Summer Lovin'

As July is drawing to a close I find myself sick of our Summer sale and, I must admit, sick of our customer’s adamant demands for a gift wrapping service. It must be a retail thing, but I find myself excited at the publications of Vogue and Elle’s catwalk collections and fantasising about my upcoming Winter Wardrobe. Oh to wear layers again. I’m dreaming in black and white and designing in tartan.

As it stands money is becoming something of a worry and I am no longer able to guzzle the skinny white mochas in abundance. It’s a shame really, because Builder’s Tea from Cath Kidston Floral/Duran Duran Tour Mug Musings just doesn’t have the same ring.

So here I am, slightly overworked and slightly worried about finding dream flat with Lovemenot. I’m also still slightly shaken after spending a weekend swinging through trees and alighting zip wires to celebrate Rachel’s hen weekend…whose idea was that? Oh yes of course, mine and Cat’s, bridesmaids/event planner extraordinaires. I did it though, not bad for a girl who is afraid of both heights and sudden movements she has little control over, I have the certificate to prove it too. But a lovely Hen Weekend it was in the end, champagne, cream teas and tears, just as we knew our Rachel would want it.

Alarmingly, one July trend I won’t be sad to see the back of is the break-up trend. I always thought Summer was the time to hook up, relax with a Corona and enjoy holding hands strolling joyfully on a hot day. Apparently not, as many of my close friends have broken up with their prospective other halves/are considering breaking up with their other halves or are in self-imposed emotional turmoil over their other halves.

Not long after my Birthday I found myself counselling MMH over Pimms in Soho, as his first relationship had left him high and dry. He, of course, asked the question ‘how do you deal with this?’ I wasn’t sure what to say, because I knew I had come far since the Great Unmentionable, but I didn’t know what had done it. I suspected it was everything from my family and friends, to my psychic, to my job and my Blog, not to mention a slight obsession with Milburn TV (that was the first week; it was the only thing I could laugh at). It’s a sad thing though when something comes to an end, I can’t remember who said this to me but I say the same to him…you’ll be fine darling man, you just need to feel it.

Another close friend has been somewhat concerned about Facebook antics that, it must be stated, took place long before she and her current beau got together. I must say, leading on from a previous rant about the Internet (which I understand is highly hypocritical as I type this little musing…soon to be posted…on the Internet), that it has a lot to answer for. Earlier on she and I were emailing and discussing the minefield topic of whether or not we looked through Facebook photo albums of boys we liked. She said yes, and was absolutely certain that boys who liked us looked through our photos (you saw nothing tattooed one, NOTHING). I, on the other hand, tend to banish the neurotic side of my brain and try to imagine a potential as a blank canvas, someone I can learn about as we go along without drawing my own conclusions from photos and wall posts. It’s easier said than done and that’s the trouble, everyone’s history is blueprinted now, the Ex-Files are plastered across your man’s home page and there is no escape from off-the-cuff comments or posts they made have made in jest. After all, I wonder what my future boyfriend would think of my musings should he come across my tales of love, lust and longing? Still, she realised she was wrong and I am hopeful she may wean herself off the great Facebook photo race and relax a little into a relationship that sounds all fun and frolics to me.

And so, in between the break-ups and the househunting and the turning 26 it’s been quite an eventful and hot month. I guess you only have to look around you to see that nothing endures but change, sad as it seems. But I, for one, am looking forward to August, lots to do and see and even closer to being able to wear a duffle coat with a cute tartan skirt! I’m off to join a library and learn how to screen print…