Late Summer Pastel Hues
So as we find ourselves almost at the end of September and already nearing the end of what has been a pretty rubbish year for us all (cheers Covid, you really shat all over 2020!), I’m thankful for these late summer days.
This time of year tends to bring some surprisingly warm weather in the UK just before the autumn months roll in and daylight hours swiftly shorten.
We had to make the most of such glorious days of sunshine last week, so we headed down the coast to my favourite beach in the south, West Witterings in Chichester.
Arriving in the late afternoon, we setup a spot with our picnic and enjoyed sundown whilst grazing on a mezze of nibbles and sipping on some beers.
Not much beats the simplicity of a stunning sunset complete with an ice cold beer and good company. This is what I did everyday when I was in Bali, it was a dream!
I have many fond memories of visiting the Witterings as a kid when I would come down with the girls and our mums. We would spend the whole day down here swimming in the sea, playing games and even having a barbecue using those little deposable ones that always burnt the grass!
Feeling the sand between my toes and listening to the calm of the sea never fails to make me smile and helps me find a little peace at times when I’m stressed and anxious. Living by the coast and being able to go to the beach everyday is definitely the thing I miss most about living in Sydney.
I find it fascinating how every sunset is so unique and different and we were treated to one of the most beautiful sundowns I’ve ever seen at the Witterings on this visit. The pastel pink and blue hues of the sky soon turned a deeper coral colour, just before the sun dipped below the horizon and went to sleep.
The magical wonder created by nature gives me goosebumps and uplifts my soul from within. It gets me thinking about where I am in life and what I want my purpose to be; a loaded thought which inspires my creativity and motivates my passion to stay a wild.
Another summer may be almost over, but the seasons progress and so must we. As life continues and my mid-twenty year old self still feels eighteen at heart, I believe now more than ever that life is for living in these moments, here and now. Too many times have I longed for the past or hoped for the future, when I all I needed to do to be happy was to live and be present in the universe.
These are just some thoughts I had when I was able to take a step back and breath in the beauty of the world around me. Life doesn’t have to be as complicated as we often make it; sometimes we just need to ground ourselves back down to earth and live in the moment.
‘Stay wild moon child.’
I’m always reading poetry and collecting quotes as I find words and writing to be one of my favourite outlets of creation. Having a little journal by my bedside is key for capturing those unique moments of imagination and other worldly dreams which fascinate me.
After a few days break from work I already feel a new wave of inspiration and motivation as my mind, body and soul has had time to catch up with itself. Not pressuring myself to go out and do lots of things on my days off has been a blessing as I’ve had quality me time, something which I’ve neglected since going back to work.
I’ve always been a night person and feel a strong connection to the moon and the stars as they accompany me in my midnight madness… perhaps I’m a moon child, still searching this infinite galaxy for the stars within myself.
I guess in some ways it has taught me to enjoy the simple pleasures of relaxing at home and soak up this bonus time we have to spend with friends and family. It’s also been a perfect opportunity to work on self care and personal challenges or goals.
One of my achievements during lockdown has been to improve on my handstands which I’ve practiced every single day since March. I can now get up without support and hold it for at least 20 seconds or so. If I keep up this consistent routine of balancing everyday, my aim is to be able to handstand for over a minute and move my body into different yogi positions whilst doing so.
Upon reflection, there are a few positives of being unable to travel at the moment, like not having to deal with the stress of busy airports and cramped planes. Not to mention getting to avoid the suffering of post holiday blues, often accompanied by a week long hangover from all those cocktails which seem so hydrating and refreshing in the scorching sun! Instead I’m feeling healthier and fitter than ever before as I relish the fresh summer countryside air of Hampshire.
Life really has been turned upside down and like most people, this year has brought me many challenges as a result of such unpresidented events. I know I’m not the only one to have struggled with my mental health during these times, as we’ve all been forced into our bubbles of isolation and given no option but to reflect upon ourselves.
Yet it has been the resilience of human spirit from within and to each other which has got us through – and that fundamental element of our species is something not even a virus can rob us of. Whilst the world is yet to find its feet with any kind of normality, lets remember to just keep our heads up and always look at the glass as half full.
Located on the distinctive blue road at The Brentford Project, this event ooses classic American 50s charm as waiting staff on roller-skates take orders from the comfort of your car window. Guests can enjoy draft beer by The Brewery Tap, cocktails from Rye by the Water, freshly popped popcorn and even the best pizza in London (as voted by Time Out) from Santa Maria Pizzeria.
Upon arrival, each car is escorted into position in front of the big screen and fellow car fanatics can be treated to the congregation of such prestigious motors gathered in one place. This is not only a fun movie viewing experience, but a truly unique opportunity for any classic or supercar owners to showcase their motors amongst the elite car community.
We had the pleasure of pulling up front row to complete a stunning white line-up of sports cars. The McLaren GT certainly made an impression as we arrived with its roaring engine and falcon-wing opening doors. It was fun to have a walk around the array of awesome classic and supercars at the event, before getting setup with our beers, popcorn and pizza on order ready for the movie.
This evening’s screening was the another automotive classic film 2Fast 2Furious. As the moonlight twinkled at dusk casting a pinkie blue hue across the sky, everyone took their seats back behind their wheels ready for the movie to commence.
The Fast and Furious series never get old and what a spectacular and scenic setting in which to watch it again! Duke of London showrooms even brought out a number of their own range of classic cars for the event from partner RNG Classics, including a Porsche 928, Lamborghini Murcielago, Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 308 GTSi and MGB GT.
We were in our element as we kicked back in the McLaren and devoured our delightful pizza delivered up to the car window by our very own roller-skating waitress. Supercars, a movie classic, authentic Italian pizza and beers on tap – now that’s a date night right out of a Hollywood movie!
At the start of lockdown, my room also became my office as I worked from home for a month or so. I like my desk space to be well ordered and neat for me to work most efficiently, as well as decorated with inspiring quotes and art pieces to fuel my creativity.
This gold text printed piece from Maggs London is one of my favourite quotes. For me ‘Stay Wild’ evokes a number of motivating ideas; don’t be too serious about life, trust your instincts and remember to have fun.
On the subject of quotes and words, I always have a collection of books on my bedside table which I am currently reading. I tend to dip in and out of self-help books and poetry from time to time, as well as flick through coffee table books often related to style, fashion or food.
Candles, fairy lights and flowers are another finishing touch to making my bedroom feel warm, comforting and homely. The ideal nighttime routine for me is to set the mood with twinkling fairy lights and subtly fragranced candles, before winding down with a book before bed. (Ok, I admit that I scroll through Instagram before bed also, but I am consciously trying to reduce my screen time now!)
I often light a candle whilst working at my desk too as this helps me to stay calm and present when trying to get a lot done. My diary and personalised kiki.K organiser are never far either as I always write to do lists and jot down ideas as they come to me.
Onto my wardrobe and I would be lying if I didn’t confess that I have an obsession with clothes and shoes too! Nevertheless, I have been minimising my shopping during lockdown and have taken the time to consolidate my wardrobes. I dream one day of having a much needed walk in wardrobe for all my treasured garments, but for now I’m happy with my well ordered dressing corner.
And finally, number one job I do every morning is to always make my bed, something I have done since I can remember. There’s nothing better than coming home to a freshly made bed and if you feel like you haven’t achieved much else in a day, at least you can say you made your bed :)
A little off the beaten track and quite the scramble down a steep hill, Dancing Ledge is a flat area of rock at the base of the cliff where a small rock pool forms at low tide.
With the ledge being a straight drop off point into the sea deep enough for small ships, it was previously used for the quarrying of Purbeck stone. It’s now an ideal spot for divers and fisherman as well as those seeking a picture perfect moment by the ocean.
The swimming pool carved into the rock was originally created in the early twentieth century for a local school. It now remains a beautiful spot for a dip overlooking the sea without the danger of a vicious tide. As keen photographers and always on the hunt for epic content, me and my boyfriend were in our element capturing some unique shots.
I love playing with reflections and colour, so the rock pool was an incredible canvas to play with. Using Lightroom to edit, I focused on experimenting with different colour hues and exposures to enhance my images.
Here I added more green to the mix along with golden oranges to create a vintage effect. Alternatively with the photo below, I reduced the colour temperature and opted for an overexposed, ethereal style final picture.
I’m still learning a lot when it comes to editing my photos, so I often seek inspiration from my favourite Instagram pages or Influencers whose style I like. Having good quality photos in the first place is always key too and going out to explore new places never fails to get my creative juices flowing!
Practicing and trying different methods will improve editing skills and eventually you will find a signature style. I was really happy with the outcome of the edits in which I brought out those purple colours in the sky and turned down the exposure to achieve that moody tone.
But whilst you capture your life through the lens of the camera, always remember to enjoy those moments before they become memories. And upon reflection, that’s when a photograph will say a thousand words – when you are truly happy and living in that moment ❤
In celebration of my good news, we stopped at the local pub for drinks to enjoy this beautiful summers evening from the pub garden. Of course the McLaren never fails to turn heads as we pull up and exit the car feeling like celebrities 😉
Soon enough it was Monday morning and time to get back on that work grind. It felt nice to be smartly dressed again in a crisp blue shirt paired with a suit skirt and classic court heels, a welcome change to trackie pants and leggings!
What a joy it was to be reunited with my friends and colleagues and such a relief to see that business is continuing to thrive at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. I was of course exhausted by the end of the day as my mind and body aren’t used to those 8 hour shifts following extended time in Furlough. Nevertheless, I am extremely thankful for my job and lucky to be working again after such an unpredictable period worldwide.
With a lot of hairdressers in England all booked up for the next month or so, I opted for the highstreet chain Supercuts who are now only taking bookings 24 hours in advance on a first come first serve basis. I was really happy with the last cut I had there and their prices are so reasonable too – starting at £15.99 for a wash and cut.
The salon took all the necessary precautions in regards to PPE and as always the service was lovely. I had the same hairdresser as last time who was a pleasure to chat with whilst doing a fabulous job of my hair. As I don’t need any colour treatment for my naturally very blonde locks, the total cost for my cut was just £22.99, a fraction of the price a lot of professional salons would charge.
At first I thought it was a little shorter than I had envisioned as she had taken off a good 5 inches! However looking at it from the back and the side, it has so much more shape and volume now and it’s so much easier to style. She added some choppy layers all through the back and also shaped the front around my face which I’m loving.
I’ve never had so many compliments after a haircut and I’m enjoying having a play around with the different up-dos I can create now too. With my hair being on the thinner side, shorter styles have always given it more volume and also suits my heart shaped face.
I couldn’t wait to show off my fresh chop this weekend as we hit the pub and even went for our first meal out since restaurants re-opened. If you’re in need of a haircut ASAP post lockdown, I would highly recommend Supercuts given their efficient, cheap service which doesn’t compromise on quality.
Despite my frustration of not working and being unable to indulge in my usual social activities, I’ve made the most of this time to work on some personal projects which have lead me to rediscover my creativity and imagination.
The other week me and my boyfriend ventured out to another awesome shoot location, this time heading into London at night to get the full city in lockdown experience. With deserted streets and nowhere open in the centre of town, it was super eerie and surreal to see the bustling city of London now a ghost town.
After getting a little lost around Canary Wharf, we finally reached this futuristic bridge located at One Canada Square underground station. It was the perfect moment to capture some epic shots as we had the entire place to ourselves.
Looking down the symmetrical lines of the tunnel echoed that view through the arches at Ouse Valley Viaduct bridge which we visited last month. In contrast to the viaduct, this modern walkway situated in the urban jungle of London, felt like we had left planet earth and were in some sort of a spaceship. It was a unique opportunity during lockdown to see the city of London so quiet and serene.
As nature flourishes and we as humans take a break from our usual busy lives, its significant to note how hectic our pre-covid lifestyles were. The compassion and kindness which has come to light during this time is also overwhelming and proves our resilience as human beings. So as we plummet back towards our ‘normal’ way of life, lets remember how this time in isolation brought us together and proved that not everyday has to be go, go ,go!
Dani Aneka 