Here are just a few iPhone shots I took during my road trip to Cornwall with Free People last weekend!
I kinda rued never getting my driver's license because the minute I saw the turquoise VW camper the girls had rented I wanted to hop behind the wheel and drive it straight into the sunset! What an awesome set of wheels!!
The trip was a total blast and I had such a great time making lots of memories, sunburnt noses and shoulders, and a few awesome new friends along the way.
Full guest post coming very soon over on the BLDG blog.
I'll keep you posted >.<
I'm so glad that you're here! Why not hitch your wagon to Stars in Jars? >.<
Let me see....spectacles, testicles, wallet+ watch.
Ok, I think I have everything >.<
No sooner have I arrived here in London and I'm hitting the road again!
I could have done cartwheels on the moon when this exciting opportunity came up a few weeks ago.
To celebrate their UK launch, clothing brand Free People are hosting a weekend long road trip to the pretty seaside town of Newquay in Cornwall... and they invited me to come down and cover the event for their blog!
Wild stories of VW camper vans, live music and beach yoga classes have my heart skipping beats and I'll probably burst with excitement on the train down there today. To even be asked is such a huge honour and I'm stoked that this brand are launching in my homeland~ I love losing myself in their collections, they always stir the wildness in me.
If you fancy following the fun in Cornwall this weekend you can do so on instagram: #fproadtrip
I can't tell you how good, and grown up, it feels to live in an an actual house again. After years of living in tiny Korean studio apartments and my room in my parent's home, to have so much delicious living space is kinda rocking my world right now.
I'm slowly adding twigs and feathers to my new nest. My bedroom is a work in progress, I've had a blissful few days re-watching Girls season 1 + 2 on the laptop while slowly unpacking and decorating. I'll be doing an IKEA run tomorrow to pick up some furnishings and doo dads to bring it all together and make it my own. All these months of pinning home decor will finally be put to good use as I'm full of ideas!
Hey! Did you vote for Stars in Jars to win the Free People UK Guest Blogger competition yet?
I was overjoyed to be selected for the final three and I sure would appreciate your vote!
My heart did ten back flips when I discovered Stars in Jars made it to the top three in the Free People UK Guest Blogger competition this week!!!
I submitted this post into the competition and then didn't give it a second thought so to be told I made the final 3 was so joyful!
The next stage of the competition is to rack up the most votes. I just took a peek and I am trailing WAY behind the other two finalists haha!!
Their posts are stellar though so muchos kudos to them >.<
If you, lovely readers, could take two seconds to click on the link below and vote for Stars in Jars today you will receive one sparkly unicorn and a magical rainbow cape in the post tomorrow.
Not really, but you will have made one girl very happy ^.^
My last few weeks on the Emerald Isle have had the most round house kickin'/ fist pumpin'/ air guitar playin' kinda effect on my heart.
My beautiful cousin and soul sister Finn came to visit for a long weekend. I'll be sharing a house with this amazing girl as well as some other pretty rad house-mates when I move to West London tomorrow (TOMORROW!).
We managed to squeeze in a full day of sightseeing, Irish coffees and pub time in my parent's home-town before packing up the car to head off to Kerry for a big old family knees up.
A 5 hour car journey, way too many travel sweets and one retail park pit stop later we were in beautiful Killarney in Kerry to visit my aunt and her family. It was a girly affair with 4 aunties and three girly cousins staying up way past the witching hour at the kitchen table drinking wine, taking photographs and swapping family anecdotes.
I treasured the opportunity to connect with my little cousin Zio as it's only the second chance I have had to meet her since she was adopted from Vietnam when she was a baby. Such a funny, smart and kind little human being, she just adored getting to know her grown up cousins and we took every opportunity to play with her and get to know her beautiful personality.
When she jumped on my bed one morning and said "Let's play 'Mamas and darlings', you can be the Mama and I'll be the darling" (a game she learned from a tv show apparently) I seriously thought my uterus would go off like a bomb. Sigh.
As well as the (several) maternal ticks and twitches I also thanked my moon and stars for being blessed with such a huge close-knit family and I relished the chance to bond with some seriously cool female matriarchs.
Killarney is a treat to visit and if you're ever considering a tour of Ireland it will tick every box~ I particularly fell in love with this time capsule tea room which we all loved so much we ate lunch in it two days on the trot. Smoked salmon and poached eggs and eggs benedict for the girl who wanted to run away with the china. Delicious.
My flight to London leaves at mid-day tomorrow so it'll be an early night for me tonight. I can't wait to check in with my first post from my new home. Thank you to all of you who have left such sweet words of luck and encouragement for me on my journey. Hugs and kisses are on the wind to you all x x x
Thank you so much for reading! Why not hitch your wagon to Stars in Jars? >.<
...time has run away with me, in just three short days I will be boarding a plane that will fly me into the next phase of my life. Eeshk!
I'm going to be a Londoner again and my heart could burst I'm that excited.
Today is a flurry of folding and packing, checking off lists and re-organizing piles.
And for making big decisions on what is important enough to bring and what can be let go of and left behind.... both literally and symbolically.
I've decided to dedicate today's weekly wishes link up to a few affirmations for 'London V.2'~ just a little contract with myself that will help me make the absolute most of this move and avoid returning down paths best left in my past:
△ Be a present participant, not a passive observer of my own life~ looking back over the past couple years I recognize that there have been times, moments and events which I have not taken an active part in and enjoyed to their fullest potential. By continually practising mindfulness I won't be a passive participant any longer, instead I'll make an effort to be present and active in each precious moment.
△ Keep one eye on my heart and one ear on my soul~ I've learnt the hard way that ignoring something that your soul is screaming for doesn't lead to anywhere good. We have a little inner guru working away inside of us that only has our best interests at heart. It's tricky to tap into what he's telling us at times but it's a necessary tool and well worth the practise.
△ Cultivate connections: friendship, communication, intimacy, conversation. All are vital to happiness and sense of self worth. Don't ever neglect them or shut them out.
& don't be afraid to reach out, there'll always be someone there to hear you, whether you believe it or not.
△ "Change is a present activity, not a future event"~ This motivational quote has helped me no end in these last few months of healing and growth. These are words to live by and draw from in those moments when I just feel like phoning it in.
Thanks again to the inspirational Mel for this wonderfully motivational link-up~ the posts I've written for them have unwittingly ended up being some of the most cathartic and therapeutic posts I've written!
Her blog is also a massive resource for positivity, honesty and self love.
Nothing could be better for the soul than a wander through the forest in the summer rain.
If only I could bottle the scent of freshly sprinkled leaves and dab it behind my ears on days when I'm blue!
The forest was abuzz with nature doing her thang~ dragonflies helicoptered, lily pads floated, green things grew and the pine trees canopied way up above.
I felt like a very small girl in a big old beautiful world.
I collected sticks and counted crow feathers and listened to wild tales of Irish wildflowers and moss and wood-fern from my hiking buddy.
It's fun to be an explorer, to breath easy in the forest and get my toes wet and not care an inch.
I hope you've enjoyed a little summer rainfall where you are, it's not too shabby at all!
Sometimes it feels like my life is a non-stop cycle of packing and unpacking suitcases!
I remember around ten years ago when I first caught the travel bug an aunt of mine told me she can' t ever imagine me settling down in one spot and that I'm destined to roam the planet living a nomadic existence.
I'm pretty sure 21 year old Louise cocked an eyebrow at her at the time but looking back on my twenties and forward to my future I realize...aunties can be the wisest of sages!
I've spent the last ten years drifting between England, South East Asia, India, South Korea and Ireland.
Right now, at the grand ol' age of 30, I'm thirsty for a lick of stability so I'm packing my suitcases (once again!) and heading back to lay down some roots in my old stomping grounds in London.
Truth be told I can't wait to nest there for a little while. Forever's a scary word...who wants to know where they'll be at forever? But for now, this is what I want and what I need.
So for now it's folding and packing and last minute visits and a head swimmy with to-do lists.
I can't wait to post a tour of my new West London digs!
T minus 13 days. Ack!
⋙⋙⋙ listening⋙⋙⋙
To a bit of this + a bit of that.
Old, new, borrowed, blue.
Here's a tiny collection of songs that have seen me through the summer. Why not have a listen while I introduce you to some gorgeous gals?
⋙⋙⋙ reading⋙⋙⋙
I'm donning my matchmaker hat to share some of my current favourite blog reads with you today.
Some are new finds and some are tried and true...all are worth a visit and a nice comment from a new reader ^.^
1. Suzy Krause + the Skyscrapers// this one's a new read for me but I just love Suzy already! She's a blonde Norwegian with constellations in the freckles on her arms. Now why did I never think to describe mine that way?! Suzy's a snappy writer and I really enjoyed her post about New Yorks' soundtrack.
3. Nishaantishu// I can't remember how I stumbled across Freya's darling blog but I am so glad that I did. An ex-pat Bermudan living in North London with her boyfriend, she paints such a beautiful picture of her surroundings and I've loved viewing my home city anew through her fresh eyes. I can't wait to meet up with this lovely lady when I move back over!
Are you a tea lover? Freya has a fantastic tea giveaway that is ending today so go get your entry in now!
4. Lost Boys + Lovers// Sadie has fast become one of my favourite people on the internet. Such beauty, style and presence. I've loved following her story online from her recent move, to her vintage clothing business ventures, to motherhood to her recent 28-day whole foods cleanse. Such an inspiration!
5. Whit B Nimble// I met Whitney back in South Korea where we were both English teachers. Since leaving South K I've loved keeping up with her adventures back home in the U.S, road tripping across the Southern States with her boyfriend Angelo and her new adventures working at the Grand Canyon. Each post is such a lovely little picture story. She also posts wonderful instagram photos!
6. The Fox, Frugal// I've had the best time rummaging around in Jen's archives since discovering her blog just the other day. She has such a pretty life "making dreamcatchers, memories and music in the heartland."
Also her wedding was to die for! Say hi to Jen today!
⋙⋙⋙ eating⋙⋙⋙
Here's a peek at my "balanced" diet lately. Lunch today was berries, yoghurt, a power smoothie of raspberries, cucumber and coconut water... and a pastry. For balance!
⋙⋙⋙ watching⋙⋙⋙
This haunting little indie film stayed with me long after I watched it and left me with a lot of questions (which is something I love in movies) Sound of My Voice is about a journalist and his girlfriend who go undercover to join a cult whose leader claims she is from the future. Low-budget but beautifully shot with genuinely moving moments, I highly recommend this!
⋙⋙⋙ writing⋙⋙⋙
*ahem*
Let me direct you to this gif which verily sums up what has happened any time I attempted to write this summer....
I don't think summer is my creative season...too many distractions!
