I am super excited for today’s instalment of the ‘Working from Home - The Journals’ because I am welcoming Becca, the founder of House of Three, to the blog. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Becca over the years so know first hand just how lovely she is! An Interior Designer & Wedding Planner with the cutest pup you’ll ever see, Becca is one of the smiliest faces on IG stories and it’s always such a joy seeing what goes on behind the scenes at HO3. So, let’s get stuck in…

Happy Monday morning everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend - albeit a very rainy one. I’m back on the blog today with my latest ‘Working from Home - The Journals’ instalment and I’m looking forward to introducing you to Tom Holloway of Taunton Property Centre. I’ve been living in Somerset for nearly 10 years so it’s a real pleasure to feature a local business. Tom + the team offer a personal, friendly approach for each and every client they work with and their reviews speak for themselves. Let me hand you over to Tom so you can find out a little more about his lockdown experience as an estate agent…

Friday has finaaaaally come around again and as aways, I’m ending the working with with another snippet from my #LockdownLife series. Today I’m over the moon to welcome Ella-Mai Elopements to the blog, a Scottish Elopement Planner + Stylist. During lockdown Ella gave birth to her little boy, Casper, so has been juggling motherhood and running a business during a worldwide pandemic - what a hero! I’ll hand you straigt over to Ella so you can find out all about her lockdown experience…

The very lovely Louise of Loubee Blooms is on the blog today to brighten up what has been a very grey week. A luxury wedding florist covering Bristol, Somerset and the surrounding areas, Lou is renowned for her elegant floral designs and wedding flowers. I recently had the pleasure of working with Lou to write her website copy and I’m really chuffed to be featuring her lockdown experience. So, get stuck in and enjoy - she’s got some great podcast recommendations waiting for you!

It’s another Monday in lockdown and that means another instalment from my #LockdownLife series. I’ve been admiring the work Megan Therese Couture for yeaaaaaaars now and it’s a real pleasure to welcome her to the blog for the Working From Home Journals! Megan creates exquisite handcrafted accessories, veils and garters for the elegant bride-to-be and her designs are guaranteed to make you weak at the knees - cue ALL the heart eye emojis!

So, if you want to find out more about Megan’s lockdown experience, grab a cosy cup of coffee and get reading. Happy Monday folks, enjoy!

Woo, it’s finally Friday! And what better way to end the working week with another instalment from my ‘Working from Home - The Journals’ series. I’m super excited to welcome the lovely Jen of Raspberry Bespoke Events to the blog today. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Jen over the last year on her EPIC rebrand - which we are soooo excited to share with you, so keep your eyes peeled.

Jen is the Founder of Raspberry Bepsoke Events, a boutique luxury wedding planning company offering unforgettable experiences and beautifully designed events. She’s vivacious, fun and just a brilliant member of the wedding industry so I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading her lockdown story…

Happy Wednesday folks! It is officially hump day, which means we’re getting through the week and that Friday evening G&T is getting closer. I’m back with my latest instalment of the ‘Working from Home - The Journals’ series and today I’m welcoming one of my faaaaavourite photographers to the blog. Say hello to Rosie Kelly Photography!

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Rosie over the last few years and have featured many of her gorgeous weddings on various blogs - including Lily + Ben’s DREAMY celebration at Aswarby Rectory - go and have a nosey because it will give you all the good vibes and summer cravings.

Anyway, Rosie is a super talented wedding photographer (she’s actually been in the photography game for over 13 years now) so it’s an absolute honour to chat to her about her lockdown experience. Without further ado, Rosie, introduce yourself…

It’s Monday and I’m kick-starting the week with another instalment of my ‘Working from Home - The Journals’, where I’m offering small business owners to share their experience of lockdown life. I couldn’t be happier to tell you that I’ve got Eliza of Eliza May Prints on the blog today!

Having worked with Eliza previously on her website copy, I know just how lovely this lady is so it’s an absolute pleasure to feature her today. Eliza specialises in bespoke wedding stationery and creates the prettiest paper goods you’ve EVER seen - totally fan-girling over here. Not only has she been running a successful stationery business throughout a pandemic, Eliza is also mum to a gorgeous little girl - I’m sure her lockdown story will resonate with many of you if you’ve been juggling business and parenting.

Let me hand you straight over to Eliza. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the first instalment of my ‘Working from Home - The Journals’. I’ve had such great feedback and so many requests to be featured, don’t forget if you’re interested in telling your lockdown story to drop me a message at lottie.dainton@gmail.com.

Today I’ve got the lovely Gemma of West Country Wedding Planner on the blog talking all about her #LockdownLife. Gemma and Abie of WCWP plan the most beautiful weddings across the South West - from coastal to countryside. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with these guys for over a year now (wow, time flies) managing their Instagram account and it’s been an absolute pleasure seeing all of the stunning celebrations they plan. Marquees, tipis, country houses, seaside settings - you name it, they can plan it!

Anyway, let’s get stuck in. Without further ado, here is Gemma’s lockdown experience…

We're now in what feels like Lockdown 408.0 and I know that times are tough for businesses, with more people than ever working from home. I wanted to use this lockdown as an opportunity to support, feature and shout-out to some of the AMAZING brands out there (the big, the small, the pretty, the quirky, the one-man bands and the teams of two or more).

I want to feature YOU and your business, talking all about your experience working from home while offering readers a chance to go behind the scenes. I'll be featuring tips, tricks and the latest must-watch Netflix series that are keeping people going. It only seemed appropriate to kick-start the series with my own Q&A to get the ball rolling. Enjoy!

It’s taken one invisible, microscopic virus, to transform the world. It’s reminded us that life is not forever, but it is precious. And loss – whatever that may be to you – reminds us of what we love. Freedom should never be taken for granted, health is worth more than anything and love really is everything.

It’s a bit like that saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” Apart from the fact that we do. But sometimes, we just need reminding.

If you’re feeling stuck when it comes to coming up with captions for your Instagram posts, you are not alone. In fact, so many of us sit at our phones spending hours trying to think of a quirky, engaging caption – which isn’t a great way of utilising your time. Caption block is common amongst so many of my clients and it can quickly become overwhelming, meaning your social media posts are added to the bottom of your to-do-list. Again. Before you know it, you haven’t posted to Instagram in over a month! To help you along the way, I’ve put together 10 fail-safe caption ideas that will help to overcome caption block and will give you a quick kick of creativity!

You’ve established your brand, you’ve built your reputation and you’ve finally got the reassurance of a regular income every month. Does this mean it’s time to take your freelance business from a side hustle to a full-time job? Taking the leap is a huge step and one of the biggest (not to mention exciting AND scary) decisions you’ll make.

Full-time freelancing isn’t something I think you’ll ever be prepared for. I always compare it to driving – you learn how to drive in your driving lessons and you have successfully passed your test (three times a charm) but you don’t actually learn until you go it alone and come into real-life driving situations without the comfort of your instructor’s guidance. The same goes for transitioning from part-time to full-time.

Here are my five signs that you’re ready to jump into the wonderful world of being a full-time business owner…

A little insight into an interview I was invited to with A Branch of Holly - a brilliant business coach and blogger.