Category: Journal

LIVING SLOW & SLOW LIVING

LIVING SLOW & SLOW LIVING

A Welcomed Slow Start To The New Year & My Plans To Keep It Up

Happy New Year everyone, a year i’m sure many were wishfully and hopefully awaiting, given all of the challenges of 2020. Although with everything going on in the US right now and globally with the continued spread and fight against Covid, you’d be forgiven for wanting to start things again already!

I personally, aside from the societal challenges around us all, have had a very welcomed slow start to 2021, with a leisurely first week or so of living slow.

One of my favourite new habits I’ve gotten into in the last few years is booking the first week of January off. The end of the year from a work point of view always ends up being exceptionally busy and hard work, and even though I also booked the week before Christmas off, I ended up working, emailing and dealing with things regardless … but fast forward to the first week of January and it’s the peace and quiet you wish for on your annual leave (and very nearly email free). Everyone else has paused, no ones manically trying to wrap things up before the Christmas break – spamming you 247, and my leave always feels actually restful. It’s perhaps the only holiday in the year where I feel like I get a real closure from work. So over the last few years I’ve really made a point to book the first week off and give myself a slow and restful start to the year, i’d highly recommend it.

Given the UK is in tier 5, an effective national lockdown, and I am still home following my return in December for the holidays, there’s not been much to do except stay home and chill out. It’s not like I needed much excuse anyway, but the new year so far has consisted almost solely of Netflix binge watching and spending time with my family at home. I have a knack for being able to do little without much boredom or itchy feet to get out, sometimes I feel a little guilty i’m not capitalising on the ability to go for walks with Ruby, exercise or read my mountain of half read books, but at the same time, my lazy bottom is very happy laying on the sofa in front of a log fire in my comfy clothes. So the latter is what i’ve been doing.

It’s a luxury that’s rarely afforded in everyday life, and so rather than beat myself up, i’m enjoying the time I have to do this.

Whilst a whole year of this type of slow living is nigh on impossible given the need and demands of working life (and perhaps this much slothing would lose it’s novelty after a few weeks anyway, not to mention mean my physical health would take an unhealthy drop – i’m probably averaging 94 steps a day), there are a few takeaways for me, and perhaps you, that I would like to carry ahead into 2021 and beyond.

Time to do nothing. Slowing Down. Living Slow.

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

The last decade has felt consistently and increasingly fast, pacey and demanding, and 2020 was the first moment the rat race has been slowed down for me and it certainly has made me realise how I need those pauses and that generally slower pace – spending time where it matters, not just where’s shouting loudest. And not relying solely on holidays and weekends for slowing down, but setting boundaries and better prioritising so life more generally is calmer, more considered and less stressful. Of course you can’t rely on a global pandemic to give you those rest bites, reminders and to force you to ‘stay home’ (and nor would I want more of them either), but it’s become much clearer to me as a result of the last year that I want to live more slowly, to stop rushing, and sometimes to do nothing at all.

Slow Living. On Purpose.

I want weekends with no plan so that we simply can wake up and … just be. Time off work without a packed social agenda or exhausting travel plans, time to sit on the sofa, read a book, go for a walk, sit in the garden, bake a banana bread, do some yoga. Do something or do nothing, it doesn’t matter, there is no plan or expectation. Just time, to enjoy, to appreciate, to soak up and appreciate the mundane.

Aside from last year, when we had no choice but to slow down and spend our weekends and annual leave finding joy in doing little and living slowly, when was the last time you took time away from work to simply do nothing? When was the last time you weren’t rushing, cramming and speeding through the day, week, month year?

I appreciate for many the thought of more of ‘this’ probably fills you with dread and fear given we’re locked in and have been for so long (and I imagine more so if you’ve not been able to work too – for me nothing changed here, my job and week was just as demanding if not more but I got to lose the commute, the lack of self care and had the comfort of working from my own home), but to be honest it’s the thought of returning to the pace, demands and stress of life before that fills me with dread. I’m not sure I could physically keep up with my old self anymore.

“The great benefit of slowing down is reclaiming the time and tranquility to make meaningful connections–with people, with culture, with work, with nature, with our own bodies and minds” Carl Honoré

Of course it’s not ‘doing nothing’, theres a beauty to living slowly and wonder to be found in slow living that is far more than doing nothing. It’s about finding an appreciation in the small things, not packing life to the brim in the search of ‘more’, ‘next’, or ‘purpose’. Finding joy in the smallest of everyday moments when we give it the time and appreciation it deserves. Taking time to cook and prepare your food, having dinner together, talking, and enjoying the food rather than rushing & watching the clock as it’s already 9pm and you’ve got more work to get back to. It’s enjoying a mindful slow start to the morning, a cup of tea in bed for me, rather than the usual panicked race to not be late in the office. It’s making a point of going outside for a walk and having an appreciation for nature because it’s a luxury to be able to get out, breathe in the air, and soak up the wildlife. It’s not rushing, not doing too much, not over committing, not over filling, not over pressurising yourself everyday. It’s not taking for granted the simple, yet often overlooked, moments and wonder in life. And critically, it’s not filling your time with things that don’t add any value to YOU, your happiness, your health and your life.

I saw something recently on instagram which read something along the lines of ‘productivity is not about getting all my work done, it’s about balancing all the things I need to be healthy, happy and live’ – which really hit home to me. Slow living to me isn’t just about living slowly, it’s about boundaries, balance and prioritisation – allowing the important things time.

” …slow living is not about living your life in slow motion; it’s about doing everything at the right speed and pacing instead of rushing. By that same logic, slow living is not about losing time by going slowly; it’s about gaining time by doing the things that are most important to you.” Kayleigh Dray

If you haven’t watched Disney’s Soul yet, then I also recommend a weekend movie afternoon to watch it. We can waste so much time chasing a future life we think we need or want (perhaps it’s work, money, finding a purpose or our spark, or living for ‘when we have X we can be happy’), when in reality finding beauty and appreciation in every day moments, living for today, and having gratitude for what we do have, is what ultimately makes our life fulfilling and wonderful.

The long and short of it is, whilst I’ll never stop work, travel and socialising (they are all things I love and miss dearly), I will ensure I spread things out in my diary, make time for nothingness and slowing down, protect and prioritise my time to ensure that each day reflects all that is important to me (including my health and my mind, not just a work to do list) and perhaps just stop squeezing so much in, stressing about things that aren’t important to me and rushing to do everything right now.

I want to maintain some of this slow living i’ve discovered, and continue to reap the many benefits of living slowly, mindfully, and consciously.

January 9, 2021
CHRISTMAS 2020

CHRISTMAS 2020

A Little Festive Note From Me, To You

Well, what other way to start a 2020 Christmas note than by saying ‘What a year’. No one could have seen this year coming, let alone imagined a year like it. From lockdowns, new tiers coming out of our ears, a year working from home, so much time away from friends and family, a scary health crisis to combat, and of course most recently Christmas turned on its head, this year has been one for the books that’s for sure.

Despite the obvious negatives of 2020, of which there are many for many different people, there have been positives for me. My health has personally benefitted from finally pausing, the hamster wheel got firmly dislodged, and the ability to work from home, not commute, slow down and simplify my daily life has been a true blessing. Something I know i’ve needed for years but could never quite create myself, nor had the ability, courage or circumstance to stop and change things. This year did it all for me, and I know many in similar shoes.

Whilst this year has in parts required even more working hours than normal, the reality is, working from home, in my own space, with my own comforts, food and company makes things so much less stressful for me personally. The stress of rushing into and home from London every day, always panicking i’ll be late, stressing about the trains / making meetings on time / running left right and centre is definitely an unnecessary burden that i’ve been grateful not to have this year, and it’s amazing how much better i’ve felt in myself not having those extra stresses.

I certainly didn’t fall in the camp of productivity, new hobbies and tackling my book pile, despite some early attempts – in fact I totally fell out of my usual yoga routine and in the last few months especially I barely found time to go for a walk in the week let alone take up art and crafts, but even still, just time for a cup of tea before I start work and being able to eat dinner at a normal time was enough to be life changing for me.

In fact, this year I fell out of blogging somewhat too, perhaps the lack of travel, exploration and going out, combined with a busy year working, I just felt a bit lack lustre on inspiration and then in turn content to share too. Whilst we did get into our new home, and our renovations are (very very nearly) all finished, we’re still waiting on lots of our furniture to arrive, so it hasn’t felt quite ready to photograph and share over here yet.

But for some reason I feel optimistic about 2021, my creative inspiration is coming back to me, our new furniture will all arrive in the next few months, i’ve got exciting things in the pipeline, posts in my drafts and hopefully i’ll find a bit more time for creativity and life too.

So thank you for bearing with me this year, and for still coming to visit despite the lack of regular posts and inspiration. I know my content has been sporadic but hey, that’s 2020 in a nutshell isn’t it?

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

Christmas 2020

I know this Christmas has been thrown in the air for those of us in the UK (and in fairness, many other countries too), with Tier 4 in the mix and Christmas allowances cancelled things can feel a little scary and lonely. But if there’s one thing for sure, now is a time for making new traditions as smaller families or couples, keeping up those Christmas traditions that we’re still able to (mince pies for Santa, plenty of Christmas movies, a traditional Christmas dinner and festive games well into the evening – perhaps just over zoom this year, not to mention filling your homes with Christmas decorations and cheer, an immediate way to make me feel happy inside) … and of course being grateful for the things we do all have in our lives.

I know for many this Christmas will be far from perfect or ‘normal’, just know you’re not alone and that you can still create that Christmas magic in your own, new way this year …

and if all else fails, it’s only 367 days until Christmas 2021.

December 23, 2020
WHY BEING THE JACK OF ALL TRADES, MIGHT ACTUALLY BE THE ANSWER

(more…)

September 4, 2020
LOCKDOWN ON FILM: A 35MM FILM DIARY

LOCKDOWN ON FILM: A 35MM FILM DIARY

A Personal Visual Diary From March – June 2020

Hi everyone, i hope you’ve all been keeping well. It’s been a while since my last post, sorry about that, there’s no real reason except i’d been delaying going through the mammoth task of organising this film into a blog post. Often it’s the bit I enjoy the least – formatting all the images into one little story. I take far too many images and struggle to cut them down into something that’s not a dissertation. Anyway, I finally got round to pulling together my lockdown film to share with you all – and so that’s really what this post is. A little visual diary of my lockdown from a couple of days prior to the offices closing, at Soho Farmhouse, to the days spent inside our home during the ‘stay home’ period, to some moments spent outside, walking in the park and getting out and about in the local area. I’ve been meaning to share this for sometime, but I captured a good 4 or 5 films, and just hadn’t got around to editing the collection down for a post.

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0″][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”] [/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”] [/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”] [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

I finally had a week off work last week though, my first of the year which is mad for me, and i’ve got a renewed energy which i’m putting to good use. I’ve also got a couple of more film posts to share with you all from my weekend a few weeks ago, and most recent week in Cornwall (i went to St Agnes for four days last week). So I’ll have a couple more (or one big bumper) posts to share with you all soon.

I’ve also got some big ideas that I am working through in my mind, and i think and hope that a bit of that will come through over here on mediamarmalade.com in the coming weeks – a big focus on wellbeing and the ongoing struggle of finding life, work and health balance. I’ve been thinking about a big opportunity / new business / platform centred in this space – i’ve got so many ideas for the various ways it can manifest, and I think it’ll start with more regular content from me over here, on the topic of wellbeing. To start things off i’ve added a little wellbeing section to the home page too and a dedicated section of this site for all my wellbeing posts. :)

I’d love to also hear from you what you enjoy seeing on the blog, and the sorts of content you’re enjoying reading lately? I’d love to get back into the rhythm of writing and sharing with you more – i realise more and more how therapeutic I find it once i’m in the rhythm and through the ‘backlog’ of images.

August 11, 2020
JOURNAL: PERSONAL MUSINGS ON A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIVING

JOURNAL

Personal Musings On A Different Way Of Living

I had Friday off last week.

It was much needed after two weeks of 11pm finishes and a rather pressured period of work. I didn’t do much with it, and I think in large that’s the beauty.

I’ve come to realise during this period of isolation and lockdown, that doing not much at all rather suits me, but it’s not really something that life allowed for ‘before’. I’m sure you can relate, any moment not spent working packed with to do lists, events and scheduled time to ‘relax’. Of course there are things I’ve missed and would never lose, time with loved ones and travel in every sense of the word (exploring new cities, holidaying, staycations, weekends home) – but what I’ve come to love are those days that have nothing but a vast space of time ahead in them. No plans to have to work around, no lists of things to tick off (albeit I still end up making these, but the contents are more like shower, read, bake than ‘be here by 6pm’).

It’s been years since I had days like those, probably university, or if not then before … the sorts of days that as a kid you’d find boring and dull and moan at your parents to fill with activities, but as an adult are so rare and full of opportunity and calm that you wish for them more than once in the blue moon.

So Friday I had my day off. I laid in until about 930am before a cup of tea in bed. I read a little. I cleaned. Unpacked some new deliveries I’d received (more books, an unhealthy addition that’s worsened in lock down). Read. Sat in the garden. Enjoyed some lunch with Jase. Read. Baked a banana bread. Played some music. Pottered around. Cooked us dinner. Watched a movie. Slept. A day full of nothing really, but in reality packed with so much goodness.

– Rest, creativity, organisation, calm. –

What I’ve come to realise is when I have those moments or days where ‘time’ has opportunity attached to it, rather than an overwhelming sense of places to be and things to have done, my creativity comes out. I’ve noticed it in a few forms – reading, creating art, watching movies, ‘designing’ the house layout, and of course photography. Photography is the form of creativity I fall on most often as my camera is often attached to my hip and I love the ability to capture a moment and share it with you on here. Reading I fall into binges of, but typically this would be on holiday rather than a few pages here or there. Whilst I may not have finished many books this lock down, I’ve been stealing snippets here or there of tons of new books, mostly philosophical or creative books, and having the mental and physical time to indulge myself is a great pleasure. But the best thing on those days of nothing, is that I can pick it up when I choose and feel like it, rather than have that 30 designated minutes to force reading, creativity to something into. The other thing I’ve (finally) been doing is putting some of my creative tools to use; paints, paintbrushes, sketchbooks, journals, creative books. I’ve been buying (in unhealthy amounts) everything and anything I find that sparks my interest when it comes to artist and creativity equipment – I can see the psychology in my behaviour, buying things in a desperate attempt to facilitate and find a way to release the creativity inside. But I finally put them to use and have been doing little sketch tutorials and following a watercolour guild here or there.

I’ve talked about this all somewhat regularly over the lockdown period on my blog, so apologies if it feels like repetition; the truth is, it’s because it’s what I’m enjoying and thinking about the most.

In fact, going back to Friday, after a day of total indulgence in nothing; reading, thinking, relaxing. I started thinking about all the things I loved and what they could become in the future – the potential for them to shape a different way of living even.

Could I be an interiors photographer perhaps, documenting luxury hotels and high end residential. Merging my passion of interiors, travel and photography into a creative business. I thought about, writing and pushing my love for travel further in this space. The pipe dream once was to be an editor. Was there something in that? I often think about boutique stores stocking my favourite stationary, clothes and interiors. None of these new thoughts, but ideas and creative sparks that fly in an out of my conscious every month or so – outlining little trails for alternative paths and seeds for thoughts to grow from. Travel (and being by the sea), interiors and photography themes running through my veins constantly.

My thoughts and musings of an ideallic, peaceful way of living supported through a creative outlet (oh the dream right?) on Friday were compounded by the search for a weekend away in Cornwall. I’d been looking at the most beautiful home stays, coastal properties with sea views and just the most stunning interiors, as a potential break for later this year – and I think all of this combined got my creative sparks flying for what an alternative way of living might look like.

Anyway, I decided to throw my thoughts to Jase. Bounce around the ideas and potential themes of my musings. He Humoured me well – I am most definitely a thinker and sometimes I need someone to share and make sense of what my head is spinning out.

And what he came back with, in regards to my myriad of questions, thoughts and ideas, was something quite interesting, and actually a spot on response (he knows me well after 12 years). He said my interest in design is broad, perhaps too broad to be pigeon holed into one discipline – photography, interiors, travel, writing etc. That in fact, I’m a little loftier in my visions and ideas. I don’t necessarily want to be the grafter writing to deadlines, or the photographer creating someone else’s editorial, but actually my personality, approach and skillset is more akin to an editor curating the vision and bringing together the ideas and pieces to create the whole.

– The conductor, less the violinist. –

I felt the greatest lift from my shoulders on his response. He was utterly right and it was a relief to make sense of things in my mind, to bring some order. I like being the leader, I have a vision and I like orchestrating the component parts into something beautiful. (In fact in a way that is very similar to my actual job.) I understand some of the creative elements I love to varying standards, photography, writing, interiors, etc. But to do just one wouldn’t fulfil me – and I’m probably not ‘honed’ enough really to be the master of one of those single creative disciplines. I need and want a bit of all of those things, and once again it bought me back to why this blog has meant so much to me. It is the creative space in which I am the editor. It’s a small taste for something bigger and broader that could combine all of the creative and design elements I enjoy.

Someone in the past had mentioned ‘directors’, in the same vein as editors, to me, as a way of making sense of my thoughts and grapples with releasing my creativity. Often having such a clear idea but never really being able to create myself the exact thing I had in mind.

And Jase was right, I love too many elements of design to want to only do one thing, they’re also all hobbies versus a nurtured career path. The opportunity perhaps is in creating something that touches all of those elements in some form, and brings them all together.

There isn’t an answer. Like I said it is mostly day dreams, that flitter in and out from time to time. But it did get me thinking of some ideas for future projects. Thoughts on creating a different way of living, involving more of my passions and making it more of a reality than some intangible dream of being an editor.

Creativity, the coast, writing, photography, interiors; bringing together disparate elements of my hobbies and passions, into something unified, that could hold the potential to shape a way of life too.

Being able to articulate and order my thoughts actually gave me some form of creative release and direction too. Something I very much needed to help my creativity (and most critically remove the shackles I put on myself) … I don’t have to be the master of one art form or have it figured out, simply having fun trying ideas out, dabbling in sketching, painting, writing and reading is perfect enough regardless of any bigger thoughts.

– in fact within all the creativity books I’ve read, the single consistent is to enjoy the process, rather than try to create the perfect output, especially as a beginner –

The joy is in the journey. One thing that‘s truer than ever is how much I need and enjoy those creative releases and making time for them must be something I prioritise more. Regardless of whether they were a future job or a simple hobby and creative outlet for fun. Aside from photography, it’s probably been years since I thought about journaling or drawing, and yet now the space has been created these are the things I’ve come back to. And I love it.

–

If you made it this far through my ramblings and musings, very well done. This blog was much more for me to write and clear my thoughts than to mean anything constructive or valuable to you, but you never know, sometimes it’s these brain dumps that people resonate the most with. Utter truth, nonsense and unfiltered subconscious coming to the conscious.

June 28, 2020
IPHONE ARCHIVES: MALIBU SUNSET

FROM THE IPHONE ARCHIVES

Los Angeles: Malibu Sunset

It’s very rare I ever share photos from my iPhone, I’m usually quite the snob and I do love the bokeh my canon creates. That said whilst I was in Los Angeles last winter I couldn’t help but constantly snap the sunset as it was falling over the horizon or those beautiful morning sunrises (which for once I got the chance to appreciate thanks to jet lag).

The sunrises and sunsets in LA were definitely some of the most beautiful I’ve seen and given their daily occurrence you could be forgotten to stop and realise just how magical they are. Malibu especially, with its less polluted city scape and open surroundings made for the most beautiful, uninterrupted viewing spot – that’s where most of these photos were captured (except for the one with the surfers, this was taken during my sunrise yoga on Santa Monica beach).

Whilst I’ve been in isolation i’ve not got into the rhythm of content creation. Despite the fact I have a beautiful new home to photograph and share, we still need to buy so many pieces to finish it off, it doesn’t feel right to share it half done. There are a few items we’ve chosen now – a new dining table, we’re close to finding our bed, and I’ve already ordered a few of the more basic items, but at this stage we need to wait for the shops to open to get them all. I’d probably just order online but Jase likes to be due diligent.

So anyway, I’ve been snapping stories on my phone more often, and it got me browsing back and rediscovering these pictures. Morning sunrise in Santa Monica and sunset in Malibu. The warm golden hues, and blurred horizons are the epitome of the sort of photography I’m loving and aspiring towards right now. These were taken with no effort, they’re entirely unedited, and taken on iPhone, so it goes to show how powerful lighting and context are in photography.

Given they’re some of my favourite personal phone photos, I thought I may as well give them the honour of a little prime time on the blog (especially whilst I haven’t had the creativity or time to capture something more meaningful to share with you). I would even love to blow some up for the house, or even better have an artist recreate them in thick oil paint … or even give it a go myself!!

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0″][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

I hope you enjoy and they bring you a little inner calm x

May 16, 2020
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2019

HAPPY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL

Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you’ve had a wonderful festive break spent with loved ones, recuperating from the year gone by, and enjoying all the joy of Christmas time. It truly is one of my favourite times of the year, not just for the proper break from work (it’s the only time of the year everything actually stops in my industry) but for the magic that always fills this month for me. The sparkling lights, time spent with loved ones, gift giving and receiving, the glorious food and of course the excuse to make every moment as special and wholesome as it can be.

This year the festive feeling didn’t land until a little later than normal, in part driven by the busy travel schedule I had in the run up to December with multiple US trips, partly because we’re not in our flat right now due to all the renovation work, and the knock on of all this was that some of usual festive traditions didn’t happen until later in the month and of course all the ‘preparations’ got a little rushed towards the end. Not to mention a mad finish at work which was slightly busier than I anticipated.

That all said, it arrived just in time and I managed to get everything ready just as I hoped for. Including painting and tidying back home after 6 months of renovation, everything came together perfectly. I’m now relaxing and enjoying some proper rest before the New Year begins … no tidying, no working, just pure movie marathons and chill time. We’ll soon be heading to Bristol to celebrate with Jase’s family and welcome in 2020, before I come home for one last stint before work begins with a rather busy first week on the 6th.

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

I don’t often make firm resolutions, but of course there are some things I’m excited for and want to commit to in the year ahead. My love for Yoga and self care finally kicked in and became ‘routine’ last year. After years of suffering it felt much better to regain some form of balance and health, I want to keep up my twice weekly yoga and perhaps add in some pilates or a slightly longer class alongside my acupuncture and Fridays working from home.

This year is the year of our renovation finally completing after two years of thinking and planning for it. I’m hoping be the end of February we’ll have a lot more to share with you. What i’ve realised is that the ‘process’ of a renovation doesn’t really bring me that much joy, but I know when we move to interiors my excitement and urge to capture and share the process will properly kick in.

Travel is always a huge part of my diary every year, but I think this year I might spend more time at home, finding joy in the simple things. That’s not to say I won’t be exploring at some points throughout the year, I’m skiing on the second week of January and will be off again later in February, but after a hugely busy travel schedule this year, I feel the travel bug has been somewhat satisfied for the short term. Never say never, but I may use some time off to be home and work on our place.

Other than that, health, happiness and simple pleasures are the name of the game for me. How about you? Have you had a great break? Any ‘goals’ for the year ahead.

December 27, 2019
WHY I AM ENJOYING SHOOTING FILM SO MUCH

SHOOTING FILM

Why Shooting Film Is My New Favourite Things

You’ll have no doubt noticed a lot more film over here and on my instagram. It’s a really interesting evolution, as a few years back i’d see peoples less than perfectly focused and clear film photos and wondered why they’d share something so sub standard (in my anal obsession), but here I am a few years on and I not only love that grainy ‘less than perfect’ feel but I’ve also started to pack my film camera on trips away over both my Canon and my Fuji. As I’ve got into the swing of it, I’ve fallen more and more in love with every roll of film I’ve got back and of course, more and more in love with the process of shooting film. For me, this ever growing love affair, seems to be driven by three key things:

–

HASSLE FREE

–

It’s fair to say that I’ve been known to be a pain in the butt with my camera. Consistent ‘one more photo’ requests resulting in hundreds of the same thing all because i’m obsessing over the image i’m getting back on the digital screen – let me try a different composition, different location, different pose, eyes are shut so let me go again … with digital you end up taking more and more photos, never quite satisfied and always seeking that ‘perfect’ one. It’s frustrating for the people i’m roping in to take photos, and in turn I get wound up because I worry I don’t have what I need. Film has completely revolutionized that agonising trap and inevitable argument.

Firstly I can’t see what’s been taken, it is what it is. Secondly I don’t want to waste half a 36 film roll on the same thing, let alone a 120mm which only takes 16 on my medium format fuji. Thirdly, it’s often more fun to shoot than digital, the process of using an old film camera is somewhat charming and a novelty, making it enjoyable even for those who don’t really want to be stood there taking photos of me as I prance around. And finally … compared to my Canon 5Diii and prime lenses, my god is it light and easy to carry around.

I’ve found myself seeking convenience a lot more lately, a blend of wanting to take more photos and wondering if something more light weight, smaller in size and without gigantic interchangeable lenses might help that. I’ve even been researching the Fuji X100F as a camera I can keep on me at all times becomes more appealing than scheduling a ‘shoot day’ with my canon – whenever I feel the urge to get creative, it often coincides with an urge to buy something new to try and facilitate what I want to be doing (my brain works in clever ways). Right now my film camera feels like the perfect balance between the two, and in part that’s made me opt for it more and more.

–

THE EDIT

–

The edit, or the lack their of, is another thing I love. I shoot entirely on Porta and the colour tones are always pure magic. The film and film process adds so much character, warmth and charm to each shot that you barely need to do a thing before sharing each snap. That character and vibe you work so hard to bring out in digital editing, is almost unnecessary on film, and the more I shoot the more I adore that warm, grainy somewhat soft focus visual my camera produces each time.

–

MORE MINDFUL

–

Of course the other benefit of not taking 100 images of everything, is that you spend more time in the moment, more time simply enjoying what you’re doing and what you’re seeing. The film camera doesn’t take over the occasion, instead it provides a simple, subtle and enjoyable way to capture just one moment, you take time over that shot because it has to be the right one. Film is really expensive (I pay about £49 for a pack of 5 film and around £14 per film for development) and so you really do have to be choiceful, stop and think about what you want to capture, and really spend time in the moment appreciating every detail.

–

Below you’ll find a whole host of film photos i’ve not shared with you yet, dating back to early summer. As they weren’t created with a blog post in mind, they’re random and they didn’t really have a ‘purpose’ in mind. I thought sharing them in a little diary format like this might be an enjoyable thing to look back on, and hopefully nice for you to see too?

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0″][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

I hope you enjoyed the film, I’ve got film from both Greece and Mallorca to share next. In fact some of my film from Mallorca is my favourite yet x

October 17, 2019
BACK TO BLOGGING BASICS: LIFE LATELY

IT’S BEEN A WHILE …

Back To Blogging Basics: A Little Note, From Me, To You.

Hello.

Remember me?

I used to once write to you daily, we’d talk travel, I’d share my daily fashion, i’d even share some tips with you about blogging or work.

It was excellent. I loved sharing my life and recommendations with you, I loved your comments and hearing your thoughts too.

Somewhere along the way, ‘life’, got a little in the way of my updates to you. It started with a few busy weeks here or there, and I managed to juggle things and keep up our contact, but then it got more frequent, the busy patches that is, and they got longer. Before I knew it weeks had passed at a time, I’d check in here or there, but we lost contact a little. I didn’t stop thinking about you or longing to write, but I couldn’t find the time to put pen to paper. When I did have a spare moment, I was so exhausted the thought of writing something meaningful was too daunting, and I always felt like you’d want something meaningful versus a sporadic hi once every few weeks, and so more time passed …

You know how it is right? We’re all so busy these days.

I’m working hard to get some balance and make some time, not just for us but for myself too. Time to rest, think, be creative and most of all to LIVE so that I have more stories to share with you.

I’ve got some great trips coming up, Greece, Mallorca, NYC and LA are all on the cards, and I just cannot wait to have time to be creative, to get inspired, and most of all ‘brain space’ to sit and write to you about it all.

We’re also about to start our renovation which I’d love to share with you, I don’t know about you but all I think about these days is interiors, and I’d love to share our ideas and our home with you. I’m nervous to have my ‘safe space’ pulled apart ready for something new, I know it’ll be better and incredible when it’s done, but there’s something a little unsettling about the process all the same.

In the meantime, i’ve been busy at work. I got promoted, did I tell you? I’m so pleased, but naturally works been taking up more time and i’ve been a busy bee on that front. I’ve been keeping up my acupuncture and yoga, I absolutely love them and am so pleased to have some routine there. I’ve been spending loads more energy on my film photography and am loving the spirit of it all, I even bought a new film camera when I got promoted. Any excuse. You know me. And finally … I had a bit of a wardrobe clear out and made space for some new investment pieces I decided to buy, one of those pieces is this amazing frilly skirt which I literally adore. It’s very me, don’t you think? As always, i’m styling it down with trainers and a tee, I much prefer wearing things in a slightly more toned down style plus it’s more comfy. And comfort, as we know, is key.

Anyway, i’ve rambled on at you enough. What have you been up to? Would you like me to keep writing and be in touch a little more regularly? Ask me any questions? And stay in touch with me too, i’m always sharing more of the mundane stuff over here.

Speak soon, I’ve missed you

Mel x

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 5px 0 0px”][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”][/one_half_last]

SHOP MY LOOK

. WHISTLES SKIRT . VEJA TRAINERS . COS TEE . ZARA BLAZER (OLD) . SAINT LAURENT BAG .

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3697511″]

Speak soon x

August 21, 2019