Alice Catherine

I recently did something I don’t do all that often and wore the colour yellow – a little vintage blouse I came across I was absolutely certain wouldn’t suit me. I did that thing where I tried it on in the mirror a few different ways, before taking it off and throwing it to the side. The next day, I came back to it, put it on again and tied it up with my jeans – this day I didn’t really care if it suited me or not, the colour made me feel good and this got me thinking about how life tends to trick us into thinking we know what we want, and how quickly this can shift in the space of a week…

I know what you’re thinking – woah man, a little deep for a yellow blouse? I’m right there with you, but this is how I’ve been feeling lately, and I thought it linked in nicely with the sentiment. I’ve started to feel like I’m becoming more confident, more at ease with myself, a little prouder of the person I’m becoming each day. This has a lot to do with enjoying my work, feeling more creatively fulfilled than ever before, and cutting out all the bullshit in my life that didn’t bring me happiness. I feel like your twenties are always going to be hard, but I’m learning new things about myself every single day, and starting to believe that I can make myself happy! I wanted to list five things that have really boosted my confidence lately, and a few reasons why…

SAYING YES – I’ve been saying yes to more events, more work trips, more things that cause me anxiety, but more importantly, more things that allow me to experience life like never before. I constantly feel like I want to push myself and better my work, better myself, better my education. Saying yes to things outside of my comfort zone is the only way I’ll grow as a person…

GETTING HEALTHY – I’ve been making a conscious effort to get myself healthy again after a few months of over indulging/ being quite ill with a few food allergies I have that were causing me to have zero energy. I’m taking vitamins, buying new gym wear, and generally trying to practice self love that little bit more. My hair has been growing, my skin has cleared up, and I’m starting to feel a little bit better each day. I’ve also been eating lots of fish and grilled vegetables and making an effort to cut meat out wherever possible. I’d really love to be vegetarian, and we do eat vegetarian a few nights out of the week! However, we are making a conscious effort to learn new recipes and make it a priority…

WEARING IT ANYWAY – similar to the yellow blouse story, I’m teaching myself to wear more things that I love, regardless of whether I think they make me look like a frumpy sack of potatoes. Life is too short to be uncertain all the time, sometimes we just have to wear it, do it, experience it, and we finally know how we feel about it…

LEARNING NEW SKILLS – Blogging full time means you get to don various different hats, not all of them you’ll feel comfortable with, but there’s usually a way around it. I’ve been doing some serious life admin, I’ve started to get my finances in order, to start saving, and to start paying a bit more attention to the admin side of blogging. This means getting organised, making lists, trips to the bank, and generally learning to be a business woman all on my very own. I’ve been watching more tutorial videos, reading more informative blog posts, I’ve even bought myself a new camera lens in an attempt to finally learn how to work my way around a camera properly. Not just putting it on automatic and hoping for the best! There’s so much depth to the fashion/blogging industry, so much to learn about, and the more clued up we tend to be – the more confidence shines through! Whether it’s SEO or getting to grips with tax, I’ve been powering through the less fun/creative side of the hobby that’s now become my full time job…

MAKING TIME FOR LIFE – I’ve mentioned before that I don’t have the best work/social life balance, I sometimes work from 8am when Sam leaves for work, way up until midnight if nobody challenges it. When you freelance, there’s always something to be getting on with, an endless to do list that can often be overwhelming. Whether it’s sponsored content, Instagram images, or getting through my inbox, it’s relentlessly hard to switch off when your office is in your flat. It’s hard to separate the two spaces, and this can be frustrating to those around you that never get to spend time with you. I’ve become confident in the motto that most emails can wait, and unless it’s for a particularly pressing deadline, it’s healthy to put the laptop down at the same time as Sam walks through the door. I try to do this as much as possible now, and I feel like it’s already teaching me that I pile far too much unnecessary stress on my shoulders. Stressful/busy weeks will come and go, but it’s essential to make time for real life, for friends, for just chilling the hell out…

Alice x

Photography by Adriana 

Blouse – Vintage | Jeans – And Other Stories | Shoes – Aldo | Bag – Ellen And James

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