Slow and steady wins the race {FT. Cath Kidston}

I often think about writing more about my personal relationship with blogging. I don't usually because it gets really personal. It has been such a crazy journey to where I am now. When I started so many people were happy for me and would tell me about how much they enjoyed it, but now you get a different kind of feedback or often none. It's strange as I know people read the blog. I have all that information so, for me, I always have affirmation that people are still enjoying my posts and therefore, I keep writing them. This is not fully fledged work (yet) and I would obviously want it to be, but because of our life at the moment it just isn't possible. Etta is with me 6 days a week and the one day she isn't I am at my 'actual' job. With her around all the time it very much limits me to what I do and when I do it and as I am not really a parent blogger I find that I have to fit my wants into my own time or very limited pockets of time when I can get the work done. 

This isn't stressful though. It used to be, I used to have to make myself really work hard and it just began to not feel like a hobby, then I changed the way I did it all. It became harder getting out to take photos in that perfect fashion blogger way but I just had to except that and started taking pictures at home myself. It started getting harder writing in the evening as I was too tired so I try to write straight after I do the school run when Etta is usually eating her second breakfast and watching TV. 

I have also had to fully rely on myself taking pictures which means I take a load on the timer setting or with an instant clicker which I just hold. It has meant my style has had to change over the years but it works for now and that's good enough for me. It means I can just work at my own pace and get the jobs done that need to be done. It has meant that my skills have developed and that I have learned to do so much, proving that I can just get on with it by myself. It may mean that things arn't done that fast and that I often don't get a post out for three days but gone are the days where writing more than one post a day is feasible. Maybe, come September when life changes again and Etta is at school my routine will once again be changed and I would love to get out more and do more professional outfit shots, but let's not plan to much hey, you never know what may happen.

I suppose my hard work or rather the work I do at my own pace was kind of confirmed as 'good' when I received an unexpected packet from Cath Kidston. Not knowing what was inside or in fact who or why I had it had already created a little buzz of excitement and when I opened it to see a new Tortoise Stripe Frill sleeve dress I was genuinely surprised and so thankful. A little note explained that they wanted to share a new piece of the Future Florals collection with me. They didn't ask me to do anything, but just enjoy. And that was my confirmation. The way I am doing all this is right. Right for me, right for the family, right for how we want to live and right for the brands I idolise who still want me to be a part of them.

The dress simply reminded me that slow and steady wins the race, just like the traditional story of The Tortoise and the Hare. If you are always trying your best and going at your pace, you will win that satisfaction which means you will achieve your goals and a constant way of happiness.