Life at the moment - November
The month of November for me was all about getting back in to the swing of things after having a few weeks off work for our wedding and honeymoon. I've allowed myself time and space to get my head back into the day to day after a few months of having our wedding at the forefront of my mind, and sculpting my weekends and evenings throughout the late summer months.
November was a wonderful month full of catch ups with friends, looking through our wedding memories and taking moments to stop, plan and sort out our home. The beginning of December has already moved at quite a pace and I can't quite believe we are nearing the end of the year.
I love capturing memories and documenting what I've been doing...Here's a little insight into my life at the moment and what I have been up to during the past month or so... Planning...using my oh so lovely Get to Workbook. This is my second Get to Workbook that I have bought as I love the space and size of the planner. It's a real investment and I love its plain and practical design that I can use and make my own, and the great spaces to plan and document what I've been doing. I spent the summer using this planner to help organise and plan all the elements of our wedding and keep on track with everything. This weekend I flicked through it and it made me smile as the entries see a shift in focus, from studying, to wedding planning, to plans for this space and our day to day.
Drying...these beautiful blue hydrangeas in our home. The hydrangea stems were part of our wedding day floral arrangements and I wanted to photograph them and let them gradually dry out to keep on display as a natural reminder of our wedding day. I love this colour blue and we will be buying a hydrangea as close to this colour as I can find for our garden to have as a lasting memory of our wedding day.
Sorting...out things in our home. I've been taking time to look carefully at what we own, and have started creating a box of items to pass to charity in the new year. I really want to create space in our home that will allow us to collate more meaningful items. I'm taking time to look through what we own, reorganise our storage to give space to existing things we own, and to make space for the new. I've been sorting through the many items we used to decorate our wedding day, adding them back into our home and creating a memory box from our day.
Making...seasonal handmade items at the Sisterhood Winter Camp including a wreath, cracker, origami star, quince and hibiscus jelly, a shibori dyed bag, and a silver ring...I will update you on the lovely weekend I had very soon...it was an amazing and such a beautiful retreat.
Listening...to lots of creative, small business and foodie podcasts from my list of favourites and some new additions too.
Photographing...frosty autumn leaves, the little moments from our day to day, and beautiful moments at the winter Sisterhood Camp. I treated myself to a new camera and a gorgeous new camera bag before our wedding day so that I could capture our memories through photos and video, and reinvigorate my long standing passion with photography. I've spent more time using my camera in the past two months than I have all year. I've found my comfort space and a real feeling of coming home each time I hold my camera.
Reading...a little stack of magazines that I've saved and have been waiting to enjoy whilst snuggling under a blanket after work and at weekends. Some of my favourites at the moment are Country Living, The Simple Things, Project Calm, Flow, Oh Comely and Breathe. During the week I'm taking a lunch break away from my computer and making time to read magazines and enjoy time away from the screen.
Printing...photos for my Project Life album for 2016. I started this project back in December 2012. Each year I collate my photos and memories from throughout the year. I'm running really behind this year but I don't want to stop this way of documenting my life.
Switching...summer and autumn clothes for winter layers and scarves. It's one of the favourite times of the year as I switch my clothes over in the storage bags under our spare bed. I get everything freshly washed and ironed and reorganise my wardrobe. My favourite items at this time of year are knitted jumpers, wearing my denim skirt and tights, and introducing the jewel-like colours that have been a firm part of my wardrobe for the past few years into my day to day. I decided to add a few new classic additions to my wardrobe, including two lovely long-sleeved breton tops from Boden, a grey knitted jumper from H & M, brown ankle boots and a long blue cardigan from my favourite shop White Stuff.
Reflecting...on special moments from the winter Sisterhood Camp that I attended at the end of November, the changes going on around me that are allowing me the chance to move forwards, and the lovely moments I am experiencing as I slow down my weekends. It has been a full year with studying and creating all the handmade elements of our wedding day, and for the first time in a while I feel so much more relaxed at weekends and I am taking time to appreciate what I do and each experience I have.
Writing...and working on ideas for my book and my plan to create a coaching business. I'm taking time to make notes and think through ideas of what I want to do, write notes for my book, and get organised. I'm taking it slow, I'm mulling over the ideas and I'm really enjoying the journey.