#25: An ode to fall and flannel
This week, we're embracing that crunchy leaf feeling and looking forward with purpose. Also, a list of castles, the perfect fall playlist, and a reminder to set some goals before the end of the year.
If spring is a celebration of new life, then what does that make fall? The leaves die and decay; the air grows chilly and, in some places, uninhabitable. We could see fall as a reason to mourn, but we don’t. We celebrate the return of pumpkin spice and flannels. (Speaking of, Old Navy has great flannels right now; I just stocked up).
We don’t mourn the return of fall because, in some small way, we need a season of endings. We need the crops to die, the air to grow cold. Fall gives us an opportunity to shed the inherent neon joyfulness of summer and enjoy a little bit of sullenness.
Because we can’t take everything with us. We can’t keep returning to old patterns that no longer serve us. We can’t cling to relationships that bring out the worst in us. We need a season that whispers, “let me go.” And we need to have faith that if we listen to that tender voice, if we prune away the dead leaves, we’ll flourish when the sun returns.
To-do list:
💌 Send an old friend a postcard
🔖 Start collecting random tags, cards, etc. to use as bookmarks
📚 Visit your local library and check out a book that interests you
💆♀️ Try a heatless hairstyle
🌱 Write down three things you want to do before the end of the year
“Required” reading:
How to find peace when you live in a big, busy city (The Good Trade)
The most beautiful castles in Europe (CN Traveler)
If you’re still invested in the coastal grandmother aesthetic, check out this list of fashion essentials (The Everygirl)
An ode to dead motels; love the visuals in this article (Print)
An unexpected account of what it’s like to travel in China right now (Where’s the Bathroom?)
This week’s aesthetic: Appalachia
The heroine recommends: the perfect fall playlist
Fall reminds me of folk music, bluegrass, and a little bit of banjo. Here’s a playlist of all my favorite fall-inspired songs. Perfect for driving around with the windows down, enjoying that crisp mid-fall air.
Click here to submit a recommendation!
A parting thought:
Leave behind what doesn’t serve you. Take what you need for the days ahead.
xx, Annie