Sunshine, Garden and a Greenhouse!

Hello!

It seems such a long time since I last sat down with a cup of fruit tea and my lap top to write a blog post. Well actually it has been! I have been absent from blogging for many months and I have really missed writing, planning new posts, taking photos etc. I honestly did not realise how long it had been. Time really does fly when your having fun! My daughter is now 9 months old and growing up far too quickly. I know I am biased but she is so beautiful and lovely. I love how she holds hers arms out towards me for a cuddle or to be picked up and she adores our dog. Well, its finally time to give my little blog some attention.

We have enjoyed some beautiful weather recently, with temperatures reaching mid twenties. I have been busy in the garden, pottering around in the greenhouse, weeding the flower beds and drinking the occasional fruit tea or smoothie in the sunshine.

Enjoying the view from my garden

Some of you may know from reading a previous blog post which can be found here, that my husband and I created our garden from scratch when we moved to Meadow View just over 2 years ago. I love looking back at photographs to see how the garden has grown and changed. My rose arch collapsed in one of the winter storms we experienced. I decided not to replace it, instead, I moved a lilac tree from one of the flower beds which was so overgrown last year that I missed it bloom!

My Lilac Tree

I also had to say goodbye to my greenhouse. I was a little sad as it had been given to me as a present six years ago. I remember feeling so excited to have my own greenhouse. I grew so many things that first year but sadly the winds damaged it that following winter, so it really was so bashed about, the polycarbonate panels  took quite a bashing and the metal frame was bent out of shape.

I knew I would hate being without a greenhouse as I love to grow flowers, salads and vegetables. I get so excited in February when I sow pepper seeds indoors and eagerly anticipate the start of gardening season. I spend winters looking through books, magazines and seed catalogues for ideas and inspiration.

I thoroughly researched greenhouses and the different types you can buy. How I would love a big Victorian one with a dwarf wall. I fear that I would need a much bigger garden! In the end I bought a lovely wooden one by BillyOh. It really is lovely and very sturdy too. Its bigger than my old one which is a plus and I have more shelving space.

I was so pleased to receive a free packet of camomile seeds with an order I had placed with Pai Skincare. Their products are amazing by the way and I love the moisturiser. Here is a picture of my seeds growing

Thanks for taking the time to read. What are you growing this year?

Welcome Baby!

I can not believe that my last post was in July! I have a very good reason as to why I have been absent and such a happy one too. My daughter was born last month! Her name is Claire Elizabeth Sarah. I haven't stopped smiling since the day she was born. She is such a joy and I am treasuring every second of being with her. She is 7 weeks old now and has started smiling. Her whole face lights up when she smiles.

Tiny hand

During my pregnancy I made Claire a few things. 

I made Maggie Rabbit from Alicia Paulson's pattern

A little cardigan that I knitted

A crochet cot sized blanket

A knitted lace blanket that I still need to finish!

The nursery was the last room we decorated and so much fun to do. The walls were covered with wood chip wallpaper which proved a nightmare to scrape off. Underneath the woodchip we found two more layers of wallpaper. 

The wallpaper we discovered in the nursery

The walls were too bad to paint straight on to so we decided to go for wallpaper. I chose a lovely polka dot one from Homebase to create a feature wall. For the other walls I just chose a simple paint-able wallpaper which was quite thick to hide the lumps an bumps. As you can see from the photo above, the carpet that was already down when we moved in needed replacing and skirting board and window sill needed glossing. It took two days for us to decorate her bedroom once we finally got rid of the woodchip!

I had great fun choosing furniture. As it is a small room we opted for a cot bed, nursing chair, baby changing station, chest of drawers, a book case and bedside table. Claire has my night light that I had when I was a little girl. 

My night light from when I was a little girl

The blanket my great aunt made for me when I was a baby

I love being a mum to Claire. I feel so lucky to have her in my life. 

The Month of July

I can not quite believe we are into July already! This year seems to be flying by. We are official in summer now and can enjoy lazy days in the sunshine, sipping home made lemonade, dining outdoors and trying to cool off in the shade. 

Enjoying smoothies outside 

The UK has had a hot start to the month with temperatures reaching into mid 30's! I love the warmth of the sun but I confess it has been rather too hot for me. Being fair skinned I burn very easily so I avoid the sun and apply factor 50 sun cream! 

July 4th not only marks Independance Day in America but my wedding anniversary too! A year ago tomorrow my husband and I said our marriage vows in front of friends and family. We have had a wonderful year and looking forward to sharing and creating many lovely memories together. 

1st Wedding Anniversary 

My garden is looking pretty and colourful, everything is growing very well thanks to warm weather and a sprinkling of water from the hose pipe. 

Flowers picked from the garden 

I find myself enjoying morning and evenings the best in July, especially when the days have been rather hot. I love sitting in the garden in the evening, watching the bats fly overhead, taking in the scent from honey suckle and other flowers and enjoying the calm and peacefulness of the twilight. 

Evening skies

Capturing Memories

It is no secret that I like to take photographs. I take as many as 1500 - 2000 pictures a month with my iPhone camera. The best thing about my iPhone camera is that it is small, light weight and can easily fit in a pocket or bag. Even in the tiniest of bags I own. I transfer pictures on to my computer at the end of every month and organise them into files. It was whilst doing this that I noticed that many of my photographs were not in focus and appeared blurry.

So, here is a little treat to myself! I bought a camera with a zoom lens. The best thing about it is that it is light weight and not at all bulky. It will not fit in a pocket but it does fit in one of my larger bags for when I am out and about.

My camera

I have started to take more care when snapping away. I try to ensure that the image is in focus and pay more attention to what it is that I am trying to photograph.

Close up of a Daisy

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days away at the Welsh coast, so I enjoyed experimenting with compositions. I really like the photograph above of the sand

 

Pansy

 

Ripples on the Beach

On the Beach

 I came across a lone leaf whilst on the beach, so I tried to capture it in a photograph. I especially like the colours of the green seaweed.

Clouds Against Blue Skies

A Selection of Photographs

 I have had great fun with my camera so far and can not wait to learn more about photography!

How to style a Room on a Budget

It is amazing how you can transform a room in your home regardless of your budget. My friends and family will tell you that I love a bargain and I'm always keeping my eye open for sales and offers. I like to change my home décor with the seasons as I think this keeps my home looking fresh and appealing.

For example, during those long winter months when the nights draw in early I like my home to feel all snug and cosy. In the summer however I like my home to feel bright and airy. So where do I begin to achieve this?

Spring/Summer Display

In the Winter

Let's start with cushions. I simply love decorating the sofa with cushions much to the amusement of my husband. I think he thought I was slightly crazy when I asked him to store my autumn/winter cushions in the attic! Last Autumn I bought two lovely cushions from Wilkinsons for £6 each. They had a picture on of a stag and I fell in love with them instantly. For £6 I had the cushion cover and pad but you can buy just the cushion covers if you wanted to. Sometimes though I do find the cushion covers to be the same price as a filled one! It's best to shop around. I saw cushions very similar to the ones I had bought for double the price elsewhere!

My Winter Cushion Covers ( I have since got rid of the throw as I was not happy with it!)

I didn't like my cushions on the sofa as these were old, tatty and faded so I got rid of these. I went through a stage a couple of years ago where I wanted to display every piece of decor I owned! My dresser was so cluttered and took forever to dust! I now like displaying only a few pieces as its not only easier to keep clean but it looks tidy too. I knew I wanted new cushions for the Spring/Summer season so I shopped around until I saw exactly what I wanted. This year I've introduced soft mauve colours into my home. I keep the walls neutral so I can change the colour of my decor to suit my mood. At the moment I love the softness of pastel shades. I found a gorgeous floral pattern at Next and treated myself to one cushion. I only wanted one as I didn't want the sofa to look too busy. Instead I bought 4 more cushions in a shade that would compliment my pretty one. I got these from Next and Sainsburys.

Cushions for Spring/Summer

As I looked around my lounge I noticed I had lots of candles on display that were all different colours. I had cream, pink, blue and even green. I rounded up every one and then selected a few cream coloured candles to keep out. The rest went in a cupboard to be used in the winter. I didn't actually have any mauve coloured candles or holders so I made it my mission to find some. Sainsburys came up on top for selling exactly what I wanted. I could have got carried away and bought loads of candles and holders but the last thing I wanted to do was clutter up my dresser and sideboard again! So I carefully selected a few pieces.

Pretty Candle Holders

My curtains in the lounge are cream and go with everything so these stay up all year round. I have a few neutral coloured jugs and glass vases that I like to display flowers in. During the Spring/Summer months I like to display cream/white flowers such as roses and stock. Aldi sell lovely flowers at such great prices. I always pop a bunch in my trolley as part of my weekly shop. Supermarkets tend to reduce flowers to silly prices in an evening too. I once had 4 bunches of flowers that should have cost £19 and I paid just 75p! They last for 10 days too!

Flowers Make a Pretty Display

I also have a few ornaments that I like to change with the seasons. Just before Christmas last year Sainsburys had a sale on and I bought these lovely wooden deer ornaments. I knew I wouldn't want to display these after the winter so they are boxed up in the attic, along with a canvas picture of a stag in the snow. I found a lovely canvas picture to replace my winter one with in Home Bargains!

The Family of Deer

Spring/Summer Décor

It is so tempting to display everything! I have found though that I have more compliments about my home if it's less cluttered so I guess less really is more! 

I hope you have found these tips useful. I would love to hear about any tips you have for styling a room on a budget.   

Ever Changing Meadows

I love living right in the heart of the countryside. I feel so lucky that I can draw back the curtains in a morning and the first thing I see are acres of meadows.

Morning and evenings are my favourite time of day. I like to wake early and take a cup of tea outside and take in the views and breathe in the fresh air. 

I was looking back at the photographs I have taken over the last 17 months and realised I like to take pictures of the meadows. Here are some pictures taken across the four seasons.

In the Autumn/winter trees have lost their leaves, hay has been collected from the meadows to feed the livestock during the colder months. Tourists have returned home, animals hibernate until Spring

Sheep grazing in the meadows, their home for the Winter until the lambs are born in the Spring

The first frosts of the Winter

A frosty field on a cold crisp Winter morning

Spring emerging after a long winter

The ever-changing evening skies  

Summer days 

C

What Home Means

Home to me is a place that reflects upon who I am. It is full of my style and things that I like. It is a place were I can relax and unwind, be myself in. Where ever I go I always know that my home will be there waiting for me to return. It is mine. 

In my home and garden

The best thing about moving into a place that needed work doing to it meant that I could change things to my taste. I didn't have to put up with the brittle wallpaper, thread bare carpets, an old and battered kitchen, no garden. I could see passed all these things and know that I could create my dream home. 

I enjoy decorating my home with floral displays and pretty accessories

Okay, so I might not have the roses growing over the front door (yet!), I may not have the converted barn as a craft room, nor the sea view I yearn for but I do have everything else I want and could possibly need. Most importantly my home is filled with memories and loved ones. 

I like to collect mementos from days out, holidays and walks in the countryside. Wild flowers fill jugs and picture frames of my favourite places hang on the wall 

I feel so lucky that I have such a wonderful view to wake up to every morning. In the warmer months I enjoy a cup of tea on the patio overlooking the meadows. It is quiet and peaceful, only bird song can be heard. It is these simple pleasures that should not be taken for granted. 

A nesting box can be found hidden amongst the clematis in the garden