The October Edit
Cashmere body polish, the seven deadly sins, a Thanksgiving wedding, and the perfect fall apple.
The Monthly Edits are a round-up of what made this month memorable: eats, reads, finds, listens, experiences. They also include Lauren’s Lists - a collection of links from around the web that got me thinking or captured my attention. Buon appetito!
October was loving, reflective, and colourful. It’s one of my favourite months for a nature walk - bright enough for sunglasses, but cool enough for a cozy toque. I’ve been wandering the leaf-filled paths of Central Saanich on the weekends and strolling through Beacon Hill park during the week to enjoy all the colours and textures that autumn brings.
We spent the Thanksgiving long weekend in Saskatoon visiting family and attending a cousin’s wedding. Dinner was fancy, we were served thyme crusted duck confit with mashed potatoes and local veg. Live music filled the brick loft and everyone was dressed to the nines - it was a beautiful event. The rest of the weekend consisted of bottomless pies, fresh whipped cream, and lots of play time with our niece. It was my first trip to Saskatoon in the fall, and to my surprise, the afternoons were 20+ degrees.
We had a lot to be thankful for.
I took myself on a solo date to watch Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the movie theatre last weekend, then came home and wrote a personal essay about the experience. Her albums span the last 17 years, and as she retells her story through each era, she also retells our stories and the moments we’ve gone through together. It was a surprisingly emotional walk down memory lane. Also, completely epic and iconic - she really is a mastermind.
We had a few guests over for dinner and the topic of the perfect fall apple came up. We all went around the table and said our favourite variety - mine is the McIntosh. Apparently this is the national apple of Canada! If you also enjoy a good McIntosh (slightly tart with a softer flesh), Wholefoods has an organic option that I look forward to stocking up on each October. The fruit bowl is currently overflowing!
My goal was to wear less black this month and I did a decent job. I picked up a new belt bag, but everything else in my OOTM is from previous seasons or years. I selected items that felt like ‘Amsterdam in the fall’ to theme this month’s attire. A fun, youthful, and artsy aesthetic that brought me joy and a much brighter colour palette than I’m used to. It was an experiment to get creative with my current closet, resisting the urge to always want ‘more’, ‘the latest’, or ‘current trends’. It gave life to some older/vintage pieces (like this wool beret) and got me to appreciate the items I already own.
Lauren’s List Vol. 5
100 ways to share your work without social media (!!)
Want to improve your relationship? Start paying more attention to bids.
The beauty of a silent walk.
The best cookies (from Market Garden), this gingery chicken ramen, and the perfect fall salad.
Sweater weather: the knit polo, the rollneck cardigan, and the classic cashmere crew.
Sufjan Steven’s new album is beautiful.
These sewing club workshops (Victoria) look fun.
Influencers are starting to get banned from cafes.
Why new furniture doesn’t last long.
Cashmere Coffee Body Polish
I was craving a good head-to-toe exfoliation so I made a body polish with some oils left over from ASII days. Spring and fall are great times to slough off the old and invigorate your skin for a fresh start. I used marshmallowy soft meadowfoam oil, exotic neroli flower oil, earthy organic coffee beans, sweet brown sugar, and finely ground pink sea salt to create the most luxurious shower experience I’ve had to date. After a good scrub, my skin was left smooth to the touch with a pillowy-soft finish. If you’re in need of a reset, I’ve included a printable PDF with the customizable recipe below (you can use whichever oils you have access to). It has full instructions, benefits, and ideas for which oils to use.
What you’ll need:
1 cup organic coffee beans, ground
1/2 cup pink Himalayan salt, fine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup body oil of choice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
*optional 4-6 drops of essential oil
1 glass jar
This month in reading:
On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen. So much of this brilliant book hit home for me, as I’m sure it did to most who have read it. If you felt anything from the barbie monologue this summer, you’ll enjoy the deeply researched ideas and personal experiences from Elise and the hundreds of experts she interviewed. I underlined so many quotes and made little stars in the margins of my copy, it gave me a lot of topics to talk and process through with Scott - highly recommend! Here’s an example:
“Believing PRIDE to Be Sinful, We Deny Our Own Talents.
The teaching of ‘be excellent, but be unseen, don’t reach for credit or attention’ followed me throughout my life. At one point, maybe after I was in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, my Dad texted me, teasing but with a spear-like point: “With all this attention, are you going to get a big head?” And then, on the day the TV show aired [GOOP Netflix series], nothing. My parents didn’t comment. Either they didn’t think it was a big deal, or they didn’t want me to think it was a big deal.”
Next on the reading list is Lessons in Chemistry, which was recently released as an Apple TV series! If you feel like having a very casual book group and reading this next month, let me know.
I hope you’ve had a loving October. Thank you so much for reading and as always, I would love to hear from you!
What is your favourite kind of apple?
Will you be dressing up for Halloween this year?
What are you listening to right now?
In Case You Missed It! 📣 Lately on YGL…
My fave feel-good films (and shows) of fall.
Thank you for all the lovely comments on my hair loss post - What trichologists wish you knew about hair care.
I’m currently three months sans instagram and absolutely loving it!
Ambrosia, no and Bruddha Iz.
That book looks really good! I might have to read it!