My living room is now taking shape. I have been talking about it for a long time now. I was on the look out for an over mantle mirror for my living room but then I bought this canvas and have decided to use it instead of a mirror. It only cost €20.00. What do you think? I have changed it a bit now with two vases each side of the photo instead of the mixed items. I have tried to kept the room in different shades of blue, white and grey to watch the chairs, furniture and white marble fireplace.

I was also on the lookout for some nice cushions for the sofa and came across these cute paisley ones for €6.00 in Primark. I think they fit in very well and look more expensive than €6.00. Who doesn't love a bargain?

And finally I bought this cute baby blue lantern for a tea light in Primark as well. I need to paint/spray my lamp base and shade as it doesn't match the room but in time I'll do this. What do you think?

Hello everyone. Hope you are not too busy in the run up to Christmas. I am on my holidays from work these days and I am enjoying my time off.  Below are some images of the decorating I have done for Christmas. First up is our new Christmas tree which I have put in our good living room. I also tried drying some oranges for their scent and decoration in the house. This was my first time trying to dry them and they worked out alright. They took so long in the oven that I gave up. Instead I dried them on top of the wood burning stove which took far less time than the oven. The smell was lovely in the room though as they were drying up on the stove. I also made some pretty paper doily snowflakes. They are now hanging over the double doors into my sun room. I'm thinking of adding some red to the centre of them to make them more festive. You should try and make some of these doily snowflakes they are so simple to make and look cute.

Below is just one more  photograph of my tree. The lights are a bright white so they match well with the grey/blue colour scheme in my living room. Today I made this flower arrangement to sit on my kitchen island. All the items were free as I just picked them from the hedge. Three of the hydrangea were already dried and one of them is a fresh one from the garden. All the foliage is fresh from the gardens. The final photo is just me deciding where to put the fairy lights, I haven't left them here and have yet to decide where to put them. I have a lot of dried hydrangea so hope to make some more arrangements.

Hope you like having a look around my home and also at my homemade/handmade items. Have a go yourself or if you have some items you have made, I would love to hear about them and see them. Until next time.... 

Here is a quick DIY idea for you all. I love bringing the outdoors into my home in the form of nature inspired home decor. Yesterday I made this moss covered star. Why not have a go yourself.

Step 1: Pick some moss from the countryside, I used moss from hedges and large stones. The larger the pieces the better, try to avoid moss that is very wet or with lots of twigs and creepy crawlies in it.... no one wants them crawling around your home...

Step 2: This is the boring part. Bring your moss home and remove any twigs/ stones/ insects and leave to dry on kitchen roll paper. I dried mine next to the wood burning stove and then on the radiator.

Step 3: Make a large star shape or any alternative shape you would like, I used a star made from wood but you could also use thick cardboard or paper to make your shape. Begin by gluing the moss carefully onto your shape.

Step 4: Continue to glue the moss to cover the entire front.

Step 5: Leave for a few hours for the glue to fully dry. Lift and shake for any loose pieces to fall off and re-glue again if required. There you have it, fully complete! 

Finally my living room is almost complete. I just need a few items to finish the room including an over mantle mirror, TV, ceiling light fitting and curtain tiebacks. I'm thinking of painting the inside of the unit a crisp white, as it is ivory and looks quite cream next to the white marble fireplace. What do you think? Have you any ideas for my over mantle mirror or the light fitting? I hope to use this room over the Christmas season. I am now on my holidays from work so have lots of time to decorate the house for Christmas, I just need less rain so I can go pick ivy, moss and berries in the hedges. I will keep you posted on my DIY Christmas decor.

Hello everyone, sorry for the lack of blogging lately, I've been busy since the start of February. Compared to January, February is flying by, almost half way through the month already. We are attending a wedding soon and I spotted this dress in the sale and decided to buy it. I don't usually go for red but this one is really pretty on and I love the back of it. I will wear it with black high heels, black handbag and blazer. Hopefully it will be a nice day.

With the longer days coming in, I hope to get some nice photos soon and get back to my blogging.

The Christmas decorating is almost complete here at home. My husband has the large tree put up in the sun room, it is around nine foot tall. It is so big and full that I can put the Christmas cards through it for decorations. It is a real tree that he cut from the local woods. I always love having a real Christmas tree in our home. I was busy decorating it this evening. The smell is lovely. We also have a smaller artificial tree in our entrance hall too. I have to finish the garland over the fireplace nearer the weekend as the foliage dries out fast. Hope you are all set for Christmas now.... I would love to see some images of your home at Christmas.

Do you wear Christmas Jumpers? I have seen some pretty ones this year, although I like them I don't wear them.  Here are four I found over on asos. Asos has a great range of clothing online and I love browsing through their website.

Christmas Jumpers are fun! I perfer the blue and white snowflake and reindeer one. Have you bought one this year, if so I would love to see a photo of it?

{Images asos}

I have been blogging since November 2009. That's five whole years! Where has the time gone. I have now decided to dip into my blog archive and show you what I have blogged about each November since I started. A lot of things have happened in my life since 2009 including building a new home on the farm, moving to the countryside, getting married, getting a new job, completing an accredited training course and getting older and wiser with age (I hope). I have now been blogging for over 5 years and hope to continue with my blog for as long as I can. It has become a hobby and rather than watch TV at night time I blog. As I work full time I rarely get to blog during the week, only at night. 

I hope you like the blog posts I have taken from my blog archive and today I will feature November 2009. 

November 2009: This year I wrote about the wonderful book "The Goddess Guide" by Irish Author Gisele Scanlon. It is full of beautiful images, illustrations and inspiration for all Goddesses out there! Six Goddesses appear throughout the Guide; The Home Goddess, The Office Goddess, The Earth Goddess, The Luxurious Goddess, The Urban Goddess and The Sex Goddess. Which one are you? I think I might  introduce my own  seventh Goddess- the Countryside Goddess. That's me with a little of The Home Goddess thrown in for good measure. It's 2009 since I blogged about The Goddess Guide and I still love it as much now. It would make a great gift for Christmas too :) 

{Images from The Goddess Guide}

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

As you know we moved into our new home two years ago. We have a kitchen/dining room, living room and sun room all decorated, furnished and finished. However we also have another living room, or here in Ireland we would call it "the good sitting room". Years ago most houses had a "good sitting room" which was never really used only at Christmas times and for visitors. Well I have one of those which we have not yet decorated. I can't decide on what colours and style to go for in this room. I was thinking a shade of grey for the walls and have come across some inspiration on pinterest. Below are some of my ideas, I would love to hear if you have any ideas or images which you think I may like.

{Classic Casual Home}

{McGill Design Group}

{Lee Ann Thornton Interiors}

It's a bank holiday weekend again here in Ireland. Have you any nice plans for the weekend? Thinking of going anywhere nice with your family and friends? How about getting out in the fresh air and experiencing rural Ireland- the sites and the scenery...

I know that when the weekend comes, myself and my husband always like to go somewhere to spend some time together. I am guilty of saying 'oh there is the nowhere to go' which I must admit is totally wrong! I just say it because I can't make up my mind where to go and don't want to go too far away as my husband has to be home to do the farm work for 6 o' clock. So I thought I'd introduce a new column on my blog entitled 'Escape to the Country- Rural Ireland' for those of you interested in rural Ireland or indeed for those of you who are indecisive about where to go for a day/evening out- I hope this is of some use to you!

So today I will introduce to you the first in the series of Escaping to the County- Rural Ireland........
and the chosen location is County Meath, Ireland. Please bear in mind I cannot cover everything but the sites I focus on tend to be a bit off the beaten track rather than the very commercial large scale tourist sites.

So here are a few of the sites on our trip around County Meath. Bear in mind that there are lots of other amazing sites in County Meath but for this post we are focusing on the above pin points on the map- Kells, The Hill of Tara, Skryne and Slane.

Kells- as you all probably know, Kells is famous for its book- The Book of Kells (which is now housed in Trinity College, Dublin). For anyone coming from Dublin, Kells is just off the new M3 Motorway about 65km from Dublin. You can visit the Abbey of Kells with its Round Tower, Celtic Crosses and a unique Monk's Oratory. Kells is a lovely historic town with plenty of historical sites. To the northern end of the town is the Hill of Lloyd with its large Tower- Lloyd's Tower (around 100ft tall) built as a folly. It is almost like a lighthouse but obviously not for looking out over the sea as Kells is inland. At the tower there is a really nice park known as the People's Park. Kells also has the Headfort Estate and it's many historical buildings and grounds. There is a Victorian Waterworks to the north of the Town which is very unique. In terms of stopping off for something to eat, perhaps you could take a picnic if you have the kids and have it in the People's Park at Lloyd's Tower or visit The Headfort Arms Hotel or The Round Tower Pub for some lunch or snacks. For more information on Kells you can visit the website Visiting Kells.

Just off the M3 south of Navan is The Hill of Tara. This is a large archaeological site with a number of ancient monuments. There is a wealth of ancient Celtic mythology associated with it. It is signposted off the M3 motorway. It is said to be the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. There is an abundance of archaeological remains in the form of earthworths and enclosures along with a standing stone and passage tomb. If you are into archaeology you will love it here! Bring your camera as the views are lovely too. All ages will like the quirky Fairy or Wishing Tree. The idea is that if you leave a gift for the fairies on the tree along with your wishes or your blessings. There is ample car parking at the Hill of Tara, along with a lovely coffee shop - Maguire's, gift shop and an old world book shop- for those book worms out there! I would advise to bring sturdy footwear and warm clothes.

The Fairy Tree full of wishes....

The Hill of Skryne is situated on the far side of the valley to the Hill of Tara. You will be able to spot the ruins of the church at Skryne from the Hill of Tara. The Hill of Skryne is higher than the Hill of Tara. If you are like me and love exploring ruins of old buildings, there are the remains of a 15th Century church with tower on top of the Hill. When your at the Hill of Skryne, notice the pub- O'Connell's as this is the pub that featured in a Guinness Christmas advert. It is an authentic Irish pub and well worth a visit.

{Image courtesy of my sister in law}

Slane is a quaint town overlooking the River Boyle- it has some of the most wonderful architecture and so much to see! Don't miss the four large Georgian townhouses in the centre which were said to be built for four sisters. While in Slane, visit the Hill of Slane for spectacular views and a look around its many historic sites. Just on the edge of the village, you can visit the Francis Ledwidge Museum for an insight into the poetry and life of this famous poet. Take a walk down to the bridge at the River Boyne and make sure you stop by Slane Castle. Today, Slane Castle is not only famous for its rock concerts but also its own whiskey. For those of you into the great outdoors you could stay overnight in Rock Farm Slane which offers boutique camping or nearby Slane Farm Hostel. There is also the Conyngham Arms Hotel in the town which has been totally renovated in the last few years and reopened.

I know that when you are in Slane you are only a few miles for Newgrange Bru na Boinne and the Battle of the Boyne Site at Oldbridge House- both have large visitor centres and for this reason Slane is a great place to base yourself for a short holiday to experience Rural Ireland. 

*If you are in Slane, I would also recommend that you visit Tankardstown House and Gardens-the house is a 18th century manor house with orangery, courtyards and a beautiful restaurant- Brabazon Restaurant. Tankardstown House is listed in the Blue Book Ireland.

{All images my own unless otherwise stated}

As you all know I am currently a student on Decor8's Blogging Your Way e-course, which I am really enjoying. As part of the course, we are developing mission statements/visions for our blogs, along with lots of other really interesting and thought provoking tasks and discussions. For any of you thinking of blogging or wanting to learn more about blogging, you really should check out the courses they have on offer over on the website, I recommend it highly. Anyway I have been busy developing a mission statement for my blog which I have posted on my About Page and here it is for you all! I am changing my blog layout a little, do you like the grey/white background or did you prefer the floral theme. I would be grateful for any comments or feedback on my mission statement and my blog.....