My Month In Photos - September 2015

It's the end of the month (seriously, where did summer go?!) and I have a new regular segment! At the end of every month I'm collating and collecting a montage of photos of what I have been up to, both in and out of work!

September has been busy. I've finished my first commission of christmas cards (the deadline is today), I've been working on a commission for a local cider company (find that here) and the rugby world cup has kicked off in earnest (more on that at the end of the week). Schools are back, people are really digging autumn style and the weather has significantly improved. September might have flown by but I am seriously looking forward to October....

1. Illustration work.

I'm not revealing my commissioned christmas cards just yet so the client gets to see them first but I have been seriously upping my illustration game this month. I thought when I finished uni I'd find it hard to stay motivated but I have been keeping my hand in and illustrating every day. Illustrating for hash tags, illustrating for tv programmes, illustrating for sport- I'm illustrating everything and I think I'm improving all the time.

2. Friends and Family.

There is nothing quite like catching up with the people closest to you to put the world to rights and this month I was lucky enough to manage to see nearly all of my favourite pals. Getting any of us together is an absolute nightmare most of the time so to see nearly everyone was a flippin miracle but it made September a really busy and fun month. I also spent a load of QT time with the fam, the cat (who keeps me company working from home err'day) and I babysat my niece a few times for good measure too.

*read about one of my groups of chums here!

3. Gwennan Rees Illustration.

This month I have really got into the routine of being self employed and running my own business. I'm updating my website constantly, my blogging game has been seriously upped, my social media accounts are bursting with updates and my Etsy shop is up and running. I could always do with a few more jobs and a bit more money (couldn't we all) but I am getting into the swing of it and looking forward to what the run up to christmas has to offer.

(Don't forget to find me on Twitter and Instagram!)

4. Getting *a bit* excited for Christmas.

I can't help it, please don't unfollow me or summin. I LOVE Christmas and I get excited for it from about October onward. I get super organised, I buy everyone's presents in November and then get sad I haven't got anything to do in December and just go out and buy more. I love it. But this month the festive buzz has hit me a bit early because I've been making cards for my commissions and stationary for my Etsy shop. If you follow me on social media or read this blog regularly then I can only apologise, I know I've been spamming about my new products but seriously, get organised early and treat yourself to something here!

5. Home and Away.

Not the soap. Actual home. Since working from home I have been getting a bit stir crazy staring at the same four walls all day err'day but this month with the change in the seasons and the crazy hot weather I have found being at home that little bit more inspirational. Nice weather makes all the difference to the way I view the world and I have spent an unreasonable amount of time photographing my view and the countryside around me. Maybe during the depths of winter when it just rains I'll stick nice sunset photos all over my windows just to keep me ticking on...

6. #tbt

All year on my personal Instagram account (which is private and separate to this one) I have been taking part in a #365days challenge where I find something every day that made me happy or positive and when I am lacking in inpsiration or had an actual bad day I always revert back to a quote or a #tbt or #fbf and this month it's thrown up some corkers for me with the aid of Timehop.

Image on the left (sorry Zo, I know your eyes are closed) is when I met Ronnie Corbett casually in an airport in Venice when I was 19 and on my way to spend a week with my Foundation year friends on a study trip to the Venice Biennale. There is nothing more that needs to be said for this one, it speaks for itself I think.

The compilation photo on the right is a series of images of packing (ikr) which gives me all the feels and nostalgic memories; cheers Timehop. From left to right, top to bottom is my packing situation when I moved to university for the first time on September 17th 2012, my car all full moving into my first student own home in second year, the beginnings of my packing when I trekked up to Wrexham for my final ever year last October and finally, my room currently which is boxed up ready to move out again (more on that soon). It reminded me not only how much I love to pack (the organisation is just too much) and also how ridiculously quick the time has gone since that first move in 2012. So. Many. Feels.