I realised today, as I felt a chill in the air in the early morning, that September really was here. Well, I say early, it was actually 9.50am and we were late for my eldest daughter's hair appointment which was at 10am but as I chucked the pushchair in the back of the car I did think to myself "Oh flip, it's getting cold in the mornings." I didn't think that particular thought in a romantic "Oh isn't it lovely that we can crunch through the leaves in the park soon,"or "Great, we can do the pumpkins for halloween and light the wood burning stove," kind of way. I meant it in an "Oh flip it's getting cold in the mornings and I need to dig out my coats and boots" kind of way. I then realised with sadness that I have to endure a whole autumn, winter and chilly spring before I can once again step outside and not notice the cold. That seems a long time to someone like me, who feels particularly cheated by a lack of proper summer this year.
As for those who tell me (which I have also done) that September can be a lovely month, it does it in such annoying way that it takes the pleasure out of it. Freezing in the morning so that I dress for winter, boiling in the afternoon. Being a chilly soul I, better than most, know the art of layering but wearing an outfit to take me from 0 to 20 degrees in a matter of hours and without changing, really is a challenge.
With all of that in mind, I decided that I needed to invest in lovely warm cosy camisoles and such like. I remember seeing a film, the name of which escapes me, but which featured Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. Anyway, it was shallow (perfect for me) and all that I really remember was Cameron Diaz spending the winter in a lovely country cottage with snow on the ground. She wore a lovely array of marshmallow coloured cashmere casual wear. Oh, and Kate Winslet getting it together with Jack Black which frankly, seemed unlikely to me, but there you go. Anyway, I liked the thought of the marshmallow coloured cashmere separates but then I decided that her general Californian glow and blonde hair contributed to the success of the overall look, and that if I tried it I would look less marshmallow like and more maggot like - which steered me away from that idea.
Instead it will be a trip to M&S to stock up on the thermals, to GAP for the woolly socks and to wherever else promises me that I can wear light diaphanous fabrics in the winter, provided that I wear their undergarments. So, the hunt is on - this year I will crack it - I have to. Well, either that or spend a fortune on the Burberry aviator jacket.
