Around the world blog hop
Last week I received an email from Carolyn inviting me to join in with the
Around the world blog hop
One of the greatest benefits for me of blogging, has been to connect and make friends, with so many people around the world. I would love to visit so many countries, but as I don't have lots of time off work or money, it is a great way to see other parts of the world.
I have followed Carolyn's wonderful blog for many years we have so many things in common....a love of the sea and flowers. Our children too, are of a similar age..She lives on the beautiful island of Waiheke, which is a short ferry ride off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand.
In the depths of winter it is always wonderful to visit her and brighten those cold dark days, by seeing her summer flowers and feeling the warmth of her summer days. As our spring bulbs are appearing in the garden she is getting ready to pick olives from her trees.
Carolyn is also very talented and produces gorgeous Mohair bears. If you haven't visited her before you can find her at draffinbears.blogspot.co.uk/.
As part of the blog hop. I have to answer some questions:-
Why do I write about what I do?
I orginally set up my blog to share my love of the sea. I set it up quite suddenly when one of my favourite blogs went off line and I realised that while I had been perfectly content to just read other blogs I had not given anything back. The previous few years we had been going through some difficult times as my Dad's health deteriorated. Visiting blogs had given me a few minutes to relax and switch off during those difficult times and make me smile and laugh and take those worries away!
What are your earliest memories of the sea? Mine was visiting my Granny who lived overlooking the river estuary in Fowey in Cornwall. The smell of sea weed still takes me back there instantly. The blog soon included my other interests of gardening, cooking and creating a simpler life and I discovered so many others that shared these interests too.
I now want to introduce you to another blogger, Anne is from British Columbia her blog is designdreamsbyanne.blogspot.ca/. She always amazes me with her enthusiasm, inspiration and great self-taught DIY skills and how she has transformed her home and garden on a budget. I have already told her I will be re-reading her posts after we have moved into our new home to identify what improvements we can make. My DIY skills, however, are way behind Anne's!
For details of how to make the potting bench, mini greenhouse and shed, follow this link:-
http://designdreamsbyanne.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/three-cheap-easy-diys-for-spring.html
 |
| Our garden |
 |
| Chocolate brownies |
What are you working on right now?
We are just in the process of moving so that is taking all our spare time at the moment! We are moving from a house to a bungalow. The garden too is very different it contains more vegetable beds than flowers. I have been collecting lots of inspiration on pinterest. Although the bungalow doesn't need any major work we shall enjoy adding our own imprint to it.
Taking of gardening do you like our new plant ? We always like to try growing different things!
This one is a good climber, happy to be grown inside or out, but demands regular feeds!!!
I now want to introduce you to another blogger, Anne is from British Columbia her blog is designdreamsbyanne.blogspot.ca/. She always amazes me with her enthusiasm, inspiration and great self-taught DIY skills and how she has transformed her home and garden on a budget. I have already told her I will be re-reading her posts after we have moved into our new home to identify what improvements we can make. My DIY skills, however, are way behind Anne's!
For details of how to make the potting bench, mini greenhouse and shed, follow this link:-
http://designdreamsbyanne.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/three-cheap-easy-diys-for-spring.html
If you have time do visit Carolyn or Anne. Thank you as always for visiting me.
Have fun blogging!
Sarah x
Love the cat-plant! Maybe it will be an expert climber before too long!
ReplyDeleteI, too, live by the sea so I enjoy any blogs that are sea-related.
Love your garden - I presume this is the one you are leaving, not the one you are now going to?
Margaret P
Yes Margaret this is our old garden, we move tomorrow! Sarah x
DeleteThe very best of luck with the move, Sarah! Hope you will soon have another lovely garden to tend.
DeleteMargaret P
Beautiful new plant Sarah, a true hardy perennial.
ReplyDeleteThe very best of luck with the move x
Super post, Sarah. I am in awe of your garden and wondering whether you are going to take up some of the veg beds in your new place to make way for flowers? I have collected lots of seed this year and would be very happy to post some to you if you'd like some- just let me know.
ReplyDeleteLove the purdy cat in the pot. I have a similar pic of Poppy in a plant pot. I guess it is warm and elevated and therefore free from chills. xx
I am planning on taking over at least one raised border as a cutting patch! We are taking quite a few cuttings but would love some seed. I'm sure you have seeds from wildlife friendly plants. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteDearest Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind email. Just read it to my youngest daughter. Sweet messages like yours help to ease the pain a little. I still can't believe a year has passed without Jan. Still hoping for my old life to continue, but I know it never will...
Wishing you lots of good luck with your move! Hope everything will go according to plan. Looking forward to see photo's of your new home. I guess it must be close to the seaside too :-)!
Happy week!
Madelief xox
I do agree that blogs provide lots of inspiration from friendly, sharing people and wish you good luck for the move!
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of Twinkle. Hoping you very much enjoy your new bungalow and garden. Juliex
ReplyDeleteYour new plant is the most beautiful hairy one I have ever seen. Would like to have one too.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of your own garden looks wonderful too, I wonder how you are going to fill in your new garden. I agree with you that blogging is fun, especially to meet friends with the same interests all over the world is so nice. We are sea lovers too, we don't live too far from the sea but helas no sea views. A car drive of 20 minutes brings us to the sea and we go there rather often for a walk in the evening.
Good luck with the move. Great to see other peoples blogs and blogging is one example of how great the internet is.
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to read more about you and what you are up to and being inspired by! xx
ReplyDeleteA lovely post, both hearing about you and the introduction to a new-to-me blog. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteI love the first photo and the way you have caught the waves crashing onto the beach. Your garden too looks a treat, you should frame it to hang in your new bungalow.
ReplyDeleteI think you are really wise to have purchased a property without stairs to negotiate and having washing facilities on the ground floor. We imagine that we can run up and down stairs fore ever but that is not the case.
All the best with your move tomorrow I shall be thinking about you during the day♡
Thank you so much for sharing my blog Sarah! It was lovely to find out more about you, too. I love your blog, it gives me the chance to visit England and keep my closer to my roots!
ReplyDeletexox
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for playing along with the blog hop and I enjoyed reading your lovely post and finding out more about you.
Your photographs are always wonderful and you live in such a gorgeous place. Love sweet Twinkle in the pot.
Wishing you all the very best with the move and what fun it will be settling into a new home and garden.
Now I look forward to going to visit your friend Anne.
hugs
Carolyn
Wonderful post Sarah! What fun to blog hop... Your garden is so beautiful, love the cat! Wishing you the very best in your new home.. It was so nice to learn a little more about you... Your memories of your granny touched my heart..
ReplyDeleteFunny you know, how certain scents can bring a dear memory alive..
Off to visit dear Carolyn and Anne.
blessings,
Penny
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteit was so wonderful tor read all this about you!
I love your growing thins in pots...specially cats :O))) Such a lovely picture!
Thank you for this wonderful post!
Have a lovely week,
hugs to you,
Claudia
Good luck with the move Sarah - try not to get too stressed - although you sound as if you have everything under control.
ReplyDeleteGood morning dear and lovely friend. I participated in this a few weeks ago, and it was fun to create a post on my writing process. Down to the core, it's love of memory that brings us to the keyboard. Oh the fun we could have when we pay attention to the world around us. Big hugs to you, Anita
ReplyDeleteBeautiful garden &sweet cat!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your move.
Interesting to read! And in your new garden you can make a wonderful flowergarden, if you want!
ReplyDeleteSigrun
Sarah, I enjoyed reading about why you started Blogging. I hope your move is going smoothly.
ReplyDeleteLove the cat in a pot! xx
ReplyDeleteOh your cat is so cute :). I'm glad you decided to start your blog, I find the same relaxation from your blog as you did while reading blogs.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI hope all goes well for you.
Enjoyed reading about why you started blogging.
The first photo is beautiful so reminds me of when we were many times at anchor.
I think you will enjoy being in a bungalow. Living in a one floor home is very practical much easier to handle .
looking forward to hearing more about your new home and town.
god bless val xxx
Hi Sarah, I thought I had left a comment earlier in the week, but it seems I didn't! Good luck with the move, hope to see lots of lovely photographs of your new home once you are unpacked! It's a huge upheaval to move after many years in one place, I know the feeling...also very exciting to start a new chapter in your life nearer the sea and in a different area! Have a lovely weekend! Sharon x
ReplyDeleteBlogs are a lovely outlet for writing about our passions and hooking up with likeminded people who often become friends. I always enjoy reading your blog, Sarah, it reminds me of my childhood days in Weymouth - cracking photo at the top, was it taken on Chesil Beach? You'll have moved by now, I hope you're now recovering from the process and that it wasn't too stressful, or tiring! Caro x
ReplyDeleteHi Caro, Yes the picture of the boat was at Chesil cove at Portland. The move went well, will so a post about it soon! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to be growing up by the sea. I remember how excited I was every year when we had the “one day at sea” at the end of the school year and would take the train to Normandy. You sea pictures are always lovely, but your plants are too. I’ll check the two blogs you mention – as you say, visiting blogs is a great way to travel.
ReplyDelete