An Outfit for an English Autumn

Hey lovelies,

I hope you're having a gorgeous Friday, 

gearing up for the weekend. 

As part of this Fall In Love series, 

gearing up to the link party on Wednesday 5th October, 

I wanted to put together a contemporary version of the 

mooching-in-the-country tank-top-and-slacks look.

Slightly bookish, slightly serious....but adding a huge pop of colour.

Tank top: Next, Trousers: Monsoon, Jewellery: Accessorize and Top Shop

This woollen tank top is firmly on my Happy List.

How could you NOT feel happy with 

those bright stripes beaming at you?

And, let me tell you, I don't this is the last you'll be seeing of these high-waisted trousers. They're my first pair in this style and I love 'em. 

Wouldn't they look great, as the weather cools, 

with a crisp white shirt instead of the tank top?

{Mmm, yeah, I'll try that, thanks.}

A very Happy English Autumn to you.

Linking to my favourite parties in the sidebar...

Modern Country Wreath Reveal

Hello cherubs,

We are cracking on with these Autumn posts, aren't we?

The gorgeous autumn new build. 

The Modern Country Wreath tutorial. 

And now the big reveal!

All gearing up for the 

Fall In Love link party 

on Wednesday 5th October.

What will you link up?

I usually save my wreath-making for Christmas 

but I've really enjoyed putting together a simpler version for Autumn.

I purposefully didn't tell you the names of the plants I've used because I wanted you not to feel fixed in your choices. You may well not have the plants I have in my garden, or in your local hedgerows. But I bet that somewhere near you, there are gorgeous plants for the taking.

All you truly need to add to your base for a simple wreath like this

is a layer of greenery and a layer of berrification.

The excellent thing about 'real' wreaths is that as bits droop (as they will), you can just replace them. If leaves gradually brown, you can pull them off.

It's the only way to keep them looking fresh and beautiful.

I love the deep red of the berries, rubily shiny and plumptious.

Now then, the weather here is simply crying out for a bit of an Autumn outfit....I'll be sharing one of my favourites on Friday.

I'm linking to my favourite parties, including:

Between Naps On The Porch

The Perfect Modern Country Autumn Wreath

It's Autumn. 

Hooray!

All this week and next, 

I'll be posting ways of autumnifying your life: 

from the perfect Modern Country wreath, 

to choosing the best fall outfits, 

and everything in between.

I'm hoping to give you lots of ideas 

of the kind of thing you can link up 

on Wednesday 5th October at my 

Modern Country Style: Fall In Love

link party.

What better way to start of any Autumn extravaganza 

than making a gorgeous wreath!?

{And this one won't cost you a penny.}

Sounds good already, right?

I love the idea of creating a wreath from bits and pieces I find in our garden. It's such a lovely country feeling to be plucking a bit of this and a piece of this, all the while building up a vision of what I want my end product to look like.

Here's what you'll need to make 

your perfect Modern Country wreath:

a wreath base of some kind

{click here to see my tutorial of how to make one from scratch}

some pva glue

branches for greenery

branches with berries

anything else that catches your eye

a piece of ribbon

some secateurs

Here's what to do:

Starting with your wreath base and greenery, 

cut off a small length at a time (10cm/3inches or so).

Dip the end into the glue.

Slot into the wreath base. 

Try to push in all twigs either clockwise or anti-clockwise to give the neatest finish.

Continue until the whole base is more or less covered. This doesn't have to be super neat, its purpose is to cover up the colour of the base, and will mostly be smothered by the top layer.

Then start to build up the next layer, using your berried twigs, with the same gluing and slotting in technique. 

With this layer, it does matter what the finish looks like so ensure all twigs are lying flattish against the layer below.

If you spot a hole in the wreath, then choose a bushy twig and slot the end in to the base.

Don't slot the end into where the actual gap is, as the leaves will end up in the section above the gap. Instead, slot the twig end into the portion just below the bare patch. This will ensure that the patch will get covered in just the right place.

Once this layer is complete, then you can, of course, add any extras.

But I rather like my autumn wreaths simple and stylish.

I find the simplicity is what marks them out as 

a more Modern version of the 

 traditional Country wreath.

Keep standing back from the wreath to make certain that you're building up a good, even circular shape. It's easy to become so engrossed in the gluing and pushing in that you end up with an awkward shape at the end. 

When you're pleased with the look, 

wrap a 40cm/16imch length of ribbon around the wreath.  

Tie a knot about 15cm up, and then hang wherever your heart desires.

I'll be revealing all on Wednesday....

I'm linking ot my favourite parties in my sidebar!

Gorgeous Autumn New build

Hey there, pumpkin pie.

{Mmm, yes. 

I said pumpkin pie.

I am nothing if not topical.....}

Welcome to the first of my official Autumn posts,

leading up to my Fall In Love link party 

on Wednesday 5th October.

This month's Country Homes and Interiors 

{love that magazine}

featured this completely gorgeous house. 

And I don't use the term 'completely gorgeous' lightly.

Oh no. That's a very specific term, don't you know.

It was one of those features that when you first turn the page and see it, 

your heart seems to jump up into your throat.

I've done a little bit of foraging online 

and managed to dig up some more images.

{You have no idea how happy that made me...}

Would you believe this is a new build?

I don't think I've *ever* featured a new build 

on Modern Country Style. 

It's virgin territory, so to speak.

The company who've built this home have used ancient techniques

 using a green oak frame, which gives instant character.

It was the gorgeous colour scheme that very first caught my ogling eye; 

the harmonious palette that runs through the whole house 

is absolutely up my street.

Whole house?.... up my street?

Man, am I on fire today....

Every little detail of this beautiful house is perfectly styled.

The mix of raw wood and painted furniture is lovely, don't you think?

The only feature in the whole house that I wouldn't snaffle in a second 

is the rather odd-looking chandelier in the master bedroom.

It just seems a bit nothingy to me.

{Another official term: nothingy...}

But overall, my vote is firmly in as a 'Yes, pleeeeeease!!'

Coming up for you soon, 

I've got a wreath-making workshop,

an English autumn outfit,

and a scrumptious post 

on how to fabulise your autumn dining room.....

It's gonna be a busy one.....

Images via Border Oak

Link Party Idea: Fall In Love

Autumn has to be one of my favourite time of year.

Do I say that every season? 

{I rather suspect I do.}

But seriously? 

What's not to love?

Cosying by crackling fires.

Enjoying the long evenings of golden light.

Piling up the beds with quilts and blankets.

So...with all this bliss in mind, 

I am officially announcing my next link party!

It's called

FALL IN LOVE

{geddit}

Fall?

In Love?

Perfect!

You'll be able to come and link up 

ANY autumn/fall ideas you have. 

Crafts? Check.

Mantelpieces? Check.

Fashion? Check.

Outside gloriousness? Check.

It'll be on Wednesday 5th October. 

{And I can't wait!}

Images: First Option, Nick Glaves

Book Review: Plate To Pixel by Helene Dujardin

Welcome to another Book Monday!

{Have you seen my book review tab at the top of the page, 

where I list my reviews of my favourite books?}

This is by far and away my favourite photography book.

{though I don't know if that says more about me or about the book!!}

Helene Dujardin's Plate to Pixel

is written in such an easy to read, almost chatty style, 

that it's a very hard book not to be thoroughly engrossed by.

You barely even realise you're learning so much along the way.

I usually find books on photography 

such a trial to plough through

but this one......?

Did you ever have a teacher at school 

that made a subject completely come to life?

Helene Dujardin would have been that teacher.

Although the book is about food photography, 

and I am not a food writer, 

her stylish backdrops *are* exactly 

the kind of look I love.

A faded striped napkin here, 

a French lemonade bottle there.

{Baby, I'm yours.}

Published by Wiley, the book covers: 

Photography Basics, 

Camera Settings, 

Lighting, 

Composition, 

Setting Up, 

Styling and 

After-Capture

In fact, everything you'd expect...

BUT it covers them in such a gorgeous way 

that it makes you want to pick up your camera 

and get cracking!!

Honestly, and I don't say this lightly:

if you buy one book on photography, 

make it this one.

Thank you SO much for all your adorable comments 

about the blog I've begun for Relics of Witney, 

and especially to everyone who went and had a look, 

and a great, big hug to everyone 

who subscribed in some way.

Just to reassure those of you who asked, 

the Relics of Witney blog WON'T be replacing 

Modern Country Style in any way.

There WON'T be tedious repeat posts 

(thought there may be the occasional cross-reference). 

But what there WILL be is 

deliciously gorgeous posts on each:

here AND there.

{Does that sound good?}