What started out as a general life update was very much thrown into turmoil since I last began writing this post. I suppose it’s best to just get the incident out of the way first. Myself and my husband Sam, along with our dog Ronnie, were caught up in a car crash. Fortunately, we managed to get away with very minor injuries but our car has sadly been written off.
As it’s been well over a year since I properly blogged, we had bought a car which gave us so much in the way of flexibility and freedom. So when we got into the crash, that freedom and flexibility has been stripped away from us. This is all still pretty fresh in our minds as of the time of writing this, it’s been a week. I’ll be sure to update you later on what happened and photos of our beloved car once the investigation and claims have been made.
So what has life given us up until this point in time? Here are a few life updates and announcements worth mentioning – if you’re interested.
We got married
Well, for starters, I’m married! We finally got married on Thursday 25th August 2022. Our original date was meant to be on Friday 4th June 2021 but due to COVID and restrictions on numbers, we made the emotional decision to move the date.
I took Sam’s name so you can now call me Natalie Griffiths. I’m still in the process of changing my name across other databases but I’m holding off for the most part until we’ve had our honeymoon/birthday trip to the Maldives in November. The wedding was everything we could have hoped for and more. Here are a few wedding snaps from the day. I’m probably going to cover more of the wedding once all of the professional photos have come through, both on this blog and on Tilly & Rouge.
Ronnie is turning 2 in November
I’m pretty sure I’ve blogged since we got Ronnie but if that’s not the case, then we got a lockdown dog called Ronnie. He’s nearly two years old now, which is mind-boggling.
Owning a dog, especially a puppy, has certainly come with its challenges. I would go as far as to say that I didn’t expect a cockapoo to have quite so much energy as Ron does. However, I wouldn’t change his personality for the world. He’s full of beans but also full of lots of love. It’s been like having a child, so it’s definitely prepared us both for when we eventually come to have children. But anyway, he’s turning two in November so I’m thinking I’ll bake him a cake as a celebration for reaching this milestone.
If you want to keep up to date with what he gets up to, then check out his Instagram feed!
Freelance writing has taken off dramatically
I’m lucky enough to say that during the pandemic, since I went freelance in October 2019 and up until this date, I’ve been off my feet with work. It’s great to have been lucky to have all of the work readily available for me and I’m now able to pick and choose who I work with. It’s refreshing to have plenty of work to lean back on as I continue to explore my career as a writer.
Whilst I love freelance writing, I neglected my blog and social media feeds, which I’m consciously going to change moving forward. Despite this, my freelance writing has doubled my income compared to what I learnt during my full-time employment, so I’m grateful!
I started a Crime Vlogs Youtube channel
I am obsessed with all things crime-related, especially when it comes to solved, unsolved cases and mysterious disappearances. I got into it for a while and then as freelance writing took over my daily life, it meant that this channel had to take a backseat. However, it’s coming back and after the minor delay of getting into a car crash, I’m looking to have it live from mid-October/start of November again. I’ve been writing up scripts, and recording videos and now need to start editing them so I can have at least several banked and ready to go.
Be sure to follow my YouTube channel which I’m hoping will expand into YouTube Shorts, across Tiktok and Twitch. Follow all my channels here:
Tiktok – TBC
Speaking of children
I love how we’re now creeping into an age of living where women openly and proudly make the choice of motherhood. There’s no shame in not wanting children because I believe humans, and women specifically, aren’t simply made to just reproduce. It’s not selfish to not want children and I’m respectful of anyone who chooses not to have them. For me, however, I’m SUPER broody and maternal. Whilst, I’ve not always dreamed of having kids from a young age, as I approach my 30s, I now really want them.
Since getting married, there’s been more talk of children but we have a pretty busy few months ahead which likely means we won’t start trying until April next year. It’s not helped my broodiness to have my brother and his fiance have twins in this past year either!
I’m turning 30
YES. I’m turning 30 years old! Can you believe it? I can’t! It only seems like yesterday that I was 21/22 and moving down to London for the first time. I’ve lived in the big city for over eight years now and when we do eventually move, it’ll likely hit the decade. I’ll be ready to go by then as I would really love to have a house somewhere in the countryside.
Turning 30 is just a number for me. I doubt I’ll feel any different, to be honest. However, I am looking forward to this next chapter of my life and what it has to bring me.
That’s the life update! You can tell a lot has happened over the course of a year and a bit. It’s crazy how much changes in such a short space of time. I’m very much looking forward to the future and what’s to come in the next decade of my life.
What’s changed in your life recently? Let me know in the comments below.
