Summer Thoughts

Oops… its been a minute… the past 2 months have gone by in a flash. I really don’t know where they’ve gone. I wish I could say I’ve been super busy with other bits and pieces but nope! Tbh I just went through a phase of not wanting to blog, paint or do much. I even lost all motivation on taking pictures and insta storying/ posting.

And slowly but surely, starting this week I began to get that motivation back. I think a change of scenery definitely helped – we’ve just come back from South Devon (the most gorgeous place!) – and I started taking pics again, got lots of inspo for painting and couldn’t wait to get back home and start blogging.

Sometimes you just need a break to come back feeling refreshed.

Instead of doing monthly recap posts, I’m going to try and do something a little different. I’m going to do some monthly thoughts.

I saw Kelly from Kelly in the City do her 10 thoughts recently (see here) and it got me thinking that I could do something similar – my own take on it. My thoughts each month – if I can get to 10 fantastic, but no pressure.

Because I’m a few months behind on recaps (sorry June, July and August!), here are my Summer thoughts:

Turning 30:
Back at the end of June I turned 30! Crazy how quickly time flies by… Thinking back 10 years ago I have no clue what I thought 30 would look like – it was so far aware but I was sure I’d have my s*** together. I think I’m doing fairly well… married to my best friend, actually enjoying my job, got my own house, got the most amazing friends and family I can rely on. I remember when I was little 30 seemed so old but I definitely don’t think I realised how good it would be! I still don’t feel 30 (or look it – still always ID’d) minus those horrific hangovers we never got at Uni or the aches and pains that come with getting older! I’ve learnt who my real friends are and who to spend my time on. Exams are well and truly over and I can do what I want with my time outside work. All decisions on how I spend my time are mine. The end 🙂

Living in the moment and taking it easy:
While having some downtime the past couple months I’ve gotten back into my reading. The was 1 week where I started every day reading my book before starting work. I finally got around to reading Normal People after watching the tv series but my favourite read had to be Where the Crawdads Sing. I’d heard great things about it and it didn’t disappoint. It kept me interested and was beautifully written. Definitely put it on your to read list if you haven’t already!

Until today I also hadn’t done any proper work outs in about 7 weeks. A few other reasons for this but the break was needed. I listened to my body and gave it the rest it needed. We made sure to do some walks and big walks at the weekend to keep our bodies moving but I’m now ready and raring to get back to the gym. This morning was my first trip to the gym in 6 months because of COVID. I took it easy but didn’t an arm workout for 15 mins and walked on the treadmill for 30 mins. I can’t wait to get back into swimming – something I’ve definitely missed during lockdown! There’s something about swimming which just clears my mind and relaxes me.

Stationery:
Anyone who knows me knows I love me some stationery. I’m on the outlook for some new notebooks and giving the office some cute organisation bits and bobs. I love rifle paper co but they aren’t easily sold in the UK (see here for their cute notebooks). I got this weekly planner for work and love it! Not too pricey at £9.99 either. Nice to see my week at a glance. I’m on the outlook for a daily planner as well so any suggestions hit me up!

Staycations:
Going to South Devon reminded me of how gorgeous the UK can be. We had the most glorious weather it felt like we could have been in Spain. A change of scenery was 100% needed and we both feel rested and relaxed. Having another week off feels amazing so we’re looking forward to taking it easy again this next week before its back to work.

Decluttering:
On our agenda this week is decluttering and sorting out some bits in the house. This included clearing out my wardrobe today ready for autumn and things that I haven’t worn in a while. I’m on the outlook for some autumn cosy jumpers, some jumper dresses and autumn/ winter friendly dresses. I also need some new boots this year. My brown and black boots are looking a bit worn and on their final legs so time to look for some new ones. I might even go for some over the knee ones but we’ll see!

Painting:
It’s been a couple months since I last painted. I just haven’t felt like it. But the Devon landscape was so inspiring I can’t wait to get the paints and paint brushes out. I got this sketchbook a couple months ago and  can’t wait to fill its pages! Artists I’m loving at the moment are Nina Brooke for all the seaside vibes, Emma Campbell for flower inspo and for something a little more abstract Camilla Jane Gittins.

Marvel marathon:
The past month we’ve started watching the Marvel films in chronological order. Its been good fun watching them all again – we’d forgotten how much we liked the Iron Man films and Captain America. 

Inspiration:
I’ve been pinning my favourite quotes on pinterest along with lots of flowers and all the tasty cakes! Check out this board for all the random quotes and inspo.

Chugging that water:
I randomly recently went off tea (I know! It’s so sad!) so I’ve been drinking lots of water and loving capri suns – very random I know! So I’ve been trying to keep those headaches at bay and drinking all the water. I find I drink more if its in a bottle so I’ve been using my new chilly’s bottle I got for my birthday – of course its pink! (See here) I love that it keeps my water nice and cool especially with this Indian summer weather we’ve had these past couple weeks.

Until next time,
Cathers

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