasion of my grandfathers funeral earlier in the year. Taking a look around I was overwhelmed, as I always am with how many people really do love and support me. No matter what I do, or say or don't do even, they all love me unconditionally. Regardless of their opinions on what I wear or how I conduct my life they accept me for who I am and love and support me no matter what. That is truely what family is. Coming together to celebrate the good and comfort in the bad. It was at that moment I knew that I was content, at least for the time being and that I in a way had officially "made it". Out of everything that I have and are going through, I can honestly say that the hard work has paid off. Time to relax into our new home in time for Christmas ... 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Do Not Look Back, You're Not Going That Way ...

Heyy, 

Almost settled into our new home in the countryside Mr Warehouse and I decided to embark on a weekend away with the dog. Nowhere particularly fancy just a hotel by the seaside in Bournemouth for a couple of nights. And truth be told honestly I think we needed it. 

Following the stress and pressure from every angle over the last few months on top of my poor mental health of late has certainly not helped our relationship blossom as best it could given the fact we are newly engaged. For me anyway I think the fact that I am mentally preparing myself for a monumental life-changing event and inadvertently my focus has been on that rather than my relationship with my fiance. I suppose I just thought that after getting engaged and moving into our first home together it would be a time for constant banging, laughs and giggles all the way. I suppose in a way things have been difficult a little bit since Mr Warehouse had his motorcycle accident. 

Our first morning in our new home was meant to be something special. I would wave of Mr Warehouse as he went to work meanwhile I would be safe and sound in my cosy bed having a much needed lay in before getting up to unpack the rest of the boxes strewn about the house after my normal day off routine of coffee, toast with posh jam and a dose of Holly and Phil on Pre-Recorded This Morning and maybe a cheeky Homes Under The Hammer. But less than twenty-minutes after Mr Warehouse had kissed my forehead and wave me goodbye from the bedroom door I had a phone call. Answering in my croaky slumber I was pretty sure that the phone call was not for Good News. Listening to the voice on the other end of the phone it sounded panicked and in pain. They sounded scared and we're asking for my help. 

"It hurts. Everything hurts" was all that I could remember Mr. Warehouse telling me before I started getting my shit together. Jumping out of bed I explained as calmly as I could to Mr Warehouse to stay still and make sure he does not move a single muscle in the knowledge that he could well paralysed himself or even worse. Taking a very brief note of what hurts and where I hurriedly threw on some clothes including leggings from the night before and the most quick and conveniently easy to put on top half; Nope not a T-Shirt, a button down shirt ladies and gents. For some odd reason I thought that opening up my wardrobe and grabbing a Chequered shirt with buttons was my best option rather than my embarrassingly large collection of slogan Tee's.

Running down the stairs and out the door shoving on trainers I have gone for the last three days non-stop and grabbing at a first aid kit not knowing what level of injury would await me on arrival. In my bleary half asleep moments I locked the house said goodbye to the dog and started the car all in a few moments. As I started my short journey through the empty Village that chilly morning I decided that it would probably be a good shout either way to call an ambulance and I am glad that I did for when I arrived within four-minutes of the initial first phone call from Mr Warehouse he was refusing all medical treatment and was despite my instructions to stay still, he was up on both feet and walking around, talking to another biker who had seen the abandoned motorcycle and pulled over to check he was OK. 

Within a couple of minutes the motorcyclist had gone on his merry way and Mr. Warehouse and I stood shocked and blurry eyed at each other, shivering from cold and shock. Nothing was cut or broken that I could see however I thought that my Fiance may have dislocated his shoulder or even his name in the crash. As the ambulance pulled up I made sure to inform them of everything I knew up until that point including any medical history or medicine I could record that he was taking for his eczema and asthma. Although after giving Mr Warehouse the once over the paramedics thought that it would be best practise to take him into A&E template down to the fact that there was pain in the neck, shoulder and back areas. As Mr Warehouse went to lay down on the splint ready for the ambulance I knocked on a nearby thatched cottage door. No one answered at first however I decided to bide my time as I knew that with the sun coming up someone soon would be up for school. Awaiting a moment or two I knocked again and this time a little frail old woman came to a nearby window and asked how she made help me. 

After explaining what had happened right outside her front door she kindly let me hoof my Fiance motorcycle into a safe area of her large front garden in order to keep safe whilst we went to hospital. Knocking on the Ambulance door, one of the paramedics finally came out to explain that they would be going to Bedford General Hospital and that I should probably follow in the car as I could not leave it on the side of the road due to the safety of other drivers. Almost bouncing into autopilot mode I jumped back into the car and headed to the hospital in advance of the ambulance. Thinking in a more rational sense I stop at a local McDonald's to pick up a coffee in order to avoid the high costs at the hospital canteen and made my way to the Accident and Emergency room just in time for Mr Warehouse's arrival in his own private waggon. 

Rolling him through to the reception and checking in desk I could tell that my beautiful gorgeous boyfriend was definitely on something for the pain. In agony and clearly confused he dried out asking for me unbeknownst that I was by his side all along. The following few hours were spent running back and forth to the car in order to put more money in the machine, calling around family to let them know what had happened and the seriousness of the accident itself and what seemed to be a never-ending scrolling of Pinterest. All the while Mr Warehouse was seemingly unaware of what was going on around him, pumped full of Ketamine and Morphine for the pain, coupled with the stronger Entonox (Gas and Air) in the hospital, he was away with the fairies most of the seven hours we were their. Finally though after a CT scan, CAT scans and X-ray's, we were allowed to go home and with his arm in a sling to help ease the pain on his shoulder and elbow, Mr Warehouse left bruised, battered and shaken but alive. 

A week or so on Mr Warehouse is OK, although I think mentally he is still challenged by his accident and has had several wobbles when on it, struggling to ride past the point in which he came off and barely even looking at his motorcycle let alone using it. It may take some time to get back on the Horse, so as to speak, but I am confident that in time he will be alright. I suppose in a way, in that moment, two lovers separated by a thin blue curtain in a busy A&E department on a cold November Monday morning following what could have been a quite serious RTC, nothing else mattered. The house. The boxes. The lay in and the TV. Nothing else mattered by my Beau and getting him better. Money couldn't help him, neither could Love or anything material. But hope could and with all that I am I stayed with him through everything I could or was allowed to and if I couldn't I was only behind a thin screen, and although he probably won't or maybe ever will remember, I was yelling to him like a soccer mom just how much I loved him and how everything would be OK. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx