November always makes me think of rye bread. Dark, robust, and a little mystical. Also slightly dense—kind of like how the year is winding down, but somehow also speeding up.
We’ve had family visiting, work has been full, and I’m trying to wrap up a few things before December arrives. So I’ve been tucking little moments into the week that make it feel more special: taking myself to see Matisse at the art gallery, making pretty breakfasts, and lingering a little longer with a novel before moving on to the next.
There’s a Tove Jansson quote I’ve been thinking about lately, about gathering the things you love and storing up your warmth before winter. Not disappearing from the world, but bundling together items, thoughts, or practices that bring safety and comfort. “Then the cold and the storms and the darkness can do their worst,” but they won’t shake us.
That’s more or less the mood around here these days—putting together my winter bundle.
Lauren’s List
It’s lodge pant season. Just got myself another pair in this gorgeous americano brown. Honestly, these are a work-from-home, work-in-office, running errands, or coffee date staple! So comfortable and they never wrinkle (I’m 5’4 and get the shorter version).
Women are falling for anything but a human man.
How to make the 4:30 darkness feel cosy.
Really into these ceramic egg cups for my scandi breakfast plates.
Also, these mini spoons.
I love a good après-ski look: this sweater + this vest are perfect.
Chicken and parmesan soup with pappardelle.
Also, salsa verde chicken and squash soup.
I wish I had the funds for this Danish sculpture.
A ceramic lighting collab featuring two of the best!
A really good beginner retinol (snuck this into my Sephora cart last minute!).
These immune boosting/inner glow manuka gummies.
Recent Reads
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (1994) — translated from Japanese.
On an unnamed island, objects begin to disappear one by one—and soon after, so do people’s memories of them. Those who remember are hunted by the Memory Police.
I enjoyed the concept and the authoritarian surveillance world here, which is apparently my thing (think: The Handmaid’s Tale). The slow erasure felt eerie and strangely plausible in the world we live in. The story-within-the-story was clever, but didn’t fully land for me, and I wanted to feel more emotionally connected to the characters overall.
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer (1963) — translated from German.
Very timely, as the first line of the book is: “Today, the 5th of November, I shall begin my report.” A woman wakes up alone in the Austrian mountains to find an invisible wall separating her from the rest of the world. With only a dog, a cow, and a cat for company, she has to figure out how to survive both her physical environment and the loneliness of her interior life.
It’s a good take on isolation, resilience, and what it means to make a life. I’ll be finishing this one over the weekend, but so far I’m enjoying its bleakness and liberation. Similar vibes to I Who Have Never Known Men.
As I mentioned, I’ve been trying to sprinkle a few things into my weeks that replenish my senses a little. When you spend most of the day staring at a computer, it’s amazing what a beautiful room, live music, or something unexpected to look at can do.
The symphony happened to check all three boxes for me. A good reminder that feeling inspired sometimes just means getting out of the house and putting yourself in the path of something beautiful. That doesn’t mean theatre tickets every night either—even taking a new drive home can do it.
And speaking of beauty…
The Magic of the Holiday Catalogue
I’ve created my own little department store catalogue this year—inspired by my love for the Sears Wish Book as a child. Every Christmas I looked forward to sitting with the catalogue and going through each and every item. Often the pages with moon shoes, cute pyjamas, and microscope kits would be ripped out and taped to the fridge—I’ve never been subtle that way.
Art I’ve Been Loving
I hope you’ve had a calm week.
Thank you, as always, for spending a little part of your day here with me. I’m going to keep gathering supplies that make the darker months feel warm, interesting, and full of bits to look forward to. Enjoy your weekend!
What would you include in your winter bundle?
x Lauren
Would you share the name of the daily/devotional book with the Tove Jansen quote? I also love Gary Bunt’s art - and I enjoy your Substack!