Good morning! This post is winging its way to you all the way from my weekend destination - London. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm here visiting friends and family and making the most of my time off from work (and the summer weather that just keeps on going!) and it's been the best way to celebrate the start of my holiday. I'll be posting next week a little more about my trip, but for now here's what's been gracing my screen with loveliness this week...

Beautiful photos of flowers and butterflies at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Safeguarding the population of bees and highlighting their importance has featured in the news quite a lot recently, and it's a topic close to my heart as Mr CC is a trained bee-keeper. These tips from Bee (blogger this time, not the creature!) are easy to follow and implement, why not give them a try?

I'm staying with friends and family this weekend, but if I wasn't this post on London's best budget hotels would come in handy. Are you heading to the capital at all this summer?

This refreshing face mist is a must DIY for the hot summer weather.

This post has highlighted the need for me to throw a provincial-style dinner party. Right now.

So many posts have focused around summer and the accompanying photography reflects that; Sally gets it just right here.

Have you read any great posts this week? Feel free to link below!

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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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Today's post is all about believing. Believing in that dream, that goal that you secretly don't want to tell people because it sounds silly to say it out loud when it seems so far away, so out of reach. But that magic? It's achievable. It's out there waiting for you to feel ready to say, "OK. I want this. Where do I start?"

Saying things out loud is the first step to admitting they are real and that they mean something to you, and that can be pretty scary, but also incredibly rewarding. If I hadn't spoken candidly about wanting to write more with Mr CC a year or so ago, I would never have been encouraged to start this blog. If I hadn't admitted I wanted a change in career two years ago, I would still be stuck in a lonely, dull and lifeless role.

So I'll make you a deal. Today you have to admit to something you want, something that feels like it might never happen, because it would be so magical if it did that you can't quite comprehend it. Share your dream with your partner, with your family or friends, or share it with me here! It will feel so much easier once you've said it out loud, I promise.

Deals are reciprocal, so here's my goal: I want to write a book. There, I said it. It's lingered at the back of my mind for so many years, tempting and toying with me, asking if I'm even good enough, if I have it in me. But you know what? It doesn't matter any more, because I've standing up and admitting that one day I want to achieve this.

How about you? What magic do you aspire to? I'd love for you to share your thoughts.

I am a huge advocate of using ecologically-friendly products in my home and garden. This encompasses washing clothes, cleaning the bathroom, polishing furniture - you name it, I try to clean it using natural products. I've found that not only is it kinder to the environment, it's also less expensive, I need less storage space and my house doesn't smell like a hospital after I've finished. So how can you clean using natural products? Easy - you will need just 3 ingredients, plus a cloth and some newspaper.

Top 3 Products to Use

1. Lemons
2. Bicarbonate of soda
3. Distilled white vinegar

Top 10 Tips for Cleaning with Natural Products

1. For general cleaning use an old spray bottle and fill with half vinegar, half water and a few strips of lemon rind.
2. Use this spray to clean your windows too. Spray onto the glass, rub with a cloth and then polish with scrunched up newspaper.
3. To clean your microwave, heat a small bowl of vinegar for a couple of minutes. Remove and wipe clean with a cloth. I swear this has reduced my cleaning time so much, and it gets rid of any smells too.
4. To reduce smells in your fridge, put a saucer of bicarbonate on one of the shelves. It will last for approximately 2 weeks before you need to replace it.
5. When you do go to replace it, don't throw it away! Pour it down the plughole of your sink and add a splash of vinegar. Leave for 20 minutes before running the cold tap for 2 minutes to wash it all away and you will have improved your sink's drainage.
6. Instead of forking out for expensive fabric conditioners, use a big splash of vinegar instead (don't worry, they won't smell).
7. While you're at it, chuck a cup full of vinegar into your washing drum and run a high temperature wash. Your washing machine will thank you.
8. Instead of buying expensive furniture cleaner, create your own instead. Mix two parts water with two parts vinegar and a splash of olive oil. Soak a cloth before squeezing out and leaving in an airtight glass jar with a few strips of lemon rind. The cloth will be good to use a few times before your will need to replace it.
9. To clean wooden chopping boards, use lemon juice or vinegar.
10. Finally, if you spill anything onto a carpet (and let's face it, we've all been there) sponge with vinegar. I've managed to get rid of red wine stains on a cream carpet with this; it really works!

Good morning! I hope you've all survived the thunderstorms and are enjoying your weekends. We were hit by a deluge of water last night, so my plans for a bit of photography and some work in the garden have been thwarted by the gloomy drizzle that's currently splashing at my windows. Such is life! I have some time off scheduled soon so I'm focusing on that instead, and getting excited about plans for the rest of the summer; are you doing anything much?

Reading up for this week's lovely list I discovered something else that I really need to add to my big summer list. What's on yours?

Want a healthy breakfast that delivers big on taste too? This is for you.

There has been a whole load of loveliness over at Daydreams of Summertime this week; this post makes me want to visit Croatia again. Right now.

Last time I went was in 2010 with my sister on our inter-railing trip around Europe. We stopped off in Split for a couple of nights and it was exactly what we needed after having traipsed around northern European cities in the rain (summer came late that year!). The sun was hot, the sea was clearer and brighter than I had ever seen, and we were - for that short time - very happy travellers.

Rhubarb upside down yoghurt cake? Yes please!

If you missed it, this week's most popular post included 5 simple tips to improve your blog writing. Looking for even more advice? Check out 20 more tips here.

Finally, have you ever considered blogger business cards? Frankie shows her new cards to the world here.

What's been gracing your screens this week?

P.S. Check out last week's lovely list here.

Floral Friday Foxglove2

I love the vibrancy of the bright pink against the bold blue sky. This foxglove has just kept on flowering over the last few weeks and only over the last day or so has the stem started to droop slightly as the flowers become too heavy for it to hold. Foxgloves usually thrive in shaded areas but this one has got on quite happily in full sunshine!

Flower: Foxglove

How to Grow: Click here.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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P.S. Check out previous Floral Friday posts here.

Blogging is - for me at least - all about the writing. Don't get me wrong, I always try to take and choose beautiful images to accompany my posts, and some of them are very image-heavy, but really the reason I started blogging was to write more; to hone my writing skills. I am acutely aware, however, that many people fall into blogging for entirely different reasons: to document their lives; to be visually creative; to share with others - and often the writing can take a back seat. But really, it's easy.

1. Check carefully for general accuracy. Ensure you aren't missing any punctuation and also that you use the correct there/their/there, your/you're, to/too/two etc. Getting these wrong can be a real turn off for readers.
2. Vary the length of your sentences. I use semi-colons and colons galore in order to vary my sentences but it's enough to simply write some long and some short ones. It sounds simple, but it's common to write a number of sentences of similar lengths without realising, and to a reader it can become stilted and dull to follow.
3. Use an informal tone (generally). You might be able to personify every object you describe, or use a combination of six sophisticated adjectives, but if it sounds forced and formal, you'll put people off. Save this sort of language for more descriptive posts or personal writing.
4. Use short paragraphs. When I'm reading a book, I'm all for an extended paragraph here and there, but my blog reading tends to take place during snatched moments of the day and sometimes (I admit) I avoid a post if it's just too lengthy. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and often posts with a serious tone lend themselves to lengthier content.
5. Be honest and consistent. There's no point in writing a post that you're unsure about. It comes across this way to a reader, but also lends itself to inconsistencies and contradictions within the writing. Stick to what you know and enjoy to write about and this one will work itself out.

See? Really simple! Have you got any other basic blog writing tips you'd like to share?

P.S. For more inspiration, prompts and advice head over to my 'Writing' Pinterest board.

Follow Creative Countryside's board Writing on Pinterest.

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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We're approaching the height of summer and at last gardens, allotments and fields are filled tempting produce. But what kind of things should you be eating if you want the best of the current crop?

Eating Seasonally - July

First up is beetroot. Not the pickled variety stacked in tall glass jars, but the earthy, pungent spheres pulled up directly from the soil or bought from a local farm shop; perfect chopped into chunks in a salad or roasted with other vegetables. Broad beans are still in season too, but eat them soon because as we get closer to August they become a little stringy. New potatoes are now in full swing - try them boiled and laced with butter and freshly-ground pepper for a truly fresh flavour. Finally the early season carrots are started to pop up; these work well in salads or boil them whole to go with a summery roast chicken dinner.

Check out the Eat Seasonably calendar for more advice on what to eat in July, or head over here for seasonal recipes.

What are you planning on cooking up this month?

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Hello and happy Sunday! I hope you've had a great weekend so far, mine has been lovely. Friday night was spent with family eating and drinking al-fresco and enjoying the warmth of the summer sun that has lingered most days this week. Saturday was even more glorious weather-wise and Mr CC and I tackled the complete and utter mess that our garden has become after a few (busy) weeks of neglect, and I feel so much better now it's getting sorted. By far the most exciting part of the weekend, though, has been booking a few days away to the Lake District next month. And we're staying in a tipi right next to a lake. A tipi!

But enough of my holiday plans, let's that a look at what's been floating-my-boat in the blog world this week...

First up is an intriguing and original post on food memories (notably strawberry jam) from the wonderful Sarah over at Mitenska - her blog is full of beautiful images and her writing style is so easy to enjoy that I urge you to check it out if you haven't already.

If the heat's getting to you, why not try some violet fizz with floral ice cubes?

Roses. Just because.

Somewhere new to add to my 'places to visit' list.

Lots of reading inspiration over at Circle of Pine Trees, including a life in France, a classic that I think I'm going to re-read soon and my own offering.

Finally, how are you doing with your summer wishlists? I'm planning to work on number 10 from mine this week.

Enjoy your Sundays!

floral friday - potato plants

Potato plant flowers are actually quite lovely, and their pale pink petals and zest of yellow always remind me that the crop is close to being ready. A true June beauty.

Flower: Potato Plant

How to Grow: Click here.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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If I'm honest, I wasn't sure I was going to beat June's The Year in Books review; Burial Rites was spectacular and I was wary of reading another book lest it be a complete let-down, but Joanne Harris' collection of short stories - A Cat, a Hat and a Piece of String - really stepped up to the mark.

The stories are woven around themes that drift through the book as an underlying presence; the idea that Christmas stays all year round, for example, or that two feisty ladies in a nursing home can run rings around the staff, and more poignantly why they are forced to. The characters are lively and interesting and you really feel yourself rooting for some of them, despite the fact you meet them for only a few pages. The writing is humorous, saddening, even outrageous at times. But more than anything, the selling point of this book is the vast variety of short stories housed within its pages; I have read numerous collections of short stories but this one was different in that you could select a story to read depending on your mood or the time of year, and there would also be one that would fit. This, for me, is what reading is all about, and I will definitely be delving back into these stories again.

July's choice is something I picked up a while ago on a whim and I'm still not entirely sure what to expect, but I wanted to give something a little bit different a try. Shatter Me With Dawn by Sally Russell focuses on a celebration of country life in Georgia and revisits her years in a remote farm. I've not read much about the American countryside, so I'm looking forward to discovering what it's like over the pond.

Have you got any recommendations that you'd like to share that also focus on country life?