1. Reconnect with nature on a micro-adventure in the wild.
2. Go and see a play or adaptation outdoors.
3. Make mornings easier: simplify your wardrobe.
4. Explore and find your new favourite walk.
5. Make jams and jellies and preserve the summer surplus.
6. Develop a relaxation routine you love.
7. Leave a part of your garden to grow wild to encourage wildlife.
8. Make your own ice lollies with fresh juice to cool you down on hot days.
9. If you don’t grow-your-own, visit a PYO farm for fresh berries or vegetables.
10. Celebrate Midsummer with a bonfire and family.

Good morning - I hope the sun is shining for you on this lovely Tuesday morning! Today I am delighted to introduce my second guest post of the week winging its way from Lucy and her blog From Lucy With Love. Lucy's craft posts always inspire me to get going on my own projects, and her writing style is so positive and friendly that it feels like you're chatting over cake when you read her words. Do check out the blog, and her wonderful 'About' page... Hi everyone! I was so pleased when Eleanor contacted me to ask me to do a guest post for this lovely blog as it is one that I read all the time and look forward to catching up with on Bloglovin’ with a nice cup of tea on a Sunday morning.

Over on From Lucy With Love I am a big fan of documenting all the little things that make my life happier and so, when I was thinking about doing this post, I thought what better way of you getting to know me than through one of my ‘Happy Lists’? I hope you enjoy!

Summertime Happy List

:: Sitting out in the early Wiltshire sun listening to nothing but the birds singing and the trees rustling in the breeze.

:: Bright corals on my nails and lips.

sweet-peas

:: Filling the house with sweet peas. They have grown like beanstalks this year!

iced-tea

:: Copious amounts of peach iced tea. I just love this drink in the summertime with some fresh mint and chopped up peach too, so yummy and refreshing!

:: Moody summer storms that wake you up in the early hours.

:: Ripped jeans, white t-shirt and converse=my summer staples!

strawberries

:: Fresh strawberries (in any form!).

:: Sunday afternoons wandering around the garden centre with my other half, enjoying the smell of lavender and roses.

:: The smell of barbeques in the air.

:: Lazy brunches with best friends. You can’t beat a catch up over pancakes can you?

Wiltshire-skies

:: Country walks with big skies, wild flowers and rolling fields. I love living in the country!

:: Wearing shorts with loose knit jumpers on a cool summer evening, so cosy.

:: That ‘schools out’ feeling that the month of August brings, despite the fact that I left school far too many years ago to mention.

:: Autumn clothing catalogues arriving on my doormat. A girl can plan ahead right?

Why not let me know what would be on your Happy List for summer?

Happy Sunday all! Yesterday was a bit of a gloomy nothingness in terms of the weather, but today we're back to summer and the joy of being able to spend time outdoors. That's not to say, though, that aren't lots of lovely blog posts to be catching up on in between barbecues and sun appreciation. They might even inspire you to do something a little different with the rest of your summer...

Work from home? Then this post is definitely for you.

I've been trying to increase the number of photographs I take to both document everything that flies past in my busy life, but also to use on this blog. If you've got a busy August lined up, or want to improve your photography like me, then check out The August Break, a series of free photo prompts.

Last month one of my goals was to start enjoying cooking again. This easy midweek recipe and this refreshing summer concoction are next on my list.

I've never been the most confident of women. Admittedly, I can now portray an image of confidence, but it's never been a natural sensation, and I think a lot of people (bloggers particularly) can suffer from bouts of feeling less than their best. Here, Emily shares 8 steps for feeling confident, why not try one today? I'm starting with number 2.

I also have a bit of a confession to make: I am a magazine addict. I tell myself I won't buy anymore, but then catching the front cover leads to browsing, browsing leads to buying... you get the picture. So you can imagine my excitement when Amy posted a haul of the best food mags from around the world. What are your favourite magazines? Which, if any, do you buy regularly?

Finally, as we're now in August and there are only a few precious weeks left of summer, here's a look at my top 5 summer posts that you might have missed:

1. The Big Summer List
2. Shopping List for Summer
3. How to Host a Summer Party
4. Shopping List for Camping
5. Homemade Lemonade Recipe

Enjoy!

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Happy Friday! It really is a happy one this week, too. I've finished work and that means summer has officially begun. I returned home on Wednesday to a home-made curry courtesy of Mr CC accompanied by a bottle of prosecco to celebrate my promotion at work (another contributing factor to this week's happiness!) and I've been in a good mood ever since! I spent yesterday reading guilt-free in the glorious sunshine on our new deck-chairs and it was bliss. Today I am beyond excited about heading off to to London today to complete another item on my big summer list - visiting friends and attending the wedding exhibition at the V&A. It's been in my diary for so long and now (finally) it's here. I'm also catching up with family whilst I'm down there, so the weekend promises to be filled with laughter and fun, although I have most of Monday free to wander the parks and museums; any suggestions? Do you have any exciting plans?

Enough of my weekend, anyway, today's post is about the florals in my garden right now, and there have been many vying for the top spot of 'Floral Friday' today. Everything seems to have got a bit brighter, a bit greener, and a lot lovelier over the past few weeks, and for me today's day lilies epitomise the heat of summer. Here and gone in a flash, their zingy colours brighten up borders and contrast with the white of the daisies and the purples and pinks that line the lawn. They're easy to grow, too, and despite the fact their flowers don't last that long I really think they're worth a little effort.

Flower: Day Lily

How to Grow: Click here.

What flowers do you associate with summer? Do you have a favourite summer flower? Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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If you read my post from last Sunday, you'll know that Mr CC and I have booked to go away camping over the summer, so what better time to consider what to take when you're holidaying under stars?

Shopping List for Camping

1. Picnic Hamper (BHS) | £50£20
2. Set of 4 Enamel Mugs (Not On The Highstreet) |£22
3. Pop-up 2 Man Tent (Millets) |£50£30
4. Vintage Torch (Not On The Highstreet) |£6.50
5. Citronella Candle (Etsy) |£9.60

Have you found any other camping essentials? Do let me know - I'd love to add them to the list!

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So there was big news in the CC household this last weekend; my sister and her partner got engaged! It also happened to be her birthday, so the day was spent at their lovely home with a gathering of family and friends from our village; it was altogether magical, and despite the weather being cooler than it has been of late, it really felt like a summer party. It got me thinking how sublime these seasonal celebrations can be, with only a little effort and prior planning.

So let's start with the most important thing: the food. If you get the food right, all else will follow; my mum's parties are notorious for their vast number of dishes and colourful presentation and this event was no exception! Bright pops of peppers combined with seasonal salad ingredients formed the basis of the scheme with deli meats, dips and olive breads adding to the mix. I didn't manage to snap the new potatoes or homemade quiches but add those and you've got a feast!

I always like to have lots of flowers at summer parties; they seem to capture the essence of the season better than any other decoration, perhaps because they're usually picked direct from the garden. You can see here we went for unconventional vases and used a watering can (lots of flowers and not enough jugs!) but it works so well in an informal setting.

Finally, if you want to add a little more decoration and don't have many florals in your back garden, why not try tissue paper pom poms? Once you get going they're actually really easy to make and there's a great tutorial here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfork_fpbWc

What do you like to include in a summer party? Are you hosting any this year? I'd love to hear about them!

P.S.

• If you're unsure what's good to eat now check out this post.
• Have you seen my Big Summer List?

I love lists. I might even be a list obsessive. I have notebooks full of them; lists for shopping, lists for holidays, lists for gifts, even lists for lists. So it will come as no surprise that each season I like to come up with a list of seasonal ideas of things to do, places to see and so on. It helps to direct my energies on those days when you want to do something but you really can't put your finger on what; it also enables me to plan ahead, which for a list-lover is of course a bonus too.

Here's what I'm hoping to do this summer...

1. Host a barbecue at least once.
2. Do some stargazing (Mr CC has a pretty fancy telescope...).
3. Eat more salads for evening meals.
4. Go for more walks - we have beautiful countryside right on our doorstep and I need to take advantage more often.
5. Make some more blackcurrant jam. We've just finished our last jar from last year (it's lasted quite a while!) and it was so delicious I'm definitely going to make some more.
6. Spend a wonderful weekend in London with friends (we're going to the wedding dress exhibition at the V&A and I can't wait!).
7. Read in the garden without feeling guilty that I have other more important things to be doing.
8. Dry all the petals I can to use as confetti for our wedding next year.
9. Document every week in the garden with as many photographs as possible (and also work on improving my photography skills).
10. Experiment with recipes so I don't always fall back to the same dishes each week.

What do you think; are you making any lists for summer? I'd love for you to share what you'll be doing over these next few months!

Happy Sunday! How are you all this morning? Let's begin the first ever Lovely List with a bit of a pep talk, just in case you've had a bit of a rubbish week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

...and if you still need some motivation this nifty flow-chart will set you right.

Luckily my week hasn't been too bad! I've had quite a lot on at work but have managed to keep the house pretty tidy (a monumental achievement) and catch up with friends. Today I'm hoping to get in the garden so I can take more lovely images like the ones here and here.

Love Paris as much as I do? Then you'll be lusting over these beautiful images.

It's early summer now, and that can only mean one thing: strawberries. Want to know how to make them last longer?

Creating an inspiring work space can sometimes be a challenge, but this pin-board is so easy to make that the job's half done already.

Finally the blog you really should be following this week (if you aren't already) is Made in Hunters - another lifestyle blog from the English countryside, and in particular this post on living in your own world. Emma's dog Grizzle is also extremely cute and features (happily) in lots of her images.

What have you loved this week?

Morning lovelies, I've been lusting after florals and bits for the garden this month, so I thought I'd share some inspiration for a summer shopping list.

1. Antique Rose Cushion  (John Lewis) | £30.00

2. Hanging Memory Candle (Nordic House) | £5.50

3. Ceramic Travel Mug (Matalan) | £4.00

4. Garden Deck Chair (Argos) | £29.99

5. The Vintage Tea Party Book (Amazon) | £18.00

6. Barbecue Tool Set (Not On The Highstreet) | £34.95

7. Oil and Vinegar Bottles (Lakeland) | £12.49

Do you have any other items on your summer shopping list? Which of these is your favourite? I'm wavering between the ceramic mug and the candles; surely enough the cheer up the gloomiest of days?!

CC x