Romanticising The Everyday

Finding magic in the mundane.

Welcome to The Autumn Chronicles, a place to shine a light on all the wonder around us as we navigate the seasons. I hope these writings allow you to sit quietly with a cup of something warm and comforting and take a few moments for yourself away from the rush and hurry. If you would like to make sure you get all newsletters directly to your inbox, please subscribe below. Thank you for being here. All photos and videos © The Autumn Chronicles unless otherwise noted.

This post will likely be too long to appear fully in email so if you click on the title of the piece, it will take you to the whole post on Substack.

If you are listening to the audio version, apologies for the fact that it may have some flaws and background noise. I hope you enjoy it in spite of this!

Today’s post is a collaboration with the fantastic

Emily Male

. If you are not familiar with Emily, she writes about slow & gentle living, living creatively and books over at Generosity of Spirit. She has a brand new membership called Slow & Steady, where she works through 12 invitations/words each month to move through a slow and steady year as part of a community. In the words of Emily herself:

I LOVE Substack, and all the wonderful, generous and inspiring writers and creators here. Finding a home here has been everything to me, and I am so grateful.

If you would like to come on over to Generosity of Spirit, you are most welcome, you bring the coffee and I'll bring the slow vibes - we'll meet in the middle.

© Generosity of Spirit

After a conversation about ways of elevating the everyday on Notes, we set each other the challenge of romanticising our lives for a week and noting down our experience in a diary. We wanted to step softly into romanticising life, and the practice of noticing beauty, by slowing down, being more present and celebrating all the wonderful ordinary moments of life.

For seven days, we tried to become more mindful of the romance of ordinary life in an ordinary week. Our starting places were different, what we did during our week was different, but the search to reconnect with our senses, our surroundings, and the present moment was shared by us both.

This challenge isn’t about grand gestures or curated perfection. It’s about slowing down enough to notice, to find joy in your coffee ritual, lighting a candle, enjoying the sunshine, or slowing down your commute to work by adding intentionality and consideration to the daily grind. It’s about becoming the main character in your own story!

We would love to invite you to do the same; why not try romanticising your week? There is no right way to do this challenge. Move through it in your own rhythm. Skip a day if you need to. Return to a moment if it speaks to you, just slow down, and look around. This is an opportunity to add sparkle to your life, and live with a little romance and beauty.

In a world that often rushes and pulls us in a thousand different directions, this is your invitation to join us in slowing down, noticing the small moments and romanticising your beautiful life.

Take a deep breath. And let’s begin.

Monday 31st March

Emily:

© Generosity of Spirit

I didn’t have the best night's sleep, so woke up a little tired, but I was so determined to start my romanticised week strong. I listened to my newly created Spring Vibe’s playlist on the way into work, and felt like I was in a movie. I was making a special effort to look around me, and notice the people, the trees, the flowers in bloom. I left my house a little early so I could wander a little, and not feel rushed.

I finished work at 1.30pm, which coincided with my husband’s half day so we decided to take ourselves on a day date! We started off with a walk around the library, and then had a coffee in a new coffee shop. The smell of the coffee was amazing. We browsed some shops, and I treated myself to a new book. I enjoyed talking to the book sellers, and was thrilled to share in their enthusiasm for my new book.

The sun was shining, but it felt cool in the wind. I imagined the cob webs being blown away, as we wandered and pottered around the city. We decided to stop for an early dinner before heading home. We ate slowly, and chatted about life, and what we were looking forward to this Spring and Summer.

When we got home, my husband fell asleep, and I started working on my ‘quarterly check in’ with

Selina Barker

for 2025. I lit some candles, and put on some gentle jazz music. I decided to up the comfort even further with a peppermint tea (in my favourite mug!) and a blanket. I spent a couple of hours journaling, and revisiting memories from January - March.

The light gently faded outside (the clocks went forward an hour yesterday), so I decided to go outside, and catch the last of the sunlight. We spent the rest of the night relaxing, on the sofa.

After my poor night's sleep, I went to bed early. I put on a fresh matching pajama set, sprayed my pillow with my ‘This Works’ Deep Sleep Pillow Mist, and enjoyed an early night.

Victoria:

The weather was gorgeous today so I took the chance to have lunch outside in the sunshine. I rarely take a full lunch break and I usually gulp down some soup or a sandwich sat at my desk, so it was a real treat to be able to stop and focus on the act of nourishing myself. I defrosted some homemade chicken soup on the hob with some chicken stock and ate it slowly and quietly without feeling the pressure to get back to my desk as soon as possible. Once I’d finished eating, I stood on the grass in my bare feet for a while just allowing myself to sink into my surroundings, listening to the cheep of the birds, feeling the sun on my face and the soft whisper of a breeze on my arms.

Once work was over for the day, I let the cats out into the garden and enjoyed playing with them outside, fully in the moment. They chased sticks, climbed trees, stuck their muzzles into any and everything they could find, had a stand off with the cat that lives down the road and lay in the sunshine, furry tummies in the air. It’s always a joy to be able to properly play with them, to give them my full time and attention with no other distractions or expectations, and it’s something that I often struggle to do properly during a working week. Carving out this time for them was such a precious moment in this most special of weeks.

Later, I watched from the spare bedroom window as the sun lit up the sky in a riot of gold, orange and coral before slowly sinking behind the silhouetted roofs of the houses opposite.

Tuesday 1st April:

Emily:

© Generosity of Spirit

This morning I was determined to restart my morning pages that had dwindled since the New Year. I woke up just before, my alarm which I love to do - immediately got out of bed, and opened the curtains and the blinds. I settled back into bed with a cup of tea, and wrote a couple of pages.

Opening the blinds and curtains in the morning is one of my favourite things to do - and I think it a perfect way to romanticise that early morning, sleep to wake moment in time. I love that first glimpse of the day and whether it is sunny, cloudy, rainy or snowy - it is lovely to greet the day and wake up the house.

I decided to take a pretty Spring vibes mug to work, to help me romanticise my morning coffee at my desk - and you know … it really worked! Every time I looked at it, it made me smile.

After I got home, and had a spot of lunch- I decided to take myself on a spontaneous cinema trip. I made sure to wear extra comfy clothes and bought myself some treats to eat during the film. I loved going to the cinema by myself, it was gentle and peaceful. The smell of the popcorn, the big recliner seats, watching the adverts - the whole experience felt like a real treat today, noticing every little part.

Victoria:

I have been really trying not to look at my phone first thing in the morning, especially as I have a tendency to wake up at 3 am and not get back to sleep. I woke up at 5.30 am today, so I sat by the window and watched as the world reawakened, moving from the greyscale tones of nighttime to the saturation of colour that comes with the dawn.

Tuesday is always a meeting-heavy day for me so to try and romanticise my life in the margins, I lit a candle while I worked to try to create a more calming, peaceful ambience in my home office. Once work was done for the day, my husband (who does most of the cooking) made one of my favourites - steak and homemade coleslaw - for dinner.

I quite often wish I could be a vegetarian because I am painfully aware of the contradiction of professing myself an animal lover and eating meat at the same time but, as someone who struggles a lot with her iron levels and who has grappled with the awful side effects of the strongest iron supplements, red meat (and broccoli!) is a bit of a lifeline for me. We limit it to only a couple of times a week and we buy the best quality meat we can get to try to make sure the animals have the best possible life (Daylesford is one of our favourites and their farm shop is a great place to explore if you’re ever in the Cotswolds) but it is still something I feel guilty about on a regular basis.

After dinner, we went for a walk in the woods near our house and saw another beautiful sunset. I will never get tired of sunsets; they are the perfect extraordinary end to an otherwise very ordinary day.

Wednesday 2nd April:

Emily:

This morning was perfect. I work shifts and I didn’t have to leave for work until 3pm, so I had a huge part of the day to myself as my husband had already gone into work.

I started off with my morning pages, and I did some writing work FROM BED with a cup of tea. I opened the blinds and let the sunshine pour in. A few times, I thought I must get up - but I stopped myself, and allowed myself to work in comfort, because why not?

I indulged in a long shower, and got myself ready for the day slowly. I know this is a luxury, being part time and child free but today it occurred to me - getting ready for the day - washing, getting dressed, sorting your hair or doing your skin care or make up is self care and why not romanticise this?

I had to do some housework - and I was a little stumped about how to romanticise this - I mean it is just cleaning right? So, I put on a YouTube Spring Jazz playlist, and I got my new Purdy and Figg cleaning products, and I actually had the best time!

Purdy and Figg are natural, non toxic cleaning products which use pure essential oils and so smell amazing! Honestly, cleaning with these products is a pleasure, and afterwards your home literally smells like a spa. If this doesn't help romanticise your cleaning routine, I don’t know what will!

Victoria:

I started this morning with a yoga class, led by the fabulous

Jo Hutton

and once it was over, I made some breakfast and a cup of tea and sat outside while the cats tried (unsuccessfully) to hunt hoverflies. It was a series of perfect moments of calm to ground myself before the day properly began.

Work was busy again and I had a lot of tasks to do that required sustained periods of concentration so I re-lit the candle and took some deep breaths to try and centre myself. Sitting in the same position for too long isn’t good for any of us so, to break up the monotony, I made sure to switch positions every hour. I have a standing desk so this should be easy but I have to confess that I don’t use it as often as I should.

In the evening, I had to go into town for an appointment so, to try to elevate it into something special, I listened to a podcast I enjoy on the train journey there and then bought myself a Middle Eastern-inspired falafel salad from one of my favourite shops for dinner.

My husband was out this evening so I did a little spa experience for myself. I was lucky enough to receive this serum as part of the goody bag from the writing retreat I did last week and I am obsessed with it, mostly because the smell reminds me of neroli, which is one of my favourite scents. Neroli, or orange blossom, reminds me of the term I spent studying in Granada, walking on pavements littered with orange carcasses under trees studded with heavenly-smelling white flowers. It’s a scent that will always transport me back to the azure skies and freedom of that year in Spain and it remains a favourite to this day. I even wore Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom perfume on my wedding day back in 2016.

Thursday 3rd April:

Emily:

Today was an early rise, but I still managed to do my morning pages. Now, four days into my romanticising week, I think I am getting into the swing of it. So much of it is looking for the opportunities to slow down and notice.

Once again, I left myself more time than necessary to walk to work, and it is so much nicer to not rush at all. I feel like I am noticing so much, and my mind feels clearer and calmer. Just an extra five - ten minutes on my journey transforms it.

After work, I decided to walk the long way home, and cut through the Cathedral and Cathedral Gardens. The Cathedral is beautiful and it feels like you are being transported into another time, wandering through the close. I love it. I very rarely walk this way home, and I think after this week, I will make the effort to come this way more often.

I had a very chilled afternoon at home, and then took my time cooking dinner (vegan lasagna). I put some music on, and cooked a meal I have cooked a hundred times, so I could get lost in the moment. There is comfort in returning to a tried and tested recipe, and I enjoyed preparing all the veggies and cooking, as well as the eating!

Victoria:

I usually work from home but today I had to be in the office so it was another early start. I got up a little bit earlier than usual so I didn’t need to rush and could take time to have a shower and put make up on without constantly checking the clock. I don’t wear a lot of make up usually - mostly just mascara and a bit of eyeliner - but on office days I tend to wear a little bit more, for two reasons: (i) it’s a longer day and I am more visibly tired and (ii) my job can be a little bit contentious and I am absolutely an introvert, so because I will be meeting people face to face, I find wearing make up comforting because it is a veneer, a mask, between the self I show to the world and the self I am inside. I don’t wear so much make up that it changes my appearance but I do find that wearing it on days when I have to meet with people in person, it helps me to feel more confident and put together.

I try not to drink a lot of coffee because I’ve never responded particularly well to caffeine but, on some days, it’s a necessity. There is a lovely coffee shop underneath my office where you select the beans and then they shoot across the shop in glass pipes to be ground into your chosen blend. It’s a gimmick but it’s a bit of fun and a great way to elevate what could otherwise be a very mundane experience!

My boss suggested doing a walking 1:1 which I jumped at the chance to do because the weather was gorgeous and it’s a great excuse to move rather than sit in a meeting room. We meandered our way along the river, past old warehouses that have been turned into office blocks, past tourists entranced by the sights, allowing ourselves to catch up in the fresh air and enjoy the buzz of the city around us, including a woman who yelled at me for stepping into her path when I ducked to miss a low flying pigeon. My normal response would be to make a sarcastic comment (in my head, it would be scathing yet devastatingly witty) but, in the spirit of being the main character of my life, I simply smiled at her, walked on and silently hoped that she might get her comeuppance via my new pigeon friend when the time was right.

Friday 4th April:

Emily:

Happily today was a slow start - both my husband and I were at home, so we were able to have breakfast together before work. I took my time setting the table, and in an effort to ‘up the romance’, I even put flowers on the table. We enjoyed an unrushed, lovely meal together - talking through the week and exchanging stories. It was lovely; it felt like precious time.

I made myself take my break at work today (which I don’t always do). I decided to have a walk around the park literally next-door to my office. I never do this, and as I wandered around the park, I wondered why? I was in full romanticising mode, imagining myself as a character in a film. This was greatly helped by a singer and saxophonist playing on the bandstand in the centre of the park. Watching everyone, watching them and enjoying the sun, filled my heart up. Taking in the sounds, and sights of the park, twenty minutes is all it took and I went back to my desk so invigorated.

I got home, and my Husband had started cooking a Mediterranean roasted veg risotto, with garlic bread. I got changed into some comfy clothes and took my makeup off. I love getting home for the day, and knowing that I don’t have to go out any more. Taking my makeup off feels like the ultimate comfort. Taking the time to make yourself as comfortable and cosy as possible is luxury, and I love it. This week has highlighted it to me even more!

Victoria:

I am always less efficient on days I am in the office because I spend most of my time in ad hoc meetings or answering questions on the fly so I usually have a lot to catch up on the day after. This was the case this week so, I must confess, there was not a lot of romanticising to be had as I worked through my seemingly never-ending to do list.

I did wear a new pair of shoes to try to elevate the very boring jeans and t shirt combo I was wearing. I am a big fan of embroidery and I love clothing that has embroidered elements so when I saw these shoes, they were a must-have. They are also very comfortable so win-win!

My husband and I try to have a date night every Friday (with varying degrees of success). Sometimes it is as simple as watching TV together at home but on other nights we actually gather enough energy to venture out of the house. On this Friday night, we walked down to the High Street to have dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants. It specialises in South Indian cuisine and the food is delicious, especially the ghee roasted potato masala dosa. I’m not sure it’s something you could eat every day but it is worth it as a once-in-a-while treat.

On the way home, we walked the long way back. As we cut across the field by the allotments, there was silence except for our footsteps, the occasional barking of a dog and the birds singing the world to sleep.

Saturday 5th April:

Emily:

I saw this Substack note from

The Literary Assistant

earlier this week, I saved it - making a promise to myself that I would treat myself to a ‘Elizabeth Bennet stroll’ over the weekend.

I woke up early, and decided to get out of the house and walk over to Mousehold Heath, just a few minutes from my house. It was really quiet, apart from a couple of dog walkers, the sun was shining through the clouds, but it was cold so I wrapped up. Mousehold has a beautiful view over the city, and a little bench perfectly positioned to enjoy the view from. I sat for a few minutes, not thinking about anything in particular. Lost in the view.

© Generosity of Spirit

I got home and felt amazing. The fresh air and the Elizabeth Bennet vibes had worked their magic!

Unusually for me, I had the entire weekend off work and I was ready for it. I stayed in Spring clean mode, but ‘pottering’ mode rather than ‘kondo method’ - it was a super gentle day, ticking things off my list, and decluttering my space.

I had planned a bath with all the works! In full romanticising mode, I gave myself everything - candles, music, low lights, bubbles, a nice drink and beauty/skin products I’d been saving.

Another romanticising lesson from this week, is don’t ‘save’ things for a special occasion - TODAY is your special day.

Victoria:

I woke up early again and lay in bed watching the pink-blue dawn sweep the stars away. I love Saturday mornings because although there is routine, it is slow. We got up, had showers, had a leisurely breakfast while reading the news, let the cats out and waited for the Ocado order to arrive. Once it was all unpacked and put away, we walked down to the High Street again because I needed to go to the supermarket for a couple of things Ocado couldn’t deliver and we had some other errands to run.

In the supermarket, I saw these beautiful gerberas and I couldn’t resist them. They are one of my favourite flowers, with their open, happy faces, and they are often one of our go-to choices for cut flowers at home (along with roses) because they are not dangerous to cats.

The weather was beautiful - sunny, warm and almost summery - so I spent the rest of the day sat in the garden and alternating between reading, writing and daydreaming. The older I get, the more I try to make space for daydreaming in my life. There is nothing quite like the feeling of letting your mind loose, following the thread wherever it takes you and (hopefully) being inspired by where you end up. My most frequent daydream at the moment is how I would re-design our house if we ever work up the courage (and the savings!) to have an extension and it’s a lot of fun letting my mind roam without restraint or in pursuit of a specific outcome.

Sunday 6th April:

Emily:

I woke up early, the sun was streaming in through the blinds. I took a moment to just lay in bed and take in my environment, I didn’t reach for my phone or even a book - or jump out of bed, I just let myself be.

I have kept up with my morning pages all week (feeling very proud of myself) - today I added in a gratitude list for this week. This romanticising week has been so beautiful, inspiring and transforming - I feel like I’ve remembered how to slow down, and pay attention.

For me, that is the foundation of romanticising this beautiful life - taking your time to pay attention, sprinkle in some gratitude, a little dose of child-like wonder, and harnessing the pure excitement in the little things … and you have it!

After breakfast I caught up with some YouTube creators that I love, and Jade’s new video was just this wonderful summary of everything I have experienced this week. I urge you to give it a watch!

I made time for some junk journaling in the afternoon and did some planning for the week ahead and meal prep. Mostly though, I indulged in a slow and peaceful Sunday soaking in all the ordinary joys of the day.

Victoria:

Sundays are the one day of the week where there is no routine at all and I love the potential of a day where nothing is pre-supposed. The weather was beautiful again so we walked down to a local cafe for breakfast and I treated myself to a delicious blueberry and custard brioche. In these days of unpredictable hormones and biological transitions, I do not metabolise food, and particularly sugar, in the way I used to (much to my immense frustration) but I also very firmly live by the adage, “everything in moderation, including moderation”.

We sat in the garden for most of the afternoon and I finally finished Long Island by Colm Tóibín, which I had had on the go for a while. I loved Brooklyn, the first in the series, and I enjoyed the sequel (his writing is exceptional) although, as someone who likes things to be neatly tied up in a bow, I found the ending a bit unsatisfying.

We went for a walk in the afternoon and, inspired as ever by

Laura Pashby

, I made a heart out of the fallen petals of a magnolia. I left it on a bench in the hope that someone else would see it and it would brighten their day. On the way back, we walked under a cherry blossom in full bloom and I managed to capture this (somewhat over-exposed) photo of a small bird hopping from branch to branch and enjoying the view.

To round off my week of romanticising my life, we went for a drink with some friends, catching up on our weeks, their holiday plans, our hopes for the year ahead. It was the perfect end to a beautiful week.

Closing Thoughts:

Emily:

And just like that, the week has passed—one quiet, intentional moment at a time.

I have learnt so much this week. I noticed more, slowed down more, and looked deeper at little beautiful ordinary things that fill my life.

Romanticising your life is not about constant bliss. It’s about noticing—the sunlight on your skin, the warmth of your morning cup of tea, the way your soul softens when music plays. It’s remembering that ordinary things can be beautiful and nourishing when you slow down, notice and focus on the present moment.

This week has helped me reconnect with myself, my little rituals, my gratitude and my general rhythm in life. I am determined to keep this new romantic vibe, and allow this softness and romance into my every day.

I hope you do take up the challenge and romanticise a week in your life soon. Your life is worthy of reverence. Your ordinary life and the beautiful moments within are worth noticing, and romanticising.

I want to say a big thank you to Victoria for this collaboration! It has been pure joy to work with Victoria, and experience this together. I have always loved Victoria's work, and getting to know her better has been a pleasure, and I hope the start of a beautiful friendship.

Victoria:

This week has been a great exercise in intentionality for me. As someone who has a tendency to rush through life, who gets so caught up in work that she finds it difficult to wind down and destress of an evening and who spends the weekend mostly trying to recover enough energy to go again the following week, this was the perfect challenge for me to practice living more slowly and deliberately. The greatest surprise for me was that I found it harder than I thought I would. I didn’t realise until I tried to slow down in the course of a normal week how much my working life impacts on my ability - emotionally, physically, temporally - to focus on the small moments.

The biggest lesson I have taken away from this week, as Emily says above, is how important it is to just notice. The frenetic pace of life works to detach us from the small moments, encouraging us to believe that they are insignificant or worthless. After this week of trying to romanticise the everyday, I would argue that they are quite the opposite. They are a vital part of the magic of human existence and taking the time to observe and celebrate them is a great way to enjoy all the wonder that an extraordinary ordinary life can hold. I will be making an effort to make this a more regular practice because the beauty really is in the details.

I am so grateful to Emily for working on this project with me and for all her thoughtful ideas. She is a fantastic writer, a thoroughly decent human being and now I am lucky to call her a friend too.

If you have enjoyed this post or if something has resonated with you, please share to help others find The Autumn Chronicles. I am so grateful to you for being here and for choosing to read these words.