Dear sweet lord, I love winter.
There's something about the perpetual darkness, the icy air which erupts in plumes with every word and the sombre hibernation of the world that I just adore.
But... then each and every year without fail, I look outside at the darkening skies of 2pm, feel the harsh bite of the cold against my chattering cheeks, or find myself falling privy to the annual sadness that comes with lack of sunshine, I think to myself, why in god's name do I constantly think I love this?
This year I figured it out.
I love the darkness, for how it allows me to fight against it.
Nothing in the world gives me greater pleasure than coming home from a long day, lighting all the candles in my room and switching on my twinkling fairy lights, before sinking down into the amber glow, swathed under blankets to read a book or watch a movie.
I love the cold, for how it allows me to fight against it.
I have a borderline obsession with jumpers, the uglier and more garish the better, and I never feel as comfortable in clothes as I do in winter. Layers, faux fur, big chunky knitwear, hats and mittens and big beautiful coats to keep that heat in. I have a passionate love affair with all things vintage, and as soon as that twinkle of a chill in the air signifies a change of the seasons, in the day I live in oversize jumpers and Doc Martens, and at night I transform into this 1920's ice queen with dramatic, dark makeup, decadent coats and red wine.
I love the darkness, because it gives me the ability to create light.
I love the cold, because it gives me the ability to create warm.
And I think that's quite a sweet analogy to look at things which are seem empty, harsh and lonely - perhaps they are only vacant, to make room for you to create something to fill it.
Jumper & Jacket - Beyond RetroTartan Scarf - River Island
This post is part of the Beyond Retro #XmasJumperStyleChallenge
Got a love of Christmas jumpers too? This December 12th is Save The Children's 'Christmas Jumper Day' and Beyond Retro have a whole host of incredibly, beautifully garish jumpers in stock and they want to see how you style it up. So head on down, grab a jumper and snap a pic for a chance to win £250.
