Back from holiday and July wrap-up

Today is Sunday time to look back in the rearview mirror and talk about my week . I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted for years by Kimberly@caffeinatedreviewer . 

In my private life

Well folks I am back from Normandy!

And…not ready to get back to work tomorrow, sigh!

Normandy was good but past the first two days we’ve had an awful weather! One day walking under non stop rain. A pity really because the place was gorgeous!

My favorite day was when we visited Mount St Michel.

To think of all the years to build these buildings and sculpt everything was mind blowing! Especially when you learn that fire destroyed it several time!

I also loved visting the Arzenith, a French boat moored in Saint Malo , that was the first boat to carry young Frenchmen to join Général de Gaule when he called to action at the beginning of WWII! That boat was shipwrecked and is being restored by passionate people. We learned a lot of things that day! The boat captain was carrying mail from the land to an island when these young people pleaded to board and join England!

That captain agreed and he only went back to his family at the end of WWII….

When I was in Normandy, I got the most unexected mail!

An American company, Autonomous AI, specialised in ergonomic furnitures (chairs, standing desks, workpod…) asked me if I was interested in choosing one of their product and promote it on my Instagram account.

I didn’t reply immediately but first did some research to make sure it was not a phishing attempt. I watched many videos on Youtube of gamers and IT developpers promoting their chairs and desks so that seemed legit!

Yet I am no gamer, no IT developper and when I looked at their social media, I didn’t fit the people they featured there!

So I told them that I was interested but asked them if they realized that I was no gamer but a bookstagrammer and that I also painted book edges!

They replied telling me that yes, they knew my account very well, loved what I was doing and were very interested to collaborate with me!

That’s how I got a fabulous ErgoChair Plus, perfect for all the homeworking I am doing!

Seriously, it’s adjustable in every direction!

My only problem was then to promote the chair while remaining true to myself!

I couldn’t just “review” the chair in a serious tone like all the gamers and developpers do. That wouldn’t “fit” with my personality nor my account.

So, after some brainstorming I went from mildly whimsical to totally whimsical (think circus trick)! 🙂

I was afraid the company would regret choosing me as what I did was so far from their “serious” videos featured on their social media but…they loved it!

Here are the two videos that I have done for them (PS if you want to order a chair, I have a discount code in my “small shops” page).

First the “mildly whimsical” (gotta ease them into my brand of crazy LOL)

And second the totally “circus style” one!

July wrap-up (click on the graphic to read the post)

I read 10 books in July, less than usual but that was to be expected with all the traveling and family time!

I found three favorites!

The first one was Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. Very imaginative and also surprisingly emotional!

Hello Stranger was one of the best Katherine Center books that I have read. Emotional, heartwarming and funny at the same time! 6 stars!

And Where the Light Goes by Sara Barnard was a total surprise! I read it because Micky, a fellow blogger and bookstagrammer just posted about it while I was in London. As Sara is coming to YALC in November, I grabbed that one and…cried ugly fat tears!

Thanks for reading!

Sophie