Wonderful Wednesday #82

{Sky of champions right there!  Hasn't there been some magical skies lately?!} Good day and happy #wonderfulwednesday on a week that feels as if it's barely begun before we are technically half way and already looking for the very best bits.  My week has been a lovely one so far:  A LAZY start in the form of a Bank Holiday extra long weekend and then starting my new job yesterday.  It wasn't planned but i must admit that starting on the 1st of September and also at what we can legitimately refer to as a new season since autumn officially starts now; fitted quite well.  It was a fresh start in more ways than one and one which i have jumped into wholeheartedly! And may i just take a little moment to say a huge, whopping and LOVELY thanks to each and every one of you who sent lovely good luck tweets, emails or Instagram messages of support - i was blown away by the kindness and support and i feel proud to be part of such a lovely little blogging community.   But without further ado, shall we get on and get talking about the best bits of this week so far?  

1.  Ripped jeans.  For a while i didn't get the whole ripped jean fuss.  But then we visited a Gap Outlet {FYI the only jeans that fit me in a 'i feel like i'm not wearing any and could kind of quite happily sleep in them' kind of a way} and i tried a perfectly faded but not too faded perfectly ripped pair and we fell in love and I haven't looked back since.  They've been my go-to on these much cooler 'nippy-er' evenings with my favourite grey marl tee and hair tied up in a printed scarf.  Low maintenance and lazy, comfy sort of dressing at it's very best!
2.  Long weekends. Because the Bank Holiday *technically* runs into this week and so is a perfectly legitimate inclusion in my #wonderfulwednesday.  They're a foreign experience for this little bean.  I've always worked some part of them:  Always the saturday and then either the Sunday or the Monday unless I actually made a point of booking them off.  The fluke that was finishing at Monsoon last Wednesday and not starting my new job until yesterday meant that i had the longest of weekends and two whole days off with the Mr.  It's the world's hardest task to prise him away from work since it's only round the corner from our sweet attic and so this was  an extra special treat.  Now i sort of understand the fuss over a long weekend!
3.  Darker evenings.  Well there's little point in being all sorry and melancholy for the lighter variety is there?!  There is a little joy in embracing the nip in the air {laying a soft blanket over bare knees in pyjamas watching tv} and the darker evenings.  We I like to put off putting our sweet lamp on for as long as possible and instead light some candles of the scented variety and enjoy the soft glow and the fading sunlight through our huge high windows.  
4. Tartan scarves.  Because i need anymore of these devils like a hole in the head but *somehow* i find room for another colour-way come each autumn.  This one was an absolute steal which i felt very peculiar buying all dressed in my cream cotton sundress and sandals on Saturday afternoon!  It's the dreamiest colour-way:  Dusky rose-pink, mustard, cream and navy blue and is so big and soft that it will more than double as a little blanket too.
5.  Sheepskin-love.  For so long i've dreamt of the perfect sheepskin rug.  Shall i tell you a story?  We bought an antique table and battered little chair for our office not long after we moved in.  We promised ourselves we'd do both of them up.  The desk not quite so much, but the chair?  Well i had visions that i'd have it re-upholstered in a beautifully printed fabric and the wooden arms and legs sanded down or painted.  Over time i've grown to love it's faded minty-velvet fabric and i've always thought it would look perfect with a sweet printed cushion and a cream sheepskin rug slung over.    So after i bought my new scarf^^^ at the weekend i treated us me to one.  It's the LOVELIEST little thing and you know, it really does bring the room together. It's also so comfy to sit on too. And you know, it;s only taken me about four years to finally make a decision so that in itself is worth celebrating.  
6.  Uninterrupted sunshine.  If you are further down south and have been subject to a slightly soggy long weekend then may i apologise.  But i can honestly tell you that before this weekend i cannot remember the last time we had more than one day of solid blue sky-shpaed sunshine. I'd quite forgotten what it was like!  And even if it wasn't hot hot; we persevered with bare legs, didn't wear coats and drank gallons of ice-cold water with torn up mint-leaves in if only to give summer it's final fair-well.  
7.  Messy hair.  Because isn't that the best kind no matter what time of year it is?!  It was quite the feeling to be a little bit more care-free and embrace the messy bed-head style 'do' over the past few days:  A silk scarf tied here or there, a messy bun, windswept-come-sun tickled locks or just tipping you head upside down and letting dry shampoo stretch another day out of your hair.  I find it ever so funny to think that a few years ago i'd get up every morning and wash and dry my hair.  I much prefer this low-maintenance malarky and the extra 'zzz's' it brings.
8.  First soups.  I know it's not against the law to eat soup during the warmer months but somehow i forget.  It gets replaced with hearty salads and garden leaves bulked up with grains, fresh herbs and scatterings of feta, salmon or sliced avocado.  But autumn brings the very best in soup flavours {my favourite:  spiced butternut squash, sweet potato and sage}.  This week we bought the last of the summer leeks and new potatoes for a soup-y supper later in the week.  Isn't there something ever so comforting about buttery potato and leek soup?!  Served with warm buttered baguette….mmmmm!
9.  Being made to feel welcome.  I shan't harp on too much about this post {we'll have a proper catch up later on in the week dear ones} BUT my first day at my new job was more than lovely!  It felt so nice to be made to feel so very welcome and to be part of such a wonderful and inspirational bunch of ladies.  I am feeling a very lucky lady!  
10.  Homemade spaghetti bolognese.  Because it's getting to *that* time of year:  Where tummy's need a little more than grains and leaves, lovely as they are.  Made with locally sourced meat, wholewheat spaghetti and served with garlic and herb ciabatta and torn basil. And followed by a long, long sleep and a lazy get-up.  It's the littlest things it really is!
11.  Spending time with the Mr.  Because even when you live with someone, time time, the kind away from television, from screens and just out in the fresh air, holding hands and chit-chatting is precious beyond belief.
12.  Seeing all the autumn/winter lines trickling through into my favourite stores.  Sometimes just a little lunch-time wander, and a peep is enough, don't you find? Oh of course there are a million things i'd buy if i had the money or the spare wardrobe space.  But sometimes just seeing the new lines gets you thinking about what you've already got, how you can update it and change it and make it feel new again.  And i love re-inventing older things, isn't that the very best feeling?  It's almost just as good as brand new buy after all.  
13.  Porridge.  Because let's not even go into what the best way of making it is:  what milk, what topping or even what bowl you should eat it out of {although FYI these are all pretty crucial} let us just take a moment to rejoice in the fact that the start of september and the nod to the fact that it is officially autumn out there means porridge is fully back on the menu.  Huzzah! *  *  *   And now DEAR ones, it's your turn once more!  I'd love to hear what's been keeping a smile on your face this week so far and what you are looking forward to for the remainder of it.  It doesn't matter how little, how TEENY tiny that something is, if it's making you smile then i'd love to hear about it.  You can share your #wonderfulwednesday shenanigans below in the comments or you can say hi on Twitter or Instagram.  I'm @sallytangle on both - just don;t forget to tag me with the #wonderfulwednesday hash-tag so i can SEE.
Have a super-DUPER rest of week all!