25 things I was thankful for in 2017

2017 was a bit of a funny year for Curiouser and Curiouser. In February I went to look at wedding venues, never expecting to fall in love with one, nor expecting said venue to have availability so soon. When they mentioned they had had a last minute cancellation and could offer a reduced rate for 6 months time, I asked myself: is 6 months long enough to plan a wedding?? Sometimes you have to do things that scare you to keep you on your toes. During those 6 months, this blog took a major back seat and all my spare time was dedicated to trawling Pinterest for wedding inspiration and contacting suppliers. Married mid August, I was finally able to get back to it and although I was MIA for most of the year, Curiouser and Curiouser still had an incredible journey in 2017. And with that, a review of 2017 and 25 things I was thankful for in 2017.

January

• I first introduced you guys to our rescue kittens. I can't believe how small they were back then!

February

• I tried Polish food for the first time thanks to Polish Village Bread. Pierogi are amazing!
• We found and booked our wedding venue! <3
• I collaborated with Voucherbox who challenged me to try living on £2 a day. It was tough, but I manage to create some tasty and filling meals which can be found here. For everyone who participated in the challenge and wrote a blog post, Voucherbox donated £50 to the charity Zamcog to help feed, clothe and educate children in Zambia. It was amazing being able to support such a great cause.

March - July

• I threw myself into wedding planning and neglected this little space of mine
• In April I announced my bridesmaids in an unconventional way... (blog post to follow!)
• In May I found the cutest tearoom with my bridesmaids. Even the bathroom was dreamy. And that very same day I found my wedding dress!
• Later in May I went with the bridesmaids to collect their dresses and had cocktails and Thai
• In July Tesco very kindly sent me a picnic hamper of treats and this started my love affair with their falafel
• Later in July I was fed up with wedding planning and needed a break. Bored of bland magnolia walls, I went to the dark side and painted the lounge in a beautiful dark teal sort of colour. 

August 

• Early August, my bridesmaids organised the best hen / bachelorette a girl could ask for 
• I married the love of my life in the dreamiest of venues <3 
• For my very first post-wedding blog post, I made use of the wedding flowers for a beautiful backdrop and Pulsin very kindly sent me some brownies to review

September

• I collaborated with Lyst which was a dream for me. At my previous job I was managing their advertising campaigns and fast forward a year, having the chance to actually write some content for Lyst... it was a huge honor and meant a lot to me.
• I got my home interiors fix at Ideal Home and Grand Designs Live

October

• I was invited to a bread making class at the Jamie Oliver Cookery school 
• I finally claimed my voucher (a leaving gift from my ex workplace) for The Gilbert Scott and experienced my first Marcus Wareing restaurant. It was incredible. 
• I reviewed some more healthy treats thanks to Pulsin and Eat Real. I tried some amazing porridge oat bars from Pulsin and Eat Real very kindly sent me a box of quinoa, hummus and lentil chips. When a brand shows me such kindness - like Pulsin and Eat Real did  - I am incredibly loyal and will shop there time and time again. To this day, I have swapped my usual crisps for Eat Real chips (vegan friendly and much healthier!) and I pick up Pulsin bars for a healthier mid morning treat.

November

• I was invited to a Rome press event by Rome Tourism and Comitel & Partners. We ate beautiful Italian food (as seen here) and I am still pinching myself over the fact that I'll be visiting Italy for the first time!
• I was invited back to Yuu Kitchen to review their new menu and had the prettiest cocktails I have seen in my entire life. 
• I attended the Vuelio Blog Awards wearing this little number and wow, what a venue. 
• Later this month Estella Barlett and the Northern Ballet sent me to my first ever ballet (write up to follow)

December

• I decided to embrace my status as a newly wed and wrote a different sort of gift guide for newly weds and the recently engaged.
• Simply Be very kindly sent me a generous parcel of sparkly treats which made me feel all kinds of festive. Or in the case of this top, like a mermaid. In December I embraced glittery polka dots thanks to this black and gold polka dress and this printed tie neck blouse. 
• I talked about illusion chocolate and found the most incredible chocolate gifts in the station one day

Despite being out of action for the majority of 2017, it was a year of incredible opportunities and experiences and I would like to thank everybody who reached out to me or worked with me. Being free of wedding planning, I am now free to take on more projects in 2018 and I look forward to seeing what 2018 will bring. I want to travel more, meet new people, discover new restaurants and hotels, and discover new brands.

The biggest thank you has to go to everyone who reads this little space of mine and for your continued support (especially during my crazy long blogging break!). 2017 turned out to be a bit of a digital detox where I spent more time offline than I have ever done before. But that's ok. Being offline is good for the soul. It's important to experience things through your own eyes rather than through a camera lens and that's the balance I'm striving for in 2018.