It has been all over social media today; the first day of Autumn, officially! The Autumn Equinox.
It has been a beautiful day. The sun has shone but it has been pleasantly cool. I started the day slowly with my knitting and a cup of coffee, watching the birds feeding in the garden. It's nice now that the hedges are losing their leaves as the birds are more visible. The longer I sit, the braver they become; I could spend the whole morning there given half a chance.
I like to start my mornings slowly and mindfully where possible as I find it a really positive way to begin the day. I try to get up when Andrew leaves the house at 6:30am so I have a good hour to dedicate to breakfasting, knitting and quiet reflection. I also use that time to review my bullet journal and the things that need to be done that day.
These last two weeks have not been ordinary for me at all. Having damaged my cornea last week I have had to take time out to rest and recover. With my eye particularly sensitive to light, it has been difficult to watch the television or use my computer screen for any period of time and so I have been mostly listening to audio books, stitching, knitting and snoozing. I have had lots of (mainly edible) presents delivered from my lovely friends and Debs came to fetch me yesterday to take me to knit club at a cosy cafe. It was only for a couple of hours but so nice to see the knitting ladies again over tea and crumpets.
Fingers crossed, I am over the worst of it now and feel much better. The sun was shining when Andrew got home from work and so after a hasty snack for dinner we laced up our walking boots and headed for the nature reserve with the dog. The sun was just setting and the hedgerows were laden with rosehips, berries and crab apples. The meadows were alive with rabbits and the sky was full of flying, honking geese. It was, as always, utterly peaceful and I feel content having ended my day in much the same way as it began.
Earlier today I updated the website with some new arrivals of Autumn candles and soy melters. White Pumpkins, a Little Green Door bestseller (and my personal favourite) is back in stock and I can totally recommend Apple Butter House if you fancy treating your home to a fruity, autumnal feel as the nights draw in. If you haven't tried 1803 Candles before and you're not sure you will like them, it's worth picking up a couple of packets of melters. The scent throw is fantastic and they are great value for money as each block breaks into six squares; you use one or two depending on the size of your warming device. Grandma's Kitchen and Cookie Kitchen are lovely nostalgic baking scents, perfect for the heart of the home. I have a Lavender Buds melter in the bedroom, Cider Mill for the living room and Nutty Pumpkin Waffles in the kitchen. (It's worth me mentioning that I only have one lit at a time because the scent throw is so good that it lingers around the house and any more would be overkill.)
I am off now to finish writing my Autumn bucket list; I have a cosy blanket, hot tea and fluffy pink slippers waiting for me. Then - excitingly for me - I have new beauty products to try including a pumpkin enzyme face scrub and avocado night cream. A cheer-up gift from my lovely man.
Love love,
Nicki
xOx