FOR THE first time in a very long time, there were no Weekend Links last week. But there was a Sunday Letter, which explains why, and there was also a beautiful Autumn Mood Board to ease away these last days of summertime. The mornings now are crisp and there are already leaves on the ground.
It’s a grey November day; rain gently pocks the surface of the tidal pools. There is not much to see in this East Sussex nature reserve – a few gulls, a little grebe, a solitary wader on the shore – but already my breathing has slowed to the rhythm of the water lapping the shingle, my shoulders have dropped and I feel imbued with a sense of calm.
IT IS MIDSUMMER and our very favourite time of year. We love the long, hot sunny days, and all the wonderful things that this time of year brings: picnics in the park and Thames-side bicycle rides, drinks on outdoor terraces and high ponytails and bronzed skin.
BY NOW YOU'VE heard of Quiet Quitting, as it's been mentioned by every major news outlet for the past month or so. Like everything these days, it's a term that's attributed to a Gen Z TikTokker and it means no longer going above and beyond at work, but doing only what you've been hired to do and nothing more. In other words, common sense. It's the way I've handled all of my jobs, long ago when I had actual jobs and hadn't started TIG yet.
JUST FINISHED booking a hotel for another quick trip to Edinburgh in a few weeks. It feels strange to continue with ordinary things when the world feels anything but. It's the same reason why you probably noticed that we've been a little quiet on all of our social media channels lately. On the first day of spring, our little niece turns three, so I had the pleasure of spending some time ordering tiny clothing, books and toys to send as gifts ...
A SCHOOL FRIEND once remarked that I was good at seasons, and when I thought about it, I realised that she was right. I actually really do love to capture the feeling and moods of the changing seasons, the excitement that comes with arrival of the first snowdrops in winter, just as the days start to get longer, the way the sun's rays deepen in colour at sunset. And at the other end of the spectrum, when summer fades into autumn, we realise with the changing leaves and cosy evenings with their flickering firelight, that endings can be beautiful too. We learn, every autumn what it is to let go...
EVERY SUMMER, there's always a picnic or two to look forward to. There is just something about the anticipation of preparing for a summer afternoon picnic―the wicker baskets and vintage tartan wool blanks, stopping by the bakery for a loaf of olive boule or sourdough; cakes and pastries from the bakery or smoked salmon and dill sandwiches from the larder, and of course, a bottle of cava or white wine―it's a bit of a production, and one we relish ...
EVERY YEAR, AROUND this time, we always like to celebrate springtime with a bright moodboard of the all the beautiful things there are to look forward to: blossoming pink magnolias and bicycle rides, spectacular sunsets by the sea, light spring jackets and bouquets of white tulips―and while things feel like they may never been the same again, we created this moodboard for happier days to come...
The best James Bond themes balance the moody with the meta; they portend danger, while winking directly at the camera. Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, themes by Shirley Bassey, Nancy Sinatra, and Tom Jones created a haunting signature sound that combined Vegas bombast with international mystery.