✨🌟🎄🏡Dec 2023✨⭐

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I cannot believe it's almost New year. 

I thought while I had a moment before the celebrations begin later I'd start a catch up post. And a little reflection on the year that's been. Firstly, I must say thank you to You for joining me here it means so much I know blogging seems old fashioned and slightly ignored these days so if you do still follow it really does mean something to me. I've kept blogging through this year but at times I've questioned is it really worth it any more?.but some how I still feel it's worth doing even if just for me, a sort of monthly record of little joys through each year. So I plod on... Life has felt quite a struggle for me this year, so  many things have hit my mental health badly & although I keep things positive here on my blog it's not always been so rosey behind the scenes. So many challenges, changes, day to day struggles... And on top of that the horrific & upsetting News around the world has taken its toll on me.  But, December spent with close family really helped me. Stevie & sophs have been my rocks, my joy, my strength, my everything! ✨🌟❤️😊 I'm so lucky to have them both. And that's what Christmas to me is about after all. Spending quality time together. My birthday really was extra special... 

✨🌟✨🎄🏡❤️ ✨⭐🌟✨ We've enjoyed family trips making use of our National Trust memberships to Buckland Abbey, The frost Christmas & the Magical barn lit up with Christmas trees & a medieval market.

🌟🏡❤️🎄✨🌟Also up on the misty Mizzle Moorlands of Dartmoor... Walking side by side with the ponies.  We've also had trips to Totnes. I really enjoy the festive atmosphere & shop window displays, musicians, artisan, food market and vintage goods.

✨✨🌟🎄❤️✨⭐ Also, during December is the Dickensian evening in my market town & the Christmas tree festival in my local church... It's a magical night... Handmade lanterns light the sky on a parade & the market square has live bands, carol service & funfair and locals dress up... My mum even morris dances with her group. Roasted chestnuts fill the air and stalls selling Christmas puddings, gifts and mistletoe. 

✨🌟🎄⭐✨✨🌟 Birthdays have been celebrated this December... And I've dressed the home for Christmas... I do enjoy getting out the box's of Christmas decorations... It's a shame to have to take it all down again, but I like a fresh start on New year's day... But here are some highlights of our cottage at Christmas ✨🌟🤶🎅🎄🎉🍾⭐🎉✨🌟🏡❤️

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... And some pretty moments of Christmas in between.. Including after Christmas walks and doors with wreaths... 

An acrylic painting I did over Christmas, Mr Bunny Sparkles and the snowdrops 🐰✨🌟✨

✨🌟🎉⭐🎄❤️🏡🍾🌟✨❤️🎄⭐✨🌟✨ And that was the last week & days of December 2023,  I look back through this year with hope and warmth... As a proud mother of a wonderful daughter and so lucky to have such a loving partner stevie... We are a small family unit, but with big love & support for each other... I wish you all well & best wishes for the New year, x   K a z z y   x

P. S this view from a Cornish trip to Looe, walking off all those mince pies hehe😂🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️💕⛅🌤️🌞🌊⛱️🐚💙💦

✨✨🌟🏡🌲Cosy nights♥️

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We've had frosty mornings & lots of Mizzle drizzle rain clouds and even sleety snow over Dartmoor this November. It's been bitterly cold ... We have had bursts of sun but blink and you might miss it. It's that time of year when I find it hard to be creative in the evenings. I just want to cosy up in my pj's and woollies and sip hot drinks and warm up in front of the fire. One day last week I was painting with my fingerless mittens on. I really do feel the cold. Lots of candles out and twinkly fairy lights to feel cosy. This month seems to have whizzed by in a flash again (I can hardly keep up) and I can't believe it's December at the end of this week!!. So it's yet again another catch up. ✨🌟 

✨🌟💕✨🌟We've had fireworks night in my Market town. Then a trip to the old part of the city for late afternoon tea & a walk round the Barbican including the Elizabethen gardens. Children in Need Morris dancing in my Market town... And I joined in on #Folktaleweek on Instagram which I managed to complete 3 paintings for using the prompts. I love seeing all the inspiring artists, crafts people on there too. We also enjoyed a vintage toy collectables fair where my partner has been down sizing some of his comic hero collections. He did really well our stall was like a bee hive at one point we felt like proper traders. I do love chatting to everyone there & so many old toys. But I was good I didn't buy anything. We also visited Exeter's Christmas market... 

It's been a very busy, hectic, tiring and emotional month for our family, lots going on behind the scenes and my mental health definitely has been suffering ... My daughter is still loving her new career in her Accountancy apprenticeship & job. But it's definitely still very tiring travelling & the walk to her new jobs premises. She also trains with a theatre drama group & started driving lessons every week. She's on her 6th driving lesson this week. So proud of her❤️

 I've been enjoying making a Christmas junk journal, recycling old magazines & clippings....A good way to take my mind off things ✨🌟🌲✨🌟 I'm not sure I'm quite ready for the build up to Christmas yet I've been struggling alot lately... Life is a bit of a roller-coaster at times... Wishing you all a merry December, x  K a z z y  x

🍂🍁Pumpkins & prints🧡🍁

Sweet, whimsical blessings and all the magic that Autumn brings...🎃✨🌟🍁It always has been my favourite month! And the month that made me a mummy... 17 years of my beautiful, sweet hearted Sophs... ✨🌟✨✨

✨🍁🌟🍁🌟✨🌟✨🌟🍁🌟🍁✨It's starting to turn much colder & boy it's been a soggy old month so far...Time to get cosy in the cottage... 🧡 Sharing all my favourite joys this this month... Lots of beautiful National trust walks... 

🍁🧡🍂🎃Wonderful Pumpkin harvest at Buckland Abbey, national trust. Absolutely enormous pumpkins! 

🧡✨🍂🍁✨🌟Beautiful golden, red Paths of leaves... Woodlands looking magical in the glimmer of sunlight... 🧡

✨🌟🍁🧡🍂Definitely was a magical misty trip to the moorlands of Dartmoor... All the red berry branches look so abundant & beautiful... And Saltram gardens looked like a fairytale a few weeks ago now. 

✨🌟🍁🧡✨On a beautiful sunny day a few weeks ago we headed to one of our favourite Devon market towns, Totnes.... You have seen me mention this place many many times here on my blog... Always a wonderful, folky, artistic, eclectic, bright, colourful town.  Street music fills the air and a lovely bustling market, especially on Fridays. 

✨🌟🍁🧡🍂Rosehips & hawthorn berries fill the Devon hedgerows... 

✨🌟🍁🧡🍂🎃Pumpkin picking at Ben's farm shop & the pick your own fields behind... It suddenly poured with rain but eventually the the bright Autumnal sunshine appeared... Such a fun day! 🌞🍂🧡🍂🌟🍂

🍂🌟🍁🧡🌟✨Naughty treats on cosy Autumnal days... Candles and cake just perfect! Niiiiiice & snug... 🧡😋

🍁🍂🧡🌟✨✨Wonderful bookshop at Saltram stables, it's a second hand bookshop and I found this wonderful big scarecrow book & the history of them! I've really enjoyed reading it & all the pictures... 

🍂🍁🧡✨🌟🍂🍁I made some large tag decorations witches & a autumn rabbit with trims & mixed media 🖤 edit: all Sold on etsy. I will be adding more Festive prints this week... I'm joining in on Folktale week on Instagram during November... ✨✨🌟✨

✨🌟🍁🧡✨🌟🎃Autumnal Shelfling...

I Hope you're enjoying the beautiful Autumnal landscape around you,

x   K a z z y  x

P. S Adding some festive prints into my Etsy over the next few days... (pin dolly studio)