Hello, my friends! Let’s have a little catch-up and chat about some things I’ve been really loving lately. First off, I want to mention how much I’ve been loving creating again. I get such a buzz from it β I’m so glad I found my way back. I missed talking to you so much and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on all everything I’m sharing today.
Watercolour Painting in Cute Colouring Books
Cute colouring books and markers are so popular right now, and I love it! They make a nice change of pace from how “things for adults” are always just that little bit less fun β like the cute, easygoing, just-for-fun element gets quietly removed to make something feel more “professional” or “mature.” Well, feck that, I say! Cute cosy hobbies help me unwind better than any meditation app.
The only trouble is that they’re popular on social media, which can create moments of comparison, but I block it out as much as possible. It helps that I use watercolour in mine, which I haven’t seen anyone else doing β hard to compare yourself to someone who doesn’t exist! It would be fun to try other art mediums in the books too, which leads me nicely to the next thing I’ve been loving…
The 100 Days Project
The 100 Days Project is an online community art project that runs for β you guessed it β 100 days. It started on February 22nd this year, and I committed to doing a small bit of watercolour painting each day. A small goal felt right because 100 days is a long time, and I have some travel coming up. So far I’ve stuck to it, because I’m counting any small bit of effort. One day I just coloured in a mug; another day I finished an entire page. I’m not trying to improve myself here, just show up each day and do something I love.
Since it’s an online project, you can check out other participants who choose to share (there’s no pressure to post publicly) and it’s so inspiring to see how people express their creativity in completely different ways.
Hardcover Books
Stevie recently gave me a hardcover edition of Quicksilver by Callie Hart, and it completely reignited my interest in hardcover books. I had written them off as uncomfortable and too bulky to cart around, but I really enjoyed reading this romantasy in that format. It’s hard to describe, but holding a big, substantial book in my hands made the whole reading experience feelβ¦ more, somehow. A heightened experience. It might simply be the size and feel difference from my Kindle, but something about it just felt more immersive and intentional.
I also have Alchemised by Sen Lin Yu in hardcover, which is very chunky β so we’ll see how I feel after that one!
Rewatching Shows I Loved in My 20s
I turn 40 this year, which is genuinely insane to see written down! When the year rolled over into 2026, I started seeing posts on Instagram about 1986 babies turning 40 (thank you, Mr. Algorithm, I was already aware!), and it got me looking back on my life. A lot of my 30s were spent under a dark cloud β my mental health took a hit that I’m still working my way out of, but I can see the sun now. (Sidenote: I’m thinking of going into more detail about all of this in a future blog post β is that something you’d be interested in? Drop a βοΈ in the comments if so!)
But back to my 20s β I had so much fun back then. I was social, I didn’t hide my interests, and I wasn’t afraid to want more from life. Some of that is simply being in your 20s, that time of endless possibility, but some of what I lost in my 30s was just my spark. Thinking about that period had me revisiting the shows I watched back then: Supernatural (which I’d started rewatching for its 20th anniversary anyway), Lost Girl, and Stargate SG-1. You might say I was a bit of a nerd. I would say I was absolutely a nerd and completely happy about it.
Rewatching these has stirred up the most wonderful nostalgia, and offered a little glimpse into my younger self β how confident she was, how freely she enjoyed things. I didn’t expect this trip down memory lane to be part of my mental health journey, but here we are. Sometimes the things that help us most are the ones we least expect.
Scarlet Hollow Episode 5
Lastly, I have to shout out the amazing horror game Scarlet Hollow. It’s still in early access because the story isn’t finished yet, but Episode 5 just released after three years of waiting β and oh my goodness, it was excellent. All is forgiven, developers. All is forgiven.
Scarlet Hollow is a role-playing horror visual novel with a mysterious, creepy story and so many different paths to explore. I’m already planning to replay it about ten more times. If you enjoy horror and you’re looking to get into gaming (or back into it), I’d highly recommend it even in its incomplete state.
That’s it from me for now! I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of this. Do you read hardcover books, or do you just collect them for the aesthetic? Do you rewatch old favourites? And how disappointing were those last two seasons of Stargate SG-1? Let’s chat in the comments.
Elaine Howlin 