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

bracken wreath

I am always inspired to do a bit of wreath making at this time of year as we approach Christmas (eek!) Something about a wreath makes my heart happy - they are so ancient and festive. People have been making wreaths for thousands of years, and I can understand why. 

I am rather partial to a messy wreath, and the bracken is so plentiful and beautiful at this time of year that I decided to put it to use. I gathered this from the hedges near mum and dad's house in Wales on the way back from a recent trip to Pembrokeshire. 

It happens to make excellent wreath fodder as its stems are malleable and strong so they don't snap as you're bending them, although the fronds are fragile so need gentle handling. 

I wanted the wreath to look quite organic so I used strong wire to make the frame so that it wouldn't be a perfect circle, although I have used the ready-made wreath rings before and they work very well too. I also used a bit of florist wire just to keep everything secure. 

Dried hydrangea heads provide volume and structure, and a bit of colour. These tawny green ones came from the garden in Pembrokeshire and are so lovely I keep wanting to take pictures of them. 

My wreath making session took place one evening after work!

It's very easy to make the circle although it does hurt your hands a bit. I did three rounds of wire for strength. 

When I was happy with the frame, I started tying/twisting on the bracken, tucking it in between the wire and bending it into the shape I wanted. 

Excuse my yellow hands - turmeric not nicotine stained I promise!

I kept going until the whole ring was covered and it felt secure. I tried to follow the natural curve of the bracken if that makes any sense at all.

And voila! One wreath. 

And here it is on our front door, where it has been getting a bit of a battering in the wind (and attaching itself to people as they go in and out). 

pumpkins and fireworks

It's pumpkin carving, bonfire making, firework watching time of year. Leaf mould, damp air, mist gathering in the evenings. Wrapping up warm, last year's woollies, closing the curtains, lighting the fire. 

I kept my pumpkin very simple, just drilling some holes in it with our electric drill. This was a very weird experience, but I found it strangely pleasurable!

We've been enjoying getting the fire lit and cosying down. These two little forest dwellers came to live with us from the Anthropologie sale. 

This weekend we had a mini bonfire night party at home with my baby sister who has come to live with us for a little while.

We made mulled cider and I branched out with my carving.



None of us felt like going to our local display (busy week, low-level illness), so we had a little display of our own, using up the rest of our engagement party fireworks (yes, they were a bit old and dodgy).

Sparklers were obviously compulsory. 

The fireworks were quite understated (we used up all the rockets previously) but very pretty all the same. 

Afterwards, we celebrated with a feast of hot dogs, homemade baked beans and stuffed potato skins and then fell asleep in front of the TV. Rock n roll.