Simple Magic: Postcards from Home

I’ve not done a ‘simple magic’ post in a wee while. Since I’m stuck indoors now seemed like the perfect time to tour my camera roll and appreciate the little things! Hope you enjoy this diary-style post of finding new corners to sip tea from, baking on a Saturday morning and all the little moments in between.

Since I can’t go outside for more than an hour, I’ve enjoyed working with what I have at home. I live in a beautiful Victorian flat with tall windows. The way the light streams through the shutters in the morning will never grow old. I’m actually in a bit of a rut with my photos at the moment…fed up of the overly curated Instagram feed and missing my old, personal account where I’d just share regular ol’ life. Working within smaller parameters at home, I’m reconnecting with what feels ‘me’. I’m thinking about how I can bring more of this homey, less curated content to my Instagram.

Comfort baking seems high on everyone’s agenda at at the moment. Dalgona coffee is probably my favourite quarantine discovery. I’ve also turned my hand to cookies and brownies (essential food groups). Before the lockdown I found a vintage Scottish cookbook in my town’s second hand bookshop, which I’d like to try some recipes from. Drambuie seems to be the key ingredient in everything.

I’ve been putting quarantine to good use by perfecting my loungewear attire. I don’t discuss clothes much (it’s not the focus of this blog) but personal style is important to me. For a couple of years my personal style took a backseat. I lost touch with myself and shallow as it sounds, clothes were a route back to the old me. Sadly I’m drawn, like a moth to a candle, to vintage slips and bed jackets, which aren’t practical for the Scottish climate. Maybe I can find a way to make them cosier? I’ve also had the urge to straighten my hair, put on makeup and indulge in ‘girly’ things I normally couldn’t be arsed with. The word ‘unprecedented’ has been overused lately, but painting my nails four nights in a row really is a shocker.

My reading concentration has taken a dive. I think it’s because I’m not getting outside much, so I’m more fidgety when it comes to sitting down with a book. I’ve also ended up on lockdown with no novels for company, just non-fiction books. I’m really craving a story to get lost in! Having said that I did read the excellent Ghost o’ Mause by Maurice Fleming, a collection of folklore and stories surrounding the town I live in. I’ve since downloaded a few short, contemporary novels to my Kindle so hopefully they’ll pull me out of my reading rut.

Playing a card game of an evening might be my favourite way to pass time. Elevenses is based around serving the perfect afternoon tea, a game I thought I was particularly predisposed to winning. Unfortunately I’m not the 1920s socialite I think I am, and my boyfriend wins most of the time. I’ll try not to take the huff, but if I don’t win soon those cards are going in the bin.

Speaking of him indoors, we celebrated 8 years together this week. Determined to celebrate despite lockdown we decided to wine & dine it outdoors. He hosed down the spidery garden chairs while I burnt the pudding. Luckily the fancy smoked salmon (his contribution) on Tesco crackers (mine) saved the night. Of course, a chill breeze is never far off when you’re trying to celebrate outdoors, so after our main we scuttled inside to scrape the burnt tops off the brownies. All in all, a successful night 🍷

And that concludes my postcards from home. I hope you enjoyed this style of post. As I mentioned, I’m less enamoured with curated content these days and take more pleasure in the simple things.

Take care everyone xx