summer wouldn’t be summer without an updated wardrobe! as much as i love layering on the clothes and hiding in my black threads, summer tends to arrive with a warm weather {if ever it decides to grace manchester these days} so as much as i love my winter wardrobe, it has to be pushed to the back for a while!

h&m cross strap sandals
i’d much rather wear ballet flats or trainers but this sweaty weather calls for sandals, and since everyone’s sandal game is on point i’m going to join in. this cheap pair of birkenstock/celine/isabel marant dupes have to be the most practical and perfect purchase yet.

asos cat eye sunglasses
headaches and premature wrinkles from squinting is not cool, so i bought this pair of sunglasses a few months ago ready for the summer, and they came in handy when i took a visit to stockholm earlier in april!

lush vanillary solid perfume
the nicest smelling perfume you’ll ever whiff! it’s hard to describe, i’d have to say it’s like an explosion of vanilla pods and creamy caramels. applied directly to the skin, this perfume is absorbed with your bodies heat and gives off a generously strong scent all day. i much prefer solid perfumes in summer, they lash longer and i hate the alcohol scent atomisers give.

michael kors chronograph watch
this is my only watch, so technically it’s essential to me not only in summer but all the time {i’ve worn it constantly since last march} i just love how versatile it is. classic chronograph face, silver strap with deployment clasp and it’s swimming pool friendly!

one acne studios two overlooking gamla stan from södermalm three street cobbles four fotografiska museum

i have had the greatest pleasure visiting stockholm as a 22nd birthday gift with my boyfriend last weekend. what a beautiful, beautiful city! we stayed in stockholm city, and walked between the norrmalm, gamla stan & södermalm. the views are incredible; we barely touched the city, there was so much more to see and so but we just didn’t have the time – i hope to make it back next year and stay for a week or two!

we visited many design/interior shops: granit, happy sthlm, iitala, design torget, iris hantverk & marimekko. a few fashion shops: acne studios, & other stories, COS. contemporary photography museum: fotografiska. handmade caramels shop: parlans. scrummy bakery: sattva bakery. hidden gem: under kastanjen & so many more i can’t remember!

the two outfits above have to be my best two from the whole weekend. of course the street style over there is absolutely exceptional, so packing for this trip had me worrying so much! i decided the effortless and minimal approach was perfect and practical for the cold (but sunny) weather!

now the busiest time of year is over, i’m glad to jump back into a normal routine and plan for the next twelve months! i find new years resolutions difficult to stick to, and pretty overwhelming; so to make it easier on myself i’m making smaller goals, rules that i can easily incorporate into daily life or things to simply improve on:

quality over quantity
this is a rule that i’ve been using since the middle of last year and wish to continue for as long as possible! i am choosing to purchase things of higher quality albeit more expensive, but i am learning that they last longer and find that i cherish them more.

keep organized
i’m 90% sure i have an obsessive compulsion to clean, tidy and organize to perfection. if tasks and routines that i consider crucial aren’t completed, my anxiety levels go through the roof! so i’m hoping that being more organized and building up a filofax will help me keep calm and well prepared.

save money
me and my dad are in the process of building a temporary home for me and my boyfriend, so we can save up for a mortgage together. since implementing my ‘quality over quantity’ rule, saving has been relatively easy for me; but homes are expensive to decorate and pay for, so i’m hoping to stress this rule as much as i can this year!

worry less
i have an indoor cat called jeff, and i worry about him like a mother would her child; of course i worry about other things too, but he steals the top spot. worrying isn’t a healthy emotion if it gets out of hand, and i often get myself worked up about alot of things that are out of my control, so this year i wish to practice mindfulness and zen, with the help of zen habits.

for now, this is all that i can think of. do you have goals and rules this year?

i’ve got less than a handful of presents to buy until all my christmas shopping is over! i couldn’t wait until i had them all before i started to wrap them – i love how they’ve turned out. the pine tree branches add a christmas feel to an otherwise simple packaging and they also smell divine!

black kraft paper
white kraft paper
wooden gift tags
chevron paper bags

who knew that pine tree branches would make a perfect bow alternative? is there a christmas gift wrapping career? because i want in!

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