The Recap - Feb 2025

All the things I’ve been indulging in, learning, lusting after and grateful for this month.

The Recap! …

…My top ten each month. Everything I’ve been wearing, listening to, been motivated by, what has given me comfort. The things I’ve been indulging in, learning, lusting after and grateful for. This month I chat about fresh, Spring Stalf, my fave tea and biscuit combo, saying goodbye to our first home, the recent health kick I’ve been on and the products I’ve loved, magical moments in the everyday and the conundrum of ageing as a woman. It’s a meaty one!

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1- Wearing -

Spring has sprung here at Stalf and the new collection has blessed the website with a breath of fresh, springtime air!

I shared a clutch of videos on instagram stories last week, just chatting about this collection and how utterly rewarding it’s been to share. It’s not every launch that I really get to see the vision I had in my head waaay back when I first put pen to paper translate so wholly to the final product and presentation- this was one of the really successful translations, and that is such a rewarding feeling. You also all leapt at the chance to order a slice of Stalf Spring, and that is a wonderfully validating feeling as a designer- so, thank you, for a wonderful launch.

Here’s what I’ve ordered:

Crinkle Cami Dress in Candy Checks

Cardi in Frosty Lilac (I already have the Sweatshirt Jumpsuit in Frosty Lilac from the last time we released this colour and it’s a firm favourite.)

Coat Dress in Hickory Stripe. I could order everything in this stripe, it’s so beautiful, but the Coat Dress is the piece that has my heart.

Bag bundle.

Here’s my initial foray into styling the new season pieces, but there’s plenty more of that content on it’s way!

Finding my inspiration again...

Shop the Spring launch here.

2- Soundtrack - Haydar Haydar - Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek.

Anatolian folk. This song is gorgeous, my fiancé and I both love it.

3- Motivator - After a big bout of illness last month, I emerged last week feeling much more like myself, ready to turn 35 and kick start a house move(!!) on the same day.

One thing I know about myself is that I need absolutely steadfast and inflexible boundaries set around exhaustion (or, more accurately, the boundaries ensure I don’t reach the point of exhaustion.) I am a person who, in the past, often descended into the realms of burnout without really understanding why it happened or how to safeguard myself.

When I am locked onto a project, it’s all consuming, 100%, and rapidly drains my reserves. We’ve been balancing running businesses, building a house, selling another, arranging a wedding and wrangling two small kids. Something had to give. Spending February embroiled in virus/infection/exhaustion hell was the fallout, for me.

…and so, motivation has varied wildly. On the one hand, eager and raring to go go go on every single front! On the other… ready for bed by 9am.

4- Comfort - Tea and biscuits…but not just any.

Packing up the house last week, I realised as I emptied our kitchen cabinets, I’d subconsciously curated a collection of little treats and housed them in a lovely woven basket on the worktop- these are my non negotiables- the little things that I enjoy (consume) everyday that just make me happy. In an accessible basket that will not dissolve into moving-box-soup, but will instead live on the passenger seat of my car for easy access. Said basket is mainly filled with great teas and exceptional gluten free biscuits.

This is my current fave pairing (the ricciarellis are a STEAL and are the best I’ve tried- I’ve sampled many) :

5- View - Our beautiful house. Bye Bye lovely cottage.