Switch off
Switch off.
I live just outside London. I take care of the school run every morning, commute to the City of London and then come back in the afternoon to pick the little one from his after-school club, get him home, cook fresh for the family, read with Junior, you get the message. Life is fast paced around our household, so every now and then, I like to stop, switch off completely from the online world for a day or two and take things slow. Really slow. Me-time-do-not-disturb-me slow. These moments are rare and when they come along, I want to cherish every minute of them. Because those breaks get the creative juices flowing again. Follow me during a recent "break" and check out what switching off means for me.
8am - It's Saturday morning, wake up
For me, a Saturday morning will still kick off early. Switching off does not mean spending all day in bed. I will start with a nice Greek coffee and a couple cookies, or, if I am lucky, a croissant just baked in my oven from the Waitrose frozen pastries collection. Chocolate croissant, obviously. The sweetness of chocolate against the light bitterness of coffee is just a match made in heaven. I will read a bit of an interiors book or magazine while the coffee is still warm, then head in the garden to check out the state of it.
Coffee Tin in cream, £10, Tea Cup and Saucer, Putty, £8, Placemats Set of 6 in Basket, £20 until 04.04.16, Coffee Spoons, Set of 4, Assorted, £12, Mocha Bottle Vase, 32cm, £40 is the vase I used in the very first photo, all from the John Lewis Croft Collection, Herringbone throw in mustard, £89 by Bronte is the throw I have on me in all photos, via John Lewis.
11am - Trip to the Hamptons. I mean, Rye
11am because I am obviously taking my sweet time. We follow the country roads that lead us all the way to the sea and our new puppy has her first encounter with sand. I am nervous. What a mess she will make of herself, I think, and why did we bring her along. But no, it is all fine and we have the best time ever. We walk up and down the beach and collect sea shells. There are people riding horses. Camber Sands is indeed like the Hamptons and there's even a photo shoot going on, for some kind of mens clothes.
We then manage to find a fab pub down in Rye that allows dogs. This is a pretty good and relaxing day by any account. On the way back I day dream in the car (I am not driving) and it's all about coastal themed interiors.
Scandi Shallow Serving Bowl, FSC-Certified, £25, Metal Trunk, Small in Marshmallow, £25, Kingsley Glass and Wire Table Lamp, Clear, £105, Islay Outdoor Sofa, £399, Rattan Storage Box, White, Small, £12, Braided Cylinder Basket, £30, all from the John Lewis Croft collection.
9am - Ochre & Blue
Back home and it's an early night in, the walk around the beach made us all super tired. Note to myself: get on the treadmill more! The next morning I wake up and wonder why we've never had breakfast in bed. A bed tray is all you need. So I use this very solid Scandi bed tray with folding legs, (meaning I can use it as a normal tray whenever I want). With a cool taupe colour, it just goes with, well, everything! I bring a tea pot of boiled water, some Rare Tea Co and some milk and musli upstairs into the guest bedroom as well as a few magazines. I close the door behind me and let the 6y old shout his dad's name for a change.
I have used Napoleonic Blue chalk paint on a little bedside chest of drawers and a pine chair. This colour really stands out against the wall which is painted in Mole's Breath by Farrow & Ball. On the chair you will find a Small Metal Trunk in Marshmallow, £25, again from the Croft Collection by John Lewis. This is a decent size trunk that can keep all bits and pieces when you don't have drawers next to you. It's also a great trunk to use for keepsakes.
The small Staffordshire blue spot bowl on the bedside drawers was a gift on Mother's Day. The pillow case is the Freya pillowcase, £10, part of the Freya bedding range.
The Mini Type 75 Anglepoise is one of my favourite pieces; it looks elegant and its design has withstood the test of time. It costs £99. The tall vase next to it is by ceramicist Annette Bugansky. It lays on a copy of the Sartorialist, a book that is great for looking at since its mainly filled with photos! Finally, the bed has the same herringbone throw in mustard by Bronte, also via John Lewis. The combination of two strong colours, blue and mustard yellow in the room makes for an easy statement with minimal effort.
To give my guests a special treat, I layer the bed with beautiful cushions. They look great and feel great when you use them behind your head for reading. My favourite is the Dragonfly ochre cushion, £20, but I also love the ribbed knit cushion, £25. Ochre looks good with white, grey, blue so this room is spot on in my view. I wonder what Sophie Robinson would have to say for it!
1pm - Family Lunch
It's a typical family affair this Sunday. Cooking for us and my brother's family. So it's fairly relaxed. I do enjoy cooking after all.
6pm - Movie Night
It's Sunday afternoon and we're so going out tonight. Don't get too excited, it's only a movie we're going to see. Still, I'll need to get ready, so time to get the new make up bag out. This one is a birthday gift and is from the same range as the little jewellery box. The grey linen fabric and the leather ends make this a seriously cool make up bag.
Make up bag,£25, Small Jewellery box, £15, Baby Onion Vase, £25 all from the Croft Collection at John Lewis
11pm - And so to bed
I am just a little curious about my Twitter account. I almost reach out to check my phone but then think, "it can wait until tomorrow". Instead, I grab a book and read for a bit. It's not long before the big Zzzz...
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The small print: This post has been prepared in collaboration with John Lewis. All products shown in my photos however have been bought by me and nothing was gifted. I am a big fan of the John Lewis brand and service and have been shopping with them for a number of years (13 to be precise and even had my wedding gift register with them). Hence, I am always comfortable recommending their products to friends and readers. This post contains a number of affiliate links, meaning that if you click on them and buy a product I may get a very small commission from your purchase.
