😴 Hibernation and Transformation ✨

January is without question the hangover of the previous year for me. I never have any motivation, the momentum of Christmas and the New Year have burst, and nobody really wants to do much of anything because they're broke after splashing out over the festive period. And so, I generally find myself going into social hibernation! Still, a "hangover" usually suggests you really went in hard on something, and boy did I do that with 2017. I don't think I'd ever felt more alive and while it seems to have set me back a little health wise, it was so, so worth pushing myself to have what ended up being a beautiful, transformative time spent with people who inspire me every single day.

💫     💫     💫

My last post (which was woefully long ago, back at the start of December) was actually an account of a day in November. I never actually got round to talking about the Christmas period, which is a shame as it was a lively, positive time.

I spent several days hanging out in London with my partner, where we did a ton of shopping, tried some new food places, and generally enjoyed one another's company in our favourite place to be. We visited our typical haunts like Soho so we could pop into the Lazy Oaf shop, but also hung out in Camden, which I've not done for years, and visited a super cute boutique called Sister Jane on Portobello Road. That was a wild one and I wish I took pictures there because the shop was accessed down an alleyway, and then up a long fire escape into a converted chapel building, set on two levels. Really cool place!

In Lazy Oaf, which had a soft, dreamy installation during December!

I was pleased to be able to cross the adorable Peggy Porschen café off my list, even though by the time we made it there it was dark and pouring with rain outside. Still, it didn't stop us from sampling a slice of their cake, which I've heard so much about through Instagram. I can confirm it is really lovely, and I'm looking forward to going back when warmer weather comes so I can really enjoy the experience and not have to dash back to a hotel room in the rain to sample it in less than aesthetically pleasing conditions.

So many gorgeous cakes! We went for the lemon, rose, and raspberry layer cake and it was heavenly.

💫     💫     💫

The fact we're already two months into the year (which I can't even call the New Year anymore, really!) is a little scary, and I feel like there's so much I want to do and need to get a move on with. For one thing, my business space needs an upgrade. I simply cannot expand my brand in the way I'd like to while working from my bedroom, so I've been trying to put plans in place so I can have an actual studio space where I can be productive, instead of having my supplies spread out in various cupboards in different rooms, and no set working area. 

I want to release my cherry collection and actually do the things I set out to do ages ago, but simply haven't been able to due to various misfortunes towards the end of 2017. I still haven't figured out how I want to approach things when it comes to selling at conventions (the larger ones are just so expensive and my less than profitable Hyper Japan experience in 2016 makes me wary) but I know it's the logical way forward.

It probably looks like I spend all my free time at that shop but I swear I don't, haha.

Fashion wise, I don't have much of a shopping habit for someone who adores clothing, but it's felt good to actively tune out of the releases from my favourite brands, and try to look at my current collection with a fresh pair of eyes. I've been getting more and more into developing my own style outside of the framework of lolita, though that fashion will always remain close to my heart and still makes regular appearances!

Bury me with that AP bag tbh.

There's pieces I don't tend to wear very often that have been fun to dig out and style in ways I've not tried before. I find as the years pass, I feel less inclined to be involved in having this fast growing collection, or buying releases as they come out. I don't feel pressure anymore to keep up with other people and the limitations of not constantly having new pieces to coordinate outfits with has been  a refreshing challenge for my imagination. I do get the odd new thing sometimes (the purple Monki cardigan above was my anniversary gift!) but it has to be something that feels completely right, that I know I'll be able to coordinate in endless weird and wonderful ways.

Lately I've been documenting my daily outfits for work on my instagram stories. I find that the act of taking a picture of an outfit gives me the motivation to keep up with making interesting looks each day, and I'm really enjoying that little burst of creativity, which breaks up the monotony of dull days in the office.

So... that was a rundown of some of the things I've been up to lately, and some thoughts on where I'm at right now! How have you been finding the past couple of months? Do you thrive in chilly weather, or do you crash and burn at the start of a year like I do!? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I've missed you while I've been away from here!

Thanks for reading as ever, and see you next time ❤