Moleskine Garden Journal Winner!

Eekk! It's getting very exciting with a winner being announced today, tomorrow being the Winter Solstice, then it's the weekend and then...Christmas hurrah That means we all, have time to spend however we want. I vote for pj days, haha.

But you here for the winner aren't you? Let's remind ourselves what was up for grabs

Well the Allotment flat cap has been used yet again, Andrew picked with his eyes closed super tight and....

Congratulations and may it bring you great joy to use!

This shall be winging it's way to you as soon as possible, but I need your address first so drop me an email at carriegault@hotmail.com ...

Thank you to all who played, sorry everyone couldn't win.

If you would still like one, you can get them here - you do deserve one after all 😉

Many festive hugs

Carrie x

Daily photo challenge round up (week 27)

Rounding up my photos from the weekly as though they were cheeky sheep and putting here in the one place. As usual the prompts come from the Fat Mum Slim blog and I am glad to be joined by so many talented and interesting people from around the world on Instagram. I hope you like one or two....

Day 8 - dinner time
The Christmas Market is in town and people are going mad for fresh cooked sausages! 

Day 9 - i bought this....
Stag years ago but its still one of my favourite decorations.

Day 10 - joy...
Is a lovely, fresh, citrus-y pint (a half for the lady) beside a roaring open fire on the most dreich of days.

Day 11 - starts with 's'
A skull my husband found whilst out in the wilds.

Day 12 - lights
Joy's Entry brightened up and looking inviting by the many fairy lights deployed on a cold winter's night.

Day 13 - decoration
This is one of my favourite decorations of Santa.

Day 14 - I made this...
The felt decorations on our little tree were all made by me 😊.

* Please don't forgot yesterday's post on the Moleskine Garden Journal Giveaway, there are only a few players at the moment so your chances of winning are still high! * 

Hugs and I wish you a merry weekend, whatever you'll be up to.
Carrie x

Moleskine Gardening Journal Giveaway!

Yes dear friends, I am doing a Christmas giveaway - woo hoo! Sure why the heck not? Don't you deserve a special gift? I can tell you have been good all year 😁

Open to all in the UK, I am giving away my one and only Moleskine Gardening Journal, which I was kindly sent to review earlier this year click here please!

After my glowing review (oh how I do really love a Moleskine) I had gifted it to Andrew and at the time he was really rather excited by it. He decided that he would keep it until around Christmas and start using it then for planning the 2019 year on the plot; keeping plot layouts, seed orders, wants and needs etc altogether in one handy place.

Alas months passed and Andrew bought himself a Moleskine notebook (irony!) in Belfast one day whilst on his lunch break so he could write down all the ideas he was having. He had totally forgotten about the journal stashed on the shelf under the coffee table! Arggh. Really I blame myself, I should keep the place more tidy and especially pick up after him more effectively, hahaa

So, here we are all jounral -ed up (+ I have this blog as my planner and memory keeper) and this poor Gardening Journal is left feeling unwanted. Could you give it a happy home? Could you fill it with plans, lists, thoughts and hopes?

image from the earlier review

If so leave your name in the comments below and your name will go in the allotment flat cap....

N.B. Only the plastic wrap and paper collar are missing. The journal has only been flicked through for the purpose of doing the review and taking photos. It's basically brand new and definitely unmarked in any way.

WINNER will be announced next week - Thursday 20th 2018
Hugs and good luck.
Carrie
x

P.S. This is a link to the above Moleskine Garden Journal in case you just need to have it NOW 

My Festive Belfast

Well you can't expect a girl to miss out on the fun of the festive season and devote herself only to the cold and damp allotment or an arduous hike in the wilderness! No this girl must be free to explore the urban sights and scenes too 😁. Just because I'm not a fan of Christmas with its societal pressures, need to spend money to show love and the pretence that your mental illnesses have gone for the holidays, doesn't mean I don't love me a sparkly, twinkly decorated place, like the next person....

So yesterday was a clear and chilly day which we grabbed by both hands and went to Belfast with our cameras. I'm really loving street photography, I wouldn't say it's easy or I'm an good but here are some of my photos. Make a wee warm drink, grab a blankie and let the warm and fuzzy feels start...

My favourite hotel entrance ever - love that mural and those doors!

Bangor Rugby Club singing carols for charity - topless!

the first gorgeous wee dog I saw with her owner

Favourite shop window - love the retro paper chains

Into the Continental Market with it's many stalls and tall people 

Little detail on the stall front at a wood carvers

The Helter Skelter seemed loved by young and old

Second wee dog of the afternoon - cute

Roasting marshmallows on an open fire - a happy memory for the future

Being a stall holder can make you a little 'humbug' I know I ran one for years

Never a truer word was written 😊 🐕

Last stunning dog of the day, chillin' with its owner

Massive German sausages were the go to food for most - they're huge!

The Helter Skelter reflected in a bar window with the words 'Nollaig Shona' (Happy Christmas in Irish)

There we go for now. We had a great time and though Andrew works close to the City Hall where the Continental Market is held, we both want to go up again one night soon and take more cherry twinkly photos and maybe meet some more dogs.

Love and hugs

Carrie

Daily photo challenge round up (week 26 )

Maybe you are full of the joy of the Season and are bursting with cheer and Christmas giddiness. I imagine some of you are like the character 'Elf' so well played by Will Ferrell - ready to erupt into a Christmas tune at anytime.

I'm not like that and particularly this week, apart from some fun photography moments, I will share in the week to come. The rest of the time - bah humbug...though I couldn't be more willing for this to change!

And thus we come to the weekly photo round up; the first week in December

Day 1 

'From where I stand....'

Waiting to cross the road, lots of legs and only one face, upside down, in a puddle 😊

Day 2

'A good habit...'

Going on regular coffee dates with my husband

Day 3 

'Treat...'

What a treat to see fuchsia in flower in December (at Glenarm Castle Gardens Cafe)

'Treat' (b)

A weekday out playing on the beach with my Husband and dog is definitely a treat (Ballygalley Beach)

Day 4

 'Time...'

The Mad Hatter's tea party, talking about Time.

Day 5

'Over...'

When one nap is over it's time to start a new one... (Toby logic)

Day 6

 'Mail'

The very local mail box and my letters ready to post

Day 7

'Under...'

Looking back to the glorious day we finished the Hadrian's Wall Path and finally collapsed in the hotel bar with bubbles under this fabulous bamboo light shade - bliss

Hugs and love
Carrie x