latest loves: october

I’ve been reading a lot about ‘hygge’ lately, which is the Danish word for cosiness or comfort; think blankets, fires, candles, plenty of tea and soup, reading a good book or eating dinner with friends… simple and nourishing, things to make the dull, cold months a bit more pleasant. My latest loves for October all seem to be a bit hygge-ish – this is what I’ve been enjoying in the last month:

• Drinking plenty of tea from my new mugs; the Nkuku Indigo Drop cup from Oates & Co, the Mountain ceramic mug from The Future Kept and my beautifully rustic handmade ceramic mug from Luke Arthur Wells.

• Stockpiling fabrics to make cushions for the kiddos room and a robe for me (how gorgeous is that woven fabric? Thanks eBay!) I don’t usually like sewing, but there’s something quite nice about sitting at the machine in the evening, with plenty of tea and biscuits to hand, and Radio 4 playing in the background. Who would have thought sewing could be ‘hygge’?!

• Adding some more jumpers to my collection – the one above is probably my best eBay find ever, and makes me feel a bit like Sarah Linden when I’m wearing it (if you’ve not watched The Killing, you definitely should).

• Covering every available surface in blankets; blankets on the beds, blankets on the sofa, over chair backs and piled in the corner. The one in the picture is from The Future Kept (rapidly becoming my favourite shop!) and is a little recycled bargain at just £16.

• We’ve come home from almost every trip out with an abundence of autumn finds; pockets stuffed full of pine cones and feathers, bags littered with giant maple leaves in red, gold and green, and hands prickled by opening chestnut cases. There’s nothing quite as lovely as arranging everything on the mantle and then lighting candles in the evening, the flickering light bouncing off of shiny burgundy leaves and giant seed heads casting glorious shadows on the wall. 

I’ve got so into all this cosiness malarkey, that I’ve decided to take a break from blogging and social media, and in fact the internet entirely. I’ve found everything a bit of a struggle lately; too much work, too many distractions, feeling woolly headed and despondent about a lot of things – I don’t know where I’m going with a lot of my projects (including the blog), so I decided to take some time to myself to think everything through and work out what’s important. I’m planning on getting in some serious crafting time, watching a lot of box sets with the Husband, wading through all the books on my reading list and drinking a lot of tea; generally taking more time for myself and my family and spending less time in front of a computer (or iPhone!) screen. I’m starting with a week, but it might end up as more – I will be back, though!