How to relax & be inspired • featuring Habitat
Relaxing, not a word that features in my life's vocabulary very often.
But recently I have realised not often is not often enough.
Burning the midnight oil, burning the candle at both ends, you name it, I've burnt it lately and all that leads to is feeling burnt out.
So sometimes I have to force myself to relax. And I turn some quiet time into a time to indulge.
One of the things that makes me happy is pouring over books that are bursting with creative energy and beautifully composed photography. I love sitting, without a laptop (Shock horror!) and making notes of things that I read that spark an idea.
When you write a personal blog it's easy to get into a habit or feel periods when you feel less in love with blogging. But I find that keeping little notebooks means those times are few and far between. Notebooks of scrappy ideas, scrawled midnight bright ideas and hair brain tutorials for a rainy day.
I have slowly collected a mini library of books from authors and bloggers I respect and admire. My wish list is never ending and I relish an opportunity to get lost in paper.
So when Habitat sent me this divine knotted footstool it was the perfect excuse I needed to stop. To gather together all my favourites to take with me to the Blog On conference last Sunday and share with my fellow creative bloggers.
I was tempted to take the footstool to our flat by the sea in Dorset because the knots have a strong nautical feel, but the fawn colour compliments our white painted furniture and stripped floors in the living room.
In fact it's big enough to hold a stack of books when the coffee table is smothered in boy's toys, school newsletters and half drunk cups of cold tea! And the boy's haven't tried using it as a mini trampoline!
I find it impossible to resist a home interiors books at the moment! We are dreaming of a new home - we just need to secure it! To have a kitchen to be long to cook in again. And a couple of my favourite bloggers have recently published 2 books every blog writer should own!
Eat & Make by Sweet Paul is a joy. Put it on your birthday or Christmas list, it is jam packed with breathtakingly natural photography, quirky craft ideas and easy to follow recipes.
Bright Bazaar is the first in, what I am sure will be, a long line of interior design publications by Will Taylor. A colourful and creative force from the UK that is currently sweeping America with his #makeyousmilestyle philosophy. What is not to adore?
Make sure you check out my other favourites Inspire by Willow Crossley, Pure Style Home by Jane Cumberbatch, Design Bloggers at Home by Ellie Tennant, The Vintage Tea Party Year by Angel Adoree and my go to magazines to brighten a grey day.
- The Simple Things
- Suitcase
- Milk (Available in English in WHSmith)
- Crumbs
- Flow
- Country Living Handmade Style and Modern Rustic
Each one provokes such inspiration and it gives me time to slow down, to enjoy a hot cup of tea and some peace. And yes, I am the sort of person that desperately wants to make paper flowers from coffee filters ;)
Thank you to Habitat for sending me the lovely pouf. Check out the other colour ways of blue, pink and yellow and the full knot pouf range here.
How do you relax? Let me know what books and authors you admire to add to my wish list!