CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Christmas 2015 was a very special time for us.  

All my family came here over the Christmas period.

My wonderful sister, Charlotte took some amazing photos. 

Luckily for us, she is a professional 'children, family and lifestyle photographer'.

(You can find her website here)

Her style is natural, vibrant and full of warmth.

She used the house as a backdrop to capture our time together and here

is just a little taster of those treasured moments.    

'Princess' Scarlett on the hall landing.  

I love that Charlotte has managed to include the Christmas tree down stairs, 

in this shot as well.

Don't we all love a reindeer-themed-sweatshirt.

 

 Just look at Ben's chubby little arms and wrists.

 

Albie on the stairs with his favourite present....Spencer.

Fun, laughter, wine and crackers at the dining table.

 

and a Christmas birthday celebration too... 

Thanks to Charlotte and all the family for making Christmas at The Manor House so special.

The House can be hired for photo shoots or filming via location Company, Shoot Factory.

FRESH RASPBERRIES

 We're missing the Summer months and all that grows in the garden. 
 Summer favourites are fresh, juicy organic raspberries.

There is something lovely about taking a bowl from the kitchen, 
walking into the garden and picking homegrown raspberries straight off the shrubs they've grown on.

Simply gorgeous and so healthy. 

They couldn't grow fast enough for us. We ate them added to our breakfast cereal with yoghurt, or mixed into a smoothie. 

This recipe uses fresh raspberries and makes the most delicious cookies.  Very quick to make in less than 7 minutes - great for an afternoon 'pick me up'....

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 cup of cashew flour (cashew nuts powdered in a blender)

1/4 of a cup maples syrup

1/4 of a cup raw cacao butter, melted

1/2 cup of fresh raspberries

Method

In a bowl mix the cashew flour with the maple syrup and the melted cacao butter.  Then add the fruits and mix evenly.

Take a tray lined with greaseproof paper and drop spoonfuls of the mixture and shape it to desired cookie size with a spoon.  Place the tray in the freezer to set and when the cookies are firm enough, remove them from the paper and place on a plate to serve.

Inspired by a Nama recipe.

HARVESTING THE GARDEN

October is here and with that Autumn has arrived, luckily nice and slowly this year as we're still enjoying sunny days. 

It seems a time to reflect on what we've received from the garden and I'm amazed at how much we actually gain from it.  

There's always so many different varieties of apples...

gorgeous juicy eating apples,

 

to cooking apples (above), 

great for crumbles or stewed and used with muesli at breakfast.

Pears (above).  

Not the best crop this year but we still managed a few to eat.

Lots of tomatoes, grown in the vegetable plot.

even the odd blackberry or two.

In the greenhouse, there's a grape vine. 

 So many Mirabelle plums...

and an abundance of Victoria plums. 

Gorgeous, also stewed and used at breakfast.

The sweetest raspberries.  No need for sugar to be added! 

Walnuts. 

(if we're quick to get them before the squirrels do!!)

and lastly, a pumpkin which we'll pick for Halloween.

When everything is listed like this, I realise what lucky people we are to have all these free and organic harvests each year.

ALLIUMS

 Adding a bit of colour to the main bedroom, in the form of a drying-out Allium. 

Grown in the garden this year and thinking it's far to beautiful to throw away, 

it now sits on the mantle piece in our bedroom. 

IT STARTED WITH A HALL

The first time we came to this house, it was only me that wanted to see it.  

We'd all stayed at a friend's house for the night and were having lots of fun. In the morning we needed to leave early in order to arrive on time for our appointment. Our children had already seen a lot of houses and weren't happy with traipsing around another one. 

We debated for ages whether to cancel the viewing.... 

eventually we walked up the path to the front door, rang the bell and the door opened to this....

 Well, mostly this.  

(A green carpet was still down on the hall floor and the painting and wooden forks weren't there either). 

(below) Walking into the house and looking back at the front door, we saw this...

When I look at these photos now, I find it hard to imagine why we ALL fell so in love with this house. 

I knew the minute, I stood in the hall that I wanted to live here.

It seems that when you get that 'gut feeling' that something is right, 

it's hard to let go of it. This house was perfect for us and we had to have it.

It's easy to be impressed with a properties good points and completely overlook the amount of work that is needed to renovate it. Looking beyond what we could see, it was easy to see it's potential. 

The list of our 'wants' for a new home were easily matched and with great excitement three months later we moved in. 

This was only the beginning!

ROCKING CHAIR

Can you help me out with a dilemma...

do I paint this rocking chair in a dark grey or leave it as it is?

MORE SPARE BEDROOM DETAILS

In the cupboard (below) in the spare bedroom are a collection of 'things' that have been gained over many years. 'Things' that are still as important as the day they were bought, found or given to us....

  

Wooden 'Peace' sign from Emily Readett-Bayley - Handmade soap from Sara Maria Strand