Solstice Feasting
I’m really excited to share a particular reading recommendation with you all this month, just in time for the summer solstice - one of my favourite markers in the wheel of the year. My good friend Lucy Foley has just released her latest book The Midnight Feast with HarperCollins, and oh my gaahhhddd what an absolute banger. If you’re a lover of dark, folky, murder mysteries like me, you will eat this one up (pardon the pun). Even better, next week me and Lucy will be chatting about the book over delicious food and drink at La Follia’s pop-up supper in South Harting, West Sussex. I think there are still a few tickets left, so feel free to join us if you’re local to Hampshire/Surrey/Sussex!
I’ve been really enjoying the summer vibes recently, particularly after all those months of grey weather we had. We’ve been to a beautiful country wedding, booked a holiday to Cornwall, made new plans for the garden and brewed up a massive batch of elderflower champagne, which is currently fizzing away in a big bucket on the kitchen counter.
This month, I thought I’d share more about my working life at the moment. I’m currently only really able to work evenings as Ash doesn’t nap much in the daytime, but having a more limited time schedule has actually been really useful. It’s made me re-evaluate how much time I am willing to spend on work, and how valuable that time is. It may seem tasteless to talk about money and creativity in the same conversation but the reality is they are inextricably linked. Without money, there can be very little time to create. Simple as that! And part of being a working creative these days is actually working out the logistics of making your stuff pay. For example, I am currently trying to finish illustrating my first children’s book and also write my first novel, both of which are very time consuming. Neither of these are under contract yet as I wanted to write them without extra time pressures, but that also means it is currently unpaid work. Alongside that, I have an enjoyable, contracted book to finish that is paying my bills. How do you prioritise one over the other? It’s a delicate balance indeed! I don’t mean to complain - I love my work and it’s a privilege to be able to write and illustrate full time - but I like to be honest and there comes a point where the impoverished writer/artist stereotype gets a bit dull.
Anyway, there’s a little insight into my work schedule at the moment. It’s all lovely stuff, and I’m also preparing for the launch of the paperback edition of The Bridleway in August, and the launch of my next book Ebb and Flow: A Guide to Seasonal Living in September. (I got my hands on the first copies the other day and oh my gahhhdddd it looks so good! I’ll share a few sneak peeks soon.) In the meantime, I’m spending as much time as I can away from my screen, especially tending to my precious pumpkin plants which, after a long, coffee-grounded battle with the slugs, are at last THRIVING.
Something I Made - Wild Strawberries surface pattern
One of the patterns I made for my stationery brand before it closed a few weeks ago. This illustration was digitally drawn and I really liked the splash background effect, which I thought gave the impression of depth beneath the top canopy of strawberries. I’m thinking about uploading all my surface patterns to Spoonflower soon as I get lots of requests for wallpaper and fabric, and this would allow people to buy my patterns on a print-on-demand basis. What do you think?
Something I Like - Lemon Stitch Short Sleeve Tee by Olive
I managed to get this navy lemon tee on Vinted for FIVE POUNDS and I bloody love it - so comfy and flattering, and the little embroidered lemons are super cute. And to my great surprise, it’s still available on the Olive website! Although it is £35 full price so you may want to keep an eye on Vinted if you also love a preloved bargain. Honestly, that app has completely changed my consumer habits. It’s great!
Recipe of the Month - Creamed Butter Beans with Courgette, Lemon & Mint
We recently had this for dinner at the end of a long, hot day when we really fancied a BBQ, but owned neither a BBQ nor anything to put on it if we had one. Instead I made this lovely, light supper, perfect for early summer with crisp asparagus and toasted pine nuts. Absolutely delicious, full of plants and it only took 20 minutes.
Goodness, what a deliciously stuffed post! That Midnight Feast looks GREAT, right up my street too. And I'm so excited for your first children's book AND novel. As well as whatever you're working on next (still, typically slowly, reading through the gorgeous Bridleway, not helped speed wise by me going back to reread bits I've particularly enjoyed!). And that strawberry pattern is just fabulous. X