Seen, Done, Loved: Volume 2

Hello, hello, hello!

Welcome back to another volume of Seen, Done, Loved! Before we delve into the final week of July, a month that weirdly seemed to stretch forever from the middle of the month, I want to thank you as always for reading, subscribing to Dispatches from Elsewhere. I’ve got lofty goals for this newsletter, and have set a goal of reaching 800 subscribers by the end of August. If you’re enjoying this newsletter, my rambles, I’d love for you to share or subscribe!

The last week of July involved a trip to a bookstore, a DIY project, a visit to the beach. As always, Seen, Done, Loved is a glance into the small highlights of a week that sometimes get overlooked.

Despite living in Barcelona, I rarely visit the beach for anything other than an early morning stroll. July has not been a good month for waking up early; most mornings I’m awake at 9 am, and at that stage the day is already almost 30 degrees Celsius. I’m hoping that when September rolls around, the temperature will be slightly cooler in the mornings to resume my beach walks.

On Friday, I decided to take myself to Bogatell Beach, a short walk from the fabulous district of Poble Nou - the New York Times listed Poble Nou as one of their 52 Places to Visit in 2026. I picked up some baked goods from the delicious Little Fern Bakery to snack on the beach.

I had a fabulous morning finishing Good People by Patmeena Sabit (you can read my review in the link below) and just enjoying being on the beach. The beaches of Barcelona aren’t the most beautiful in the world, and all of them are man-made, but I’ve never lived in a city that has beaches that you can visit year-round, and hums with life. Barcelona is really amazing; the longer I spend here in the city, the more I warm to it and its nature.

I’ve made it a plan going forward throughout the month of August to spend at least 2 mornings soaking up the sun down at the beach before an afternoon of writing and working calls me back.

More of in the category of doing rather than done - but soon to be done! My busting-at-the-seams Ikea Billy Bookcase has been annoying me with its chaotic overpackedness. I’m also in desperate need to purchase another bookcase for the overflow (what a wonderful problem to have).

The problem is, I despise the Ikea Billy Bookcases with enormous passion. And yet when it comes to shelving, they are the most affordable option. I would have loved to have bespoke furniture that wasn’t created by the Swedish furniture giant, but I’d also like to be able to afford to own my own apartment at some stage too. So the Ikea Billy Bookcase is what remains in our budget.

I’ve seen over the years how people have transformed their bookcases into creations that resemble bespoke furniture. So on Saturday, like most of my plans, I impulsively decided that I too wanted to have my own take on changing the boring white frame into something a little more ‘me’.

First things first, I’ve never done anything remotely DIY in my life. I marvel anytime I go into a DIY store with my husband, and he just knows what brush or tool he needs for whatever he is tinkering on. I’m fairly confident it’s a part of my brain that has never been activated, hence the lack of knowledge (or perhaps interest).

I spent Saturday evening sanding down the shelves, repeatedly asking my husband when I would know how much I had sanded down and whether it was enough. He assured me repeatedly that I was doing fine. I used 150-grit sandpaper. I don’t know what that means. But it apparently worked.

Next, I used a white water-based primer (after wiping down the white dust/wood/laminate that came off during sanding), and applied a coat of it to dry overnight.

On Sunday morning, I lightly sanded the primer with 300-grit sandpaper and applied one coat of my blue paint to the dry primer. I’m so pleased with how the colour turned out; I typically get my nails in this shade of blue throughout the year. HA!

My hope is that by volume 3 of this newsletter, the entire unit will be complete and I’ll not have become distracted by another hobby or project that comes my way. Already I’m envisioning painting the remainder of my Ikea chest of drawers in colourful pinks and yellows. Let me finish the first project first and see how I get on before overcommitting myself.

Llibreria Finestres Palestina is the first bookstore in Europe dedicated to Palestinian works of literature, fiction and non-fiction. Tucked away in Gràcia (easily my favourite neighbourhood in Barcelona), this small bookstore is a gateway into incredible works by Palestinian authors, and topics that centre around the subject of Palestine.

I bought Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, a book that has long been on my TBR for way too long. The people of Barcelona (and Spain) are incredibly passionate about Palestine; everywhere you turn you’ll find a Palestinian flag proudly displayed on a balcony. I’m very proud to live in a city that wears its heart on its sleeve, and is now home to the first bookstore in Europe to focus on the country of Palestine and its beautiful people.

I have been listening to The Odyssey soundtrack on repeat - it’s great for my writing sessions as it’s 2 hours in length. If there is anything to know about my listening choices, it’s that I love Hans Zimmer. And whilst The Odyssey Soundtrack is composed by his protege, Ludwig Göransson, it feels like it could be the works of my boy Hans. It’s haunting, beautiful and deeply atmospheric.

That’s all from my folks. Let me know how your plans for the upcoming week look, and what pockets of joy you've found throughout the week?

Until next Monday,

Missy

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