Welcome to the first Friday of October. There’s something undeniably magical about October…all the pumpkins making their arrival to the shops and doorsteps, the way the air turns crisp, the leaves bursting into bright colors, and the world feels like it is slowing down just enough to let us cozy into everyday life. It’s the perfect time to savor life’s simple pleasures: wrapping yourself in a soft sweater, sipping a hot tea on the porch, taking a long walk through nature, or curling up to a good book. In October, let’s begin to slow down and reconnect with ourselves, with nature, and with the quiet joy of just being. Let’s start the weekend and the new month with another edition of Curated Weekly filled with many cozy finds, some wonderful looking books, and even a few shows & movies to check out.
MODERN CLASSIC FINDS
As the seasons are transitioning it is a good time to have light layering pieces for those days that are cool, but not necessarily cold. If you are looking for a light jacket for those mornings where you are running errands, taking a walk, or just out and about, then this Banana Republic Factory Canvas Barn Jacket would be a good fit. It comes in three different colors and has that British Countryside style to it that makes it a perfect choice for autumn.
For my fellow Francophiles, I happened to find these cute H&M Home medium sized porcelain plates and thought they would look great for serving appetizers or making a little snack or cheese plate. I especially loved the croissant plate.
I recently purchased this 2pk Botanical Floral Napkins from Target for only $8.00. The design is so pretty and would be great to use for dinner napkins or a even tea tray towel, but for only $8.00 there are a lot of possible uses for these lovely napkins.
A contrast polo is a timeless wardrobe piece that can be easily dressed up or down and this J. Crew relaxed premium weight polo would be a great staple for any wardrobe. It is also currently on sale for only $34.50 making it a great budget friendly purchase as well.
If you are a traveler like I am then you may be contemplating a travel journal that is also somewhat a scrapbook to keep all your memories and mementos and I found a great option with this Papier Travel Journal. It looks to be a great little journal to record your experiences and to also add bits of pictures, tickets, postcards, etc. as a mini scrapbook.
I love to collect many little souvenirs such as holiday/birthday cards, post cards from travels, museum exhibit pamphlets, opera/symphony programs, etc. and if you too are looking for an elevated way to store these items, then this beautiful vintage inspired memory box from Magnolia may pique your interest as it has mine. It’s a beautiful storage box that you can use to store these items and it can also be left out on a shelf or table for beautiful display.
A good tote is well worth its investment and whether it’s used for travel, running errands, visiting a bookstore/antique shopping, or even a small picnic storage bag, a good tote helps to ensure that you have the space needed for your specific needs. This small airplane tote from Banana Republic is a lovely option if you are in the market for a quality tote bag and it’s soft looking material would also make it a pleasure to carry as well.
BOOKS
One book that I have on my list for this season is Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton being released on November 4th. Set amongst the glittering backdrop of London’s iconic Savoy hotel, a young woman is forced to confront her troubled past as she uncovers the story of the hotel’s first female bartender who has been erased from the history books. It looks to be intriguing story and I highly suggest you check out the exquisite Savoy hotel on Instagram or YouTube before reading this one.
A book that looks to be full of enchantment and is immediately on my TBR list is The Country Commonplace Book by Miranda Mills that was released just last week. The Country Commonplace Book is a seasonal touchstone packed full of quotes, book lists, artwork, recipes, and observations on the natural world to keep close at hand and to accompany you throughout the year. This is the kind of book to leave out on the nightstand or a side table to peruse all throughout the year for joy.
If you were a fan of The Devil Wears Prada, then you will want to look into this new novel, Workhorse by Caroline Palmer being released on October 14th. A book that is described as a richly drawn, unsettling, and a wickedly funny story of envy and ambition set against the glamor and privilege of media and high society in New York City at its height, this one is sure to be a fun read for the season.
If you are a connoisseur of fashion and fashion history, then They All Came to Barneys: A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Store may be of interest to you. In They All Came to Barneys, Gene Pressman tells his story for the first time, capturing the unprecedented rise and unimaginable fall of his family’s multimillion-dollar fashion retail empire as only he can: from the inside.
MOVIES/TELEVISION/VIDEOS/PODCASTS
For the mystery fans (or Emma Thompson fans) this new show, Down Cemetery Road on Apple+ TV looks to be a good watch and is premiering on October 29th. When a house explodes in a quiet Oxford suburb and a girl disappears in the aftermath, neighbor Sarah Tucker (Wilson) becomes obsessed with finding her and enlists the help of private investigator Zoë Boehm (Thompson). Zoë and Sarah suddenly find themselves in a complex conspiracy that reveals people long believed dead are still among the living, while the living are fast joining the dead.
And the mysteries keep on coming with the upcoming release of The Housemaid which will be released in theaters on December 9th. The Housemaid is a wildly entertaining thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, based on the best-selling book. From director Paul Feig, the film plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester. But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous, a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power.
A stunning looking film that already has critical acclaim and has won many film festival awards is Jay Kelly which will premier on Netflix on December 9th. Starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, this film is about the famous movie actor Jay Kelly as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting his past and present with his devoted manager Ron. Poignant and humor-filled, pitched at the intersection of regrets and glories.
I always love to go back and listen to seasonal fall podcast episodes and 23 Ways to Have a Great Start This Fall from The Simple Sophisticate is one of my favorites.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
I know most of you are Bridgerton fans like myself, and if you are already looking forward to the new season, then here is an article for a sneak peek from Town & Country, Everything We Know About Bridgerton Season 4.
On September 26th the annual New York film festival took place and if you were curious about what was showing, then here is a list of the 20 best movies at the 2025 NY Film Festival.
Beautiful home tours will always make this weekly list and today we are looking at the colorful London townhouse of James Arkoulis, co-founder of Howark Design.
Always on the lookout for new Francophile books, this list of New Books to Transport You to Paris gave me a few new books to add to my TBR list including The Paris Paradox and The French Kitchen.
The only thing better than fall is the fall baking and Tea Time Magazine is sharing these delicious 12 Pear Recipes for Autumn.
A book club is such a fun and elegant way to get together with like minded people to share in the love of reading. If you are thinking of hosting a book club, then here are some tips from Papier on How to host a good book club.
Oh, how I wish I could visit the Marie Antoinette exhibit at the V&A museum in London. But since I can’t, I can still visit this beautiful article Want to live like Marie Antoinette? This new exhibition at the V&A shows you how and take inspiration from the queen of exquisite beauty herself on how to live a more beautiful life.
In Case You Missed It…
This past week on the blog really started off on Saturday as I pulled out one of the reader’s favorite articles from The Petite Tresor which was Creating an Enchanting Life, Inspired by Kathleen Kelly. On Monday we explored 15 Ways To Cultivate A Modern Classic Life and Wednesday had the new Moments & Musings post to start the month.
It was a rainy week here in Raleigh and it was nice to cozy into that first week of October with cloudy skies and cool temperatures. If you are looking to cozy into one of this past week’s articles for the first time or simply want to revisit them, then here are the articles that were posted this past week on the blog, in case you missed it.
I love that barn jacket. I bought one last year from J Crew Factory that is a navy blue quilted one, not canvas. I just wore it recently and love it. I’m on a low buy year and appreciating the things I already own – some I’ve never even worn yet!
And I’m currently on a trip and brought my journal with me for the first time to journal while I’m traveling. I started journaling again when I went on a trip with my husband this summer and forgot my phone. My husband had a notebook that he let me use as a journal and then I turned it into a junk journal – travel edition. We had lots of little papers and tickets and things from our trip so I pasted them into the journal and made designs with them!
I’m also looking forward to The Housemaid being released! Loved the book! And will give The Simple Sophisticate’s podcast episode a listen. I have her The Road to Le Papillon book and love it!
Hello Beth 🙂 I love that you are trying to use what you already have instead of buying more. Having quality items helps to keep us from having to re-purchase things over and over which is better for our wallets and the environment. I love the thought of taking a little journal with you while traveling, I may have to try that myself! I am looking forward to The Housemaid too, it looks to be a good film to watch this season. I highly recommend The Simple Sophisticate too if you haven’t listened to it yet, there’s a lot of good inspiration in there.