Hello Autumn

It was sometime on Saturday afternoon, when my bare feet came in to contact with the chilly bathroom floor, that I realised that Summer is truly over for another year. The days are becoming shorter, the nights are becoming longer, and although the sun is still shining brightly each day, that crisp Autumn chill is already in the air. Yep, Autumn is unpacking its suitcases and settling in to stay with us for a few months.

I always feel a little sad when Summer is over. Not because I miss the warmth on my face, or the freedom of exposing a little flesh without the fear of frost-bite, but because I know there's six or seven months of so much darkness ahead. I go through this same gloomy phase every September without fail as we transition in to the new season. The thought of so little daylight depresses me, and leaves me wishing the longest day of the year was every day. Don't get me wrong; I love Autumn, as I love every season. I don't mind the cold, and I love rain and snow, I just prefer the daylight to the claustrophobic darkness. If only we could have eighteen hours of daylight every day of the year...

The good outweighs the bad, and while I've been shivering under my throw blanket I've been thinking just how much I love the last quarter of the year...

What's not to love? We have a fresh new season of fashion to play with in gorgeous deep hues, an abundance of cosy knitwear to keep warm (and fashionable!) with, and we get to wear cute gloves, and scarves every day. I love going for walks in Autumn; feeling the cold on my face when I'm layered up like the Michelin man; crunching through leaves, and returning home to snuggle up under a blanket with a hot drink and a good movie. Everything looks so pretty, and Christmas is on it's way!

For me, Autumn symbolises fresh starts and changes, and just like Joe Fox in You've Got Mail, it makes me want to buy school supplies, or ''bouquets of newly sharpened pencils.'' I haven't been a student in nine years, but September still feels like a new chapter in life. It makes me want to learn and evaluate my life. I find myself making a mental list of all the things I want to fit in before the year ends...

This year I want to bring out my creative side and learn how to create with lots of different skills I've never learnt before. I don't know how to crochet or knit. I don't know how to make jewellery, or dye clothes. I've not tried my hand at card making since I was a Brownie and everything was made with glitter-coated pasta. There are so many things I want to learn. I've just passed a whole year of sick leave and apart from this blog, I have very little to show for it, so it seems like the perfect time to try my hand at all the crafts I want to learn. And a good way to break the Groundhog Day cycle up a bit.

With the creative goals, I also want to over haul my bedroom. My Dad's promised to decorate it for me soon, as it's long over due and staring at these run down four walls twenty four hours a day is getting me down. And I want to buy a nail art book and start trying out lots of new designs with my nail art tools.

Of course, with the temperatures plummeting, Autumn wouldn't be Autumn without some new additions to my wardrobe, so I have some fashion goals, too...

I need shoes! My shoe collection is tiny, and mostly made up of sandals and flip flops, so I need to focus on getting a few new staples for Autumn/Winter. I'm in love with several pairs of flatforms, in particular a pair of tartan River Island beauties I hope to buy. I also love the slipper trend, and could do with a new pair of boots.

I want to start wearing hair scarves more and learn how to tie them properly, as I love the look, and know they'd work well with my dress collection. I can't afford to add a lot to my wardrobe this side of Christmas, so picking up a few accessories like collars will be perfect for updating a few looks.  And I especially want to buy everything in Oxblood, as I can't get enough of the colour. Pastels don't work well on me, so I'm glad that they've been replaced with the deeper Autumn shades. I can't really afford a new coat or jacket this year, but I intend to keep my eyes open for the perfect ones, just in case! And finally, I hope to own a few of the things on the top of my wishlist, such as a couple of ASOS oxblood dresses, the tartan flatforms, and the studded River Island rucksack I have my eye on.

See, Autumn isn't bad at all!

And we don't have the problem of over-heating like many of us do in the Summer. Sweating and chaffing is never a good thing.

Autumn 1, Summer 0!

Do you love Autumn? What are your plans for the new season?

What are your fashion goals this Autumn?