Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

How time flies, I can't really believe it's 2015 already. It doesn't seem like 5 minutes ago that I was stressing about where to spend the eve of the new Millennium (Westminster Bridge, in the shadow of Big Ben in case you were wondering). To be honest, I'm quite glad the festivities are over and life returns to it's normal pace but I do have to admit to having enjoyed the downtime, the excuse to have lazy days doing nothing in particular, the afternoons curled up on the sofa watching vintage Bond with an exceptionally early drink, whilst the wind howls outside. Long delayed books have been dusted off and read, cookery books pored over, craft projects finished (and new ones started) and there has been plenty of luxurious thinking time too. If you have stumbled across my blog before you will know that it was previously called Thrift Street Life. Although the name has changed the ethos remains the same and this year I intend to follow this a whole lot more. At the end of last year I relaxed a little and stopped trying to achieve everything and consequently enjoyed myself a whole lot more.  This year I plan to spend more days with friends and family, make more use of the things I already have and spend more times outside enjoying all the things we take for granted in our rush from A to B.

If I think back over the last year some of the best times have been so simple (and free). Combing the beach for shells and pretty stones, riding a bike through a royal park, discovering new places in areas which I thought were so familiar. For this next year I will try to do this more, to slow down a little and enjoy the here and now. Happy New Year!