Changing colours

Well there's no stopping the seasons once they set their mind to it. Last night I collected Little Sister from her dance class. Two weeks earlier we enjoyed a leisurely stroll back up the hill in golden sunshine, as we climbed the hundred or so steps to our home we watched the shafts of gentle sunlight stream through the turning leaves on the trees above our heads. A fortnight later and last night we dashed up the hill, huddled under an umbrella, the only light coming from the old victorian streetlamps that lit our way. Not only was it cold and wet, it was DARK! That happened quickly didn't it?!



So whilst the days are shortening the evenings lengthen and our daily routines slowly change too. I do love walking outside in the evening, wrapped up warm enjoying the little vignettes of daily life coming from windows, fires burning, people snuggled on the sofa or in the kitchen preparing something warm for supper. I love the view from Big Sister's window at night, an entire hillside of shimmering light, rows of houses banked up towards the sea - how little that view has changed across the years.



However what I really love about the evenings at this time of year is drawing the curtains on the outside and enjoying the cosiness of home. Of course in the mornngs when the shock of a frost or chill hits you as you open the front door, the temptation to stay put can be a tad too overwhelming. But what comes hand in hand with all these changes?



Different clothes, different colours and different textures. I love dressing for this time of year. Our coat hooks in the hall seem to be permanently laden with a variety of scarves, hats, bags and coats. The pinks and greens that I love so much in the summer, deepen in the Autumn. Whilst I can't always afford a new coat, I can always find a scarf or brooch to mix in with what I've got.



This little babushka brooch I found at the car boot a couple of weeks ago and she seems to look so much better on colder days than on the very hot day I found her.



My old ragged bag that I made years ago comes out religiously every year for a little outing around now. She looks great against a dark green coat I have and a bright hat - well I won't tell you how many woolly hats we girls have in this house, I think Big Sister breeds them in her bedroom.



When I was little whenever my Aunt would visit she would bring an old tin of brooches for me to play with. At this time of year I always think of her, perhaps the magpie in me comes from her.



So last night when we were scurrying back from the dance class what made it a little better was this lovely old umbrella that I found in a junk shop the other week. It is so pretty and feminine and flouncy. It has however been kidnapped by Big sister who promises faithfully that she will not lose it at school, leave it behind in the science lab, drama studio or art room, I fear its days are numbered ...