My experience of a solo hotel stay.

October 31, 2018 Hannah Bullivant

I turned 34 a couple of weeks ago. It happened on a Monday amidst the usual family bustle, and also as it happens, at the beginning of a bad stretch of anxiety. A serendipitous meeting the previous month with a PR led to me booking a solo hotel stay at The Gallivant for my birthday, and it ended up coming at the most perfect possible time. It was heavenly.

The experience of being alone was just bliss. I simply pleased myself. I had a pedicure, ordered room service breakfast, journaled in the window seat. I made liberal use of the toiletries kindly gifted by the hotel; the body oil, foot cream and face mask. I journaled some more. I went for a walk at golden hour and was moved to tears by the sunset reflecting off the wet sand which placed the sky beneath me and above me. I was aware of my family and thought of them, but I just knew deep in my guts that I needed this. (Truthfully I needed 2 or 3 nights of it, but we couldn’t spare me for that long!)

The Nature Sessions part two of two.

July 24, 2018 Hannah Bullivant

The Nature Sessions Part 2 of 2; a 3 day retreat into nature at Elmley Nature Reserve kent | Hannahbullivant.com

To read part one, covering our accommodation, nature safari around the reserve, energy cleansing session, opening feast, morning yoga and candle making workshop click here.

Following the pack lunch and some free time, our guests convened in the coolness of the barn, for a "Styling with Nature" session led by me, in which I talked about the importance and power of the spaces around us and the benefits of using natural finds in your home. I then demonstrated two different wreath making techniques, using primarily dried or fresh ingredients.

The Nature Sessions: part one of two.

July 22, 2018 Hannah Bullivant

Last Autumn, I was given the opportunity to co-host a retreat. Initially, I was keen to take the role I was most used too; a background presence making the space beautiful, warm and inviting. But the request was explicit; that I actively head it up, a Seeds and Stitches live, so to speak. At that point in my maternity leave I had no idea what I wanted to do so, in the spirit of taking things lightly, I agreed, and thought i'd test it out. I am generally trying to be "a trickster, not a martyr", as Elizabeth Gilbert puts it. I'd made a commitment to stop working for free, to find work in Kent or London, and heavily limit travel elsewhere and this ticked all the boxes. So I went for it. I began to create my dream retreat along with yogi Kim Hill, and it finally happened last week. 15 women gathered at my favourite place on the planet. The weather was glorious, the setting flawless. We ate incredible vegan food. We stretched, we meditated, we journalled. We created and chatted and laughed. We slept, and connected and created much needed space for ourselves.

I have split the retreat up into 2 posts because there are simply soooo many photos and details I want to share with you. So here is part one, up to half way through the retreat.

Ditchling Cabin; how we fell in love with Cabin life

June 26, 2018 Hannah Bullivant

Ditching Cabin.jpgCabin life with Canopy & Stars | Hannah Bullivant.com

Earlier this month, we became entirely bewitched by a cabin on a private lake. It's called Ditchling Cabin, in Hassocks, Sussex, and is listed with Canopy & Stars. We had never stayed in a cabin before, nor on a lake either. I thought I preferred coastal water but boy, was I wrong. We completely and entirely fell in love with the cabin, and the lake life that came with it.

The lake is completely private with no neighbours at all. That in itself felt totally luxurious! We ate delicious vegan food cooked on the Big Green Egg barbecue, slept in the most enormous bed you have ever seen, bathed in the bathtub of dreams. There were pink and purple sunsets reflected in the water, trout jumping and splashing back down, creating ripples all over the lake. Mature trees gently swishing and swaying at all times, constant birdsong and buzzing. The sounds alone were wonderful.

We ate in swimming costumes on the deck, had afternoon swims, and family boat paddles. There was fishing, journalling, reading and fire pit lounging.

We were there for 3 days, after a really busy month, and it was so desperately needed. It had such a magical affect on my mood. When I returned I realised how much more relaxed I felt. I wasn't holding tension in my shoulders and chest and felt generally calmer. The difference was amazing, actually! I felt like I really and truly exhaled in those 3 days by the lake.

Let me show you around.

Celebrating London in Bloom with St Martins Courtyard and Mercer Walk.

May 24, 2018 Hannah Bullivant

On Friday I was very excited to head to London as a guest of St Martin’s Courtyard and Mercer Walk, a stones throw away from Covent Garden, to celebrate London In Bloom as part of this week’s Chelsea Flower Show. From flower arranging classes at the Academy of Flowers, fragrant scents from The White Company, floral cocktails at Dalla Terra and dreamy craft supplies from London Graphic Centre, St Martin’s Courtyard and Mercer Walk are in one of my favourite areas of London to visit. I’ll show you my highlights below. For those of us who are unable to make it to Chelsea this week, I thought i'd include some also take home floral tips too. As usual, all links will be at the end of the blog post.

I used to walk through Covent garden every day for years when I lived in London, but I haven’t been back in the city, for anything other than a really busy styling job with no downtime, for months and months. I also haven’t taken myself shopping for pleasure, in over a year! So spending a rare morning shopping making and drinking cocktails was flipping lovely.