Hey friends!

Happy New Year!!

This is only my second ever New Year’s post and I thought that instead of just doing a photography review of my favourite snaps, I would review my year as a whole and look back over the last twelve months. I actually meant to post something like this last year but the end of 2023 and early ’24 were too hectic, starting a new household in a place were I didn’t know anyone has been an adventure that at times has been really tough, but definitely worth it… so here’s my look back on 2024!

Ready? Lets go…

The biggest highlight of the year, has been properly settling into my new home, living in the countryside is so different to living in a city – my new neighbours are amazing! They’re all old school hippies and its lovely to be part of an old-fashioned community, where people actively want to be friends.

I’ve hiked through old mining sites, explored rock polls and woodlands, and even visited the odd standing stone, but I’ve found I genuinely enjoy just being at home, decorating, gardening…even cleaning (I love that everything has a place!), being in such a remote place I’m doing a lot more cooking and have been told I’m becoming somewhat of a domestic goddess! I realised that I now have a chance to live the Cottagecore lifestyle (basically having the time to bake/garden/craft) as much as possible in modern life and everything that entails.

Excitingly I built my own butterfly house (with help from a couple of my amazing neighbours) as a safe place to raise my garden friends, it turned into not just a place for my caterpillars to live but its also my zen place where all troubles melt away and I can enjoy the outside while reading or crafting (I’ve even taken up crochet) I feel like a kid with the best play house ever!!

Its almost finished and I can’t wait to do a post about it!

Honestly the worst sadness I suffered this year was that my best bud here sadly died of suspected lymphoma in September, she went blind and started having seizures over about three days, I couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering and had her put to sleep. As my first dog I genuinely have no words to describe how much I loved her (I know the whole ‘mans best friend’ cliché is kinda syrupy but its true!) I was totally devastated when she died and cried for about two weeks to the point that my eyes were sore. 

Thankfully my other dogs (who are much younger) are always up for a cuddle and although I think they loved their adopted mum after a day or two they seemed to have forgotten her, which I was strangely relieved about. Maizy claimed Hetty’s wicker basket and Ada claimed the sofa – when I adopted them I didn’t think what would happen when Hetty died because it seemed so far away, but now I think back on it I did really well introducing a ten year old dog to two bouncy terrier puppies as they clicked right away, but then Hetty always loved a puppy or a cat (or a guinea pig!).

I still really miss her, but have so many lovely memories.

Blogging progress, this year I’ve actually managed to post something 30-ish weeks out of 52!! Which is such an achievement for me – I know blogging is slightly dropping out of style (compared to TikTok and whatnot) but my views and favourites have majorly improved and I found some great blogs to follow though WordPress. My goal for the blog was to reach 200 followers by New Years ’23 but considering I stopped posting stuff for like eight months I feel pretty good that my current follower count is at 227.

I know its a tiny drop in the blogging ocean, but I really treasure every like and comment and I really can’t thank my followers enough! (Hugs for everyone!)

Current events/projects, I’ve pretty much got two projects on the go at the moment (fun things as opposed to serious life/work goals) firstly to needlework my way though all the butterflies of the UK – so far I’ve created 11 out of 61, but hey that means I’ve already finished nearly 20%!!! Although I’ve been given an encyclopaedia of butterflies of the world so I’ll probably start adding those when I’ve finished my first lot. 

My second (and bigger) project is to finish creating my Wildspace garden to help conserve nature/wildlife and raise some of the caterpillars that I find in the garden before releasing them back into the big wide world as butterflies.

I’ve recently had a hedgehog move into the house I set up for them – its silly really but even though I’m a grown woman I had never seen a live hedgehog before as I’ve always lived in the city and basically only ever saw them when they were roadkill.

It was quite exciting!

In just the first year of living in my new home I raised 113 various butterflies and moths (mainly Large whites!)

But for 2024 I was able to care and release 168 in total, some of them are now over wintering in my butterfly house and won’t be butterflies/moths until next year so once they (hopefully) emerge I’ll be able to write a few more butterfly tales which is exciting.

3 Orange tips

47 Large whites (with 41 more pupating over winter)

9 Peacocks

6 Ruby tiger moths

1 Knot grass moth

1 Silver Y moth

61 Red admirals 

1 Comma = 168 in total 2024 (281 overall in total)

The world around me, there are so many wars and conflicts that have been happening all over the world have been heartbreaking and my prayers are with all those effected. I’ve pretty much come off of social media – I just couldn’t handle how angry and depressing it was becoming which isn’t something I want in my life, it just makes my anxiety spike. Everyones still talking about AI and how we should be worried it might eventually take over the world (my opinion is if its that bad simply don’t create it). The cost of living crisis has been tough and I thank God that I’m in a blessed situation with a roof over my head. Hopefully things will improve for everyone next year.

Thoughts for the next year, In 2023/24 I chose to not set myself any goals (I felt moving house was enough) but for 2025 I’ve got a few things I’d really like to do…

Try to post something on here every week, even if its only a one frame. I feel this would be a real blogging accomplishment for me.

Learn to play a new musical instrument – I’m really hoping to conquer the violin this year!!

Possibly reopen my Etsy shop – it feels like a major life step to reopen my Etsy shop which has been in holiday mode for ages, but I’d kinda like to start selling my needlework butterflies and possibly even my other art, as a mean to fund my hobbies so that I can create more art and buy more plants for the butterflies!

Be involved more in my new community – one of my neighbours runs the local amateur dramatics group and they are always looking for people to help with pantomime season, and to take a more proactive approach to all the little festivals there seem to be here (Mayday was amazing there were even Morris dancers). There’s even a lot of habitat maintenance around the moor run by butterfly conservation which is a great way to meet fellow butterfly freaks.

Conquer one of my biggest fears – I suffer with severe anxiety and get quite worried that I’m doing things wrong or making mistakes, so by getting more involved with community projects I’m hoping to cure my nervousness.

I’m not sure if that’s being overly ambitious!

Well, I think that pretty much wraps up my look back on 2024! I’ve experienced some of the best (and worst) days of my life, met amazing people and learnt so many new things. Hopefully you’ll stick with me in 2025…Have you set any goals for the coming year? As always my friends I wish you a happy and prosperous year ahead. 

K

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