The ‘hello September, I’ve missed you!’ wishlist

Ahhh I love September! As much as I love the sunshine, I think there’s something really special about the promise of frosty mornings, cuddly jumpers, scented candles, red wine and crunchy leaves, plus there’s so much lovely stuff about in the shops with all the new autumn/winter 2015 collections.

First up, I love this cable knit hush beanie with the furry pompom. So cute:

hush beanie

This Mint Velvet black lace blouse (£69) looks perfect for smartening up a pair of jeans or trousers, say for a romantic dinner or having friends round. Love that it’s long sleeved but still really special:

Mint Velvet black lace scalloped blouse

I’ve been moaning about my leaky wellies recently on Facebook (sorry about that) and got loads of recommendations for great boots. I’ve just opened the box on a fresh pair of these awesome Sorel Tivoli (currently with £30 off at £99) boots from Cloggs, which came highly recommended. It was a cross between these and the Barbour wellies, which look fabulous too. First of all they arrived REALLY fast - the very next day. I found the size 6 just slightly too snug but it was really easy to return them (I just popped them into the village shop - clever stuff), and my new ones came just as quickly. They’re so comfy, have really good grip on the soles, and the super furry lining keeps your feet warm and dry too. There’s a lace at the front so you can slip them on easily then tighten it up for a really snug fit. Plus, I love the look of them - I feel all ‘country lady’ in them:

Sorel Tivoli boots

To complement the boots, I’d rather like the gorgeous ‘fire’ parka from hush. The deep red fur trim on the hood adds interest, and the teddy lining looks really snuggly.

hush ‘fire’ parka

And then seeing as I’ve got all this nice snuggly stuff, I’d like a gorgeous weekend away. We’ve spotted Dream Cottages (Dorset’s largest cottage agency offering over 300 beautiful self catering holiday cottages in and around Dorset) - I’m thinking frosty walks, toasting marshmallows on an open fire, snuggling up reading a book… that kind of thing.

I’m also wishing I had one of these comfy looking, super soft organic cotton Gray by Southwood Stores sweatshirts. I came across them by accident on Instagram and they do some really lovely stuff:

Gray sweatshirt, GRAY by Southwood Stores

I also recommend Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream. I always like to switch to a richer body cream for the colder months, and after getting a little sample of this and loving it, I’m really tempted to invest in a big pot. It really does leave the skin feeling firmer and more bouncy, somehow and it smells divine. Quite expensive at £41, but maybe one for the Christmas list (*first Christmas mention of the year klaxon!*).

And for that red wine? Well, I’ve just spent a heavenly few days in Montalcino, Tuscany, discoving Brunello on a wine tour with Away with Wine, and if you’re after a really special bottle, maybe to keep, look no further than this 2009 Brunello from Banfi, one of the larger vineyards in the area that we visited. A beautiful place with some really special, elegant wines. This beauty is a dark, dark ruby colour with loads of black cherry and enough acidity to tell you that it will just continue to improve over the next few years.

Talking of travel I highly recommend Tazeka’s aromatherapy blends. I’m never without the ‘Travel Companion’ one now which is comforting and minty. I rub it on my wrists and if I start to feel a bit queasy (or that horrible feeling you get when you’re packed in with a large amount of people in a really enclosed space) I take a deep sniff. It’s incredibly calming and smells delicious (I also discovered in Tuscany that it’s really soothing on insect bites too, after getting one on my wrist and finding it was the only bite that didn’t itch and swell!).

Finally, if you still can’t quite bear to let the summer go, I recommend bagging a bottle of delicious CK One Summer while it’s on spesh in Boots. There’s a glorious hit of juniper in there that will remind you of an icy gin and tonic, and tropical watermelon, with lovely warm amber notes too. Literally summer in a bottle.

Hope September is treating you well!