Saved Folder—Autumn Curation
What I saved this quarter and a collection of things that made me stop scrolling and wanted to share with you.
As the leaves are quickly changing into bright reds, oranges and yellows, I’ve come to realise that another quarter has passed. And it went quickly this time. It was filled with travel, adventures and new discoveries. I’m loving the colder weather, and the Halloween decorations have come out of the closet and onto every suitable surface in the house. To be honest, I think the last three months of the year are the most fun - give me all the decorations (spooky and Christmassy), all the family events, and the cooler coat weather.
Here are some of the things I‘ve been saving over the last three months that have made me stop scrolling, prompted me to press the ‘Bookmark’ button, or have just made me smile or think.
MY READING STACK
Some of the books and articles I have read over the last months. There aren’t many, but I’m making more time for reading now that mini-me is getting older. I’d love your recommendations as well!
Is the world becoming more grey? — The research started out by looking at the digital collection of objects of the Science Museum Group. The researchers set out to find a different way to search in digital museum data collections, but also got other unexpected findings. They analysed approximately 7,000 pictures of everyday objects and familiar items, dating back to the 1800s. The research is FASCINATING as it not only examines colour, but also the most common shape of objects, and the evolution of certain objects, such as the phone. Apparently, objects have become a little greyer and a little squarer over time. An interesting read, and now I want to get more into the daily colour evolution of life.
The five most common colours in each phone are displayed behind the phone and are then added to the chart on the right-hand side. ^The five most common colours in each phone are displayed behind the phone and are then added to the chart on the right-hand side. Science Museum Group
Books: Lessons in Chemistry & The Lost Apothecary — I have been reading a lot of non-fiction, business, and self-help books. I think it has fried my brain. I wanted to see if it’s the subject of the books or my reading in general, and I switched back to fiction books. To my relief, it’s the non-fiction category that makes it harder for me to process & read books. The books that got me out of my funk were: Lessons in Chemistry and The Lost Apothecary. Picked them both up at my library (which gave me an extra push to finish them quickly) and got back into reading.
Playlist ‘Made in London’ — I have the tendency to listen to the same music over and over again. And Spotify is just soooo annoying and keeps serving you the same music instead of opening up to new music. By accident, I discovered the playlist ‘Made in London,’ and I have been enjoying the diverse genres. So yeah, that’s my new playlist to play until I am done with it.
CREATIVE REALITY
Vintage Halloween cat craft — October is Halloween month for me. I dust off the boxes and decorate our flat in late September (much to the discontent of my husband). Instead of buying more Halloween stuff — my boxes are FULL— I used some of my stored cardboard boxes to draw me a vintage-inspired black cat. Not thinking of where I would hang it, it has moved around quite a lot already and is still looking for THE spot in our flat.
Tylko drawers — Even though our flat is pretty much “ready”— is it ever ready though?— mini-me her wardrobe needed an upgrade as it was literally falling apart and any time she slammed the drawers I was afraid it would come crashing down. Hoping this will last us aaaaaaaages, we invested in a Tylko piece of drawers and I love them — and no slamming possibilities by mini-me is an added benefit. Putting them together, I did not love.
Disneyland Paris — So was this trip for me or mini-me? I’m not sure yet. But was it fun to look at all of the themed decor and try to figure out how to make a giant beanstalk at home? Yes, it was very much. Also seeing mini-me get giddy because Minnie Mouse sent her an air kiss, priceless!
Berlin museums & walking around — This summer, we got to go on a little trip childfree to Berlin for one of my best friends’ weddings. Even though it was bloody boiling outside, the hottest day of August, and we melted after 2 mins outside, being in a different city, taking in the design somewhere else and not having to think about when snack and nap time was going to be fully recharged me. So maybe I should take more child-free trips?
Packaging/design in the wild — This was a summer full of travel, and obviously, this was also a summer of taking pictures of design and type abroad in the wild. So many pictures that I will probably not look back at again, but hey, I had fun being that tourist stopping in their steps and taking random, mega-zoomed-in pictures.
MY NEXT NICHE TOPIC
Look I might have some sort of ADHD —self-diagnosed obviously. And these last months, I was completely enthralled with finishes on buildings (which you could read all about in my September newsletter). My niches for this month are a bit broader, and I am trying to delve into 3 topics at the same time, and the focus is not working. So I will let you choose what my next niche deep dive topic is:
Vintage Halloween costumes? Manhole covers? Air fresheners? *Pleaaase help a girl out*
THE JOYSPOTTER
According to my therapist, I have a hard time recognising when I am happy and joyful. So, I am putting myself on the task of recognising those moments. Here are some examples from the last three months.
Tiny rainbows — The smallest of joy moments, but any time I spot a rainbow, I immediately feel happier, so I have been trying to find more of them. I have a rainbowmaker on the window, and when that one starts to create these tiny rainbows, I want to sit and stare. I also found a rainbow in the garage, reflected off the building across and multiple rainbows in a variety of fountains.
Cast iron spiders — Since moving back to Europe, my Halloween purchases have shrunk significantly (I know someone in the household who is fine with that). Access to cool and ghoulish decor has shrunk significantly. So, when hubby had to go to NYC for a business trip, I knew I needed to jump on this opportunity for him to bring me some decor. Yeah, I know, I know. Well, turns out the package did not arrive on time for him to bring it back. But thanks to another NYC friend who came to London, these did make it to London! And truly, these are amazing. Heavy cast-iron spider candle holders. So chic, so minimal, and still so spooky - my kind of vibe.
Vermont Flannel — The temperatures have dropped low, low, low, here in London, and we’ve gone from 20°C to 10°C in a New York minute. But I don’t actually mind it, because it gives me the chance to start wearing my Vermont flannel again! I have worn this one almost every day since mid-September (even that one 26°C day), and it is the most joyful piece of clothing I own. Apparently, flannel patterns are in now — says the person who doesn’t follow fashion at all. Those cheap, fast-fashion flannel shirts could never compete with my trusty & wonderful Vermont flannel. I think it might be time to buy one for mini-me, and another one for me, right?
Boardgame cafe — I’ve been making more time for myself these last months. I love being a parent, but sometimes that nighttime routine really gets me down — I am not approved to read any books, but I need to be in the room. So I took an evening off and enjoyed a lovely night with fellow moms at a board game cafe, and it was just what I needed.
My new smiley mugs — I’ve had my mugs for over 10 years. And my mugs are ALL Mr Men mugs, and although I love them, I decided it’s time to add some new mugs to our collection. Time to (slowly) replace those Mr Men mugs with mugs from independent ceramists. I don’t want the factory-made ones, I want the handthrown, handmade mugs that make me smile. I grew my collection with two little smiley mugs from HoyPottery. They are incredibly joyful!
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
This is where you come in. I would love to share some of the things that have inspired you this quarter. Please send me a message about any books, shows, real-life events, or designs — whatever inspires you — that have caught your attention. Or if you have any questions you want to ask, this is your opportunity!
MY BOOKMARKS
Here are some of the things I savedm and bookmarked on the web and inspired me or seemed interesting enough to share with you!
Links of pictures above: 1. deltavenus — 2. smstwrt — 3. jeonyr22 — 4. silasehrazatyucel— 5. diango.hernandez — 6. afriendofminedesignstudio — 7. slime_og — 8. theepeternevins — 9. vinterior — 10. gemmarmahoney — 11. _tara_roma_— 12. somethingsavage — 13. ourordinarythings — 14. contemporary100 — 15. dobagency
Some of the things we posted this month on our Instagram account — we’ve been busy so check it out yourself on our page and give it a follow.
Links to posts above: 1. Being your own boss — 2. There’s a reason for that: wine bottles — 3. Halloween obsession — 4. A realistic brand launch timeline.
That’s all for this last quarter’s ‘In my Saved folder’ post. The next one should land in your inbox in January (or possibly a Holiday edition for gifting inspiration) when I’ll share my Q4 discoveries. Until then, my regular newsletter with my niche topic will arrive in the coming weeks.
<3
Eva