Spring usually represents change and there’s certainly been a lot of that happening during March, all of which I’m pretty pleased about! I’m not sure if it’s the lighter nights and milder weather, but after months I seem to have found my motivation again which feels great. I’ve been sorting things instead of putting them off and have even surprised myself with how proactive and organised I’ve been!
January & February Highlights
After blogging consistently for a whole year, I decided to take 2 months off as I had other more important things going on that I needed to prioritise. Last year I blogged every Sunday and as a way of keeping pressure off myself I’ve decided to blog when I want to not because I feel like I have too!
Whilst I haven’t been blogging I’ve been concentrating on my photography for Instagram. Over the last fortnight, I’ve began to feel more like myself again and as my series of monthly highlights posts have always been my favourite to write, I thought it was a good time to return to blogging by remembering some of the good things that happened in both January and February.
December Highlights
This post marks my last blog post of 2016! Cranberry & Apricot will be 1 at the start of January 2017 and I’ve successfully managed to blog every Sunday for the last 52 weeks. What a relief! I’m so pleased I started a series of monthly highlight posts at the start of 2016 as it’s easy to forget everything that happens each month and is a great way to reflect on the year overall. Here are a few things I got up to in December…
Newcastle at Night
It wasn’t until the clocks went back in Autumn and it became dark when I left work that I realised just how brightly lit Newcastle was. Usually when it gets to Winter I don’t tend to enjoy the darker nights but this year I’ve been taking advantage of them. One good thing about less hours of daylight is that I can photograph light trails earlier!
A visit to Edinburgh’s Christmas market
Although there isn’t much Newcastle doesn’t do well, it’s Christmas market is pretty minute compared to other UK cities. After reading about lots of festive markets around the country, we decided on Edinburgh and set off early last Sunday morning.
The European Christmas Market situated in Princes Street Gardens will light up the city centre from 18th November 2016 until 7th January 2017. Over 100 market stalls selling crafts, decorations, gifts and food transform the gardens into a winter Wonderland that can be enjoyed by all the family.
Grainger Market Christmas Night, Newcastle
Last Thursday night I was invited to the Grainger market in Newcastle for it’s first ever late night shopping event.
Set in the heart of Newcastle’s city centre, the grade 1 listed building is home to 111 small independent businesses. From handcrafted goods to locally sourced produce, the Grainger market boasts a wide range of shops that make for a unique shopping experience.
November Highlights
November seemed to be the month where I stopped ignoring things and finally got around to doing something about it. I eventually transferred most of my files from my Mac to a hard drive freeing up 600KB of space in the hope it would be back to running like new. I’m aware I didn’t really get rid of the problem, more just moved it elsewhere but out of sight, out of mind! I stopped ignoring the notification telling me there was an update available for my iPhone, deleted 2,000+ photos in order for me to update it and embraced the complete change, pressing all the wrong buttons for the first week or so. Oh and I finally sent holiday photos from May to print, better late than never!
Photographing Birds of Prey at DLS Falconry
A few weeks ago I went on another of Neil Atkinson’s photography courses, this time photographing birds of prey!
I met up with the rest of the group at the Rising Sun Country Park where I discovered that the birds stayed there, I’d thought the birds were being brought to the park just for the course. DLS falconry is based in the Rising Sun and is actually open to the public and is free to enter with donation boxes at the entrance to show your appreciation.
Hadrian’s Tipi launch night, Newcastle
Last Wednesday night I was invited along to the launch of Hadrian’s Tipi , a festive roman inspired tipi tent pitched just outside of Newcastle’s Central Station. Erected on the paved square between the glazed portico and taxi rank, the tipi has sparked a lot of excitement and certainly stands out against the contrasting and newly renovated station exterior.
The festive pop up is a creation of leisure entrepreneurs, Danieli Holdings and already looks to be a very welcome addition to Newcastle over the Christmas period. With a well stocked bar, wooden seating areas, fur throws, fairy lights and a log fire it certainly is the perfect place to escape the cold and warm up, be it day or night.
9 hole mini golf, Lane 7 Newcastle
Last week I was invited to Lane 7’s VIP Mini Golf launch to hard test it and of course (no pun intended!) spread the word to the people of Newcastle.
Located on St Jame’s Boulevard in Newcastle, Lane 7 brings a whole new experience to bowling. The boutique bowling alley is unlike any other in the area, with trendy decor, fantastic food and brilliant atmosphere, it really is the place to be.
October Highlights
October’s been a pretty miserable month and I’ve sometimes found it hard to still share such happy posts. At times it would have been easier to just not post at all but I’m determined to reach my blogiversary having completed a full year of weekly posts. I want my blog to remain positive as it makes me happy and has given me some great opportunites; therefore, I thought it was important to still share some of the more positive things that happened in October.
Afternoon Tea, Bonbar Newcastle
Over the last few years I’ve began thinking more about the kinds of presents I buy and instead I’ve started giving gifts that will give experiences and make memories such as theatre tickets and weekends away.
Last Christmas I bought my Mum and Gran vouchers for Afternoon Tea at The Great British Cupcakery. I used to think that vouchers looked like a last minute idea but I’ve found that Afternoon Tea vouchers have proved to be a huge success! What’s not to like about lots of miniature deserts and spending time with loved ones in a stately home or fancy bar?