The November Edition
Party Frocks, Forced Bulbs & Happy Cooking...
Welcome to the November edition!
A month of contrasts here in England — flickering bonfires and smoky skies lift the long, dark evenings while nature quietly retreats: hedgerows become bare, the last leaves fall, and frosty mornings hint at the winter ahead. There is a quiet charm to November, but before we settle into the stillness before the silly season, a reminder that the show must go on, all the way to the end of the year…
Life is very busy right now, for us all I’m sure! It feels like now that half term and Halloween are done, and November has turned it’s leaf, we have a small window of calm before the storm of end of year madness. Though I am feeling anything but calm right now! I have a big event tomorrow in London for AERIN and am nervous and excited about the magic of flowers in my chilly, overflowing studio transforming onto tables in just over 24 hours!
We have 53 days until Christmas. I feel like that’s manageable but still quite shocking and I know it will fly! We are so excited to launch the second drop of our festive collection later this week - I can’t wait to introduce you to more colour and candy-striped-tea-light-candle fun!
In this edition, I share my Willow Loves for the month (plus 6 more for our paid subscribers) and we round up 12 fun and fabulous Party Wear ideas to get into the festive spirit…
For flowering this month, I encourage you to start to pot your forced bulbs and watch the magic unfold indoors before the Christmas decorating gets underway and you’ve no time for it!
We spend 5 mins with Agnieszka Butter - a neuroscientist on a mission to help us reduce our risk of dementia with some fascinating and easy everyday tips for cognitive health (including lots of gardening).
Our Recipes this month are from the wonderfully joy-giving Clodagh McKenna and her new book - Clodagh’s Happy Cooking.
And finally, we round up some cultural things to do and book ahead for…
This is my Monthly Free Edition, but every week, I send out emails to my paid subscribers with flowery, fashion, food and wellness content - ideas to inspire, create and nurture. I hope you will join our growing community, we have so much planned and I’m so excited to connect with you all.
Happy November!
With Love,
Willow
PS. this is a long read so might be best to read in app/web browser (just in case it cuts off in your email).
PPS. A note on our edits - all brands are lovingly chosen or approved by me. For some, we may receive a small affiliate commission if you purchase an item.
Willow Loves
What I’m loving this month…
Top row, left to right
A pop of red is essential for my mood at the time of year - a cashmere crew from Me+Em
Our new tea light candle stands & shades are bringing light and joy to the longer evenings
By Soren has a new gilet - Frida with fringing! Yes please…
The sold-out parka of dreams from The White Company is back! Be quick
Ilia’s lip and cheek tint are keeping me rosy even when I’m freezing!
Willow Loves… (6 more!)
(scroll to the end for paid subscribers)
Create - Forced Bulbs
You really can’t beat forced bulbs for colour and life indoors over the winter months. In this lovely, but little, hiatus at the tail end of autumn and before the Christmas decorating starts in earnest, it’s a good time to get the bulbs ready to do their thing indoors. Here’s how - it’s so easy!
Add a layer of grit at the base of your container, followed by a layer of soil
Almost anything can be a container - cereal bowl, pretty tin, jam jar, wooden wine crate, salad bowl (our Loving Cup is a good one).
Add in the bulbs, pointy side up and add a little more soil mix, leaving the top of the bulbs exposed.
Look out for forced hyacinths and paperwhites and amaryllis.Add a layer of moss on top of the soil
I find mine from the garden and tops of stone walls at this time of year but you can also buy it in some garden centres. Use twigs to support hyacinths and paperwhites at they can get quite leggy…Keep in a cool spot with plenty of light
Ideally under a window for light and away from radiators, and make sure you add a little water every now and then to keep them moist.Wait for the magic and enjoy!
Forced bulb also make the loveliest presents for friends and hosts at this time of year…
Inspire - Party Time!
The silly season is almost upon us. Whether feasting or dancing, or just dashing in and out, add sparkly embellishment to get you in the mood…
Top row, left to right
Nurture - Cognitive Health
Why Protecting Brain Health Is A No Brainer
Can We Prevent Dementia?
Many of us have experience with loved ones suffering from dementia and so too has Agnieskza Butter. A neuroscientist and nutritional therapist, and a PHD candidate at Edinburgh University, she is on a mission to reverse the risks of dementia using a myriad of science-backed strategies and at the same time to offer support to the carers of dementia pati…
Create - from Clodagh’s Happy Cooking
My Daily Happy Juice
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
30g baby leaf spinach
100g pineapple chunks
¼ cucumber, sliced
2 sticks of celery, sliced
2-inch of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2-inch of fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp of Greek yogurt
Twist of black pepper
100ml water
3 or 4 Ice cubes
METHOD
IF USING JUICER: Just pass all the ingredients through the juicer.
IF USING A BLENDER: Add water (approx. 250ml) as this will help it blend.
FOR STORING: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours (though best when fresh).
LEFTOVER PULP: You can compost any leftover pulp or freeze into an ice cube try and add to future smoothies.
Thyme Pear And Brie Tart
You might have seen me make this on my instagram, it has over 2 million views! It’s fans of melting brie, butter crisp pastry, sweet pear, earthy thyme and finished with sweet honey. I serve this at the weekend for lunch, and I swap the pears throughout the seasons with figs, peaches, or apple.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
12 sheets of filo pastry
10 slices of brie
2 pears, thinly sliced and halved
20g butter, melted
2 eggs
200ml double cream
2 tsp thyme leaves
Honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Pre-heat the oven to 180oC fan.
Gently fold up the filo pastry sheets, gathered like a fan, alongside each other, quite snug in a baking tray. Brush the pastry with the melted butter.
Place the slices of brie cheese and pear, in between the sheets.
Whisk together the eggs, cream and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread this all over the pastry.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes. Drizzle with honey and serve
Recipes from Clodagh’s new book - Clodagh’s Happy Cooking: 100 Easy, Speedy, Healthy Recipes for Good Mood Food.
Visit www.clodaghmckenna.com | Follow @clodagh_mckenna
November Arts & Culture
What to see, visit & plan this month…
Join me on a Substack Live with
this week (Weds, 5 Nov) as we chat Christmas, flowers, entertaining & more!Book Tickets to the new Paddington: The Musical created by Tom Fletcher opening at The Savoy this month
The Turner & Constable: Rivals and Originals exhibition opens 27 November at Tate Britain
Visit Paris for the Louis Vuitton LV Dream Art Deco Exhibition in November
Visit the Design Museum for Wes Anderson: The Archives opening 21 November
Go to the Shakespeare’s Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for a special production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream from 13 November
Visit Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery
See the Emily Kam Kngwarray exhibition at the Tate Modern until January
Visit the Marie Antoinette Style exhibition at the V&A, open until March 22
Get ready to deck your halls, inspired by my Christmas decorating tutorials
PS. Willow Loves (6 more!)
6 more Willow Loves just for our paid subscribers…