Is the kitchen the hub of your home? Well in my house, it really is. I am not the best cook or baker for sure but I do spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I like to think it is a country style kitchen with oak details and cream units. The canopy over the hob is french style and the lights are all from IKEA. I love the fisherman's lamp over my dining table. I generally burn Yankee candles in my kitchen after cooking.

Sorry the above photos are  a bit dull, it was difficult to get the light right when I took them.

Here is an image of the dresser in my kitchen  you will spot some Cath Kidston mugs, my Wedgewood teapot and some other accessories. My notice board is to the right of the dresser- you can just see the edge of it here.

So is your kitchen the hub of your home, what does it look like? What style is it? 

Have you enjoyed the beautiful weather this week, it was up to 27 degrees here in Ireland and it was great! I was in work though but enjoyed the evenings doing work around the garden and painting the walls. It has turned showery today and the temperatures are lower however we will remain positive that the Summer sunshine will return again in August. Below are some pretty stylish outdoor areas with some DIY ideas from Heart Home Magazine

Have you ever visited Brigit's Garden in County Galway? If you haven't you really should next time your visiting the area. It is a truly magical place with such an abundance of natural habitats and gardens. If you like wildflowers like me- you will love it! The day we visited it was packed with people including lots of children for a teddy bear picnic. The car park was full but they had mini buses collect us from a nearby community car park. It was a great service. There is a lovely tea shop and gift shop on site. As you may have noticed from the photographs on my blog, I rarely ever have people in my photographs. I had a difficult time trying to get these photographs without anyone in them, hope you enjoy...

For more information visit Brigit's Gardens

Hello everyone! The weeks are flying by, everyone seems to be extra busy these days. From looking at my blog, you will notice I haven't been blogging much this week. I took a few days off work and spent it with my parents. What have you been up to lately? I have been painting and doing gardening. I'm glad it's the weekend again!

Hope everyone is enjoying the Summer, the weather is a bit gloomy here today but I am keeping my fingers crossed that more sunshine is on its way... Here are a few images I took two weeks ago when we were in the west of Ireland. I am busy these days doing DIY and painting so will post about that soon.

How pretty is this gardener's cottage! I fell in love with it when I visited a few weekend ages. It is the gardener's cottage at Kylemore Abbey Victorian Walled Gardens- the largest walled gardens in Ireland and unique as it was built on bogland. It is such a cute looking cottage with its white walls and teal windows, trimmings and fencing. It overlooks the walled gardens which are spectacular. Have a look at my photographs below and for more information visit Kylemore Abbey.

So I promised I'd do a new column Escape to the Country, you can see May's Escape to the Country here. For June I chose a National Trust Property in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland just a few mile from the Cavan Border.

Florence Court is located in County Fermanagh located close to the Cavan border. It is located in the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark which is designated by UNESCO. The Geopark covers large areas of Counties Fermanagh and Cavan due to the rich geological heritage in the area. Within the Geopark there are numerous sites, walks, trails and viewing points- this part of Ireland is truly a hidden gem! It is full of wonderful heritage- built and natural. The lakes and drumlins are everywhere and driving or cycling around the area is amazing as you don't know what is awaiting you around the next corner. The main attractions near Florencecourt are the Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh and just a few miles up the road near the pretty village of Blacklion in County Cavan you will find the Burren Forest Park with it's new interpretative centre nestled in the Cuilcagh Mountains (I hope to visit there very soon and will take some photos for you). There are numerous other sites to see and for a spot of lunch or dinner, visit McNean House in Blacklion, (owned & run by the famous chef Neven Maguire's who was winner of Chef of the Year Award 2014 in Ireland). Neven has also opened a lovely cookery school too in the village. Who doesn't know Neven at this stage! Another piece of knowledge which some of you may not be aware of is that Irleand's longest river- The Shannon also starts its journey at the Shannon Pot in the Cuilcagh Mountains, County Cavan .

So that is just a brief list of some of the wonderful places to visit in the area but today I will focus on Florence Court House and Gardens which is just a few miles down the road from the Marble Arch Caves.

Florence Court House and Gardens is an 18th Century house and estate now owned by the National Trust. It was built by John Cole and he named it after his wife Florence- how romantic! It was originally the seat of the Earls of Enniskillen up until the National Trust acquired the property. Unfortunately the properly had a fire in the 1950s before the National Trust took over but they have since done a tremendous job on restoring the property. As well as the house, in the estate you will find a sawmill, walled garden, ice house, spring well and beautiful gardener's cottage. Florence Court is said to be home of the Irish Yew Tree. There is also a National Trust Shop, Nelly's Book Shop along with tea rooms in the courtyard.

For a holiday with a different where you can unwind, escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, take in the beautiful natural environment, the rich heritage of Ireland, warm hospitality and good food, County Fermanagh and Cavan are the place to go!

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer time. I took a few days off work and went to County Galway with my husband, we stayed in the Five Star Glenlo Abbey Hotel just outside Galway. We had dinner in the Pullman Restaurant which consists of two original carriages from the orient express train. It was delicious- really unique and a step back in time. It is amazing to see the luxurious interior of the carriages and imagine those that traveled on it years ago. These carriages served on the Paris-Instanbul-St. Peterburg route of the Orient Express. I'm sorry I didn't get more photos of the interior of the carriages but it was quiet busy and I was relaxing and taking it all on. Here are a few images from the Hotel and the final image is the entrance to the Pullman Restaurant.

Image of interior of hotel

Abbey building attached to hotel

Flower garland around door of Abbey

Entrance to Pullman Restaurant- original carriage from the Orient Express