I woke up happy today for the first time in two days a long time. I’m only kind of joking. The first days of my period have been quite rough lately and it does help to know that it’s going to get better in a matter of days, but it’s still hard waking up feeling like you want to cry. Especially when all your friends are away on holiday and you’re in a rainy city more or less by yourself. My mum and I were talking about it yesterday, the feeling of everyone else doing fun things and you being the only one who hasn’t got plans or a big friend group to hang out with. She calls it “Sunday steak”, as in when everyone seemingly is gathering around a Sunday steak dinner and you’re caught outside in the snow – The Little Match Girl-style. (Is that too Scandinavian of a reference?)
Anyways.
As a matter of fact, I’m not at all in a place where I’m doing nothing. It just feels that way the first 10 minutes of waking up. I’ve been moving my body a lot which feels great; there’s something about a long walk that just resets my system. I’ve been reading, both my books and posts/articles here on Substack. In a way it feels like I’m gathering inspiration for some big leap, although I don’t yet know what that leap would be. I’ve been getting dressed and feeling both good and creative in my wardrobe. Love summer style, no matter what anyone says. Oh and I’ve taken up painting, which is something I can do for hours once I begin.
(I even had the crazy thought that someone else might like my art enough to purchase it, but then immediately shut down that thought because SCARY.)
I asked whether or not I should share what I bought in the Zara sale. I’m currently in a place where I’m not able to spend a lot of money, with it being summer, me not having a job as well as a pretty big sum of money that I was expecting that got pulled out from under my feet. And so, sue me. I shopped at Zara.
Honestly though, what people responded (and what resonated with me as well) was that a lot of us can’t spend all of our money on Toteme and Donni and La Veste and that sort of thing. And if you buy something, no matter what brand, and you really use it and love it, then you’re not actually really contributing to the fast fashion-mania. At last that’s how I see it. I’m trying to build a long-lasting wardrobe that can grow with me and my style. And some pieces will inevitably come from the high street brands.
I know I’ve mentioned it before but I’m very picky when it comes to scents. Partly because I’ve never been a big perfume girl and I’d rather go without than put on something I don’t absolutely love, partly because I used to work with perfumes. The last perfume I bought was The Dusk Daze from the collaboration between Swedish brands Cra-Yon and Mantle. It’s said to have a mix of palo santo, cannabis, tomato leaves, fig and more. Yum. (Another on from Cra-Yon that I’ve loved in the past if their Art Life with bergamot, fig, cedar wood, musk, neroli and rose.)
I’ve know found my new obsession. It all began with my friend M and her making me smell her arm to share in the glory of a new Aesop perfume she was wearing. When I then visited Copenhagen and we walked past the Aesop store (and my sister desperately needed to snag som deo) I gave all their scents a whiff. That was an expensive mistake because since then I can’t stop thinking about Virēre. It’s warm, it’s fresh. Aromatic but not overly medicinal. The scent notes are listed as bergamot, fig and green tea but it’s so much more than that. Ladies, I think I might have found The One.
I got blue light glasses that look like the Miu Miu ones and had an entire photo shoot in my parents’ bedroom where the light is great. Just girly things.
After seeing
in her new little blue mini dress I knew I really wanted to find something similar (can’t find which post it’s in sorry). I’m not big on mini skirts, but there’s something about a strappy mini dress that feels equal parts feminine and chill. Turns out I didn’t have to do a lot of searching because yesterday as I walked into the fancy H&M on Götgatan in Stockholm, there it was, just waiting for meWill you please help me style it on my Indyx?
In order to not feel Sunday steak vibes today, I’m planning on going back to the run club I tried out last week. It’s not that I’m a shy person but I generally don’t thrive being alone with a bunch of new people in a setting that’s also new to me. But guess what? It was so much fun, I made a new running friend and it wasn’t awkward for maybe more than two minutes. So there you go.
What’s your Sunday steak? And what do you do to avoid it?
I feel like I had about 10 more things I wanted to share (I NEED to start writing things down in my notes). But like always, let’s continue the conversation in the comments!
x
Such a cute dress 💕
Those glasses are ridiculously good on you!! And that dress! Such good finds Julia xx