Happy Friday everyone! This week was full of lots of meetings and lovely things. My husband is travelling constantly right now (it’s peak-conference season in the academic world), but we squeezed in an afternoon tea date and had a nice lazy weekend together between trips. This weekend my friend Brenda is coming to visit and we’re going to make the most of this beautiful September weather we’re having and mark the official end of summer with a bike ride, picnic and an afternoon of croquet in the garden. I can’t wait!
Here’s what else I’m loving right now:
1. Enjoy harvest season // We’re sadly at the tail end of summer produce, so now is the perfect time to stock up on the late-summer berries, figs, sweetcorn, greens and flowers that are filling the farmers market. This week I plan on buying myself a big bunch of cream dahlias and making a batch of blackberry jam, a nectarine galette, Mexican-style grilled sweetcorn, and a fig, broccoli and goats cheese tart.
2. Find your new favourite coat // Even though it still feels like summer around here, now is actually the best time to start looking for new-season coats as stores release all their best inventory autumn/winter inventory between September – October. I have enough statement coats so needed something more neutral, and couldn’t resist this preppy check duffle + this cosy faux fur coat. I’ll wear both of them with lightweight dresses and ankle boots for October, then tall boots or jeans once it gets colder.
3. Save your skin // If your skin is prone to breakouts when the seasons change – or just any time, for that matter – this mask (which I also talk about in this post) is just the greatest gift to your skin. The honey means it is so soothing if you have sensitive skin or active breakouts, and the charcoal is so good for clearing out congested pores and preventing future breakouts. My skin threw a complete tantrum when I got home from Greece, and as always, this has completely saved it!
4. Get lost in a fun book // I read this book over the summer and it was so much fun! The book imagines that after the American Revolution, George Washington was made King rather than President, and is set in the modern day ‘House of Washington’. Imagine Gossip Girl set in a palace in Washington, and the characters are actually royalty. I normally read non-fiction and more intellectual novels, but this was exactly the kind of brain candy I needed at the end of each day when I was having a tumultuous month, and made me realise I should probably stop being a literary snob and pick up a light-hearted book every now and then, too!
5. Put your best foot forward // I had been looking for a pair of flat over-the-knee boots for so many years, but couldn’t ever justify the hefty price tag for the pairs I loved. J.Crew just brought back this pair that was on my wishlist last year and they’re currently such an amazing price that I ordered both colours! Cannot wait to wear these with just about everything in my wardrobe between now and April…
6. Make a few autumn updates at home // As soon as autumn arrives, I get the urge to make my home as cosy and inviting as possible (all the better for hibernating on rainy evenings). H&M home is one of my favourite places for inexpensive accessories, and they have so many great pieces at the moment. I’m ordering a pair of these cosy tasseled cushions for my sofa, a second of this marble tray for my kitchen (I already have one to hold perfumes in my bedroom), a set of these cups + saucers for my afternoon tea fix, and a couple of these bergamot candles (the smell so good, and I repurpose them as spice jars when they’re finished).
7. Make the most of the beautiful weather // Enjoy the mild temperature while it lasts, and make plans to spend at least a couple of hours outside in nature this weekend. Go for a walk in the park, tend to your outdoor plants if you have a balcony or garden, read a book under your favourite tree, or sit by the water somewhere with a picnic.
In case you missed it:
A Farewell to Summer (5 ways to celebrate the end of the season)
September Beauty Favourites (all the best products I’m using + loving right now)
Punting on the River Cam (my favourite summer pastime + an easy off-duty outfit)
My Favourite Scents for the Home (or 7 ways to make your house smell like a summer vacation)
The Simplest Between-Seasons Outfit (my style formula for when I don’t know what else to wear)
7 Ways to be More Mindful Online (how and why we should be ‘switching off’ more often)
However you’re spending it, I hope you all have a lovely weekend!
Love, Briony xx
