The English Mademoiselle Diaries: autumn

Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts

Dear October,

You have gone now, you left quickly but not without giving me experiences I will remember (or not in some cases) for quite some time now. You gave us the end of Autumn, because your neighbour November will come and make the days shorter, leaving me in the dark more than the light. I will miss being able to leave the house without a scarf or only wearing two layers of clothing, but I will begin to don only knitwear and clutch at portable coffee cups to stay warm. October you are the last strands of summer before the frosty mornings cling to my lips and eyelashes.
Thank you October for your highs and your lows.

XO, Miriam

// Jumper - H&M//Skort - Zara//Socks - ASOS//Boots - Timberland//

I dread the colder months and as winter begins to draw in I am taking every opportunity to keep wearing my summer staples, like this white skort. I was tempted to wear it with black and grey but resisted and went for an almost all white ensemble, breaking it up with the navy stripes on this cosy knit jumper. I chose to wear these cream knee high socks so they matched the tone of the jumper so the look wasn't too harsh. Too keep with the muted tones I slipped (read yanked) on these amazing Timberland boots that are going to rapidly become an autumn winter staple this year.

As luck would have it I found a spot in the park near my campus where there was an equal amount of fallen leaves to the evergreen ivy where I could catch up on some reading before my English tutorial, especially considering this is the last of the autumn sun.

XO, Miriam

Dear October,

The past week has been both incredibly busy and it also feels like I have done nothing with it. You greeted me with a severe cold and rainy days, but as the week has passed by I have listened to more Glee covers than I care to admit and smiled when you let the rain pause for a moment while I walked to the bus in the morning. I have attended events in other cities and finally found some motivation from your gloomy weather.

XO, Miriam

Dear October,

You are not the worst month of the year with the kind of cold that sinks into my bones, but you aren't my favourite month either with the warmth that touches my skin as soon as I leave the comfort of my house. I can still see the sun but you don't quite let me feel the warmth that I love so dearly. So on go the coats, the knitwear and my refusal to believe that I might need to bring an umbrella and a mug of tea with me every morning when I catch the bus to my lectures. But it was as I made my way back from yesterdays set of morning lectures and seminars through the scattered fallen leaves and cracks in the pavement; I realised that is spring is hope then autumn is promise.

XO, Miriam

I have reached that stage at in my first semester at university where my flat in halls has started to feel like home rather than a youth hostel, and I have made some great friends. But lets be honest we all have days where nothing seems to go your way and all you want to do is binge watch Gossip Girl and eat an entire pot of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I didn't do that actually, I went to my lectures and ate lunch before then collapsing in my room, and doodling in my journal.The jumper I am wearing was an impulse buy from the other day from H&M, and I am so glad I bought it, there is nothing better than a comfy jumper on cold autumn afternoons, am I right?

XO, Miriam

Yesterday evening I was writing down a list of things I want to do during A/W14. And some of the things I came up with I felt needed to be shared, so here is my bucket list for this Autumn and Winter Season:

Smile: It isn't that I don't smile at all but I think that I need to smile more. Some days I find I get to caught up in the stresses of life. Also someone once told me that just by smiling your mood improves.

Drink more tea: As much as like the majority of the fashion blogging community I am partial to a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, I do favour tea. Not because I am British (that probably plays a part) but because I freaking love tea. Not the general purpose tea though, I really enjoy trying new kinds of herbal teas along with several cups of green tea.

Interact with new people: this is my first semester of university and I feel like this one is unavoidable. Having said that I do get very nervous about talking to new people and have a tendency to retreat to my room to avoid social interaction. I am setting myself the challenge to make friends at university in and out of my classes.

Finish the A Song Of Ice And Fire book series: I am two books into the series so I have a fair way to go, but last year during the second year of IB I realised I stopped reading for pleasure because of my studies so while I am at university I want to prevent this from occurring again by finishing all of the books by the 1st of December.

XO, Miriam

//Dress - Zara//Oh Comely Magazine - WhSmiths//Socks and Book - Urban Outfitters//Mockingjay Broach - Balloon Festival//

//T-shirts - Zara// Playsuit - ASOS//

//Bikini - ASOS//Dress Zara//

Over the last month I have been doing quite a bit of shopping, as I realised I was lacking in some areas of my wardrobe before I headed off to university in September. What do you think of my purchases?

XO, Miriam

I have been reading The Lovecats Inc for what seems like a few years, when in reality it has only been a few months. I discovered Helen's space on the internet back in July, and I haven't stopped ooh-ing and aah-ing at the posts since. Helen is a 23yr old magazine/fashion journalism graduate from the UK and I asked her some questions:

(Picture "stolen" from her blog)

Me: Why did you start your blog?

Helen:I started my blog alongside my Journalism degree and, as I read a lot of blogs at the time, I thought it can't be too hard! I blogged on and off for about a year before getting a grip and taking it seriously in May 2012!

Me: Do you enjoy creating beauty or fashion posts more on your blog?

Helen: I actually enjoy creating beauty posts more these days, as other blogs have helped my skin so much so I like to share what works for me incase it can help anyone else! I still like doing my outfit posts, it's just with working until late and the nights being dark so quick, I'm finding less time to do them!

Me: What are your top 3 winter essentials?

Helen: My top three winter essentials have to be 1) REN's SOS emollient rescue cream, which is an intensive, balm-like moisturiser that really hydrates skin 2) Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation, as it stays in place even if it's pouring down, windy and cold and 3) a massive scarf, because I hate being cold!

Me: What is on your Christmas list so far?

Helen: For Christmas this year, I'd love Kevyn Acoin's The Celestial Powder in Dim Light, as it looks amazing and is so raved about. I'd love to try some things from Pai Skincare, a NUDE facial oil and, if I'm very lucky, Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille perfume as I adore it.

Me: Do you have any tips for other bloggers?

Helen: My top tips for other bloggers are 1) Don't assume people will come to you. Participate in blogger chats, talk to people on twitter, comment on other blogs, it really helps to let people know you're out there! 2) PR samples and all of that aren't something to be expected or demanded, they're a perk! Don't be sad if other people get something and you don't and 3) Have fun with it! Share what you enjoy and if you can't post every day, it's no big deal :)

Me: What is your favourite dessert?

Helen: My favourite dessert is cake. Any kind of cake. I really love cake.

Me: Tea or coffee?

Helen: Neither! I don't actually drink tea or coffee, I'm more of a hot chocolate girl (with caramel, mm).

Me: What is the best book you have read this year?

Helen: I re-read the original The Ring and The Ring 2 recently, they're two of my favourite books.

Me: Where would you go next on holiday if money was no object?

Helen: I would love to go to Tokyo, as I've been meaning to go for the past few years with a friend, but never had the cash at the right time. The shopping would be amazing plus everything's adorable, so I'd be ridiculously happy.

Me: What is the best season of the year?

Helen: My favourite season is Autumn, but just at the beginning where it's still warm enough to wear shorts, but with a jumper or a coat thrown over the top!

A big thanks to Helen and you can follow her here and here!

xoxo Miriam

P.S. She also has YouTube and many other wonderful links so what I think I am trying to say is go and check out her blog and her wonderful thoughts.

This gorgeous googy lemon drizzle cake, was baked for my sisters birthday party, and as there was too much mix I have eaten it everyday since, whoops!
I suggest you bake soon before it become inappropriate to eat due to the onset of the winter season, so I bet you are wishing I would stop waffling and give you the recipe to this delightful cake:

Ingredients:
- 110g butter softened
- 110g caster sugar
- 140g self-raising flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 2 medium eggs beaten
- 2 tbsp milk
- 175g granulated sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C, and grease a 20cm x 10cm loaf tin with a smidge of butter.
Cream the butter and the caster sugar together.
The beat in the eggs and the milk, don't panic if it splits just add a spoon of the flour,
Sift and stir in the flour, baking power and lemon zest, until the mixture it smooth and creamy.
Pour in to the grease tin, and bake for 30-40minutes
Oh no the dreaded washing up that need to be done in the waiting time!
Once the cake is done place it upside down on the cooling rack on a tray and pour over the syrup (heat the granulated sugar and lemon juice together until the sugar has dissovled)
Do this gradually, and re use the syrup that falls on to the tray below the cakes.
Now EAT, with cream or anything else you wish. (oh and a cup of tea never goes a miss)

xoxo Miriam

As all you Britons know it was Remembrance Sunday yesterday, and despite not actuary attending church due to previous commitments of my family, but I still wore my Sunday best, and donned my poppy with pride and added more poppies to my finger nails:

- Hoodie and Tights - New Look -

- Shirt - Morgan -

- Dress - H! by Henry Holland -

- Shoes - Ma soeur -

This small oak tree is one I planted as a child, which I forgot about until my dad found it last year in a pot that was far to small.

I wish these bows were butterflies sometimes, or maybe I have an overactive imagination..

Glittery *_*

And the poppy appeal.

As I have a tendency to lose my poppy (I didn't this year, I am a little bit proud of this), I painted litte half poppies on to my finger tips.

xoxo Miriam

This has been sitting in my drafts folder since September when I took the photos, I thought now when it is getting cold and dark I would bring back a little bit of the summer to autumn transition. My grandparents have an apple tree in their back garden and my dad, my sister, my dog and me were charged with picking all of the apples, unfortunately they are cooking apples, so NO SNACKING on the job!

Now I will admit I wasn't very trusting of the ladder, one because I have terrible balance and two because my sister was holding it... Sisterly love 'ey?

The oh so many apples that we collected.

* Derp face *

We had a lot of fun swinging from the branches, I think the dog was a little jealous, I think or wanted attention...

Hoodie - New Look

Cropped top - Miso

Dress - A hand me down from ma mere

Scarf - Warner Brother Studios

I always want to take home this table and chair set when we leave

And welcome the always cute but rarely helpful when picking apples springer spaniel AKA. my dog Tarka

xoxo Miriam

For me autumn is the last taste of summer, before the cold wet grey months roll in, so I thought I should make the most of what autumn has to offer both in terms of fashion and food. I mean what is better than freshly baked pumpkin pie in the middle of autumn and with all the extra Halloween pumpkins I could resist making one for me and my family.

Ingredients:

500g pumpkin puree
250g shortcrust pastry
300ml cream
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
1tsp ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4)
To make the pumpkin puree cut up enough pumpkin and just put it in a blender.
Grease and line a pie tin with greaseproof paper and blind bake the pastry shell until brown (No soggy bottoms here, no sir!)
Beat together the cream, eggs, sugar and spices lightly.
Stir in the Pumpkin puree.
Then once the pastry has baked pour the mixture in to the pastry case and place it back into the oven until the mixture has set and is golden on top.

Eat with copious amounts of cream and lit carved pumpkins!

xoxo Miriam

I find that cinnamon is by far the most seasonal spice, especially at Christmas (I appologise for mentioning this word so early on in the colder months) but I wanted something to eat with my chai tea lattes. So as this is the day of the Great British Bake Off I needed a baked snack for watching, and these seemed like the perfect autumn bake, and they went down well with ma famille so I hope you enjoy trying these out!

Ingredients:

Plain flour, for dusting

1 quantity home-made puff pastry (find one that works for you, I use a mixture of 2 recipes)

75g unsalted butter, softened

75g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tsp ground cinnamon

60g sultanas

1 medium free-range egg, beaten with 2 tbsp milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to a rectangle measuring about 30cm x 40cm.

Beat together the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, then spread over the pastry. Scatter with the sultanas, then roll the rectangle from the short side to make a sausage. Chill for 10 minutes until completely firm. Then, with a serrated knife, cut into 16 x 1.5cm slices. Lay flat-side down on a baking sheet and press them slightly so they spread out a little. Chill for 20 minutes.

Brush with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Serve warm, sprinkled with sugar.

Now eat with copious amounts of chai tea lattes or just general purpose tea.

Recipe from Delicious Magazine

xoxo Miriam

Autumn has finally hit the UK, and quite quickly too, but like the rest of you I don't want to stop wearing my summer clothes. So I have come up with an idea for how to wear your favourite summer dress in the autumn.

Take one summer dress (H! by Henry Holland):

(Please excuse the mess on my floor, I am avoiding tidying it)

Now add a chunky knit cardigan (New Look), a thin belt (New Look) to re-create your waist, and some tights (Iwi Creations):

Another option is to add a plaid shirt in a contrasting colour, in may case a pink 3/4 length one from Crew:

And for footwear, I will be wearing my converse and some frilly socks over the tights, or maybe some knee high tights with brogues?

The key to taking your summer wardrobe and wearing it in the colder months is to layer, and then layer some more, and shirts cardigans, coats, scarfs etc.

xoxo Miriam