opening chapter nine – hello september

As the woodlands and hedgerows start producing their yield for autumn, there’s something about September that makes me want to continue the celebration of abundance that I’ve attached solely to summer in recent years. Be it ripe and ready blackberries waiting to be picked, hopeful acorns, produced by the majestic English oak, hanging off branches; or the first signs of colour changing in leaves on trees, there’s a wealth of beauty to behold out there… it feels impossible not to stop and take stock. 

Just me?!

Unlike October which oozes drama however (it’s hard not to notice when the conkers and leaves start to fall in their hundreds next month, after all) signs of summer giving way to autumn seem subtler in September. For that reason, though I willingly welcome its arrival today, it has certainly caught me off guard a few times in recent years. For instance, early September mornings always take me by surprise.  One minute, it feels like it’s light and bright when I wake up. The next moment, my alarm goes off and it feels like it’s noticeably darker out there. There’s a sudden nip in the air that wasn’t there the previous morning. And on my morning walks with the boys, I find myself reaching for my fleece and/or field jacket out of necessity (not just comfort) for the first time in months.

Please don’t think that I’m complaining however!

I’m anything but complaining in fact!

Like that first, hope-filled scent of Spring that’s difficult to ignore in and around late February each year, each of these signs feel laden with hope too. Transformation is in the air. Change is coming. And though my fear of spiders lives on, even I can appreciate that their intricate webs soaked in dew on a crisp September morning, herald that Autumn is on its way. 

With that in mind, you will find me rooting through my wardrobe in the coming days and revisiting old autumn/winter favourites that I can make the most of once again. (Like I mentioned in this post last year, one of the reasons I invest in good quality pieces more so than ever at this time of year is because they last for years, so from a cost per wear perspective, are essentially free!) Mid-month, Jemma will join me as we decorate the home for autumn, taking inspiration from what we’re surrounded by outdoors. Speaking of which, in the garden, my thoughts soon turn to the wildlife and how we can help them to survive the winter months (if you’re interested in this idea, there’s some amazing suggestions here that you can try in your garden too.) And as the month draws to a close, I’ll carve out time to root through the kitchen cupboards and prepare a few boxes to donate to local food centres ahead of the harvest festival.

Not to mention, get to work on this year’s batch of homemade chutneys that I’ll give to friends in months to come. 

It’s one of those months that feels centred around preparation for the weeks and months ahead.

For that reason, it comes hand-in-hand with a sense of accomplishment that I look forward to and make the most of each year.

As always, I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to this month. Let me know in the comments below!

PS. Looking for an item I’ve recently featured. Take a look at August’s Shopping Edit, here