// 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 :)