I know everybody says this when they get a little older but I can't actually believe where the past year has gone. 2015 was to be the year of many plans, lots of adventures, more me time, good health and lots of progress on my blog, my flower business aswell and in my degree.
I do feel like quite a fair bit of this was achieved but perhaps not in the way I had imagined. This was a great thing for parts; it was a good year, just a very fast one.
So I started of the year with a bang, we went to Paris for New Year to celebrate our anniversary and have little break after a long season. We took the ferry from Dover to Callas and were in the heart of France before we knew it. Having been before it was great to see some familiar sights and explore with Dave on his first trip in the country. On New Year's Eve we headed to Dinseyland Paris stayed there all day to let in the New Year with everyone's favourite cuddley characters with fancy fireworks to boot. After a quick sleep we headed into the heart of Paris for New Year's Day. Most tourist areas and shops were closed but we went to the Eiffel tower and had many a hot chocolate. It was a whistle stop tour of Paris but we had a wonderful break and got to spend some good rare time together. Always thankful for that.
February was a very quiet month looking back on the blog last year however that it means it was a crazy one elsewhere. I had a ton of assignments for uni before the deadlines loomed, aswell as work and lots of flowers for some beautiful brides. So yes the second month was totally consumed by sore fingers and flowers galore.
March soon swung around and it was a little more enjoyable. I got to celebrate with family, we have quite a few special occasions around this time and spring is on its way so it's always a fun time of year. Blogging also went a little better, I shared with you My Little Super Box which is my favourite monthly subscription and has been all year. A super inspirational message for us all was in there.
I bundled into April full of excitement and nerves. I had bitten the bullet and signed up to go to Kingston for the weekend to Traverse 15. A event put on especially for lifestyle and travel bloggers, packed to the rafters, with guest speakers, pro bloggers, cupcakes, plus lots of time for sociable madness. Of course! It was my first time in Kingston Upon Thames and I fell in love with the town. I learnt so much that weekend which has helped me with my blog. I also got to visit Hampton Court Palace and Gardens which was stunning inside and out. Henry VIII you kept a very beautiful home! Definitely a month of highlights right there.
May oh May you brought us a brand new Baby Princess to the world, I will never forget that day little Charlotte ♡. It was also exciting for me and the blog as I got the opportunity to work with Specsavers again who were launching a campaign with Max & Co. We have worked together several times now, they are such a privilege to collaborate with from the store assistants, to the PR teams and celebrity designers. Thankyou Specsavers for some amazing opportunities over the past two years.
Half way through the year June brought Uni to a close for the year and the beginning of summer. I was invited with the press teams to explore and share with you all the buzz of both the Spirit of Summer Fair and Ideal Home Show, where we had afternoon tea with Masterchef's Greg Wallace. Two fantastic events, brimming with excitement, inspiration and a ton of lovely people to meet. I also shared with you many beauty boxes and beautiful candles. To round of the month we headed off to enjoy Russel Howard's show and had a weekend in Liverpool. We were lucky enough to stay with the Hampton by Hilton just across from Albert Docks, which is such a stunning spot especially at sunset.
July was a mix of both high and lows, we lost two beautiful girls Carly and Frances in the UK blogging world. Heartbreaking news as they were friends too many of us, however it was beautiful to see everyone coming together to share their memories and love for both girls.
Aside from these tributes, blogging wise I got to enjoy some wonderful subscription boxes, which was perfect to get us prepared for summer. My Little Box has been amazing this year, with a different theme each month, it's always an exciting delivery to pop through the door.
Yay for August, summer was in full flow and is always an enjoyable time of year. On the blog I got to try out the You Beauty Discovery boxes aswell as enjoy some beautiful jewellery delights from The Bling Minx, beauty and bling it was all good news for me. I also got the chance to fit in a little trip with my mum, and yes I went back to Kingston. I knew she would love this town and wanted to show here around but we also visited Hampton Court Flower Show. We happened to be having a heat wave in the UK, so it was absolutely baking to be in the outdoors all day, but it was a great show. We would definitely recommend any of the RHS shows, even if you're not a huge a flower lover there is so much more to explore inside plus a ton of gorgeous food and drink.
September was a really important month for the blog and all my fellow ladies. As I was involved with the Target 100,000 campaign with GynaeCheck UK. Which aimed to reach out to ladies who haven't yet been screened or had a smear test. It brought awareness of their home kit which can detect HPV. This is a first step which may lead to you taking a visit to the doctor but it is a great way for ladies who may feel nervous or self conscious about having a smear for the first time. This is such an important campaign and if it can help to detect HPV in early stages many women could be spared of the possibility of developing cervical cancer. Always get your checks ladies, this is one of the most important things that sunk in for me in 2015.
I love October, it's my birthday month; how could I not haha! I spent a lot of it working however a fair bit of adventures and times with family were had too. At the beginning of the month I was invited by Joe Blogs and The Crafty Hen to a #crafternoon, we were we set to make a jewellery box and more. We got to work with some beautiful fabric and accessories. It was great to take some time out to do something fun and catch up with local bloggers new and old.
After my birthday swings around it is non-stop birthdays for our family till Christmas so the last few months of the year are definitely filled with parties and too much cake. November being the craziest. I did managed to sneak a trip to Manchester though were I was invited by Joyce from Artsy nibs to take part in her Introduction to Brush Lettering Workshop. Held in the Foundation Coffee House we had a whistle stop morning of new techniques and tools to leaving us fully equipped and excited to get home to practise. If you read my 2015 resolutions you will have seen that for my business Millefiori and Modello, the goal was to expand to other areas including stationery and design. We have definitely made steps towards this and the workshop has refined our skills with some expert advice and set us on the right path. I love anything artsy, so this was definitely a personal and blog highlight for me this year.
With all the hustle and bustle December had crept up on us before we knew it. Our Christmas shopping was nearly complete so we hopped on a plane to escape for some winter sun in Lanzarote. This was the best few weeks. A break full of absolutely nothing but relaxing and adventures. We had a BBQ on a volcano, we dove into the sea on a submarine trip, visited places from previous trips, took a ferry to Fuerteventura National Park where there was nothing but sand dunes for miles and had many a Pina Colada. Don't worry I will be sharing these adventures soon. Holiday complete it was then time to head back to England for a final day of work and shopping because the special man in a big red suit paid us a visit.
2015, there you have it! It was a tough year but you gave us many highlights opportunities and adventures too. I hope your year has been as fulfilled. Here's to a healthy and happy 2016.
Hannah ♥
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