A Winter's Tale

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 27^th 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

Photo Credits: Kristin Vogt and Pixabay via Pexels. 

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The Netflix Binge List

Is there really anything more delightful than spending a chilly, summer afternoon curled up on the sofa, neglecting all adult responsibilities by indulging in a Netflix marathon? As the phenomenon of the streaming site grows so to does the immense amount of choice we have at our fingertips and now that Netflix is a prominent force itself in the production of increasingly expensive films and TV programmes, it appears that the selection available is only going to hike. Here are my top five programmes to lose a day (or 3) to...

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex is a relatively new find and, although there’s only one season available so far, boy is it a treat! Rachel Bloom is brilliant as Rebecca Bunch, a successful, yet deeply unhappy lawyer who declines a dream promotion and instead relocates to a sleepy town in California after a chance meeting with an old flame. Rebecca is immediately likable, in spite of her flaws, and her desperate attempts to win back her ex is soundtracked by a hilarious medley of satirical songs which perfectly parody modern pop.

Community

Carrying on with the theme of lawyers, charismatic Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) is reluctantly forced to go back to community college when his degree is found to be fake. He accidentally sets up a study group in pursuit of a fellow classmate, Britta (Gillian Jacobs), and thus a beautiful (albeit dysfunctional) friendship begins. Community is laugh-out-loud funny, a term that is too often overused but a label that the sitcom decidedly deserves.

Gossip Girl

Oh, GG, the ultimate guilty pleasure. If you have yet to watch the amazingly extravagant show it focuses on a group of over privileged, elite Upper East Side teenagers acting years their senior. From royal weddings, sex tapes, trips to Paris, the Hamptons and LA, countless couture gowns, and more salacious scandals than gossip columnists could ever dream of, this is, quite possibly, the most ostentatious series (all 6 seasons of it!) available on Netflix.

Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars follows Hannah (Ashley Benson), Aria (Lucy Hale), Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Emily (Shay Mitchell) as they try to pick up the pieces a year after their Queen Bee’s murder. But the girls have a tormentor: A, an anonymous harasser who knows all of the girls secrets and isn’t afraid to expose them. Thrilling and compulsive, it will make you think twice about who you trust...

Skins

Quite a departure from the polished, American shows focused on youth culture featured in this list, Skins isn’t that dissimilar to Gossip Girl (a group of unattended teenagers misbehaving), yet simultaneously it’s a stark contrast. Often labelled as gritty and edgy, the controversial show set in Bristol focuses on a different member of the friendship group each episode, offering us an insight into their often troubled lives. Growing up this was the show that everyone watched in the UK, and I suspect possibly not with parental approval.

What are your favourite shows on Netflix to binge watch?

NG <3

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Images sourced from the respective shows, Netflix UK, The CW, NBC and E4.