Capsule Wardrobe And Festivity Essentials

Autumn means breaking out a cooler weather capsule wardrobe, nesting, harvesting, and eating lots of pumpkin.

Seasonal Capsules And Repeat Styles

Introducing a four-part blog series about wardrobe essentials worth splurging on, sustainable garments, and functional wardrobe capsules.

It's time for me to break out my seasonal wardrobe capsule and my essential layers.

Follow me as I enjoy my favorite activities and figure out how to enjoy a small but mighty capsule wardrobe.

• My 1-Week Challenge Experience
• My Autumn Capsule Wardrobe
• Capsules Don’t Have To Be Boring
• New Season, New Capsule

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Over the years, autumn traditions like drinking pumpkin spice lattes and decorating one’s home with artificial pumpkins have become associated with being what the kids call ‘basic’.

Now, I really resent this because autumn is my absolute favorite season. If loving fall festivities is ‘basic’, I’ve got a PH of fourteen.

Not only is it my birthday season but here in Canada, autumn brings the outdoors to life with neutral and vibrant colors and crisp air.

Along with the beauty of the season, there are many activities I look forward to around this time of year.

We all put on our wool crew neck sweaters (my favorite type of garment), eat comfort foods like stews, roast dinners, and of course, pumpkin pie.

It’s a wonderful time of year and I’m glad to say that I have found the perfect companion to come with me on all of my autumn adventures.

I knew I loved my OC sweater when I first received it in the summer but now that it's October, I’m certain that it’s a perfect all-season go-to sustainable garment.

Come with me as I decorate my home, pick apples, and cook hearty comfort foods to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.

In the London, Ontario area, everyone remembers their annual trip to Apple Land that schools organize.

Young Londoners play among the apple trees and ride the train that runs through Apple Land.

There are all sorts of apples to pick like Zestar, Royal Gala, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith. There are also a variety of pumpkins to pick.

Last Sunday, we went to Apple Land and had a lovely morning filling our 25-pound bag and checking out the adorable gift shop.

I think you can guess what I was wearing. My OC crew neck sweater, of course!

I never found myself too hot or too cold (it's a super breathable sweater), and the freedom of movement was quite helpful while I reached for the best apples which can usually be found on the treetops.

Capsule Wardobe Transition for fall 

Besides enjoying all of autumn's adventures outside, an important part of the season for me is to transform my home (wardrobe included) so I feel renewed excitement and comfort heading into cooler weather.

This year, I dedicated an entire day to curating and arranging decor that would create the cozy atmosphere I long for during autumn.

Of course, before heading out to find decorations, I rummaged through my closet to find what I had used last year.

I had some artificial pumpkins, acorns, and pine cones which would look great in baskets. There were also a couple of autumn leaf garlands leftover that I could use.

I decided I wanted to create an autumn centerpiece for the kitchen table with pumpkins and other seasonal decorations. I also wanted a small centerpiece for our coffee table.

Here’s everything I got: Artificial pumpkins, real pumpkins, mums, and tea lights, more garlands, an autumnl door sign, candle holders, then a rustic white vase and two baskets.

Welcoming Autumn Beyond My Capsule

Since I decided to treat myself, I intend to use these decorations next year and the year after that.

The vase and baskets can easily be repurposed for other seasonal centerpieces and the artificial pumpkins and garlands can be stored in bags and tucked away until next year.

In addition to all of those decorations, I purchased a couple of scented wax cubes. I want to smell nothing but sugar and spice every time I walked in so I settled on cinnamon sticky buns, buttered pancakes, and pumpkin cider. The scent of delicious sweets put me in the mood for baking.

We can’t forget about everyone’s favorite part of welcoming the new season - all of the sweet treats and the wholesome meals that keep us warm as the air cools.

Shepard’s pie is a classic comfort food that is not only easy to make but delicious. I don’t usually use recipes when I cook but I’ll give you a basic rundown of how I made my version of shepherd’s pie.

First, I let a splash of olive oil warm up in a pan before adding chopped onions, mushrooms, carrots, and tomatoes (usually, I would also add peas and corn but neither of these were available).

With the veggies, I added 500 grams of ground beef and threw in salt, pepper, paprika, sage, thyme, parsley, and rosemary.

Once the meat was fully cooked I added a tablespoon of flour to the mix then a splash of red wine (drunk meat is the best)!

After the wine had cooked down and the flavors were absorbed into the meat, I set that mixture aside to start on the potato topping.

This part is simple as it just involves cooking some potatoes (I cooked five medium potatoes). I added cream, lots of butter, and some parmesan cheese then used a mixer to combine.

I simply poured the meat mixture into a casserole dish, smoothed the creamy potatoes on top then baked it at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

I was craving something sweet as well so I consulted Pinterest for a delicious pumpkin cake recipe.

I found this one and the cake turned out great apart from the streusel crumb top which ended up being more crunchy than crumby, unfortunately.

The cake was moist and perfect for a cup of tea or coffee. Don’t forget to put on your annual layer of blubber this fall!

As autumn begins, you may feel more inclined to buy decorative pumpkins, surround yourself with candles, and eat your favorite comfort foods.

You’ll probably want to bundle up too. I know I do. Autumn is when my sweater obsession comes alive.

I’m so glad to have a sweater in my life that does it all and will be around for years to come.

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.