Stuff I Like: Early Autumn Edition!

It's decorative gourd season! Yay! Okay, it's fine I guess. I am grudgingly giving in to fall like I do every year even though it's not my favorite season. Things are getting very autumnal in Oregon and I am trying my best to lean into it and appreciate sweater weather. I AM TRYING OKAY. Here are a few things that have made the transition easier:

This Happy Light That Is Standard PNW Issue.

I bought this Verilux Happy Light back in June because I knew I was going to need it the minute the weather started to turn. That happened this past week so I've got it set up next to my desk and it's definitely making the gloomy, dark mornings a bit easier. It's early days, but I'm hoping it'll stave off the seasonal depression I've been told to expect. PS. It is extremely bright and you're not supposed to look  directly at it which I found out by looking directly at it. Learn from me! Don't do that. 

This Atmospheric Read That Is Just Right For Fall.

When fall weather hits I tend to want to read moody/spooky books and Tana French is the absolute best when it comes to that. The Searcher came out last year and I'm so ready to re-read it. This is a stand-alone story but, unlike her previous book, The Witch Elm, this one doesn't have quite the same "unreliable narrator" feel and is much more introspective and unhurried. French's writing is, as always, atmospheric and beautiful, and the story is unsettling more than creepy and ultimately quite satisfying. Highly recommend.

This Candle That Is Perfectly Autumnal.

I returned something at the mall recently and almost immediately spent the return money at BlueMercury on this fancy LAFCO candle. It's like I was in a trance (why is the BlueMercury store so close to Madewell??) and when I got home I was like, oh no why didn't I buy the candle I already know I love? But, turns out I didn't make a mistake at all because the Amber candle is everything I was looking for - warm, spicy, soft, rich. It's not floral or too sharp or too sweet, it's just perfect and cozy. 10/10 would purchase again. 

I Know This Isn't Autumnal, Hear Me Out.

I work from home in the top floor loft space of a corner townhouse. It's lovely! So full of windows which is great until Wednesday when the lawn crew arrives and spends seven hours blowing around leaves and crap on both sides of the building. The dueling leaf blowers drive me insane and the last time I whined about it Marianne suggested I get a set of noise cancelling AirPods Pro. And y'all, they are truly amazing. I put them in and my shoulders drop - I'm instantly less murderous. I don't even have to listen to music! They just bring everything down a few notches. Also, they're on sale right now at Target and Amazon so if you've thought about it, now is probably the time. 

This Podcast I Already Talked About.
I'm pretty sure I posted about this last fall but The Great British Baking Show is back and so is my very favorite companion podcast, On Your Marks, Get Set, Bake! I already love Joy and Claire from their other podcasts and I'd been hoping they'd revive this one with the new season. It's basically just a delightful half hour of GBBO recap and comments, though I especially love that Claire tries out the technical challenge every week and reports back. Get going with that malt loaf!