Well, October, probably my favourite month, and the beginning of my favourite season, is now coming to a close. I've had a birthday, we've settled into the school routine, and the woodburner is being lit most nights as I snuggle up on the settee with a blanket, soft cushions and a good book.
Outside the leaves are crispy, it's been a dry month here, and the sound of contented chickens scratching about in them is utterly charming.
Yesterday we had our first proper frost. I've been using slip-on plastic shoes for the past month with bare feet as I did my chicken and duck chores but have now decided it's time for something more substantial to pull easily onto my feet. Which brings me to my first favourite of the month:
Easy to pull on (I'm in and out the back door a lot so I'm looking for quickness) these short wellies, mine are in the bee design, have lovely soft inners, so my bare feet (yes I'm still often sockless!) are kept cosy as I walk through the dewy grass.
On the subject of wellies though, I do have full length ones and these Grubs are the best wellies I've had. I must have had these ones for at least two years and they're comfortable for long walks, warm, grippy, are made of stretchy material (like wetsuit material) so fit over any size calves, and - touch wood - don't split (which is a problem I had with Hunters). I highly recommend them.
I discovered Homesense a few days ago. Finding a store wasn't that far away, myself and the children made the trip. We'll not dwell on the one way system around the store that we went round and round on, but instead focus on the lovely throws I bought. One was grey and white with stars on. It is lovely and soft and my daughter decided it would be perfect for her room. Another was made of wool, again white and grey with polka dots. This is in our lounge over the foot stool and CatFace last night decided it was her spot.
Finally, I bought a mustard yellow and white stripey one. Our bedroom wall has been painted in a dark blue and it goes beautifully with it.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard
So, I mentioned that I had a birthday this month. This coincided with me observing my face in a particularly well-lit mirror and seeing the dark rings under my eyes. Oh the horror. So, off I ran to my nearest department store, heading directly to the Nars counter. (I'd seen this concealer recommended by a YouTuber).
The lovely lady on the counter sat me down and put some on for me. (Whilst she was preparing I saw myself in the department mirror and decided then and there that I needed a decent eye cream - I'll report back on this in a future post).
Anyway, the results from the Nars concealer was amazing. I bought it immediately. What I love about it is the creaminess. My skin can be quite dry, especially as I'm outside a lot on cold days then come in to the warmth of the house, and, as I've just mentioned, I have a few lines when I smile. But this works with my skin, as opposed to sitting on top of it and becoming cakey. Highly recommended.
An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney
I'll be writing about this novel more in a bookish post but I wanted to include it here as I loved it so much. It is set around the 1750s in London and follows the life of Tully Truegood - a skivvy, a conjurers assistant and a celebrated courtesan. Not for the faint hearted, as this describes exactly what Tully goes through as a courtesan, but it is a wonderful, page-turning tale. Probably my favourite book this year.
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