Thoughts on a Fresh Fall Start (+ a Back to School Giveaway)
Fall is my favourite time of the year. Spring is also nice, it's stretching again after a long winter's hibernation, but there is nothing quite like fall. It's fresh and the air smells clean and crisp and you can feel the wind in your hair. Everything is great about fall, the leaves, the weather, the back to school excitement. I even love fall colours! Brown! Diamine Ochre and Ancient Copper, Kiowa Pecan, Lie de The, Oku-Yama, Alt-Goldgrun. You can get hot apple cider and savour every sip as the weather gets chillier. People are returning to the city after their long summer vacations and cottage stays, and everything is bustling again. Every year, Jon and I talk about driving up to Kingston and seeing some of that fall foliage and reliving the old memories, walking by the lake, and maybe this will be the year! Did you know? When Jon and I were in school and he was "wooing" me, he made a kite out of old shirts from both of us cut up and hand-stitched together, not following one manual of instruction on kite-building. After it was all put together, we brought it down to the lake to see it fly! Unfortunately, it was unable to take flight... It's back to school! I don't know if this is early or late to be celebrating - back to school doesn't really start until September, but I think a lot of teachers start preparations in August, classrooms and curriculum plans, and I'm sure parents are already thinking of new fall wardrobe and school supplies. The headteacher has probably already thinking about hiring a commercial cleaning service to keep the school clean and hygienic before the term starts again. If you would like further information about some of the services that cleaning companies offer, then you can click here now for more. Even if you're not going back to school, the fall is the perfect time for everyone to get a fresh start - maybe it's because I have visions of pristine classrooms with newly waxed floors and tins of pencil crayons that are all the same size and have no missing colours. But your fresh start could be anything, and here are some ideas:
For this giveaway, we're including:
- Get a new journal to jumpstart that journalling habit that has been gathering dust. There is nothing like cracking open a new journal, dating it, and diving in. And sometimes that new start helps you leave behind some of the maybe-guilt-and-maybe-pressure of not having done as good a job as you might have liked over the last year.
- Take a day and really clean out the garage so you can get going on whatever woodworking or car-repairing hobby you've been thinking of. It's likely that you've got a lot of pointless and useless items in your garage that you don't use anymore that have just gathered there. It may be a good idea to look into dumpster rental in Raleigh NC to make the throwing out part easier. Once this is done, get a few new tools and pick out a brand new project to work on.
- Organize your office space - weed out all of the books you never plan on reading, get rid of all those scraps of paper and old receipts, and set up your office space so it's clean and organized for your thinking and writing. If you lose motivation, just imagine how nice it will be to sit around and breath in all the organized air.
- Give the dog a bath.
- Clean out your kitchen pantry of old spices and things you are never going to eat. Finding out just what you have in your cupboards might help inspire you to try some new recipes. Fall is the perfect time to try baking some bread (or so I keep telling myself).
- Coach House Press Softcover Notebook in Brown ($12.50)
- Leuchtturm A5 Hardcover Notebook, ruled, in Black ($21.20)
- Lamy Safari Fountain Pen in Neon Lime, F nib ($33.00)
- A package of Lamy Blue Cartridges ($4.75)
- A package of Midori D-Clips, Large, Zoo ($9.50)
- To enter, leave a comment on this blog post saying what this fall will be like for you or any fresh start ideas or just saying hello.
- Contest closes Wednesday, August 19th, 2015 at 11:59 EST. Winner be selected randomly, and will be announced on the blog August 20th, 2015. Winner will have until Saturday, August 22nd to contact us.
- Contest is open internationally.
- Sorry, no substitutions or changes.
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Comments
Cassie Rogers said:
I’m going to start a new notebook to revise my Chemistry knowledge. While I say I can teach it, I haven’t actually had to opportunity to do so since I left uni. My worst fear is to get a job and land headfirst in the electrochemistry topic… I’m always looking for an excuse to write more.
Pat said:
As fall doesn’t happen where I live, I always think that any time is a great time for new beginnings. :D I’ve begun going out of my comfort zone and be more adventurous craft-wise. I’ve already finished a DIY travelers notebook out of paper! (well, cardboard) All these creativity I’m seeing on social media is very inspiring.
Susan said:
Hello – I always end up doing “fall cleaning” rather than spring cleaning, so I’ll be clearing things out and rearranging furniture over the next few weeks. I will also, hopefully, be starting a new job soon.
Shaun said:
Although I like the summer and some time off, there is something comfortable about the return to routine in September.
Akosua said:
This will be the first Autumn in a very long time where I won’t have school to look forward to (but I’m planning on going back next year). I’m not sure if I should feel happy or sad but I’m just going to enjoy a season without homework :)
Lord Epic (@Notgatherox) said:
Fall is a place for me to use Ancient Copper oh that beautiful colour
Ben Stolz (@BenStolz) said:
Such a cool giveaway – I’ve been faithful in my journal writing so I’ll have to think of a new project :-)
Madox said:
I feel guilty not having homework anymore, so I’m going to give myself some: writing out my favourite online recipes to rescue them from their purely digital existence. I’m hoping to make a simple little guidebook to my absolute favs so I can leave buttery fingerprints on the pages like my grandmother did in her cookbooks. You can always tell her most-used recipes by the marks left behind by frequent smudges and drips.
I want to make something worth loving and getting messy when I use it. That seems like good homework to me.
M said:
new excuse to buy more stationary
LisaRR said:
Yes September always feels like a new start.
I can always use some new resolve to clear out junk, piles of paper, etc.
Thanks for the contest!
Tanya said:
I am going to start slowing things down, and try to live one day at a time. Starting with enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Fall.
Anonymous said:
Haha! Sure thing :)
Desiree said:
I was able to visit you for the first time this past week, and it was such a treat. Jon was very helpful, and so patient as I browsed the store and asked questions.
It took me almost two and a half hours to get there, but I’m already trying to find excuses to go back.
acksee said:
Even though I have been out of school for over 20 years, every September I get that antsy, back-to-school feeling.
Tida said:
Thanks for hosting this great giveaway! Fall is my favourite season and I agree that it’s the perfect time for a fresh start. I love the crisp air and shopping for new school supplies!
This fall, I’ll be starting university (eek!) and living on my own for the first time. It’s going to be really scary for me but I’m going to have a bunch of cute stationery to study with, so hopefully I’ll make it…
Stephanie Applin said:
This is the first fall I won’t be going back to school, having graduated in June. However, I do love the back-to-school effect of autumn so I will be taking a language class and I’m resolved to practice my handwriting!
Kyu Park said:
The kids are back at school, and excuse to browse for school supplies.
Elaine Chak said:
Fall this year means my baby will be turning one year old, it’s my last chance to get my thesis done and get out of school, and since my husband will be going back to work after the parental leave, I will be parenting a toddler all on my own. This fall is definitely a time for some new starts. :)
Connah said:
It will be extremely busy! My final year of University before receiving my bachelors, and a trip to none other than Italy in the works to keep me on my feet. Should be an exciting ‘fall’ but hopefully with some time to relax in there too, to soak up that cool crisp air.
Nancy said:
Fall means new beginnings. And maybe a visit to your new location – I look forward to that.
dannytang said:
Will the White Rabbit candies be included? =D
Meghan said:
I’m a teacher so Fall always brings a new school year full of promise and creativity!
mickeyobe said:
Parkin,
Those parks and Edwards Gardens are my favourite places in Toronto.
I used to bicycle there when I was able.
The flowers are an endless source of wonder and awe.
I still go and rendezvous with some friendly chipmunks and colourful bugs.
But beware the Canada Geese. They should be exiled.
imageonpaper said:
In autumn, when I write a new journal entry, I always hear David Sylvian singing "September’s here again … September’s here again.
Chris said:
I can’t wait for the cooler weather to come back.
Andrew said:
I will finally be off from university in a few days and starting my 4 month internship in Toronto in the upcoming weeks. Finally a break from school. :D
Parkin said:
I will be going back to school for another degree after working full-time for the past 5 years.
Paul Y said:
If you don’t make it over to Kingston, a great way place to enjoy fall without leaving the city is to take a walk through Wilket Creek Park. Start at the south end at Sunnybrook Park and walk all the way up to Edwards Gardens and the Toronto Botanical Centre. You would forget you’re in the city.
michelle said:
excited for fall as my daughter starts JK :) thanks for the giveaway
Susan W. said:
This post is so appropriate to what’s happening in my life right now…I’m right in the middle of purging books, papers and unneeded things from my house. And while the days of kids going back to school are long gone for us, my husband is now driving a school bus since retiring from his office job so we are once again experiencing that back-to-school feeling in a way. Awesome giveaway you’re offering here…thanks for the chance to win. :-)
Rick said:
Hello from Washington DC!
I don’t really want to win — if by chance you choose my name, please choose someone else.
I just wanted to say hi, and I really like your blog!
RonB said:
After last winter being so long, I’m not sure that I’m ready for fall just yet, but it is a beautiful time of year for sure!
David Dawson said:
The fall brings one of my favourite seasons…tomato season! I pick up a part-time job (read: hobby) trucking tomatoes from field to factory. I love it!
Thanks for the great blog and store! About to put in my first order!
Sonya said:
This new back-to-school season is like no other for me. Having just finished a PhD in Chemistry, I’m starting the three-year journey of law school. It would be lovely to have these goodies in my school bag. =)
Tasy Strouzas said:
I love the fall! Going for long walks with my family, drinking coffee, reading books with the window open and the crisp air coming through. Where I live there is an old ghost town in the mountains that we love to explore in the fall. The only thing I don’t like is that fall means winter is coming!
margie kardash said:
for Canadians each change I season brings a new appreciation for the beauty of our country. no where else does Mother Nature grab her coloured ink and paint the landscape the way she does here. who doesn’t love that burst of colour before the winter.
Gino Pagnani said:
The fall is always beautiful in New England. Of course there is all that leaf raking to do !!
Thyna said:
hello! thanks so much for such a generous giveaway (: this fall is the official start of my second year of grad school. i’ve been studying/researching throughout the summer so that’s just going to continue into the fall, but september marks the return of actual classes and a nine-month stint as a teaching assistant. lots coming up in the fall as it always is for students!
Allison Tarr (@allisonplus) said:
Hopefully this fall will be a lot of new beginnings and some additional stability. Adventures. Adjustments. (& something else that begins with ‘A’ for good measure…)
Tracey said:
I’m looking forward to the Autumn smells!! We have Golden Retrievers—as odd as it sounds, they look extra-glorious with all the fall colours! LOL
Justin said:
Hello Liz and Jon. Fall will be great for me with less pollen, cooler weather and better air.
ehaggett said:
I just moved into a new house, so this fall is all about fresh starts and getting organized. As busy and hectic as it’s all been, I’m really looking forward to everything.
Josiane said:
This fall will be a very busy one around here, as my husband’s third novel is coming out in September. So the coming months will be all about the book launch, touring the book fairs, getting the word out, and enjoying the feedback we’ll finally get to hear on that story into which he put so much work. And now I’m going back to reading it once again, in a last attempt to catch any remaining typos before the publisher sends it off to be printed!
Anali said:
I’m looking forward to being able to cozy up in a warm sweater and sip hot chocolate while sitting on my deck. Mmmmm.
Ian said:
I really love the seeing the loves change to warmer colours in the fall. I really like wearing sweaters and drinking hot chocolate in the cost weather. Fall is one of my favorite seasons.
Thanks for the chance to win. ?
Jane said:
This fall is a big new start for me, as I’ll be at a new job and in a new city. I’m excited to see how the leaves changing will be different in a different part of Canada.
jill said:
I have always found fall to be a time of promise and hope.
Michelle Suratos said:
Hello! Thanks for including your non-Canadian followers in your giveaway! I’d hope the white rabbit candies in the photo were included. ?
Debra Nousek said:
I love fall as well — as an academic it always is the harbinger of the new year. This year brings an especially fresh start for me as I am — as I type! — organizing the study in my new home. New desk, new paint colours on the walls, fresh breeze coming through the big windows, and a view of the giant linden tree in my front yard. All this will only get better as fall approaches. I’ve always loved back to school shopping — only now instead of duo-tangs and pencil crayons it’s Leuchtturm notebooks and new fountain pens and yet another colour of bottled ink to add to the collection! Happy fall to you and Jon and the wonderpens family!
Amy Heffernan said:
This fall for me is going to be great! Two kids in school and I am starting a new job Oct 2nd. :) Thanks for the great giveaway!
Email—> amyjaneheffernan@gmail.com