Style Me Vintage: Weddings ~ My First Book Advances Have Arrived!

Yesterday, something so very exciting, and very special happened.  The postman delivered the first two advances of my upcoming book, Style Me Vintage: Weddings, a UK version, published by Pavilion, an imprint of Anova books, and a US version, being published by Chicago Review Press.

I can't tell you how nervous I was opening the package…

All Imagery Copyright (c) 2012, Love My Dress

Writing my first book consumed several months of 2012 for me – it was
what you might commonly refer to as a true 'labour of love'.

Undertaking the research for Style Me Vintage: Weddings was such a treat. I would relish in
the opportunity to submerse myself into a particular era and would
surround myself with visual and cultural references, watching films,
reading books, listening to music, scouring the internet, asking friends and family of their
memories and recollections of the era. It really was a great pleasure,
and indeed, a privilege.

That's my Grandparents below there, on their wedding day in November 1942 – I found the '40's one of the most emotional eras to visit, because of this and I hope to write about this soon…

If I'm brutally honest with you, 2012 was a tough year for me
personally.   I'm not going to drag on about why via this post, except
to say that, I really did learn a lot about my personal limitations last
year.  Let's just say, I burned the candle at both ends, and suffered
for it.  A lot.  As did my family.

Part of the reason we recently
moved to a new house in the Whitby area is so that we could focus on
creating a better work/personal life balance.  Our new house provides
more room, which will mean I have a designated work area (with it's own
kitchenette, no less), which means that my work won't encroach into my
families living space.

Working from home
can be all consuming.  Trying to manage a growing business from home
can be a tough.  But throw the job of needing to write a whole book in
to the mix, and it becomes a whole new kind of challenge.

Which is why I'm celebrating with my family this weekend, celebrating being able to touch, smell, feel and hold the results of all those many hours of work, research and commitment. Commitment to making one of my life's dreams come true.

In March this year, Style Me Vintage: Weddings will be released in all good high street and online book stores.  You can actually pre-order your own copy right now from Amazon.

I don't want to sneak any more images from my book – although if you
follow me in Instagram, you can find a few more sneak peeks from
yesterday.  I'm so exceptionally proud of each and every individual who contributed towards my book.  You know who you are, and I'll be writing more about you all soon, especially you, Joanna Brown 🙂

I'm dedicating my book to my whole family, but in particular, to my lovely Grandma who passed away in 2011, and who I know would have been so proud of me for this achievement.  Grandpa, I hope you get to see this today, and I hope you're feeling proud too. You really have no idea just how much you and Grandma have inspired me to fulfil my dreams…

Have a beautiful weekend everyone – enjoy precious time with your families, that's exactly what Sundays are for, and of course, planning how you're going to fulfil your own dreams this year 🙂

All my love,

Annabel