quiet fall rituals
how i'm spending my time & what i've been loving lately....
I turned 22 a couple of weeks ago and I don’t feel any different.
I'm writing this from the bathtub, a glass of wine in hand and a nina simone CD playing in the background. I've been working full-time at an op shop, and it's been taking quite a toll on my body. To cope, I've made a ritual of soaking in nightly boiling-hot baths with epsom salts, magnesium, and lavender. My days now start at 6am, and overnight curls have become my saving grace.
I’ve been reading more lately — the stranger by albert camus and autobiography of red by anne carson, most recently. I read on the train, on the buse, during lunch breaks — every spare moment I have. Right now, I’m halfway through dark days by james baldwin. I just ordered set my heart on fire by izumi suzuki, and I also picked up women who run with the wolves not too long ago.
It’s taken me so long to write this (very short) post — outside of my long work hours, I’ve had no energy for anything. You should see the state of my room. Today I’m home from work because I very embarrassingly slammed my hand in my dad’s heavy car door (a big 4x4, so you get the picture) and cried for 20 minutes at the station before my mum came to pick me up. I’m now sipping a chai latte and trying to ice my hand as I write. My thumb is a gruesome sight — black and blue and swollen, my perfect milky-white manicure now a mess.
The weather’s been icy and brisk despite the sunshine. I’ve spent the week shuffling between doctors and specialists, and now I’m curled up in bed, desperately trying to get warm. I spent summer and spring curating the perfect warm-weather wardrobe, only to be left with nothing for the cold except two old hoodies and one pair of fleece-lined leggings. I’ve been living in jeans and thin cardigans. I used to love the cold, but I think I’ve outgrown it. I have a vietnam trip booked for july and it cannot come quicker. It’ll be the middle of winter by then, so two weeks in the sun will save me. Until then, I’ll be piling on blankets and trying to find warmer clothing that I don’t hate.
Things I’ve Been Doing & Things I’ve Been Loving
ceremonial cacao (I like mine with almond milk blended with dates) in the morning and peppermint tea before bed
glossier’s newest perfumes (you doux & you fleur) — you doux being my favorite with its notes of violet, palo santo, myrrh, and frankincense
somatic movement
thrifting — I’ve always thrifted & loved thrifting but I feel like I love it even more now that I work at an op shop
vintage japanese porcelain & ceramics
auntflo period underwear — comfy organic cotton, female-owned + the cutest designs
suspiria 2018
curated tea trays
wired headphones that look like you pulled them out of the family junk drawer from 2007
raspberry licorice (specifically the kind you can find being sold at random vinnies stores)
vintage athleisurewear
vibram five-finger shoes — these are ugly in a way that I find charming and extremely chic, the v-soul style is beautiful, if I were to get a pair it would be this style
dilly-dallying
breakfast plates
buying beat-up books on ebay
bringing my doona and pile of pillows to the couch when I’m home sick
going to the seaside to cure your melancholia
pure rosewater as toner
drop waist mini dresses
vintage avon perfume bottles
independent bookstores
watching youtube videos that interest me deeply
polka dot bedding
fashion neurosis by bella freud
cool-toned eyeshadow
dim, warm-toned lighting
never wearing a bra
gyoza gyoza on little burke st
a side part with a cute barrette
not setting my makeup
taking myself on solo cafe/bar/library/teahouse dates
strong, earthy matcha
sleeping in just my underwear, even when it’s cold
cherry-toned blush
browsing local health food stores and making a lucky guess as to what is going to cure my ails
lot’s of love,
kayley
ah it’s so good