Hello, dear ones.
I’ve just made a fresh cup of tea (peppermint and liquorice – don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it), August is doing his best impression of a Victorian fainting lady across the sunniest patch of the living room rug, and I thought it was high time for a little life update from the cozy trenches.
Summer feels different when you’re not rushing around trying to squeeze it in between term dates or family holidays. It’s slower now. Softer. I’ve always loved the idea of “hot girl summer,” but mine’s turned out more “cardigan-wearing, cane-wielding, book-devouring, slightly-sunburned-on-one-arm summer,” and honestly? I wouldn’t trade it.
Here’s what life looks like lately, in no particular order:
🌼 Reading
I’m firmly in a “favourites phase” right now. Not chasing the next big release or trying to keep up – just returning to the books that feel like me.
This week I pulled The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary off the shelf for a re-read, and honestly? Still swooning. There’s something about two people falling in love through sticky notes and shared space that makes my heart do a little soft-shoe shuffle. Leon might be one of the kindest male leads I’ve ever read, and I’ll never stop loving a heroine who’s messy, warm, and quietly brave.
There’s something deeply comforting about rereading: you already know where it’s going, so you can just savour how it gets there.
🎶 Listening
Still living in Folklore season. “August” is on rotation, of course, mostly because the real August (my cat, not the tragic cottagecore situationship) seems to purr louder when it’s playing.
Also loving Hozier’s Unreal Unearth again. His voice feels like being wrapped in a blanket made of forest.
📺 Watching
Just started Somebody Somewhere and I cannot recommend it enough. Quiet, funny, a little melancholic—it’s like it was made for people who know grief but still believe in joy.
Also comfort-watching Escape to the Country, because there’s something deeply satisfying about other people fretting over Aga stoves and wallpaper choices
🍓 Eating & Drinking
Cold pasta salad. Far too many strawberries. That fancy M&S lemonade that makes me feel like I live in a romcom.
I’ve been making iced rooibos with oat milk and a pinch of cinnamon 0trust me, it’s giving “chai latte meets summer garden.” Might even try freezing some into lollies.
🪑 Life Lately
Pacing myself, quite literally. EDS has been flaring up with the heat, so it’s been about slow mornings, shaded walks with the cane (she’s floral, she’s fabulous), and making peace with doing a little less. I’m finding such joy in being home, moving at the speed of kindness—towards myself, mostly.
I’ve been noodling around in Canva, giving the blog a little zhuzh (thoughts on the sidebar redesign? too much? not enough?). Also dabbling with post ideas for August—including a very nerdy one about romance novel fonts and what they promise.
💌 Currently…
📚 Reading: An ARC of Wild Honey Summer by Nora Flynn
🎧 Listening to: “Invisible String” on repeat
☕ Drinking: Iced rooibos with oat milk
🌿 Feeling: Soft and hopeful
💡 Thinking about: How rest is its own kind of productivity
If your summer’s a little quiet, a little sideways, or just deeply yours, know that you’re not alone. I’m over here, cardigan on one shoulder, cat on the other, cheering you on.
With love (and lemonade),
Elsie & August 🐾
Spines & Sparkles 