Wonderful Wednesday
I read an article in the Observer this weekend that talked about the meme that I'd never heard of before but suddenly is everywhere I look. You know the one, which sets out the various seasons that we now have rather than the four we'd always thought there were - Winter, Fool's spring, Second winter, Spring of deception, Third winter, Mud season, Actual spring, Summer, False autumn, Second summer and Actual autumn.
We're well and truly in Fool's spring at the moment and while it has been so lovely to feel some warmth on my face when I pop out at lunchtime, it does feel unnervingly early doesn't it?! It's been inspiring me to consider a few other things I can do for the environment because this really isn't right - we should be snugging into our knitwear for a little while longer yet. I've been making a real conscious effort to carry tote bags with me and try to cut down on plastic where I can but are there any other wee things that you do already to make things just that little bit more sustainable that are easily adoptable?
In the meantime, on with the highlights of February...which, unlike January which was the longest month ever ever ever, has just flown by...
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♥ Shetland... The new series started this month and I've been so excited to have it back on the screen. One of my colleagues was complaining that it's too slow but I completely disagree - I love the fact that the details are drip-fed over the course of the series, generally keeping me guessing until towards the end. Every time I watch it I long to visit Shetland itself too. Bleak, yes, but absolutely stunning. Perhaps this year will be the year I finally make my dream trip up north?!
♥ Signs of spring... They're starting to pop up everywhere, have you noticed? And not just because of the unseasonably warm weather. At the beginning of the month, when it was still chilly, I saw my first snowdrops and now I'm noticing them everywhere. We've got some little narcissae daffodils in a jug in the house now and their scent greets me as soon as I walk through the door in the evening. It's lovely. Everything seems to be unfurling after winter and I do hope that they're not all scared away in the no-doubt impending cold snap, or Second Winter if you will.
♥ Kitty excitement... This is a highlight from this month but is also *more* a pre-emptive highlight for next month. My mother in law has adopted a 9 year old cat to look after and I'm already SO excited to meet him! He hasn't had the easiest start in life, poor thing, and he's apparently nervous, very vocal and already super affectionate, with huge paws. I can't wait to shake his little paw for the first time and my vicarious pet ownership can live on in him for the time being.
♥ Misty mornings...Just as high on my list of favourite things this month as the first signs of spring are the eerily misty mornings we've been having, before the mists burn off as the sun shines brightly for the rest of the day. I've been loving my walk in the morning, fringe tucked securely under my hat to prevent unsightly frizz, trudging through the park watching the ducks and geese disappear into the mist in the distance and the church tower suddenly loom up in the distance. It's quite magical.
♥ Podcasts... I've always loved a podcast but I've really been enjoying tuning into my favourites for my walks to and from work over the last few weeks. I'm so glad that the High Low is back because I feel just that little bit more well-read and erudite just by listening along, and I always come away from an episode with a lengthy reading list, which to me is always the sign of an excellent conversation - and to me, that's what that podcast feels like, a conversation with some supremely well-read and charming friends. Love it. As I mentioned last month, Dolly Alderton's Love Stories is back too (although for the final series, sob!) and I'm celebrating by re-listening to some of my favourites from the first series as well as enjoying all the new episodes. I'm listening to Vanessa Kirby's at the moment and their chat about the pleasure/horror that was MSN Messenger rang just as true as it did during my first listen.
♥ A trip to Honest Burger... I've had a couple of delicious meals out this month, I've been very lucky! Early in the month, I met up with an old friend for a long-overdue catch-up over sushi. And later on in the month, my husband and I went into London to visit the Good Grief, Charlie Brown exhibition at Somerset House followed by a trip to Honest Burger. The exhibition was good, wonderful in places, but let down, I felt, by odd 'modern art' interpretations from artists inspired by Peanuts...some of which felt a little too tenuous for my taste. During our visit, most of the people there were crowded around the actual Peanuts comics, initial drawings and videos of Schulz drawing his much-loved characters that it made it difficult to look at them for any length of time. It could have been spaced out a little better if they'd lost some of the filler. I felt.
But after a few hours wandering around the exhibition and enjoying some artwork that I can't have seen for years and years, we were suitably hungry and burgers were just what we needed. Honest Burger is a real favourite of mine because the restaurants are just so good for us coeliacs. As we were both ravenous, we decided to opt for the monthly special - the poutine burger, which consisted of the burger, smoked bacon, Westcombe smoked cheddar and cheese curds, shoestring fries, cider and onion gravy, onions and pickles, all served alongside rosemary chips. My word, it was fantabulous. I didn't need to eat at all for the rest of the day. Definitely a place to bookmark if you're on the look-out for a good burger in London.
♥ Kickstarter Project... Some of my favourite Instagram accounts are illustrators and I love browsing their feeds either for inspiration for crafty ideas or for creative gifts/cards to give other people. One of my favourite illustrators is Nina Cosford - some of her drawings make me laugh aloud, others hit very close to home and I adore her location drawings and travel journals. A little while ago, she announced that she would be going on a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is one of the things I'd love to do and has probably been on my must-do list for longest, and that she was doing a Kickstarter Project to fund a book of the trip. I've donated to it and excitedly watched the tracker count down until it was well over the target and I'm already super excited to receive my book of the journey sometime this summer. Perhaps it'll finally push me towards actually booking a trip?
♥ Neighbourly cakery... Mid-way through February, a message popped up on my phone from my neighbour saying that she had a glut of courgettes and was planning to turn them into a gluten free cake if I'd like to pop over later that afternoon. You don't need to tell me twice. A few hours later, I was cosied up on her sofa with a huge slice of lemon courgette cake, a large mug of tea and her small dog. The perfect Sunday afternoon.
♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥
I'm not going to lie, this month has felt about 800 weeks long. Have you all felt the same way? Thankfully, when I stopped to think about it, there were lots of good things to look back on that made January stop feeling quite so very 'January'.
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♥ Barbican adventures... We visited the Barbican twice at the beginning of the month. I bought my mister membership for Christmas so we used the card to go to the cinema there because it's like going to the cinema in an old theatre, it just makes it that little bit more special. It's so lovely to get the opportunity to travel to a favourite part of London and spend some time together - regular adventures with my favourite person. We also discovered the members' room, a quiet place to people-watch (it's right over the gift shop) while sipping a cocktail. Methinks we'll be using the membership a lot this year!
♥ Dinner with an old student... After university, I moved to Japan where I taught English and foreign culture in a senior school. It's one of my life highlights and I have so many wonderful memories, not least all the incredible students I was lucky enough to teach while I was there. I received a message from one of my old students before Christmas, saying that she would be in London for a few days in the new year if I'd be free for dinner one night. You know how strange it is seeing people completely out of context? That. But incredible too considering how so much time has passed! She was 15 when I interviewed her for part of the English test to enter the senior school and I was 22 - my goodness, how time has flown!
♥ Homemade ragu...the perfect dish for a cold evening. Nuff said really. I raved on Instagram on Sunday about the new episode released of Dolly Alderton's series Love Stories. If you haven't listed to it before, I huuugely recommend the series in which she talks to famous people about the relationships that define them. This new series starts with Stanley Tucci who I could honestly listen to for hours, particularly when he's talking about Italian food. There's something so special about listening to people talk about something they clearly love and this episode had so many moments like that. I listened to it at about 8am on Saturday, curled up in bed with a cup of tea and by the end of it I was craving pasta like nobody's business. I managed to get through the whole day before falling on a plate of homemade ragu later on that evening. Carby bliss.
♥ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child... It was absolutely magical. When can I go again?! It brought back all the joy, anticipation and excitement of the news that films were being made of the earliest novels and a new book being released. I can't say anything at all because they really encourage you not to share any spoilers (hashtag keep the secrets) and honestly, I went into it with absolutely no idea what to expect and it was incredible.
♥ A mid-week treat... I follow a variety of artists and designers on Instagram, it's such a fantastic place to discover wonderful creative folk and an array of thoughtful gifts that are just that little bit different. One of my favourites is Kate Rowland, who I was really sad to miss at a craft fair in London before Christmas but I took the opportunity to treat myself to some items from her shop in the earliest weeks of January.
It was delivered in the middle of what felt like an interminably long week. The postman had left the parcel behind our pots and even having to shake off some rather large spiders didn't lessen the excitement. I'd ordered a hand-made brooch and a zine about her time looking after three shiba inu in a farmhouse in the mountains in Nagano - gorgeous photos and paintings. It's inspiring me to do something similar...perhaps during our holidays this year. It's really one step up from a scrapbook diary, which I love to do for special holidays already.
♥ Snow... I've realised something. I only really like snow when it first falls, I'm wrapped up warm and walking on an entirely flat surface or I'm cosily indoors looking at it falling through the window. It is very very pretty though but if this realisation is what being an adult is all about, I'll take it.
♥ Easter chocolate... Yes, you heard me correctly. The Christmas trees are only just down but the Easter bunny is alive and well in the supermarket. I am ever so slightly outraged but only slightly, as I adore Cadbury caramel eggs and I'm making the most of this early bounty! I draw the line at anything else though. Maybe.
♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥
Rounding-off a year's worth of Wonderful Wednesdays with a summary of December's highlights and what a splendid December it was!
I'm finishing this off on the first Wednesday in January, back to reality with a heavy bump so this reminiscing is very much needed! I've got the Christmas tree twinkling beside me, enjoying the last few days before having to take it down this weekend. Christmas seems to disappear faster and faster each year, as does the year itself. It's a real treat to be able to take the time to stop and look back at some of my favourite moments, to savour them just that little bit longer.
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♥ Galleries aplenty... I was lucky to be able to visit lots of galleries over the course of December, visiting the incredible Burne-Jones exhibition for a second time as well as a few hours wandering the National Gallery one evening between Christmas and New Year (including a veritable scrum around Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'), and a last minute invitation to a Yayoi Kusama exhibition in East London just before Christmas.
All incredibly different but offering so much to think about in their own ways. More art this year please.
♥ Puppy spotting... A highlight of *any* month but December's puppy spots were particularly special. One Christmas shopping trip included both a baby boxer dog and a 10 week old black velvet pug puppy. The latter was particularly excited to stop for some friendly behind-the-ear scritches and it made my whole day (/month!)
♥ Trips to the theatre... Not one but two trips, in fact! The week before Christmas, I watched a performance of the Box of Delights, which is an old children's story but one which my brother and I discovered through the magic of a slightly terrifying 1984 adaptation that we were bought on video when we were really young and watched obsessively for years afterwards. I only actually read the book recently but have the ability to quote the TV series almost verbatim. So, when we saw that this was being dramatised in London over Christmas, we had to go and dragged our long-suffering other halves along too. (Who doesn't love being quoted at really?!) It was absolutely magical - they'd made some changes to the plot as I know it, included some wonderful Christmas carols and some amazing puppetry (honestly, the dog was incredible). I may have cried a few times but all good tears and came away feeling so ready for Christmas. It was being shown in Wilton's Music Hall - a gorgeous old music hall in Whitechapel, which was a magical experience in and of itself, such an amazing building with so much history. If you get the chance to visit, do.
Between Christmas and the New Year, we also donned our gladrags and went to watch the Nutcracker at the London Coliseum. This was a gift for my mother in law, bought at the beginning of the year so we'd had a long time to build up our expectations and it did not disappoint in any way I've seen this ballet a few times now but I think this was my favourite interpretation yet. It was over far too quickly.
♥ Christmas... Christmas this year was such a delight and will always be one I'll treasure because it was the first time that my husband and I hosted Christmas dinner in our own house. There were 7 of us in total in the day, which coming from an Irish family is a relatively small number, but it was still enough when you're juggling 800 roast potatoes and trying to keep the turkey hot. It all came together though and I felt so very grateful as we were all seated round the table toasting the day, arguing over the bread sauce and reading out bad cracker jokes.
♥ The time between Christmas and New Year... I stumbled across a tweet by Matt Haig on Twitter, which said "I love this time of year. I LOVE it. I know we are meant to say 'oh that weird limbo between Christmas and New Year, fuck that' but why? No work. No emails. No expectation. No rat race. No knowing what the actual day is. This is the calendar's safe space. It's bliss." and it summed up the time between Christmas and New Year so perfectly for me, whilst at the same time making me appreciate it so much more. I adore Christmas so much and have a tendency to start feeling slightly down on Christmas Eve because it's all almost over but this made me stop and think, and really relax. It is that one time of the year when you can put everything else to one side for a few blissful days.
♥ My own little desk... We hauled the table we've been using in the garden over the summer out of the shed to add extra length to our dining room table for Christmas day. (Long, tenuous intro but bear with me...) Rather than put it away after Christmas passed, I've popped it in the corner of the room, covered it in a table cloth and am using it as my own little writing table - a little space just for me, where I've popped all of my notebooks and pens, and can sit down to draw/journal/daydream away from the kitchen table. I'm loving it! It's a temporary fix because I'd love a proper desk but that's not high on the list of other things we need right now so this will do for the time being...and hopefully encourage me to spend more time doing all of the above!
♥ Wintery walks... I know I've said this a few times already but it's something that I don't think I'll ever stop enjoying and I really hope I don't ever stop appreciating. Since moving out of London, I really notice the change in seasons more and I'm loving seeing these gentle changes as we go for walks through the nearby fields. I'm really enjoying pulling on my boots at hte moment and hauling my chocolate-filled person up a hill, feeling the burn of the cold air in my lungs. Well, the burn is either that or just the sheer quantity of chocolate I've eaten this Christmas. That should really be its own separate paragraph but hey, that's a given right?
Happy New Year, all!
♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥
Sneaking this post in at the beginning of December because I wanted to include the very last day of November, which fell on Friday. How quickly is this year disappearing? I'm hugely busy, which is making the weeks fly by but I love this time of year so much so I'm still desperately clinging to these last few weeks of 2018.
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♥ Spontaneous days off... I've somehow ended up with a couple of days of annual leave left. While I could carry them over until next year, our summer holiday was a long time ago and it's been a busy few months so I've decided to book some days off here and there to give me a few surprise long weekends in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I enjoyed two this month - on the first one I took myself into London for the day, meeting my husband for lunch and then headed to the Tate to see the new Burne-Jones exhibition, which I'd been excitedly looking forward to for months. I might do a separate post on the exhibition actually so I won't comment on it here, save to say that it was everything I was hoping for - I loved it.
Some of my colleagues just couldn't get their heads around my choosing to spend time on my own, not at home but going out to tea or to an exhibition. They just couldn't understand it. Of course it's always good to share experiences with people you love, who are enjoying it too, but sometimes there's just something so freeing about taking yourself out and just spending some time on your own doing whatever you want to do. Perhaps it's something I couldn't have done when I was younger and granted, I wouldn't want to do it all the time but I enjoy my own company or just relaxing with a book and a cup of tea. It's not to be feared.
On Friday, I hopped on the train to Cambridge to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends, and her beautiful new baby. We went out to lunch, cooed over the newest littlest member of her family and I read endless stories about trains to her (slightly) older kiddo. It was fun to catch up but equally fun to escape to my aunt's that evening, who lives close by, for dinner and lots of red wine. I even managed to start my Christmas shopping the next day, a very productive trip!
♥ Autumn walks... We've enjoyed some quintessentially-autumn walks over the course of the last few weeks - kicking our way through the fallen leaves on a crisp day before heading home to enjoy something deliciously warming from the oven. It's stew season and I couldn't be happier!
♥ The first frost... Another highlight from this month, waking up and opening the curtains to see frost glittering across the grass and the hills in the distance covered in the most delicate of white sheens. Leaving the house to walk to work, I noticed my breath clouding in front of me and my eyes stung. I snuggled deeper into my scarf and curled my hands in my pockets as I trudged along. I really need to dig my gloves out from wherever I packed them earlier this year...
♥ Internet meet-ups... At the beginning of November, I was able to meet up with the lovely Sam who was visiting London for a few days. We went to Honest Burger and spent an enjoyable few hours putting the working world to rights and laughing a lot! It's so great that the Internet, which is so huge, can enable you to meet some like-minded souls. I've met some dear friends through the magic of my little circles on social media, it's a special thing and worth remembering when the algorithm continues to kick you on a regular basis and it can feel like you're looking into a void at times!
♥ Netflix Christmas specials... I know they're cheesy (beyond cheesy really!) and if you drill down into the storylines, they're not the stuff of Booker prizes but they're warm and cosy and comforting, which is a lot of what Christmas means to me. I've just watched one so far (The Christmas Switch) but I've book marked the others to enjoy in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
♥ Getting in the Christmassy mood... Along with my deep-rooted love of Netflix Christmas specials, I've slowly been marking off other little Christmassy snippets to build up the enjoyment and anticipation. I visited the Country Living Christmas fair at the beginning of November with my mum and we enjoyed it so much we've decided to make it a yearly event to visit together. I think I was most excited about visiting the food suppliers - sampling heaps and heaps of cheese, along with a cheeky few festive beverages. I opted for some amazing cheddar and two delicious chutneys, which I'm really excited to bring out on Christmas day...along with a fair few more cheeses that I need to pick up in advance. Pickled onions too, as if there was ever any doubt.
We've bought our Christmas cards and I've written the list of people I want to send them to. Now I just need to find some time to curl up and write them. I've picked up a few Christmassy CDs and we've planned our epic food shopping list. Dare I say it, I'm starting to feel a little organised? Here's hoping...
Hope you all had wonderful Novembers and that the next few weeks are full of love and laughter - the next time I sit down to write this list, the new year will almost be here!
♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥
I can't believe that a whole month has passed since I last down here and opened up a new tab on my blog page but just like that, I've blinked and it's the end of October. Autumn is properly here, the nights are colder and darker, and I'm ready for all of the cosy things.
I've had a really productive day today (I'm typing this intro on Sunday) - there's something about having that extra hour in bed after the clocks go back that really encourages me to make the most of the day and still feel rested. We've decanted all of our grape vodka into bottles ready for Christmas, I cleaned the bedding and washed the windows - only inside, mind, I didn't go full Mary Poppins but I now feel extra ready to curl up for the rest of the evening with a book and all of the tea.
And without further ado, here are some other October highlights...
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♥ Watercolour painting... Did I mention that I signed up for an art class? I've been going for a weeks now and I love it so much. I haven't really done any drawing since school, not properly, and it's something I always enjoyed but wanted a little tutoring in basic techniques to give me the confidence to do a little more. I've always wanted to bring a sketchbook with me when I go on holiday and do a little sketching but then get scared at the last minute.
I've been going for a few weeks now and for the last few weeks, I've been able to try watercolour painting which is so difficult but I love it. I love the different shades and textures you can achieve with just the smallest amount of paint. I need to practice more and am hoping to have a real chance to play over the Christmas break but for now, the classes are the highlight of my week - which is saying something for a Monday night! And actually having a proper excuse to buy art supplies is everything I've ever wanted.
♥ A weekend in Derbyshire... At the beginning of the month, we got up far too early for a Saturday morning to make it into London for an 8am train from St Pancras up to visit friends in Derbyshire. Breakfast-less arguments on the tube aside, it was completely worth it. We arrived in Derbyshire mid-morning to be met from the train and we headed to our friends' house via the Chatsworth farm shop to pick up some supplies before heading back to the House itself that afternoon. I'm absolutely fascinated by the Mitfords so it was supremely exciting to go on a Debo-pilgrimage and walk halls she would have walked but even if I didn't have that, I would have still loved every moment we spent at glorious Chatsworth. The leaves were just starting to change colour and it was a beautifully bright day so we spent a good few hours just exploring the grounds (some of that time may also have been spent getting lost in the maze). By the time we stopped for some fortifying tea and cake and wandered over to the house itself, they were letting in their last few visitors of the day.
To be honest though, the timing worked out really well. Have you ever visited a beautiful country house just before they're closing up, as the evening's drawing in on an autumn day? I hadn't and it was perfect. We had so many of the rooms to ourselves and the silence behind us as the lights were being switched off and the doors closed made me imagine, just for a moment, that I was living there. It was such a beautiful house. I want to go back and spend more time looking at every picture and all the stunning sculptures too.
The rest of the weekend was spent catching up over a lot of delicious food and cosied up in front of their woodburning stove. The cosiest time with good friends.
♥ Autumnal cooking... And on the subject of delicious food, I'm so excited about all the tasty treats ahead as the weather's colder. We came home to an amazing beef stew on Saturday after a long walk - my husband had made it in readiness the night before, so it tasted even more delicious the next day when we got home. We served it with some creamy mashed potato and red cabbage cooked in butter and balsamic vinegar, and it was perfect food for a cold day. I've also enjoyed my first roast dinner of the season this month and here's to lots more, followed by an apple and blackberry crumble please. I think this might be my favourite season for food!
♥ Gothic fiction... When I visited my brother a few weeks ago, he was raving about a book he'd just started called 'The Haunting of Hill House'. I hadn't heard about it but as we happened to pop into an amazing bookshop near their house, I picked up a copy, read the back and had to buy it straightaway. (support your local independent bookshops, folks!) I had a couple of books to finish initially and wanted to save it until the nights got a little colder and darker anyway. Saving it until October also meant that I managed to coincide with Jenny's gothic fiction read-along on Goodreads.
My goodness, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book but was completely unnerved by it at the same time. I would usually read at least a chapter each night before bed but at one point, when I was close to finishing it, I had to hide the book underneath by bedside table because I was too scared to even glimpse the cover during the night! This book really plays on your imagination and the fact that, for most people, all the terrifying things are already there inside your heads just waiting to be let out. As I said over on Instagram, I read an article about this book recently and one particular quote stood out - "houses aren’t haunted – people are. All the most terrible spectres are already there inside your head, just waiting for the cellar door of the subconscious to spring open so they can get out, sink their icy claws into you". That summed this book up completely for me and is why I can't stop thinking about it after turning the final page.
After finishing 'The Haunting of Hill House', I picked up 'The Silent Companions', which is another piece of gothic fiction and equally gripping. I devoured it over the course of a few days and, while I don't think it'll stay with me as long as Hill House will, it was still deliciously creepy. I think the author has a new book coming out soon (if it hasn't already been released?) and I'll definitely pick it up at some point.
♥ Gilmore Girls... I know they've made one of these lists before but as the weather started to get a little cooler, I decided to start working my way through the series again. There's something about autumn and Gilmore Girls that goes hand in hand for me. It may raise my coffee-craving levels but that's not really a bad thing, right?!
♥ Autumn spotting... When we visited Derbyshire at the beginning of the month, we went on a mud and mushrooms walk on the National Trust's Longshaw Estate. I don't think I've ever looked so closely at the ground around me on a walk before but we spotted so many different kinds of stunningly-beautiful mushrooms. I'm looking out for them wherever I go now, although it really put me off ever wanting to do any kind of mushroom foraging - there are too many poisonous types, I don't think I'd ever trust myself to get it right!
And that's it for my little October round-up. Happy Hallowe'en to you all - stay safe and warm if you're out trick or treating, and here's to fireworks, spiced hot drinks and the countdown to Christmas during the month ahead!
♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥
How is it the end of September already?! This month has been particularly splendid, which is probably why it has flown by. I've gathered some of my favourites below so read on for tasty treats, autumnal revelling and some house planning discussion.
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♥ Anniversary... Beginning with September is a particularly special month for me because our wedding anniversary falls almost mid-way through. It feels so odd to think that our wedding day fell three years ago already - which isn't a long time at all but at the same time, feels like a lifetime ago (in the best possible way!)
We were both working this year unfortunately (boo to mid-week special occasions and not enough annual leave!) but went out for a lovely meal in the evening at a local restaurant we'd been saving for this very occasion. It turns out going out on a Wednesday evening makes for a very quiet and cosy night, and the food was amazing. I've been waxing lyrical about the smoked haddock risotto I had ever since too. Yums.
♥ Neighbourly adventures... We've been lucky enough to have good neighbours in the last few places we've lived but we're so lucky to get on really well with the lovely lady next door at our new place - and she's remarkably tolerant to how fond I am of her dog too! We went blackberry picking last month and she came over for dinner a couple of weeks ago - a late night with lots of good food, conversation and a few too many glasses of red wine. It also gave me the chance to make my favourite blueberry cheesecake, which always goes down a treat and makes for a tasty dessert over the course of the following days too (if it lasts that long).
♥ Autumn-spotting... Autumn is here at last but I've been loving spotting all the little signs of it over the course of the last few weeks, from the blackberries and sloes dotting the hedgerows to the slightly crisper mornings and the bite in the air. Bring on all the woollens, I'm ready to get cosy!
Autumn, for me, is also about curling up with something darkly gothic - not too scary, mind, I'm not good with things that are too frightening. But a good old fashioned gothic novel or film, there's nothing cosier. This weekend, we braved the cold and the rain and headed into London to watch 'The Little Stranger' at the Barbican cinema. It was wonderful - beautifully shot and deliciously eerie. I loved it. Full disclaimer though - I did have to turn to my husband at the end and say "you know that bit where I had my hands in front of my face/fingers in my ears, what could you see/hear?" See what I mean, very eerie!
I think I did push the experience too far though by agreeing to watch 'The Woman in Black' the following evening. I've seen it at the theatre and found it terrifying but thought, I coped with that so this will totally be fine. It was not fine. I've barely slept since. There's a fine line between pleasantly chilling and cosily gothic, and giving yourself a stress headache because you're so terrified. Walk that line carefully, my friends.
♥ Pinterest moodboarding... We're not going to get a chance to do anything major with our little cottage this year but to be honest, that was never really the plan. I have started making plans for next year though and Pinterest is so helpful with that! I'd like to tackle our bedroom first and have been scrapbooking colours, beds (and bedding!) and storage options. I think I need to get a bit of a floor plan going too to plan where things are going to go and maximise some storage. Where do you like to look for homeware? Any recommendations?
♥ Family catch-ups... One of my favourite things this month was finally going to visit my brother and his girlfriend at their new flat in south-east London. We had lunch at the flat before heading out to explore nearby Crystal Palace. The sun was shining, so we took pedalos out on the lake in the park before spending a little while pottering around all the antique shops, going for a few drinks and then enjoying an amazing dinner at an Iranian restaurant you find by disappearing down some steps through a very unassuming doorway. It was one of those weekends in the best of company when you're devastated that it's come to an end! Need to get more of those in the diary - long train journeys, be damned!
♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥
