Autumnal thoughts
The season slips away.
There’s a large block of time in my calendar, it’s bright red and reads: ‘Ordering everything for wreathmaking!!!!!’ Yes, five exclamation points. It was originally put in for the first week of September, but my soul just couldn’t bare scouring haberdasheries for red ribbons, ordering my body weight in pine cones and finding the most competitively priced sphagnum moss.
It was just too early.
But last year, in mid November, there was nary a single roll of red velvet ribbon to be found. I refuse to be caught out again. Cardboard boxes now fill my small studio, brimming with Christmas stock. I must admit, I’m feeling pretty smug about it now. I’m never normally this organised.
Wedding season still hasn’t finished for me, though. So it feels somewhat jarring. Next week I’ve got a wedding crammed with clashing colours and orchestrated chaos, as well as a spooky, pastel goth anniversary party. Dreamy.
Summer felt like it dragged out, every time I angrily checked my weather app I just thought autumn will be here soon, the heat can’t last forever. But it’s whizzing by in such a blur.
Perth and Kinross is one of my favourite places in Scotland during autumn. The trees are dripping with golds and oranges. The bracken is crispy and caramel. I run another business with a couple of pals where we organise networking events for Glasgow-based female-owned businesses. We were able to find time in our schedules to book a wee cottage up in Comrie for a few days, to dream big and help each other make concrete steps to get to those dreams. I keep a pair of snips in the car at all times, just as a back up. So on my way home from Comrie I intentionally scheduled in some bracken foraging stops. I hit the jackpot.
The podcast took an accidental hiatus over summer, mainly because of grief and overcommitting to other things. But a new episode of Flowers & Folklore is in the works. I’m really shit at keeping secrets, so hear it here first. I’ve invited the wonderful Keeley Rees to join me as co-host. We met on Substack, bonded over our love of greyhounds and whimsy and we just knew we needed to work on a project together. We’ll be recording our first episode shortly, all about an autumnal favourite. If you already subscribe, nothing will change for you. We’ll be using the same podcast feed.
Earlier this year I went on Keeley’s podcast, Creative Courage. We recorded a week or two before finding the tumour on Abbey’s liver, just before life turned upside down. It’s a really joyous episode. I’ve not been able to listen back, but you might enjoy it.
Autumn is packed with freelancing, workshops and my final wedding of the year. But developing my craft is really important to me. I really value taking time to deepen my skillset, so a few weeks ago I was able to slip away to the Midlands. I spent a full day working on large scale archways and urns in an English market town. It will be the topic of next week’s floral essay.
For about a year I wrote a weekly essay on a Wednesday essay. The habit slipped over summer and I barely opened Substack. It feels divine to be writing this right now. It’s dark outside, my candles are flickering on the windowsill and the foster pup, Bruno, is loudly snoring.
I look forward to writing to you next Wednesday.
With love,
P.S. For local folk in Glasgow and nearby, my wreath workshops are nearly sold out. If you fancy coming along I’d grab a space now. More info here.
Look at you being all organised! Smugness well-earned I'd say. I love the way you write so much.
AND YAY!! So excited to co-host Flowers & Folklore with you! xx
Loving how you embrace florals and the seasons! Looking forward to reading more of your adventures and creations! You certainly have a knack for bringing colors together to make incredible memories!