Pretty Everywhere
Darling Lovely Life
Creative living, heartfelt advice and beautiful details from Sara Gibbs' pastel-tinted corner of Surrey.
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Ideas for a more darling life
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- Free press cannot be killed
- A big, big announcement and a little break from Darling Lovely Life
- How to adjust to being self employed
- Why you should never, ever ignore your gut
- Dartmoor shoot – behind the scenes
- Creative careers in the spotlight – so you want to be a features writer?
- Creatives: how to overcome social awkwardness
- How to surround yourself with the right people
- The trials and tribulations of being a homebody
- Oh, Darling Lovelies, where have you been?
- How to cope when the world overwhelms you
- Things every blogger will understand
- Five signs you’re in a healthy relationship
- Is your life a success story?
- Five things freelancers are sick of hearing
- How to work from home – and keep your personal life
- How to deal with an unreasonable person
- The ten most important life lessons you’ll ever learn
- Coming out of the summer-hating closet
- Three subtle ways to wreck a budding relationship
- Project Pretty as a Picture #20 – be good to yourself
- You can always adopt – and other infertility gaffes
- Ten reasons why loving yourself is awesome
- Stop saying “Do What You Love” devalues actual work – you’re devaluing something much more important
- Want to advance your career? Ditch the networking
- Project Pretty as a Picture #18 – create your own reality
- Project Pretty as a Picture #17 – don’t put yourself in a psychological prison
- It’s always been a Vintage Life for us – now it’s official!
- Five things I wish I could tell my twenty year old self
- Project Pretty as a Picture #12 – patience is a virtue
- Three years of blogging – what have I learned?
- Project Pretty as a Picture #11 – sometimes you have to rummage
- Project Pretty as a Picture #10 – celebrate our differences
- Project Pretty as a Picture #8 – stop looking for the answers you already know
- Do you have impostor syndrome?
- Five signs you’re in a happy, committed relationship
- Project Pretty as a Picture #7 – be true to who you are
- Project Pretty as a Picture #6 – celebrate good times, come on!
- Project Pretty as a Picture #5 – see the beauty in small things
- How to find, and bag, your dream job
- Project Pretty as a Picture #3 – you don’t need to compete
- Project Pretty as a Picture #2 – be bright and beautiful
- Let’s agree to disagree
- How to approach someone you’ve never worked with
- Three small ways to change the world using your brand
- Five ways to earn respect
- No bitching for a month – the final assessment
- Six perfectly valid reasons not to have children
- Five adorable ways to say I love you
- Five ways to cope with a long-distance relationship
- A personal post: on gratitude
- Five situations where you shouldn’t help people
- No bitching for a month – more lessons learned
- Don’t let fear of disappointment hold you back
- Three branding tips that will change your business
- Five ways to reduce anxiety in your everyday life
- No bitching month for charity – my initial observations
- Love yourself
- How to get out of the self-employment slump
- Six ways to have a more empowering internet experience
- Ten things you’re never too old for
- My one-month no bitching challenge for charity
- How to really listen in three steps
- How to succeed at absolutely anything
- Ten happy songs to get your week started
- Can we have it all?
- The pros and cons of being highly sensitive
- Are “thank you” the hardest words? On showing gratitude
- Ten anti-Valentine’s Day ideas for bitter old party poopers
- Overcoming “one day” syndrome: how to write your first novel
- What type of Valentine’s Day should you plan?
- Win £30 in Amazon vouchers with our Darling Lovely reader survey
- How to survive your thirties
- How to survive your twenties!
- 30 things nobody’s judging you for…
- What to do if you’re not invited to the party
- Five types of social media overshare
- How to deal with an unbalanced friendship
- Darling Lovely Life’s bulls**t dictionary
- Things not to say to someone with depression or anxiety
- Worry not – six reasons worrying is a waste of time
- Sunday motivations: why you shouldn’t be afraid of criticism
- Deadpan Cat solves your problems: I love my cat more than I love my boyfriend
- Three small ways to be kinder in 2014
- Unorthodox hangover cures from our Darling Lovely readers
- Are we getting the wrong message about male/female relationships?
- 2013 – the year my heart was broken open
- Five new years resolutions that will actually improve your life
- Geek out with Darling Lovely Life’s Christmas 2013 pub quiz
- How to survive Christmas with your family
- Deadpan Cat solves your problems: how do I tell him I hate rugby?
- Ten reasons to use photography as therapy
- Sunday motivations: wake up and make it happen
- World, meet our newest Darling Lovely writer
- Hey you – stop being a victim and start getting what you deserve!
- Deadpan Cat solves your problems: my neighbours are intolerable
- Ten signs he’s a bad egg
- Deadpan Cat solves your problems: my boyfriend is too flirty
- Five things fertility problems have taught me
- Sunday motivations: you can’t please everyone…
- Deadpan cat solves your problems: my mum makes me feel guilty
- Five things to stop doing NOW that are ruining your happiness
- Sunday motivations: fake Buddha wisdom
- Deadpan Cat solves your problems: I’m single and lonely
- How to say no in ten easy steps (and feel great about it)
- Sunday motivation – what shots will you take?
- Deadpan Cat solves your problems: my wife wants to put florals everywhere
- Welcome to a brand new, Darling Lovely Life
- Five signs it’s time to move on and find your passion
- Sarah and John’s (and Milo’s) English country garden wedding
- Ten questions to ask your wedding venue, for creative couples
- My day shadowing a wedding photographer: the hardest job in the world
- Five wedding-planning pitfalls to avoid
- How to host your first dinner party
- Past brides and grooms confess: my pre-wedding tantrums
- Party at the Parlour – captured and recapped!
- How to stay calm on your wedding morning
- Five professional skills you learn when planning a wedding
- Valentine’s Day date ideas for engaged couples
- Course review: making a vintage hand-tied bouquet at the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers
- The most common bridal dilemmas (and how to solve them) part one: family power struggles
- Why hire a pro wedding photographer when everyone has a camera phone?
- How to give people roles in your wedding without hurting anyone’s feelings
- What to do if your friends can’t make it to your wedding
- A pastel-pretty Paintworks real wedding with gorgeous gold shoes and styling by The Little Wedding Helper
- Top 10 tips for buying authentic vintage clothing and wedding wear
- Our family celebration chocolate buttercream sponge cake
- Nancy and Bolly’s revamped floral factfile – romantic roses
- Stylist’s corner with The Little Wedding Helper: A wintry table setting for Christmas parties and weddings
- Real bride Jenni’s diary: how to ask your best gals to be your bridesmaids in style
- Under the Vintage Veil’s special Miss Vintage Wedding Affair coverage
- Goodbye, Under the Vintage Veil – it’s time to start a new Darling Lovely Life
- A picturesque country wedding at The George in Rye with beautiful vintage styling
- How to pull off your first dance – a guest post by Forever First Dance Company
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s weekly floral factfile #9 Smiling Sunflower
- Veilgirls… Emmy Scarterfield of Emmy Shoes chats design, inspiration and the wedding industry
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s weekly floral factfile #8 Fragrant Freesia
- Vanessa and Phil’s colour-popping fabulously floral wedding
- A grand and elegant Florida wedding
- The best vintage-inspired gifts on notonthehighstreet.com for under £50
- Stylist’s corner with The Little Wedding Helper – Say “I do” with doors
- Swimming against the tide or riding your own wave? Making “different” into your strength
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s Weekly Floral Factfile #7 – Lovely Lavandula
- DIY Desktop: make a personalised name coat hanger with Wilden Bride London
- Veilgirls – Baking never looked so beautiful with Rosalind Miller
- Fabulous news about Over the Vintage Threshold
- Five fabulous favours your guests will appreciate
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s Weekly Floral Factfile #6 – Climbing Clematis
- Five ways to make sure your wedding starts on time
- Mighty Fine Entertainment’s Top 20 Vintage Wedding Songs
- Skincare becomes science: my day with Donna Glazer at Face It
- Veilgirls – the very talented and gorgeous Sabina Ali of Sabina Motasem
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s Weekly Floral Factfile #5 – Mini Muscari
- Stylist’s corner with The Little Wedding Helper – embroiled in embroidery!
- Jodie and Andrew’s elegant vintage-inspired real wedding
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s Weekly Floral Factfile #4 Delicate Nigellas
- A midsummer night’s dream – vintage meets whimsical wedding shoot
- An exclusive reader offer from Gioia Mia
- Under the Vintage Veil’s weekly bulletin
- A flirty, fifties colour-popping whimsical wedding shoot
- Competition: win a copy of J. Courtney Sullivan’s The Engagements and £50 to spend at Vintage Styler
- Florist’s Corner – Nancy and Bolly’s weekly floral factfile #3 Hydrangeas
- A Jenny Packham gown and a windswept beach in Scotland
- Under the Vintage Veil’s weekly bulletin
- The Beauty Spot Q&A with Chloe McCall MUA
- Reasons to (and not to) get married in… the battle of the seasons
- Businesses that blog: how to get started
- A whimsical secret garden moodboard, courtesy of Hawke and Hughes
- A dramatic, modern bridal twist on Victorian theatre
- Vintage real bride Nicole – with 8 weeks to go
- Welcome Emily’s Best to Under the Vintage Veil
- Starting again – a reintroduction to Under the Vintage Veil
- To my father.
- Under the Vintage Veil’s top twenty wedding pet peeves (in no particular order)
- Running a business: when everything else is falling apart
- A warm welcome to the Vintage Chic Wedding Fair
- Something to Brighten your day… Spring Pantone 2013 Colours
- For the love of music
- Scrumptious Heart Cookies
- Spring Colour 2013 by Meryl Part 6 – Sweet Nectarine
- Under the Vintage Veil welcomes Hairlooms Headpieces
- Spring 2013 Colours by Meryl – Part 5 African Violet
- A very glamorous bride, a momentarily missing ring and a lovely lace dress: Kris and Rob
- Spring 2013 Colours with Meryl Part 4 – Linen Love
- A warm welcome to Wedique
- Spring 2013 Colours with Meryl Part 3- Poppy Red
- A 1930s-inspired chic affair
- Spring 2013 colours with Meryl part 2 – Lemon Zest
- Crisis, opportunity and your wedding
- Meaning your vows (in front of an audience)
- Florist’s Corner: How to choose the right florist – A guest post by Love From Katie
- Sunny yellow rustic chic wedding inspiration – a styled shoot
- A wonderful woodland celebration with rustic DIY details – and a vintage veil (of course)
- How to style a vintage-inspired Halloween wedding
- An Indian and vintage-inspired real wedding – Maddy & Simon
- The Calm before the Storm
- A soft, vintage-inspired collaborative shoot, featuring Chez Bec accessories and styling by LuckySixpence Events
- Veilbash final recap – the official party pics by Sacco & Sacco
- The final countdown – reducing your wedding stress
- The Big Debate – is it OK to leave a wedding early?
- A fresh and floral spring US Real Wedding
- Cake of the week: Roses and Pearls by Ivory & Rose Cake Company
- An artistic Brighton love shoot
- The Big Debate: who should give you away on your wedding day?
- Everything you need to know about wedding speeches
- Florist’s corner: Jay Archer Floral Design’s comprehensive guide to flower budgets
- An Alice in Wonderland real wedding
- Pretty in powder blue – Inspiration board
- Marriage and illness – when those vows mean everything
- The big debate: Sex before marriage
- A very glamorous vintage inspiration shoot
- DIY: Make your own fabric and lace jars
- And the winning couple is…
- Wedding tools #1 – Top Table Planner
- How to set a budget (and stick to it)
- Vintage finds #4 – andallthingsnice.net
- Vintage finds #3 – Rock n Rose
- Vintage finds #2 – Abigail’s Vintage Bridal
- Vintage finds #1 – Flo & Percy
- Choosing your guest list – who are your real friends?
- A shabby chic wedding on a budget – top 10 ways to save money
- How to pick your venue – the top 10 must-ask questions
- A makeup masterclass review: Tori Harris
- A Dartmoor tribute part 2 – Angels of Dartmoor
- A Dartmoor tribute part one – Wistman’s Wood
- How to dress for the office (and look fabulous)
- Back to basics: a simple skincare routine for everyone with Jules Cardozo-Marsh
- How to make the most of your hair appointment
- What’s my perfect lip shade? Lipsticks for different skin tones
- Three things that are wrong with the fashion industry
- Pretty things I’ve bought lately
- Five pretty pastel statement necklaces
- Six to-die-for sunglasses for summer 2014
- My big hair makeover at The Parlour London
- Spring clean your make-up bag
- Pretty rainbow style inspiration
- SS14 candy store – mix and match pastel fashion
- Taking back my body – my battle with PCOS
- My top five perfume ads
- What’s in my beauty routine? Five essentials I swear by
- Darling Lovely Designers: Sesame and Lilly
- Win your winter beauty care with Weleda
- My five must-have winter beauty products
- Unorthodox beauty tips – from the experts
- Our favourite festive season party dresses
- Make-up lessons – the best gift I ever gave myself
- Adorable candy-coated winter wear
- In a sea of somebodies, is there room for my creativity to shine?
- Darling lovely gold glittery Halloween pumpkin tutorial!
- How to form the perfect creative partnership
- Baking with Jess – a review of Rosalind Miller’s baking fundamentals masterclass
- Six things we love about this year’s Great British Bake Off
- Seven creative and inspiring blogs and vlogs you NEED in your life
- How to be creative
- Project Pretty as a Picture #9 – if music be the food of love
- Project Pretty as a Picture #4 – find your own therapy
- Pink glitter heart cookies
- How to make a chalkboard tray
- The easiest DIY – decorate your sellotape dispenser
- The top ten “in a mug” recipes from around the Internet
- Glitterbug DIY: how to glitter up a mirror or photo frame
- Forget nut roast! A vegetarian Christmas feast from The Loveliest Food
- How to make felt Christmas tree ornaments
- DIY fabulously floral Christmas crackers
- Make your own sparkly Christmas party bunting and drink stirrers
- How to make super easy baked banana and chocolate melts
- How to paint furniture
- Twelve little home treasures – doorknobs
- Ten adorable notebooks for creative people
- Project Pretty as a Picture #19 – what does your workspace say about you?
- Five reasons to love Oliver Bonas interiors right now
- It’s all sew wonderful
- Project Pretty as a Picture #1 – live with an open heart
- Makelight Photography Workshops with Emily Quinton: review
- Three pastel gadgets I don’t need (but really want)
- How to spring clean your home like a pro
- Get the boho living room look
- Four patterns and textiles for a modern vintage home
- How I designed my vintage kitchen
- How I styled my vintage bathroom
- How I designed my vintage office
- How to plan a road trip
- An enchanted bluebell wood at Wakehurst Place
- US road trip final instalment (sob): wishes come true in Orlando
- Out and about with Darling Lovely Life
- US road trip part 9: chasing aliens in Roswell
- Top travel resources for planning your next adventure
- US road trip part 8: vintage trailers and magical balloon glows in Albuquerque
- My bucket list (100 things to do before I die)
- US road trip part 7: new age safaris in Sedona
- US road trip part 6: Death Valley, tipis and dancers in the desert
- US road trip part 5: Wigwam motels and kitsch Route 66 Americana
- US road trip part 4: Befriending chipmunks in Sequoia National Park
- US road trip part 3: Interior design madness at The Madonna Inn
- US road trip part 2: the coastal drive and Redwood Croft
- US road trip part 1: San Francisco – a town for vintage lovers
Our point of view
The world is a playground. Make it beautiful.
Darling Lovely Life is for learners and doers, eclectic artists, big-hearted listeners and fearless gut followers. It began with a love of vintage weddings and grew into a place for interiors, journeys, making, style and the heartfelt issues that matter.
Meet Sara and read the story
Everything in life can, and should, be beautiful.