While driving through the countryside earlier this week, I took great pleasure in simply enjoying the landscape: the trees were beginning to turn, and I could admire a stretch of ochre, orange and red foliage all along the way.
I love autumn, and each time we fully step into the season, I feel the same kind of joyful restlessness wash over me, as though I were discovering it all for the very first time. Every year, I can hardly wait for it to return – like a slightly exuberant, loving old aunt who comes back and gathers us warmly into her arms.
More than any other season (with the possible exception of Christmas), this one is shaped by rituals and traditions I return to year after year with great delight.
So here it is, my little (and far from exhaustive) cosy autumn to-do list for embracing a soft and cozy autumn.
1. Light the first fires of the season
Beyond the glorious foliage, it’s above all the first scents of woodsmoke drifting through the countryside that truly make me feel that autumn has begun. I adore that smell, and I have no trouble picturing a crackling fire in every cottage I pass. A proper blaze is one of the great seasonal pleasures, especially after an afternoon spent wandering through the woods. We often settle down by the fire after dinner, usually with a little digestif or a glass of my homemade blackberry liqueur.
If you don’t have a fireplace at home, it’s still easy to create a similar atmosphere with a few decorative elements and a lovely string of lights that mimics the flicker of flames. A large lantern works wonderfully too.
2. Visit a pumpkin farm
Whenever I’m in an Anglo-saxon country in autumn, I always try to visit a pumpkin patch as there is something so warmly genuine about the way the season is celebrated there. Here in France we are lucky enough to have a farm nearby that grows pumpkins, and another specialising in orchard fruits just a short drive away – perfect for stocking up on squash, apples and pears to cook with (here is the recipe of my pumpkin soup)… or to decorate the house.
3. Keep an autumn journal
I am terribly inconsistent when it comes to journaling, despite owning a multitude of notebooks filled with inspiration, as well as lists of everything I sow and plant in the garden. They’re extremely useful whenever I need to reorder bulbs (which I’ll be doing over the coming weeks), but they’re also a way for me to pause and indulge in a creative ritual that inspires me for the rest of the season.
Some years, my autumn notebook turns into a cheerful medley of things: clipped and pasted recipes, photographs of berries and foliage with annotations for a future bouquet, good addresses collected from a magazine, a podcast, or the Internet…
4. Host a backyard campfire
There is something almost magical about preparing a campfire in the garden once night has fallen. We’re very fond of this little ritual: roasting marshmallows while watching the few stars that manage to pierce the sky, listening to the owls calling from the woods nearby, wrapped in a warm blanket.
Later in the evening I usually put on a folk-inspired autumn playlist. I plan to buy a grill and a special pan so I can roast chestnuts over the fire, and I’d love to create a proper Chesapeake Shores–style campfire corner in the garden. While I wait for that day, I make do with hay bales draped in jute or woollen throws. We always keep a respectful distance from the embers, and the marshmallows are always gloriously plump.
5. Apple & pear picking
As I mentioned earlier, going apple- and pear-picking is another great seasonal delight. When I’m in Brittany, my grandmother, who planted an orchard fifty years ago, still lets us harvest staggering quantities of fruit. I remember how people in the village used to press cider the old-fashioned way using my grandparents’ apples; it’s a memory I hold dear and would love to see kept alive. Sadly, like village fêtes, these traditions are slowly disappearing.
When we don’t have time to travel to Brittany, we head to the nearest farm instead, and return home with enough fruit to make batches of compote for the entire year. Many farms also organise apple festivals with lots of activities, so do have a look in your area!
6. Plan a picnic
I won’t pretend picnics are always easy to pull off. I have a very specific idea of what the perfect picnic should be (something decidedly Anne Shirley — if you know, you know), and more often than not it ends up happening… at the bottom of the garden! But it doesn’t matter — I love the principle, and the feeling of turning it into a rustic, convivial moment.
7. Autumn reading
I read a great deal, and I almost always tailor my reading to the season. In autumn, I lean toward mysteries, cosy novels, a touch of fantasy and a sprinkling of ghost stories – and I apply the same rule to films and series.
I’ve just finished the Wayward Pines trilogy (fair warning: book three is not for the faint-hearted). I’m going to start The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe soon. I also like rereading passages from timeless comfort reads such as Little Women or North and South. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins is another beautiful recommendation.
8. Film & series marathons
From September onwards, I’m overtaken by an irrepressible urge to rewatch all those wonderful films from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and we often set aside a weekend for a marathon of films and cosy series with little sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and a steaming cup of tea (with a hint of rum).
- Baby Boom (with Diane Keaton)
- You've Got Mail
- Gilmore Girls
- Twin Peaks
- Hocus Pocus 1 & 2
- Back to the Future 1, 2 & 3
- The Addams Family
- Wednesday
- A Discovery of Witches
- Good Witch
- Heartland
- Alien
- (and many more waiting to be rediscovered!)
9. Take a walk in the woods
If you want to enjoy a woodland walk at its most beautiful, wait until the oak and beech leaves have turned yellow or orange as the scenery becomes even more enchanting. I also love the moment when the ferns begin to dry out, as they soften the whole palette of colours.
I never go without a small bag or a basket, because I inevitably find little branches or colourful twigs on the ground, perfect for autumn décor. Since we are lucky enough to live so close to the forest, I like to bring a small snack, a thermos, mugs and a few pastries. We sit on a fallen tree trunk (do bring a waterproof blanket or rain cape), and we simply savour the stillness, punctuated by the occasional rustle of wildlife.
10. Savour the season
Autumn is above all about flavour: all those marvellous seasonal ingredients that suddenly appear at the market or at the farm stand. There is no season more generous than this one.
I love cooking and hosting in October and November because the harvest is so plentiful: quince jam, apple or pear tarts, cinnamon rolls, compotes, creamy mushroom soups, omelettes with porcini or chanterelles, hearty pies with white wine, silky squash veloutés, chestnut cream… autumn is heaven for food lovers.
And of course there’s the pumpkin spice latte or hot spiced cider (the ultimate comfort), especially in front of a crackling fire.
11. Autumn bouquets & wreaths
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know I partly created it to share tutorials and inspiration for making bouquets and wreaths (autumn, Christmas, and beyond) using what can be grown in one’s own garden.
This season gives me so many opportunities to express my creative side: dahlias, hydrangeas, zinnias, chrysanthemums, asters plus foliage and berries in blazing colours. It feels almost unthinkable not to make the most of them.
But if you don’t have time to craft your own, a beautifully made artificial wreath is also a wonderful choice (and will last for years). A garland draped across a bookcase with a soft string of lights is equally charming and oh-so-cozy once evening falls.
12. Start a creative hobby
The start of the new season always gives me a little boost, and often the desire to begin a hands-on activity. Like many of you, I don’t always have a great deal of time (my work schedule is quite demanding), so I have to choose wisely.
Begin with whatever is within easy reach: sketch, join a book club (or create one!), sign up for a creative workshop, a writing class…
One of my closest friends recently took a kintsugi course (the Japanese art of repairing pottery with gold), making the object even more beautiful than before. I once tried an oenology course (with admittedly mixed enthusiasm…), and I’m tempted to host an afternoon of “Cookies & Wreaths,” followed by a game-and-film night with friends on a crisp autumn Saturday.
13. Decorate the house with a cosy touch
One of my most cherished autumn traditions is decorating the house. Over the years I have, I must confess, developed a serious weakness for all things seasonal, to the point that I now own boxes filled with decorations that I lovingly store away and bring back out each September.
I like to start slowly, with faux elements, then add natural touches as the season unfolds (from farm visits, plant fairs, the garden or the forest).
What I love most is creating a snug, welcoming nest that gently draws nature indoors, with her warm colours and textures.
14. Host a game night
Ah, game nights… always such fun, though not always easy to organise, since gathering everyone at the same time (and preferably in even numbers!) can be a challenge. Still, we end up laughing so much.
We often hold them as a family, in front of the living room fire on a Friday or Saturday night after dinner. The cats inevitably slip away to find somewhere quieter.
You don’t need a large group either: games like Time’s Up, Ghost Letters, Haunted Manor Panic or Cluedo are perfectly enjoyable with two or three players.
Add a small twist: the losing team has to pick up the croissants the next morning, do the washing up, or prepare a nice meal for everyone.
15. Preparing for Halloween
My fondest Halloween memories are from the ones spent in my grandparents’ house in Brittany.
Although my grandmother was quite strict about most things, she always allowed us to celebrate Halloween. I remember the cowboy and witch costumes my brothers and I would wear for the autumn holidays. There’d be a roaring fire in the large hearth, the old beams above us creaking loudly by night, and the surrounding woods falling into deep darkness once evening came… the owls calling in the distance – it was the perfect atmosphere.
If you need a little inspiration, take a look at this Halloween table; it is ideal for both children and grown-ups.
16. Making seasonal preserves
From the end of summer onward, whenever I have a bit of time, I like preparing preserves, a ritual filled with childhood memories. I always try to test new recipes: blackberry, redcurrant or strawberry jam (with a dash of Pinot Noir, of course!), or quince jelly; jars of pickled courgettes, cornichons or peppers; or garden tomato sauces using old-fashioned methods passed down from previous generations.
Next year I’d like to try plum liqueur instead of blackberry, just for a change.
17. Enjoying Sweater Season
I love cold weather: mist, drizzle, a soft grey sky (even better if it rains). It puzzles quite a few people, and I often get a mildly disdainful look when I admit it… but if you’re like me, you understand completely. There is no explanation: it simply is.
Another great autumn pleasure is woolly jumpers (#SweaterSeason) preferably Fair Isle, paired with corduroy trousers, sturdy Chelsea boots, thick scarves and cosy knitted hats. Soft blankets are obviously part of the equation, as are thick, comforting socks (Irish ones if possible). And just like that, we’re ready for adventure!
18. Mushroom foraging
Every year we pull on our boots, grab a mushroom knife and a large basket (the disappointment is sharper when you return empty-handed but we set out full of hope all the same).
It’s how I present the outing to my nephews (a treasure hunt), especially since they’re rather mycophobic, but that’s another story altogether…
We only pick mushrooms we know well, and along the way I gather branches and foliage to decorate the lunch table. Even if the harvest is meagre, the scent of humus and damp woodland is reward enough. My mother has always made a delicious dish with what we bring home, usually served with boiled potatoes… it is the ultimate comforting autumn meal.
19. Visit gardens and arboretums
We often attend various plant fairs in autumn to discover new trees, shrubs and flowers we might like to add to the garden. We always set off declaring that we won’t be buying anything (since space is scarce…), and of course we always give in. The same goes for nursery visits — and going at this time of year allows you to see the trees at their best. Since we choose many varieties primarily for their autumn foliage, this is the perfect moment to make decisions.
You can also visit arboretums for inspiration, though I personally prefer the grounds of estates or châteaux as they are more intimate, and often far more evocative.
20. Make time for yourself
This includes a bit of nesting, creating a soft little cocoon just for you: a comfortable armchair by a lovely view, a small corner of the kitchen table with a candle and a touch of autumn décor for journaling, or a curated arrangement on the coffee table or bedside: seasonal books, a small speaker for music, a pretty vignette of seasonal décor.
If you have the space, set up a dedicated reading nook. A candle also adds atmosphere (I avoid scented ones when the cats are nearby).
But self-care also stretches beyond the home: take time to browse a bookshop or the library (many wonderful books are released this time of year), stroll through department stores or garden centres that begin unveiling their Christmas decorations in mid-October, or end the afternoon in a tea room or at the cinema.
And don’t forget about rest: try going to bed a little earlier, not necessarily to sleep, but to soften the evening with a comforting book or cosy series.
If you’d like to go further into this autumnal theme, I invite you to listen to some of the dedicated episodes of my podcast (in French).
Lovely illustrations by Paper Trident
