Good morning and a Happy 2016 to you! I love the fresh start a New Year offers� I always love to start it with my house completely sorted � every draw and cupboard organised, desk clear, inboxes at zero (trust me this is a first!) � well you get the picture. So that's what I did last week, as well as chilling out with the hubby & pups, bbqs, lunches & dinners out, movies, reading, menu planning � it was all rather lovely. I'm changing things up a bit this week and hope I manage to keep it going for longer than just January. Last year simply got far too busy for me at times � response times on emails & submissions was too long, I was always anxious about the work load ahead of me, I'd walk the pups but be desperate to get back to my computer to get things done and whilst it's cliche I really want to learn to work smarter not harder! Don't get me wrong I love what I do, but there has to be a balance. I want to breathe more and be in the moment � walk the pups but relax whilst doing so and NOT be thinking about the amount of blog posts I need to get home and do! So yep this is me consciously putting it out there that I'm changing things up! My new website which isn't too far away will hopefully change things for me as it's SO much more sophisticated that the current one and will automate a lot of the processes for me � yay for that! So yes here's to an amazing 2016!

Our first fresh post for the year is this sweet nostalgic bridal shoot by Colorado wedding photographer ASHLEY SAWTELLE who shares with us the inspiration behind the shoot, �Our aim was to capture the feeling that is hard to ignore when you visit a historical estate. Often times, the home or estate have many stories to tell and you can't help but feel a longing for the past. Exterior walls with ivy climbing to the top, archways and classic, timeless pieces that are reminiscent of times past. The muted tones of the estate fit well with the rich colors that florist Tasha Frye used to create the incredible table arrangement and the bride's bouquet: red charm peonies, blush roses, chocolate cosmos, chocolate lace and rustic foliage and herbs. We loved the contrast of new and old throughout the shoot � a beautiful bride in a historical estate � including the stone surfaces showcasing the velvety paper goods by DESIGNSGIRL.�

Photography ASHLEY SAWTELLE / Styling TASHA FRYE & KELLE ANNE / Floral L'ARRANGEMENT / Calligraphy & paper goods DESIGNSGIRL / Cake GATEAUX BAKERY / Model CIERA FRYE