There are only two days left of this year and as usual I can't believe how fast it's gone. Life is normally so fast paced that I don't have much time to reflect. There's no time to look back as there's always something new and upcoming to think about. So at this time of year, after this slow magical week post-Christmas it's been the perfect period to look back on 2016, taking stock of just what a year it's been. I know a lot of people will be pleased to see the end of it after some sad events around the world and a lot of political change but on a personal level I have such a full heart and feel incredibly grateful after such a memorable year. Two thousand and sixteen for us has been a fun adventure with moving house and starting our huge project along with unforgettable travels around the globe. As ever, this time of year makes me feel so so grateful and thankful for so much, especially those around me. I love looking back upon these posts, this blog has and will always be a diary for me to reflect upon so thank you for indulging me on this look back on some of the highlights and as ever for reading. 

{ F E B R U A R Y }

February bought spring bulbs in old jars,  a pretty in pink Valentine's Day trip to the flower market and the dreamiest trip to the Bahamas at Emerald Bay and an end to Winter.

{ M A R C H }

March bought a day trip to Richmond with the pup , blossom and spring seed sowing before finally exchanging on our house after the most stressful couple of weeks we've ever had. We packed the house in a frantic few days, said goodbye to our old beloved house with a final house tour and then got the keys to the new house! Our forever home. We moved in with my parents to start the renovations and I wrote about staying sane whilst moving house and a couple of days later it was my Birthday and Easter. 

{ A P R I L }

April brought the first couple of weeks of the house renovations which went by in a flash, we wasted no time in getting started. I talked about our plans for it all. We snuck a night away from the house craziness at the gorgeous Foxhill Manor and visited Oxford in the spring on the way there. I posted another update on the house at week four as we sanded floors, painted walls and started in the garden. 

{ M A Y }

In May we had an incredible trip through Italy {starting in Rome, heading up to Tuscany and finishing in Venice} and I talked about my love for early summer. It was my Mum's big birthday, peonies were back and suddenly everywhere was so so green and in bloom again. We had bike rides and picnics. We were still living with my parents and after a disrupted couple of weeks with the house from going away etc I gave a week 6 update.

{ J U N E }

In June we said hello to summer at last, June is probably one of my very favourite months. We had a trip down to Brighton for my Brother's Birthday and the countryside was at it's best. We cracked on with the new garden and prettied up the front door. The bathroom really came on in this time. Suddenly it was all taking shape and by week 10 of the house update we nearly had a finished lounge before going away for a couple of weeks with my family.

{ J U L Y }

July was a crazy month, in a good way. We got back from our trip to California {where we rented a house, visited farmers markets and lived the Californian dream} and Hawaii {island life, heart eyes!!} And then celebrated our second wedding anniversary, suddenly two years has gone by! We started to unpack some boxes in our new house woop and then took a trip to the Ile de Re in France {one of my favourite trips of all last year}. It was slightly excessive but it was booked before we knew we were moving! We cycled under the bluest skies between pretty French towns, stopping at markets and beaches on the way. It was a life we didn't want to leave! We got home and finished some more of the house, I talked about converting a sink unit for our bathroom and creating a vintage mirror wall.

{ A U G U S T }

In August I talked about painting rolltop baths and we finally moved in to the new house! It was only part finished as we were waiting for our planning permission before we could start on anymore but it was so so good to move in and make it feel like home. I shared the before & after shots up until that point which amazed us looking back. We had some gorgeous hot summer days  where we enjoyed the weather, went for daytrips and hosted the first BBQ in our new garden. It was Ben's Birthday so I took him to Whitstable for the night where we stayed in a fisherman's hut on the beach and then we had a summery garden party to celebrate. 

{ S E P T E M B E R }

In September this blog turned two! We spent a week in Corfu, returning to our fav villa there from last year. We threw a housewarming party to celebrate moving in with a pizza van and a bath full of prosecco and then Rock my Style came to take photos of the finished rooms so far for a feature. I looked back at another productive year with our allotment. I also started the first of the makeover posts now that some of our rooms were finished, the bedroom and we raced towards autumn with those beautiful warm but fading September days.

{ O C T O B E R }

We got back from an incredible stay at Soho Farmhouse, such a fun and gorgeous place. Like Daylesford meets Disneyland meets Little House on the Prairie. I blogged about our full bathroom transformation and our lounge, we had a few pretty autumnal days out at Columbia Road, the Cotswolds and it was all things pumpkins for halloween. Our dahlias in the garden were still going strong and I wrote about some tips for growing them. I took a brave leap and put out an ask me anything/FAQ to which you all gave me a lot of love for so thank you. I posted about some of our favourite dinners which had been requested and I was lucky enough to be asked for a photo shoot with my pup. We got our planning permission through for the kitchen at last woop so I talked about our plans for it all.

{ N O V E M B E R }

After a fun halloween weekend in London we spent Bonfire Night up in Scotland with Ben's family and then stopped in Leeds to meet Phoebe. The week after we swapped our jumpers and boots for bikinis and sandals in the Seychelles {!!!} which we loved and have never seen beaches like them. We visited a new antiques fair for some new finds for our house and said goodbye to the magical autumn leaves.

{ D E C E M B E R }

And then December came and went. In a flash! My most magical month with all things Christmassy. We had our chimney breast opened and a log burner fitted just in time for Christmas and then decorated the new house for the holidays. We relived old traditions, like choosing the tree, wreath making and days out in London. We started our building work for the kitchen and learned to live with a temporary kitchen and a lot of boxes piled around the house. Despite that we've had the best couple of Christmas weeks and I haven't wanted these past few days at my parents to finish, crisp blue skies for frosty walks with my family and then time snuggled up in front of the tree altogether eating too much and watching films. I look forward to this time every single year and it never disappoints. 

It's quite incredible to see it all written out like that with some of my favourite photos. I had a hard time in narrowing them down! And so onwards to 2017 and all that it will bring. We'll be finishing off our kitchen extension and the rest of the house which I cannot wait for and there are some exciting travel plans in the wings. I hope you have a magical New Year's Eve whatever you have planned {a quiet one for us, I've never liked celebrating it much}.

Do you have any resolutions or fun plans for next year? 

I'll be back on here in a week or so as we're off to Cornwall next week for a work trip. Easing into 2017 with a nice treat! Happy New Year you lovely lot. 

R <3 xx