Preparing for Winter on the Island

If you read this post, you already know that I recently moved to an island on the Adriatic Sea. Unbelievably to me, it’s already getting to be the end of October and I can feel the gradual season change here. The seasons here, are similar to that of the east coast in their timing, but I’m not sure what to expect come December. Just HOW cold will it be? Well, at least I know there won’t be 5 ft of snow like in Colorado last winter! (Do you remember that? It was nuts! Here’s a picture.) Right now, the evenings are cool and the days heat up to around 70 degrees during the day in the sun, but you need a sweater if you’re in the shade. With the changing of the sun’s light, as well as the days getting shorter it feels very “fall-like” and has put me in motion to get ready for winter on the island.

Changing With the Seasons

It has occurred to me more recently, as I’ve become accustom here to buying “seasonal” foods in the grocery store, that perhaps I should be more attune to mentally changing with the seasons as well. Like- maybe thats what we were meant to do? When I think back about it, in the US, in the fall, I was actually gearing UP for the holiday rush, instead of thinking of slowing down. So this year is giving me the perfect opportunity to try something new. I suspect there will be much more time indoors when it’s cold and rainy, so I’d like to prepare my space for those coming days.

Stone villa’s are built without a lot of direct sunlight coming into the house. They’re not dark, but care is taken to avoid direct sunlight and the priority is on the indirect light. It’s done so that the homes stay nice and cool during the hot summer months. But during the winter I’m thinking it could get dreary without planning ahead.

What I’ll Be Adding to the House this Fall

Here are some things I’m adding to our home to help us lean into the slower pace of Autumn:

Candles

Candles of all shapes and sizes, to provide a warm, cozy environment in colder temperatures. Tea light candles are a favorite and I buy them by the 100 pack for less than $5. You don’t need special holders either- just save some jars that you like, wrap a bit of twine around them, w/ a sprig of something from outdoors and you’re good. I also have a good mix of pillar candles to set around the house and tapered candlesticks for the dining table.

Fall Foliage

With such beautiful colors, it’s so nice to bring some of those indoors. Dried flowers, long branches in vases, piles of berries, chestnuts or acorns in bowls or baskets. It’s so pretty and the foraging is good for your mental health as well.

Blankets

Several warm blankets for the sofa and the chairs really help to kick up the cozy factor. So nice on the days when you can stay home and curl up with a good book! If you have any great fiction that you’ve read recently, please share!

Simmer Pot

There are so many recipes for simmer pots on Pinterest! My favorite is the Williams Sonoma one, with just lemons, fresh rosemary, peppercorns and vanilla extract. It makes the house smell so good!

Sheepskin Throws

These are a must for me. I use them on our chairs, furniture, the bed and even the floor. They knock the cold off of anything and are so comfortable. Winston LOVES a good sheepskin rug. Unfortunately, mine are all in storage in Colorado, so I’ll be starting a new collection for this house, a few at a time.

Firewood

The house has a small wood stove so I’ve been stacking a lot of wood, as well as putting up quite a bit in the covered outdoor space here. Although I think there must be a blind guy in the village that does the cutting. I swear I’ve got pieces of firewood anywhere from 5″ to 18″! Makes the stacking interesting, lol.

But honestly, is there anything better than a good fire on a dreary day? The covered space has a massive fireplace for cooking or just for building a nice fire to warm us. It will be nice to hang out near that big fire on some of the cooler evenings. (The candles and sheepskins will come in handy there too!)

Playlist

I’ve also cued up a favorite Autumn playlist. I love listening to this in the evenings when I’m making dinner. It’s so relaxing. I didn’t bring a bluetooth speaker with me so, I’m waiting on this little JBL one to come in.

I hope you enjoyed thinking about ways to lean in to the changing seasons and take a little time to purposefully slow down and savor it a bit more. I’m not sure when always “being busy” became so trendy, but I fully intend to buck the trend.

Shop

Also….

I hiked through the medieval section of the village today and to the tiny Church of St. Peter, which used to be the parish church of the village and was built in the 11th century. According to the history, it is marked by pre-Romanesque style. Inside there is a preserved medieval altar stone on a small pillar with a cross. The entire area looks like something out of a storybook with dry stone houses, bridges, and fences. I mean, just look at that!! You can see the church at the top in the trees above the village. Just amazing.

You can pin any of these photos to Pinterest , by hovering over them and clicking on the Pinterest button and you can also find me there. I’d love to have you follow me in the LTK app. I’m working to curate truly useful content there and they’ve really improved the app to create more of a “hang out space”, and it just keeps getting better! And I’m also on Facebook if thats your jam! Anywhere you share my content helps me out so much, so thank-you!

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