Summer Edition II

I love the summer. In fact, I love everything about it. I feel happier, more relaxed and joyful watching the flowers bloom, butterflies playing, reading novels in the sun, spending time with family and the stretched out balmy evenings, ending with a glorious pink sky. We currently have a family of eleven ducklings living next door, splashing around in the pond and two robins who seem to love our garden - I'm trying to keep winter at bay for as long as possible!

I also love making the most of living near the sea and often go for strolls along the beach. I took some photos of the last time my blog's number one fan (Mum) and I went. I love taking photos to keep as memories but I also enjoy sharing them on my little blog haven.

If any of you have Twitter by the way - it'd be great to follow each other - my handle is @sophiepatricia6 Tweet me if you do and I'll be sure to follow back. 

Summer Edition I

I'm just lying in bed and thought I'd write a little post before I go to sleep. It's such a warm night, I can smell the sea air drifting through my windows and there's a beautiful full moon in the sky, so I'm content. It wasn't so long ago that I was moaning about the lack of decent summer weather we were having here in the UK but lo and behold we've had a two week heatwave! I've even got a tan...a proper 'looks like I've been abroad' golden glow! Apparently thunderstorms are on their way but I'm hoping the sun will be back before long.

I've been watching the hilarious coverage on Sky News tonight about the birth of the royal baby. The presenters were running around like headless chickens speaking to people waiting outside the hospital, only to receive some very amusing responses. I was sure that Prince William and Kate were going to have a girl but it turns out I was wrong and they've had a little boy who they've yet to name. The atmosphere in London looked amazing and sometimes I think it'd be good to experience it but I'm such a home bird and I do love the peacefulness of the countryside, I'm definitely not a city girl at heart. 

I've been making the most of the beautiful weather; taking Millie for walks around the country lanes, heading down to the beach straight after work and trying to create an English country garden by planting climbing roses and an abundance of flowers.

Blog challenge

Retail Royalty Challenge: When MoneySupermarket offered to give me £30 to spend on a local charity of my choice, I jumped at the chance. There was only one caveat: I had to save as much money as possible by bargaining!

The charity I chose was Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre. This charity is close to my heart because we adopted Rocky from there.

Many moons ago, after being heartbroken at the loss of our first dog Meg, we waited a few years and eventually decided to get another dog, so my dad and brother went to the animal rescue and brought back Rocky - a timid dog, so skinny his ribs were showing, who had been abused and locked in high rise flats when his owners disappeared and abandoned him, leaving him without food or water. Dad and Joseph said he was the quietest dog in the rescue centre and they just couldn't leave him. 

They had to take him back to the rescue whilst our home was checked to see if it was suitable. Meanwhile, Rocky decided that he couldn't live without us and managed to escape twice from the rescue centre, ran for a good fifteen minutes and appeared outside our front door (to this day, nobody knows how he managed to do this). He'd only visited our house once, in the car. 

We couldn't live without him either - It was obviously meant to be and he was the best dog we could have ever wished for. He brought us years of happiness and hopefully we did the same for him. 

Psst...Wearing fake fur here - totally against real fur! 

Rocky is the bigger dog :)

Kate Moss for Versace

Kate Moss is my style icon. She always looks effortlessly cool and has that don't-give-a-damn-what-anyone-else-thinks confidence going on. Whether she's wearing skinny jeans with a skinny vest, layered with necklaces or an evening dress, she always looks incredible. I don't usually buy into the hype when celebrities design their own clothing range, but I fell in love with Kate's collaboration with Topshop in 2009 and bought  several items, which still haven't gone out of fashion. I'd love it if she designed another range!

She's recently teamed up with Versace to be the face of their latest campaign and they dyed her locks brown! I think it really suits her and I love the yellow (hopefully fake) fur she has draped around her. Oh if only I look as cool when I'm 39...or even now! What do you think?