Collection No. 6

Studio Ghibli by orchestra, literary horror, and the pull of Scorpio season.

Oct 30, 2026

I blame Scorpio season for making me turn inward and ignore the noise lately. Less small talk, more obsession. Darker stories, deeper rabbit holes, and disappearing into whatever has my attention. I’m not even a Scorpio, but I understand the assignment.

That has translated into watching Carrie (have you seen it yet? it’s such a good adaptation!!), reading horror (very unusual for me), and wanting to dress in all black and walk in the rain. The pull is real.

For Halloween this year, I’m skipping the costume and going for something a little different: the Victoria Symphony performing Studio Ghibli soundtracks, followed by Japanese tapas and wine. Have you heard of anything more cozy, witchy, and magical?

Lauren’s List

This dish soap is the best thing I’ve ever smelled.
Living in these perfect jeans all winter.
These seasonal teas are delicious.
What a cool exhibit in this council chamber.
The magic of a landline.
The magic of raking leaves.
Love the all-black Tangle Teezer for out-of-the-shower hair.
Finally some cute socks for under $20.
I must start working on my tree skirt ASAP.
Obsessed with this weekly planning pad.
Tulip shades now make a paper lantern!

Recent Reads

Switzy by Emma Cline (2026).
David, a wealthy retired businessman, is travelling across Europe with his young assistant, making a few final visits before arriving in Switzerland, where he has arranged to end his life.

Despite the heavy subject matter, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cline manages to make it absurdly funny and surprisingly enjoyable, while the more difficult realities of his situation are presented with a gentle frankness. Her writing is clever, following David’s wandering mind as he moves between memories, observations, and moments of confusion. I found it rather brilliant actually. Five stars. Highly recommend.

The Lamb by Lucy Rose (2025).
A mother and daughter live in an isolated cottage and take in lost travellers…then they eat them. Yep, this was definitely outside my usual reading lane.

It’s a dark coming-of-age folk tale, and beneath all the horror there’s a lot going on around hunger, desire, and what gets passed down between women. It was memorable to say the least, and I did somehow enjoy it despite the wild ending. A well-suited read for this time of year.

Autumn Eats

In the mornings I’ve been making myself little Scandi breakfast plates—a small smorgasbord of thick sourdough with almond butter, golden kiwis or tangerines, skyr with a drizzle of honey, and whatever else I please.

I think I’m going to make pumpkin granola this weekend—with dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and toasted pumpkin seeds. That would pair perfectly.

I’ve also been eating lots of roasted squash lately. Big sheet pans with chopped carrots and fennel, throw on some chickpeas and a chicken breast and pop it in the oven all together. So simple and grounding.

Of course this fennel bolognese is on standby in the freezer at all times, for nights when I cannot bring myself to cook. I use ground turkey and beef (no pork), and swap the onion for carrot.