Unfiltered Thoughts & Joyful Things - Issue 20
The time I accidentally ruined my lawn, what the sun does to Brits, a mentally arduous school trip, the unexpected joy of wallpaper, French-inspired lighting, and a nostalgic nod to 80s lunch boxes.
As I write this, it is currently scorching temperatures in the UK. When I say ‘scorching’, this is probably akin to a mild day during an Australian or Texan Spring! Temperatures in the North East are expected to reach 25 degrees celsius by midday, and closer to 30 degrees in London. This is my ideal kind of weather; I can quite literally feel my body relax and my mind ease when I’m basking in these kinds of delicious warm rays of golden sunshine.
The only problem, and it’s not reeeally a problem, more of an inconvenience, is that I’m less conducive to work when the sun is doing its thing. I think this is probably a mindset shared by many a Brit. We long for these days so ardently but are rarely served many of them in great succession, so when they do finally arrive, we feel it imperative to down tools, strip to near nakedness and commit our sun-starved bodies to a marathon of sunbathing before the mysterious big yellow thing in the sky disappears behind black clouds, never to be seen again.
I came up with a solution to my dilemma of whether to work or sunbathe when I was writing my book last summer (which actually turned out to be utterly dismal even by British weather standards). Why can’t I do both, work on my laptop IN the sunshine, I wondered? Well, if you’ve ever tried to do this, it’s virtually impossible, unless of course you’re happy to render yourself blind in both eyes whilst squinting at the screen. Step forward the mighty laptop ‘tent’! (I say triumphantly as though I actually invented the blummin’ thing.)
It looks utterly ridiculous and isn’t wonderful if there’s more than a slight breeze BUT this has revolutionised my working days during the Summer. No glare, no squinting, and my body is bathed in glorious golden rays whilst I type away! The only downside is that I am served a daily reminder at how terrible I am at gardening, this being my view over the top of my tent…
There are pockets of the garden that look okaaay, but the lawn is in a terrible state this year because I’ve not had the time to do anything with it. A couple of years ago, I tried my hand at aerating the lawn; which basically involves creating small holes in the soil to improve air, water and nutrient penetration to the grass roots. It took me (and my keen ‘assistant’, my then 11-year-old son) a full weekend. Having never done it before, I wasn’t really sure what the process involved and not one for ‘wasting’ hours researching how to do a job properly or reading instructions, I thought I’d just wing it. Well, let’s just say I went for it rather enthusiastically, with ermm ‘interesting’ results. I posted the progress of my lawn ‘journey’ on Instagram and the messages I received in response were hilarious. The general consensus was that I had gone far beyond aerating the grass and had basically dug the whole thing up. This just about sums up my approach to gardening; committed and zealous in my efforts, with mostly dismal results ha!
Lawn disasters aside, there are some corners of the garden that do actually look quite pretty; I think this has been helped by the fact I’ve got some rather lovely bits and pieces of outdoor furniture (helps to distract from the dying plants and terrible lawn).
In other news, I accompanied my youngest son on a school trip this week. Having done many, MANY school trips throughout my 13+ years of parenting, I now consider myself a bit of a pro when it comes to preparing oneself mentally and physically for these events. Because, spending six hours with 30 extremely excitable seven-year-olds really does require complete mental clarity, adequate ‘fuel’, and the patience of… well, an extremely patient person (the opposite of me).
Preparation is key here. And this starts with your packed lunch (their packed lunch is easy; they’re so excited to eat warm, soggy sandwiches out of a plastic box and to not have to sit at a table that it doesn’t really matter what you give them), for this must be suitably filling to sustain you through the most arduous part of the trip; ‘The Last Hour’ where the kids are both tired, bored and over-stimulated (as are you by this point) and more prone to wandering off and general feral-like behaviour. Next up, ice packs. These are not for First Aid (this is the teacher’s domain), but to keep your sandwiches and water cool, along with your brow should you feel overcome at any point (highly likely). Hand sanitiser: absolutely essential; I don’t think I need to mention the number of germ-ridden, sweaty little palms that might find their way into yours. And finally, painkillers. You’re going to need these probably after the coach/bus trip there.
The aforementioned trip was pretty successful and dare I say, enjoyable for the most part! Of course, it goes without saying that the above is my light-hearted take on these parts of my kids’ school journey that I am privileged enough to be a part of; they’re not always easy but I do treasure them nonetheless. That said, the evening after said trip, my husband came home from work and before he could utter a word, I simply said “I don’t mean to be rude, but please DO NOT under any circumstances talk to me for at least an hour.” And off I went to a dark corner of the house to decompress.
Interior Inspiration of the Week
The unexpected joy of wallpaper. I say 'unexpected because when wallpaper is used judiciously and with unmitigated aplomb, the effect can transform the most ordinary of spaces to completely extraordinary, in ways we might not have imagined possible. (I’m still working on my conviction when it comes to wallpapering spaces in my home by the way; this is something I feel many of us need to work up to gently and slowly!)
The washroom below is a beautiful example of why a bold wallpaper works so well in small spaces; enveloping the entire space in the way a huge piece of artwork might. Its floral design is timeless but has a more contemporary feel to those chintz designs of yesteryear, and is complemented by the warm tones of the mirror and the classic wall sconces either side of the space.
Below, designer Annika Reed’s ‘Zig and Zag’ wallpaper, a modern take on the traditional stripe, elevates this dining room and proves stripes go with everything, effortlessly adding a touch of personality without overwhelming the room.
The faded glamour of this stunning Braquenie wallpaper for Pierre Frey feels as though it’s been on the walls for hundreds of years, a piece of living history almost. Without the wallpaper, the decor is, of course, still beautiful but it is without doubt the gently interweaving floral design of the wallpaper which gives this room such individuality and elegance.
Joyful Things & Links to Loveliness
I’ve been feeling all kinds of quirky this last week, and this is probably reflected in the eclectic mix of lovely links I’ve pulled together. I got lost down a cutlery black hole and struggled to find my way out again, especially after discovering these beautiful wavy ones, pictured below. I’m not sure how comfortable or easy they would be to eat with though, hmm. I’m definitely up for trying though, as they’re too pretty not to use. Also catching my eye this week have been candy floss-coloured globe chandeliers. I’m a huge fan of a globe pendant; their spherical nod to Art Deco design always makes me think of a French bistro. I love the updated take on this classic design with the pink hue; feels ever-so-slightly playful.
Lovely links, clockwise from top: Wave Cutlery Set, from Matilda Goad & Co; Ceramic Lobster Candlestick, from Zara Home; ‘Chery Blossom’ cacao stripe vase, from Vaisselle Boutique; Floral Cotton Blend Cushion Cover, from Zara Home; Traditional French Oval Iron Glass 3-Light Chandelier, from Lamp24
Whilst down a cutlery black hole, I also took a dive down a lighting black hole and ended up whiling away my evening looking at French-style glass pendants, and milk glass pendants. I’m desperate to update the lighting in the hallway (when I finally get around to the hallway revamp), and I think these would make the most glorious welcome to the house.
Lovely lights, clockwise from top: Romantic Vintage Inspired Glass Pendant, from Etsy; Nordic Modern LED Pendant Lights, (source: Pinterest); French milk glass chandelier, from Etsy; Frenchie Glass Ceiling Shade, from John Lewis
This week I have mostly been…
Writing, writing, writing. And LOVING it. I launched a second weekly newsletter for paid subscribers last week and have been blown away with some really lovely messages about it. For so long, I wanted to keep my Substack free to all, but putting together a newsletter takes quite a bit of time and I needed to redress the balance really. Some of the pieces going out in my midweek paid-for newsletter are quite personal essays and it felt right saving these for those showing such wonderful support for my writing. A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart to those who have upgraded their subscription, and of course to those of you who may not be able to upgrade but continue to read my pieces and leave me such lovely comments; it never goes unnoticed and I really am so grateful.
If you do fancy an upgrade, it costs around the price of a coffee per month. You can upgrade below if the feeling so takes you!
Crepe Sunday has a few additional participants this week as my son has had four friends to sleep over for his birthday; I’m estimating around 20+ crepes may be consumed. I shall report back on how it all went next week!? Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
I can't imagine that heat without air conditioning. The joys of being in the tropics are that even though it's sweltering every single day, we have air conditioning! Great article as always! x