Autumn State of Mind

As soon as I get in from work, cosy clothes on, heating on and candles lit. October is here and that means autumn. My favourite season. I just love it! The chilly weather allows you to layer up but not be completely frozen like in winter and I have completely made the most of this and stocked up on all the jumpers from Primark. Cosy ones, woollen ones, fluffy ones in a spectrum of autumnal shades, from camel to rust to burgundy. My wardrobe has done a 360 spin and I have actually taken the time to put away all my summer clothes. If it isn’t wool, suede, velvet or corduroy, you won’t find it here!

I have also swapped out my candles, from fresh linen scents and floral tones to Pumpkin spice, Tobacco Leaf, Patchouli and Amber. The delicious scents combine and fill our home until it is our very own Autumnal Kingdom (Paradise and Wonderland were already taken by summer and winter!)

The colours of the season cannot be beaten. Pale gold, soft amber, burnt orange, olive green, rich red, deep burgundy and vibrant purples and plums. I love the pumpkins, the gorgeous scenery, the comfort food and even switch from Chardonnay to Merlot as a toast to autumn!

We also start to buy more seasonally appropriate vegetables in our weekly shop. Aubergines, Squash, Sweet Potatoes and of course Pumpkins. I cook a lot more stews and soups and root out the slow cooker to make one pot meals like chilli and bourguignon.

I think my favourite part of the day is the time between the afternoon and evening when the sky starts to darken and casts a grey cloak on the garden. I prematurely draw the curtains and put the blinds at half-mast in an effort to cocoon myself in my lovely home. The chill comes then. It creeps around the houses, along the paths and down the alleyways until it reaches your door. Soft tendrils of icy mist stroke your windows trying to get in. If we go out mid evening and come home we are greeted by a blast of heat from the house. It wraps itself around you and tells you to put on your pyjamas, there is no need to go outside again. It practically locks the door for you!

The paramount part to the week is a cosy autumnal Sunday. Waking up with nothing to do.  First, I nip downstairs to make a coffee and to turn the heating on. Then I open the curtains so I can see the blustery wind outside or the sepia coloured street and climb back into bed with a good book- toasty and warm. A hot shower will follow and then my cosiest outfit. All the candles will be lit by 11am if I am staying in but if the rain holds off, an autumn walk may be on the cards.

There is a dramatic beauty in autumn that no other season has. The trees go through their final stage of the year and shed their golden leaves leaving behind bare branches. The leaves curl and crisp upon the floor like confetti after a wedding. They await their fate by leaf blower or gust of wind and end up somewhere new. In a way the trees are a lot like us. We wind down at this time of year before the business of Christmas but we also put things to bed in a similar way to falling leaves. Incomplete Resolutions, jobs to finish before the New Year and things that have been difficult for us - We shed ready for the fresh start which January brings!

I hope you enjoy this season as much as me and relish in all it has to bring. Alex has put me on an autumnal counter again this year and I am only allowed to say the words autumn or autumnal 3 times a day. 3 is the limit of he will tickle my feet as penance. So I wrote this post to get it all off my chest! So worth it!

Love 

Blue Sky

x

"Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go."