Autumn at The Attic with Grusha Singh

Indulging in our favorite months of the year — the golden leaves, the crisp air, the food, the smells, the comforting memories and sources of warmth and coziness — we open our own doors and welcome you into our homes, as members of The Attic On Eighth share their favorite methods, items, and rituals to welcome the season. In this edition, writer and student Grusha Singh embraces her favorite season at university.

All photos courtesy of Grusha Singh.

Autumn has been my favorite season ever since I can remember. I’ve always appreciated how fall represents a new “beginning,” since it coincides with the start of the academic term and I’ve been in school all my life. In my early teen years, my dislike for hot weather and my preference for autumn fashion also became more defined, thus intensifying my love for the season even more. Growing up, the fall colors in my hometown were utterly breathtaking and I enjoyed every minute of it. The colors in my downtown Toronto campus are not as vivid, but still quite pretty. Being a university student makes me enjoy autumn a lot more than I did when I was younger, because I see this season as the most quintessential collegiate time. Campus is bustling with activity and you can still be outside without freezing, which makes outdoor adventures and studying in parks with a cup of coffee and a book a lot more enjoyable.

Here are some small ways that I prepare for and revel in the best season of the year.

HOME

In order to be surrounded by the essence of fall, I enjoy collecting fallen leaves and taping them onto my walls or around my mirror just to have some small autumnal decorations up. I also use my fake candles more often during the evenings, because I enjoy how spooky they look in dim lighting.

The music playing in my room and on my headphones as I walk around during the autumn is definitely a bit different too, especially during the month of October. My fall playlist consists of dramatic instrumentals from movie soundtracks and songs that I deem as particularly suited for the season.

Other than that, my interior décor doesn’t drastically change, since more of the sheets, blankets, and pillows I own are already in various red and maroon hues.

FASHION & BEAUTY

As the temperature drops, I pull my sweaters to the front of my closet and put away my sandals and sneakers in favor of the boots that I wish I could wear all year round. Autumnal colors (maroon, red, mustard yellow, green, brown) are my favorite shades, especially because I think that they look good on everyone. Fall also also allows a multitude of outfit combinations since it’s chilly, but has the occasional warm day. The options are endless: I love to wear a skirt or sweater dress with tall leather boots, a sweatshirt with jeans and ankle boots/shoes, and long scarves or shawls over tight full sleeve shirts…etc (my scarf collection is one that I’m very proud of). Every day of autumn is an opportunity to dress your best, and that is admittedly one of my favorite parts about the season. In terms of cosmetics, my nail colors tend to either be gold or some dark hue, and sometimes I like to darken my eye makeup and lip colors as well.

FOOD AND DRINK

There aren’t too many changes to what I like to eat in the autumn (except for an increase in soups and the occasional pumpkin pie), but I definitely enjoy my seasonal drinks. I’m not ashamed to say that I enjoy Pumpkin Spice Lattes quite a bit, despite how stereotypical they’ve become. (I also highly recommend the Salted Caramel Mocha at Starbucks, it’s a 10/10.) While making coffee for myself, I really enjoy adding cinnamon or nutmeg to it every morning, because I just really enjoy the homey smell that these spices give off. They definitely remind me of autumn. I’m also someone who drinks hot tea and coffee year round, even in the summer, but it’s definitely more satisfying to drink these things when it’s a bit chilly outside. On a side note, I acquired this fun “Witch’s Brew” mug before autumn began and I’ve been using it almost every day now that it’s October.

READING AND WATCHING

Other than my outfits, small fall decorations, and drink choices, I find myself reading and watching things seasonally as well. There are just certain books, movies, and TV shows that are more satisfying to consume in the autumn. I enjoy reading campus novels during the late summer, especially since they get me into the mood of studying before school starts and I have more time to read them then. Since academic work has usually piled up by the time autumn truly begins, I like reading short stories and poetry over longer novels, so this usually means cracking open my Edgar Allan Poe Collected Works and reading some of the more spooky/autumnal poetry by favorites like Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Emily Bronte. I also enjoy reading about magic, historical mysteries, and mysticism for fun, and this tendency of mine definitely increases during the autumn months, just because the atmosphere is so perfect for it. In terms of what I watch, I love revisiting Gilmore Girls, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and the Harry Potter movies, to name just a few.

Autumn truly is the most magical time of the year and I always find myself wishing that it lasted longer than it does, but that just means we have to make the most out of the brief time that we have. Enjoy the fall everyone!

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Grusha Singh is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, where she studies English and media. She is an editor for a literary journal on campus and is also the captain of the student blogger team. She spends her days reading, writing, drinking copious amounts of tea, and watching period dramas.