Good morning! I hope you've all survived the thunderstorms and are enjoying your weekends. We were hit by a deluge of water last night, so my plans for a bit of photography and some work in the garden have been thwarted by the gloomy drizzle that's currently splashing at my windows. Such is life! I have some time off scheduled soon so I'm focusing on that instead, and getting excited about plans for the rest of the summer; are you doing anything much?

Reading up for this week's lovely list I discovered something else that I really need to add to my big summer list. What's on yours?

Want a healthy breakfast that delivers big on taste too? This is for you.

There has been a whole load of loveliness over at Daydreams of Summertime this week; this post makes me want to visit Croatia again. Right now.

Last time I went was in 2010 with my sister on our inter-railing trip around Europe. We stopped off in Split for a couple of nights and it was exactly what we needed after having traipsed around northern European cities in the rain (summer came late that year!). The sun was hot, the sea was clearer and brighter than I had ever seen, and we were - for that short time - very happy travellers.

Rhubarb upside down yoghurt cake? Yes please!

If you missed it, this week's most popular post included 5 simple tips to improve your blog writing. Looking for even more advice? Check out 20 more tips here.

Finally, have you ever considered blogger business cards? Frankie shows her new cards to the world here.

What's been gracing your screens this week?

P.S. Check out last week's lovely list here.

Floral Friday Foxglove2

I love the vibrancy of the bright pink against the bold blue sky. This foxglove has just kept on flowering over the last few weeks and only over the last day or so has the stem started to droop slightly as the flowers become too heavy for it to hold. Foxgloves usually thrive in shaded areas but this one has got on quite happily in full sunshine!

Flower: Foxglove

How to Grow: Click here.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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P.S. Check out previous Floral Friday posts here.

Blogging is - for me at least - all about the writing. Don't get me wrong, I always try to take and choose beautiful images to accompany my posts, and some of them are very image-heavy, but really the reason I started blogging was to write more; to hone my writing skills. I am acutely aware, however, that many people fall into blogging for entirely different reasons: to document their lives; to be visually creative; to share with others - and often the writing can take a back seat. But really, it's easy.

1. Check carefully for general accuracy. Ensure you aren't missing any punctuation and also that you use the correct there/their/there, your/you're, to/too/two etc. Getting these wrong can be a real turn off for readers.
2. Vary the length of your sentences. I use semi-colons and colons galore in order to vary my sentences but it's enough to simply write some long and some short ones. It sounds simple, but it's common to write a number of sentences of similar lengths without realising, and to a reader it can become stilted and dull to follow.
3. Use an informal tone (generally). You might be able to personify every object you describe, or use a combination of six sophisticated adjectives, but if it sounds forced and formal, you'll put people off. Save this sort of language for more descriptive posts or personal writing.
4. Use short paragraphs. When I'm reading a book, I'm all for an extended paragraph here and there, but my blog reading tends to take place during snatched moments of the day and sometimes (I admit) I avoid a post if it's just too lengthy. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and often posts with a serious tone lend themselves to lengthier content.
5. Be honest and consistent. There's no point in writing a post that you're unsure about. It comes across this way to a reader, but also lends itself to inconsistencies and contradictions within the writing. Stick to what you know and enjoy to write about and this one will work itself out.

See? Really simple! Have you got any other basic blog writing tips you'd like to share?

P.S. For more inspiration, prompts and advice head over to my 'Writing' Pinterest board.

Follow Creative Countryside's board Writing on Pinterest.

If you read my post from last Sunday, you'll know that Mr CC and I have booked to go away camping over the summer, so what better time to consider what to take when you're holidaying under stars?

Shopping List for Camping

1. Picnic Hamper (BHS) | £50£20
2. Set of 4 Enamel Mugs (Not On The Highstreet) |£22
3. Pop-up 2 Man Tent (Millets) |£50£30
4. Vintage Torch (Not On The Highstreet) |£6.50
5. Citronella Candle (Etsy) |£9.60

Have you found any other camping essentials? Do let me know - I'd love to add them to the list!

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We're approaching the height of summer and at last gardens, allotments and fields are filled tempting produce. But what kind of things should you be eating if you want the best of the current crop?

Eating Seasonally - July

First up is beetroot. Not the pickled variety stacked in tall glass jars, but the earthy, pungent spheres pulled up directly from the soil or bought from a local farm shop; perfect chopped into chunks in a salad or roasted with other vegetables. Broad beans are still in season too, but eat them soon because as we get closer to August they become a little stringy. New potatoes are now in full swing - try them boiled and laced with butter and freshly-ground pepper for a truly fresh flavour. Finally the early season carrots are started to pop up; these work well in salads or boil them whole to go with a summery roast chicken dinner.

Check out the Eat Seasonably calendar for more advice on what to eat in July, or head over here for seasonal recipes.

What are you planning on cooking up this month?

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Hello and happy Sunday! I hope you've had a great weekend so far, mine has been lovely. Friday night was spent with family eating and drinking al-fresco and enjoying the warmth of the summer sun that has lingered most days this week. Saturday was even more glorious weather-wise and Mr CC and I tackled the complete and utter mess that our garden has become after a few (busy) weeks of neglect, and I feel so much better now it's getting sorted. By far the most exciting part of the weekend, though, has been booking a few days away to the Lake District next month. And we're staying in a tipi right next to a lake. A tipi!

But enough of my holiday plans, let's that a look at what's been floating-my-boat in the blog world this week...

First up is an intriguing and original post on food memories (notably strawberry jam) from the wonderful Sarah over at Mitenska - her blog is full of beautiful images and her writing style is so easy to enjoy that I urge you to check it out if you haven't already.

If the heat's getting to you, why not try some violet fizz with floral ice cubes?

Roses. Just because.

Somewhere new to add to my 'places to visit' list.

Lots of reading inspiration over at Circle of Pine Trees, including a life in France, a classic that I think I'm going to re-read soon and my own offering.

Finally, how are you doing with your summer wishlists? I'm planning to work on number 10 from mine this week.

Enjoy your Sundays!

floral friday - potato plants

Potato plant flowers are actually quite lovely, and their pale pink petals and zest of yellow always remind me that the crop is close to being ready. A true June beauty.

Flower: Potato Plant

How to Grow: Click here.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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If I'm honest, I wasn't sure I was going to beat June's The Year in Books review; Burial Rites was spectacular and I was wary of reading another book lest it be a complete let-down, but Joanne Harris' collection of short stories - A Cat, a Hat and a Piece of String - really stepped up to the mark.

The stories are woven around themes that drift through the book as an underlying presence; the idea that Christmas stays all year round, for example, or that two feisty ladies in a nursing home can run rings around the staff, and more poignantly why they are forced to. The characters are lively and interesting and you really feel yourself rooting for some of them, despite the fact you meet them for only a few pages. The writing is humorous, saddening, even outrageous at times. But more than anything, the selling point of this book is the vast variety of short stories housed within its pages; I have read numerous collections of short stories but this one was different in that you could select a story to read depending on your mood or the time of year, and there would also be one that would fit. This, for me, is what reading is all about, and I will definitely be delving back into these stories again.

July's choice is something I picked up a while ago on a whim and I'm still not entirely sure what to expect, but I wanted to give something a little bit different a try. Shatter Me With Dawn by Sally Russell focuses on a celebration of country life in Georgia and revisits her years in a remote farm. I've not read much about the American countryside, so I'm looking forward to discovering what it's like over the pond.

Have you got any recommendations that you'd like to share that also focus on country life?

june in the garden

(From top left) the tips of leaves waiting to unfurl; brand new deckchairs; a wave of this pale pink filling the front borders; scented red roses come early in our garden; late blossom that is only now starting to fall; chocolate cosmos (a thoughtful gift from Mr CC); the promise of what is yet to come; potato flowers, dainty and sweet; lettuce and radishes ready to pick.

The garden is pretty magnificent by the time we reach June. Beds have filled in with plants bursting from the soil and the veg patch is starting to yield its first few crops, but it hasn't yet reached the stage where everything becomes overgrown and unruly. That privilege belongs to late July and early August, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Things to be doing in the garden this month:

• Sow seeds for late beetroot and more lettuce to allow a continuous supply. [More advice here.]
• Plant winter vegetables including cabbages and brussel sprouts. [Top 10 winter vegetables to grow.]
• Harvest second early potatoes, lettuce, peas, broad beans. [How to grow peas here.]

What does your garden look like in June? Are you tempted to grow-your-own fruit and veg?

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Brunch is the best. I always feel like I can indulge, because let's face it, normally I'd be eating two meals and this is just one. Right? Regardless, there is a farm shop and eatery near Market Rasen - Sunnyside Up - and the breakfast is sublime. Mr CC like to go when we've had a heavy week at work or just want an hour out of the house, but last weekend I visited with my sister, and she seemed to love it just as much as we do.

Happily, the food is locally sourced, and the eggs travel only a few steps as the chickens are from the farm adjacent to Sunnyside. Next to the eatery is a farm shop packed with goodies; I can never resist Stokes Tomato Ketchup or Belvoir Elderflower Presse and the meat and cheese selections are not to be sniffed at either. The fruit and veg is located in a shed next to the main building, and if it's a hot sunny day there's even an ice cream kiosk!

Recently Sunnyside has added a small outside area for the Cottage Garden Flower Company and the scent of summer blooms was a lovely greeting as we entered the shop.

Not only did we visit for flowers and brunch, we also made a stop off on the way home to Jim's Yard - a rural collaboration including Bricktree Gallery and the Salvage Shed. The latter was pretty much my idea of home shopping heaven; there were rustic chairs hanging from the ceiling, vintage metal signs stacked up by the door and quirky glass bottles galore.

I was extremely restrained and it was a good job too, as Bricktree Gallery also offered a range of art and treats for the home and I fell in love with a linocut print. This style of images has long been a favourite of mine, and the simple, clean-cut lines really appeal. There were also some very sweet imprinted key rings which would be perfect for an extra addition to a loved one's present.

Jim's Yard is located only a few minutes away from Sunnyside so we were able to combine brunch, salvage and art all by early afternoon! If you're looking for unusual antiques, salvage or rural artwork I would definitely recommend you pay a visit. It's also located right next to a B&B - perfect for a weekend visit to Lincolnshire!

What have you been up to over the weekend? Did you find a delicious brunch too? Any galleries / salvage yards you could recommend?

Good  morning! How are we all today? I hope the rain is holding off and you're having a wonderful time eating strawberries and lazing in the sun. This week has been a mixed bag and has definitely improved as it has progressed, resulting in a slightly less stressed household just in time for Friday evening. I've been taking part in the Big Blogging Bootcamp this week from Rosalium; six days in and so far so good. I've been blogging for a little while now and I wanted to focus my energies on what's really important rather than whiling away my 'blogging time' with tweaking visuals and pondering post ideas. As such, you might start to see a few minor changes around here (I've managed to sort out the colour scheme and have altered the menu this week) but they won't be major. Have you been making any changes to things in your life recently?

On my quest to improve I've been checking out lots of lovely new blogs, particularly ones that I wouldn't normally be drawn to, including the happy and healthy living focused Happily Polly. Her recipe for Raw Vegan Raspberry 'Cheesecake' sounds so intriguing that I'm going to have to try it.

On the theme of food, this Blue and Red Berry Ricotta Galette is something I definitely need in my life.

It's another recipe. But really - rose-soaked pistachio and lemon cake? Yes please.

These reasons plus many more are why I live the simple life.

One of my biggest beliefs in life and how we live our life as a reflection of that, is that simple living is the key to happiness and fulfilment.

I love Lincolnshire, so much so that I can't imagine living anywhere else. And why would I when it boasts Lincolnshire sausages, the rolling Wolds and fields and fields of spectacular countryside to explore? Looking for more reasons? Check out Emma's love for the county here.

Have you found any delectable recipes or have you read any posts you'd like to recommend this week?

P.S. Check out last week's Lovely List for some beautiful evening photographs and a link to blogging greatness.

I've never needed midweek motivation quite as much as I do today - has it felt like the week has dragged for you too? Regardless, after today we're on the home stretch to the weekend, so I will try to bear these words in mind as the day progresses.

Enjoy your Wednesdays!

P.S. Looking for more motivation? Check out this post.