We've hit winter! Which obviously means it's time for me to write another list of things I want to achieve over the next few months.

1. Read three books
Nothing feels more wintery than sitting curled up in a blanket and reading, and yet this appears on all of my seasonal lists. The reason being that I love reading but I have to remind myself to do it. When reading I can fully switch off, which is why it is so important.

Having finished Alice in Wonderland, I want to read Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

2. Progress my patchwork quilt
A perfect activity for dark evenings and yet I haven't picked this up in ages (20 weeks if my Instagram feed is to be believed). At last count I had 241 hexi flowers completed, I'd like to have added at least 60 to this number by the time we hit spring, it'll take me to over 300 hexi flowers and into the home straight! I'll also be reinstating my Sunday patchwork update on Instagram.

3. Make home improvements
I feel like I've mentioned this a lot recently but in the spirit of starting a new year with good intentions I want to make a dent in the long list of things I have to do around the house. This is on my Wish List for Year 40 but so far I've made little progress.

The following are things that I think are achievable over winter.
- Paint the gloss work in the hallway (which I've been meaning to do for well over a year)
- Make little changes to the kitchen (I have a list of jobs to fix niggles, these include moving wall cupboards, hanging doors and replacing pieces of skirting board - exciting stuff!)
- Paint the kitchen
- Paint the downstairs loo

In the seasons that follow I'm going to work my way through the downstairs rooms and sort all of the little jobs that never seem to make it to the top of the list. Then I'll turn my attention upstairs.

4. Make dumplings
A winter dish if ever there was. After the success of the first lot I'm looking to make a vegetable broth with bacon dumplings, and a thai broth with fish dumplings. Get. In. My. Belly.

5. Make Jaffa Cakes
It's been on the to-bake list forever. It's time to get it done.

What are your plans for winter? Do you have any winter traditions?

My to-do list for Autumn was a simple one, but full of nice things to do.

1. Forage for sloes and make some gin
Yep! Good tip - freeze the sloes so they'll split when they thaw and you won't need to prick them all individually (something I wish I'd known last year!).

And FYI the sloe gin I made last year was (yep, it was consumed in a matter of days) delicious. Looking forward to the next batch! 

2. Go to the beach
Nope, once the weather turned towards the cooler end of the spectrum I turned chicken and stayed at home in the warm. I have a feeling I'll be going coastal pretty soon though, I got me a hankering for some sea air, and salty chips.

3. Watch Hamlet, National Theatre Live
I was hoping to watch this at my local cinema on October 15th. But there was a teeny tiny problem with this plan, in that I wasn't in the country, I was on a plane to Morocco.

4. Carve a pumpkin or two
I made a pumpkitten

5. Watch a creepy film on Halloween
Without realising that it was Halloween (the days can slip away from you when you work from home) I invited by brother and his family over for hotdogs and a bonfire, so no scary movie but it was a lovely mild night and we had a really lovely evening. And sparklers.

6. Bake a Bakewell Tart
My friend Helen read my Autumn List (Hi Helen *waves*) and gave me her recipe. I made it for a family gathering, it was super simple, and it was delicious. Most people had a second helping.

7. Wear my scarves.
I haven't worn scarves so much this year. Which probably has something to do with the milder weather as I normally wear one daily. But also, since I've had my hair cut short scarves seem get in the way, my hair doesn't sit right and I find it sticks out, making me look like a character from Pigeon Street. That said, when it gets cold enough comfort will win out over style.

8. Read 3 books
Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. I really enjoyed this, I'm not the target audience but the style of writing was chatting, funny and self depreciating. It left me thankful that I'm not in my twenties anymore. I might not feel like I've got my shit together most days but I can safely say that I'm more together than I was in my 20s. Life is simpler and more settled in many ways but, at the same time, more complicated - in better a way.

And Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. Again I'm not the target audience, this is YA fiction but I was sent an advanced reader copy through work (free books yay!) and I really enjoyed it. It's due to be released in February and is the first book in a series of 3.

It charts the journey of a young head strong girl, from the only town she's ever known, on an adventure that would take her across the dessert, into a rebellion, and to a life she could never have imagined. I found this a delightful and easy read.

I'm currently reading Alice In Wonderland for the first time. Seen the movie, never read the book. Until now. I'm loving it!

9. See the new 007 film Spectre
Half term, early afternoon and my best friend. Job done. Did you see it? I really enjoyed it, it was classic Bond. Perfect big screen nonsense.

I think that Idris Elba should be the next Bond. Just sayin'. But if Daniel Craig would like to hang around, that's fine too.

10. Make stew and dumplings
Yes! And I'll be making them again.

Did you enjoy autumn? What do you have planned for Winter?

In stark comparison to a few weeks ago I've been feeling really upbeat this week. I don't know what shifted my feeling of melancholy, I'm just glad it's gone.
I knitted myself a hat. And even though I'm going to frog it and start all over again (I noticed a mistake about six rows in and just can't live with it) I'm going to enjoy knitting it again. Thick wool and 10mm needles means that it'll take no time at all! Then I'm going to make a big pom pom to stick on top. Everything is improved with a pom pom - the bigger the better!


The past few weeks have been lovely, I started the week with a fresh new notebook, and found a new berry lip for winter.

I finished a book I really enjoyed reading and started Alice In Wonderland (my first time of reading), and I'm loving it.


Andy and I took a trip to W&M Smiths and bought some decorations for our Christmas cake and some oasis to make wreaths. I used the same decorations as last year and used holly that Andy collected for me from around and about the farm.

I decorated our Christmas Tree, it took hours and two cups of tea. But it's a beaut.


I felted some snowmen, I'm now making them to order for my friends after posting a picture on Facebook. 


Sent off a gift swap parcel, and received one in return.


I bought a 'to my husband' Christmas card for the first time and when I read the words inside it made me cry good tears, right there in the middle of the shop.


Spent some time with my family, had a good and productive week at work, and finally got my hands on a teeny tiny bottle to hold my Sahara sand.

Everything feels positive and exciting again, even though I'm not at all prepared for Christmas!

What have you been up to recently?

If you read Kezzie's blog (and if you don't you should) you'll know that she has a rather large collection of brooches. She's been regularly posting her collection and encouraging others to post their own.

Now my brooch collection is very small in comparison but I have been inspired to wear a few this week, they normally never get worn at all, so thank you for the inspiration Kezzie!

First up was a brooch I purchased from ASOS Marketplace ages ago. I'm rather drawn to wearing brooches pinned to a slouchy roll neck and I though that it looked really lovely.

Then I wore a red leather flower brooch, again on a roll neck (both charity shopped). I can't remember where this came from but I do know I've had it for years!

I only have a few others, so I'll save them for another post. I have one that I want to wear pinned to a woolly hat.

And I just remembered a poppy brooch I wore in November, pinned to the collar of my new clothes swap dress.



I caused all sorts of confusion by donating to the Poppy Appeal but not taking a paper poppy, I tried to explain that I had one already but it didn't seem to compute.

Do you own or wear any brooches?

It's been a little while since I joined in with Ginny's Yarn Along due to the fact that my knitting sticks have been bare. Wanting to keep up with some simple knitting projects I treated myself to a Sirdar Head Start bobble hat kit.

After a quick trip to my local craft shop to grab some 8mm needles I started today. It's knitting up really quickly and is super soft. If the weather continues as it has been then I'll be getting a lot of use out of it.

It comes with a fluffy lilac bobble but I'm tempted to find some wool in a similar colour and make myself a bigger, floppy bobble instead.

As for my reading I've just finished Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. It's an advanced reader copy sent to me by a client, so I feel quite lucky to have read it. It's YA title but I really enjoyed it, despite not being it's target audience. And the fact that it's set in the desert, and I'm just back from a trip to the Sahara, I could imagine the feel of the sand, the smell of the desert, and the dark of the night.

It's the first in a series of three and I have to say I'm looking forward to books 2 and 3. The first book is out in February.

What are you knitting and reading?

Today is the last day of November, which also means that it's the final day of Blogging Every Day in November.

I made a good start with 13 days of blog posts and then this.

I'm glad to say that I'm feeling brighter. I had a few things on my mind that have settled down or have been resolved, a frustrating work project has been completed, and an event that took up a huge chunk of my time happened yesterday. Things are improving.

I've also taken some time out for myself. I've slept in when I needed to, been going to bed earlier, taken a few good long walks to clear my mind, and indulged in some long, relaxing bubble baths.

My cats now hide from me when they see me coming, just in case I'm about to hug them again.

I've made an effort to go to pilates and clubbercise to release a few endorphins, and I had a night out with Andy and my best friends to see Joe Lycett. All work and no play makes me a very unhappy being, so getting out there was very important in getting back to normal. I had to make myself go, the sofa looked so comfy, but I had a great time once I was out and about.

Thank you for your kind comments on my previous post, as always you guys made me smile and I was grateful for your support. It make a difference, it really does.

Moving forward I've got a few dates planned with Andy, a day shopping in Norwich, a trip to W&M Smiths to see the lovely Bella, and to buy wreath making supplies. We're also off to the cinema, when we can agree on what to watch. So, plenty to look forward too, and of course Christmas.

It's a shame that BEDN took a hit when this feeling reared it's ugly head, I'd been enjoying posting everyday, and discovering new blogs to read. But there's no point battling on with something if you're not feeling up to it.

I might still use some of the BEDN prompts that I missed, as I'm now ready to get back to blogging again. But first I need to catch up with my favourite blogs. I'll pop the kettle on and see you in a bit...


Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium  

BEDN isn't going well is it? And I made a good start too.

Despite trying to shake a feeling of melancholy by writing a Christmas wish list (I mean who doesn't get excited at the thought of presents, Christmas, family, delicious food, and gin?), my post before that was about being kind to yourself. I'd woken up in a crappy mood, a mood that hasn't really shifted since then.

I'm not drowning in the depths of sorrow, I'm just feeling a bit off. I have a few things playing on my mind, nothing life changing or truly awful, but the accumulation of several minor irritations has left me feeling low.

In the evenings, when Andy is home, and we're full from our evening meal, chatting about our day, enjoying a glass of wine, I feel just fine. I can forget how I feel for a while and just be.

I've talked over most of the issues (for want of a better word) with Andy, he's a wise ole soul, but during the day I'm left with my own thoughts again. The downside of being self employed is working alone (the upside of being self employed is working alone).

I have little to distract me and stop my mind from mulling things over.

I mull, I'm really good at it.

I'm finding it hard to concentrate on work, and it doesn't help that one particular project I'm working on isn't going well. It's given me a creative block, and around and around I go.

A few other things are situations that I can't do anything to change, which I find frustrating. All I can do is try to control the way I react to these situations, but so far I'm struggling to do so.

A side effect of all this is my inability to see things with my usual clarity.

Yesterday Socks walked mud all over the page of my new notebook and I was disproportionately annoyed (then I felt guilty for shouting at him, gave him a huge cuddle and let him fall asleep on my office chair. I was relegated to the uncomfortable spare chair).

I couldn't decide what to have for lunch, I couldn't be bothered to prepare anything, so I grabbed a Kit Kat and an apple. And then I didn't eat the apple.

The sun was shining through my office window and it annoyed me.

I was so irritated with myself for breaking my spending ban when I bough a new cardigan in a charity shop for £3.50, I'd only gone in to make a donation. I was even more annoyed that, when I got home, I wasn't sure that I actually liked it.

I've missed my daily dose of blogging, but I feel uninspired when I sit down to write. I read your posts and enjoy them, but not with my usual enthusiasm, and then I have nothing to say in the comments.

I'm at the point where I'm starting to get angry with myself, 'snap out of it', 'get it together' are my scolding of choice.

But then I remember be kind to everyone including yourself.

Life can't all be sunny and light. Accepting the way I feel and cutting myself some slack is the way I'm most likely to get back to feeling like me again.

That, and most of these repeated as necessary

1. A good long walk

2. A good long bath

3. Listening to my favourite tracks on iTunes while I work (chair dancing optional but likely, although chair dancing is not to be confused with table dancing)

4. Getting up, putting on an outfit I love. Doing my hair, putting on some make up - I might be a mess but I don't have to look it

5. A good breakfast, lunch and dinner, because being hungry never helps anything

6. Cuddling / stroking / nuzzling and generally bothering one or both of my cats

In short, I'm going to take care of myself in the hope that normal service will resume shortly.

I'm jumping ahead with #BEDN a teeny bit and using the prompt for the 29th. I can't help it, I'm feeling christmassy already, and as Andy asked me to write him a wishlist, I thought I'd share it.

It seems I'm running on a theme of warm or sparkly this year.


I picked out the Pandora charm as reminder of our honeymoon this year.

It wouldn't be Christmas without gin and since I was sent a sample of Rock Rose gin earlier in the year I've been wanting to get my hands on one of their ceramic bottles.

The Fossil watch is a beauty, I have two of their watches already and there is just something about the styling that appeals to me. I also like this one with a turquoise strap, I can't make up my mind which one I like the most!

As for the warm side of things, these slippers would be cosy and snug to slip into each morning on my way to feed the cats and pop the kettle on.

The boots will be great for the cold weather, and the coat is something I've be trying to find for an age! I love my wax jacket, it's by far the warmest thing I have ever owned. But it's short. However, one would cover my rear and keep me even warmer. And it'll last for years.

How are your preparations coming along for the festive season? My gift shopping is almost done, I've stocked up on Christmas cards and wrapping paper. I have my Christmas Eve PJs. All I really need to do is write a list of Christmas food (and then buy it all) and I'm done.

Day 21 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium  

The prompt for today's Blog Every day in November is World Kindness Day.

Unsure of where to start or what to say, I took to Google. A number of meanings and explanations where offered up in response. But one small quote stood out to me today.

Be kind to everyone including yourself.

Because I woke up in a shitty mood with myself today and I've been beating myself up since my feet hit the floor.

If a friend of mine described how I'm feeling now as how they were feeling, I'd tell them to give themselves a break. I'd tell them an off day is no reason to be so hard on themselves.

So that's what I told myself. I'm giving myself a break, allowing myself to have a day that doesn't go so well, without feeling bad about it. I'm giving myself permission to just be a bit crap today.

I've taken a moment, hugged the girl cat and put on my favourite jumper, I've made myself a big cup of tea and re-written my to-do list to be more manageable for my I'm-not-firing-on-all-cylinders-today day.

And later I'm going to go to my pilates class and I'm going to enjoy it, even if I don't tick everything off my to-do list before I go.

And when I come home I'm going to sit on the sofa with my husband and watch a film, maybe have a glass of wine. I'm not going to worry about the tasks that didn't get completed, the washing that didn't get done, or the million and one things swirling around my head that didn't get thought about or resolved.

Because I need a break, a moment to breathe. And I'm allowing myself to have one, because it's the kind thing to do. And being kind to yourself is as important as being kind to others.

Why is it that we find it so much harder to be kind to ourselves than we do to others. I see it so often.

So come on, let's give ourselves a break. It's not selfish, it's self care. And let's face it, looking after ourselves puts us in a better position to look after others.



Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama
 


Day 13 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium 

Needham Market is where I head when I need to pick up a pint of milk or post a letter. It’s within a short distance from home and has free parking, although sometimes in short supply, and it's the kind of place where everything closes for lunch and most places aren’t open on a Monday.


It has all the charm of a small village, everyone you meet will greet you with a happy smile or a cheery ‘hello'. And you can find pretty much whatever you need.


It has one of those hardware stores that has everything. In the past it's furnished me with a fire guard, a fly swat, sparklers for bonfire night, curtain hooks, a bottle brush and a butter dish. If you wanted one you could treat yourself to a leather duck shaped doorstop too.


All of our carpets have, so far, been purchased at Needham Carpets and hopefully (fingers crossed) we’ll soon be visiting the double glazing shop that sits next door, as we like to support local businesses whenever we can.


You can buy some of the best gammon in East Anglia and the Midlands, according to The Great Taste Awards, in R J Smith's Butchers (and jolly proud of it he is too).


You can paint a pot here (through the archway, behind the post office), get a manicure, a hair cut, a spray tan (if that's your thing), or a facial at more than one beauty salon, and you can shop for second hand, restored, or upcycled furniture to you hearts content.


We have two small corner units in our lounge that came from Pipps, along with the glorious chair that resides in my office (I only went out for a haircut). The pair of bedside tables in our spare room come from Effie’s, and  a small mirror, freshly painted with chalk paint purchased in the Vintage & Antiques Collectables shop.



Andy gave me an old sewing machine for Christmas a few years ago from Bygones, and I have spent hours rummaging around in the Sue Ryder charity shop (despite thinking that it is rather over priced).

If you need a Elvis costume there is the fancy dress hire shop, and a dentist (The Tooth Booth - great name) and all kinds of bait can be found in the Fishing Tackle and Bait Shop. And until recently you could pick yourself up a snake or two from the Reptile Hut.


It’s home to a tea shop or two and while some shops seem to keep their residents for only a short while, there is always something to do, see and keep you occupied.


Just outside of the main drag is Alder Carr Farm, I’ve mentioned it on the blog before and having learnt needle felting at Halfpenny Home there recently, it has become one of my favourite places. Also good for brunch, PYO and talking to grunting piggies and beautiful hens.


So, it's not a sprawling metropolis but it ticks most boxes and is wonderfully free of Costa Coffee and Tesco Metro.

What's your local area like?

Day 12 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

I am a writer of lists. It says as much on my About page, so it must be true.

The first thing I do most days is write a list of tasks for the day. I have to limit to five things, if I don't I write until I reach the bottom of the page and then turn it over.

I have a few blog lists on the go, my Autumn '15 list, a list of things to do in my 40th year, my new year resolutions, and a list of 40 things to do before I'm 40 (missed that deadline obviously).

I have lists for home improvements, an ongoing grocery list, a list of all the food in my freezer, a what-to-buy-for-who for Christmas list, a list of blog post ideas, and a general list of things I must not forget. I also keep a list of all my clothing purchases (split into new and pre-loved), which I've done for the past four years.

Yep, I'm a list writer, a writer of lists. I'm addicted to ticking things off, and for good measure I put a line through them too.

Because I can.

They're my lists.

My lists will always be written down in a notebook, with a pen, just so that I can get the satisfaction of crossing something off, whilst saying 'that's another job jobbed', a phrase inherited from my Mother. She's a lister too.

A lister will always have a good supply of notebooks. Perhaps even a few too many...

Day 11 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

I organised a clothes swap at the weekend and came home with three lovely dresses. Two I love, the other I like but I’m not sure about. The beauty of a clothes swap is that if I don’t like it, I can take it to another swap. Or sell it on ebay. Or donate it. Either way I'm not really losing anything.

The first dress I found was a Louche Jena dress in red and grey, this is my favourite. I think this will be lovely to wear all year round and could be worn for meetings or just casually. It’s pretty versatile.

Then I picked up a cute red party dress by Union Boutique, not a brand I've heard of before but it looks well made, with boning to the bodice and full lining. It’s a lovely fabric with a bit of a sheen to it, it also has a bit of a petticoat going on. In my opinion this dress could only be improved with the addition of pockets. My feeling is that it'll be perfect for Christmas, but I could also wear it to a wedding next summer.

Lastly, I was rather taken by the art nouveau fabric of this Atmosphere dress, I have a feeling it’s too young for me - a little short, a bit too flared - but I’m going to style it up and see how it feels. Expect a post soon, where I’ll appreciate your honest opinion on it's age appropriateness.

Clothes swaps can be a bit hit and miss, you never know what people are going to turn up with. Sometimes you find very little but other times it’s like going on the best shopping spree ever, made so by the fact that you’re not spending a single penny.

Have you ever been to a clothes swap? I love them! Just beware of 'The Snatcher', there is one lurking at every swap.

Day 10 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

Style - A distinctive appearance

A few years ago, I spent some time pondering three words that would describe my style. I came up with classic, casual and versatile.

Classic - because I like classic shapes. I stick to clean outlines and avoid fussy styles and fabrics, and anything too 'on trend'.

Relaxed - because I can't stand wearing something I feel button up and rigid in. Even when dressed up I have to feel comfortable (one of the things I loved about my wedding dress was that it was so comfortable to wear - I could breathe, move, sit, and dance with ease).

Versatile - because I feel I can style a lot of the items in my wardrobe to suit different occasions.

Looking through my Looks I Love Pinterest board my love of jeans is obvious, chunky knitwear and scarves feature highly and stripes, lots of stripes. It's peppered with floaty maxi dresses and pretty floral pieces, statement necklaces and an occasional pop of colour - and this pretty much sums up my wardrobe.

I think that my wardrobe lacks a few items - a black fitted jacket, classic black court shoes (Louboutin I'm looking at you), and a winter coat that makes me want to snuggle into it and never take it off, but all-in-all I'm happy with my lot.

I have a few dream pieces that I would love to find. I should happen across a cute jacket like this one...


or a sequin jacket like this one, I'd be one happy little blogger.



What three words would you use to describe your style?

Day 9 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

It's been a busy few days. I'm tired, we had a late night. I was more than happy to spend some time doing nothing, because that's what 'self care' meant to me today. It's not often that I sit and do nothing, I'm a constant fidget.

After a late breakfast of bacon and eggs (cooked by my husband), I had a long hot bath, spent the day in my PJs and an afternoon watching TV on the sofa, but a scroll through my Twitter feed brought back that familiar feeling that I was wasting the day.

So, for the past few hours I've been in my office slowly sorting through paperwork, sipping hot chocolate, and clearing my desk for tomorrow, because tomorrow is going to be another busy day. But now I feel prepared, I've written a list.

Come on Monday, I'm ready for you.

Happy Sunday!
Day 8 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

I'm not going to get a chance to write a blog post today. I'm writing this on Wednesday evening instead. Because I want to blog every day in November I've already scheduled tomorrow's and Friday's post too.

On Thursday afternoon I'm driving up to Solihull so that on Friday I can have a full day at the NEC at the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show. We'll drive home early evening and then I'll have to prepare for a clothes swap I've organised for Saturday.

I'll be up early on Saturday to load the car and get set up.

When I arrive home again I'll be getting ready for people to arrive for our firework night, so I'm writing this on Wednesday.

The BEDN topic for today is 'Unusual Hobbies' but mine are anything but unusual - reading, knitting, patchwork...

So today I thought I'd share with you an article I stumbled across a while ago, an article that has stuck with me, an article that has me frequently muttering the words 'today is not over yet'.

Because we all have days that slip away, we all write off the non-days, the days that don't start off well.

Because a wasted day is lost forever.

And the picture of a sleeping cat? Well, that's just because.

Day 7 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

Twisting today's BEDN prompt, Friday Night In, a teeny bit as I'm going to talk about gin. I love gin. And this will come as no surprise to anyone.

It's a well known fact.

When Sophie was invited to experience a gin afternoon tea, she asked me if I'd like to go along with her. She picked me up from the station and drove us to our destination - which meant I had to drink her gin too! That's a real friend right there. What a legend.

For my birthday my brother gave me a tall glass etched with 'Hazel's Gin & Tonic', accompanied by an Origin Single Estate Gin tasting set, with gins from Italy, Macedonia, Kosovo, The Netherlands and Bulgaria (review to come).

I always spend an afternoon each year, foraging for sloes to make myself a hearty helping of delicious sloe gin. And I have a plan to make some elderberry gin too, and some elderflower gin.

It's safe to say that next year I'll be all set for gin.

Anyway all of this is leading up to a bit of a gift guide. If you know anyone who loves gin (we all know someone) then this is for you / them.

Take it from a gin lover, these gifts are the next best thing to an actual gin.

Although, if in doubt just go ahead a buy them actual gin (I can recommend Rock Rose Gin).

I've talked about my first ever Bonfire Night on the blog before, so this time around I'm going to tell you what we do each year. It's not always on fireworks night, but on a Saturday near the date we host 'An Evening of Pyro'.

It's a tradition that we took over when, after 15 years, Andy's friend's parents moved house and a new venue had to be found.

It basically involves a group of friends, a mountain of fireworks and a bonfire, followed by chilli and rice, soup, and a cake of some description.

I have mixed feelings about private firework displays to be honest, I always feel that there is too much risk involved especially in built up areas, but Andy and his friends have been doing this for 17 years now and so far it's always been without incident.

We find a field well out of the way for the fireworks (and there are many) with a small bonfire for warmth, and then we head back to the house for food. We light a second bonfire and this year I'm adding marshmallows to the mix. I always feel a bonfire without marshmallows is a wasted opportunity.

More than anything this is about upholding a long standing tradition. This is the only time we see some of the people who attend over the course of the year, and we greet each other as if we saw each other only yesterday. For me this is the mark of true friendship.

I sometimes wonder how many years we'll keep it up, I hope for many to come, each year adding new faces in the form of girlfriends that turn into wives and, who knows, maybe a few years from now we'll see the first of the next generation of pyros...?

Day 5 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium

I have a rather nifty little app on my iPhone called Pro HDR and it has allowed me to take some awesome photographs over the past few years.

It takes a double exposure and can produce some beautiful results, it's especially good for landscapes and capturing skies at sunrise and sunset. But it's not suitable for people shots or anything that moves as you have to keep still whilst it takes the two exposures.

And because I'm nowhere near done talking about my recent trip to the Sahara Desert, I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite shots taken with Pro HDR (any excuse!)

Sunset Day 2





Sunrise Day 3




Only a few left to go, keep scrolling!




And just to show you the difference, below is a shot taken at sunset with my normal iPhone camera, see how the sky is over exposed?

That aside, it's me sitting on a sand dune in the Sahara, look it's me! In the Sahara! (Can I go back please?)



Day 4 of Blogging Every Day In November with Rosalilium