Right, let’s get back to the cliffhanger from last month. The sourdough. My first starter was a non-starter, so I was apprehensive about making a loaf with my second batch. Was it rising enough? Were there enough bubbles? But then I received a lovely DM on Instagram from a reader called Louise.
Having seen my previous column, she gave me some wonderful advice: if your starter can float, you can bake. It did, so I did. It got me thinking, what a beautiful analogy for life. If you have the fundamental skills or knowledge to buoy an idea, you can give anything a go. Learning a new skill as an adult can be confronting. We’re all so accomplished in our own ways, so it’s a strange sensation to not be good at something. But I’ve discovered a sensation better than mastering sourdough. That is to be good at learning. To be curious, to see each hurdle as a lesson and a new skill acquired. And not to be embarrassed about the process. Gosh! What a profound way of sharing that the sourdough was successful! Now I just need to keep the starter alive…
“Honestly, I can be prone to a bit of matchymatchy, so it feels delightfully rebellious to decorate with a piece that would look exceptionally out of place if not for the fact that I just love it. Wild, I know.”
Elle Lovelock
Billionaire home budget hacks
In harnessing the art of bread baking, I’ve spent a lot of time at home. And while I’m tinkering away in the kitchen, I love to play music. I’ve been a Sonos girl for years now, and every now and then I like to add another speaker to my whole-house set-up. I have one in the kitchen, a soundbar in the living room and a couple of portable speakers that I take from bedroom to bathroom depending on what I’m doing. My picks are the tiny Sonos Roam 2 and the new Sonos Play – they’re the most versatile. Case in point – when people come over, I always place one in the bathroom to protect guests’ modesty. A superb tip from my teammate, thank you Julia. Along with automated blinds (more economical than you think – mine are from Tuiss Blinds Online), playing music throughout the whole house makes me feel like a billionaire.
Vintage finds
I’ve unlocked a new collecting obsession. Perhaps daggy to some, but totally cool to me: vintage Wedgwood Jasperware. But as with all my homewares, old and new, I only buy what I’ll actually use. My first piece was a small inky-blue dish that I use to hold my jewellery each night. Stylistically, it matches nothing else in my bedroom and I love that. Honestly, I can be prone to a bit of matchymatchy, so it feels delightfully rebellious to decorate with a piece that would look exceptionally out of place if not for the fact that I just love it. Wild, I know. You should see how crazy I get styling the silverware.
Shopaholic? Me?
Whenever I go to buy things while on holiday, I’ll always ask myself: ‘Do I really like it? Or do I just like it here?’ It helps to give clarity to a purchase and prevent buyer’s remorse later. Recently, while on a trip, I treated myself to a skin serum I’d been curious to try for years. Because
holiday money is obviously different to real money, I took the plunge (and a very deep breath) and bought my first bottle of Estée Lauder
Advance Night Repair. Truthfully, I love it. And if I stick to the adage, spend on serum, save on moisturiser, I figure I can balance out the cost. A quick note on something that is saving me money: Ecoya’s new electric wax melter. Those little wax melts last ages! They’re more economical than candles. Plus, no smoke.
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