My to-do list for Autumn was a simple one, but full of nice things to do.

1. Forage for sloes and make some gin
Yep! Good tip - freeze the sloes so they'll split when they thaw and you won't need to prick them all individually (something I wish I'd known last year!).

And FYI the sloe gin I made last year was (yep, it was consumed in a matter of days) delicious. Looking forward to the next batch! 

2. Go to the beach
Nope, once the weather turned towards the cooler end of the spectrum I turned chicken and stayed at home in the warm. I have a feeling I'll be going coastal pretty soon though, I got me a hankering for some sea air, and salty chips.

3. Watch Hamlet, National Theatre Live
I was hoping to watch this at my local cinema on October 15th. But there was a teeny tiny problem with this plan, in that I wasn't in the country, I was on a plane to Morocco.

4. Carve a pumpkin or two
I made a pumpkitten

5. Watch a creepy film on Halloween
Without realising that it was Halloween (the days can slip away from you when you work from home) I invited by brother and his family over for hotdogs and a bonfire, so no scary movie but it was a lovely mild night and we had a really lovely evening. And sparklers.

6. Bake a Bakewell Tart
My friend Helen read my Autumn List (Hi Helen *waves*) and gave me her recipe. I made it for a family gathering, it was super simple, and it was delicious. Most people had a second helping.

7. Wear my scarves.
I haven't worn scarves so much this year. Which probably has something to do with the milder weather as I normally wear one daily. But also, since I've had my hair cut short scarves seem get in the way, my hair doesn't sit right and I find it sticks out, making me look like a character from Pigeon Street. That said, when it gets cold enough comfort will win out over style.

8. Read 3 books
Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. I really enjoyed this, I'm not the target audience but the style of writing was chatting, funny and self depreciating. It left me thankful that I'm not in my twenties anymore. I might not feel like I've got my shit together most days but I can safely say that I'm more together than I was in my 20s. Life is simpler and more settled in many ways but, at the same time, more complicated - in better a way.

And Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. Again I'm not the target audience, this is YA fiction but I was sent an advanced reader copy through work (free books yay!) and I really enjoyed it. It's due to be released in February and is the first book in a series of 3.

It charts the journey of a young head strong girl, from the only town she's ever known, on an adventure that would take her across the dessert, into a rebellion, and to a life she could never have imagined. I found this a delightful and easy read.

I'm currently reading Alice In Wonderland for the first time. Seen the movie, never read the book. Until now. I'm loving it!

9. See the new 007 film Spectre
Half term, early afternoon and my best friend. Job done. Did you see it? I really enjoyed it, it was classic Bond. Perfect big screen nonsense.

I think that Idris Elba should be the next Bond. Just sayin'. But if Daniel Craig would like to hang around, that's fine too.

10. Make stew and dumplings
Yes! And I'll be making them again.

Did you enjoy autumn? What do you have planned for Winter?