New Blog Coming Soon!

Hey Folks,

Just checking in with you all. Hope you're good.

I wanted to let you know that the blog will be returning in the New Year! I am continuing to take the rest of the year off but will be back in 2013 with new posts and a brand spanking new site!

As I am moving to a new blogging platform, if you would like to stay updated and notified when I go live please leave your email address below (rss readers - you will need to come over to the blog to leave your email).

God Bless,

Saying Goodbye

I remember starting this blog back in 2009 because I wanted to write for Weddingbee. Newly engaged, I discovered this wedding site full of blogging brides where you followed their journey to the altar. They were on the lookout for new writers and I thought why not; the only caveat - I needed to have my own blog.

New to the world of blogging  and with the cheesy name of afamwedschichi, I started documenting our wedding planning journey to a handful of readers.

I never did get picked for Weddingbee but I enjoyed writing so much that I continued to blog beyond the wedding, seeing the blog evolve to include topics such as my faith, family and marriage as I shared the things God was teaching and showing me.

This year my life changed and so did my priorities and there comes a time in every ‘project’ were you realise that it has run its course and you need to move forward into other things. This is that time and it is with peace in my heart that I announce that this will be my last blog post.

It is something that I have prayed and thought a lot about and is the right choice for this season of my life. I do plan to return back to blogging in the future, but only when the time is right.

I want to thank you for being such a loyal reader over the past three years. For your comments and messages, prayers and stories, I will truly cherish the memories from this blog. You are part of a wonderful community on here.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Stay blessed!

ps. The blog itself will remain online, so that the archives are still accessible but I won't be posting any new posts.

The Facebook page will also remain open and I will frequent there from time to time to post things I find around the web. Please check out my resources page for other blogs you might like to read.

If you want to stay in touch you can find me on twitter.

pps. We celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary tomorrow (26/6)– woo!

picture {source}

Hiatus

Just checking in with you guys. Hope you're all good.

Have been enjoying my blogging maternity leave and have lots to fill you in on!

Hoping to be back to my regular blogging schedule from April.

If you're on Facebook please 'like' the From Now Till I Do page - this is where I post useful articles, links and encouragement to do with relationships, marriage and motherhood, to share with you all.

You can do the same!

Finding your way around - archives

Just a bit of housekeeping...

To help you guys find older posts (especially newer readers to the blog), I've set up an archives page. You can find it under the 'about' tab.

It lists all the posts ever written to help you navigate around the site better.

I've also moved the book list  to favourites (in case you were looking for it!)

 

Lost comments

So those of you who are regular commenters on here will notice that I use Intensedebate as the comment platform. That is until today.

Basically it has been playing up recently; losing comments, switching between Blogger comments and Intensedebate comments. It is very frustrating.

So today I have decided to remove it completely and go back to Blogger's comment platform. What that means is that all the comments made from September last year have 'disappeared'.

The fortunate thing is while they have'disappeared' from Blogger, they will reappear later on in the year when the blog moves over to Wordpress - Yay!!!

Two years and counting

Today marks two years since I started this blog.

When I look back and read through old posts, sometimes I cry, sometimes I laugh but overwhelmingly I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to God for how far he has brought me.

This time last year I was in a completely different place and even though my life has changed and moved in so many directions, it has all been for the greater good and I can God’s hand over my life and how I have grown.

This coming year I want to bring more consistency to the blog particularly around the frequency of posts but most importantly with the content that I write.

For me this will mean more posts about relationships, preparing for marriage {from a singles perspective but also those in relationships} and practical ways to build and maintain a strong marriage and Godly home. I will still include my cooking posts every now and then and for all things wedding related that will now move to here.

My prayer is that you remain encouraged and blessed as I continue to share with you the things laid upon my heart and the lessons that I am learning.

Thank you for reading!

Stay blessed,

Image {source}

Blog Housekeeping

Thank you all for your responses to last Monday’s tell me about yourself post. It was really touching to read about you, why you all come by the site and what you enjoy. I didn’t realise what an international audience we have!

Those of you who visit the actual site {not in your reader or email} may have noticed that there has been a bit of spring cleaning on the blog. I’ve spent a bit of time tidying up the tags so that you can find articles and posts better.

In the navigation headers at the top you will now see more categories…

In WEDDINGS you will find posts about…

My Wedding – all the posts about our wedding…the road to marriage!

Planning – the planning behind our wedding

DIY – the diy projects I undertook planning our wedding

Recaps – wedding reflections with pro pics

Real Weddings – featured real weddings

In MY HOME you will now find posts about…

God – sharing my journey as I learn more about God and his love for me

My Kitchen – all my cooking adventures!

My Life - personal stories relating to me and my husband

Marriage – what we’re learning about marriage and what we can share

Homemaking – practically learning to ‘build my home’

In TOP PICKS you will now find posts about…

Womanhood – becoming the women God wants us to be

Relationships – whether you’re single, dating, courting or married this is about building solid foundations

Weekly Word – specific lessons I’m learning from God’s word and how we can apply them to life

Guest Posts – lovely posts from my fellow bloggers, who cover when I am away

Reader Q&A – your questions to me which I try to answer on Fridays. Send in your question!

Hopefully, this should now help you catch up on some of the older stuff and find related posts.

Happy Reading!

Dear Reader...Please tell me about yourself!

Sometimes Mr E and I wonder who reads this blog. Who are you? What is your background? How did you find the blog?

I get lovely comments and emails from readers and it heartwarming to get a small insight into your lives knowing that you have taken the time to post a response or ask a question.

I originally started this blog back in Feb 2009 when I was right at the beginning of the wedding planning process. Only a handful of people read it back then {mainly my best friend and Mr E!} and I used to flick between being a private blog or open forum. I have learnt some much through this blogging experience, meeting some amazing people along the way and as a result this blog has evolved to what it is today. A place where we not only talk about weddings, but relationships, marriage, positive womanhood and God.

I love hearing from my readers and it's especially nice meeting people and they tell me they read the blog and are blessed - it's a real encouragement to me. So even though our wedding has come and gone, 'From Now Till I Do' is here to stay and I will continue to blog for as long as God gives me the grace and inspiration to do so.

In the spirit of community I would love to get to know you, my reader better...so in comments, please tell me:

What's your name? {Real or pseudonym}
Where in the world do you read the blog from?
Why do you read this blog?
Are you single, engaged, planning a wedding, married etc?
What do you enjoy reading about and what keeps you coming back?
What would you like to see more of?

If you've never commented before, now is your chance. Go on...please don't be shy! {Facebook readers come join in as well!}

For those of you new to the blog, welcome! You can stay updated on new posts by subscribing through your email or RSS.

Thank you for reading - I appreciate each and every one of you!

We're a dot com!

We're now coming at you from a our very own custom domain.

www.fromnowtillido.com is launched today!

Please update your favourites and all you links.

We're still the same site and will continue to bring you all the relevant and useful content relating to relationships, marriage, weddings and life.

Get in touch:
email: info@fromnowtillido.com
twitter: @fromnowtillido
facebook: Come join the community

To subscribe by email so you don't miss a post click here.

Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to be blessed!

Happy Monday! Connecting.

Thanks for all the lovely feedback on my first Real Wedding on From Now Till I Do, I know Mel is chuffed to bits by all your comment love.

I love weddings especially those of people I get to know and its always great to see all the hard work come together. I want to feature more of them, so if you got married in the last 12 months and want to feature your wedding on this site, along with any advice you want to share, please drop me a line at:

fromnowtillido {at} yahoo {dot} com

Congratulations to my fellow blog sista, Ebonee Monique on Becoming His Mrs, who got married last Friday. Ebonee is a diy queen and some of her projects are down on my list of must-haves. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything came together on her big day.

This weekend Mr E and I spent time reconnecting. We both felt that we wanted to spend some time away from the TV, internet and life's issues and just reconnect with each other. We went out to a local tourist attraction and just walked around in the cool spring breeze and talked. We reflected on our relationship, how far we have come and how much we are looking forward to the next stage. It's those moments when you're together, away from the hustle and bustle, that you can really think. Let me tell you - its good to reconnect!

FYI - I am loving the fact that Spring is on her way, I wake up every day and the sun is shining gloriously!

Speaking of connecting...
From Now Till I do is now on Twitter, please feel free to follow me @fromnowtillido to get updates and resources on life, love and marriage.

I'm also taking questions at formspring -  if you have anything burning you just have to know, please ask away.

Finally, to ensure that you never miss a post you can stay up to date by either 'following' me {see right}, subscribing in reader or subscribing by email.

Have a great week people!

Happy Birthday Blog!

Today my blog turns one!

I don’t normally blog on Sundays but today I'll make an exception.

A year ago today, I went online and decided to create a ‘blog’. I remember telling my family about it and they were like, 'what's a blog and why do you need one?'

Fast forward 12 months and what started out as a place to document my thoughts and planning of my wedding has turned into something much more. From Now Till I Do has evolved into a place where I can talk honestly about the things that we're all going through, whether it be about life in general, relationships, engagement or fun things like recipes in the kitchen.

Through this blog, I have connected with so many people from around the world {my top three countries of readership are USA, UK and Nigeria}, shared the ups and downs as people have planned their weddings, had their babies and faced challenges in life. I've written loads about my own personal journey; from relationships to life discoveries, from faith to weddings and have grown so much as a person. My faith has grown so much.

When I first started writing I only told a few people about the blog, I didn't even have it open for all to see. I guess I was afraid of putting myself out there, speaking what I believed and coming off the fence. But I am glad that over the past year I have put my fear to one side and have 'found my voice'.

This blog is many things but particularly it is...

a place of truth {Ephesians 4:15}

a place to share {I love all your comments and feedback, keep them coming. Also if you have a question you would like answering, send it here. Feedback on how I can improve the site is also welcome}.

a place to grow {what a difference a year makes, we need to continue to look forward}

Speaking of sharing, the last Friday of every month I will be opening up the blog to a guest poster. Starting in March if you would like to contribute to this site, talking about relationships, weddings, marriage, family or your walk as a Christian, now is your chance. Just send me a email with your ideas and we'll take it from there.

Thank you loyal readers for all your support during the last 12 months. I pray the next 12 are just as fun and fruitful!

p.s. This blog is also a creative outlet - can anyone say html coding! The site has had a bit of a face lift this weekend. You might have noticed all the tweaks taking place. If you're reading this in your RSS reader, hop over and take a look. Let me know what you think?

{picture source}

Naija Blog roll

If you’re looking for some great Naija blogs {i.e. written by Nigerians}, check out the list compiled by Good Naija Girl.

Some of the ones that I have discovered and love:

Good Naija Girl

Before I did

Till my Dying day

Journey Down the Aisle

Myne Whitman Writes

Verastically Livin'

Le Dynamique Professeur

Living Life One thought at a time

One3snapshot

Naija Wed n More {Lots of Nigerian weddings with pics!}

If you’re Nigerian and not on there and want to be, just add your blog in comments and she will add you to the list.

The real voice of the blogger

I came across this post yesterday by Stie, which got me thinking about blogging in general and how much of myself I reveal to the online world. The writer was reflecting on a post she read by Travellin’ Oma, which talked about ‘assessing whether the posts we write are real reflections of our true selves or if they are merely the best of us put on display’. I would definitely agree that blogging is an opportunity to put your best foot forward and reveal the you that you wish the world to see. I admire bloggers like Jenna and Alexandra who are very real, always, warts and all.

As I mention in my About me page, I blog openly and honestly about things I talk about, but of course there are things that one doesn’t talk about here. Like the wedding postponement for example and why 4 months on, we still haven't announced a new date for the wedding. Not because we haven’t wanted to do, but because there are personal things going on ‘behind-the-scenes’, which are just not appropriate to share right now and prevent us doing so. This has been hard to deal with, I won’t lie.

Blogging is something I enjoy a lot and I love to write freely, but there are times when it can be incredibly stressful, as there are things going on in life which I want to share but don’t for fear of offending or upsetting certain people. I guess there is a fine line between airing your dirty laundry and sharing real raw stories about your personal life and it’s about striking the balance. I’m not sure if this is a sign of weakness {worrying about what others think} or me just being respectful to certain individuals and not wanting to rock the boat.

Some days I’m not sure.

Just before Christmas I thought about taking the blog offline and making it private, thus still allowing me to have the outlet to talk about all issues but to myself, but then I thought isn’t that what diaries are for? This place isn’t a place to moan and cuss others, but a place of love where I share my thoughts and experiences on my road to marriage. Something I will continue to do.

If you don’t see any posts on wedding detail stuff, it’s because presently I’m not doing much ‘wedding’ stuff per se, however I hope this will change in the coming weeks. As time moves on and I’m given ‘permission’ to share certain things I will do and hopefully that will help give you a clearer picture on things. In the meantime, I will continue posting as per usual on topics that are relationship, marriage and life based. Hope you don’t mind!

Thanks for all your love and support.

C.

Blog Love

It’s almost been a year since I started blogging and in that time I have discovered some fantastic blogs out there. Some have been wedding related, others to do with finance, some to do with married life and others just general ones.

The internet is an amazing place and every now and then I stumble across a blog that I think – wow this is great and I immediately subscribe! I love reading about other peoples lives, triumphs and challenges and you really feel like you know the writer just by following their posts.

As a reader of From Now Till I do, I thank you for being part of my community during 2009.  I love writing and hope that you enjoy the content that I write about. My commitment to you will always be to remain relevant, open and honest in my posts and your feedback and comments are ever welcome.

I’m always on the look out for new reading, so if you have a blog that you would like to share, please feel free to leave the details in the comments section.

Young Married Life

So my favourite online e-zine Boundless, have launched a new online community called Young Married Life. In their words it’s ‘a kind of virtual young married small group’. I’ve been surfing around the site, particularly the blog and I think it’s great. All the writers are married people ranging from those who have been married over ten years to one who got married just last month! The insight is fresh, insightful but most of all real.

There is not a lot of good online content for Christian couples (at least in my opinion), so I’m very pleased that Boundless have launched this.

Hope over and let me know what you think!

p.s. If you’ve never checked out Boundless – head over there too!

I started blogging then I stopped.

I have always enjoyed reading blogs. You get such insight into other people lives, dreams, aspirations. I've learnt so much from reading them, from picking up DIY tips, money saving advice, marriage planning advice and suchlike. I started blogging back in February right at the beginning of the wedding planning process and was pretty consistent for a few months.

I remember when I first started blogging. I got mixed responses about it. Mr E was very supportive, of course, saying that it gave him insight into my thoughts and what I was thinking. He really liked my writing style and I really appreciated his feedback. My family thought differently. My mum was like 'what's a blog? And why do you need one?'. My brother in America was like 'who can read this?'. I assured him that his identity would remain anonymous unless he said otherwise.

I have missed blogging and vow to resume my writing. Stay tuned!

Love don't cost a thing

I came across this blog the other day in my daily reading. This Bride is asking people to make donations in order for her to pay for her wedding. Interesting!

It does make you wonder what is important - the marriage or the wedding?

Now whilst the idea is not exactly original (those of you who have read Save Karyn, will be aware of the concept) it's interesting that someone has applied it to planning a wedding. At first I thought genius, then I thought, 'actually what is the day about'. Surely the focus should be on the marriage, not the flowers, the centre pieces, the favours or the dress.

I have male friends who are delaying proposing to their other halves because they can't afford 'that' ring she wants or couples putting off getting married because they can't afford all the associated frills. Surely that's not what is important - last time I checked 'love don't cost a thing'.

In all honesty you could plan a wedding in a week if you wanted to (if not sooner) and also spend very little, it all depends on what you want. As I've always said, your wedding is as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Check out this blog for a couple who planned their wedding with just two thousand dollars.! Yes it can be done, you just need to decide what's important for you.

So folks what's important and what are YOU focusing on?

Site Policy

This blog is a warm and welcoming place, where people can share their ideas, thoughts, opinions and questions. I love hearing from my readers and read every wonderful comment that comes in.

Your comments bless and encourage me and if you ask a question I will do my very best to answer you either in the comments section {so that others will similar questions can see the answer} or by personal email {if you leave your email address}.

Please note that comments of a racial, sexual, discriminatory, or promotional nature will be deleted automatically.

If you see an image that I have used that has not been given the proper credit, please let me know so that it can be put right. If an image has been used that belongs to you and you would prefer it not used, please email me and I will remove it asap.

Finally, I love connecting with new bloggers and fellow writers, so if you would like to be a guest poster for this blog or you’re looking for a guest poster for your site, please get in touch.

Thank you!