Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Autumn Essentials

It's that time of year again - the nights are drawing in, there's a chill in the air and the urge to go outside all the time is fading and being replaced by movie nights under blankets with hot chocolate.
Autumn is my favourite season. The build-up to Christmas is tangible, but before we get too carried away remember there's Halloween and Bonfire Night first for autumnal joy! The new season is also a clear excuse to buy lots of new things ('I just don't have any warm clothes' is heard regularly in my house) so I thought I'd give you a helping hand with this guide to my ultimate purchases for the colder weather.

The most obvious and important thing to buy right now is a good coat. I've snapped up this baby from asos:

Image 1 of ASOS Cocoon Coat

It's super cosy and eye-catching, and it also comes in baby pink and camel. I'll be getting a black faux fur stole to go with it to channel Blake Lively in her blue Gucci coat (photo from entertainmentwise.com).
I also bought this faux fur coat last year and it's back in store this year in both grey and brown:
Image 1 of ASOS Vintage Faux Fur Coat
Plus it's recently been spotted being worn by the gorgeous Millie Mackintosh!

You'll also need a good pair of autumn boots for the cold and rainy weather. I decided on a pair of cut out ankle boots from New Look, similar to these:
Black (Black) Black Chunky Cut Out Shoe Boots  | 324762901 | New Look
They're really reasonably priced so you won't worry about getting them scuffed or muddy!
On a bigger budget my absolute dream boots are these beauties from Topshop:
You can't really go wrong with an elegant over-the-knee boot.
I'm also lusting after this blanket stitch cape from Topshop, which has echoes of the iconic monogrammed Burberry blankets worn by Rosie Huntington-Whitely and the other Burberry girls.
photo from The Telegraph

I love this triangle necklace from John Lewis; fine, delicate chains and pendants are everywhere at the moment and I can't wait to get my hands on them!
Buy John Lewis Large Triangle Necklace, Gold Online at johnlewis.com
I may be living in a student house, but one of the perks of being a finalist is that you get the hang of the hunt for rented properties, and this year we've managed to bag a spacious three-storey house right next to campus. My room runs along the width of the property so I have lots of room to fulfill my interior decorating whims. 
When it gets colder I usually want to spend all my time under a duvet or watching movies on my sofa, so I recently bought a load of cushions from Next. My favourites are these soft velour cushions in Dove. They come in loads of different colours so you can match them to your room.

I'm also developing a growing fascination with scented candles. These are my current faves (click on the photos to shop):
Baieshttp://www.johnlewis.com/jo-malone-pomegranate-noir-home-candle-200g/p231745655
They will make your room smell amazing, plus they create extra warmth and lovely candlelight! Just don't light them if you're in university halls...no one likes the person who sets the fire alarm off when it's cold outside.

My feet always get really cold in my room, so (aside from woolly socks) I've got my eye on this faux sheepskin rug from Ikea. It's great value and even though it's only little it would make a big difference to my boring brown carpet.
TEJN Faux sheepskin IKEA The faux sheepskin is super soft, warm and cosy. Ideal as a rug or draped across your favourite armchair.
You can't have a cosy atmosphere at home without fairy lights, so here are a few of my favourites (click photos to buy from amazon):

My must-have album for the Autumn is the new release from Alt-J. Seriously cool as ever, This Is All Yours has a new edge to it that probably isn't for everyone but makes for interesting listening.

I hope you enjoyed my first post after a pretty long hiatus! I'm going to be posting really regularly from now (hopefully) and would love to hear your feedback - comment below or tweet me @LivSoutter.




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