spring ins and outs
it’s cold today, but in a spring way, and i love you
hello.
spring is the season of in betweens. not quite the heaviness of winter or the fullness of summer. it’s a soft, slow unfolding of time where you can start opening windows again and notice how the rain makes everything smells a little cleaner. it’s about returning to yourself in a gentle way. like remembering what you like, what makes your days feel good, what actually feels nourishing when you’re not trying to force it.
every season i make little lists of ins and outs to see what i’m leaning into and what i’m leaving behind so i’m going to share that with you today.
a short sweet spring note.
also, if you haven’t read my full spring guide, here it is for your reference. you’ll find books, films, recipes, acitivites, music playlists and more.
(some of the things on this list are satire)
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spring ins
-ren faire
i really just want to run around in a fairy costume and have someone feed me and watch beautiful people dance and prance around in cute outfits. i want to feel magical and buy marshmallow flavored honey and a sword and watch jousting matches and a get a leather satchel full of crystals and trinkets.
-planting your own herb garden
watching something grow that you actually take care of. it makes your space feel alive, and it’s small but grounding to use something you grew yourself.
-ambient fairy weather music
green-house and grouper and sounds that make you feel like you’re living inside of a tulip.
-hozier
he just belongs to this every season. earthy and feral and romantic. is he your forest daddy, too?
-biblical foods
simple, old, ritualistic. bread, honey, olives. figs, dried fruits, cured meats. cherry wine?
-chainmail armor
impractical and absolutely necessary. dressing like you’re part of another time just for the sake of it.
-gregorian chants by nuns
female voices only for this one. sing me to sleep. i fear this will be on my spotify wrapped this year.
-love divination performed on st. agnes’ eve
leaning into old traditions, even if you don’t fully believe in them. i want to feel a little mystical.
-wearing spring perfume
softer more melancholic perfumes that feel like a breath of cold morning air. something fresh, something floral, something ghostly, something strange. maybe you’re craving something witchy or something earthy and green.
-the use of mugwort for prophetic dreams
whether it works or not. i’m just creating space for reflection and paying attention to my inner world.
-medieval sleep charms and dream magic
taking sleep seriously, making it feel intentional. i want to feel cradled and safe. i want rituals that make rest feel protected and meaningful.
-muesli
shifting from warm porridge to cold oats, dried fruits, nuts, milk, brown sugar. there is nothing more refreshing.
-feasting (not fasting)
actually enjoying food, not restricting it. letting meals feel abundant, shared, and satisfying.
-april showers
not avoiding the rain, but leaning into it. letting it slow you down, make things more intimate and reflective.
-gothic spring
melancholic, overgrown ivy, stormy weather, ghostly victorian nightgowns, perfumes that smell like iris and wet stone and rain.
-game of thrones
watching for the first time and i’m completely entranced by this series. long, immersive worlds that you can disappear into. something that feels bigger than yourself.
-wearing nightgowns to the grocery store
a place to disassociate and feel comfortable in. make a hand written grocery list. buy fancy produce.
-lighting candles during the day because it’s storming
matching your environment instead of fighting it. letting your space reflect the mood outside. no more artificial light.
-keeping flowers slightly past the point of decay
not everything has to be perfectly fresh to be beautiful. letting flowers linger past their welcome.
-learning the names of wildflowers
paying attention to details you would normally ignore. it makes the world feel more specific and more real.
-freshly bread with butter and honey
baking from scratch. simple things done well. food that feels warm, comforting, and enough on its own.
-haunting your local cafe
becoming a regular somewhere. having a place that feels familiar, where you can just exist without the pressure to perform.
-collecting little objects (acorns, ribbons, pressed flowers)
holding onto small things that feel meaningful, even if no one else understands why. building your own little archive.
spring outs
-skipping breakfast
starting your day already depleted. it’s not worth it. eat something, even (and especially) if it’s simple.
-small talk
conversations that feel empty. if you’re going to talk, let it be something that actually matters. note: casual conversation is different than small talk.
-consuming more than creating
taking in constant input without giving anything back. even small acts of creating feel better.
-ignoring the weather
living the same way no matter what’s happening outside. the weather and the seasons should change how you move through your day.
-fast content / short attention spans
constantly scrolling without retaining anything. it leaves you feeling scattered and unsatisfied. if you’re going to immerse yourself in the internet world, make it worth your while. create a playlist of youtube episodes, podcasts, saved tiktoks and substack posts of things you want to return to when the feeling of doomscrolling calls your name.
-self help books
being told how to fix yourself over and over by pseudo experts. you’ll find more comfort, advice, therapy, solace in classic lit over self help, i promise.
-bad posture
i’m working on it.
-bras
unnecessary discomfort. if you don’t want to wear one, you don’t have to.
-the male gaze
the exhaustion of making choices based on how you’ll be perceived instead of how you actually feel.
-one sized friendship
relationships that don’t have room for you to change. the right ones adjust, grow, and make space and reciprocate energy back to you.
okay, that’s all i have for you today.
i love you. happy spring.
bye.
(follow tiktok, youtube, ig, pinterest and spotify for more)
love love love the idea of gothic spring!!
perfectly timed as always