Year in Review || 2017

Happy New Year!

How best to celebrate the start of the next 365 days by reviewing the last. You may have followed along each month in my Lovely things posts, so I’ll try to keep this brief. Plus, I’ve been rather ferociously busy the last couple of months so I know you’re an eager beaver to find out what with…!

In truth, 2017 was a fantastic year. Adam and I have reached many milestones and achieved a lot of our goals. I’ve also kicked the ass of some personal challenges and closed off the year feeling calm and content that all is well. It’s funny how in that situation you almost don’t want to admit the fact you’re happy, for fear that something drastic will go wrong. However, thought there have been a few low points across the months, the highlights and wonderful opportunities have certainly turned them around.

Year In Review 2017 - January to March

JANUARY || FEBRUARY || MARCH

Often the dullest of months, the first quarter of 2017 took a giant leap into the year by throwing some big changes our way. I set myself the challenge of training for a half marathon so naturally ran through the winter days, got a promotion, faced my weight issues and we sold and moved out of the flat. January 2017 was tinged with sadness at the death of Adam’s grandad, whom I still think about nearly every day, but other happier days included Adam’s cousin’s wedding, weekends away in Devon and Cornwall, the arrival of a new pup at my parents and getting some exciting blog opportunities (as well as celebrating my 2nd year of blogging). Adam and I reached our 4th anniversary together, and we spent lots of time enjoying friends and family.

Year In Review 2017 - April May June

APRIL || MAY || JUNE

These three months were my favourite in 2017, and quite possibly in my entire life.

If 2017 were going to be summed up, I’d like it very much to be of the activities we managed to fit in between April and June. Not only did we finally get to move into our beautiful house but I also ran a half marathon, one of my biggest goals of the year. We broke the world record for the most visitors to one property with BBQs, parties and weekends spent with friends coming to stay. I was treated to a creative weekend of calligraphy, and once again got fancy, baking some treats in the kitchen. The garden bloomed, as did my lovely friend Sophy, with the birth of her gorgeous daughter Rosie. We ate some fantastic food, celebrated a big 30th birthday in Cornwall for Sally and at I ticked off a major section of my bucket list by going to Glastonbury (where two of my best friends Kate and Will also got engaged!).

A Year in Review 2017 - jul aug sept

JULY || AUGUST || SEPTEMBER

Though I didn’t travel abroad in 2017, I did whiz around the country quite a lot, and over the summer visited Birmingham, London, Winchester, Southampton, Bristol and Exeter. Amongst the hours on the road, we also spent time at home, enjoying the annual firework championships, having the Devon girls to stay, and picking the abundance of apples from our tree! Working from home two days a week helped projects slowly get ticked off the list (like my beautiful office), which rarely happens as the majority of what we’ve started only gets to 85% before we move onto the next thing! The summer and autumn will also now forever remind me of The Bake Off Bake Along, which I thoroughly enjoyed for the third year in a row.

Year In Review 2017 - Oct Nov Dec

OCTOBER || NOVEMBER || DECEMBER

Having left the majority of my annual leave to the end of the year, I have had a productive and busy few months winding up 2017. Though Storm Brian tried his best, we installed the log burner, and have since been on a never ending scrounge for firewood (which is amazing how many people have spare simply lying around that they’re happy to offer!). I have started some exciting new personal projects that will come to light later in the year, and every weekend leading up to Christmas was booked up for the entire three months. I am also incredibly proud of Adam during this time for studying, attending night school, and then passing his yacht master theory (a boaty qualification).

As I didn’t write up my lovely things for November or December, this section will be an extended version, so you can be kept up to date with the fun.

There was a wonderful weekend with my favourite Cornish babes, Anna and Olivia, in a beautiful house in Cawsands. Then quiet patch over November where I badly injured my back and spent nearly an entire week bed bound. Though this was followed by a birthday feast for Adam’s 26th including sweet sticky ribs, slow cooked brisket and homemade crispy KFC. His idea of heaven, and new delicious discoveries for me!

December was wonderfully festive as we were hosting both of our families for Christmas day. We had the Mellors family to stay for a weekend snuggling by the fire and gathering foliage. I was treated to a festive afternoon tea at Boston Tea Party and tried out the Christmas pizzas at Truro’s Pizza Express. There were back to back Christmas parties of varying debauchery, and evenings making crafts and wrapping presents.

Adam and I delivered Christmas trees in Snowflake (our van) and prepped, cooked and feasted on our enormous Christmas dinner with our families. We’re both given, as it’s affectionately known, the perineum week off work and mixed in days perching bums on sofas in various family houses with chopping firewood at my parents and hosting an elaborate dinner party for fake NYE with my favourite bunch.

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 2

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 3

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 5

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 4

When it came to the 31st, we were simply pleased to have our first morning on our own. To tidy and straighten the house, do the washing up (as well as the mountain of washing!) and stay in pyjamas until the afternoon. I made gifts of chocolate truffles from leftover flat prosecco and took my time to get ready. We set out to Falmouth in blustery gales, only to find they hadn’t had a drop of rain. The end of 2017 was brought in with midnight fireworks on the beach, bustling pubs, fancy wine bars, and then later, just the two of us drinking from a bottle of champagne, tipsily eating cheesy chips on the pier and watching the boats bob about on the water.

Start as you mean to go on eh?

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 7

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 6

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 8

Wooden Window Sills Year in Review 2017 1