Well, it’s been a little while since I’ve written a gratitude list! One month, I just completely forgot to write one, and in August, my site was down for maintenance. But we’re back for September, so if you’ve missed having a nosy into my life, don’t worry!
September has been pretty sweet. I don’t know about you, but it’s sort of drilled into me that September is like New Year. I think this is because of school and September marking the new term after the long holidays. I’m not sure if that makes a lot of sense, but when it hits September, it feels like a shift into a new chapter.
So with all of that in mind, here are the things that I was grateful for in September!
1. My blog overhaul – if this is your first time back on The Northernist since my little (huge) refresh, then welcome to the new look! I had a month off of blogging while I did a big migrate to this new website, which was lovely, but I’ve loved being back. It was a long old process and there was SO MUCH tweaking to be done, and I’ll be honest, there’s still work to be done, but I wanted to go live as soon as possible. And with this new fancy WordPress site, I have future plans that you can read all about it my new look Northernist blog post!
2. Make & Mend Festival – I’m such a fickle crafter and I love to dabble in lots of different projects. So I get really excited when Make & Mend Festival rolls around because what could be better than an event dedicated to trying crafts and mindfulness? Not a lot! We had the most gorgeous day, and it was lovely to spend some quality time with my mum and sister. It also gave me the itch to try macrame again, so we’ll see how that goes.
3. Settling into a new job – I started a new job in August, but I’ve only really got into the swing of it in September. I’m delving into the world of local arts and culture in Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland with a community-led project. It feels pretty rewarding and fulfilling to be in a job that gives back, and I’m looking forward to seeing everything we have in the pipeline come to life. It’s also part time, so I’ve got a bit more time to focus on my blog and freelance work.
4. Cooler weather – while I really did enjoy the warm summer, I have been so ready for the temperature to cool down. I just love getting snuggled under blankets, drinking hot chocolate, and wearing big jumpers. I also much prefer the colder nights because no one wants to be laying in bed all sticky from the heat. It’s so much lovelier to get cosy with the duvet pulled right up to your chin! Bring on the crunchy leaves and dark nights, I say!
5. The baking bug – I don’t know what’s caused it, but September saw me really in the mood to bake. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a cosy time of year or because Bake Off’s back, but whatever it is, I love it. It’s probably one of my favourite ways to be creative, but with working full time before, I sort of fell out of love with it. It’s just so much fun and even better when you make something actually delicious. I want to do some more Halloween baking, but I’ve already got started with my Bloody Millionaire’s Shortbread.
So that was September and I’m really looking forward to what the rest of the year holds. I’ve got some cool collabs coming up, so keep your eyes peeled for those, and maybe I’ll start mentioning the ‘C’ word soon… Scrooges, beware!
What were you grateful for in September?
This is the first time I’ve seen your blog but will definitely be reading regularly.
It’s so nice to read something so positive about life here in Middlesbrough.