Reasons to be cheerful #2: 10 nice things I've seen/heard/watched this week
on accepting help, getting ready with Nicola Coughlan and a knitwear obsession (which is fine in June, right- RIGHT?)
Good evening, and happy Sunday to you all! After parking up on my sofa last night to pop this post together- feeling very inspired and ready to go, I very much fell into a comfy cloud of cushions and a busy week caught up with me almost immediately (that, or the giddy rush of seeing Dirty Dancing was on ITV sent me into a Swayze spiral)- so I hope you don’t mind the slightly later publish today! Perhaps you can curl up with these with a nice cuppa as the football buzzes on in the background later, or perhaps you can see this as a little remedy to any Sunday scaries you might be feeling (and if so, sending you lots of love- I’ve dreaded Monday’s a lot this year, but I promise not all of them are stinkers)!
Anyway, this week has been one of my favourite weeks of the year so far. Following my birthday last weekend, I spent this week surrounded by family, bleating sheep in the countryside (as a Londoner, driving past a field of sheep triggers an instant reaction of shouting ‘SHEEP!’) and copious amounts of macaroni and cheese- and it was a real reminder that the simple things really do matter the most- I know I’ll truly never take for granted being able to have the time to holiday with my family. We spent five days just outside of the beautiful Cotwolds town of Cirencester, and trust me when I say a spot of rain and some unseasonably cold temperatures weren’t enough to dampen the beauty of this part of the world. The chocolate box-towns, blousy florals climbing up every cottage and quant corner shops make every turn feel like they’re plucked from a bygone era (in an attempt to not be a nightmare car passenger I had to really restrain myself from asking to stop every few minutes to take a photo). I’ve never seen so many beautiful homes and gardens per mile! It felt like seeing the Chelsea Flower Show in situ- but with a real wildness to it that meant although close to perfect, strangely nothing ever looked *too* manicured, and the overflowing brambles and clouds of cow parsley spilling onto pavements looked almost painted in. It’s a very special part of the world, and having it set to a background of rain pretty much meant it fully captured the beauty of a British summer (which is what I’m romanticising this June gloom for, anyway)!
We arrived home on Friday, and having had a couple of days on my own- I’ve just about had a chance to catch up on work, do a little loose planning for the next couple of weeks and dry *just about* all of the washing (where does it all come from?) I feel like I never have quite enough time to get on top of things (how does anyone manage to balance the motherhood/work/life/friends/love/home/cleaning/self care/exercise juggle?!)- any tips below are ever-so welcome (and I know a couple of my picks below touch on these things too)!
RIGHT! I hope you have a gorgeous rest of your Sunday- and without further nattering, here are a handful of lovely things and reasons to be cheerful for you!
One brand I rarely stumble upon, unless I’m taking a very leisurely mooch along a lovely London shopping street- is Brora, and I feel like I’m really really missing out. This weekend I discovered their new Skye collection (which is a collection designed in collaboration with two of founder Victoria’s daughters, Jesse and Lola) and it is SO beautiful. Although I’ve only previously known the brand for their cashmere and knitwear, this collection feels incredibly timely and fresh with pieces like this blouse and dress feeling very Victoriana and Isabel Marant inspired too. My particular highlight is this cardigan- the pop of red cuffs are BEAUTIFUL and I’ll be adding it to the very top of my wish list.