I had a lovely (and wholesome!) weekend. Saturday was spent celebrating my cousin’s baby shower, for her baby boy who is due in about six weeks; the whole place was decorated in adorable bear-themed balloons and banners, perfect for little Baby Bear! It was so lovely to catch up with my aunties, chat to my other cousin’s girlfriend, and get caught up in the excitement of the new little baby that we’ll be meeting in the blink of an eye.
Then, on Sunday, I headed out to brunch with a couple of friends. Baked in Brick, a pizza restaurant in the centre of Birmingham, is one of my favourite eateries in town, so imagine my delight when they announced the arrival of a brunch spot in my local area! It opened up last summer, but with being away and life getting in the way, I only just managed to make it down there, and boy was it worth the wait.
WHAT’S INSPIRED ME THIS WEEK
As a fashion designer, and general creative type, I am constantly seeking inspiration wherever I am, and these posts are a way to document what has ignited something within me this past week. Whether its artwork I’ve seen online, photography that moved me, or a collection of colour in nature that kick-started a creative idea in my head, I’ll be sharing four ideas that have brought me joy in the past seven days.
R. READING
I’ve been reading up on lots of trend forecasts, fashion reports, and design-focused magazines the past week, and haven’t really got round to reading anything else!
Exploring future trends is one of my favourite parts of my job though, so I’m definitely not complaining.
There’ll no doubt be more book reviews in next week’s post.
E. EDUCATING
I’ve mentioned it in previous posts, but I’ve been dedicating quite a lot of time to studying 3D design. I can’t wait for the next few months where I’ll be developing this skill further, and hopefully using it to enhance my design skills as a freelancer to create factory-ready patterns and 3D renders of my work.
P. PLAYING
We’ve been obsessed with watching Love is Blind in my house, and I’m eagerly awaiting the wedding episodes later this week.
It turns into a whole night activity of pausing the show at certain intervals and discussing the sometimes downright batshit crazy behaviour of the people on there. It’s so interesting to see couples work through conflict and problems in real time.
O. OBSESSING OVER
This might sound a bit random to obsess over, but I can’t stop thinking about springtime. Whether it’s staring lustfully at the floral dresses in my wardrobe, or spotting snowdrops on my walks through the park, I’m on the hunt for signs of spring at every turn.
As someone who loves the return of longer, warmer days, blossom filling the trees, and the excuse to ditch coats for cardigans and dresses again, I’m a big fan of spring, and I’m eagerly awaiting its return.
R. RECOMMENDING
I had a delicious pork and stuffing sandwich at The Bakehouse by Baked in Brick when I went out for lunch with my friends, complete with big pots of gravy and apple sauce – yummy!
All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals, so I’d definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the north Birmingham area.
T. TREATING MYSELF TO
As someone who often feels quite lazy, and can be hard on myself for not waking up ‘early enough’, I’ve been treating myself to some desperately needed lie-ins.
My sleep schedule has been all over the place for the last few months (this is something I really need to work on!), and I think I’m pretty sleep deprived. Sometimes slowing down, stopping burning the candle at both ends, and just letting yourself sleep is all you need.
Love Chloe x
