Monthly Round Up | July 2017

We’re now into the second half of the year, and I’m super proud of myself for posting one of these round up posts at the end of every month so far. I was determined to keep the momentum going, and it’s actually really nice looking back at previous posts to remind myself of how much I’ve achieved in the last 6 months. I’m not usually one for constantly looking back, I prefer to spend my time planning for the future, but sometimes a little reflection is just what’s needed to allow myself to continue to grow and flourish (particularly with my business). Here’s a little of what I’ve been up to in July:

BUSINESS

I had a super busy final few weeks in June with two big weddings, so for the beginning of July, I made sure I dedicated plenty of time to my couples for the rest of the summer. I ensure I’m as organised as possible with the plans for every wedding before the busy season starts in April, and I always stay in touch with my couples throughout the summer months. However, it’s such a busy period for all industry vendors, so each task can take a little longer around this time!

If you haven’t yet come across the fabulous venue that is The Lakes by Yoo, then please do take a moment to check out their website. They have recently made the decision to offer The Barnhouse as a luxury venue for weddings, so I spent an afternoon there earlier this month absorbing all that the exclusive development has to offer. The interiors at The Barnhouse have been exceptionally designed by Kate Moss, and it is now available for intimate weddings. If you’d like to find out more about The Lakes by Yoo as a venue for your wedding, please do get in touch and I’d love to share more about it with you!

Last weekend saw a gorgeous wedding in the Great Hall and Long Library at Blenheim Palace, with floral gorgeousness created by the fabulous Joanna Carter Flowers. It’s always a pleasure working with Joanna and her team, and they created some spectacular arrangements which were perfect for the grandeur of the Palace. The cake in particular was certainly a showstopper, and many of you sent me lots of messages on Instagram about this one….!

HOME

I have tried to embark on a huge decluttering mission this month, as we seem to accumulate so much which we really don’t need. I have succeeded in clearing Bella’s wardrobe and drawers, which took me a couple of hours one rainy afternoon (with her help!), and ended up with two bin bags of good quality clothing which we donated to our chosen charity. It was much easier than I thought, and I’m not sure why I’ve been putting it off so long – so in August I’m planning to tackle my own wardrobe (and this gives me an excuse to buy a couple of new pieces – just don’t tell my husband!!).

I’m planning a new gallery wall and Library space at the moment, with some new family photographs by the lovely Sarah Hannam Photography from our mini getaway to Ibiza last month, so this is next on my horizon (along with the Utility Room plans which are now underway!).

FAMILY

We were in Tuscany for a wedding at the beginning of this month, and then spent a couple of days child-free at a beautiful Italian spa resort before heading home. It was really lovely to spend some quality time together, as it seems such a rarity these days; so a pool overlooking the beautiful golf course with a couple of spa treatments thrown in was just what the doctor ordered!

I met some girlfriends for lunch one Saturday afternoon at the new Ivy Garden in Marlow, which was a lovely treat to ourselves. The food was absolutely delicious and the setting was lovely, but we came to the conclusion that the Chelsea Garden outlet is still our absolute fave for an all round experience! The following day we welcomed some friends for a pizza afternoon at home in our garden. The pizza oven hasn’t had many uses this summer yet, so it was great to fire it up and enjoy some delicious stone baked pizzas, alongside a few healthy salads to balance them out!

It’s been my birthday and also our wedding anniversary this month, so I have been rather spoilt to say the least! We spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon at Cotswold Lavender, near Broadway wandering through rows and rows of purple gorgeousness (somewhere I’ve been meaning to go to every July for the last 3 or 4 years!) followed by a lovely Sunday lunch at Willow Crossley’s new venture – The Swan at Ascott, for our anniversary weekend.

For my birthday, we spent a lovely day in London catching up with friends over wine and cocktails at my favourite Ham Yard Hotel, before spending my actual birthday a couple of days later having brunch with my parents, and a family day with Bella at Bristol Zoo, followed by an amazing evening at The Pig near Bath. If you haven’t been to The Pig before, you absolutely should! The ambience, service and food were all just incredible, and we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. The setting of the hotel is just lovely, with an array of home grown produce finding its way to the majority of their delicious menu. It was so difficult to choose what to have. As a vegetarian, I often find when eating out that restaurants only offer one choice, which of course isn’t actually a “choice” at all. You either have it, or you don’t! At The Pig, there were around 5 or 6 vegetarian options, and all of them sounded equally amazing! After much deliberation, I opted for a few of the small nibbles as a tapas style starter, followed by a preserved tomatoes and burrata salad with fresh basil and edible flowers, teamed with a side of chilli quinoa. For dessert, we shared a bread and butter pudding (divine!) and the Piggy Fours – a fun take on Petit Fours, which were delicious! We’re always looking for new pubs and restaurants to discover in and around Oxfordshire, so if you have any recommendations which you think we’d love, do get in touch!

Hope you’ve all had a fab month! 🙂

JENI X