A year new, a new blog and new friends

Hey everyone- welcome to my first ever blog post!

I think it's quite fitting that this blog is on the last day of 2016- a year where I got a house, a ring and a load of new friends through @mylittlepieceoftheworld Instagram. It's been a huge year for me personally, and ending it with my very own blog is the icing on the cake.

I thought I'd make my first post a sort of @mylittlepieceoftheworld autobiography. Where did it all start, why did I decide to make an Instagram of my house, why I love it so much and what are my plans for the future?

My fiancé and I bought our first home on 1st April 2016 (thankfully our notification of completion was not an April fools). We'd been together just over 6 years back in April and the enormity of what we'd done sunk in when we first walked into the house with our keys in hand. We'd done it- officially home owners- and it was terrifying!

We had our dream house- and now all we had to do was add our dream interiors and a bit of TLC. The property was totally unloved, the previous owners only had it a year and hadn't done a thing. It had been empty for 5 months by the time we moved in and that caused all sorts of issues with plumbing, leaking pipes etc. We stripped the walls, ripped up floors, got our painting clothes on and got to work.

My pinterest board was full to bursting with ideas and that month was so exciting! I was finally able to put my home inspiration into practice and I loved every minute of it. In May 2016 the house really started to come together and I really wanted to share what I'd done with people- I was so proud of it! I felt that my personal Instagram wasn't the place to do this so I set up @mylittlepieceoftheworld. That phrase just felt so right for us and our home. We could have lived anywhere in the world if we wanted to- but we lived here and it was just perfect, because it was ours!

Months passed and my Instagram took off. There were so many people in the same position as me and each and every one of them was a pleasure to get to know. I was totally submerged in this Instahome community that I never would have imagined existed. My photos were shared by accounts with tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of followers, and my own follower count climbed as this happened.

I reached 10,000 followers on 18th December 2016 and I am so proud of what "My Little Piece Of The World" has become. From a place for me to document our home progress, to a whole community of like minded and lovely people!

To celebrate reaching 10,000 followers I'm holding a giveaway on Instagram which ends today (31st December 2016). Don't forget to enter today to win some amazing prizes from some of my favourite businesses, including Pretty Little Home, Khushi Designs, JLM Wax and Chelsea Prints.

So here's to 2016- the year in which I bought my first home, made so many new friends and got engaged.

2017- I hope you can live up to my expectations, and I wish every one of you a happy, healthy and beautiful New Year!

Lots of  love
Ashleigh x