Ammmmm, remember that time, that amazing sparkly time I won that shiny blog award...At a little Blog Awards called the Amaras? Ohhh you forgot!!! Well, I didn't and I am going to give you a little recap about the night... Why, you ask, am I yapping on about this a near year later? Well, two reasons my lovely little design reader.
1: It's my way of saying thank you to the organisers at the Amaras for setting up and running such a fab event brining all us interior bloggers together.
2: Nominations are now open for the 2019 Amara's and I have been nominated for the 'Best Design Inspiration Blog' A big thank you to whoever nominated me. So, I said I would do thank you blog to the voters also :)
What better way than giving you a little insight to last years awards xx
But first things first. What are the Amaras and why are they so important?
Amara is one of the largest online living and Interiors shops and 6 years ago they set up the Amara Blog Awards. It has since grown into the most recognised Interior Blog Awards around the world.
Personally, I found it important as the blogging world can be very singular. Usually, you work from home and don't get all that much feedback. So to get an award like an Amara, to be shortlisted or even nominated lets you know ''Okay I have this! I am doing this right. It ain't just mom reading my blogs'' Legit feelings from me many a time :) There is no straight path for a creative career or even a blogger one! To have an establishment like Amara taking the time to reconsider otherwise slimly noted creatives is so important!
Now let's get into the night in question :)
Well oh well I had actually never been to London before as a tourist... I was there once at a work event for a few nights but I really do not think that counts as I literally saw the inside of a BoConcept store. Not that I am complaining BoConcept is a pretty amazing store to be stuck in...
But I had never walked around London, went to the Tower of London...strolled around Nothing Hill & Mayfair. So I got on my little flight from Kerry to Stansted... Yup, you can go direct... Pretty sweet! Anyways got on my little flight dragged my other half and from the minute we landed, we played the tourist. and did all the above. I just fell in LOVE with London.
On awards night I was having so much fun being the tourist that I was actually late for the Amaras! And what did I say to Barry (very patient boyfriend)? "It's grand! chances of winning are pretty slim" (the quality of the other nominated blogs was incredible so I really really did think this!)..."If the ceremony was to start we can sneak in!"...
Eventually, we got to One Marylebone where the awards were being hosted. Thankfully the ceremony had not started and we got to mingle a little :). The venue and decor were second to none. Imagine a beautifully older victorian building with scattered lighting of purples and warm whites creating the most perfectly elegant atmosphere for the night.
The awards were introduced by Sam Hood the Creative Director and Head Buyer at Amara. Again, amazing to meet this lovely lady!
Internationally renowned interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin hosted the event and did a superb job!
The categories and shortlisted designers and blogger were then introduced and finally, the winner revealed. When my name was announced I honestly could not believe it! I was ventured up to the stage in a slight state of shock I could hear someone cheering 'Wooo Ireland'. The Lovely House That Will was making sure the Irish presence was known :) xx
After the awards were all announced Barry and I were like two excited school children!! Excited children with free alcohol that is! The rest of night was spent meeting other designers and bloggers which was a bit of an awe moment as I had been following most of them for years!
To top it all off we got a goody bag!!!!! Which Barry raided when we got home... :)
The Cherry on top:
A few weeks after the awards all the winners were invited to a winners lunch. I love saying that... Winners Lunch, it just rolls off the tongue...Don't you think?? In the Tom Dixon Studio in Coal Drops Yard in London. The food was just yum and we got a little tour around the studio chit-chatting about the Tom Dixon designs and the studio's vision for the future. This was just fabulous. Mostly it was just lovely to sit and chat with the other bloggers and some of the Amara organisers. The cherry on top you could say :)
Soo all, that's it. What do you think? Does Style So Simple deserve to get over for the Amara's 2019?? I am saying it this year and I said and meant it last year; to be shortlisted is a win in itself so for those of you who voted last year and this year thank you so so much.
PS. If you do love the Style So Simple blog and feel it deserves to awarded the Best Design Inspiration blog vote HERE!
Style So Simple - Aoife xx