inspiration for a well curated life

 
 

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We officially have a ten year old in the house. And one of the best things about ten year olds is that they are open to alternatives to cake. I did a ‘proper’ cake for his party on the weekend (there is a run down of a decade of homemade birthday cakes on my Stories right now if you want to see it - camping cake!), but he requested a pavlova for his actual birthday, which I was more than happy to oblige with - love a pavlova. Seasonal fruits - blackberries and plums - for the topping, plus a dusting of gold, because it isn’t everyday you turn ten, you know. 🍁 Speaking of seasonal, this latest seasonal change has me really enjoying being creative and exploring everything from my own style to my baking and my handmaking. It's been a lovely few days of exploring creative ideas, and now that Percy is finally inching up towards full time hours in school I’m hoping I’ll have time for more than just creative thoughts one day soon!
Taking a moment to focus on some new things that are making me happy this week. I’ve been super stressed recently, after taking on waaaay too much (in my head Percy starting school meant loads of extra working time; in reality she’s only there for half days for another 10 days, Adam is away with work lots and I have approximately 9.73 seconds a day to get everything done. Not the best time to take on a ton of extra work) and I’m hoping that pausing for a few seconds to appreciate some of the nice things that are around me right now might help dampen down the general background feeling of ARGHHHHHHHHH that’s going on right now. 🕯 I am deeply in love with my new(ish) stumpastaken, from @born_in_sweden - I love its weighty practicality, and finding new autumn treasures to fill it with alongside the candles is making me stop and notice the changing season. Tealights from @the_candlebarn_company, which has lovely simple plastic free packaging and stocks affordable soy wax candles. I’ve also just taken delivery of the delightful book ‘Wreaths’ by @wormlondon - I made off with @camillawhitesomerset’s copy, and thought that if she was ever to get it back I should probably fork out for my own. Looking forward to a read with loose leaf tea in my favourite @pippiandmeceramics mug 🕯 What else? Ah yes, this is my second tube of the gorgeously scented AND plastic free Ben and Anna deodorant from @contentbeauty. I love Content for their carefully selected high end natural product range. I also grabbed a pot of @evolvebeautyuk’s daily renew facial cream while I was ordering. It’s not 100% plastic free, but it’s a good compromise (glass pot, plastic free packaging, only the lid is plastic) without sacrificing my pathetically sensitive skin. 🕯 And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use my remaining 3.4 seconds of peace to flick through Wreaths. See you on the other side.
Making no apologies for celebrating with a piece of fudge and a mug of tea after dropping the smallest child off for her first day of school. Someone commented to me that it is the end of an era when your youngest starts school, but it feels more like the start of a whole new chapter for our family and I'm excited to see how it unfolds. ☕️ But only after I've drunk my tea and eaten this fudge.
I'm not posting 'proper' pictures much this week as we're on a family camping trip and spare time for decent photos and editing is beyond me, but I'm updating my Instagram Stories regularly with our exploits, if you're interested in catching up with our adventures. Not a lot of wise words and deep introspection - mostly it's weather commentary and me enjoying Boomerang, TBH 😂.