Home Comforts

August is always a busy month. There's the Fringe, of course, which seems to take up every spare evening and weekend. Then there's all the inevitable holidays, days out in the sun, birthday celebrations, after-work visits to beer gardens... you know how it is. As much as I love being busy with new things to do - cider in hand and some friends to catch up with - sometimes it's nice just to take a day off and spend some time by yourself. Curling up in a little cosy corner (because, let's face it, this summer has been more like autumn when it comes to the weather) with a book is one of my favourite ways to take a break from it all.

I'm slightly obsessed with blankets. Almost all visible surfaces in the living room are draped with blankets, so when The Tartan Blanket Co kindly offered to send me a new one for the collection I couldn't say no. I went for the Jacob Tartan Wool Blanket* which fits in perfectly with the neutral-yet-homely sort of theme we've got going on in the flat. The blanket is lovely and soft and perfectly cosy, ideal for snuggling up in front of the TV, or with your favourite book in your favourite chair. It's a bit of a bargain too at only £30 for a huge multi-purpose blanket which can be used as a throw, a picnic blanket, a bedspread or whatever else you fancy. Top it all off with a map cushion from John Lewis and what more could you need?

I don't read books nearly as much as I'd like to, mostly thanks to always being distracted by some Youtube videos to watch or a new blog post to read or the latest Netflix addition to binge. But, I love reading so lately I've been making more of an effort to switch off the computer and pick up a book instead. I've just finished Love Letters of the Great War which was just as beautiful and heartbreaking as you'd imagine. Ever since writing my master's dissertation on the First World War, I've been a little obsessed with the subject and a lot of the novels and books I've read over the last couple of years relate to it in some way. This collection of letters was beautifully put together and kind of made me wish I was back digging through the archives again... time for a PhD?! I've also been reading 365 Stories by James Robertson, a quirky little collection of short stories. Each story is 365 words long, and there's a story for each and every 365 days of the year. Another book which I'd wholeheartedly recommend is Jon McGregor's If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things which might just be my favourite novel of all time. The writing is enchanting and poetic and just, ughhhh, go read it!

What's your favourite way to spend a quiet afternoon at home?

Gillian x