First PSL of the year, Autumn decor and replying to comments

This is it, the last days of August... I write this sitting at the table, wrapped in an oversized cardigan, "Hello Autumn" candle flickering, with a cup of Earl Grey. This cool, gloomy morning feels like a prelude to what's coming. My mini pumpkins are maturing, getting more orange each day, and Andrei gets progressively busier in his studio with each passing week as we're nearing September.

But the days are still warm and golden, and despite the signs of coming Autumn, the sun is still strong and the forest lush and dark green. August is such a wonderful month to observe changes in nature and learn from it.

I did my first Autumn shopping trip of the year to see what's in the shops. I'm being good this year, and instead of diving headfirst into all the pumpkins, Jack-o'-lanterns, mugs, and wreaths, I'm actually going to take a good look at all the decor gathered over the years that's packed away in the storage unit first, before making any shopping decisions. I bet there are things there I forgot I have! I think this is a good compromise between being mindful about my shopping spending and, at the same time, letting myself enjoy the privilege of living in the modern world.

I also have to report on my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year! We went to Starbucks, and it didn't disappoint! I went for the traditional warm brew, while Andrei chose the Pumpkin Spice Frappé. We always try each other's food and drinks (okay, I always try whatever Andrei has—it's my privilege as a wife), and it was delicious too! A good option for those hot, sunny, late Summer afternoons when your mind is in Autumn and your body is trying to fight off the heat.

Outfit links on LTK: Autumn capsule outfit UK

Homesense this year has a lot more decor for actual Autumn, not just Halloween, but it's my local Sanders Garden Centre that really impressed me. Their Autumn display is truly amazing. They are part of the Blue Diamond group, so if you are from the UK, there is a fair chance you'll find a similar display in your local garden centre.

Since we're on the topic of home decor, our "Hello Autumn" and Pumpkin Spice candles are perfect for adding cosiness and a warm glow to your home this September—I know, I designed them myself. You can shop all our Autumn and Pumpkin candles HERE.

The last thing I wanted to tell you about is a little brag! We can now reply to each other's comments! As this blog seems to be gaining some traction and more and more of you decide to leave lovely comments, I began to be a bit bothered that there was no option to reply directly to them.

Upon searching on Google, I found threads from 2010 of people begging Shopify to allow replies to comments and them replying that they would pass it to their development team. Well, it's been 14 years, and comment replies are still not an option. The development team must be busy somewhere else :D

So I went ahead and purchased an app that allows it. I'm sharing this with you so you know that your comments are so valuable to me that I am ready to pay a monthly fee to be able to reply to them. Haha!

In order to be able to install this app, I had to update our website, which I spent a good first half of Sunday doing (it also gave me an excuse to skip my morning run ;). The website might look the same on the outside, but it loads faster and somehow has a better, lighter feel to it. As nerdy as it might sound, it's something that genuinely made me happy. Our website and mailing list are the only sure things we own. Etsy shop might get closed, YouTube channel might get banned, Instagram hacked, but you can always find me on yrstudio.co.uk 🤎

Thank you for reading, have a wonderful week.
Adriana x