June was a wonderfully busy month filled with lots of adventure and fun. My long-distance best friend, Taylor, made her way over to England (for the first time ever!) and we got to spend a glorious month together. Over a few weeks we made our way to my home town of Birmingham, as well as Liverpool, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, London, and even managed to sneak in a weekend in Dublin. We saw a multitude of art galleries, museums, castles and palaces, and made so many amazing memories, I miss her so much already. There’s something so beautiful about having a best friend you can spend weeks with without running out of conversation and fun, and every time I see Taylor I wish with all of my heart that there wasn’t an ocean between us. Roll on our next international trip!
Another exciting development from my time away was getting into a relationship. I have said in previous posts that opening myself up to the possibility of love has filled me with so much joy, and the past month has just solidified that. I’ve really got a magical feeling about this one and I truly can’t wait for what the future holds.
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’m not over-exaggerating when I say that I simply haven’t had the time to read with all of the busyness of the past month.
Next on my list is Still Life by Sarah Winman, so I’ll report back on that in the next post.
E. EDUCATING
Whilst in London Taylor and I visited the Tate’s exhibition: Sargent and Fashion. It explored the works of American painter John Singer Sargent, alongside some of the clothing that the models were dressed in when painted. I absolutely loved the chance to see the garments in real life, and compare them with how Sargent chose to depict the colours and drape of the fabric.
I didn’t know much about Sargent’s work prior to the exhibition so I loved learning more about his practice, my favourite piece of his had to be Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, it was such an enchanting piece of art and I loved how he depicted the lanterns glowing on the young girls’ faces.
P. PLAYING
Another very exciting thing to occur in Taylor’s visit was our two trips to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. We went to shows in both Liverpool and Dublin and I was ecstatic each time.
We got the chance to view the whole show unfold from our seats in Liverpool, then got up close and personal with Taylor in the front pitch at Dublin – we truly got the best of both worlds!
I’ve had our surprise songs, Cornelia Street x Maroon, I Can See You x Mine and State of Grace x You’re on Your Own Kid, Sweet Nothing x Hoax, on repeat ever since.
O. OBSESSING OVER
Taylor and I found many things to obsess over during her trip here – Taylor’s obsession with tote bags for one, she left with a grand total of thirteen – that it’s actually hard to pick just one!
One thing I will say we absolutely loved was finding hidden gems in independent shops and boutiques. Taylor found so many fabulous art prints and souvenirs in boutiques across Liverpool and London, with two stand-out stars being The Nest in Royal Albert Dock and Appletree Boutique in Notting Hill.
Also, as an addition to things I’m obsessing over, I’m going to have to say my boyfriend. I truly have never felt like this before and it’s so exciting!
R. RECOMMENDING
Again, after a month of wonderful things I am simply overflowing with recommendations.
One place I’ll definitely recommend is the Premier Inn Hub West Brompton which we stayed in whilst visiting London. It was a stone’s throw from the tube, well-connected to so many tourist destinations, and situated in a lovely neighbourhood. This will definitely be my go-to hotel when visiting London moving forward!
T. TREATING MYSELF TO
This past month has been full of non-stop treats in all honesty, but one little one comes to mind. Taylor treated herself to a few incredibly cute Jellycat teddy bears whilst she was here, including the adorable Popcorn Bag and a personal favourite Bartholemew the Strawberry Bear.
At the end of our trip we got matching marshmallows, affectionately named Wethers and Spoons (they had to be named after a British icon!), and now every time I see my little white marshmallow I think of all of the wonderful memories we made.
Love Chloe x
