Post Comment Love and Blogger Showcase 10 - 12 March 2017

Hello there and welcome back to Post Comment Love. If you were here last week, welcome back and weren't there some good posts to read?  If you're new here then hello, it's great to have you along. 

I've spent the week marvelling at Spring and feeling like I should be doing something, that I'm not quite sure what it is, and somehow losing a day as I went. It's been a bit quieter on here this week and if I'm honest I've been enjoying some time away from my laptop after a busy blog week last week.  When I have been on the laptop I've been slightly obsessed with a new broken link checker, and was shocked to find so many of the naughty things. Hopefully the mild obsession will pay off!

That means I don't really have a photo to share this week and true to form kept getting distracted as I scrolled through my photos to choose one. In the end I settled on one that somehow felt right, with its wistful look, it's a good summary of my week.

A DECORATED BEACH HUT IN DEAUVILLE, FRANCE

Bloggers Showcase: Zofia from Miss Fine Beauty

1. Who are you? 

I’m Zofia Fura and I write a beauty blog - Miss Fine Beauty - covering hair, makeup, skincare and beauty DIY’s. I’m just an average 19 year old who loves reading, beauty and drinking tea.

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

I watch a lot of YouTube, so most of the blogs I first started reading were Zoella, Tanya Burr and Lilly Pebbles who all inspired me to start my own.

3. Why did you start blogging?

I've been passionate about beauty and skin care for a long long time now. I am constantly reading beauty blogs and watching reviews or tutorials and I thought I would give it a go. It's a really fun hobby to have and I absolutely love reviewing products and making my own DIY ones. Really the main reason I wanted to start blogging is because I thought I might be able to help people. There has been a few times myself where I am searching for a detailed review on something I want to buy and it doesn’t exist, so now I write my own and hopefully one day I will help people who were unsure like me.

4. What do you find most challenging?

The most challenging thing I've found so far is time. I've got so much content planned that I want to release but just not the time to produce it all! Writing my blog posts is probably the easiest thing about blogging but finding the time to do it is difficult. I put quite a bit of effort into my posts and a lot of effort goes in to the pictures which can sometimes take hours if I'm in a picky mood.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

DIY’s are really fun to blog about as I actually get to make them and try them out on myself. You get to be as creative as you want and add in ingredients that will suit your skin type. They also end up being pretty cheap as well which is a bonus!

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

The main reason I blog is because I simply love doing it. It's the first time I've had a proper hobby that has stuck and I'm only enjoying it more and more as I go on. I would be lying if I said I'm not trying to get myself out there and promote my blog though because it would be amazing to actually reach people and help them via my posts. Right now, in terms of my blog, my goal is to get more (quality) content on there, get a larger audience, and interest as many people as I can.

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing by far is getting feedback. I enjoy all aspects of blogging; the writing, the photography, maintaining the site, but what I love most is when I write and publish a post and someone actually gets back to me. Whether it's a positive review or constructive criticism I love it when my readers communicate. Another thing I'm really starting to appreciate and love is the blogging community. Everyone is so friendly and so happy to help. I've had so many nice comments from people just trying to lend a helping hand. 

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?

I've not attended a blogging conference yet but I look forward to it. To communicate with the community is wonderful but to actually meet up and talk to other bloggers face to face would be great.

9. What are your 3 best posts?

These three are the posts that had the most time put into them photography wise and they got the best feedback from viewers:

• Look Fantastic January 2017 box review

• Glossybox January 2017 box review

• DIY Avocado and Honey Moisturising face mask

10. Describe yourself in three words!

Cosy, comfy, organised.

11. Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

Tea and biscuits all the way. Nothing I like more than a well needed cup of tea with some biscuits to dunk. My favourite biscuit to dunk varies now and then - right now: hobnob.

12. What's your idea of a perfect night out?

I don't really drink so my perfect night out would have to consist of dinner at my favourite restaurant (with dessert if there's room) followed up by a late night movie at the cinema, followed up by a cup of tea in bed - although that's cheating because that's inside.

13. Your perfect night in?

Laying on the sofa in a fresh pair of pyjamas with my feet up on my boyfriend's lap, along with a hot takeaway (varies depending on my mood) and a cold drink, watching a good rom-com on the TV.

14. would your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?

My mum has always said I have a kind heart, I’m not sure what that means exactly but I like it.  

Thanks Zofia, I don't think you can beat a cup of tea in bed after a good night out either.  Please do grab your 'I was featured on Blogger Showcase' badge. If you're reading and wondering about taking part, then do it, Morgan and I would love to feature you in a future Blogger Showcase!

Connect with Zofia's social channels here:

Twitter  -  Facebook  -  Instagram  -  Bloglovin'  -  Pinterest

An InLinkz Link-up

An architectural wander into Hastings Old Town

Last Christmas we escaped the usual rituals and London and headed down to a cottage in Hastings for the duration. Browsing through the photos on my phone - yes most of my blog photos are taken on my iPhone as it's always close to hand - I was taken by just how charming and quaint our walk into the Old Town in search of the sea was. That's such a seaside thing to do isn't it, head off to see the sea?

I'd been to Hastings many years ago, and remembered the funicular, mainly because my uncle tried to convince the ticket seller he was one of the children, and of course the six children found it hilarious. I've no idea what fare he paid, or rather my dad paid, because why would the child pay, but it's a memory that stuck. I think it may have obscured all my other Hastings memory as none of the rest of it looked familiar, not even the fish sheds (more on those another day), but then again at that age I probably wasn't that interested in them and no doubt the seafront has changed in the many years that have gone by.

But I'm not sure all of the views have changed, just look:

It looks so much more appealing than a standard row of terraced houses doesn't it?  You might imagine that even all the higgledy-piggledy-ness soon gets taken for granted but there is such a mix of architectural styles it was almost too much to take in on a single visit. Almost. It was one of those walks that was very stop-start, much to MOH's fake annoyance - it had to be fake annoyance as I'm sure no one could be annoyed with stopping to look at these, and on Christmas Day morning too.

I was fascinated by the brickwork on the house below, and the flower pots on top of the bay, which I presume hints there's an outdoor space up there. But even the ironwork on the front of the upper bay, and then the alleyway leading to another part of the town. 

And the more modern style of the grey, sleek and stylish house next door. It's a real reminder that traditional and contemporary styles really can work together, which is always a relief as I can never choose between the two.  Further along there's an old shop converted into living accommodation but in keeping with the street, retaining the fantastic - and dare I call it - vintage sign.

The colours too contribute to the general ambience, and it's not just pastels either as you'll see further down the post.  Unsurprisingly for a seaside town blue and white features heavily, but splashes of pinks and yellows and corals add to the mix.

I'd been looking out for the Piece of Cheese Cottage, and never did I expect it to be so yellow and cheese-coloured, or even shaped like a wedge of cheese, but it was. It's easy to see how it got its name isn't it?

Going back to colour there's pale pinks and brighter pinks, creamy yellows and cheese yellows and brick fronted houses too. Plus the coral or orange which on its own might appear garish, but not here.

As we reached the front the wood panelled or clapboard style buildings, and they were a hint of what was to come as we wandered around the fish sheds. It was eerily quiet in this part of town, most likely because everyone else was no doubt opening presents!

But we weren't quite done yet. We found an even more quirky house, whose outside was just full of texture and charm. And check out the name plate.

There was one more house that I insisted we stop and investigate and all because it had these giant plants and seedheads seemingly growing out of the building's foundations. Their shape though, made them appear to be decorations, in the most rustic of styles.

And now we really were ready for all the usual trimmings of the day, all that remained was to find our way back to our holiday cottage and work out how to use the oven!

The kitchen garden project at Blickling

I've been meaning to write this post about the kitchen garden project at Blickling for a while now, but it hasn't happened until now, and I'm not sure why. We were at Blickling looking for snowdrops and found so much more.  I'm a bit of a sucker for walled gardens, and kitchen gardens come to think of it, so a walled kitchen garden. Yes, complete heaven!

My pictures are unusually starting at the end of our jaunt around the garden, but it's such a pretty view I didn't want to leave it until the end; it's a view I think I could quite easily sit and watch for quite a while, preferably in nicer weather than we had on our visit there.

I didn't remember the kitchen garden from our previous visit, and it's unlike me to not remember such a garden. But as I read the notices I realised why, it was grassed over when we first visited and so I suspect it didn't hold the magic that these gardens so often do. But through a regeneration project it's being brought back to life and is already supplying fruit and vegetables to the cafes there.

It's a five year project and in the first year over 600m of metal edging was laid - perhaps I should get them to come and help with the edging on our circles, we could certainly do with some help!  They also installed an irrigation system and reinstated paths from its past. It was interesting to learn that in its heyday the walled garden was four times bigger than today, and in the 1950s most of the garden was put to grass, and in the 1980s it was briefly a garden centre.

It's fascinating to learn that they've reintroduced apple and pear varieties that were grown there in the late 1800s. I was keen to get on and explore the garden and so have only really fully read the information boards as I'm writing this post. I know I should read them at the time, but well it was cold, there was a garden to explore, need I say more...

And in fact there was more out than I expected there to be, and more than I'm sure I have on my allotment which is no doubt covered in weeds and full of neglect right now. In the photo below there's orderly strawberries, lavender and parsley and once again I wish my crops would grow so neatly.

Instead in the meantime I'll just drool in awe and amazement and try to remember not to cram as many plants into my beds higgledy-piggledy in the future, but no that that's most likely to be exactly what happens!

One thing that I won't be able to do, or have, is an espaliered fruit tree of any kind. But I can admire them and marvel at them, the ones here had some fantastic shapes, not fully symmetrical but characterful nonetheless.

The greenhouses - or glass houses whichever you prefer - were huge and reminded me of the ones at Heligan. I don't think I've ever shared pictures from there (sometimes I'm such a bad blogger!) but I'm sure one day I will. We've been there twice and I'd go again tomorrow if I could, it's such a fab place. And it has glass houses a bit like these.  Phew, back on track.

After lusting over the glass houses, my next lust full item was these bean poles, so much nicer than bamboo don't you think?

There wasn't a huge amount out, as I expected. Well, it was January after all, and I soon found myself being drawn back to the glass houses and to the cold frames alongside them. I love to see how these gardens work, clearly on a much larger scale than most domestic garden.  Peering into one of the cold frames, I was amused to see an army of black grass being cultivated.

And then I spotted one of the glass house doors was open and well, it would have been rude not to wouldn't it? Sadly as I expected it to be the rest of it was blocked off, but I was able to lean in quite a bit (all that pilates did pay off) and snap a few photos while I was doing so.

It's a fascinating structure isn't it? And I'm curious to know if those alliums on the bench above will grow into new plants, I've not had much luck with some dad gave me, and more surprising is that he didn't have much luck with them either. Maybe we'll try again, or maybe I'll just admire their structure when they're done...

So an interesting discovery, a walled kitchen garden that's being restored to its former glory. I'm pretty certain I'll be back at Blickling much sooner than before to explore the rest of the estate and to check on developments here too.  I thought I'd seen most of what Blickling had to offer, but there was still another surprise, and that one was indoors. More on that one soon.