JUST FOUR YOU... PART 2

 Four little discoveries....

Daylesford.... AKA the farmshop of dreams. 

Sprout and Flower - A beaut little florist with damn good coffee. 

Wonderful macramé workshop with Knot & Grain

An Autumnal dream at Stourhead

AN AUTMUN TIME BUCKET LIST...

I seem to be the only person who has done a little happy dance at the sight of the darker evenings and chillier air. 

It's no secret that this time of year is my favourite. The string of celebrations, the festive traditions and the way we can slow down a little and enjoy time at home so much more, are just a few of the things that bring me joy. 

Introducing seasonal vibes into my home is something I've always been so passionate about. Switching out candles to fill the room with seasonal scents, arranging tablescapes and floral displays, and putting up seasonal decorations are simple ways to bring these celebrations to life. All of these wonders and more will make up my Autumn bucket list, so here goes.... 

Blackberry picking

Crumble baking

Sloe Gin Making

Visit a pumpkin patch - Carve it, Paint it

Discover a new author and get lost in a book

Take time to enjoy the changing colour of the leaves

Switch out your candles and introduce Autumnal scents

Gather conkers and pine cones for tablescapes

Create a hot chocolate station
(and i mean go all out...marshmallows, flakes and more)

Indulge in a Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Dress your home for Halloween

Discover a new hobby

(Highly recommend the macramé workshops by Knot and Grain)

Head to a farmers market for seasonal goods

Get your bake on

Slow down

Say yes to the things that bring you happiness

And simply no to the things that don't 

WITCH PLEASE!!!! A LITTLE HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION...

As the leaves begin to bronze, and we welcome the next chapter of the year it's time to get ready for the first of the celebrations... Hello Halloween. 

I have started to gather some of my favourite ideas and inspiration, and wanted to share a few on here. 

I would love to hear if and how you are planning on decorating your home. 

xx

*Image credit for the first image

**Image credit for the second  image 

***Image credit for the third image 

****Image credit for the fourth image 

*****Image credit for the fifth image 

******Image credit for the six image 

*******Image credit for the seventh image 

A SUMMER TIME BUCKET LIST...

You may have remembered my previous Spring Time bucket list, and in the blink of an eye we have welcomed the next. 

The days have got a little longer, yet thanks to the good old British Summer not necessarily brighter. Last Summer spoilt us, and I'm starting to wonder if two sunny Summers were packed into 2020. The summer bod that never quite materialised is secretly pretty chuffed though!!

Remaining optimistic, bright sunny days will hopefully be ahead, and there is still plenty of wonderful things we can do to make the most of this season. 

Here goes... 

Head to a Summer fayre

Sea dip 

Sea swim for the brave

Skinny dip for the uber brave

Visit a Country Show

Pack up the car and go on a road trip

Cocktails 

BBQ's

Glamping 

Take a hike

On your bike

Host a garden party

Go Strawberry picking

Swing in a hammock

Crabbing

Create a Summer playlist and dance

Dance some more

Start a new hobby

Be a tourist in your home town

Dance again

Wine tasting

Make Memories

*Image credit for the first image is Our Food Stories

**Image credit for the Second  image 

JUST FOUR YOU... PART 1

This week's Just Four You discoveries... 

Lacock - It's my mission to explore more of the UK, and this was a beautiful start. 

Bath Arms - The best roast around - FACT! 

The Barn Somerset - A recent discovering via Instagram, and a place i'm definitely going to be visiting soon. 

Nusara - Has quickly become my favourite Thai around. 

JUST FOUR YOU...

My saved tab on Instagram, my phone gallery and my journal are all bursting with ideas, beautiful imagery and wonderful discoveries. 

There are so many treasures around that I wanted to house in one place, and create a bit of a go to guide for places to venture, recipes to indulge in, and an array of other wonders. 

That's where I would like to welcome you to  the "JUST FOUR YOU" section of my blog. This is going to be a regular round up of four (no the title wasn't a grammatical error) of my favourite discoveries. 

My aim is to share more of the things that make me feel golden in the hope they inspire you too. 

Keep popping back for updates x

Little Perth 

KATIE LEAMON'S HEIRLOOM COLLECTION...

If Spring was a stationery collection, then this would be it! 

The Heirloom collection is the dreamy collab by Katie Leamon and the British fashion house Lily and Lionel. The entire collection just oozes elegance and charm. 

Overly floral patterns (the ditzy floral kind) are not normally my go to style, but I'm in awe of how beautiful this collection is. The wrapping paper is definitely going to be used for some origami projects, and as for the cards, I already have names in mind of friends I know that will LOVE them.

The only slight issue I have with Katie Leamon's stationery, gift wrap and cards, is that it's too damn beautiful! Right down to their envelopes, it's often hard to actually part with them to giveaway. 

The contrasting double sided gift wrap is perfect for not only the most exquisitely wrapped gifts of all time, but also a beaut addition to crafting projects. The first that springs to mind is to use it to create the backing for a pretty notice board. 

Fellow notebook and journal lovers, there is also lay flat notebooks within this collection. 

I received this selection of goodies as part of Katie Leamon subscription service. The kind of post which is just the biggest treat to receive on a monthly basis. It's a highly recommended subscription service for those who love the most stylish and high quality stationery. 

A SPRING TIME BUCKET LIST...

Now that Spring has sprung, and that “normal life” is within reach I thought I would create a little Spring bucket list. A kind of seasonal tick list to make the most of this season of new beginnings. 

Time to start ticking these off... 

Spring clean the house from top to bottom

Pack a picnic (champagne included) and visit a new little beauty spot

Find a field of bluebells

Bake Easter biscuits 

Marvel at the beauty of a Cherry Blossom

Smile at the hop, skip and jump of the lambs

Decorate the house for Easter 

Plant seeds and watch the little sproutlings sprout

Create an Easter/Spring tablescape

Fill a flask with tea and go out and watch the sunrise 

Fill the house with fresh cut flowers

Enjoy brunch outside

Head out for a bike ride in the sunshine 

Plant a little herb garden

Top the bird feeders up, and keep an eye out for the cute little birds

Try out new bakes and recipes using beautiful seasonal veggies

Make bank holiday plans

 Make a dandelion wish 

What are you most looking forward to this Spring? 

HELLO SPRING... LET THE DECORATING BEGIN!

 The transition of the seasons is something I’ve always loved about living in Britain. There is something so magical at marvelling at the landscapes and our surroundings as they transform before our eyes. 

Reflecting these seasonal changes at home is something I’ve also always loved to do. From as far back as my memories go my Mum would go all out when it came to special occasions. From decorating the house for birthdays, hiding heart chocolates and notes in my lunchbox for Valentines, to filling vases with Spring Flowers and decorating Easter trees. A special occasion never went uncelebrated. Not to mention incredible seasonal bakes and delicious food. After all it’s not just Christmas that deserves the special treatment.  

Somehow, in what truly has felt like a blink of an eye we have just said hello to Spring! This means switching up The White Company 'Winter' candles for 'Spring', and letting the Spring clean commence. Then it's time to say hello to springtime styling! 

Easter is early this year ( I feel like this phrase is up there with one of the most common thing Brits say) so eggs and bunny decs will be making an also immediate appearance.

Mood boards have been pretty much part of my daily routine at the moment, creating them brings me such joy and I think I’ve pretty much nailed my Easter tablescapes for the next 10 years!! 

 I thought I would share a few images for some inspiration, and basically an excuse to explore even more beautiful ideas. 

Happy Spring beauties! x

*Image credit for the first image is Little Scandinavian

**Image credit for the others can be found over at Pinterest 

WE ARE LIKE THE WAVES...

I’ve always had an affiliation with the sea. It’s the place that makes me feel most grounded. A gravitational pull that gives me a sense of comfort and calm. A walk last weekend got me thinking (clearly the sea induces some deep-thinking vibes within me). This sea and its shoreline are the exact same, yet it has the ability to show up as different versions of itself. Much as we do as human beings, it captivates different moods depending on the environment. One moment we can feel flat, lifeless with very little desire to move great depths. Next, we can feel exhilarated, free to move and able to put up a fight. No one blames the sea for its current state. No one tells it to change. In fact, we sit in awe of both its stillness and also its ability to form huge energetic, crashing waves.  

This made me wonder… Why do we put pressure on ourselves to change when we feel a little flat? Why not simply remind ourselves tomorrow is a different day, and that the environment will be different? I think it’s time we put a stop to attempting to fix ourselves. Stop trying to be this all-enthusiastic go-getting person every single day. 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve often felt guilty in the past for taking time out, guilty for wanting to relax and have time doing things I want to be doing, not the things I feel like I should! We admire the calm, stillness of the sea, so why don’t we allow ourselves to admire that same calmness within us? The busiest person title has been attempted to be won by many. I believe now is truly the time to allow ourselves that level of calm and relaxation. It's time to stop wearing the busy title like it is a crown to be proud of and simply start listening to our own intuitions and needs. 

That’s when being by the sea got me thinking a little deeper… 

The juxtaposition of the beauty in the sunlight glistening on the waves against its strength and dangerous depth is somewhat thought provoking. The way something so dangerous and somewhat unknown still leaves behind gifts on the shoreline. Beautiful naturally crafted shells and stones scatter the shoreline like treasures left behind. It smooths out the sand leaving behind an elegant carpet of fine grains that shimmer from every angle. It creates a pathway in which we can explore. The more I thought about this the more I realised it offered up a perfect metaphor for this current s**t show of a situation. Despite the upset, the unknown and the potential threat, it acts as an important reminder to also take note of the beautiful things it leaves behind. Things that are so often missed because we are so programmed to focus on the negatives!! I came across these beautiful words that offered up that glimmer of hope. That glistening seashell hidden within this hard and unknown time. 

This offered me with a little awakening, and I hope it does for you too….We are surrounded by so much beauty. All we have to do us open our eyes and hearts to it. 

  

These Words...

I stumbled across these words a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't not share them with you.

I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Here goes.... 

“Push yourself to get up before the rest of the world - start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am. Go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sun rise.

Push yourself to fall asleep earlier - start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm. Wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable. Lie in your garden, feel the sunshine on your skin. 

Get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. Fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic, fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. Sit and eat it and do nothing else. 

Stretch. Start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. Roll your head. stretch your fingers. stretch everything.

Buy a 1L water bottle. start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice.

Buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. Write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. no detail is too small.

Strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear draw into the washing machine. wash, then hang them in the sunshine with care. Make your bed in full. 

Dig your fingers into the earth, plant a seed. See your success as it grows everyday. 

Organise your room. Fold all your clothes (and bag what you don’t want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. light a beautiful candle.

Breathe. Practice your deep breathing. Ground yourself. 

Have a luxurious shower with your favourite music playing. wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. Lather your whole body in moisturiser, get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

Push yourself to go for a walk. Take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. Smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. bring your dog and observe the dog’s behaviour. Realise you can learn from your dog.

Message old friends with personal jokes. Reminisce. Suggest a catch up soon, even if you don’t follow through. Push yourself to follow through.

Think long and hard about what interests you. Crime? Sex? Boarding school? Long-forgotten romance etiquette? Find a book about it and read it. There is a book about literally everything. 

Become the person you would ideally fall in love with. Let cars merge into your lane when driving. Pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. Stick your tongue out at babies. Help an animal. Compliment people on their cute clothes. Challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day. Then two. Then a week. Walk with a straight posture. Look people in the eye. Ask people about their story. Talk to acquaintances so they become friends.

Lie in the sunshine. Daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t a thing. open your eyes. 

Take small steps to make it happen for you...”

Author: Emma Elsworthy

  

*Image credit for the planner image is Ella Iconic

**Image credit for the candle image is Osmology. 

***Image credit for the books image is César Viteri