My Year In Photos

I probably should have written this post before the new year, but I have been feeling a little low this week so I decided to have a look back at my photos from 2015 and count my blessings...

January

(top left) I started 2015 off surrounded by my absolute favourite people which was perfect!

February

(top right)I cooked a huge vegetarian feast for my Mum's Birthday.

March

(bottom left & right) I got promoted at work and bought myself a red Mini which I have wanted for as long as I have been able to drive.

April

(top left & right) I went to Scotland with my mum and dad to visit family that I haven't seen for a very long time and Phil and I celebrated 4 years together.

May

(bottom left & right) I went to see S Club 7 in Cardiff with my Mum and it was a childhood dream come true, I never got to go when I was younger. I also celebrated by 23rd Birthday and spent a long weekend away in Paris with Phil. This was probably the highlight of my whole year!

June

(top left)We welcomed our new fur babies Alfie and Milo to the family. Sadly we lost Ruby in February and our house just wasn't the same without any pets. 

July

(top right) Phil won tickets to go to WOMAD festival from his work. It rained pretty much the entire time but this photo was taken during the few hours of glorious sunshine that we did get!

August

(bottom left) I went for on holiday with my parents to Turkey for a week. I love this photo so much it makes me instantly feel relaxed when I look at it.

September

(bottom right) This was a quiet month but we did have a huge get together with all of my best friends from school and their parents. 

October

(top left & right) We did very last minute halloween makeup and went to a party at a pub which was very fun. I also came third in my works bake off competition (still very proud of this cake!)

November

(bottom left) Phil and I went to Center Parcs for a week and had a relaxing time away.

December

(bottom right) I enjoyed a very quiet and relaxing christmas at home with my lovely family.

I was starting to feel like 2015 had been a bit of a non-year for me but looking back so much has happened. It is funny how quickly a year goes but I think I made it count. 

Autumnal Getaway

Last week, myself and Phil descended upon Center Parcs Longleat for a week of rapid riding, pool sliding, bike riding and general fun. I had never been to Center Parcs as a kid so I had no idea what to expect but Phil had fond childhood memories of the place that needed living up to.

We were both well in need of a relaxing week away and that it definitely was! It is so nice to be able to go somewhere, not have to worry about anything and completely please yourself. We booked the Aqua Sana spa for our last day there and it was absolute bliss, it wasn't over busy and there were 15 different spa experiences to choose from including a heated outdoor pool.

The only downside of the whole week was the price of eating out, we really enjoy food and eating out together but it wasn't realistic to do it every night (both of our bank balances have taken quite a hit). If we were to go again we would definitely take more food to cook ourselves as the accommodation we stayed in (Redwood Apartments) had all the facilities you needed to be fully self catered.

Phil about to cycle down the boardwalk 

My delicious blueberry pancake stack from The Pancake House

Firework display for Bonfire Night

Really it was just nice for the two of us to get to spend some quality time together and enjoy each others company. It was back to reality this week though...

Paris

This year, for the first time in four years, I wasn't doing exams in May. So to celebrate this, and my 23rd Birthday myself and my boyfriend went to Paris for a long weekend away. I had never been to Paris before and it is safe to say I absolutely fell in love with the city. I wouldn't say it was the most relaxing holiday I have ever had because there was so much we wanted to see and do that we were on our feet pretty much the whole time, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world. 

The highlight for me was definitely the dinner cruise down the river Seine which my boyfriend organised for me as part of my Birthday present. The food was as amazing as the views were and we finished the evening off with crepes under the Eiffel Tower which were so delicious!

I was also very excited to go to the bridges with all the locks on as I had seen them so many times in movies and I have always thought it was such a romantic thing to do. Not long after we left all of the locks were removed as they were too heavy and damaging the bridges so I feel lucky to have my own photos of them. 

Fujifun

Last weekend I moved back to Cardiff ready to start my final year of Uni. This means that summer has sadly come to an end, so I thought it was about time I scanned in the last of my holiday snaps!

At the start of the summer my boyfriend's family bought me a Fujifilm instax mini for my 21st birthday which I am in love with and have used so much over the holidays. I love having photos all around my room and these are perfect to stick up on my wall. The quality of the pictures isn't amazing but I love them just the same!

I think the camera itself is so cute and I love how excited people get waiting for the pictures to develop. Digital cameras really have taken the magic out of photography.

These are a few of my favourite pictures.

 

I have had such a great time this summer but bring on third year I guess!

Let's go to the beach

In July I went to Charleston, South Carolina for three weeks (it ended up being four weeks but that is a whole other story!) to spend some time with my boyfriend and his family. I took these pictures on an evening walk along Folly Beach. It was such a peaceful place and there was so much amazing wildlife I couldn't help but snap away. I took hundreds of photos but these are just a few of my favourites. I am a massive Nicholas Sparks fan and a lot of his books are set around the Carolina coast so I was especially excited to see a Loggerhead Turtle nesting area like he writes about in 'The Last Song'.

This part of the beach had just been reopened to the public after hurricane Irene swept most of the sand off the beach and tore down some of the original structures. It really was beautiful and I am very grateful that I got a chance to visit.