A year of Styling the Seasons

Hello! I’ve been away from the blog for the past couple of weeks and I’ve missed you. I hope you have all had a lovely August despite all this awful weather. Before we say goodbye to August there is one thing left to do and that is to celebrate a whole year of Styling the Seasons. There have been almost 500 blog posts written since September 2014 that you can see on our Pinterest board and there are nearly 6000 images on Instagram. Just wow!

As well as sharing my favourite August posts by you lovely lot I would also like to take this opportunity to reflect a bit on what Charlotte and I have achieved this year and why we have both grown to love this styling project that we dreamt up in a park this time last summer. I have gained so much through the wonderful, growing STS community and it has completely changed my blogging life as I have got to know so many of you. It was so daunting when I began my blog a couple of years ago because it felt as if everyone knew each other and I was out on a limb; it could feel a bit lonely as though I was writing my blog but no one was reading it.  Starting STS has been such a brilliant way to get to know other bloggers and creatives and given me a genuine reason to engage with people on Instagram or on blogs. I have made new ‘real life’ friends because of this project, which is quite an amazing thing. Who knew styling a surface could lead to such an amazing support network?

Charlotte and I were always clear that we wanted to meet other like-minded people to share ideas and creative fun, which was realised with our wonderful seasonal events: Crafting the Seasons at Liberty last winter and a floral workshop, Styling Spring at{mine} . We are teaming up with other bloggers for the Bloggers’ Vintage Jumble Sale for our Autumn event. Hopefully, over the coming year we can meet even more of you!

Professionally, I have found so much value in developing and practising my styling skills, which has led to exciting opportunities with some of my favourite brands. I have been so inspired by the styling of others this past year, which has helped me explore and define my own style and I’m so grateful for that.  I always said that when I gave up my teaching job to explore the world of interiors that I wouldn’t make firm plans but wait to see where the journey would take me and remain open to every opportunity that landed in my inbox. That has really paid off and I’m so pleased that I took up Charlotte’s suggestion to meet last summer during her lunch break to chat about working together. It has been such a fun partnership and she is ridiculously creative and inspiring.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part this year and I really hope you have found value in being more aware of the passing of time and change of seasons and reflecting that in your own home. Having lived in London all my life I must admit that until we began STS I was only really aware of the change in weather as the seasons changed; I paid very little notice to nature. I have loved discovering what defines each month in terms of nature, whether it be the Cow Parsley of May or the Lavender of July. And, as ever, I have LOVED tending to neglected surfaces in my home and bringing them back to life with my seasonal styling.

And so, that leaves me with just one last task of this first year of Styling the Seasons and that is to share my favourite styling of August. There were two posts that really stood out to me and look so “August-like”. Firstly, this beautiful shot by Ruth from Gathered Cheer that she took in France.

I also fell hard for this gorgeous styling by Jane of Tea with Ruby. I love the textures and natural colours.

Do check out all of the other posts that were written and styled this month, as well as checking out the #StylingTheSeasons hashtag on Instagram:

The Villa on Mount Pleasant / Refreshed Designs / Beautiful Simplicity / Cate St. Hill / Tea with Ruby / The Vintage Good Life / Seeds and Stitches / Humprey and Grace / Gathered Cheer / Beak Up Crafts / Janice Issit / Candy Pop / The Ordinary Lovely / The Lovely Drawer / Little Maldod / KT Robbins Ceramics / Pink Wellies and Pearls / Lotts and Lots / Apartment Apothecary

We would be thrilled if you join us for the second year of Styling the Seasons. You can either share your styled surface on Instagram or blog about it; you do not have to take part every month and feel free to dip in and out whenever the mood suits you. I will share my September post tomorrow and there’s a little twist next month as we would like you to use your favourite vintage finds in your styling as we gear up for our Bloggers’ Vintage Jumble Sale.

Thank you again for all your support over the last year, we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.

Katy x