Sharing Some Blogger Love This August

Sharing Some Blogger Love This August

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Photo credit : Pinterest

Today, I want to show some appreciation for some special bloggers I've been loving and reading religiously this month. I love each and everyone of these writer's styles, how they present their blog and the photos that go alongside it. They clearly work their ass off to create wonderful posts for us all so here's a heartfelt dedication post to my favourite hardworking bloggers of August 2015. 

In no particular order...

Daisy (wildflowermakeup.wordpress.com)

First up is Daisy who is a lovely new blogger friend of mine. If you're a sucker for beauty posts, head on over to Daisy's blog to check out her latest favourites, a sneak peek into beauty boxes and her amazing 'Best Of *brand*' series each week or so. Me, being a huge fan of anything with aesthetics, loves to even glance down wildflowermakeup just to admire the gorgeous photos Daisy takes to show off her much loved products. I'm sure you will agree?!

Instagram

Bloglovin

Charlotte from (charbeautypicks.blogspot.co.uk)

Next we have my latest blogger friend addition - my twin Charlotte. We just had to get along, considering we have the same names right?! I am in love with her benefit product reviews and little lifestyle posts, as well as enjoying her current back to school makeup routine. Char is such a lovely character who you can't help but love, as seen through her writing. Head on over to charbeautypicks to check her out and let her know what you think!

Instagram 

Bloglovin 

Abi  (ladyhunter.co.uk)

One of my favourite fashion, food and all round lifestyle blogger definitely has to be Abi. After working with her a few months ago on a big fashion collaboration (HERE) I have fallen in love with her blog and have read every post since. I can't stop envying her style and pretty outfit posts. Abi is always active on social media so it is very easy to be updated on her latest posts - which I love, seeing as I'm a secret fangirl!! Follow her on these links below:

Twitter 

Instagram

Bloglovin

Maddie (loafersandlattes.blogspot.co.uk)

Like myself, Maddie owns a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog. She is the youngest of my favourites and I find it incredible that has created such a gorgeous and sophisticated blog. Maddie looks absolutely stunning in all of her images and I adore her monochromal themed layout. If you're looking for a great read from day-to-day, I would totally recommend checking out Maddie's blog. It was such a pleasure working with her earlier on in the year too. 

Twitter 

Instagram 

Bloglovin 

 Sarah (thatpommiegirl.com)

My final blogger favourite of the month is the infamous Sarah Ashcroft from That Pommie Girl. I have been an enormous fan of Sarah's 'outta-this-world' fashion sense for a year and a half and it just keeps getting better. She seems to be able to pull off anything and everything; a fashion blogger I'm 100% envious of. Even the simplest of outfits looks 10/10 on her!!! If you've been living under a rock and haven't so yet heard of Sarah, her links are below. Go on and admire her as much as I do!

Twitter 

Instagram

Bloglovin

Appreciating bloggers hard work is something that makes me smile. Blogging takes up a lot of time and effort, so appreciating ones work is something I'd like to do a bit more often. Hope you have fun looking at my favourite bloggers this Summer.

Who are your favourite bloggers? 

Lots of love

what's in the basket

what's in the basket

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It's all about the gorgeous yellow Safari Goldstrike leucadendrons here at Swallows Nest at the moment!  I'm so happy with the crop this year.  The flower heads are lovely and big, and the stems are up to a metre long.  They're a pleasure to pick, but they do present a problem for the poor basket, which strains under the weight and can't cope with the length.  I've taken to carting them on my shoulders instead!  

Tall Red

Tall Red

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August is the month that heralds the beginning of spring colour among the Leucadendrons here at Swallows Nest Farm.  This lovely leuco is called Tall Red - an uninspired name for such a wonderful plant, I always think.  It is a selected type of Leucadendron Eucalyptifolium, which is characterised by its profuse, pointy leaves and vigorous growth habit.  It is wonderful as a foliage plant throughout the year, with a lovely red colour and long stems making it very useful.  Sometime in August, depending upon the weather conditions, it starts to sparkle and make itself much more noticeable.  The foliage changes from a rusty red to a pinky, bright red with yellow parts in the areas that get less sun.  Gorgeous lime green cones emerge.  Branches are covered in these flowers making them a beautiful textural cut flower.

In the picture above, you can see the colour variation caused by the level of sun the leaves are getting. The bracts around these cones are creamy with a pink tinge.  The more sun they receive the deeper the red colouring.  Sometimes, the colour will change along a single stem.  There are so many flower cones on each stem that the variation adds to the charm of this plant.

The cones act as pollen presenters and over a period of weeks become yellow as they "present" their pollen.  They look lovely at this stage, like little yellow pom-poms.

This picture shows the lime green of the cones as the stems of Tall Red wait to be put in bunches in the packing shed.  

Tall Red looks fabulous in mixed bunches at this time of the year - imagine how it would be missed in this bunch.  Even though it has lovely long stems, it can also be cut down and the flowers used in box arrangements or posies.  Its multi-flowered stems add texture and colour with a long vase life.  A truly Lovely Leuco!