The Autumn To Do List

It's without a doubt my favourite time of year. 

Honestly, I can't put into words how mesmerising I find this season. The colours, the chill in the air, the conkers, the pumpkins, the apples, just all of it. 

I'm forever finding new things I want to do throughout Autumn. My camera roll becomes full of screen-shots and my room full of random notes both scribbled on paper and in my phone, of ideas, places and things to do. I thought I'd note some of them on my blog. Some I've done already, some I'm yet to do and some might just have to wait until next year. 

The Autumn To Do List

go pumpkin picking

get all dressed up and spooky for Halloween

make a hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows and cream - the works 

light the fire

go to the cinema on a rainy evening

carve a pumpkin 

make a plum and apple crumble 

plan Christmas content ideas

go on a dog walk on a crisp, cold but blue skied day

buy new pyjamas

watch fireworks and warm up by the bonfire with friends for Fireworks Night

drink winter pimms 

gather together some birthday ideas 

shoot an autumn lookbook

find the perfect winter boots

visit the seaside on a sunny, brisk day 

online browse for the perfect velvet festive dress 

read more books, put my laptop down more

- what I'm wearing - 

Stripe Top - Joules 

Burgundy Pinafore Dress - Primark

Black Suede Boots - New Look

Watch - Olivia Burton

Earrings - ASOS

Nail Varnish - Nails Inc. in Kensington High Street

What do you like to do in Autumn?

Mixing Comfort With Style

When it gets a little colder my fashion focus seems to be on every chunky jumper going. I love them with roll necks, cable knit, fitted, oversized, the list goes on. Sometimes when I chuck on a chunky jumper, I'll pull on a pair of jeans, whack on a pair of boots and I'm out the door, others I want to dress up a little more, mixing comfort with style. 

I recently picked up this gem of a jumper from Primark. I was a little unsure knowing the material would probably cook me alive but I'm always cold and sometimes I just need the thickest, snuggliest things going. There was a huge range of colours (and I have my eye on the grey version too...) but I went for this deep purple colour, knowing I had nothing similar in my Autumn/Winter wardrobe already. 

I found it was the perfect jumper to wear without a coat, as it's thick enough to block out the wind and keep you warm. The sun made a brief appearance and it was just a liiiittle warm, so I'll bear that in mind when I chose to wear it out. 

Wanting to style it up a little more, I opted for a skirt and knee-high boots over going for black skinny jeans. Statement tortoise shell earrings and a dark Charlotte Tilbury lip added a touch more glam to the outfit as well. For me, I felt it was my ideal mix of comfortable and stylish.

-- What I'm Wearing -- 

ALL Primark (oops!) 

Earrings - Accessorize

Rings - Silverado 

Lipstick - Charlotte Tilbury 'Glastonberry'

Nails - Barry M 'Almond'

Relaxation with Made By Coopers

It's officially candle season, which means it's okay to spend every moment at home being as cosy as possible! I love to light candles on gloomy days, sip hot cups of tea and wrap up in blankets, particularly before bed, when I want to wind down peacefully with a spritz of pillow spray and a good book. 

Recently the lovely people at Made By Coopers scent me a few products to try out. The products are 100% natural made with essential oils and organic ingredients so great for being a little more eco friendly! 

At this time of year I tend to reach for sweet and spicy scents - all things pumpkin, cinnamon and maple. But every now and then I want something fresh. If the sun in shining outside and I'm working away at my desk indoors, I want a candle scent to pep me up. This 'Happy' candle is scented with Lime, Basil and Clementine. It is the perfect citrusy, fresh scent that gives me a little more buzz.

They also sent me a sleep spray, as someone who struggles to switch off in the evening, things like this are perfect for me. 'Sleepy Head' is scented with calming Lavender, Frankincense and Chamomile it's the ideal scent to soothe you to sleep. Just spritz around your room or lightly onto your pillows for a peaceful nights sleep. 

If you're on the look out for 100% natural products, I highly recommend having a snoop around Made By Coopers website (they're got some beautiful photography and styling on there too!) 

All opinions are honest and my own. 

5 Things I've Learn About Working From Home

My 'employment' journey since I finished University has been up and down, but has recently taken me into being Self Employed. I'm still not working 'full time', but it means that my jobs are all over the place, routine is tricky and it involves a lot of working from home. 

Working from home sounds like working in bed, wearing pyjamas and finishing early, right? 

Nope.

Not if you want to get anything done - I've learnt the hard way. 

1. 'Bed Office' ain't a thang. 

Emails from bed sounds like a great idea, but in reality you'll nap, get distracted and probably feel pretty slobby by the time you get up! Working at a desk is way better for you productivity levels and better for your posture too.

2. You gotta put some clothes on.

You don't have to be wearing your best outfit or tight skinny jeans whilst crammed up against your desk, but I've found getting dressed, putting on some make up and making myself feel a little more human, made me feel way more prepared to get shit done. 

3. Routine and structure are key. 

I have to plan my days out and write a to do list or I find it's already 12pm and all I've done is checked my emails and watched some YouTube videos. I like to have one giant to do list, then each day I'll pick the tasks I need to get done to create a more realistic list. It's also good to have an idea of how your week is going to pan out. If it looks like it'll be five days of solidly working from home, plan to work from a coffee shop one afternoon or plan a workout one lunch time - it'll break your day up and stop you from feeling like you're going crazy looking at the same four walls! 

4. Treat yo' self. 

A clean, tidy workspace, a nice smelling candle and a cup of tea are just a few little delights that make my day a bit brighter and jobs a little easier.

5. Find things that get you motivated.

It turns out creating a playlist called 'Yaaaaas' complete with Britney Spears' Greatest Hits, old school Miley and sassy Little Mix is the key to feeling like the ultimate Girl Boss, ready to tackle all the emails and make a start on everything you've been putting off for weeks. When I need to focus a little more, I'm really enjoying listening to Podcasts.

bonus 6.

You WILL think about packing it all in and just getting a full time job with a salary to make your life much easier at least 3 times a day. But you won't, because if you're working for yourself, chances are you're doing so to do something you love. 

---- 

This freelance life is still all very new to me and every week brings a new challenge to work out what works best for me, but I'm enjoying learning and finding my feet. 

What are your top tips for working from home?

Pumpkin Patch

Every time Autumn rolls around I wish I lived in America to go and admire row upon row of pumpkins at a Pumpkin Patch. This year, however, I scouted out a local PYO farm that had pumpkins and squashes and headed down there on their last weekend of the season. 

I have always loved Pick Your Own farms.

There's something so exciting about finding endless coloured jewels of fruit and veg among the foliage. I'm used to picking raspberries and strawberries, pumpkins are a little easier to spot! I discovered Roundstone Farm last year in one of Zoella's vlogs and wanted to go this Summer for fruit picking, but having missed the chance I was excited to go for some Autumn goods instead!

We wandered through the field discovering cabbages, raspberries and all sorts of other vegetables before stumbling upon the pumpkin patch. After wandering about the patch, we picked our perfect pumpkin and headed off to weigh and pay! I also grabbed a a blue pumpkin which apparently are best for eating (but look like aliens!) and some pretty squashes from the farm shop too. 

 

 

I'd definitely recommend spending an afternoon at a PYO farm to collect up your pumpkins for Halloween or Autumn styling around and about the house. Roundstone farm is now closed for the season but just a quick google search will tell you where your local one is! 

p.s. there's a vlog of our visit coming on Sunday!

Autumn Make Up

I'm nervous to press post on this one! I love make up but it's not particularly my forte so it's a little scary putting a video of what I do on the internet! I just do what works for me and although I love bold eyes and lips, I'm not a fan of a lot of face make up at all, so recently I haven't been wearing foundation. I absolutely adore this look and it is a go to for Autumn/Winter for me. Using some very special Charlotte Tilbury make up to some of my highstreet faves and there's even a great new lip product discovery in there too. 

Enjoy! Be Kind...! There's a new vlog coming your way Sunday, so stay tuned.