So here we are again. Though I can hardly believe it, it is September again, and as sure as eggs are eggs I am once again aching to wipe the slate clean, scrub till I’ve worn my fingerprints thin and of course get myself a spanking brand new housekeepers uniform.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time for some puttery treats. Choose one and do it today…
1. Gather all your most precious Summer clothes, wash in scented water, sprinkle with peppercorns to discourage moths and then store between layers of tissue in a vintage suitcase on top of your wardrobe…
2. Sharpen every pencil you own. Then find a pretty little tumbler to put them in and leave them wherever you usually find yourself grasping for something to write with.
3. Start a new diary. Find a blank journal and wrap it in a scrap of something beautiful or collage with vintage photo’s. Tie with a length of old lace, find a postcard that makes you smile to use as a marker et voila! A place to store your dreams…
4. Stock up your cupboards with wintery spices, yeast and bakers grade flour, the darkest most enticing brown sugar, dried orange peel, and all those other things that just spell cosy autumnal afternoons in the kitchen.
5. Put a few pieces of aluminium foil into a stock pan full of water, and boil. Now add your collection of vintage silver cutlery and allow to simmer. Then spend a meditative hour or two gently buffing your silverware to a beautiful shine, before displaying it in something worthy of it’s shiny distressed glory…
6. Make a block of coffee soap: melt old fashioned household soap flakes, or grate a small bar of white soap into a pan and heat. Add four tablespoons of rolled oats and four tablespoons of finely ground coffee and allow to set in a mould. Then display on a tiny flowery saucer and use to banish yukky smells on your hands after baking…
7. Make a ready brek tray. Fill enormous glass jars with porridge, rolled oats and homemade muesli, along with a jug for warm milk, enough deep cereal bowls for the whole family, a crystal bowl full of sugar, and a pretty plate for fruit and leave on the kitchen table for impromptu cosy breakfasts…
8. Create coming home stations for the kids to dump their stuff as they run in from school. A couple of deep labelled baskets? Hooks tagged with their name? Be strict with them about what is allowed to live there.
9. Get organised! Gather every piece of mail, bill, letter or coupon you have not got around to dealing with and sit down with a glass of wine and resolve to deal with it there and then, one way or another. One night- that is all it takes to stop the burden of paperwork weighing heavily on your mind and quite frankly no-one would blame you if you suddenly felt the urge to inspire more regular sessions by purchasing the kind of files, pens and paperclips that make your heart sin. Yes, I hereby give you permission to spend money on pretty stationery. It is I think essential for our welfare in September…
10. Sometimes the most refreshing changes are the teeniest. Swap tired old bits of soap for new blocks, replace blackened candles with fresh ones, remove at least one item from every surface in the house, throw a quilt over the back of your armchair for late night snuggles, buy a new toothbrush, get thee to the recycling station with every mostly empty shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, or cordial bottle you own, (there is no room for dregs in this housekeepers life!!), and change the photograph in the frame beside your bed.
11. Get online and order all the catalogues you are going to need for the Winter: from traditional toys for stocking fillers, seed catalogues for next years planting, by post only boutiques for the occasional treats and Christmas catalogues to wile away an hour or six dreaming of just how perfect you are going to make the festive season this year…
13. Get in the garden and cut some lengths of ivy. Add to boiling hot water and use to soak dark coloured delicates.
14. Wrap bundles of firewood in newspaper and string and soak in pine scented oil. Then store in a large box or tin in a dark place till the nights draw in…
15. Empty out your comfort drawer and start to fill it week by week with cosy autumnal treats. Re-line it with yummy paper, spray with scrumptious scented linen water, layer it again with all your old comfort favorites and leave space for new snuggly treats: a self heating face mask? Teeny tiny bottle of brandy? Rose scented turkish delight? A card to send to your loved one when you have finally got the time to tell him how you feel? A smily summery photograph of yourself for rubbishy days? Really decent cocoa? A book of poetry to make you cry…
16. Make brushing your path a morning ritual.
17. Buy yourself a pair of flannel pyjamas, or change your summery cotton sheets for wintery flannel because there is seriously nothing cosier…
18. Order personalised stationery (how utterly elegant!) for next to nothing at Vista Print and delight your friends by inviting them for an "after the school run, really rather formal brunch" on the most innocuous of Tuesday mornings…
20. Bake batch loads of cookie dough and freeze ready to be whipped into the oven at a moments notice when the kids are on their way home from school. The scent of chocolate chip memories will forever after be associated with home…
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20 Comments
Wow Alison – you really are back! Your puttery treats are so inspiring, thank you so much. x
Thank you so much Alison! I've been needing to get the house in order since having the baby. Your ideas always make me feel more pleasant and enthusiastic about keeping home. Thank you so much. I've missed you too 🙂 Susana
"Gather all your most precious Summer clothes, wash in scented water, sprinkle with peppercorns to discourage moths and then store between layers of tissue in a vintage suitcase on top of your wardrobe…" I wish I could… Here in Portugal, we still are in the up 30º! What a good climate England has!
Alison, Reading about these puttery treats made me feel alive! It's Friday and I am almost finished working at the office… I look forward going home to make things pretty and cozy for fall. Thank's!
"Celebrate good times, come on, it's a celebration" Yippeee, Brocante Delights are back. Ooh I feel like putting my pinny on right now and dancing around the living room!!!
Oh Alison, how fabulous! I have had this exact same feeling too- in fact I spent the last week scrub-a-dub-dubbing my little flat all shiney and clean! And now I am goign to work my way through these marvellous puttery treats- you are an angel!
Thank you so much Alison. I have recently experienced one life disaster after the other, and I have been so inspired by you:-)I admire how you are able to continue being all you are inspite of experiencing some sad things that make you want to cry, but you continue to make things happy, you may have a good cry but each tear is actually a little seed of happiness that yeilds a whole happy field of colour and makes the good things even better:-) If the whole world around me falls apart, at least I can still make my little house, the cosiest, happiest, prettiest, yummy smelling, little heaven. I can still count my blessings and celebrate everything that is lovely.
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Wow Alison – you really are back! Your puttery treats are so inspiring, thank you so much.
x
It's great to see you back in full swing, Alison! I'm inspired! xoxo
You are so inspiring. Lovely ideas for autumn. I'm off to get started on some of them.
Its so wonderful to see the puttery treats back again. Yay Alison !!!
We're so HAPPY to see you back, Alison. Thanks for this lovely posting.
Ah bliss, she's back! Can't wait to try some!
Oh hooray, I have been checking for this kind of post now that Sept. is here, back in action!!!!!
wow….reading thru this was SO MUCH FUN. This was the best blog for me lately ! Thank you !!! Thank you !
Alison,
I agree with all your suggestions but oh my gosh, it's still quite warm and summer here in Nevada.
Barbara
I'm sooo happy that you're back Alison! I'm inspired. :0)
Thank you so much Alison! I've been needing to get the house in order since having the baby. Your ideas always make me feel more pleasant and enthusiastic about keeping home. Thank you so much. I've missed you too 🙂
Susana
"Gather all your most precious Summer clothes, wash in scented water, sprinkle with peppercorns to discourage moths and then store between layers of tissue in a vintage suitcase on top of your wardrobe…"
I wish I could… Here in Portugal, we still are in the up 30º!
What a good climate England has!
Alison,
Reading about these puttery treats made me feel alive! It's Friday and I am almost finished working at the office… I look forward going home to make things pretty and cozy for fall. Thank's!
I just found you at Amethyst Grove…nice to meet you…we are alot alike…very ,much indeed.
Chat soon, I hope.
Thank you so much for all your inspiring ideas!!
"Celebrate good times, come on, it's a celebration" Yippeee, Brocante Delights are back. Ooh I feel like putting my pinny on right now and dancing around the living room!!!
Absolutely fabulous! My home becomes my own fantasy get-away…
so fun and festive, i do hope that you are enjoying at least one of your puttery treats each week, so very, very delightful!! thank you!!
Oh Alison,
how fabulous! I have had this exact same feeling too- in fact I spent the last week scrub-a-dub-dubbing my little flat all shiney and clean! And now I am goign to work my way through these marvellous puttery treats- you are an angel!
Thank you so much Alison. I have recently experienced one life disaster after the other, and I have been so inspired by you:-)I admire how you are able to continue being all you are inspite of experiencing some sad things that make you want to cry, but you continue to make things happy, you may have a good cry but each tear is actually a little seed of happiness that yeilds a whole happy field of colour and makes the good things even better:-) If the whole world around me falls apart, at least I can still make my little house, the cosiest, happiest, prettiest, yummy smelling, little heaven. I can still count my blessings and celebrate everything that is lovely.