10 days ago, I was instructed to self-isolate because I'd been in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid. I was aware of who it was, which was good - I would have gone mad wondering, otherwise - but that didn't make the pill any easier to swallow. I was suddenly overcome with flashbacks to my shielding days, and could almost feel the freedom I'd been reveling in being pulled out from under my feet. All the seafront walks, takeaway coffees, waving at friends as I passed them in town, my safe boyfriend bubble - gone, in an instant. Because I'd spent 20 minutes one Tuesday morning in the same room as someone (both of us socially distanced, wearing face coverings) who had tested positive the next day. 

I am so happy and relieved to share that in these past 10 days I have not noticed any symptoms, and am currently waiting on the results of a second test (the first was negative). I plan on going for a walk with my partner (who has also been isolating, as he was in contact with me the day after I was in contact with The Positive Person) along the seafront tonight at 00:01, to celebrate our freedom. Romantic and adorable, no? Like some kind of dystopian indie movie. 

Photo by the wonderful Sophie Mayanne, for Getty Images.

I'm almost sorry I haven't written anything on here since this latest isolation was invoked. When I had to isolate/shield early last year, I documented it pretty well, I think. That was partly because I had nothing else to do, and the creative block hadn't quite kicked in yet (that happened in lockdown part deux). I wrote about all the reading I'd been able to get done, I answered some sex questions, I did some more reading reviews, I took on a new social media job at Eggtooth and started working with them as a creative writing mentor for referred young people. 

I wrote a few sponsored posts during that first lockdown, too! The brilliant Helena Traill let me write a piece about the wonderful launch event for her 100 Stories book, which was so fun to do. I wrote on the blog about distance learning, a lovely Dorset staycation, the different definitions of ability, even a lighting company! I remember being a little apprehensive when I volunteered to write these posts because the specs were a little out of the ordinary for me and my little corner of the internet. But I took on the challenges, and my confidence in copy/content writing really grew from there. 

I joined some creative writing workshops on Zoom, and published one of the pieces I wrote, which I was especially proud of. And in this latest lockdown I'm going even bigger, and actually trying to write up that book I have stuck in my head. Wish me luck. 

And when I came out of lockdown (part one) I wrote a hefty post detailing almost everything I'd done. 

I'm definitely less hyper-emotional this time. I've actually felt super happy! How wild is that? I suspect the alone time is what's doing it; I needed to take myself away from the hectic outside world and make some time for me. I reckon my new evening routines have also given me a boost, and a gentle shake. Most evenings I will usually spend lazing in front of the TV, eating everything within reach (nothing wrong with that, folks, but it does make me feel a bit blehhhh after a while) and endlessly scrolling on my phone. This changed a few nights ago when I decided to skip my morning shower and leave it till the evening after I'd stripped and re-made my bed; I washed my hair and body, covered myself in Sleepy body lotion, put on some fresh pyjamas and tucked myself in with a hot water bottle and a book, at 9:30pm. It was an absolute dream. I slept well, I felt fresh in the morning, and my super clean hair wasn't fuzzy and tufty as it usually is right after a wash, because I'd slept on it and made it softer. It sounds so simple, but this little switch up changed the game for me. I don't know if I can keep it up, but I'll try. It was also really helpful in the mornings not to have to shower and put my face on, because that can actually take me a while and mess up my timings. This would be especially inconvenient these days, as I have started a new job. 

Photo by the wonderful Sophie Mayanne, for Getty Images.

Oh, what's that? A new job? Yep. For the time being, while I'm not with the team in my lovely shop, the wonderful company I work for offered me the opportunity to work with the Customer Care team for a few weeks. So, until potentially the end of this lockdown, I will be working 10-6 (very civilised) Mon-Fri answering customers' emails and queries, checking up on their orders, sending them goodies, and also doing shifts on the brand's social media account. I do miss chatting and bonding with people face-to-face in the shop - and hanging out with my team of queens in the staff room, all of us munching on bourbons and drinking only the best looseleaf tea (okay fine, it's instant coffee for me), but this is the best situation to be in right now, to be honest. I am so grateful to not be furloughed because my rent isn't getting any cheaper, plus this work is definitely keeping me busy, and it's so good for me to actually have a routine for once in my life. I'm so lucky. I appreciate how fortunate I am. I hate that so many people have lost work since the lockdown(s), and I am raging at the government for letting the first round of furlough run out before they revealed there would be more, because so many people I know had to be laid off once the scheme 'ran out'. 

I do wonder what will happen, after all this madness ends. Obviously I know there will be no 'going back to normal', because really, normal isn't possible now. I know we'll probably never go bowling again. Or be allowed to test out mattresses in the store. Or try on clothes in fitting rooms - or return them, after they've been in our households. And I know it will be a good year at least before we can go out-out again. I wonder if hand-shaking will finally be scrapped. I won't miss it much. I will miss the theatre, and the cinema. They weren't just shows and films, they were experiences, the most romantic dates and exciting gatherings. Sigh... what do you think will happen? 

Hi, I'm Grace. But you know that by now, don't you?

I'm starting to write blog posts *in* the Blogger box again instead of copying and pasting from Google docs, and it's taking me right back to my days at college, when I'd write frantically between lessons then hit 'publish' without proofing anything. 

I always do these Facts posts, and they get mad attention. Maybe because they're short and sweet? Maybe because you lot are nosy, and want to know every weird thing about me? I do sometimes worry my attention span is really poor, these days. I used to be able to sit and colour in a picture, or read a book, for hours on end. These days I get antsy when I'm doing the same thing for an extended period of time, and find myself grabbing my phone every few minutes - then I scroll, scroll, scroll, like, like, like, and don't really achieve anything but it's the quick-paced engagement my brain seems to prefer these days. Ugh. Wow, this turned into Something, didn't it? Apologies, gang. Let's get back to the quick and quippy facts... 

I am really obsessed with making things like soup and porridge. My friend told me recently that's because it's essentially a brewing spell. 

Photo: Rachel Manns
Piece is a kind gift from Stay Wild.

I got a 2021 planner, and don't feel foolish about it at all. 

I hate English breakfast tea. Unless it's being served to me in a hospital bed. 

I can't wait to go sea swimming again in the warmer months; it was so healing and magical for me last summer. 

I'm getting eczema on my hands from washing them so much, again. 

It's a tough call, but I think Pilea Peperomioides are my favourite houseplant. Don't tell my aspidistra. 

I met Greg James once. He told me he liked my voice, and I should start a podcast.

I've unintentionally started a booze-free January... and I am now considering it a challenge, especially with all these awful news stories emerging every evening. Wish me luck. 

One of my simple but serious life mottos is: 'Never be without a pen' - Richard Gilmore, 2003. 

I've finally started watching The Office (US version). I'm three series in, and only just starting to warm up to it. Stay tuned for more developments. 

I've never written a Facts post with complete sentences like this... I quite like it. Do you? Let me know. 

I received a negative Covid test result this morning, and it was honestly the nicest thing to wake up to. (the drive through self-test pop ups are SO weird, but an amazing feat of engineering)

I recently had a wild moment and ordered myself two dresses online, and when they arrived I remembered why I never order clothes online. 

I start a new (temporary) job next week. 

I'm really bad at keeping gratitude journals, or sticking to Miracle Morning-style routines. 

I am really missing shoots, in lockdown. Not just the big snazzy magazine kinda ones in obscure locations in London, but the wacky ones with my creative friends that would often include trekking through muddy woods, dipping toes into the freezing sea, hanging spooky things from trees and doing a very quick and un-glam costume change in the shopping centre car park. 

I don't miss sitting in cafes as much as I thought I would. Shocking, I know. I am actually really loving the fact that if I want to see someone safely right now, one-on-one, we have to go for a walk together. I realise, yet again, I am very fortunate to live right by the sea. 

I've been in my little flat for a year now, and I am still so grateful I was able to move out and start my journey living alone in what turned out to be a most unfortunate year for everyone. I have to move in the summer, and I'm choosing to see it as an exciting opportunity to find a new happy space for me and my plants. 

But enough about me. How are YOU? 

When I was in Year 5, I got bored during Story Time (here meaning: our terrible teacher telling us every detail of what happened in Eastenders the night before) and spotted a lump of thick solid glue on the floor. It had obviously been a drop from a glue gun, when we were doing crafts earlier in the day. It was like a perfect teeny marble, about the size of a 5p coin. I started fiddling with it, and eventually (don't ask me how), it ended up in my right ear. Then, somehow, it stayed comfortably lodged in my ear for 3 years. I had it removed when I was in Year 8, via syringe in my GP's surgery. It was the stupidest thing I've ever done, but oh my goodness it was totally worth it for the feeling of relief in that moment. I could hear again! My ear felt so free! I remember thinking 'I must take better care of my ears, from now on.' 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Cut to nearly 15 years later (ouch) and I haven't given my ears any proper care since. I do that awful thing of sticking a bud in after a shower now and again, while I still have some water in there, but that's about it. A friend of mine told me they went to an ear clinic (pre-pandemic) and it was a life-changing experience, having their ears well and truly doted upon. It seems like such a luxury, but it doesn't have to be! Seriously. Put down the towel, the olive oil and the spoon, and let's go through some super fun facts about your amazing ears... 

Y'know your outer ear? Well, it never. stops. growing. How wild is that? And we laugh at babies that have huge ears - I think we should be super kind to them, the poor things. 

Here's one you probably already knew, but if you didn't, be prepared - it may ruin a bit of childhood magic for you. Okay, ready? The 'sound of the sea' that you hear, when you press a shell to your ear? That's actually the sound of blood rushing through your veins. I mean, that may be the science of it, but I personally prefer to cling on to the magical mermaid stories... 

This one is a bit gross, but I think it will help some people... wearing a pair of headphones for just an hour can give you 700 times more bacteria in your ears. Yep. Sit with that for a bit. 

Last one is kinda cool; your ears never stop hearing, even when you sleep. I feel like I heard this years ago on come CBBC show - or actually maybe I didn't hear it, I probably had glue in my ear at the time. So, your brain makes a conscious decision to ignore sound when it goes into sleep mode, to make sure you aren't disturbed (any more than usual, anyway). 

How do we feel about these facts? They're pretty amazing, if you ask me. And there are so many more, but I'll leave you to listen out for them... I think we can all agree our ears are incredible, and definitely worthy of the highest standard of care. I'll be making it a resolution, when we come out of lockdown #26 or whatever, to treat myself and book in an appointment with Auris Ear Care, the ear wax removal clinic in Harley Street. My ears deserve the very best treatment, after the absolute nonsense they've had to hear in the past year! Check out Auris now if you feel the same, or maybe want to treat a loved one who struggles with their hearing. 

How did Beets Pulse and Thyme come to be? 

Photo by Daniela @ Beets Pulse & Thyme.

What brings you joy? 

Now, more than ever, we have to take note of the happy moments. We have to submerge ourselves in them and take a long, decadent swim, until we surface somewhere remote, unfamiliar and so wonderfully peaceful. And then we'll hopefully turn and squint at the dark horizon we came from, and not remember what it was made of. 

Photo by Tim Dunk.

How about YOU? Are you finding the light in the darkness? Sometimes you have to consciously turn it on. And sometimes it takes a while; the bulb flickers halfheartedly, lacking the juice it needs to brighten a room. But you must persist. Press the switch harder, wait out the flickering, and call for help if you need it. 

Oh yes, this Small But Big series is officially BACK, baby! For those of you who don't know, I love (to the point of obsession) small businesses. I want to work and shop with them as much as possible, and shout them out on every platform I have. Well, today I am overjoyed to be shouting about The Hastings Bookshop; a newbie to the infamous Trinity Triangle, and a welcome addition to our town as a whole. I was very excited to interview Charlie, the book lover behind it all... 

What's your  story? How did The Hastings Bookshop come to be? 

It's been my dream to open a shop in Hastings for a very long time. I grew up down here and it is such a special, warm and caring place - it deserves a really amazing bookshop. Book selling is in my blood I guess - most of my family are in the book biz. My mum and dad actually met when they were working in a bookshop together - goals! I've been selling books myself since the age of 16. I worked at Waterstones for a bit and then spent a few years working at this amazing bookshop on Tooley Street, near London Bridge, called The Riverside Bookshop - I learnt a lot and made some great mates there, I still love those guys dearly. Alongside my book selling I studied Sociology at Goldsmiths and then did an MA in Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University. I sometimes still write about philosophy, I've recently had a few pieces on French and African philosophy translated into Arabic and published by my good friend Oumar Azzeradj, an excellent Algerian/British philosopher and cultural critic who now lives in St Leonards. During the first lockdown I realised that the future of our industry lies in small, local, independent bookshops and publishers who have a really close relationship with their customers. With this new shop, I'm trying to combine a modern, contemporary selection of books (which try to deal with current social and political issues), and a classic, old-school approach to book selling; for example, recommending a book you think a customer would actually like to read, rather that what you are being told to hand sell by some company big shot. I have complete freedom to stock what I want in this shop and therefore I can make the stock list a genuine reflection of the interests of our community - Amazon and the book selling chains just can't compete with that. 

Hello, fellow book lovers. It's been a while since I wrote one of these! In all honesty, I haven't got much reading done, recently. Maybe because I'm too busy, but I also haven't been allocating time for it as much as I did earlier this year. I have to admit, I miss the end-of-lockdown summer days, when I would spent around 8 full hours on my roof, reading reading reading... 

Okay, tiny violin moment over. Here are some reviews. 

Red White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston.

An enemies to lovers story, in which the Prince of Wales falls for the First Son of the American President, and their romance must overcome opposition from all sides.

Review via Goodreads.

Everyone was telling me to read this one. EVERYONE. It's a truly unique novel; New Adult (a bit of a grey area, genre-wise!), contemporary (it takes place in a very different 2020), witty, political, and sexy af.  I won't lie, I didn't fully grasp some of the political jargon or Very American storylines, but holy cow I gobbled up the sexual tension and delightful character development. 

Thank you so much to Claire, aka @paperbookmarks, for sending me this one during Lockdown 1. You're a gem. 

Every Little Piece of My Heart, by Non Pratt.

When Sophie receives a parcel from her best friend, Freya, she expects it to contain the reason why Freya left town so suddenly, without goodbyes or explanation. Instead, she finds a letter addressed to Win, a girl Freya barely knew - or did she? As more letters arrive for more people on the periphery of Freya's life, Sophie and Win begin to piece together who Freya was and why she left. Sometimes it's not about who's gone, but about who they leave behind.

Review via Goodreads.

Non is one of my favourite YA authors. The characters she writes are so believable and layered, and their arcs are beautiful. Her dialogue writing is masterful. FACTS. I do love her romantic stuff, but let me tell you she is one of the very best when it comes to writing about friendships. *chef's kiss*

I bought this book with a ticket to a Zoom event with Non in conversation with Gráinne Clear, Commissioning Editor at Walker Books, organised by Lutyens & Rubinstein Bookshop & Literary Agency. Check them out, please! (and consider buying from them this Christmas, rather than That Site) 

Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks.

Every autumn through high school, Josiah and Deja have worked together at the local pumpkin patch. They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1st. But this Halloween is different — they are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Review via Goodreads. 

I am not a huge graphic novel reader (idk why, I just like allll the words), but I had had my eye on this one for a good while. Rainbow's writing is always a treat, and Faith's illustrations were just incredible. As for the story... I liked the friendship stuff, and the setting was adorable, but (spoilers) I didn't like where it went right at the end. I didn't believe it. Maybe it's because I'm cynical and jaded, but I noticed after finishing it that a few reviewers felt the same as me... 

More Than a Woman, by Caitlin Moran.

Hello. Let’s try something here.

I started this blog in 2010, back when I wore skinny jeans, Converse and zip up hoodies all day every day, dyed my hair all the wrong colours and felt SO MUCH, I couldn’t keep it all in. I found peace and happiness in my tiny corner of the internet, posting with wild abandon about my crushes, A Level stresses, (questionable) fashion choices and foolish ambitions. No details spared. And while it wasn’t great when my peers found my little safe space and started ripping it out of me for being so mushy, pretentious and quite prone to embellishment, I was never discouraged because it was so good for my mind, writing my feelings out.

Well, over the past few years I’ll admit that I’ve become quite scared to just write, like I used to. I’ve stopped my musing and rambling, and started overthinking and planning, so much so that I’ve lost a lot of the joy I used to get from this platform that I made for myself as a hormonal, angsty, romantic teenager. Now, I’ve proven to you readers quite recently that I still have that same teenager living within me, somewhere, and I’m wondering if I could take a leaf out of her book, as I muddle through the adult world as best I can. I want to take time for myself; I need to stop spending every waking moment trying to fill time with work, scrolling through various social media platforms, social engagements – okay, well, the latter isn’t really a problem any more in this current mess of a world, but you know what I mean. I need to stop trying to make use of every minute of my day. I need to do things just for the fun of it, and not because I can get something from it – be that money, freebies, a following, or a few brownie points here and there. 

Photo: Erin Veness

Lockdown Part II (Revenge of the Virus) is going to be very different. For one thing, people seem to be generally feeling much more positive about it; I’ve had conversations with friends and everyday acquaintances who have said they’re simply seeing it as a paid month off work this time, and they’re excited because it means they can binge some more on Netflix, read more books, create stuff, do some work around the house, spend more time with their kids, and so much more. Also, a lot of small businesses are staying open, but making vital changes to how they operate because they don’t want to close again, and they’ve made the effort to figure out how to work with the restrictions.

I’m living my good life, to be quite honest. I’m thrilled to not be shielding this time around – huge shout-out to those who aren’t so lucky; I see you and I know what you’re going through – and I am excited for all this free time, that I will be mostly spending alone (because I love being alone. Did you know that about me?), on self care and my creative projects. I have a couple in the pipeline, and I’ve actually started manifesting them now, and not being afraid to speak openly about them with my close friends. One of those creative projects, I guess, is going back to basics here. I want to start writing openly and freely again, about whatever I’m feeling, and whatever I’m doing. I used to share long posts on here about stuff I’d been doing day to day, and friends I was hanging out with, and what I’d been learning at college/uni. Simple things. I never felt pressured to share political opinions, fine-tuned reviews or #sponsored #content, back then. I think now more than ever, we are needing to connect with our old selves and work out what used to make us happy, and if/why we’ve lost that along the way somewhere.

Photo: Erin Veness

Last Monday, I woke up with my gorgeous boyfriend, and as he got ready for work I realised that it was the last day I could do something spontaneous and have some me time for at least four weeks, with the second lockdown looming. I’d been planning to check in on a Google meet at 10am, then join the live stream of my friend’s funeral at 11am, at my kitchen table, with a coffee. Well, I decided to skip the Google meet, jump on a train to Brighton, and watch the service in one of the indie cafes in the North Laines. I smiled to myself as the train pulled into my favourite seaside city, and I stepped off the train into the winter sunshine. Jordan would have liked this, I thought. You see, Jordan was always a ‘get out there and LIVE’ kind of person. We could all learn a lot from the way he saw the world. I settled myself in a quiet cafe, ordered a long black, propped my phone against the little jug containing the extra hot water I requested, and logged into the live stream. I tried not to wonder if the staff noticed I was getting tearful over and over again as I sat there for an hour, nursing my cup. Then when the service was over, I wandered deeper into the Laines and spent the rest of the day treating myself, mindfully. I got three new pairs of (ethically made) trousers; I grabbed some crispy tempeh tacos in a cafe I’d never been to before; I inadvertently explored the park while searching desperately for a public toilet; I got takeaway vegan doughnuts for the parents, as I was seeing them that evening; I visited the shop on Sydney Street that I once worked in, and when I finally boarded the train home I was full of good food and deep joy (two things which, in my book, are one and the same). I’d shaken off my usual stresses, boring To Do lists and thrifty tendencies, and just enjoyed myself for a change. It had been so long since I’d done me for a day. I know it was a luxury, and I sadly can’t make a habit of it, but maybe I should try to schedule in one of those types of days every couple of months. Maybe we all should. Once the world gets a little more… now, do I say ‘normal’? No. That’s a boring word. ‘Safe’? ‘Chilled’? They’re a bit better.

When was the last time you had a you day? Was it magical? I wanna know all about it. Comment below, or tweet me. Also, what do you want to read on here? As a reader, it’s as much yours as it is mine, I guess. Only it’s not really. I can do what I want here. Mwahahaha.