Art work by Eleanor Tomlinson
I am very saddened to her the news of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. I only had the pleasure of meeting her once when my mother received her MBE from her at Windsor Castle. I join in with the Royal family and the nation in their grief and offer my heartfelt condolences.
And so this newsletter was supposed to go out on the 1st of September but with a busy start to term I am behind. September has arrived! What a wonderful summer that was; filled with sunshine and fun. And now from the mayhem of having no routine, a return to the chaos of normal life!
By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer. – Helen Hunt Jackson
This month I’m dreaming of
We really had the most wonderful summer and the memories of it all will fill me up as we move into autumn and winter. It all started with our incredible holiday to Cyprus, where we stayed at the fabulous Almyra Resort (take a look at my blog for all the details). We also spent some time with family in Wales, the south and in Norfolk. And there was also time for lots of fun here at home in Yorkshire; check out my blog filled with recommendations on how to keep children busy over the summer.
This month I’m looking forward to
As much as summer with the children was filled with adventures and excitement, I cannot deny their return to school is something I am now ready for! And this September brings huge change as my youngest Rafferty turns five and is starting school. Although I will greatly miss my lovely little lad, I am really excited this new chapter; I can’t wait to have less juggling and more time on my hands.
And there are lots of things happening this month to fill up this new time! I am organising a lunch for bloggers at the restaurant 63rd + 1st in Harrogate. I have also been invited to try out Alexanders, a fabulous café, bar and restaurant in Skipton, which I am really excited about. And with all these wonderful events, I also need to get myself sorted and invest in the self-care that’s been neglected over the summer; I just can’t wait to get my hair and roots sorted!
This month I’m working on
Over the summer, my handy husband has been hard at work renovating our old coach house and has achieved a lot. The old kitchen has been completely gutted and removed, and James has built a wall and a fireplace. We are turning this space into a study and a lounge, which will be just for adults (in my dreams)! The plasterer is here at the moment, and I have already sorted out the paint and wallpaper. The plan is that I will spend September finding sofas, a coffee table, lights and side tables and, hopefully, next month I will be able to show you at least one of these rooms finished.
This month I’m hoping for
And whilst work continues downstairs on the new lounge and study, in our living space upstairs, I am madly in love with our brand-new table from La Residence Interiors. The Brunswick extending weathered oak dining table looks just fabulous and I am now turning my sights onto the gorgeous matching dining chairs and bar stools, which would give consistency between the kitchen and dining areas of the room. For now, I’ll have to just keep dreaming of them!
This month I’m listening to
I have been loving the interiors podcast Oka. I have really enjoyed listening to the House of Tales podcast series which explores “the remarkable relationships people have with their homes”. It is giving me lots of inspiration for all the things we are doing to our old coach house.
This month I’m eating
There was so much eating and drinking over the summer, that I am keen to get back into my healthy eating and exercise regime! September is one of the most abundant months and with autumn approaching I will be enjoying all those wonderful vegetables for soups, stews and casseroles. I love the season changes for the variety and change to our diets.
This month I’m loving
September is also a fabulous month for flowers; and I absolutely adore arranging seasonal flowers in my new kitchen. As well as wonderful dahlias, gladioli, delphiniums, echinops and asters, there are those beautiful late summer hydrangeas, which have a green tinge on the petals. Just gorgeous!
This month I’m wearing
Hobbs! Later this month, I have been invited to a Hobbs event in London which I am incredibly excited about. They have sent me some of their current range which is all such great quality. They sent me this trenchcoat, which I adore. The colour on this cobalt blue jumper is just fabulous and how gorgeous is this pink ribbed cardigan?! They have also sent me some wonderful espadrille sandals and this gorgeous autumnal burgundy dress. I will let you know how the London event goes!
During the summer the girls have been wearing these beautiful dresses from Smock London. They are simply stunning and the quality is fantastic; they are all lined and so beautifully made. If you are looking for something a little bit special, I can’t recommend this brand enough. Meanwhile, I am hoping my daughters get to wear these dresses once or twice more before they get put away for the winter.
I hope everyone enjoys getting back into the routine after the long hot summer. Don’t forget to have a look at my Instagram and Youtube to see how the house projects and September events are going.
Love Caroline xxx
Comments