It's August. You're hot, sticky, cranky, and quite done with this summer thing. Like most of my readers, autumn is your season. The anticipation of next month is agonizing as you do your time in the 90s with 100% humidity. Here's how to bring autumn to your home and your senses even when it's a ga-zillion degrees outside.
When I can find products on Etsy, I always opt for that platform. Target, Amazon and others already get enough of my $ on practical items, but when I want to be individual and I want to support artisans and business owners, I go to Etsy and it almost never lets me down!
SCENTS
Plug-ins, candles, air fresheners, incense, and other methods of scenting your home are the first best way to bring autumn in without dragging autumn garlands and pine cones in. It's a subtle way to enjoy a change from the light scents of summer, i.e. lemon, fruits, lemongrass, ginger, etc. to the more masculine scents of autumn.
Look for scents like - patchouli, cinnamon, cedar wood, sandalwood, pumpkin, vanilla, amber, cardamom.
Don't forget that bath time is an ultimate autumn ritual and the soaps begin the atmosphere. Try an autumn-scented soap and take a tepid bath.
Lastly, layer on your own cologne with a shift from light-scented summer to sexy mysterious autumn.
Middle Earth Cologne on Etsy
Middle Earth Cologne (above)
A reverie of rich warm vanilla bean, dewy greens and a touch of golden caramel.
Sun-warmed rock, clean pine and a cold running stream.
Roasted hazelnut, ripe blackberry, and autumn apple.
A hint of coffee, a curl of woodsmoke, star anise, and wild honey.
Purple plum, oak moss, cardamom and dark amber.
Spiced rum, eastern musk, cassia and white sage.
The scent is one of remembrance; deeply nostalgic, dreamy, lovely and lush.
VISUALS
There is no need to scare the family and drag out piles of leaves and pumpkins, but there are subtle ways to shift to fall so that when you're escaping the heat indoors where it's cool, you feel like autumn has arrived.
Draping a lap blanket over the arm of a sofa is a subtle reminder of nesting.
This (below) is the one I just got on Amazon - it is my dream blanket!
This (below) is the one I just got on Amazon - it is my dream blanket!
Consider adding textures to your home like birch wood, burlap, dried twigs in a vase, acorns, driftwood, yarn and woven baskets. Shift your colors to a slightly more earthy palette.
SOUNDS
Consider playing a nature soundtrack as you fall asleep or in the background as you work at home. Sounds like streams running, crackling fire, thunderstorms, creaking wood-masted sailboat, gale force winds can all evoke a sense of weather outdoors.
Classical music in general evokes an autumnal sense. As well, check these top 10 songs for autumn.
TASTES
Tea is the easiest way to transition to fall feelings. Go from your sweet tea to some steeped hot tea. I suggest Earl Grey, cinnamon-based teas, and chai.
Tastes are an easy way to usher in autumn feels. You don't need to make a stew just yet, but how about utilizing some the typical autumn foods such as apples, persimmons, squash, and chili with cornbread.
Don't overlook a Ploughman's platter or cheese tray with apple slices, variety of cheeses, whole grain crackers, nuts, grapes, ham, dates, figs, and seedy mustard.
If you want to put on some movies to make you dive right into the autumn/Halloween mood, here's some great suggestions -
Sleepy Hollow
Halloween
Trick 'R Treat
Hocus Pocus
The Fog
Blair Witch Project
The Covenant
Shattered Silence
Night of the Scarecrow
Night of the Living Dead
In Dreams
Salem's Lot
Wolfman
Trollhunter
Dead Silence
Half Light
The Woman in Black
When a Stranger Calls
The Messengers
No comments:
Post a Comment