autumn's swan song

I took these pictures a couple of weekends back, before everything took a turn for the worse with my grandma, when autumn was still raging brightly, and the rain November was yet to fully descend on us.. A few weeks later and the tree's have lost all their leaves, the sun rarely makes an appearance and the temperature has gone from brisk to bracing. I don't hate it though, because I know the dark nights don't last for long, we only have a month or so until they start getting longer again, I know the rain won't last forever. Even on a dark Friday morning in a sad little cemetery on a hill over-looking the disused red-brick mills of Manchester, when the wind is so bitterly cold it brings tears to my eyes and my toes take an hour to regain feeling... I still don't hate it because it all feels necessary.

hello autumn + seasonal recipe round-up!

• Cinnamon buns: Anything with cinnamon in, I associate with the colder months, these look like they'd be amazing with some icing...
• Apple caramels: I don't really ever attempt making sweets, but I'd give it a go for these caramels.
• Honeycomb: Somehow I've made it to twenty-four and never made honeycomb in my life - this year I will rectify that! I really want to make it and dip it in chocolate, though.
• Pumpkin + Onion tart: I'm not really one for making savoury food, I usually leave that to my mother, but this in the Waitrose magazine caught my eye and there is a squash I've got my eye on in the kitchen that I think would taste pretty great done like this. I also found one with Goat's cheese, which, yes please.
• Butternut Squash + Sage pizza: Sage always feel a little wintry, and squashes are in season, so this is definitely on the list.
• Sweet potato + Coconut soup: I don't know the exact recipe, because my mum doesn't write these things down, but she always makes a stunning Sweet potato and coconut soup. She'll make a giant vat of the stuff and I'll live off it for days, until I'm sick of it, but I'll still be begging her to make it in a weeks time.

• Red wine poached pears: These are something I always associate with 'grown-up' dinners as a kid, I'm not sure why. Since they did those pear-things on the Bake-off, I've been craving poached pears.
• Damson gin: I found a bunch of damsons right before we left the allotment, they're in the freezer waiting for something to be done with them - I'm considering gin as an option. 
• Blackberry crumb bars: I'm still not really over my all-day-blackberry phase, but I'm getting there.
• Cinnamon latte: Basically, cinnamon. All day, every day.  
• Chai Spiced Apple Cake: Apple in cakes can sometimes make them a little soggy, but I'm willing to attempt it for these.
• Upside Down Plum Cake: Likewise, for the upside down plum cake.

• Bonfire toffee: This looks like it could chip a tooth, but I want to try it so much.
• Sticky Yorkshire Parkin: Parkin is the closest thing I can find to my Grandma's sticky ginger cake, we make huge batches of it every year, it's amazing fresh from the oven with cream or custard, but great cold with a cup of coffee, too.
• Toffee apples: Waitrose had a great recipe for some, where you mix some nuts and berries into the toffee, I think they look amazing.. 

Now I know that these aren't necessarily using 'seasonal' vegetables, but these are the kind of things I just want to make heaps off when the weather turns colder... Don't you? What are some of your favourites? Share in the comments below!

(Image credits in the links provided.)

hello autumn + seasonal bucket list

- Tiring myself out with long autumn walks.

- Preferably in the mist or the rain..

- Or even when it's that wonderful crisp weather but it's still sunny.

- Coming home to my mother cooking a roast and the house smelling amazing...

- There are few things better than watching the rain when you're all cozied up inside

- Big jumpers, long socks, hot tea.

- Reading a good book in bed on a cold morning

- Further pursuing the best cup of coffee, this time with a seasonal twist

- I've promised myself I'll knit a big cable sweater this autumn, I've downloaded the pattern...

- I used to collect conkers every year when I was a kid, it's something I want to do this year.

- Firework night is my favourite, even as an adult.

- Although we don't have the allotment this year, I'll still badger my dad for a bonfire..

Yesterday was the autumnal equinox, yup, that means its official autumn. I no longer have to feel a twinge of guilt for pinning pictures of beautiful autumnal foliage or posting photos of sweaters and boots with accompanying emoji's on my Instagram. Make no mistake, I'm still going to do these things, but now I don't have to feel ashamed.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a round-up of seasonal recipes I want to make now we're officially into my favourite season. Today, though, we're talking an autumn bucket-list. To see all these pictures on a regular basis, don't forget to follow me on Pinterest!

What are some of the things you want to do this year?

Follow clare's board seasons: autumn on Pinterest.

(Photos credits where possible are found on my Pinterest board.)

Carpark After Dark

There are lots of things I dislike about winter. But there are an awful lot I adore. I was walking back to my car the other day after uni, it was just after the clocks had changed, and I didn't notice how late it was. When I got outside there was this weird, coolish weird, and the sky was all blue, but all the lights were on.. It was kind of eery, but I liked it. Then I got in my car and turned the heaters up and the music on and was all cozy again. It was a strange moment, and I took a few pictures.

I hope these dark nights are treating you well!

Clare Marie
xx

Smells like Autumn.

I start my degree on Monday and I'm pretty much just desperate to start already! I need a bit of something new in my life, and a fresh-start, or something.

And then I was on Tumblr the other day and saw this picture and I was like YES. This is what I want. I want hats and scarves and boots and autumn.

So I bought myself some boots and I dug out my scarves and I am looking forwad to being able to wear them. And this picture generally just emulates what I'm into for this Winter. I did a little hunting on my favourite websites, New Look, River Island, Dorothy Perkins, ASOS (I cannot WAIT until H&M open their online store!).

I'm totally buying into the whole chunky socks and boots trend, too, I want to hit up River Island and buy me some. The heeled boots with aviator-style-fluff are from New Look and I want them so badly. I just can't think where I would wear them, and as a five-ten girl, I don't really need boots like this, haha. So I compensated and bought the black boots in the bottom left, courtesy of River Island. They were only £40 and thought they would be useful for winter times and slogging about uni. I definitely want a big fairisle-style scarf, like the black and white River Island one or the grey New Look one in the bottom left. I also really want a parka. I'll have to see about that one.

In conclusion, it has rained all day and I want to start at uni already! Going to check out my friends halls down at Maidstone tomorrow, hoping this will get me all geared up for it. (:

What are you wearing this winter? Show me!