Off the Record: Inspire, Support, Succeed

Is it me or do the weeks just seem to be flying by at the moment, it only feels like yesterday since our last Off the Record? This week has certainly been an interesting one, as we were invited back to my old college to give a talk to a group of students who were interested in starting their own blog. It was quite a nerve racking prospect the thought of talking about how we started, the problems we faced, the struggles we overcome. I have to admit there was a moment when both myself and Jess wondered if we actually knew much about it and we had to remind ourselves that we were now successfully running our blog full time so we must know a thing or two. Once we got into the talk, the students didn’t hold back on the questions and this instantly made us feel way more relaxed. We were envigorated by their enthusiasm and left feeling overwhelmed at everything we had also achieved in the last two years. I never thought that we would be in a position two years after starting our blog to give useful, valuable information to others on how to start and run a successful blog and it made me feel very grateful for the lives we have now.

The highlight however came after the talk when we received an email from the students tutor who wanted to thank us for taking the time to talk to the students and inspire them. It was so lovely to hear that they had actually found the talk useful. I know I speak for both myself and Jess when I say if you can take just an hour out of your day to inspire someone by sharing your story then do it. Watching those kids enthusiasm for their future was as equally inspiring for us and we are now even more excited about our future and the future of Bespoke Bride.

Anyway enough of me jabbering on here is what we have been loving this week…

Emily Loves…

♥ Spring cleaning! Yes I know it sounds crazy but I actually love to clean. This weekend the sun has got me all fired up, there is nothing like opening all the windows and doors to your house and letting all the fresh spring air in. Bliss!

♥ Netflix. I think myself and Mr T are bit late to this party, everyone seems to have it but us, however this week we finally signed up so I think we have date night for the next couple of weeks all sorted. Final season of Prison Break is calling our names.

♥ Lunch with my dear friend Sophie. We only live minutes away from each other, but we both have crazy busy schedules so sometimes it can be tough to find a time we are both free. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months and before you know it you haven’t seen each other for 5 months! We had so much to catch up on, we chatted non stop for almost 6 hours!

♥ Peanut butter and banana milkshakes – seriously yum!

♥ This weekend has pretty much been all about Rugby, rugby and more rugby!

♥ DIY days! Today I will be attempting a swiss cross wall in my living room. I’ll be posting the photos on Instagram if you want to see how it goes?

Jess Loves…

♥ Planning new YouTube videos with Em! We’ve got some funny ones and interesting ones coming your way soon! Watch out for an interview with a honeymoon expert, a drunken attempt at a no arms challenge and we’ve even got a cute Mothers Day DIY to share with you if you still haven’t got anything sorted! If you don’t already, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here!

♥ As Em mentioned earlier, going to our local college to speak to some of the students there was such a nice experience! Although honestly, I’m terrified of public speaking but it all turned out fine!

♥ Watching Gravity. I didn’t think much to the storyline but the effects and sound in the film was pretty amazing! Sandra Bullocks performance was also fab, but i’m now petrified of space!

♥ Taking a trip to Abergavenny with James, I can’t actually believe I’ve never been to this cute little town before! There was a really great market on too and I managed to get some real bargains!! We finished the afternoon off in Coffee 1 with fresh orange juice and some welsh cakes! YUM!

♥ Eating fresh strawberries in the sunshine. Strawberries are one of my absolute favourites and biting into one of those beauties while the sun shines on your face is THE BEST!

♥ Sadly my week ended on a low as I had to say goodbye to a friend who’s life ended because of depression. It’s never a nice thing going to funerals, especially when Tyler was only 18 years old, but the one thing that really did resonate with me this day was how much people come together in a tragedy. We live in such a tight knit community and it’s times like these when it shows through how beautiful that is and how much support everyone was giving each other in such a sad time really was touching.