The English Maximalista

Good morning, Campers, and welcome to my first blog of 2026!

In anticipation for the year ahead, I have compiled a list of topics I want to blog about. This includes more Maximalista DIY projects, Maximalista traveling, reviews, and the usual miscellaneous Maximalista brain-scrapings. Maybe even another story or two.

I hope you’ll stick around to find out what I have in store for you lucky readers!

In the meantime, I am starting out with a gentle glide into the new year. Beginning with a fascinating insight to my weekend. 

Spoiler alert: it was not at all fascinating.

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As some of you know, I relaunched my eBay store, last week. And I am happy to report that I have already made several sales, yippee! This means that I am becoming a habitué of my local post office, what with dropping off parcels with increasing regularity.

It is now my #lifegoals! to charm the stoic clerks behind the counter, who have the standard No Nonsense demeanor of a federal government employee. I am determined to get them to crack a smile when I flounce through the door to their inhospitable greige government issue lair.

In moments of fancy, I like to think of myself as a rare English orchid. Quite out of place in my cashmere twin set and pearls, standing in the post office queue between handlebar-mustachioed blokes wearing five-gallon hats and manure-splattered jeans tucked into their Ariat boots. (Welcome to rural Colorado — there are literal cowboys, here!)

Just a small smile from one of them will suffice. Or at the very least, a friendly look of recognition? Wish me luck!

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The most heart-pounding moment of my weekend happened at around 2am on Saturday morning. This was not caused by what you might expect, so get your mind out of the gutter.

What happened was this: I got up for my daily 2am pee. Noticed that the outdoor security lights were on. Then heard the crunching of gravel outside my bathroom window. 

Naturally, I assumed that Mr Maximalista was outside pulling weeds or doing something else equally helpful.  

So I climbed back into bed, and in my befuddled sleepiness, I asked Mr Maximalista (who was beside me in bed) what he had been doing outside… At which point, my brain suddenly switched on, and I sat bolt upright in bed. WHO IS OUTSIDE?!

Anyway, long story short, upon reviewing the security camera footage, we saw a cheeky MULE DEER snacking on my succulents! How rude.

My succulents are now nubs. I’m actually quite cross about it.

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Apart from the excitement with the rogue cloven-hoof ravishing her local snack bar, my weekend was otherwise uneventful. 

We popped in to see The Outlaws, which is my affectionate nickname for my (lovely!) in-laws.

Apparently, I may have been a trifle over-caffeinated on the drive there, on Saturday morning. Which is when Mr Maximalista informed me, “I’m going to try and get you in a bad mood because your good mood is annoying me.” Dokay, then.

FYI: this is a classic Comic Gold conversation between myself and Mr Maximalista. Aren’t we cute.

As is par for the course most days of the week, I checked in with the girls, as well as my folks back in Jolly Old England. Also played phone tag with one of my girlfriends, which has gotten to the point that we are now literally leaving 3-second voicemails for each other saying, “phone me back, woman!”

The highlight of my Saturday was hitting the Arc thrift store in Denver, whereupon I scored: 

• Baccarat vase for $6.99
• Furry pillow from RH for $3.99
• 2 autobiographies (Lenny Kravitz; Britney Spears)
• 2 novels (The Fraud by Zadie Smith; Mrs Everything by Jennifer Wiener)
• 2 thick blankets, 50% off!
• 3 Fiesta-ware dinner plates for $1.75 each

I also started putting away some of the miscellaneous Holiday decorations scattered throughout our house. Usually, I leave my tree up until around about Valentine’s Day. Sooner, if I’m really sick of it before then. As of now, though, I’m still loving turning on the twinkly lights at dusk.

Thus was the extent of my physical activity and general productivity of this weekend. I spent the rest of my time reading (I finished The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, as well as the aforementioned Britney Spears autobiography), and writing. Oh, and watching a movie…

Saturday night, Mr M and I watched Hostiles. He had seen it when it first came out (2017), and assured me it was a fantastic modern Western. Which it was.

If only he had prepared me for the GRISLY BLOODY VIOLENCE realistically directed by Scott Cooper. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend giving it a watch. Heads up, though, as parts of it are gruesome. Also: have your Kleenex handy. Thank me later.

I hope your first weekend of 2026 was wonderful!

Lots of love,

M xo