Cosy season is upon is. It’s my favourite season of the whole year and I am very happy about it. People often assume that, if you love Autumn and Winter, you must hate summer and that really isn’t the case. There is plenty I love about summer; the way my garden fills with colour, the smell of BBQs, the bright blue skies, long evenings sat out with fairy lights twinkling, the juicy fruit, picnics, ice cream…
But there’s no denying I also find summer overwhelming and overstimulating. The constant pressure to be having the best time ever, the crowds, the way I can always hear my neighbours in the garden (and smell their ridiculously strong weed habit), the expectation that you should always be enjoying the weather even when you can’t hack temperatures higher than about 24c, and spend most of your time trying to find the shade.
It's acceptable to admit that your mood leaps when the sun comes out, but people think you’re strange if you admit that the thought of golden leaves whipping around in a brisk wind is your idea of heaven. But I’ll choose a rainy day sat by a roaring fire over a hot beach any day, and I don’t mind admitting it.
September is a lovely month in between the two seasons though. Still warm, but not overly so, and with that freshness in the air that always makes me feel excited for the season to come. You can literally watch the season change as the month goes on and I think there’s something special about that.
My go-to candle brands
As we’re going into the season of knitwear and candles, I thought I’d share with you the candle brands I fall back on every year when I’m stocking up:
Illumine candles – a small independent business run by a couple in Devon. I first discovered their cashmere vanilla and sea salt caramel candle when buying a Christmas present for my sister and it smelt so good when I opened the packaging, then I immediately ordered one for myself, and have continued to do so every year since. The scent fills the room and lingers for ages afterwards. Whilst this is by far my favourite scent, I’ve tried several of their others and they’ve also smelt delicious. At £16 for a large candle, I also think they are really good value for money.
& Chai – another small independent business, run by two sisters in Hertfordshire. What I particularly like about this brand is their wooden wicks which gives off a gorgeous crackling sound, like an open fire. I also really enjoy their slightly more unusual scents and cute names (particularly enjoy the Taylor Swift references). The last candle I ordered from them was the ‘Apple Grove’ which is green apple, caramel, red berry, toffee and cocoa crème whip – smells gorgeous and perfect for Autumn.
Overose – I tend to only buy from here when there’s a sale because they are very pricey. But their patisserie range, including the viral croissant candle as well as flavours such as pain au chocolat and cinnamon bun, make your whole house smell like a bakery. They burn beautifully evenly, and their solid pink / purple candle are very aesthetically pleasing. Keep an eye out during Black Friday if you want to treat yourself.
Twenty things I've loved lately
The way my favourite coffee shop always gives me a little extra hot chocolate.
Colin From Accounts series 2. Love it when a second series is just as good as the first.
Soups, anything with gravy… it’s that time of year.
Race Across The World; one of those rare occasions where I think the celebrity version works just as well.
A glamping trip just before the weather truly turned, countryside, campfires, stargazing. Gorgeous.
Vinted saving my bacon when it comes to having no bloody clothes to wear. I shall be living in second-hand maternity dungarees for the foreseeable.
Cooking shows – Jamie Oliver and Nadiya Hussain; I find them extremely soothing.
A weekend in London with my girls; we ate, we talked, we looked at pretty views; basically my favourite kind of weekend.
Our little family of three; I mean, I love them all the time obviously but you know sometimes, you look at them and think how did I get so lucky.
A night out with the NCT gang, love it when you talk so much you lose track of time and suddenly it’s 10:45pm (a very late night for me these days).
Ella Risbridger’s shallot, rosemary and chorizo carbonara recipe. Autumnal and absolutely delicious.
An early gender scan to find out the sex of baby no.2. Added treat of getting to see them in 4D.
A Very Royal Scandal; a brilliant piece of television. Ruth Wilson was particularly good.
Bake Off is back!! I made us mug cakes to eat with the first episode – whisk together 8tbsp plain flour, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, ½ tsp baking powder, 4 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Add 10 tbsp plant milk and 4 tbsp olive oil and whisk again until smooth. Pour evenly into two mugs (halve ingredients if just for one). Add a tbsp Biscoff spread on top of each (no need to mix this in). Microwave for 1 minute.
Currently reading Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and it is bringing me out of my reading rut. It is also perfect reading for this time of year – spooky, magical, dark academia vibes.
The enthusiasm Alfie shows when eating a chocolate brownie.
I'm writing a new story over on substack – as always, it’s a very early draft but the fear of sharing my messy, early work is getting easier. It’s a very gentle story about New York, grief, food and two strangers coming together. It’s going to be 6-7 parts and you can read parts 1-4 here. I’m sharing the next instalment on Friday.
Crunchy leaves underfoot.
Deep breaths when sat on a windy beach watching Alfie throwing stones into the sea, before hunting out some warm, sugary doughnuts.
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