If you've visited the Lake District before, chances are you've stayed in or around Windermere - the most popular lake - but this month we stayed in the Western Lakes at a National Trust campsite in Wasdale. It took a windy twenty-five minute drive past the lake before we reached our bed for the night, but the views made the single track worth every pounding heartbeat and scrunch of the brakes. It was breathtaking. When we arrived, angry clouds were seeping in over the horizon and the wind whipped my hair as soon as I exited the car, but for me that was all part of the appeal; we felt like we were face to face with the elements.

Wasdale is famous for being part of the 'nation's favourite view' and if scenery is your thing (as it very much is ours), this is the place to come. Every second was a framed photograph; I could have snapped all day long and still every image would have had an element of magic in it.

Whilst we were over to the west, we decided to visit Muncaster Castle. Home to the World Owl Centre, a historic, haunted building, a maze and tea-room, it was a the perfect way to spend a day in changeable weather conditions. Well worth a visit, and very child-friendly.

One of my favourite things about our holiday was discovering new villages, tiny shops, hidden views, and none more so than the Honest Shop in Coniston. With the focus solely on local and homemade products, it was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, local crafts and tempting cakes. We settled for some melting moments and a watercolour of a hare, but we could have purchased so much more. Do you have any shops like this near you? I don't know of any in my local area, but what a lovely idea.

This week has passed in a haze, a blur of emotions that still haven't settled. It has been the sort of week where clutching hold of the positives in simple daily life is the only way to make it through. Picking my first blackberry in the village, hanging out the washing and feeling a hint of a chill against my skin, travelling home through stretched, bleeding sunsets; these moments have been precious in the swirl of everything other. As a result, a lot of the blogs I've been reading have been focused on similar ideas and over the last month I have discovered a number of new favourites that I'm sharing in today's post.

Thistlebear hits the nail on the head with this post on simple, happy things (including a delicious-looking apple crisp).

I'm so glad I've discovered House of Humble - the posts embody everything I aim for in life and this week Michelle from Hugo and Elsa (another great blog) shares her five favourite things.

Autumnal photos have been appearing all over this week, but these are surely the best of the bunch?

If you're still in summer mode, though, Steph's post - Hill and Dale - is just what you need.

Let's hop back into another season and be inspired to have a spring clean for 'stuff and clutter'.

If you're approaching a 'big' age or feel like the years are slipping away a little too quickly, head over and read these reasons why it is a blessing to grow older. This week more than ever has made me count my blessings too.

Have you ever pressed flowers? I had a wooden flower press when I was younger and I absolutely loved it. This post from Caroline has brought back happy memories (plus there's a give-away too!).

Finally, if everything gets a bit too much, try making these dark chocolate seed and nut protein bites. Chocolate makes everything just a little better.

What's been on your reading list this week? I'd love for you to share what posts you've enjoyed reading or writing.

Late summer is one of my favourite times of year. The crisp hint of autumnal air is appearing on the horizon alongside the long lingering sunsets that seem to stretch endlessly across the sky. In the countryside, harvesting is high on the agenda and we are lulled to sleep by the soft whirring of the drier in the farmyard next door before receiving an early morning wake-up call from the tractors at daybreak. The owls are out too; their melodic calls float across from the tree-lined track and permeate the sounds of industry to signify that twilight is upon us.

Best of all, berries start to blush on the hedges and bushes, their tantalising fruits waiting to be turned into jellies and jams - when we have a free moment of course; this time of year is often so busy, as we prepare for the months ahead both in the garden and at work. My eyes are forever hunting out ripe blackberries to make my favourite pie, and when I catch a glimpse it is as though nature's treasure trove has been revealed just for me and frantic picking takes place until there's just enough left for the birds to peck and nibble on.

Long evening walks clear my head after a tough day - and there have been a few of those this week - but the cathartic sense of being outdoors and following the footsteps of nature as the seasons drift and change is what keeps me going. The fresh breeze on the back of my neck, the crunch as I walk through the strands of leftover wheat stems, the feeling of stealing those last few moments of warmth as the sun slowly sets; these are what I'm noticing right now. I always wait impatiently for the start of the mellow, fruitful season of autumn, but when I stop and think about it, late summer is so beautiful that perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself.

It seems quite appropriate to choose a quotation from Dead Poets Society this week. And there's little more to say on the matter really, except to remind that whatever dreams you have, cling on to them tightly. You never quite know when things will change, lives will falter, happiness will wane.

Perching on the edge of a camping stool, curled up next to the log burner in a tipi, snatched early morning moments amongst the dew; finding time to read this month has been relatively easy, and I have devoured a number of books as a result. I might have mentioned previously that I've been reading in preparation for a new book club with friends and I've just finished Khaled Hosseini's And The Mountains Echoed as the first book we've chosen. My opinions changed over the course of reading this, and it was one of those books that you can't quite work out until you get to the end and then every loop joins together and you have a moment to reflect and think, yes, that was an intense but incredible read.

I've also made my way through A Croft in the Hills - the fascinating tale of Katharine Stewart's life in the Scottish hills and her family's attempts to live self-sufficiently. Her simple yet evocative descriptions of the area made me want to up sticks and move north of the border - although perhaps not in the winter months without running water or electricity, as she first experienced.

Finally I've been reading last month's choice for The Year in Books - Shatter Me With Dawn (Sally Russell) - and although I found it somewhat less accessible than A Croft in the Hills, it was nevertheless an eye-opening read filled with country life with a strong focus on the animals Russell kept on her farm.

For this month's choice I've selected a book on a similar theme - A Year in the Woods: A Diary of a Forest Ranger by Colin Elford. I will be throwing my tweed blanket over my toes and sipping hot cinnamon tea whilst reading as the cusp of autumn arrives.

What have you been reading this month? As always, for more recommendations or to take part in The Year in Books, head over to the link-up at Circle of Pine Trees and while you're there, catch up on the other lovely posts written by Laura.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful Tuesday.

Our week away in the Lake District was wonderful. We walked, relaxed, frequented the local pub, got drenched in showers of rain and laughed our way back to our tipi. The fires flickered in the log burner as the nights drew to a close and our muddied boots formed footprints towards the blankets of our bed for the night. Not quite autumn but not the height of summer either, our trip seemed to fall in that slight change in the seasons that so many have picked up on the past week or so, and we relished every second, pulling the last few threads of summer from our jumper sleeves and pulling them over our knees when it got cold.

It has been a swift return to reality, so today here is just a snippet of our time in this majestic, towering region.

Hello and welcome to the final guest post of the week! Today the lovely Beeta from Fill My Little World has shared her thoughts on mornings. Beeta's blog has lots of lists (you know how I love lists), travel and food posts and I love her Sunday round-ups as they never fail to put a smile on my face - head over and show it some love.

I have always been more productive early in the day and still wake with the birds a lot of the time, but what about you? Take a read and share your thoughts. Happy weekend!

Morning - a time of day that has escaped my attention for most of my life.

Getting up early was practically unheard of during my teenage years. Staying up late, of course, required minimal effort. That was the morning I enjoyed. Quiet, eerily still - whirring of the laptop, an unhealthy blue glare, footsteps of a parent going to bed.

Thoughts masked during daylight, the early hours unlock and engage parts of the mind and strands of rationale otherwise unexplored. Real mornings are chaotic, short, wasted. Is this cereal breakfast or lunch? Missed phone calls, missed cups of tea with family, disappointed Mum again - she was itching to start the day. Stole her morning too.

Moving forward - mornings should equal routine. Productivity, like today. Forced or encouraged to interrupt my comforting dreams by a responsibility out of duty or love, conducted with intentions to crawl back into bed again, but spurred on by cool water, open eyes, sugar, a to-do list that craves attention.

Alertness may be a long way off. Daily repetition will be stumped by health. But, both ends of the AM bring beauty - a silent push for getting jobs done as the birds tweet and the sun speaks, rivalled and equalled by the creative sparks the stars deliver.

It's just a pity, sometimes, that sleep is a necessity.

Good morning campers, and welcome to Wednesday. Today I have the delight of introducing the wonderful Amy from Slice of Sunny - I discovered Amy's blog in the early stages of my own blogging journey and I haven't looked back since. The blog's tagline - 'Eat, Explore, Enjoy' - sums up exactly what to expect and I particularly enjoy her monthly instagram highlights posts - why not head over and check them out? Today Amy introduces her favourite cookbook, which has now been added to my Amazon wishlist in the hope that some lovely person will buy me it soon...

There are so many variations of cookbooks available right now that it can be difficult to find one fantastic all-rounder. But I’ve found it – and it’s called Good Things to Eat.

A quote from author Lucas Hollweg inside the front cover sums it up perfectly: “This is a book about favourite things to cook and eat … It’s about the food that makes me hungry and happy, the food that makes me go ‘yum’.”

Lucas’ book is a seasonal delight, divided into the standard chapters, like cakes, roasts, spaghetti – and some more unusual ones, like chops, gratins and summer and winter soups.

I bought this book three years ago when I moved out of home after graduating, and moved in with my boyfriend. I spent a long time choosing my first proper cookbook, and I’ve never regretted spending some birthday money on this.

When I got it home I sat down and marked up pages and pages of recipes to try, and it’s really helped instill a love and excitement for food in me.

Good Things to Eat has become a firm favourite in our kitchen. We’ll turn to ‘Lucas’ (as we call the book) for help when we’re in need of something a bit nicer than our everyday dinners.

We’ve even formed new traditions around the recipes. Every near year’s day, we’ll sit down to a steaming bowl of pork goulash with a dollop of sour cream on top. No matter how bad the new year’s hangover is, the smell of that goulash cooking can revive anyone.

Other favourite recipes from the book fall into my own ‘comfort food’ category: macaroni cheese, and risotto – which it turns out I’m amazing at making!

Roast sweet potato and goat’s cheese salad is also a winner, taken from the winter salads chapter – and the chilled tomato and cumin soup, from summer soups. Even the cakes are good: the chocolate marmalade slump cake went down very well at work.

This book introduced me to new flavour combinations that I use even without thinking now. It’s perfect if you’re falling in love with the kitchen and love good home cooking.

Good Things to Eat is Lucas’ first book, and he regularly writes about what’s in season in the Waitrose Kitchen magazine. The book is even listed in the Telegraph’s ‘Hidden gems: 10 lesser known cookbooks we can’t live without’.

The introductions to each chapter are personal, and I defy anyone not to do as I did and mark all the pages they’d like to make. The photography is wonderful and simple too, and the emphasis solely on the food.

Thank you for having me on Creative Countryside. It’s been lovely to share my favourite cookbook with you! What’s your favourite?

Good morning - I hope the sun is shining for you on this lovely Tuesday morning! Today I am delighted to introduce my second guest post of the week winging its way from Lucy and her blog From Lucy With Love. Lucy's craft posts always inspire me to get going on my own projects, and her writing style is so positive and friendly that it feels like you're chatting over cake when you read her words. Do check out the blog, and her wonderful 'About' page... Hi everyone! I was so pleased when Eleanor contacted me to ask me to do a guest post for this lovely blog as it is one that I read all the time and look forward to catching up with on Bloglovin’ with a nice cup of tea on a Sunday morning.

Over on From Lucy With Love I am a big fan of documenting all the little things that make my life happier and so, when I was thinking about doing this post, I thought what better way of you getting to know me than through one of my ‘Happy Lists’? I hope you enjoy!

Summertime Happy List

:: Sitting out in the early Wiltshire sun listening to nothing but the birds singing and the trees rustling in the breeze.

:: Bright corals on my nails and lips.

sweet-peas

:: Filling the house with sweet peas. They have grown like beanstalks this year!

iced-tea

:: Copious amounts of peach iced tea. I just love this drink in the summertime with some fresh mint and chopped up peach too, so yummy and refreshing!

:: Moody summer storms that wake you up in the early hours.

:: Ripped jeans, white t-shirt and converse=my summer staples!

strawberries

:: Fresh strawberries (in any form!).

:: Sunday afternoons wandering around the garden centre with my other half, enjoying the smell of lavender and roses.

:: The smell of barbeques in the air.

:: Lazy brunches with best friends. You can’t beat a catch up over pancakes can you?

Wiltshire-skies

:: Country walks with big skies, wild flowers and rolling fields. I love living in the country!

:: Wearing shorts with loose knit jumpers on a cool summer evening, so cosy.

:: That ‘schools out’ feeling that the month of August brings, despite the fact that I left school far too many years ago to mention.

:: Autumn clothing catalogues arriving on my doormat. A girl can plan ahead right?

Why not let me know what would be on your Happy List for summer?

Happy Monday to you all, I hope you had wonderful weekends! All being well, Mr CC and I should be on our way to the Lake District for our camping holiday (!) and I am beyond excited about switching off and leaving any stress at home just for a few days. I am also very happy to introduce the first of my guest posts from the lovely ladies at The Simply Living Blog - they are so positive and friendly and their blog is filled with inspirational quotes and envy-inducing travel photography - do check it out if you can; I'm sure you'll want to after reading their post...

Hi Readers!

For those of you who don’t know us, we’re Suruchi and Hannah, the bloggers behind The Simply Living Blog. We’re so excited to be posting on Eleanor’s lovely blog today while she’s having fun on her trip! Before anything else, we wanted to say a big thank you to Eleanor for thinking of us to guest post for her. We absolutely love her blog and are constantly inspired by her ability to see beautiful things all around her. (Plus she has a super amazing garden filled with the most delicious looking fruits and veggies!)

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If our blog name didn't already give it away, it's easy to guess that we love to blog about the simple things that inspire us and give us a chance to just enjoy life. Though there are lots of simple things we enjoy, there’s just something special about planning a summer picnic. (Suruchi was super excited about this one, as she is just a little obsessed with picnics…) So, we only found it fitting to share with you guys a little "how to" on how we plan the perfect picnic.

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We see lots of people putting together these extravagant baskets full of food and wine and dishes and flowers and everything else they can find. (Really, have you seen the picnic photos all around Pinterest??) We prefer a much simpler approach. You don’t need to bring everything from your kitchen in order to put together a great picnic! Just pack one dish plate per person, a few bowls that you may need for your food, a fun picnic blanket and basket (Hannah found the blanket that we used and it even comes with a handy carrying handle!), and some great friends.

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When it comes to the eats, keep your picnic food simple! It makes things easier when you can bring finger foods and you don’t have to worry about bringing utensils to serve everything. Here’s what we’ve found is the best formula for picnic food:

-A rustic baguette/sandwich -Fruits of your choice -Cheese -Drinks

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It’s a small list, but it covers all the basics and keeps things easier for you! When you’re going on a picnic, it should be all about the experience of being outside and enjoying your company and scenery, not worrying about spooning out food and organizing everything.

With the bread, we think it would be lots of fun to bring a fresh baguette to rip apart and you could eat it with the cheese or bring along your favorite jams. If you do a sandwich like the ones we had, here’s a little tip to keep the bread from getting soggy: put the filling or dressings in between a bed of leafy greens so that it acts as a separator between the bread and wet ingredients! Fruits like berries (especially in the summer) are super easy to travel with and make for great finger food, and the same goes for cheese! For drinks, we kept it southern and made some iced tea. Grab some mason jars and fill them up with your drink of choice as they make transporting drinks really easy and they even prevent spills! Plus, they keep things super rustic and seriously, it’s just lots of fun to drink out of a jar. (:

Lastly, just have fun! Going on a picnic is such a great experience if you’ve never done it, and if you have been on a picnic, then you know how amazing it is! It’s so great to be outside, eat good food, and just enjoy some time with friends. It’s a simple thing really, but it’s one of those simple joys that just brings a smile to our faces. (:

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We hope we could inspire you to get out there and go on a picnic before the summer winds down! Get out there and enjoy some time with people you love! We hope y’all have a wonderful week ahead of you!

-Suruchi and Hannah

Good morning, welcome to Sunday! Today's lovely list is not only a collection of lovely links for you to peruse at your leisure (with a cup of tea and slice of cake, of course) but also an introduction to the wonderful bloggers who have written guest posts for me for while I am away camping this coming week, and they really are a lovely lot...

Tomorrow is Mr CC's birthday so today we're having an afternoon tea with family to celebrate the fact he's caught me up (he's 8 months younger than me!) and I was so inspired by this easy Eton Mess (complete with coulis) recipe from Lucy (blogging over at From Lucy, With Love) that I've made it for later. I can't wait.

Speaking of recipes, this Aloo Gobi is top of my list to try once I'm back from holiday. We eat Indian food quite regularly and although I've never tried cooking this, Suruchi and Hannah over at The Simply Living Blog have convinced me I must. Any other recommendations for Indian recipes for me to try? I might even make a dinner party out of it.

The lovely Amy over at Slice of Sunny has had a wonderful month if this post is anything to go by. Her visit to Stockholm looks incredible and I really want to try Swedish meatballs now! Scandinavia has been top of my list of places to travel to for a while now and after following Amy's adventures it's still riding high.

Finally Beeta from Fill My Little World lets us in on what's been happening in her week in this post from her series of Sunday round-ups. I cannot believe the Zadie Smith fact; it makes me want to write my novel even quicker. Beautiful image of Paris in Spring as well!

Here's hoping you have a wonderful week, cross your fingers the rainy weather forecast will be wrong, and enjoy the guest posts!

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Lest we forget.