Little letters of gratitude after a year of blogging:
- to all the lovely people who have stopped by for a visit on these pages
- and the even lovelier people who came back and told their friends
- for the amazing brands I have been privileged to work with
- and for every blogger out there who has shared their tips and tricks and helped me get better
- to my lovely friends and family who have supported my creative space and blog obsession
- to every person who commented (it really makes my day)

Thought I would share my favourite posts and yours, just in case you missed anything.  Thanks for reading and making the last year so rewarding.

What do you think?  Were these your favourites too?

Looking back its been quite a year!  I started blogging to join in the global blog conversation, and along the way I: 
- found some lovely readers
- met wonderful bloggers
- travelled all the way to Salt Lake City to be part of Alt Summit
- worked with amazing brands
- and had a whole lot of creative fun 

Its been wonderful and looking back I can see how I have grown and how the blog has developed its own flavour and style.  Can't wait to know what happens next year...hope you will be along for the ride.

I am dreaming of hosting a party with flowers like these incredible ones from Amy Osaba.  You know I would love to have you over.   Love the words floating above the flowers, would be lovely with a favourite line of poetry, or a great quote.  
Its a while since I posted some little letters, thought it would be a good intention to start the week with.

Little letters of gratitude...
Dear Miss J, I hope rainbow cake, a polka dot dress and being sung happy birthday always makes you happy
Dear opportunity, it sure is nice to hear you knocking
Dear readers, thanks for reading and commenting, you make my day
Dear friends, thanks for coming to the Biggest Morning tea and helping to raise money for such a good cause.
Dear Couch to 5K app you got me through it, back to fit after far to long
Dear Courtney at Click it up a Notch you just opened up the world of manual photography for me.  I always got to the word F-stop and stopped myself, but your basic tutorial showed me how.  This blog is going to look so much better!
Dear rain, thankyou for coming back.  The watertanks were empty and the garden was getting thirsty.
Dear liveFashionable, thank you for the lovely Genet scarf, I loved working with you and I love the scarf too.

Please feel free to share your little letters of gratitude too.

Autumn is my favourite season, clear warm days, crisp mornings, and cool evenings perfect for fires and cuddling.  Sydney has been glorious this year.

Posts may be slightly slower the next two weeks, its school holidays and there is lots to be done.    I will be attempting my first Ikea hack, finally tackling the shoe problem at the front door.  Miss E and I will be decorating mugs, testing a pin I have had on my diy board for years, and of course there is a birthday to celebrate.

I mentioned before you can now follow me on Bloglovin.  I have been using it myself and am very pleased with how its working - it doesn't spam your mailbox, in fact you can choose not to receive emails at all.  You get a sneak preview of each post, not the entire thing, I like it.  So if you are keen, click here to follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Enjoy the change of season where ever you are, and feel free to add your little letters too.
Dear neighbours don't think I am odd when I collect the leaves from the sidewalk, I am adding them to my compost heap and you should too.
Dear Ikea why can't I order online, I know what I want and I don't have the time for a long ikea trip, especially in school holiday.
Dear school lunches I am enjoying this time apart, there are only so many cheese sandwiches I can make without getting really bored.
Dear Fender why do cats want to play at three in the morning!  Its a good thing you are so cute because being waking up with a cat on my head makes me grumpy.
Dear Ikea hackers you are amazing, I am feeling very inspired and very handy after reading all your posts.  Lets hope my hack is a success and not a pinstrosity.

I had the absolute pleasure of having a wonderful photographer come and photograph my home last week.  Hope to share more about Maite and the photos with you soon.  
It was surprisingly hard work!  Not only does the house have to be show home tidy and full of flowers, but its amazing what needs to be moved because its reflecting in the windows or distracting from the shot.  A hint that all those magazine homes are not quite as they seem.

I was very pleased with how the house looked, it felt like all the years of planning and building and finishing (still finishing) were worthwhile.  And it was a real treat to have the house full of fresh flowers, these ones above were on my coffee table.  

I spent a lot of time tidying up those corners of the house that had got slightly out of control, and styling areas like the front door and our bedside table and en suite.  
I am thinking it should be a quarterly project - big tidy and organisation weekend with lots of fresh flowers and new candles as a reward.  

I am enjoying these little letters, hope you are too.  It makes me focus on the good stuff, and sometimes I need to be reminded there is good stuff.

Dear M family I can't wait for your Easter visit!  An easter egg hunt is always so much more fun with two families!
Dear Sydney weather be kind to us over the Easter weekend, we have lots planned that would be better with lovely weather.
Dear Grandpasaurus and Granny S, thankyou for the lovely and unexpected Easter parcel.  What a lovely treat!
Dear hot cross buns why are you so irresistable, its just not possible to stop at one.
Dear Easter Show I can't be bothered.  Crowds and show bags filled with junk, you can keep it.
Dear Miss J I can't wait to see you on the easter egg hunt.  If only we could all rediscover that one day you wake up and chocolate eggs have mysteriously appeared in the garden.

As always feel free to add your little letters too.  Have a wonderful long weekend!

Growing and eating our own produce has been incredibly satisfying.  It's pleasure to think 'I'll just go and get the herbs/spinach/tomato' take a few steps outside and pick what you need. 

Dear tomatoes you were fab.  We loved you all, every shape and colour.  Next year I will learn to trellis better and plant more of you.  I had no idea your fruit were so heavy.
Dear watermelon, you love I love watermelon (lalala)...you were a delight.
Dear passion fruit, you have put out lots of shoots but you were supposed to be bigger by now, grow faster!
Dear spinach you are a star.  You grow and grow and we can never eat you all.
Dear zucchini you were a flop.  You got mouldy and your fruit fell off, you are not invited back next season.
Dear strawberries thanks for trying.  Next year we will try let your fruit ripen before Miss J eats it.
Dear rainbow chard you win the prize for prettiness and hardiness, tasty too.  Welcome to the all star list.

We are still getting a few last tomatoes and watermelon but its time to plan the winter veggies.
Miss J visits the watermelon plant several times a day to point out "tiny" and "fatty", her names not mine.  I think she is going to enjoy seeing pumpkins growing.

Let me know if you have any recommendations, and please feel free to add little letters of your own.

Little letters of gratitude:

Dear sun: thank you for coming out today, we all enjoyed going to the zoo.
Dear Voice of Reason: thank you for being my valentine every day
Dear Miss E: thank you for brightening the world
Dear Miss J: for cuddles and kisses
Dear friends: thank you for putting up with my obsession with blogging and pinning
Dear body: thank you for being strong, I promise to get you fit soon
Dear imagination: thank you for always coming up with the next idea, life would be boring without you
Dear readers: thank you for your lovely comments, they keep me going more than you know

My friend Robyn at Every Bit Counts lost a friend unexpectedly last week.  He was young and fit and loved and is now gone too soon.  It got me thinking of the little things I am grateful for.  Sometimes they get lost in the hustle and bustle of getting things done.

I think I should make this a monthly ritual.
Feel free to add what you are grateful for too.
This lovely idea is from the Freckled Fox.