Chunky Knit Blanket

I cannot tell you how long I have adored chunky knit blankets.  I have thought so many times about making one but had always assumed they would take me ages to make, especially as I get distracted so easily and it ends up taking me forever to finish anything.  However on spotting a workshop local to home I decided to sign up and make myself my very own chunky knit blanket.

The excitement of the workshop didn't end there though, oh no.  We were going to be arm knitting, something I didn't discover until we arrived on site and may I add, something I have also wanted to try my hand at for ages (although maybe that should be try my arm at, No? OK, fair enough, that was pretty bad). 

We were using 2kg balls of acrylic wool that feel ridiculously soft, and it is machine washable which is even more of a result.  Within 15 minutes it was already beginning to take shape.  By this point I was kicking myself as to why I had waited so long to make one, it was super easy and so quick.

I had made my blanket in less than 2 hours, that included a break for tea and cake, a very important staple when creating something I'm sure you would all agree.  I was honestly amazed by how quickly I was able to create this, and it is so cosy to sit under, perfect for the cold winter weather that has now arrived. 

The trouble I now have is that I want to make one in every colour possible.  Let' face it, you can never have too many blankets, but I do fear they wouldn't all get used and that would just be sad.

Definitely a couple of hours well spent.  And I am sure this will not be the last one of these blankets that I make.

~ Gem x

Feeling Autumnal

I have written my fair share of autumn themed posts over the years and it is no secret how much I love this time of year.  There really isn't much more I can add to what I've already said about my love for the season, other than the fact that with each year it grows and I become even more obsessed and fixated with anything pumpkin related.

I did wonder about writing another autumn themed post and in the end decided to just go with it.  I mean I know I am not alone in my joy at this time of year. 

I have found this year particularly different to the past few years living in the city, a far cry from the rolling countryside that's for sure, but I will make sure I make the effort to seek it out when I can during my weekends.  I'd be telling the biggest lie though if I didn't admit to how much I am missing that old lifestyle, they really are worlds apart and you notice the seasons so much more when you are living amongst the wildlife and nature of the countryside.

That said I have been trying my best to make my living arrangements as cosy and autumnal as I possibly can, which considering my limited space I'm pretty pleased with what I have managed.  It's certainly helping to ease some of the longing of life in the country and I'm embracing the season for all that it has to offer.

~ Gem x

Introducing A New Little Friend

Firstly I want to thank everyone for the support and comments on my last blog post.  It's been a tough ride but things are going well and right now I'm feeling pretty good about life.  Things are sent to try us in many of life's challenges and curve balls and what I've been through has definitely made me a far stronger person.  It's not always been pretty but right now I'm feeling great.
 
A couple of weeks ago I welcomed a new little friend into my life. 

Say hello to Holly.

She is a Siberian Hamster and is absolutely adorable, I have fallen in love. 

She has already had me in stitches over her funny little ways from demonstrating her climbing skills and doing the monkey bars across the top of her cage then casually just falling to the ground to running for endless minutes in her wheel. 

She really is such a character, plus she loves a cuddle which is fine by me.

I'm sure there will be plenty of hamster spam on the blog over the next couple of years, that is if she stays still for two seconds for me to take a photo.

~ Gem x

My Search For The Perfect Country Home

There have been a lot of changes in my life over the past eight or so months and saying goodbye to my old life has been a real challenge.  But through it all my dream still remains the same.  I'm craving the country lifestyle.  I miss the countryside views, the little hedge lined, windy lanes, regular sightings of tractors and wild foul.  I miss it, but if anything it makes me feel all the more determined to find the perfect country retreat.

I actually viewed a property last week.  It was perfect and I fell in love.  Walking around the empty rooms I felt at home, and I could totally see myself living there, envisioning all my belongings around me.  But and there is always a but, there was something that just didn't feel quite right and because of that I turned it down, whether it was the right decision, I really don't know.

Looking for a place to live, a home, is a really big and important job and it has to be right.  Having recently moved I don't intend on it being a habit or to become part of a routine.  I want to move and be able to stay there for a long time and with that in mind where I move to has to be completely and utterly perfect for me. 

I know the perfect home is out there.  The chances are, it won't necessarily be my next home, but I will find it.  It is out there somewhere waiting for me.  I'm searching for you forever home, honestly I am and when I find you we will live happily ever after.

~ Gem x   

Shopping for Homewares With Homesense

Given a choice of what I prefer to shop for, homewares wins hands down every time.  I love seeking out new little trinkets and soft furnishings for the home and in my opinion they are the things that really help to make a house a home. 

Having not long moved out of my little piece of countryside paradise and into a flat with someone else, I have had the challenge of fitting my belongings in amongst theirs and working at adding my own touch to the place without taking over.  Allowing our styles to complement one another and creating a home for the two of us. Thankfully for me they are happy for me to take the reins on the styling element of things, but it hasn't been easy.

I've been able to use a lot of what I already had but there have been a few new purchases along the way.  This is where places such as Homesense really come in handy.  It is one of my favourite home stores, purely because you literally never know what you are going to find and you immediately find items that you never realised you actually cannot live without. 

With a wide selection from kitchen utensils and crockery to bedding and cushions, the store is stocked to the rafters with everything you could possibly need in your home.  I especially love their range of faux flowers, they are all so beautiful.

I was lucky to be able to visit the store the day before opening to have a mooch about and have to say I have visited on a fair few occasions since then, purchasing all sorts from notebooks (oh my gosh their range of notebooks are incredible) to ornaments. It is definitely up there as a firm favourite of the homeware stores.   

The thing I love the most is the fact that the stock changes regularly so you can guarantee that each time you visit you are sure to find new treasures and be able to pick up a bargain, as all the products are reduced from their RRP.  If you have a store local to yourself, I'd really recommend a visit.  Let me know what you think, I'm sure I'm not their only fan.

~ Gem

** This post was written in partnership with Homesense as part of a bloggers event they were hosting.  All words, images and opinions are my own **

Home Christmas Tour

Christmas is a little different this year, setting up my decorations in a different place felt strange, but it does feel good to have them around me during the run up to the 25th.  It wouldn't feel like Christmas without them.

I had hoped for a slightly taller tree this year, as the flat has really high ceilings.  But the taller they got, the fatter they got, so I had to make do with a 7ft tree, which is still pretty amazing.

I've been very good and have restrained from buying many new decorations, it's been really hard though, believe me.  I love Christmas and always find the shops filled with so many beautiful decorations at this time of year.  If I could buy them all I would, but this year that just wasn't possible. 

The one and only new purchase has been for this window display.  Paper snowflake pom poms from Poundland and some gorgeous star lights which I have admired on Pinterest for years.  Finally having amazing windows to hang them from I just couldn't resist them. 

So the decorations are up and almost all the presents have been bought.  All that leaves now is to wrap them and enjoy the festivities of the season.

~ Gem x

Saying Goodbye to the Orchards

I knew that the day I'd have to say goodbye to my little home would be a sad day.  It's a day I have dreaded since moving in, back in February 2013.  It's a day that is almost here.  That day is tomorrow.

It has been a journey full of ups and downs.  Lots of incredible memories that I will treasure forever, but also some of the saddest times of my life.  Times I never imagined I would ever encounter.

Meeting the most incredible lady,  Mrs Pudney.  She had lived there since the second world war.  She was posted to The Orchards as a land girl, fell in love and married the farmer and lived there for the rest of her life, right up to the grand age of 94, such an inspirational woman.  I miss her dearly, her stories were just fascinating.   

The past three, almost four years, has given me that taste for country living and it's left me hungry for more.  I know that it is the lifestyle for me.  Who knew I would become such a lover of chickens, such funny little characters giving us the most delicious eggs I've ever tasted. 

I may not be moving straight into the next step of that country dream but I know it is in my future, it has to be, I will make sure it is. 

It has been a really tough few weeks, going through all of my belongings and evaluating what I have.  It makes you wonder why you hold on to some things.  It has given me a lot of time to think about who I am and what I want from life.  The one thing I want more than anything though is to be happy.  I intend to work on that, doing things for myself and living for the moment, because if I've learnt one thing this year, it is that you really don't know what is round the corner. 

So as the season moves to Christmas I'm determined to embrace it.  You'll be seeing a lot of Christmas themed posts about the place and I'm going to be looking forward to what lies ahead, whatever that may be.  But the one thing I do know for sure is that I will forever hold a place in my heart for The Orchards, my little piece of country life and I will be eternally grateful for the experience it has provided me with these past few years.

~ Gem x

Christmas With Laura Ashley

I'm so excited to be sharing with you my blog article which was featured on the Laura Ashley blog on Friday.

It may only just be November, but Christmas is fast approaching and will soon be upon us.  In truth, I cannot wait.  It is by far my most favourite time of the year and the build up to it is the best part.

I've slowly been sneaking little bits of Christmas décor into my home but it won't be long now until I shall be embracing it in it's full glory, especially now that Halloween is over.

Looking at the Autumn and Winter range and in particular the Christmas range at Laura Ashley this year, I have fallen in love with so many of their products. 

I'm already longing for the chillier evenings where I can hunker down under this beautifully soft Tartan Cranberry Check Cotton Mix Throw, with a good Christmas themed book and a glass of mulled wine. 

Even better when enjoyed by candlelight and wouldn't you agree, the Finlay Wooden Lantern certainly helps to set the scene. 

  

Another favourite from the Christmas range which shall be adorning my mantelpiece this year is this beautiful Ceramic Christmas Tree Tealight Holder.  The way the soft light pours through the little holes is just so pretty, I've found myself mesmerised by it already.   

I don't know about you but Christmas is the one time of year that I find myself being transported back to previous years and childhood memories.  Isn't it funny how our minds are triggered by certain sights, sounds and smells.  Certain pieces in the current range at Laura Ashley have definitely done this to me, the Christmas Tree Snow Globe being one of them.  I remember as a child sitting and watching the tiny flakes of snow fall, trapped under the shiny glass that glistening under the lights from the Christmas tree.  This would be perfect as a gift to a loved one or even a gift to yourself, because Christmas is a time for giving after all. 

 

So as I begin my gift wrapping for the season ahead I shall be making sure the scene is set for that perfect Christmas this year.  A Christmas with family and loved ones I hold dear.  A Christmas for giving the loveliest of gifts.  And a Christmas for embracing the celebration for everything that it is.

Merry Christmas.

~ Gem x

* This post contains press samples