If some of my recent posts didn't give it away, I absolutely adore Halloween. I think it's such a magical, fun, silly little holiday. I'm fortunate enough to be part of a family who always celebrated it, even when the rest of our country seemed entirely reluctant. My Mum is a sucker for all things spooky and decorating the house to fit any occasion, so it's no wonder she took to Halloween the way she did. Growing up, I never really celebrated with friends. Instead, Mum would decorate the house and dress me up as a gruesome little witch - we had two cats and one was black, after all - and she'd make 'Halloween Punch' for us all to enjoy (which, looking back, I'm sure had wine in it…!) We'd carve pumpkins each and watch spooky movies on TV and we always managed to include the wonderful Disney short 'Trick or Treat' from 1952 - the tune is still sung regularly around our house this time of year!​

When we went to Florida for the very first time, we went in October and it was mind boggling to me how full-on the Americans went for Halloween! How they decorated their houses so beautifully, and how the theme parks went mad for the season! If there's something I'd take away from the Americans, it's how they put so much passion and enthusiasm into everything they do. Coming from the UK where so much is met with a 'mustn't grumble' mentality, it really is refreshing to actually see people embracing and enjoying silly things and just plain having fun.

As a teenager, I discovered and subsequently became obsessed with the band Oingo Boingo. Known most famously in California for their Halloween Party Anthem, 'Dead Man's Party', Boingo are a band heavily associated with Halloween. I made several trips to the West Coast in subsequent Octobers to meet friends I'd made through the band, and even went to a Halloween party in Hollywood dressed as the Queen from the Boingo-centric b-movie 'The Forbidden Zone'! And though they disbanded in 1995, I was lucky enough to fly out to LA for their first ever reunion show which was, you guessed it, on Halloween!

​So if I was ever meant to 'grow out' of Halloween, it certainly didn't happen. If anything, my love for the holiday only grew as I gained friends who shared my interests. In recent years, also, the UK seems to have started to embrace the spooky season, so we usually find something fun to do as a family. For example, a couple of years ago, we went to S.S. Great Britain in Bristol, for example, to enjoy their 'Spooky Ship' event and had a wonderful time!

I guess my figuring is, life is short and it can be incredibly monotonous if you allow. Halloween offers a chance to dress up, put on some crazy makeup and just plain have fun. If you're a convention goer like me, you probably don't need any excuse to dress up in a silly costume! But a lot of people don't get the opportunity very often, so why not don the silly hat, stick a bin-bag on your back and find your nan's old broom? Magic and make-believe doesn't have to stay behind with childhood, after all!​​​

Autumn isn't just for rusts, oranges and browns, though of course those colours are perfect for the season. However, I'll never turn down the chance to wear some pretty pastels, too - pastels aren't just for Spring, after all!

I recently picked up this jumper from Matalan and it is so lovely! It's such a lovely dusty pink and it's really light, stretchy and soft, perfect for wearing over dresses, under dresses or with cute dungarees or pinafore dresses, too!

Jumper - Matalan
Dress - Urban Outfitters
Leggings - Primark
Boots - Charity shop find (no obvious brand)

As the evenings draw in, long and dark and cold, I've taken to watching a lot of Netflix. Nothing beats snuggling up in a blanket, scented candle burning away, as you catch up on a new show. Here's a few I've been enjoying lately!

Emily in Paris
Okay, so this show is new on Netflix and became a big talking point on social media, so I had to check it out. Honestly? It isn't very good. It's fluffy, ridiculous, unrealistic and, quite frankly, a bit rubbish. And I binge watched it in two days. It's fun. And it's pretty. It is light-hearted and it draws you in. The story of Emily, a girl who transfers to a Parisian office and navigates the world of new workmates, new romances and new challenges - all with a language barrier - is not realistic at all. She sails through trial and tribulation, breezes through difficult encounters and wins out, every time. But, it's what I feel I needed, in 2020. A little escapism (Paris through the rose tinted glasses of a tourist who dreams to visit someday), a little hope, and a little romanticism - we could do worse than to enjoy this fluff in 2020. It wasn't a very good show, but I can't wait for season two!

Dead to Me
My Mum and I were hunting for a new show to watch together and I happened on this one a while ago. I watched the first few episodes and got completely hooked, and demanded she watch along. Every single episode in season one seems to end with a twist. It is engaging, funny, emotional and addictive. The lead characters, Judy and Jen are completely compelling (and their actors are so, so incredibly talented). The plot centres around two women who meet at a bereavement counselling group following the death of Jen's husband by a hit and run driver. I won't say any more, because honestly, you have to watch it. 

Trinkets
I am a sucker for teen dramas. It's honestly my favourite genre. I saw Trinkets advertised on Netflix because Season two had just landed, so I figured I'd give it a go. Trinkets is the story of three teenage girls who wouldn't normally cross paths in their high school social groups, but who meet at a 'Shoplifters Anonymous' meeting. The show unpacks a lot for each character, and I honestly found myself feeling as though I knew the girls personally. Sadly, there's only two seasons, though the show does have a proper, complete ending. I very much appreciated the closure, but dang, I'll miss these girls.

Dynasty
Another ridiculous show, but one I've followed for a while now. Season three only recently hit Netflix so I've been catching up. It's your typical Rich Americans Are Brats show, but I absolutely love it, and love pretending I also can enjoy their fancy lifestyles. Elizabeth Gillies (Fallon Carrington) is such a talented actress and honestly, Fallon is sassy, girl boss goals. Even if she sometimes messes things up, a lot. 

Selling Sunset
I know, I know. I bought into the hype. But honestly, for the same reasons I love shows like Dynasty, I love reality tv like Selling Sunset. I like to be a voyeur into the lifestyle of the rich and glamorous. It's nice daydreaming and pretending, right? 

I've always loved Autumn,  and oddly enough it's the time of year where I find myself drawn back to blogging. Something about the long dark evenings, warm cosy jumpers and cups of steaming hot cocoa really makes me want to snuggle up with my laptop and pour my heart out to the world. Autumn holds so much promise to me, so I thought I'd write up a little list of my five most favourite things about this beautiful season. 

1. Dark evenings. I know, this one's a bit of a controversial one, because so many people hate the way the days shorten as Autumn rolls around, but personally I love it. I love lighting some scented candles, turning on my twinkly fairy lights and having long cosy evenings. As Winter approaches, I love walking around towns at night also, there's something so magical about window shopping while wrapped up warmly, where the shop lights illuminate the streets. 
2. The changing colours of nature. I think Autumn is the prettiest season. The way the trees erupt in fiery plumage of oranges, rusts and reds. The way the freshly fallen leaves crunch under foot. The crisp, dry, sunny days and vibrant blue skies. It's all so pretty. 
3. Bonfire Night! I absolutely love fireworks. They're so magical. I also find them so romantic, especially when it's really cold and you can go out to an organised event with your partner, wrapped up in a ton of layers, and buy an overpriced hot dog while you watch. I love standing by the bonfire for warmth. I love the big spectacle at the end, and that teeny tiny bit of fear as a firework flies awry! And I love the little screaming ones! And sparklers!
4. Halloween! Honestly I love Halloween so, so much. There's so rarely anything interesting to do locally for the holiday, sadly, because here it's still seen as a kiddy thing as much as anything. But, I think there's something very magical about Halloween night. I've been fortunate enough to spend several Halloweens over in America where they really do it right and I think that's where a lot of my love has stemmed from. As a little girl, though, my Dad would take me trick or treating (to our friendly neighbour - nobody else trick or treated around our little village!) Mum would decorate the house beautifully and we'd carve pumpkins together and make Halloween Punch. We'd watch Halloween movies together and sing Halloween songs and it was just wonderful. Nowadays, as an adult, we try to find other fun things to do. Let's face it, any excuse to dress up in a fun costume and have a party, right? 
5. Carnival season! Which, sadly, is something we're unable to enjoy in 2020 thanks to Covid 19 and all the joys it brings. But, for those who aren't lucky enough to live in the South West of England, carnivals are evening events that are entirely free to attend and see entire towns closed off for the parades. They feature illuminated floats entirely hand made by volunteers seeking to raise money for various charities and functions. Usually they also include marching bands, majorettes, local businesses touting their brands and even steam engines! Some of the floats are honestly breath-taking, the amount of work, blood, sweat and tears that goes into them is truly something else. They feature dancers and blaring music, complicated moving features and are usually completely covered in lights, so much so that the passing floats can actually keep you warm as you watch from the roadside! I absolutely love watching the local carnivals. I only realised quite recently that they're primarily a West Country thing and that my friends from other parts of the country have no idea what they are! We're so lucky, because they're honestly so much fun to attend (and, y'know, free!) 
   
   

And there you have it! Just a few of my favourite things! Do you love Autumn? Is there anything you're looking forward to this year? Honestly it's all a little different with Covid but even the pandemic can't change the magic of the turning leaves, the hope of a beautiful Christmas just around the corner, or the cosy dark evenings, perfect for Netflix, a warm blanket, and mulled wine!