November is here....

Hallo again little peeps.  So! November is here and it won’t be long until my favourite time of the year is with us once again.  

For those of you that are in Autumn at the moment, have you got used to the clocks going back, and the darker evenings that are now with us?!  It takes a bit of getting used to, doesn’t it?!  To be honest, I don’t really mind the darker evenings, as we can make our homes as cosy as possible.  I’ve always got a book on the go, but I tend to read even more during these shorter days.  I just love how a book can transport you to another place and you can lose yourself for a couple of hours.  

I can never have too many books.  At this time of the year, I also love to settle down and watch a good, romantic Christmas film.  I know - soppy, but I love them.  Especially as most of these films take place in America, and there is always snow, and the houses are gorgeously decorated.  Deck the halls, and all that! 😊🎄.  Of course, the house is decorated with pretty candles, which all adds to the cosy mood.

I have to admit to putting up just a few Christmas things - the rest of them will go up at the end of this month .  Too early do I hear you say??  Not for this girl!

I really like to get all my Christmas cards written by the first week in December, at the latest, and my presents bought and wrapped.  That way, I can really enjoy the lead up to Christmas, and just spend the time eating mince pies and drinking sherry!  NO! I jest - honestly 😊.

Here are a couple of Autumn pics for you.  The first one is the colour in my own garden at the moment, and the second one was taken at Saltram House, a magnificent, Georgian National Trust property nearby. 

Well, I’ll leave you again for now.  Hope you enjoyed the pics. By the time I write my next post, I suspect the house will be fully decorated!  Bye for now.

Time To Light The Lamps And Snuggle In ....

Here in England, on Saturday, the clocks will be falling back an hour, and it’s time, once again,  to make our homes as cosy as we can, so that we don’t start to feel ‘down’ with the onset of the shorter days.  Summer is now becoming a distant memory, with the exception of certain people!  Daughter number 1 who lives in Ibiza, keeps sending me photos of sandy beaches, hot sun, and stunning sunsets. I am starting to go off her! 😉. This is the latest photo she’s been teasing me with. No wonder she loves it so much over on that beautiful Island. 

But, meanwhile, I shall be lighting the lamps and the candles, and looking forward to when I can put all the twinkly fairy lights around at Christmastime!

Have you heard of the word ...Hygge?  It’s pronounced hue-gah, and comes from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being.”  In other words, enjoying life’s simple pleasures, often achieved with good food, drink, comfy surroundings, warm blankets and candlelight. So, as you will see, Autumn and Winter are just made for us all to practice some Hygge. Colourful throws on the armchairs, potpourri scented with smells of orange and cinnamon - anything to lift our spirits whilst these darker days are with us. Of course, I’m aware that in many parts  of the world, you are approaching Springtime. Forgive me, but I have to write as it is with the Seasons in my homeland! 

Most of the colours are fading in the garden at the moment, but I took this photo of a wilting rose earlier today. I think it still looks quite beautiful. 

So my friends, may your lives be filled with Hygge during the coming Season. See you again soon. 

Image courtesy of Pinterest.com

Time For Those Cosy Nights....

I love Summer.... Long, lazy days, eating outdoors, glasses of chilled Rosè, walking along the beach, feeling the sun on your face.... But those longer days are behind us once again and the days are getting shorter with each passing week.  

What do you like about the season of Autumn?  I confess that the child is still inside me, and I love kicking up the leaves when I'm out for a walk.

 

 

The evenings are starting to get a little chilly now, so I've been making up the wood burner and lighting the candles to make the house look nice and cosy 

 

For the past three years, I've been lucky enough to have been visiting friends in America at this time of year and let me tell you .... They're into pumpkins in a BIG way! Drive along any road, and the houses are all decorated with displays of pumpkins and brightly coloured 'mum's'.  They use pumpkin in all sorts of things....pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, marshmallows, soup, candles, cookies, ice cream, and, of course, latte. They even have pumpkin dog treats!

 

 

Did you know that Starbucks introduced their Pumpkin Spiced Latte in 2003?  It is Starbucks' most popular seasonal beverage, and they have sold over 200 million since it was first introduced. Gosh! 

Over here in the UK, the pumpkin is mainly used at Halloween, when the insides are carved out to make a face, and a candle put inside. 

This morning it was quite dreary here, so I decided to make a batch of home made soup. Tomorrow I will make another batch, using the last of the tomatoes from the garden. 

 

 

Well, it's getting late as I write this, so I will close for now, and I'm sure I'll see you again soon. 

(All photos are taken by me unless otherwise stated).