Reading, Knitting & Golden Leaves // Autumn Seasonal Journal

Hello darlings!

Welcome to a new series on my blog!

In series I will be documenting the beauty and little joys of each season throughout the year.
I will be sharing projects I'm working on, highlights of the season, recipes, photos, and any other interesting tidbits I feel like including.

So lets hop right in!

I think Autumn has to be my favourite season of all!
I think it's so beautiful and peaceful. The leaves start to softly fall, woodpiles are stocked up, the scent of wood fires burning penetrates the crisp air.
Produce is in abundance which means soups, pies, crumbles and stews are on the menu.
The following links are to some delicious recipes I have enjoyed this month:

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli

Spiced Baked Fruit (I haven't gotten to making this one yet but it is a easy and quick dessert to enjoy on these cold evenings!)

Swedish Cardamom Buns (These are some of the best things you will ever bake if you try them!)

Ultimate Sticky Buns

This season I have been filling my room with flowers, fresh and dried. I found these ones by the footpath on one of my many walks in the past few weeks.

I have been reading a lot in that past few weeks and have somehow manged to get 5 books on the go all at once!

One of those books is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I felt would fit the season perfectly with its slightly dark and Gothic theme. So far I'm finding it a great read and I can't wait to finish it!

It is the perfect book to read while the rain is pouring outside, except we have not had much rain this month so I read it outside on a blanket with a cup of coffee instead.

After finishing a vintage cardigan I was working on for over a year earlier in the season, I couldn't wait to get started on a new knitting project. Knitting is a very appropriate autumn & winter activity for me and once summer comes around I usually put a hold on it. 

My current project is a throw blanket, made with a soft cotton in a lovely oatmeal colour.

I have since knitted quite a bit more than what is pictured here. We have been watching a lot of different TV series and I like to knit away while I watch.

Quick story: I remember when I first started learning how to knit. My Nonna had come for a visit and she helped me to knit my first wobbly rows. That evening out family settled down to watch a movie and she brought out her knitting and began clicking away with her needles with her eyes on the screen. I figured I'd be able to do it too, so I got out my knitting. But my Nonna discouraged me saying I would need a bit more practice before I could both knit and watch a movie.

Well Nonna, I can do it now and quite well if I do say so myself! 

This past weekend I intentionally made time for rest & restful activities.
One thing that I really enjoyed was doing some simple sketches of leaves and other little things in nature. It was really fun to just sketch. I didn't worry about making them perfect and just tried to capture the simplicity of each leaf.

Little Things
~ the fire burning in the fireplace
~ hot cups of tea & coffee
~ plaid shirts and jeans
~ Birkenstocks
~ colourful leaves pressed in an old book
~ sketching in the sunshine
~ stewed apple
~ feijoa jam making
~ baking lots of goodies
~ staying in my warm bed on crisp mornings
~ blooming zinnias
~ sugar and spice
~ pumpkins, apples and sweet potatoes
~ turning the pages of a book
~ making coffee in a french press
~ acoustic music

Music: I've really enjoyed listening to acoustic songs and instrumentals this season. The warm, deep tones of the guitar really warm my heart and I love the mood they create. I'll link to some of my favourite playlists:

morning mist and coffee {autumn}

Sweater Weather Instrumentals

Into Freedom - Lovkn album

I hope you enjoyed my highlights of the season so far.
Let me know your favourite Autumn recipe in the comments!

keep blooming,

A Slow & Quiet Life

Hello darlings!

With everyone basically being forced to stay home for a while, I think one lesson that many will take away from this experience is to slow down!

Our culture today is very much focused on being busy, productive, accomplishing everything and just overall living a very fast paced life.
Many people are starting to wake up to this over time and realizing that they just can't do it anymore.

For me personally, I don't have a very busy schedule or a demanding job. I am just a teen living at home, studying at home and writing this blog.
But even I have been caught up in crossing off all the things on my to do list and getting things done.
I actually went through a season not long ago where this mindset of always having to be doing something kept me from being still and spending time sitting in God's presence.

It is not a healthy way to live, nor is it biblical.

Even God Himself rested after He created everything (Genesis 2:2-3). This was an example for us to follow because He knows that we need rest from our work.

Matthew 11:28-30 tells us to turn to Christ when we are weary and burdened and He will give us rest, that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Matthew 11:29

His burden is light because He does not leave us to carry it.
If we are willing and lay the burden of our busy life at His feet, He will carry it and we will be at rest.


So surrendering our schedules to Him is the first step but how do we live slower, quieter lives in the midst of the mile-long to do list?

Dwell in His presence
By spending time in God's Word early in the day, you are allowing yourself to have some quiet moments before the day starts and you are filling up with His love & grace which are vital to surviving each day.
You will be better equipped to deal with challenges and blessings that come along your way throughout the day. You will be able to handle things with grace.
I usually find my days go much better when I have taken the time to read the Bible in the morning.


Limit Social Media
I don't know about you, but I find that often spending any extended amount of time doesn't leave me feeling at peace or restful.
It usually leads to some discontentment or restlessness.
So in the pursuit of a slower, quieter life I think limiting time spent on social media is a wise step to take and I speak to myself here also!


Surrender to the Lord
This is probably one the most important step on this list. If you feel weighed down by everything, the best and first thing to do is to surrender it all to the Lord.
Just tell Him what is on your mind, all of the things you feel you should be doing and leave knowing He hears you and He will give you peace that passes understanding.


Declutter & Simplify Your Space
Decluttering is almost the 'trend' at the moment. I have seen countless 'declutter with me' videos on YouTube and I enjoy watching them. I also find them motivating to start decluttering my own space.
It is quite freeing to get rid of unnecessary items in your home or bedroom and create a simpler space to live in.
Decluttering my physical surroundings often clears some head space and leaves me feeling refreshed.


Do Something You Enjoy Outside of Working
Do something creative that you enjoy or pick up a new creative hobby! I personally enjoy painting, knitting, photography, reading, and more recently art journaling/scrapbooking.
Whatever it is that you enjoy, do it more often and have fun with it!


Notice Everything & Delight in the Lord
Something I learnt in my quiet time recently is that part of delighting in the Lord is delighting in all of the blessings He gives us.

"All through the day, every good thing that gives us pleasure should be an instance of delighting in God." (John Piper, How Do I Delight Myself in the Lord?)

"Notice everything. The way the snow falls. The way the light comes through the curtains. The way your morning coffee smells. The way the wind blows. Notice everything." (Kaetlyn Anne, Winter Rest, Roots, and Reflections)



I chose to place some spiritual things on this list because I believe it is an important part in all of this but I also included some practical steps on this list because our physical surroundings often influence our mind and feelings.

For some further reading, I suggest this blog post from Calico + Twine.

Let's stop and think about the way we are living and make the necessary changes to start living at a slower pace.


keep blooming,

Autumn Reads

Hello darlings!

I love reading all year round but in the colder months, I feel like its a much more common activity.
You can sit there all snuggled up with a hot cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate (or what ever else you fancy) and be transported to another world.

I am quite seasonal reader. With the changing of the seasons come the changing of my reading tastes.
In Autumn, I gravitate to mystery novels, old favourites, classics and comfort reads.

So I am putting together a list of some of the books that I feel fit that description.
Not all of these will be ones that I have read, though the majority will be as I don't like to suggest books that I have not read. I mark titles that I have read with a *.



Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier {currently reading}

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell*

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus*

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak*

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder*

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Brambly Hedge: Autumn Story by Jill Barklem*

The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen*

Thin Ice (Men if Valor #2) by Irene Hannon*

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott* {currently rereading}

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

What are your favourite cosy reads?

keep blooming,

Christian Favourites // podcasts, youtubers & books etc.

Hello darlings!

Are you looking for wholesome Christian content? Are you searching for good Christian books?
That is what I am covering in today's post!

I have discovered many of these in the past couple of years when I began the hunt for good Christian content on the Internet.
I love to sit down and watch a Youtube video knowing it will better me and encourage my faith or to listen to a podcast that I know to be biblically sound in a day and age where that is becoming rare.

So sit back and enjoy this collection of my top Christian favourites!


P O D C A S T S

~ Revive Our Hearts Podcast
Though I am not an avid listener of podcasts, when I do I often turn back to Revive Our Hearts because I know I am getting Biblical teaching and advice and it is always an encouragement.
Here are a few of my favourite episodes:
The Right Kind of Strong
Compassionate Hope
How You Can Truly Please God

~ Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey
I like this podcast because Allie gives Christian perspective to all the current events and also talks about relevant theological topics. I'll leave the link below for one of my favourite episodes!
What Is Worship?

~ Harvest Work by Kaetlyn Kennedy
This is a fairly new podcast but I have been following this girl and her blog/Intsagram for a wee while and I love her podcast too.
Kaetlyn doesn't only talk about faith topics on her podcast but also about a simpler way of life and cultivating a quiet heart. To start off I recommend listening to her Q + A episode to get to know a bit!
Q+A | Get To Know Me



B O O K S

~ The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis

~ Through The Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot

~ The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

~ Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin

~ Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis (Majors)


YouTube Channels

~ Coffee & Bible Time
Ashley & Taylor's videos had a lot to do with how I began reading God's Word for myself. I love their videos and how they encourage young women to get into the Word.

~ Girl Defined
Girl Defined is a wonderful ministry dedicated to giving young women answers from the Bible in a world where the society tells us differently. They share chatty videos covering topics like dating, singlesness, Christian living and sharing snippets of their own lives and marriages.

~ Nate and Sutton
I recently discovered this channel but I love this godly couple and how they speak up for Christ and a Christ-centered life.

B L O G S  &  W E B S I T E S

~ Girl Defined Blog

~ Desiring God Articles

~ Little Faith Blog


What are some of your Christian favourites?
Talk to me in the comments!


keep blooming,

P.S. I am taking a little break from Instagram and from posting on this blog. I will be working on some blog stuff still and probably be changing up my posting schedule. But I just wanted to take a step back to evaluate, spend some time on slow activities and growing closer to Jesus! See you soon!

A Reminder to Have Hope

Hello darlings!

With everything going on in the world at the moment, I would share with you the hope that has been keeping me afloat and positive.
As Christians, we don't have to be fearful and worried about the days to come because we can put our faith and trust in our loving Father.
It is also our job to share this hope and peace with others and remind our fellow brothers & sisters in Christ of it too.

Remember the story of when the disciples were caught in a storm at sea? Jesus appeared to them walking on the water and Peter steps out in faith to join Jesus on the water.
As long as he had his eyes fixed on Christ, he was able to walk on the water. But as soon as he focused on the waves, he started to sink.
We too will sink in fear, anxiety and worry if we don't keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not the storm that rages around us.

We as followers of Christ do have a hope we can cling to. As we cling to that, we must also be reminding each other of our future in heaven. (More on that later.)

Now for the scriptures that give me hope during uncertainty.


1 Peter 1:3-9
This whole chapter is a wonderful passage of scripture but the verses I want to focus on are verses
3-9. Those of us who are born again are born again into a living hope, to an inheritance that is incorruptible and that does not fade away, kept in heaven.
We may be grieved by various trials for the moment and this tests the genuineness of our faith which is more precious than gold.



Revelation 4-5 & 21
I'm not exactly sure what it is about these chapters but they fill me with such joy and hope when I imagine what they look like in my mind.
This is our future! We will all be in heaven together praising and glorifying God.


1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
One day, the Lord Himself will descend and take all those who believed on Him into the clouds and we will be with Him in heaven.
Verse 18 concludes, we must comfort one another with these words.


It is a comfort to me to know that one day there will be no more pain & no more tears.
And when our brother or sister in Christ is feeling overwhelmed by the evil in this world, we are to comfort them by reminding them that this world in not our home.


keep blooming,

Bookish Aesthetics

Hello darlings!

Today is going to be a fun post! I thought it would be fun to create little aesthetic collages that represent some of the books that I've read.

I perused Pinterest for all the pretty photos and put my creative mind to use in putting together a collage that depicts a book.

Let's begin shall we!

~ ~ ~ ~

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Secrets of Paper & Ink by Lindsay Harrel

The Light Between Oceans by M.L Stedman

Which collage was your favourite?
Have you read any of these books?


keep blooming,

A Day in My Life - Quarantined Edition

Hello darlings!

Today I thought it would be fun to take you along on a day in my life at home, during the current quarantine. To be honest, this won't be much different from an average day in my life because I am usually at home.
But in any case I hope you enjoy this and let's dive right in!

~ ~ ~ ~

{Thursday 2nd of April, 2020}

I woke up at 6:15am, turned on the lights and got out my Bible reading things. This morning I read Psalm 34 which is one of my favourites.
O, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8
I make sure I drink water first thing in the morning to get hydrated and start the day right.

After I was done with my quiet time and prayer, I did some stretches to get warmed up for the day.
I've been following Sarah Therese's 10 min stretch routine on YouTube. I love a good stretch and it helps with any stiffness I get from lying in bed.

This morning was a shower morning so after I finished stretching I picked an outfit and jumped in the shower.
I recently got the Love Beauty & Planet Lavender & Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner and I am loving it so far. It seems to help with any frizz and define my curls better. I also comb and scrunch some argan oil in my curls once I'm out of the shower aswell.

My outfit for today was a plaid shirt dress and some leggings. Super simple and comfy!
I also decided to put on some makeup today, which I don't always do. I just did my eyebrows, a touch of eye shadow, mascara, and later on I put on a tinted lip balm.

Around 8:00am is when I usually had breakfast. This morning I had overnight oats prepared the night before, topped with blueberries.

Study time! 

I brewed my daily cup of peppermint tea and got to work. I am currently going through a study on health & nutrition which has been quite interesting and a personal finance course.

If you haven't guessed by now, I am home schooled and have been for my entire life!

I am most productive in the morning so that is when I like to get the important stuff done. 

After a couple of slices of avocado toast for lunch, I finished off some tasks, and did a bit of reading. Then me and my siblings video chatted with a friend we haven't talked to for a few months. I am so glad to have technology to stay connected with people during this time.

In the late afternoon my brother and I took our dog Molly for a walk. I love going for walks especially in the Autumn when all the leaves are falling and changing colour.

Thursday is meant to be my baking day, and that would have been lovely to put into this post. But I didn't have the right flour so I couldn't make the sticky buns I had planned on making.

I watched a few YouTube videos and then spent my afternoon reading Daughter of Rome (by Tessa Afshar). It is the current read for the Biblical Fiction Buffs Group that I am a part of.
While I was reading I listened to some instrumental music. I don't always listen to music when I read but sometimes it helps me concentrate.

My favourite place to read!

The fading light! It is getting darker much sooner now and I am a little sad about it. But I love everything else about Autumn.

During the evening I finished reading Daughter of Rome! (You can read my thoughts on Goodreads.)

My family gathered in the lounge after dinner to watch a couple of episodes of Rosemary & Thyme, a cosy mystery series from the early 2000's.

In between the episodes I took care of my evening skincare which just consists of removing any makeup with coconut oil and cotton pads, washing my face and applying moisturizer.

Before I go to sleep, I write a line in this sentence a day journal and answer the question for the day.
I also like to read a bit in bed at night to make myself sleepy!
I decided to begin The Magician's Nephew (C.S Lewis) and so I read the first few pages.

And that was a day in my life! Not the most interesting day but that's how it is sometimes.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this post!

What have you been doing while being in isolation?


keep blooming,