hello november.

01 November 2013


I'm a little obsessed with candles lately.


Somehow, it's the penultimate month of the year. It always creeps up on me, but this year more so than ever.

I welcome it with open arms though, because it's one of my favourites. It's the time when all the lights are hung up on the streets and shops, when it becomes kindasorta acceptable for Christmas songs, and the decreasing temperatures mean lots of baking and keeping warm at home in fleeces and PJ bottoms. Perfect for a foodie & homebody like me.

This November, I'm looking forward to:

1. Seeing the amazing art exhibitions that are on in London. This weekend, E and I will head to the National Gallery to see the "Facing the Modern - The Portrait in Vienna 1900" exhibition. We also plan to go to the Paul Klee exhibition at the Tate Modern, and the Daumier exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. Hopefully we can fit at least two in this month!

2. Going to the Josh Ritter concert at the Barbican. One of my best and oldest friends introduced me to his music when I was a young angst-y teen, and I'm still a big fan. I am taking E along, and she her boyfriend - I'm hoping E will like it, since he doesn't usually listen to this kind of music. 

3. My birthday. I'll be turning the grand old age of 26, and although it will no doubt be low key with a few close friends as I'm not a big party party person, I'm looking forward to celebrating the upcoming year as well as the year past. 

3. That same lovely friend who gave me the heads up about the Josh Ritter concert is taking me to see a band she also introduced me to years and years ago, for my birthday gift - Bell X1. I am SO excited about this, an evening of great music of a band I never thought I'd see live, with my very special friend S - can't wait.

4. Listening to Christmas songs. I used to abide by the self-inflicted rule of no Christmas songs until 1st December, but in the last couple of years I've sneakily pushed forward the date to... 1st November. No one has to know. 

5. Going to the cinema. Gravity is at the top of the list, followed by The Butler and Catching Fire, and more that I'm sure I've forgotten or don't know about yet.

6. Another concert, this time classical - pianist Leif Ove Andsnes at the Cadogan Hall. Playing 2 of Beethoven's Piano Concertos, both of which I adore. 

7. Enjoying (and surreptitiously expanding) my candle collection. So far it consists of Yankee, M&S, Ikea, Colony (via TkMaxx) and Primark. Scent throw-wise, Yankee and Colony come out on top, although Primark is not too bad. I dream of getting my hands on luxury brands like Neom, Diptyque or Jo Malone, but I cannot stomach their prices for a candle. Any brands that you'd recommend that won't break the bank?

November is looking pretty good so far. I hope yours is too.



15 comments:

  1. I like Anthro's candles- they're usually around the £20 mark, but last a while! I popped in there a couple of days and sadly the Capri ones in the colourful jars are either out of stock or discontinued as I couldn't find them anywhere, but they did have mini versions for £10!

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    1. oh of course, Anthro! i will be making my way to that horribly tempting store and sniffing out their candles. thanks for the tip :) x

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  2. The only thing I don't like about candles is that if I m in a room for too long I can't sense it that intensively. I get a wish to go out, ring at my door and enter the room again;-) Beside that, I just love them:) My November is very similar, only instead of clasiccal music I m attending jazzfest very soon, and my birthday is on November 22nd ;-) Enjoy all November activities! x

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    1. haha i know exactly what you mean! it's worth going out for a bathroom break just to re-smell it again ;) wow that sounds weird. x

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  3. I'm loving that it's November! Totally acceptable to tune into Christmas tunes starting now - just make sure to temper it with normal songs so you don't get tired of them ;) Have fun staying cozy!

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    1. very sound advice re: xmas songs. i will be careful! x

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  4. First of all, thank you for teaching me a new word haha. I definitely had to google 'penultimate' haha. I have 3 Yankee candles and with the weather finally cooling down in Virginia, I'm definitely feeling the need to get more. Candles make everything seem more cozy :)

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    1. haha glad i could help ;) yankee candles are so good when it comes to scent - they have so many and they properly give off the smell too. love them x

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  5. i love november as well and all the lead up to christmas! i usually wait until after thanksgiving for christmas songs but hey i may just sneak it up a bit earlier too! :) have a great month!

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    1. i really wish we celebrated thanksgiving over here - perhaps then i would be stricter and pace myself better with those xmas tunes! x

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  6. It sounds like you are going to have a lovely November! Candles are an obsession for me too, Yankee being the best I've found scent wise so far (at least in a price band I can afford!).

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    1. it does seem like Yankee is the all round winner - i'd better stock up ;) x

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  7. I totally agree - 1st of November = Jingle Bells is perfectly acceptable! I'm American so I try to put off the Christmas movies until Thanksgiving Day but Christmas24 started today on Sky so....... :)

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    1. if we celebrated thanksgiving over here i'm sure i could put the jingles off for longer! or maybe not :) it just seems like such a waste to enjoy it for only 25 days! x

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  8. I am totally candle obsessed, and the winter months are the perfect time for them. I am a weirdo and I LOVE winter...I cherish the cold and the dark and the sweaters. I just love coziness! What day is your birthday on? And I can tell you're excited for Christmas music...only mentioned it twice ;] Haha. I agree with Jane above me, I usually make myself wait for Thanksgiving but if I lived somewhere without the holiday I totally would start listening to carols as soon as winter/cold weather came around. Also I want to see Gravity too!

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