My almost finished apartment

I didn't realise, until now, that I hadn't posted any photos of my new flat after my decorating tweaks. Now I've made it more of a home so I thought I'd share. It was a pretty blank canvas to start with....if I was being over descriptive I would describe it as a little white washed wooden dolls house with exposed brickwork up in the eaves of a quaint ivy covered building in a quiet cobbled street-sounds pretty idyllic doesn't it! It is pretty perfect actually! I've turned it into a little haven for myself where I can escape from work and life in general. 

I'm loving living in Brussels- it's such a beautiful city with such amazing architecture and so many nice food places to discover. I've managed to settle into a nice routine- I've been going to the gym regularly, actually getting out of bed and doing things at the weekend, drinking less alcohol and eating more healthily- I've even bought a smoothie maker. All these things sound pretty insignificant but they've really helped increase my positivity! Blogging has had to take a backseat while I've been establishing my new routine and getting used to my new job but I'm ready to throw myself back into it now regardless of how many people view my blog and how few followers I have....my analytics page shows there's at least a few people reading!

Anyway photo time- this is what it looked like when I moved in....

My cute little apartment

This is it now...

My bookshelf, bed and little reading corner.

I have certain items that have been with my in all of my living spaces since moving to London- an Indian kantha quilt which I bought on Etsy, rag rugs, embroidered bed cushions and even my plants! I feel like, more so than most, I attach feelings to objects. These items make me feel comfortable and whatever country I move to I find I can quickly make a home for myself with these things!

I think this is the first place I've felt permanent in since living at home. University felt extremely temporary as I moved yearly; in London I always felt like I was living in someone else's house, and in Germany I was only there for 3 short months on a work contract with a probation period. Now I have my own space, a permanent work contract and a bookshelf! This may seem like a tiny thing but I love reading and have acquired a lot of books and it's so nice to have them on a shelf instead of hidden away in a suitcase.

Flea market finds

There's a pretty cool flea market near my apartment- as with all flea markets sometimes it's full of useless tat and sometimes you find a hidden gem that makes the hunt worthwhile. I've now had to restrain myself from going market shopping as I went through a phase of buying cute furniture and having nowhere to put it! But here are a few things I've bought(above)- the wicker basket is my favourite only 25euros but I'm pretty sure you get similar in home stores for about 80euros.

Every 2-3 weeks I buy myself two bunches of flowers as a little treat(one for my dining table and one for the hallway bookcase). It makes my apartment look fresh and adds a bit of colour but also serves as a reminder to myself that I'm independent, don't need a boyfriend/date to buy me flowers and that I'm doing alright in life....odd reminder I guess but it helps me change my perspective on being single!



The beginning stages of my wall gallery

I'm currently working on a monochrome gallery wall with photos of my family/friends/places I've visited and lived scattered in between hand drawn quotes and pieces of artwork. Again this will serve as a reminder/confidence booster to reassure me that I've got a pretty good life. I think it's very easy at this age to question yourself and create comparisons between you and your peers- why am I single? Am I doing well enough at work? Have I achieved enough with my life? Do I earn enough? The age of 25 seems to stand as a marker point in life for a lot of people. We attach achievements we expect to have made to certain ages and if we feel we haven't obtained them we berate ourselves. I am trying to change my perspective on this as it's more than a little bit soul destroying which is why my little gallery wall is important to me. I'll see it every morning when I groggily emerge from my bed and be reassured that I'm doing okay.

I update my instagram far more often than my blog so if you want to see more images of my new life in Brussels please feel free to follow me: beckyloisburns.

Fashion week trend posts will be trickling onto the blog over the next few weeks in my attempt to get back into blogging regularly!