Hello readers. Well it's a chilly Monday afternoon here in Hertfordshire, and Ralphy and I are snuggled under a blanket in front of the fire surrounded by tissues because I have a cold! Boo :-( Autumn is here, and how lovely it is too (colds aside.)  I know I've been quieter than usual on the blog front recently - life & work has been pretty full on recently. However I still have some lovely things in the pipeline for you in the next month. In the meantime here's a look back over our adventures the last couple of months ...

Our little Ralphy turned 8 in August. Sometimes I think he's slowing down a little, but then again, as soon as his football makes any appearance in the park you've never seen a puppy with so much energy - he dribbles and headers it around the field like Beckham! That's one of his birthday cards top right :-) and he insisted on wearing glasses bottom right as he was feeling his age a little ...

It was also my birthday this month, I turned 21 again :-) My friend Yidan made me this beautiful personalised bangle, isn't it lovely? She runs a website called Silver Cave Designs and makes lovely pieces of jewellery and sells them via Etsy. She makes beautiful things,  it's well worth having a lookie with Christmas round the corner.

Last month I received this beautiful handmade red leather Journal by Central Crafts. I can't find the time to write on a daily basis now,  so I have found a really nice way of keeping a journal is to document throughout special experiences and on holidays - not just to document our time away, but I find it's also a great way to wind down and take stock of where we are in life at that moment in time. This diary also had me reminiscing on my childhood and teenage diaries ... The joy of journaling.

August brought some lovely sunny happenings to our neck of the woods. We had some fun days out frolicking with friends at BBQs, and I also had some lovely lunches and mooches around gorgeous trinkets shops with my girly friends. It was on one of these outings that I was introduced to the fabulous Debden Barns shop(s) and cafe, situated just outside Saffron Walden - the food is all homemade and delicious, and there are some beautiful antique and home ware shops. Last week we returned from a long weekend in Amsterdam, as hubby was performing out there. I've always had a soft spot for Amsterdam - it has such a lovely feel to it I think, and if you ever find yourself wandering the cobbled streets, Ivy and Bros cafe make the BEST banana cake ever ... like, ever! 

Ah hubby and I (and Ralphy of course) have been loving our walkies of late. At this time of year there is always something new to see emerging from the hedgerows ... 

... I was hot on the trail when the blackberries and elderberries emerged, which I was pleased about as I'm often too late, and devils spit has got to them! ie they look a bit manky! FYI, the term 'devils spit' comes from old english folklore, which says the devil landed in a bramble bush when he fell from heaven. He then spat and stamped on the bramble's blackberries, cursing and scorching them with his fiery breath. This rendered the fruit inedible, so tradition says blackberries shouldn't be eaten after Michaelmas Day. But Ralphy and I picked a lovely fresh batch of berries to freeze for our apple and blackberry crumbles this winter - Ralphy loves a blackberry too, though he always looks like he's wearing lippy afterwards.

I also picked some Rose hips to make my anti-agin face oil for the coming months! They're still going strong if you fancy it.

A new addition to our garden is our new log store! We've needed one for a while but they're usually very expensive. However I found this one on Ebay - it is handmade by craftsman Steve, who makes  lots of lovely wooden bits and bobs. Because this was on auction I managed to get it for a great price for it too!

Finally this month I shared our adventures in Bee's Bower: part-cabin, part-tree house, this incredible glamping getaway is like no place we had visited before. Perched at the top of corpse it stands alone, completely private overlooking the beautiful valley which surrounds it. Here is a glimpse into our getaway at Bee's Bower.