yes, let's!

image from everyeskimo

// hi - bye

Just a quick one - oh I love these pictures!

Ooooh and we found a new housie!
I'll blog about it soon-soon... promise!
We're shooting weddings every weekend and moving first week of December! Eeek!

x











all images via pinterest

// wow (words of wisdom) sunday

image via pinterest

// I heart SA

So I've been dying to do this post, but between all the house hunting and work, I haven't found a gap until now.

A few Sundays back a few of us went to the awesome Kamersvol Geskenke.
Oh. my. hat.

I was completely blown away by the beauty and love that went into the conceptualizing of this event. It was an absolute feast for the eye and my heart was bouncing up and down with joy and delight! Where ever you looked - just prettiness! EVERYWHERE! This was one event that made me so damn 'proudly South African' (excuse the wee bit of corniness), I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for a few days after.

Julie Lim, a Wedding Photographer, who came all the way from America to photograph talented Christine Meintjies's wedding, captured the spirit of Kamersvol Geskenke in her unique and awesomely delightful way... oh my, so pretty!

Be sure to check out Julie's blog as well as The Pretty Blog for more treats!















All pictures by Julie Lim Photography.

// house hunting sucks

I'm not too sure what I expected from the rental market in Cape Town, but I definitely didn't expect this. When Travis and I decided to move down to Cape Town more than a year ago (just after he proposed), I started dreaming about walking down small coastal streets with my new husband, excitedly looking for our 'huisie by die see', having our pick from the plenitude of beautiful homes available in the Cape ranging from gorgeous 19th Century Edwardian homes to cute Cape Cod style cottages. Oh no. Silly. Romantic. Me.

In the last two weeks three estate agents have made me cry numerous times by showing us 'cute and cosy' cottages that turn out to be horribly tiled and ugly townhouses. And if they show us a beauty (only three so far) ,they either get let right underneath our noses, or the owner actually rather wants to sell, or Travis almost ends up having to arm-wrestle a fellow potential tenant. These are the things my nightmares are now made of. Oh do I miss my beautiful house in sunny ol' Sunnyside now. Sniff.

So today I decided to post beautiful pictures of other people's homes. They make me so sad and so jealous, but they also make me smile. Because I know our awesome Father will bless us and I know I will soon have a beautiful house to nest in and to make HOME.


image from decor8 blog


image from Design*Sponge


image from the design files


image from French By Design


image from desire to inspire

Oh wow. I absolutely fell in love with these kitchens!


image from i want that kitchen


image from my home ideas

And this just made me smile. As long as I have my husband it doesn't matter where we stay. x


image from etsy

// wow (words of wisdom) sunday

via pinterest

// my best friend's jakkals

I have the bestest best friend. She's funny and beautiful and awesome. And she can draw. Score.

Check out her blog for a real treat.

// thank you

Okay, I think I'm back.

Wow. I think I've been on quite a journey. I've become so used to blogging about everything and everyone that moves me, but the weeks after the wedding put me into a different space. Not a bad space at all, just a more contemplative space, a little private and intimate space, a space where I almost needed a time off from my blog. Weird, never thought I'd say that.

So, today I'm sharing our beautiful Thank-You cards with you, which was the last thing I did for our wedding. Which means that this part of my life is now officially over. And I say this not in a sad or depressed way, but in an overjoyed and excited way, because the best days are yet to come!

Thanks again for Gerhard van Wyk from This Pencil for being the best illustrator we know and for capturing our love for proteas and bunting and all things darling in his awesome illustrations! He also did our invites, check them out here. And again all praise goes to our super talented friend Otto Schulze for the beautiful pictures, he is the best wedding photographer, check him out!

// blogger block

Wow. I think I am having a blogger block.

// the future is a wonderful place

I thought I was spoilt & ungrateful until my friend Casey told me she also suffered from post-wedding-depression (term proudly coined by my brides mate Mari). It made me feel normal again. And it made me realize that as much as I loved the hype around the wedding day - it is just one day. And marriage celebrates life together. For. Ever. x



image from positive posters

// Beeld interview. Oh yay!

Our good friend Riette van der Wat did an interview with me a few weeks back and today it was published in the Beeld (an Afrikaans Lifestyle Newspaper). Yay!

For those of you that don't understand Afrikaans, I've added the interview in English below. Although it is probably too low res for anyone to make out anyway :) But note how I'm referred to as Maike Mc Neill! Oh my hat! How cool is that?!




1. First off, please tell me a bit about yourself. Who are you, what did you study, what do you do from day to day and how did you end up doing all things pretty?

Hi, I’m Maike Backeberg, soon to be Mrs Maike McNeill, since I’m getting married in three weeks :) Yay!

I studied at TUT and I have my degree in Visual Communication/Photography.
My fiance and I do a little job we like to call wedding photography - we are welovepictures - two people mad with excitement at what this beautiful world of ours has to offer. When we started welovepictures we boldly stated that wedding photography will never be the same. We have tried hard to show people that it can be awesomely fun, excitingly quirky and deliciously fresh... not the usual boring tree-hugging, sepia corniness.

However, after Travis proposed, I found myself for the first time, on the other side of the veil :) Suddenly I got to plan my own wedding - a thing I honestly hadn’t really thought about. I had frantically been focusing on other bride’s prettiness to ensure lovely pictures of her awesome day that I honestly never once looked up and tried to imagine my own wedding. So many people assumed that I had my wedding all planned out - but I honestly didn’t have a clue where to start! I started looking at blogs like Once Wed and Style me Pretty and drooled over all the pretty things and lovely ideas.

This eventually led me to start my own blog, ‘love made me do it’, which mainly served as a outlet of built-up prettiness and loveliness from looking at too many pretty blogs. But soon it turned into a daily addiction - oh my, do I love blogging! :)

2. You seem to have an eye for lovely things – when does this talent come from?

I’m not sure if I would describe it as a talent. I think its more something that my heart yearns for and my entire being craves.

If I have a jug with beautiful yellow freesias standing on my dining room table, I will be sure to go into the room at least twenty times that day just to look at them. They will make me happy and my heart will pump harder with joy for their beauty.

I have often tried to explain this awesome feeling and I believe that our awesome Father has put some kind of chemical into my brain that makes me appreciate and love all things lovely. And I believe he did this only to dazzle me. Because he knows me so well :) By loving all things pretty, I am loving Him and praising Him.

3. How would you define “pretty”? What does “pretty”/ “beautiful”/ “lovely” mean to you?

Lovely can be anything that speaks to my heart.
Anything that makes me want to show it to the whole world (i.e blog about it x)
Anything that makes me smile.

4. Do pretty things have to be expensive, or can it also be priceless… and do you think “pretty” is a fashion trend or something timeless?

Unfortunately there are pretty expensive things. I wish there weren’t. Only every now and then I’ll treat myself to one of those. But most of the time you can find lovely prettiness for dirt cheap or for free. I don’t want to bore you with my life beliefs, but I believe consumerism has made us forget to see prettiness and beauty in the simple things. It’s all there, we have just forgotten how to see.

5. Are there specific “pretty” trends you’ve noticed recently what design/ clothing/ art etc. is concerned?

I’ve noticed a renewed love and appreciation for anything handmade. I think the last time handmade was ‘in’ must’ve been at least two decades ago. I have pictures of myself as a 3 year old, where my mum dressed me up into little hand-sewn dresses, lacy hand-crocheted shoes and topped it all of with a hand-plaited flower coronal. Three years ago I would’ve given a small embarrassed smile about this picture and quickly turned the page. Today I proudly produce it to anyone who cares to listen about the amazing skill my mother had in producing those delicate crocheted stitches.

6. What type of blogs and shops do you visit and what type of images/ pics/ pretty things draw your attention (and why)?

I am obviously currently drawn to anything wedding-related and I love to visit blogs like Once Wed, Style Me Pretty and 100 Layer Cake for inspiration.

Other than that I need my daily dosage of ‘Pinterest’, ‘ffffound’ and ‘Oh, hello friend’ to insure a healthy and smiling Maike.

Pinterest is a awesome new bookmarking community, which allows you to ‘pin’ pictures on to a virtual ‘moodboard / storyboard’ with a link to the original website. The Pinterest home page is any lovely-lovers heaven, with pinned pictures ranging from pretty homes to DIY to fashion lookbooks to crafty ideas. Absolute bliss.

7. Would you consider your blog to be part of an emerging “pretty”-community on the web – blogs and websites specifically dedicated to all things lovely and feminine? (I know this is a broad question… but just say whatever you think!)

My blog is a place where I share all things lovely that have in any way moved my heart. Usually these things are pretty and feminine and the people that enjoy and follow my blog are mostly feminine with a similar heart and a similar blog and a similar love to all things lovely. Yes, I believe we are all definitely part of a bigger lovely-loving community.

8. Why do you think this community of (mostly) women on the web are so vocal about their love for beautiful things?

I think it’s purely coincidental and completely related to the day and age we live in. I think the term ‘vocal’ is only appropriate since it is on the internet and accessible to anyone. But think of the scrap-booking craze and you realize that those house-wives are doing the exact same thing. My blog is a ‘virtual scrap-book’ (oh but I hate that word :) if you will, and the way other people look at it, is the same a house-wife shows her scrap-book off to her house-wife friends.

9. Any specific “pretty” trends you’ve noticed at weddings recently and any “pretty” inspiration from your own wedding you would like to mention?

I love how the day has been claimed back by the brides and how they love to organize and plan it all themselves. It is insanely stressful but it’s sooo worth it. Every wedding we’ve ever photographed has been an awesome representation of the bride (and her side kick) and completely unique to them. As for myself, I have too many ideas to narrow it down and put it into words. You’re just going to have to follow my blog and watch how it all unfolds :)

// we love

Just something that developed while I was playing around with our 'thank you' cards.
Once again, all praise goes to Otto Schulze, for doing such an awesome job with the pictures x

// love day

Oh my. Otto Schulze just absolutely blows me away! This guy knows his stuff. Not only is he my husbands best friend, but he is also one of the best photographers I am so honored to know. Wow. Awesomeness abounds. He documented our day in his awesomely quiet & gentle way, even though he is a 6 foot, blond haired, blue-eyed giant. Our friend stays far away in Denver, Colorado, with his awesome wife Lindsey and their beautiful daughter Sammy. Otto flew all the way over here to be the best man/photographer and we miss him very much already. Luckily we will be visiting them next year for our 'official' honeymoon, when we will be road-tripping through the USA! We can't wait - we love these guys so much!

”HAPPY HAPPY you two lovies! oh boo. i SO wish we could be there to sob with you all (especially that hubby of mine, he’s gonna be a mess, poor thing!) wow. it’s gonna be the most beautiful wedding EVER i think. truly. i wish i could glow over every little detail of every little thing that makes up this glorious vision of today, the embodiment of the creativity, spark, inspiration, beauty, and the love of you two…most eminently…which is altogether now a most radiant extension of HIM! you are HIS! just HIS! and it’s ALL TO KNOW HIM, period. and now you enter together in a most sacred idea of His..becoming one. it’s love some days and it’s definitely war some days! but it’s above and beyond and the best part and absolutely the most essential part is, it’s Him! this is his union and he will nurture it, perfectly. enjoy abundantly this celebration today, drink your fill! and know that we are thrilled for you, proud of you, and praising father with you! he did good, he did so good…” - Lindsey Schulze

Please be sure to check out Otto's blog as well quickly pop by Colorado Wedding & Style to vote for Otto - he is most definitely Colorado's best Wedding Photographer! He is actually just a few votes short, so please head over there and click 'vote favourite' underneath Otto Schulze Photographers. Love made me do it.

Awesome. Now I get to share one of the most exciting things of our love day - all my hard work and sweat, blood and tears - the decorations. Yay! Thank you so much for doing a great job Otto - we love you so much!











Be sure to check back for more awesome love pictures from the welovepictures wedding!

x

// Introducing the McNeills! Yay!!!

Helllooooooo friends! Oh wow, have I missed my blog! Especially since I haven't blogged in almost a month!!!
And my last blog post was two weeks before the wedding! Insane!

We literally returned from honeymoon about two hours ago, and even though there are clothes to be washed, e-mails to be answered and dinner to be made for my... wait for it... HUSBAND! (Oh wow!) I just couldn't wait anymore to share a few pictures! Yay!!! Yay yay yay for Otto Schulze and our awesome friends Gareth and Kate for documenting our day and for making us the happiest newly wed couple ever! weloveyouguys! So so much!

Okay, I'll share loads more soon-soon, but right now my hubby's tummy is grumbling for my attention! :)
For now I leave you with this: Love made us do it! x