I am currently a basic b*tch. And I'm not even sorry about
it. The minute autumn is in sight I turn into a pumpkin-spice latté drinking,
cinnamon-Yankee-candle smelling, scarf lover who can't help but
tweet/instagram/pinterest my love of picturesque woodland walks.
I exaggerate of course (I'm more of a full-fat caramel girl
myself) but my point is that I FREAKING love this time of year in a
horrendously clichéd way. I can't help it that I approach a childish level of giddiness
at the sight of an untouched pile of crisp, golden leaves, nor that my obsession
with winter knits sees me bankrupt before I even begin thinking about Christmas
shopping.
As much as I’ve tried to become an outdoorsy person I’m
ultimately hardwired (as I suspect most of us are) to detest early rises and
leaving my bed for the harsh winter weather. But isn’t that so much easier to
do when you can snuggle into a woolly, oversized coat and soft, tartan scarf?
Well, maybe not so much easier, but it certainly helps.
Nights in during the summer months can feel a little
tedious. It seems that as the days get shorter and cooler there’s less regret
in favouring an indulgent night in rather than braving icy nights on the town.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore Christmas nights out and all the glamour
associated, but sometimes passing on sequins and sangrias for cosy, button down
pyjamas and a deliciously good book can be just as, if not more, rewarding.
There’s a pile of books on my bedside table threatening to topple from ever
increasing height and I can’t wait to make the most of winter nights and get
stuck in. Laura Barnett’s The Versions of
Us and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar
are at the top of my reading list. After that? I'm tempted to re-read The Picture of Dorian Gray; there's
something more atmospheric about reading a chilling, beautifully written horror
at this time of year.
It’s not just nights of literary enlightenment that have got
me excited about staying in though. No matter what time of year it is, I love
nothing more than a highly unproductive day lost to a Netflix series,
preferably accompanied by my duvet and a mountain of Galaxy Caramel, but this
season is particularly excellent for TV shows. I’m loving the new episodes of Crazy Ex- Girlfriend, Jane the Virgin and the glossy reboot of
Dynasty - a sumptuous cocktail of Gossip Girl, The OC and well, every other bad but seriously addictive show about
beautiful, rich people. It’s exactly what you’d expect from Josh
Schwartz and Stephanie Savage which is a very good thing, especially when lazy
Sundays roll around. That should keep me covered at least until the 27th
October when racing through season 2 of Stranger
Things will inevitably become my priority.
Winter is a tale of two contradictions: the busy and the
quiet. The weather may be bitterly cold and the grass may seem greener on the
other side (i.e those long, hazy summer days) but there is something magical
about the period, something that all too often gets lost in the frantic run up
to Christmas. Winter should also be about relaxation and taking time to enjoy
the simple pleasures in life. It is, after all, the most wonderful time of the
year…
NG <3
NG <3
Photo Credits: Kristin Vogt and Pixabay via Pexels.
