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A Simple Path Interview No. 3: Jane Day's sumptuous style

15
Apr
2017

Ah friends, have we got a treat for you. This is the third instalment of our interview series, A Simple Path, in which we talk to inspiring creatives who are doing more with less. This week we are joined by the lovely Jane Day from teawithruby.co.uk. Sometimes you come across a blog that is inspiring yet authentic, beautiful yet simple. Tea with Ruby is just that. Jane is an interiors blogger, stylist, writer and photographer whose gorgeous blog always offers new ways to style your home using simple, sustainable, beautiful things. She is a master of light, taking pictures that have depth, texture and an incredible stillness. There is an authenticity to Jane's work - you know she really lives what she writes. And she's a huge fan of linen, which makes us very happy. We love her work and had to find out more about what she does, and why she does it.

Grab yourself a coffee and savour this post - it will inspire you, and get you thinking about small changes you could make to slow your life down and be properly in the moment.

Jane Day coffee bedlinen

Jane Day, thank you so much for joining us for A Simple Path part 3.

1.Can you tell us what you do and how you came to be doing it?

Hi my name is Jane Day and I am the name behind Tea with Ruby. I am an interiors and lifestyle blogger, content creator and writer. I started Tea with Ruby when my daughter (who the blog is named after) started school. I was lucky enough that I didn’t have to go back to work in the office after having her. I wanted to find something creative to do but still be at home and, most importantly, be a mum.

Jane Day linen napkins

2. If you had one piece of advice or wisdom to pass on to your younger self, what would it be?

Believe in yourself, have the strength to do what you want to do. Don’t make choices based on what others want you to do.

3. What is it about the simple life that you find appealing?

 Being able to embrace a slower pace of life is something that we cherish dearly. I know that today in this fast-paced world we are surrounded by a simple life can seem out of reach, but small changes in the way we live can bring so much benefit. Planning is the key to having a simpler life, making time to sit and have meals around the table together as a family, by not turning on the TV or laptop/phone, sitting with a book, listening to music, talking about your day. Get outside more, garden, be active and exercise. I swim nearly every morning which is the perfect start to my day, enjoying the time in the water with my thoughts. Stopping everything when you have that first coffee and not drinking it on the go, making that time count. Each little thing that you do either by yourself or as a family is far more precious if you’ve taken notice of who you are with, the surroundings you are in and made every minute matter. A simple life isn’t about having less but being more considerate with the things that you have.

Jane Day bathroom tiles4. How can we counter the pulls of content-sharing and curating images of our lives with the need for being in the moment?

This can be a tricky one to achieve. The pull to be constantly connected grows the more technology advances, but the world won’t stop if we don’t catch it all on Instagram stories! It can be a pressure to be seen to have the perfect life but we all know it’s not always like that. I think I definitely live more in the moment; if you happen to catch it to share then great but don’t worry about it if you don’t, there is always another day.

5. Who inspires you?

Many of the talented women I converse with every day through the wonder of social media. I am surrounded by strong talented women, each and every one of them inspire me.   If I were to name one person at the moment it would be the designer Ilse Crawford. She puts human needs and desires at the centre of all that she does, emphasising the need for our environment to be comfortable and homely, enhancing and improving our everyday lives through design. She is a design icon whom I admire very much.

6.What are your essential homeware items/ things you couldn’t do without?

Linen bedding, hamman towels and a coffee machine. Simple pleasures: sleeping under linen sheets is sheer bliss. Beautiful towels to wrap yourself up in after a lovely soak in the bath, and of course coffee, I couldn’t start the day without a slow cup of coffee in my favourite ceramic mug.

Jane day table linens7. What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?

Do you know I don’t think I can plan that far ahead. Hopefully I will be happy and healthy and my life will be full. I would like to envisage that Tea with Ruby has grown and diversified, that I am content and still passionate about what I am doing and enjoying wherever it has taken me.

8.What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done?

I wish I had been wilder as my younger self and travelled a bit more before starting a family, but that aside I would probably say the wildest thing I have ever done was to shave all my hair off when I was 41. That and getting my first tattoo at the same age! I wanted to be free of dying my hair so thought this would be the quickest way of dealing with it. Not having chemicals put on my hair anymore was quite liberating and I’m loving the grey, to the point that I have quite a daring haircut because of it. The tattoos are a statement too; wild maybe not, but meaningful yes.

Thank you so much for your time, and sharing your thoughts with us!

Jane day table linens candle

Isn't Jane fabulous? Make sure to check out her gorgeous new post featuring LinenMe's table linens for Easter. And you can follow her along on Instagram (@teawithruby) for more simple sumptuousness.

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ABOUT

Inga

I'm Inga and this is a space where I celebrate simple, slow living. It's a place to be curious and creative, to share ideas on how to live and work sustainably and mindfully. Being the creative force behind LinenMe.com I also write about my love for linen and natural fabrics. Linenbeauty weaves inspiring stories of slow living with interior style features, travel and cookery tips and outfit ideas. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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A SIMPLE PATH

NEST

NATURE

NURTURE

NOURISH

APPAREL

LINEN