*This post was originally shared on my Patreon page. For more regular blog posts, exclusive content, downloads, and more become a patron!I often hear people talk about winter solstice or spring equinox, but we aren’t always as aware of all the little traditions and legends that fall between some of these days. For example in Celtric traditions some mark February as the start of spring (a shocking discovery for me as February as always felt like the coldest month of winter to me). February 1st is Imbolc and/or Saint Brigid’s day and is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is celebrated in the Christian calendar as Saint Brigid’s day and in non-Christian calendars as Imbolc. In the Celtic calendar this date marks the beginning of lambing season and stirrings of new life. The midpoint between the frozen ground of winter and the blossoms of spring. While it feels far from spring to many, you do start to see snowdrops emerging from the half frozen ground.February rarely feels like spring to me, but part of this could be because of Cailleach—or the divine hag of Gaelic tradition. Cailleach is considered the goddess of winter who will turn to stone once summer returns, but wanders the earth in a humanoid form from Samhain onwards. On Imbolc she heads out into the world to gather firewood for the rest of winter. If the weather is bright and sunny Cailleach is out gathering firewood and will be able to gather enough firewood to make winter last a good bit longer. However, if the weather is bad and cold this means Cailleach is still asleep and will soon run out of firewood and thus spring will come sooner--she won’t want another month of winter without a fire to keep herself warm. This old legend might be a precursor to America’s groundhog day and has a few different variations across the Celtic regions. I've got my fingers crossed for miserable weather on Imbolc!While Brigid’s Procession used to be a tradition on Imbolc, I don’t hear it being done that often today. One tradition that has carried on in more homes is the making of Brigid’s cross. This simple cross is made of straw or rushes and woven on January 31st and left outside overnight to receive Brigid’s blessing. Then on February 1st they were hung in the rafters of the home and believed to bring blessing and the protection of the saint for the remainder of the year. This tradition was quite popular in Ireland since Saint Brigid was an Irish saint, but while you will see crosses here and there the tradition isn’t as common as it used to be. This was my first time making one and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out!

When I saw these boots on Vivaia I thought “that’ll suit me down to the ground!” Most of my clothing and footwear leans more towards fashion than function and this is a sacrifice I am willing to make. My legs and toes will be cold through most of winter, I accept this. But when I saw the Camila boots I immediately fell in love because they looked so cozy—and with fully recycled faux fur lining they actually are really warm! The temperature has been dropping swiftly in my region and these boots kept my toes so much warmer than my usual shoes. The style was something a bit new for me, but I’ve been wearing a lot more brown this autumn and the shearling detailing gave me vague 70s vibes. I thought this style was perfect for 70s inspired minis or more casual outfits when I just want to be warm and snug! Plus you can get these boots on sale right now and take advantage of Vivaia’s Black Friday discounts before the end of the month! Use my code ACH20 to get 20% off one pair of shoes, or 25% off two pairs and 30% off when you purchase three pairs!  One of the things I love about Vivaia is their dedication to environmentally shoes. All of their shoes are made with recycled materials; these boots recycle faux fur and their ballet styles are made from plastic bottles! I’ve tried to dress and shop more sustainably in the last few years and finding Vivaia was a wonderful way to incorporate more environmentally footwear into my wardrobe. Shopping sustainably doesn’t have to break the bank too—several of the other pieces from this outfit are bought secondhand. My jacket I found on Depop last autumn and it’s become a favorite of mine to wear with more casual outfits. So often we get caught up in shopping sustainably we forget some of the simplest solutions are to shop less, wear pieces for multiple years, and look at secondhand shops. I stuck with the brown theme for this outfit with my Camila boots. Sometimes if I’m stuck on styling something I just try to go with matching by color and I was surprised by how many brown pieces I found in my wardrobe that suited these boots perfectly! I wore this out while doing a bit of foraging for winter wreaths and crafts—it’s a great time to collect different dried textures and also twigs and branches to use as the base of your wreaths or crowns. I brought home a bundle of willow branches to use in wreaths and also stumble across a lovely bit of clematis. In the spring the apple blossom clematis is a lovely pink flower on a vine that climbs everywhere and in the winter those flowers turn into the fluffiest seedheads! They make for very ethereal wreaths and have a fun otherworldly look to them. I’m planning on making a mostly white wreath using the clematis seeds and maybe a bit of twinkle lights too. I don’t often photograph my more casual outfits, but on a more relaxed day (or weather too miserable to photograph day) I often put on my reliable skinny jeans and one of Thomas’s sweaters. I love the oversized fit of these sweaters and I think my new boots really suited the vibe and upped the comfort level too! The Camila style is water resistant so they kept my toes dry on this autumn walk. We’ve been getting a lot of rain lately so the ground is very soggy and even flooded in regions, but there’s still a few corners were the autumn color is lingering on. I’m grateful for any color and leaves we still have as winter always feels dull and harsh in this region. Once the leaves are gone everything is so bare and since snow is rare it feels like the earth is truly hibernating until spring. I didn’t head out to forage anything specific on this walk, but lately I’ve been finding so many oak galls. I had never seen any before this autumn, but once I found one I got so much better at spotting them and now I’ve collected around a dozen. Oak galls form when gall wasp leaves its eggs on the developing buds of an oak tree. The way the larvae interacts with the tree forms these unique spherical galls. While that is somewhat interesting what is mostly fascinating is how these galls were used historically. Iron gall ink was the main medium in the Western world dating at least as far back as the Roman Empire and possibly earlier. These galls were a key component in creating that ink that has been used in manuscripts from the Middle Ages all the way up to the early twentieth century! I always feel like I stumbled across a piece of history when I find one.

I don't usually put my whole shop on sale, but I had a lot of requests for a Black Friday Sale so right now you can get 15% off any and all preset packs in my shop! Use code FAREWELLAUTUMN at checkout. This code can also be combined with other sales in my shop--my Dark Cottagecore and Cozy Pack are reduced right now; all of my presets are compatible with Lightroom Desktop or Lightroom Mobile. If you're not sure what a preset is or want more information on my packs, read on below!

Do certain books remind you of specific seasons? Or maybe they just feel appropriate that time of year. There's a lot of books that feel like summer to me--escapism, breaks between school, coming of age, etc. But autumn feeling books can be a bit more elusive, or at least hard to come to mind when you are look for a cozy autumn read. These four books however really evoke the season to me; they're cozy and all have a bit of magic to them as well in entirely different ways. Whether you prefer your fantasy with a bit of time travel or shape-shifting fae, there's a bit of something for every fantasy lover on this list. 

*This post was originally shared on my Patreon page. For more regular posts, exclusive content (preset downloads, monthly wallpapers, handwritten postcards, and more!) please check out my Patreon page and consider supporting me.

I often feel that as soon as Halloween is over people “quit” autumn and start focusing on winter and Christmas things…which I do not accept! While some trees are bare, others are only starting to change color—and since my region doesn’t get snow every year, autumn lingers. So one of my big style inspirations right now is the intersection of fairytales and autumn scenes. I mean: cozy capes, colorful knits, all paired with layers of skirts and petticoats is perfect fairytale fashion and cozy enough for the current temperatures too! Rather than switching out of cottagecore inspiration for autumn and winter, I think layers and accessories can add more cottagecore elements into seasonal outfits even when you are dressed more casually. Here’s four finds from small businesses I’d love to add to my autumn wardrobe this year. Wool caplet by Vetch & Clover: This maker also designs reversible stays and historically inspired clothes while trying to stay zero waste, but her limited edition wool capelet is what really caught my eye this autumn. I have a couple of bigger capes which can be warm and fun to wear, but they can also get really heavy and be a bit dramatic. This capelet has the whimsy of a cape, but slightly less theatrical. I can picture it with so many outfits! Click here for the shop. Oak Leaf Belt by Foxes & Rovens: This belt! It’s so adorable and I love that it could be worn with a more fairycore inspired look or something more casual. There’s also loads of customization options; you can choose the leaf color, belt color, metal tone, etc. So you don’t have to go with the autumn version of these oak leaves, you could get it in green! I think this one is going on my Christmas list, you can shop it here. Hand-embroidered Berets by Knock Thrice: One of my favorite cozy creators to follow has to be Knock Thrice; she’s always creating the most magical pieces. Most of her embroidery designs are released in limited drops with different themes from Greek goddesses to woodland creatures, but she also has pre-orders for crewnecks and a very unique knight themed cardigan. I personally have my eye on her beret designs. Click here for her shop, or follow her on Instagram for updates on when the next collection will be available. Leaf belt bags by Leafling: Leafling makes so many fun bags with nature inspired designs. They’re better known for their classic backpacks with leaf flaps, but recently they launched some adorable belt bags you can attach to any belt, or buy with a matching belt. They’re so fun and I really like the idea of a belt bag—I don’t always want to carry a purse with me but I’m almost always wearing a belt and it’s big enough for the essentials. Check out their shop here. 

When Vivaia asked me to wear pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October I was stumped at first. I love wearing pink in spring, but in autumn my color palette really shifts to darker and more earthy tones. I bid goodbye to pink and pastels and reach for everything mustard and rust colored! But as quick look around my wardrobe reassured me that I do have some autumn appropriate pinks perfect to wear into October and beyond—and it's for such a good cause. Wearing pink in October is a way to show your support for those affected by breast cancer and it helps raise awareness as well. Vivaia is going one step further and donating $10 from every pair of pink shows they sell this month to the United Breast Cancer Foundation. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women, but it is also often treatable if caught early enough--so be sure to stay up to date on your health checks.