On me and Rudi's day off, we headed up into the woods with my Grandparents dogs to enjoy one of the last days of October. It was also a perfect excuse to bring out this wool plaid coat/shirt/jacket...shacket? That was handed down to me from my sister (thanks Rosie!). It's great to be able to wear and enjoy something that someone else has stopped finding a use for. Me and my sister may have very different styles, but there's always times when we swap and hand things down to each other which is nice!





It's a more oversized, masculine style than I would usually choose myself, but I really like how loose and cozy it is and how it dresses down any outfit. It also fits nicely in with the rest of my wardrobe as it's plaid, which is very autumnal, yet the colour palette is neutral - so it pretty much goes with everything.




I absolutely love this time of year - It's crisp enough to bring out the jackets and coats, but there's not yet a need to wrap up in hats and gloves like you're on an arctic expedition. Recently, I've been wanting to spend more time out in the countryside, patiently waiting for all of the leaves to change colour! With the nights getting darker so much earlier now, It's hard to not feel a bit sluggish and tired and I find that getting out for a walk helps.




I can't wait to get out and take more photos, and appreciate the changing of the seasons at the same time. Once November comes around, I'm in full Christmas mode! This year I want to be much more conscious of my consumerism, and as part of that I'm going to attempt No-Buy-November. This means I'm going to avoid buying any clothes for myself for a month and if I find something I really have to have, I'll put it on my Christmas list (if I cave in and buy it for myself, I have to wrap it up!) This challenge may not be doable for me, but we shall see...!
As much as I've always loved shopping second hand for myself, I've never delved into the world of second hand present-buying, but this year I'm going to give it a try and see what I can find for my friends and family.




Photos by Rudi

I stay in my lane when it comes to jeans. Since the return of the high-rise waistline, I've loyally stuck to it. From the comfort of the Topshop Joni jeans (who remembers wearing these everyday?) to the re-done straight leg Levis that are everywhere now. because I have such exacting requirements, I usually go straight to Ebay or Depop when I want new denim, as you can find the exact style and size you're after... I've even caved in and bought a couple of pairs from Primark recently, despite the guilt, because jeans are JUST. SO. HARD. TO. FIND.  





When it comes to scouting for jeans in charity shops, patience and perseverance are needed in bucket loads. Finding something you like the style of is one thing (the rails are usually bulging with hipster flares with diamantes and elasticated waist granny slacks in varying shades of beige) but finding a pair that fit? Like finding a needle in a haystack. Because of this I rarely give the trousers section much attention, but I've learned my lesson after finding a pair that I actually wanted to come home with, despite the fact they didn't tick all my boxes... 




I was initially skeptical about this pair of dark wash straight leg jeans because they aren't high waisted. I would be stepping out of my comfort zone, but when I tried them on I really liked how they fitted. I'd say that they were "Dad jeans" because of the relaxed shape, I love that they don't taper in at the ankle in any way, and I think what stops them looking like they literally belong to my dad is that they end just above the ankle, which I think makes them more feminine.
I paired them with this pale grey jumper, which I actually bought at the same time as the jeans. I love how thick the knit is *cold girl essential*, the boxy and slightly cropped shape, and the uncool cricket jumper-esque v-neck. With the vans and hair slides, I feel a bit like i'm off to nursery, but I'm kind of into it! 



I guess the moral of the story is - don't be disheartened when you don't find anything, second hand shopping takes patience, perseverance and an open mind. 
Which leads me on to the second thing I've learned - It's great to know what you like, but try not to pigeon-hole your style. If you shop with an open mind and just try different things, you might end up finding something new to love! 

 Back at the beginning of September, I was getting lunch in M&S when I spotted a pair of boots out of the corner of my eye and stopped in my tracks. This is a very rare occurrence, but I knew these Bellatrix Lestrange/Victorian ice-skate-esque boots had to be mine. 

A few days (of thinking about the boots) later I went back for them, dragging my brother, sister and boyfriend with me for approval. I tried them on (really comfy) and agonised in front of the mirror before putting them back on the shelf, then went back for them and put them back again, before finally, just as we were about to leave for home I ran back into M&S to buy them. Even in the queue I was riddled with guilt and Rudi had to convince me that I wasn't a bad person for buying myself something new, and let's be honest, not a necessity.

 I'm glad to report that i'm over the buyers guilt now as I strut around in my Bellatrix boots, but it got me thinking about why we think we shouldn't do things that bring us joy and why we feel we don't deserve things. I'm not only talking about material purchases here, but other things in life that we somehow don't feel like we're worthy of.
 A huuuge example of this is my blogging/not blogging journey. I've actually had this account for TEN procrastination filled years, each time I started something i'd feel like it was rubbish and not worth anyone's time, I'd ask myself why would anyone want to follow me? or want to look at photos of me? I didn't think I was good enough, and as a result have missed out on a decade of doing what I really wanted to do. 



Photos by Rudi