My Most Loved In May
May was a brilliant month, I turned 29, had a week off work, went to the New Forest for the first time and met lots of people I’d only ever got to speak to online before and I bought a new camera! So there were plenty of things that I enjoyed this month and here are the details on a few of them.
RIFLE PAPER CO RECIPE TIN
Rifle Paper Co has been a brand that I’ve loved for many, many years and my love for them has been well documented on this blog. I’ve had so many of their journals and notepads but something I’ve never had is one of their homeware pieces. My best friend very kindly bought me this recipe tin for my birthday and I was far too excited to see that she’d invested in one for me. Because these beautifully designed tins certainly aren’t cheap! It comes with a pack of recipe cards which means that I’ve finally got a place to properly store all my treasured family recipes that my mum passed down to me as right now they’re in a plastic bag which isn’t the best place for them. I’m also excited to finally have a place for all the recipes that we have for the dog's biscuits that we try and make weekly. It’s going to be so nice to pull out a card rather than my phone or my laptop precariously placed on the counter whilst we rustle up something for either ourselves or Josie and Edie.
Rattan BAG
I was against the straw/rattan bag trend for a long time, not because I didn’t like them but because I didn’t know how practical they would be. My biggest worry is buying one only for it open and all my things fall out but I’m pleased report that lovely little straw circle bag has an accordion opening meaning that I can happily open it up to grab whatever I need without everything falling on the floor. I found mine on eBay for £15 and the felt like it was a really good price point, I’ve seen some go up to almost £80 which just feels like far too much money to pay for such a small bag. I can fit my iPhone 8+ in this comfortably as well as my card holder, hand sanitiser, lip balm, mirror and car keys no problem. Despite the thin strap, it’s really comfortable to wear too which I was a little apprehensive about as all too often bags with a small strap can become very uncomfortable very quickly which is not what you want when you're out all day.
FETCH & FOLLOW TOTE BAG
Something that I got for my birthday was this lovely Fetch & Follow tote bag with sweet dog illustrations on it. I’d seen it on their Instagram for months and months but they’ve only recently just started selling them. I’m a sucker for a good tote bag when it comes to running errands and this one is seriously soft so good for bare shoulders, and it’s made from eco-friendly materials too which is awesome as it fits in with their entire ethos as a brand. If you’re a dog owner and you’ve never seen the range of products at Fetch & Follow then I highly suggest checking them out, we have a few items from them and they’re so beautiful.
TESCO SANDALS
I’ve been a wearer of peep-toe ballet flats in summer for over 10 years but this year I fancied a change. Again, these were another birthday present and I was patiently waiting to be able to wear them as it’s been pretty warm lately (of course, when I’m writing this it’s pouring it down with rain). I was a little worried that they might rub but I’ve not had any blisters and they’re even comfortable for an hour or so dog walk which is perfect. They remind me a lot of Saltwater sandals which I love but they’re pricey and my rule when it comes to investments is that I need to try something similar first to make sure they’re something I will really get the wear from. So next year I’m definitely going to invest in the real thing because I absolutely adore them, typically I don’t find anything with a strap that flattering on the leg but these are.
FUJIFILM XT2 CAMERA
This month I finally invested in a new camera. Something that I’d been thinking about for months and months, umming and ahhing and I went for it a couple of weeks ago. I got rid of all my other cameras and purchased the Fujifilm XT2 with a 35mm lens and I already feel secure in my decision to have this as my only camera. The way it performs in low light and capturing Josie and Edie running around at full speed is incredible, it’s so easy to change the settings quickly which was one of the big selling points for me. Something that held me back quite a lot with taking my SLR out more with me was the weight, even though it’s pretty small in the SLR world I still found it heavy and this is far lighter and more compact but 100 times more powerful. I’m so excited to take it out more in the warmer weather and shoot more around the house too and get back into taking photographs for fun rather than always having a vision in mind.
CHERNOBYL Miniseries
Easily one of the best things that I’ve watched this year and it’s not even finished yet is this new miniseries from HBO. The disaster of Chernobyl is something I’m sure the vast majority of us are aware of but even though I kind of know what happened I had no idea about all the fine details and this show shares everything that happened. I watched the first episode with a lump in my throat, it’s terrifying what happened when the explosion occurred and how slowly it was dealt with as well as all the lies told to try and cover it up. As the episodes progress you only truly start to understand the severity of the destroyed reactor. The way this has been produced and written is absolutely fantastic, it feels very respectful and truthful to the catastrophe whilst still being incredible viewing material which can’t be easy to achieve. I can’t wait for the final episode and I’m currently filling the void by listening to the podcast which goes through each episode and offers a great insight into the making of the show.
