The September Start
Oh yes, another fresh start feeling! And an update on my posting schedule.
Sundaze Book Café is the home of everyday magic, joyful living and conversations likely to be had over a hot drink with a friend in your favourite café, capturing the syrup-slow feel and glow of a Sunday. I’m Michelle, and I’ll be your host today.
September has always signalled a clean slate for me, and I’m sure it does for anybody else once educated in a September–July system. That new term feeling is utterly irresistible to me – I enjoy it more than the New Year. For me, the September start is my time to refresh my wardrobe and step into autumn/winter clothes (the best sort!), refresh my goals, and get a bit more on top of things after a gorgeously lazy, languid summer. Bullet journal prepped, year-remainder goals primed, I am so ready for this September start.
To me, the September start feels like:
the new notebook feeling, Fearless by Taylor Swift, apple picking, the beginning of cosy country pub season, walking home two steps faster since evenings are shortening, a pencil pot full of MUJI 0.38 pens, dusky sunlight filtering through dusty windowpanes, holding onto summer with (hot) picnic dinners at golden hour, a stack of untouched, new-to-me books, feeling motivated to keep to my weekly schedule, ‘homework hours’ turned into hobby hours.
Romanticising the September start
Write your seasonal goals
While I’m not a hyper-organised person, I really enjoy setting goals each season so that I have a vague direction for the next few months. New Year’s resolutions never stick for me, because I have a terrible memory! And, when I say I set goals, I make them fairly fun. Here’s a glimpse at some of my autumn goals, for instance:
Plan our anniversary celebration
Save £X
Switch out wardrobe with light knits and trousers
Frame photos to display downstairs
Write at least 5,000 words for my manuscript.
Update your wardrobe
As an ex-fashion journalism student and ex-fashion copy editor, I am forever keen to get going on seasonal clothing swap outs. Autumn dressing is always exciting, and I love getting out my favourite knitwear from storage. Slipping into an old, perfectly love-worn jumper… There’s no feeling like it! I’ve worked on building a forever wardrobe since 2016, so I typically don’t need to add to my collection. Some of my seasonal essentials for autumn include my FRAME Denim distressed straight-leg jeans, Chloé Lauren scalloped ballerina flats, Sisterhood the Label cable-knit jumper, thrifted rib-knit midi dress, cowboy boots, Taylor Swift folklore cardigan, and high-necked tank bodysuits.
Make a reading list
Now we’re getting into the school mood… I find the best way to keep consistent with reading is to do it intentionally. I’m the world’s biggest mood reader, as you’ll soon discover, but a TBR stack is fairly motivating to me. You could select books that match the season, just to make things even more fun.
Choose seasonal activities and experiences
The best way to get out of a rut and start romanticising your life is to tap into seasonal experiences. Whether it’s a spontaneous drive to the beach in summer, or heading out in search of spring’s cherry blossoms, I love letting the world around me guide me. For autumn, I adore nothing more than visiting our local apple orchard, taking a weekly walk in the same park to witness the changing leaves, and taking a renewed tour of our favourite country pubs.
Our September start
In my August Sundaze wrap-up, I mentioned that I’m pivoting my direction here – just a little. When I opened this account, I was in the throes of trying to find my place online again. This Substack was supposed to be a newsletter platform to supplement my 15-year-old blog and, over these eight months, I’ve come to realise that I simply outgrew that space and that was why things felt askew for me. After all, I began Daisybutter when I was 18 and I’m now 33. While it’s lovely to have nearly half of my life captured on those pages, change is good and I’m finally welcoming that with open arms in my post-influencer era. I know the value of a self-hosted, owned space, so Daisybutter won’t disappear into the ether, and I might check in there every so often. But I’m looking forward to a bigger focus on Substack and my fictional writing.
While I’m waving goodbye to one chapter, I’m still keen to keep hold of one small section. Back in 2016, I began a new series on my blog and named it ‘Sundaze’. My family and I were going through a tricky time, and this weekend series was an homage to the glorious Sundays we spent at my Granny’s home. It grew to become the most popular and most-read posts on the website; a cosy catch-up about my week, candid chats about a topic on my mind, shared links and recommendations but, mostly, a warm, syrup-slow feeling in written form, to be indulged in on Sunday mornings. I’d like to keep that.
Here, you can now expect to read personal essays from the Sundaze Book Café, an original offshoot of Daisybutter. This space is the home of everyday magic, joyful living and conversations likely to be had over a hot drink in your favourite café, capturing the syrup-slow feel and glow of a Sunday. From bookish essays to a chat about friendship, opening up about identity to my sort-of mundane little everyday writers’ and readers’ adventures in England, the content you read here will feel similar to what I’ve been writing recently. I’m opening up my weekly posts to all subscribers, and reverting my monthly wrap-ups to paid readers, along with a bonus essay each month. Paywalled content has made me feel some kinda way, but I think it does work for me.
I’m really looking forward to all that’s still to come. Pull up a chair and pour a cuppa.
I really loved this. September feels like a reset for me too, probably from growing up in school system that starts in fall like you mentioned. Can’t wait to add some of the tips you to restart & enjoy September in the moment!
September is Spring for me, and it feels like a reawakening. While most of the world goes at a slower pace, I'm celebrating that there are leaves on the trees again and that we'll be getting summer rainstorms soon. So many fun things to do when the season changes (no matter if it's spring or autumn).