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Flourish & Wonder

By Caren Barry

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  • Nature

    Stories From The Garden : The Magic of Walled Gardens | Chippenham Park

    21st August, 201721st February, 2019

    Oh Chippenham Park… I never would have guessed that such a beautiful garden was only a short fifteen minute drive away from our home – and what a hidden gem of a place it is! This

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  • Nature

    Stories From The Garden : The Magic of Walled Gardens | Wimpole Estate

    11th August, 201721st February, 2019

    Wimpole Estate has been a part of my life since early childhood. Living in the Cambridgeshire countryside, this beautiful Estate holds a lot of hazy memories of playing in the parklands with my sisters and throwing

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  • Nature

    Stories From The Garden : The Magic of Walled Gardens | Claydon Estate

    2nd August, 201721st February, 2019

    There’s something magical about a walled garden, don’t you agree? I’m sure that I’m not alone in believing that a walled garden is one of the most special places within any garden space. I love their

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  • Nature

    My Countryside Tonic : Spring Delights at Sheringham Park with Nihao Planet

    1st March, 201721st February, 2019

    It’s no secret that in recent months I have been indulging in many day trips across the English countryside. My desire to travel has grown enormously over the past few years, especially after leaving a full-time job where

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  • Travel

    A Devonshire Adventure : Part Three | Pythouse Kitchen Garden

    21st September, 201621st February, 2019

    Pythouse Kitchen Garden is a beautiful 18th Century walled garden, restaurant, bar and venue, tucked away in the beautiful landscape of South Wiltshire. I first discovered this place back in April while researching things James and I could

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  • Nature

    A Devonshire Adventure : Part Two | Bicton Park Botanical Gardens

    19th September, 201621st February, 2019

    I love the kind of holidays where I can include places to visit into the journey. Just before we left for our break in the Devonshire countryside, I asked friends on Instagram if they had any

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  • Travel

    A Devonshire Adventure : Part One | Exmouth & Sidmouth

    16th September, 201621st February, 2019

    Last week, my family and I went on our first holiday together in almost ten years. It was a long time coming and unquestionably a wonderful prospect (and experience) to create new family memories together, with

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  • Travel

    A Day in Cambridge | Toast Travels

    7th September, 201621st February, 2019

    With some long weekends ahead free of any plans, James and I decided to take a day trip to Cambridge and do some exploring. We always enjoy days out like these and it’s something we’ve neglected to do for

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    • Back to top
    • [ features a gifted item ] :: happy Friday friends. We’ve had a pretty quiet week hibernating at home, what with the weather feeling almost autumnal 🧡 How has your week been? . Tonight I thought I’d share some of the photos we captured on Emilia’s Birthday last Thursday... I couldn’t pick just one favourite to post so here’s the majority of them for you. I also have A LOT of flower photos but I’m trying not to get too carried away with my selection 😆 Definitely need to get a lovely photo album of all these photos printed before there are far too many to filter through! . In other much more exciting news, Emilia has started walking!! She’s been cruising and walking with our assistance for a little while now and it seems she was waiting for her 1st Birthday before taking those first big steps on her own. I had a sneaky suspicion she was close to attempting it, so I’m pleased as punch that I actually managed to record it on my camera before the battery died – such a precious moment ❤️✨ . Beautiful monogrammed moccasins gifted by @wolfieandwillow for Emilia’s Birthday.
    • :: well, what a weekend we’ve had! We’d originally planned Emilia’s Birthday celebrations for the Saturday but with the crazy winds and accidents on the road causing potential issues on the route for a fair few of our guests, we decided it would be best to rearrange celebrations for yesterday. Sadly this meant a few of our guests were unable to make it, but other than that I am SO relieved that the day went without a hitch and our special little girl enjoyed all the excitement of her first birthday party. She even got to meet her great aunt and uncle for the very first time 💛 . I had definitely forgotten how hectic arranging and preparing gatherings can be as it’s been a while – Christmas 2017! My perfectionist tendencies got the better of me and I was particularly frazzled whilst baking not one, but TWO cakes; a squidgy chocolate cake for Emilia (I found a lovely refined sugar free recipe in the Young Gums book) which I had to slightly adapt to also be dairy free because of Emilia’s allergies. Then another cake for the adults... which so happened to be my first time baking a vegan cake! . After a few not-so-great attempts and one particularly disastrous one (no doubt largely due to sleep deprivation), here is my finished creation. A perfectly imperfect, rough around the edges cake – a deliciously soft vanilla cake with a buttercream frosting. 🌿 A little over ambitious? Maybe, especially as I haven’t baked in years, (I have a lot of spare cake going if anyone would like some) but I worked so hard and I’m still proud of what I achieved in the end... even if they were a little further from my ideal. Plus I *think* both cakes were well received... there certainly wasn’t much leftover for lunch today ☺️ . That being said, next year I may just delegate the cake making to a professional!
    • :: this time last year I was repacking my hospital bag for the umpteenth time whilst in the early stages of labour... 16 hours later (after the most intense yet incredible birth experience), my Emilia Hanna Rose was born and life transcended beyond my imagination. ❤️💔
    • :: at eleven months Emilia seems much less like a baby and so much more child-like. She’s always been very independent and is usually more than happy to explore in social environments (so long as she knows where mama is); but that being said, these past few weeks have seen her separation anxiety at home reach overwhelming levels... So we’ve been taking things slower and I’ve not been putting pressure on myself to achieve too many goals in my day. I’m happy to just be there in whatever capacity Emilia needs me and firmly believe I cannot spoil her with more cuddles or comfort feeding if that is what she needs. This phase has reminded me so much of the newborn days ❤️ and how much she still needs me despite how independent she may seem. . I’m thankful that her quick-to-entertain attitude is still in abundance and she equally loves a good giggle; raspberries on her tummy, being thrown up into the air, and dancing while sat on mama (usually while I sing her a nursery rhyme) are among her favourite things for an instant laugh. When reading any of her pop-up books, making noises of surprise or in particular, the animal noises for ‘Dear Zoo’ never fail to create uncontrollable belly laughs - she’ll turn the flaps in that book over and over just to hear us repeat the funny animal noises to her. Those laughs have to be the best tonic for a good nights sleep in my opinion 🥰😴 . We’re still practicing walking; having mama or dada to help her walk faster across the room has become a new request daily but Emilia still much prefers crawling and cruising around her home. I feel quite content in knowing that she’ll take those first steps on her own when she’s good and ready, plus I have to admit that I feel quite relieved that she isn’t walking just yet... after all there is already so much change happening at the moment. There’s a very significant milestone approaching too! 🎂 . #emiliahannarosemilestones #emiliahannarose
    • :: a few photos from our weekend. ✨🌿 Savouring these special little moments with my baby before we celebrate her First Birthday on Thursday (and again on Saturday with our nearest and dearest). . I say this so often whenever I share images like these, but they’re definitely among my favourite. I loved capturing these simple moments and looking at them makes me feel so incredibly grateful for the family and life James and I have worked so hard to build 🧡 . I’ve been thinking for a while now about how wonderful it would be to have a professional photography session (I really wanted to do a pregnancy and newborn session but my nerves got the better of me), because it would just be such a treasure to document these fleeting early years as a family – and have all three of us in the same frame for a change ☺️ . #emiliahannarose
    • [ gifted items ] :: this kind of disarray at home is probably the only kind I feel as though I can tolerate without the twitching anxiety to “tidy up just a little” 😆 Which is just as well, as Emilia has become a pro at creating a beautiful mess with her toys – at whirlwind speed! . Speaking of which, I really try to make a conscious effort with the toys I buy for Emilia, preferring simple, handcrafted and wooden toys, often with that special heirloom-quality and that are kinder to our environment... (of course we also have a handful of plastic toys which were unavoidably gifted by family or purchased from our local charity shop) but I truly love that these more thoughtful toys will last for many more years and be passed down to future babies while also being eco-friendly. . It’s why I am thrilled to introduce to you these beautiful ethically produced hand-knitted dolls (kindly gifted) by @cuddleandkind. Yes, I’ll admit that I love how they fit in aesthetically in our home, but more importantly I love how these dolls help children in need all over the world. @cuddleandkind donate 10 meals with each doll that is sold and help provide the vital nutrition, enabling a child to thrive. It’s an inspiration that their mission continues to have a positive impact three years on... and just like they will be in our family for generations to come, these little dolls will always be a huge part of that story for children all over the world. ✨

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