Styling the seasons in November

For a little while now I have been aware of the Styling the Seasons project run by the brilliant Apartment Apothecary and Lotts and Lots but have never joined in until now! This month I felt particularly inspired by the world outside, and have been incorporating leaves and branches and flowers into every day life all over the place! I also decided to stop being so worried about my photography and styling skills and just go for it. I put some time aside, managed to find a chink of sunlight on a Sunday morning, and started arranging and snapping. 

Here are a few of the photos I took in the process. This month's challenge was a seasonal flat lay, in collaboration with Makelight. So far so good, except for the fact that until about a week ago I had no idea what a flat lay was, let alone how to do one! Actually, flat lays are all over the place, and are often exquisitely beautiful, but I had no idea that they were called that! I set about trying to do one myself.....

I gathered lots of the things that have been inspiring and making me smile during November and started arranging them. 

I started out with a (rather creased) white cotton background but then decided that I liked our bedroom floorboards better.

I spent a long time experimenting with positioning, background and perspectives, trying out different textures and arrangements. 

My flat lay includes jewel-coloured preserved leaves gathered from Mountsfield Park just round the corner -  pine cones from a recent walk in Kent  - speckled driftwood collected from the beach in Pembrokeshire that still smells faintly of salt and sea - brittle hydrangea heads from the garden and used to adorn the table for a recent meal with friends - balls of wool that I've been using to weave with during this dark, damp month. 

Apart from almost falling onto my flat lay a couple of times, and wondering what the people across the street must have thought I was doing (strange girl standing on stool taking photos of floor), I really enjoyed doing this, far much more than I thought I would. I'm not sure I'll be organised enough to join in every month, but I am certainly going to try. I'm already looking forward to December....

I am a total novice at this, so would love to hear feedback/ tips!! 

I hope November has been kind to you. I always think it's a strange month - the start of winter and comforting in its mediocrity before the craziness of December. We're off to a wedding in Edinburgh this weekend so I'm bracing myself for arctic conditions. When we return it will be time to start thinking about Chreestmaaaas!! x