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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,

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 Few of My Favourite Things Tag


Hello, Wildflowers!
Here I am again, attempting to write an intro.....! Anyway, I was tagged by Danielle at Life is Like a Book.
The creator of this tag I believe is Beth at Beth in Boots. So thanks, Beth for creating a tag inspired by one of the bestest (yes, Grammarly, bestest IS a word because I say so!) films in the history of ever!
I will try to put things in this tag that you may not know about me and make it more interesting that way.

Ze Rules:
• Thank and link back to the person who tagged you
• Thank and link back to the creator of the tag
• Write about seven of your favourite things and include at least one picture of each thing
•Tag at least seven people, if you don't know of seven other bloggers just put as many as you can
• Put these rules in your post
• Include the picture above in your post
• Have fun!





My stainless steel bottle
A great investment as it will last me ages! I love it and use it daily. It helps me drink more water and be reminded of a scripture as well!


~ • ~


Decorating my room
This is the picturesque part of my room. No, the other part is not messy! But it is in disorder because of some rearranging. 
One of my favourite things to do is DIY things for my room, thrift decor to put in it and make it pretty and cosy. It's a way to unleash my creativity in a space all of my own!



~ • ~


My Bible & spending time reading it
What more can I say? I love this from the bottom of my heart! It is filled with all the wisdom and truth one needs for more than an entire lifetime! 
On a normal morning, having my quiet time is the first thing I do when I wake up(after waking myself up of course!).


~ • ~



These earrings
I have lost count of the times I have worn this pair of earrings. I got them from a stall a market in my town for only $4! I love wearing them. I would love to build a collection of pretty jewelry that just goes with so many outfits and that I love. #goal All that's to say, these are a go-to pair of earrings for me!

~ • ~



Signed, Sealed, Delivered
This is the perfect show to sit and watch whilst curled up with family and sipping a cup of tea (which is really what you do with most movies). There will be giggles, fuzzy feelings, occasional tear spillage, and lots of mail! 
I highly recommend this Hallmark series. It is and will remain to be a very fave of mine as far as movies go.


~ • ~



River swims
A cool, natural river beats any man-made swimming pool in my opinion. I am sooo looking forward to going to the river near us on 26 degrees up days this Summer!
The water in a river just feels (this might sound weird guys but I promise I haven't lost my mind) more beautiful than at a public pool. Plus there aren't chemicals in the water, it's just clear and clean.


~ • ~


Lace ♥
Ahhhh! Lace is one of the most beautiful creations man has ever made. Lace on my wedding dress will be a must!
The tiniest bit adds such lovely and quaint touch to a garment. That's all I have to say, I hope I have made my point! I'TS GORGEOUS OKAY!




I tag all of you who have a blog! I look forward to seeing your answers!

xoxo
Hannah



September Favourites


Hello, Wildflowers!
Can you believe it is barely 3 months until the Christmas season will be on us? My family is going on holiday the week before Christmas so I'm looking forward to that. But in this post, I'm not talking about what is to come but what has past and a recap of the things I enjoyed this month.
So without further ado, here are my September Favourites!



Books

Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M Montgomery
My sister and I listened to this as an audiobook and we really enjoyed it. It is a very sweet love story and beautifully written, with lovely springy descriptions. During the first chapter we weren't quite sure if we would carry on but after Chapter 2 we were hooked!
I definitely recommend this book for pretty much all ages. L. M Montgomery really had a talent.


The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson
Melanie Dickerson has made her way onto my list of favourite authors for sure. I have a review on my book blog for it so if you want to see my thoughts on it, it's here.



Music

This Beautiful Fantastic Soundtrack by Anne Nitkin ~ For a long time Spotify didn't have this soundtrack and I was disappointed by that. But then the other day I searched for it again and I found it. It has the perfect Springy tunes that remind me of all the lovely plants and flowers in the movie.
I have added some of the tracks to my Spring 2018 playlist.

Poldark Soundtrack ~ Of course! What more can I say? Demelza's songs are lovely and the theme song makes me excited.


Your Wings by Lauren Daigle ~ I saw a lot of people raving about this artist's new album so I listened to it and this song was one of the only ones I liked.
"You got me under your wings, under your wings". A nice song inspired by a lovely scripture!


Love Like This by Lauren Daigle ~ The other song that I  loved from Lauren Daigle's album, Look Up Child, was Love Like This.
"What have I done to deserve love like this?"



Movies

To be honest, I don't have an actual answer to this. You see pretty much all of this month the only thing we have watched was Poldark!
I am enjoying it though. I must also say that it takes a lot in a movie/TV series to make me cry but Poldark has brought me to tears multiple times!
Like when Caroline sees Dwight after Ross rescued him from France!
I couldn't find a picture of that particular scene but this one is just as sweet and beautiful!


Other bits and pieces

- Coffee & Bible Time's latest FREE printable, an In-Depth study on Romans 12:2 (Link here!)

- Snippets of spring: the sight of fluffy pink and white trees bursting out everywhere, daffies and other blooms sneaking out form their cozy holes in the soil to catch the sunlight and the sweet, light scented air.

- Putting flowers in my room. I had no idea how delightful it is to have fresh lovely flowers adorning a nook or cranny of one's room, but it is!

- Period dramas influencing my speech! Wait, is that a good thing? To be talking a bit like a 1700's gal? (Example: Trying to put 'ye' in a sentence and called your siblings 'brother' or 'sister'! Do you get my reference? ((Hint: Drake Carne!))



Anyway, dear wildflowers! I hope you enjoy this rambling, slightly too Poldark influenced post!


xoxo
Hannah
Awwww! They're soooo sweet, I might have a toothache!

August Favourites

Wow, August has come to an end already! I am so excited that Spring is basically here now. The sunny weather and longer days have really done something to my creative juices, which seemed to be hibernating during winter and now there are awake and flowing again.



Books

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson
My goodness, I enjoyed this book so much! I have a full review in the works but I definitely had to mention it in this post. It's like the second book its series(Medieval Fairytale series). I have just started the third and final book, The Noble Servant and it is equally as intriguing as The Beautiful Pretender. And the cover of TBP....so pretty!



Sarah, Plain, and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
This book has become a new all-time favourite of mine! I found this on audiobook on my library's app and since I'd seen the movies a long time ago I decided to give it a go and get a boost on my Goodreads reading challenge. But I never would have known how much I enjoyed it! I am continuing listening to the series and I'm nearly done with the third book, Caleb's Story. Caleb is my favourite character in the first two!




Music

This month I got into classical music more and I found some treasures! Some classical music just...makes me feel...a way I almost can't describe. Like I'm gliding along a river on a blissful Summer day or floating in the clouds with the birds.
They make me feel light, happy and in awe at how beautiful all the instruments sound together.
My Classical Playlist

Edelweiss by Mantovani ~ I love this song as it is, but make it classical with tiny bells that play the tune during one stage... you have a golden piece of music!

The Carnival of the Animals, The Swan by Camille Saint Saens ~ A gorgeous piece that perfectly imitates swan-like characteristics. It's lovely and might make you sleepy because it's relaxingly beautiful.

And also Claire de Lune, which I have mentioned before.

Summer is Coming/Call the Midwife Soundtrack ~ I have a bit to catch up on with this series but I found the new soundtrack the other day I fell in love with this tune, Summer is Coming. It makes me happy and like want to snuggle down and watch the show.



Movies

Belle
Belle is and always will be a very favourite of mine. This is the 2nd time I've seen it and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. John Davinier's ardent proclamation of his love for Dido gets me every time! Ahhhh!
Oh, and the dresses are definitely swoon-worthy!




Birthday Gifts

1. Abide necklace was from my aunty. I love it and wear it almost every day.
2. I'm sooo excited to read the final book in Amy Clipston's Amish Heirloom series. This was the gift from my grandmother(Nonna). And I included the cat in the picture on purpose. She's a cutie! She wasn't a birthday gift though.
3. I got this snug scarf and scented bags from a friend. He always gets me nice gifts.
4. The journal is from my mum. I got it earlier and I've already used it!
5. Another friend, who I have yet to meet in person sent me these earrings from my Aunt's shop.
6. My mum's cute card that she hand painted for me! She also sells prints of her paintings on my aunt's shop.


Other bits and pieces
- Whittaker's Madagascan Sambirano Extra Dark Chocolate 82% Cocoa
I was wary of this chocolate at first because I thought it would be too bitter and yuck. But I actually really liked it! It has a really nice flavor and it isn't too bitter in my opinion.
- This video! Its so sweet and I knew I had to share it.
How cute is that!


And that was my August!

How was yours? Did you discover anything new?


July Favourites


July is over and it's a week till my birthday! I'm so glad that Spring will be here soon. I am tired of blank white skies, wet days and soggy walks with Molly, our pup. But anyhow, these are a few things that I loved about this month!



Books

The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels
This is such a sweet and charming book! You simply must read it! I wrote a review right here.

Brambly Hedge: Summer Story by Jill Barklem
This book and the others are meant for a younger audience but they are so cute and I quite enjoyed reading them before bed. Don't judge me, give them a read!


Music/Podcasts

How Far We've Come by I AM THEY ~ This is a really great positive song. If you need a boost, listen to this. "Look at the mountains we've climbed, Look at how faithful He's been, to deliver us, Look at how far we've come."

Abide with Me by Audrey Assad ~  I love it when modern artists take a dear old hymn and bring to life again. Audrey has a stunning voice that really freshens up this precious hymn.

Do It Again by Elevation Worship ~ This song spoke to me and has become quite personal to as it relates to certain events in my life and so I really like it.

Brand New by Willow City ~ Willow City has become one of my absolute fave artists. Their song Brand New is really cool and motivating. It's the perfect song to play in the car or while you're getting ready.




Movies

Whiskey Galore!
This movie is quite funny and is actually based on a true story. The humor is quite comical. It's like no other wartime movie I have ever seen. Set on a picturesque island in Scotland, the scenery is very appealing. Little stone houses, rowboats, and green hills. I recommend this movie if you want to have a good old giggle.


Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To The Altar
Ahhh! What all the SSD fans have been waiting for! Norman and Rita's wedding AND...another exciting event! I love, love, loved this one so much. They're such a happy, postal family that brings you smiles in every film.



A few extra things...



  • Plaiting my hair
  • Popcorn & caramel brittle ice cream
  • Well-Watered Women
  • Love God Greatly app
  • Postcards by James Blunt (song) It's just cute and fun!
  • Winter Sunshine



xoxo
Hannah

June Favourites


It's halfway through the year and my birthday is just around the corner! I can't wait till Spring. So I know I missed last months favourites post but I'm back and I have some June favourites to share.


Books

Island Dreamer by Robin Jones Gunn
I am nearly finished reading it at the time of writing this. Paula is annoying. It's...dreamy and makes me wish it was summer here. Hawaii sounds deliciously full of sunshine and sand! I told my mum that this book made me want to go to Hawaii, and she replied that there were volcanos erupting at the moment! Not sure anymore!
I even found a bracelet that says 'Forever'!



Music/Podcasts

This month I discovered lots of new music so I have dedicated a whole post to go in depth and share my recent finds, but here I just share a couple. I also started listening to some podcasts and loved them.

Corduroy Road by Adam Young ~ I listened to this a lot a while ago and then this month rediscovered it. I still love it just as much.

Christy Nockels ~ You'll see in my music post that I love her songs. Check her out!

TBP Podcast ~ The Bible Project podcast cast is great though it requires a little more concentration than some. I listened to the first episode in their poetry series and it was amazing.

Set Apart Girl ~ Dressing with Dignity, How to make Prayer a Priority & Feminine Mystery were my faves! Leslie Ludy is an amazing source of wisdom for women in this day and age. 


Movies

Paddington 2
This was the second time we have watched it because it is just too good not to! It's vibrant, funny, and sweet. I love how colourful it is. The characters are gold and Hugh Grant (aka Phoenix Buchanan) is hilarious. You really must see it if you haven't already. It will forever be a favourite for me.

The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells
These two act together in When Calls the Heart as Rosemary and Lee Coulter and they are just as hilarious and sweet in this movie. Loved it!



Photos I Took



Spiderwebs are truly a magnificent display of God's design and beauty. Aren't they stunning? They always look more lovely when covered in dew.

And so concludes June 2018! What was your fave book this month?

xoxo
Hannah