Spring Awakening

Spring has finally sprung and I am so very happy! It is still a little chilly and April showers have been aplenty, but there are beautiful green buds on the trees and the birds are singing sweetly. 

We live in a beautiful area surrounded by countryside, forests and coastline so in the summer it is a popular holiday destination. Unfortunately this means our favourite sandy beaches have a dog embargo from May to October, so we are going to make the most of them until Wednesday. Fingers crossed spring is here to stay and we can enjoy the beach long into the evenings.

Hopefully spring has sprung where you are and this is the start of a wonderful week for all of us?! 

Windswept

My adorable sister Brooke came to stay for Easter and we had so much fun celebrating the everyday occasions that we miss so much. 

We only live 100 miles away and we call or Skype almost every day, but we rarely get to see each other. We have vowed to change that from now onwards and not lot precious time pass us by.

We adore the beach so it was on our list of things we wanted to do, but throughout the week it was raining and blowing a gale so we kept waiting. Luckily on Brooke’s penultimate day there wasn't a drop of rain and even though it was a frightfully cold 3°C (38 °F) and blustery, it was crisp and bright.

 It was bitterly cold walking along the beach with our thick down filled coats on, so I cannot even begin to imagine how cold it was for these surfers! 

My favourite girls in the world 

 We had so much fun on our windswept day at the beach and I cannot wait for the next time, hopefully spring be in the air by then!

Legendary Lilly Pulitzer

I was so sad to learn that the legendary designer Lilly Pulitzer passed away earlier today. I first became aware of Lilly Pulitzer in my teens and I have been head over heels in love with her designs ever since. I love the story of how her business began, her rise to fashion icon status and her longevity throughout the decades. Lilly leaves her amazing brand with a beautifully bright and happy legacy which will live on and continue to inspire.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! 

I hope your Easter weekend is sweet in every way and full of the joys of spring!

Five Happy Things

After work on Friday I went to a beautiful wedding and had a fantastic evening celebrating with friends. The bride was a friend I used to work with at my old office and it was great to see everyone again. I keep in touch with most of the girls, seeing a few regularly for dinner and at various parties and gatherings. Some I haven't seen since I left and I was a little worried if the small talk might be stilted, even awkward. I needn't have worried, the chat flowed and we all had a wonderful time catching up. We danced (I still have sore feet!), reminisced, indulged in delicious wedding cake and wine and had so much fun. The highlight was of course watching the stunning bride and groom beam from ear to ear all night long, happy and in love. 

These are my favourite things which have made me happy this week...

When I saw this naughty, but oh so nice banana fritter recipe in the iPad edition of the Donna Hay Magazine I almost choked on my salad!

When J.Crew released this video on Tuesday it made me weak at the knees. Like most girls I have a pretty serious thing for "Shiny Ponies" and I am lusting after almost every pair in the video. I love watching Jenna Lyons describe her love affair with shoes and the design process, she is truly captivating

I couldn't resist this Butter London nail polish in Kerfuffle

 The latest issue of the beautiful online magazine Souvenir launched on Monday and it didn't disappoint. Page after page of loveliness, it has made me even more excited for the arrival of spring

I am hoping these fun new trainers will encourage me to counterbalance the hours of sitting at my desk all day in my new job

What has made you happy this week?

Five Happy Things

This week has been cold and windy with a little sprinkling of snow. I have been desperate to get outside and do some gardening, but it has been far too bitter. Instead I got stuck into some spring cleaning and organising, hopefully this will encourage spring to arrive!

These are my favourite things which have made me happy this week...

Pretty blue eggs

Daffodils always brighten my day

 I have been poorly this weekend, so I am grateful for homemade tomato and thyme soup (and the fortuitous good sense I had to freeze batches when I made it last week!)

A beautiful bouquet of flowers and a sweet card I was given when I left my part time job yesterday. There is also the name tag I never have to wear again!

Poppy sprained her back last week, so she has been feeling a little sad and sore. With the help of anti-inflammatories she is making a recovery and that makes me very happy

What has made you happy this week?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you a happy day that is filled with love and sweetness ♥