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Musings on routine
I unexpectedly bought a house earlier this year, and launched rather quickly into the process of updating it - mainly for things like electrics and plumbing, but also with a new kitchen and flooring, which was an exciting bonus. I'd have said I had fairly solid...
How not to plan for a weekend
Last weekend was a bank holiday with an extra day to relax, refresh and recharge. It was a time for hanging out with family and friends, for sleeping late or taking luxurious naps, for cooking recipes that there isn’t time for during the busier days of the week. Make...
How to escape your desk at lunchtime
I like to think that I take proper breaks when working. And that if I don’t I at least take a full hour for lunch. That I pause to enjoy food, get some fresh air and allow my brain to focus on something different for a while. In reality, I’m not good at stopping and I...
I’d like to write letters but…
It’s a joy to write a letter. Choosing what paper to write on. Selecting a pen. Settling down in a favourite chair, or at a desk or even in the garden. Then there’s the satisfaction in constructing the sentences. Scribbling furiously to get you’re your thoughts done...
The anniversary of paper
Some of my lovely friends got married last summer. And that means that their first anniversaries are approaching. So I've found myself thinking of the traditional anniversary presents. Each year of marriage has a theme attached to it, traditionally, and the...
Is it harder to maintain a routine in the summer?
I always feel better when I stick to a routine. Getting Things Done points out that if you are recording things you need to do rather than remembering this frees up space to be creative. I'm inclined to think that routine is the same. It's much easier to go to bed at...
How I declutter: mid-year update
I'm six months into my declutter schedule which means I'm halfway through. I've been clearing out 6 spots a month since January. So what have I learnt? It can be hard to keep the momentum. Some months it has been easy to dealt with six spots. Other months, it has felt...
Hand-drawn post…
I've had a run of delightful post recently, but top of the made-me-smile list is definitely this gorgeous card from Chloe, to my cats, on the occasion of their second birthday: When I first opened it I thought it was a print. But it's actually an original line drawing...
Choosing your signature ink colour
Ah, real fountain pen ink. There's nothing quite like it… I have a few purple and turquoise cartridges which I can use in my old school fountain pen (which is battered but writes amazingly). But the pen I use the most, which was a graduation present, only has blue and...
Why walking is best for letter writers
It seems that days all too often require one to get in a car or on the bus to go and spend time doing something useful and productive. Now it's lovely to spend a day being usefully busy. To lose yourself in the flow of activity and enjoy a glow of satisfaction at...
Investigating the Novel Cure
In my Christmas stocking, this year was a copy of the unusual and highly intriguing The Novel Cure. In the madness of Christmas, I didn't get a chance to curl up with it. This has turned out to be a good thing. This is very much a book to dip in and out of when you...
Keeping tabs on it
I love my big notebook, my daybook, that I write all kinds of things in. However, with so many pages it can be difficult to keep track of which page I've written which job list on. The notebook has a ribbon marker but that's only good for one page, and life is more...