Autumnal October

This month seems to have whizzed by in a riot of autumn colours and falling leaves. Earlier this month I managed to get the morning off work to go to the closing down sale of the Langton Street store of Cabbages & Roses (they have moved to a new shop on Sydney Street). I got to King's Road early and was among the first customers queueing outside in the mild weather as we squinted through the shop window to see the Cabbages & Roses staff dashing around with the last finishing touches to get the store ready for milieu of customers who would no doubt be paying a visit.
I managed to come away with a lovely cream fisherman's jumper, Jacqueline dress in soft Blackwatch tartan and a pretty smocked white summer top.

A quite of few of my October weekends have been spent out in the garden, cutting blooms from my dahlias which have to be my star performer from the garden this year and they seemed determined to carry on providing ruffled flowers until the first frost. I also purchased a locally made besom broom to sweep up the falling leaves which were starting to lie thick on the gravel path beside the garden room. I was hoping that the spindly tines of the besom would pull the leaves together without taking masses of gravel with them and it worked wonderfully well. I will no doubt have some more leaf sweeping to do later on in early November but for now I have two large bags of leaves beginning the process of slowly mouldering down into leave mulch to be spread on the garden later on next year.

Now that the nights are drawing in it is almost dark by the time I get home from work, I took this photo of the garden this morning before I left for work, hence the strange reflections of my phone in the glass! Finally, it seems that the time of caramel covered apples and pumpkins is suddenly here. I've already stocked up on sweets and goodies for the trick or treaters that come along our road, and who are always very appreciative of my pumpkin carving skills! Last year was the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, this year I can't decide between a witch on a broomstick or a cat. 

I've also been enjoying my new cushion in the Constance print by Cabbages & Roses that I bought from Sugar and Spice Furnishings. It goes really week with my large mossy green cushions that I bought a year ago from Caroline Zoob. I can't believe I used to have 7 cushions on this sofa, I much prefer my pared back number much more simple and easier to get comfy!