Just a small move…

Dear blog followers, it has been a while. My last post was in June and that was to share photos from a holiday in April! Well much has happened since June and once again there are many photographs to share. The biggest thing that happened is – WE MOVED! On the 19th July we left our first home together and embarked on a new journey into what we’re pretty sure is our forever home.

We moved into our first home three years ago, almost to the day that we moved out in fact! It was a beautiful little two bedroom house with a garden, brand new, with lots of delightful snags, but it was home. The house saw endless BBQ’s, film nights, tears, laughter and more. And yet…we don’t feel even a tiny bit nostalgic. We drove past at the weekend on our way to deliver some bits to a friend on the estate and we saw our house and…we felt odd. I felt like we left it months ago! Years ago even!

The new house is just beautiful – we are incredibly lucky. It was left in a stunning condition, all we needed to do was turn some of the back garden from patio into grass. Which has also now been done! We’ve been in just over a month and the boxes are unpacked, the pictures are hung and it feels like home. We have four beautiful bedrooms which we’ve turned into a Guest Room, Office and Hobby Room (as well as our own master bedroom), three bathrooms, a dining room, kitchen with a breakfast room attached, living room and tiny little garden room (also known as a porch!)

Maisy has settled well – she moved out to my parents pre-move for a few days and then came the day after we’d moved in. She’s getting used to wooden floors (we have rugs but not enough!) and not knowing where we are because there are more than three main rooms now! She was pleased when we had the grass put down and spent a few hours laying on it and sunning herself.

I also started a blog – just for book reviews. This was so that I could get my review profile on the map enough to be chosen to review books for NetGalley. And it worked! I now have the opportunity to review books for free, so far I have quite a pile ready to be read and many that I’ve already enjoyed. If you’re interested then head over to Tea Leaves and Reads.

So what has been going on in YOUR world? Any triumphs? How has Summer been? Has the weather been just as awful for you as it has been here…? We’ve not really had Summer and we’re moving into Autumn, which is beautiful but a bit too chilly for me these days! That ‘Back to school’ feeling is in the air, as I finish up my first year of University… more on that later…!

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December is upon us!

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
― Charles Dickens

Christmas is upon us! Or rather, it’s almost here. The Christmas feeling is just starting to creep in having done a few festive related bits this weekend and with just five days left of work, there is a definite feeling of the year coming to an end. Those who have been following the blog since it’s creation will have noticed that there was a distinct drop in activity this year. I can’t even explain why. I can only reason that I’ve picked up my phone to take a snap, more than I’ve picked up my actual camera. It’s not a bad thing, as at times I try and plan my shots a bit better, but I have missed the D-SLR. Lots has been going on however, so here here are a few previews…

Chocolate Oreo Balls – The Recipe

I’ve started having a bit more of a presence on Instagram lately and my photos of the classic Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake Balls appeared to be well received. I first found the recipe on Southern Living.

I’ve tweaked it a little bit, just a few short-cuts to make it easier. Firstly, chill the blended Oreo/cream cheese mixture before you roll the balls out otherwise there will just be a huge oreo coloured mess. Secondly, melt less chocolate! You honestly don’t need as much as they are suggesting. The end result seems to go down well with those who love sweet treats…

The Dog…

She’s had her twice yearly groom at the pooch parlour, and boy was she grumpy. But she came home a changed woman, having lost lost of her fluffy bits (elbows and trousers) and with less hairy ears. That’s the dog we’re talking about…

She has been very receptive towards wearing her festive bits and pieces and hasn’t moaned once (yet.)

The Decorations…

The tree is up, the festive bits are planted, the house is well and truly on its way to being full of festive cheer (hah!) and so is my parents, where we also worked hard to get everything ready for the season. Here are some snapshots…and that’s it for now, bring on annual leave and more time for photography!

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