A roundup of things that brought me joy in October.

• Domestika - Online courses from top professionals in the creative field. These courses teach everything from calligraphy and painting to marketing and photography. These are Spanish-speaking courses with English subtitles. I have found that they far surpass many of the English-speaking online courses. I've tried so many so I can really vouch for them.

• Jim Lawrence Lighting - I love the stunning and timeless designs for lamps and other home furnishings.

• Kismet House - Instagram account - Erin Conway knows how to design an aesthetically pleasing space that feels like an oasis of peace. Her photos are an inspiration for my home decor, and her captions are funny and relatable. She also has an affordable online course that has helped me in my current redecoration process.

• All Sorts Of - Instagram Account - This profile is a source of inspiration to me. It features interior design, introductions to female entrepreneurs and designers, and other content that reminds me to take a deep breath in the middle of a busy day.

• New Botanical Painting by Harriet DeWinton - I've been bettering botanical watercolour illustrations thanks to the step by step guides of Harriet DeWinton. The stunning illustrations make this book a joy to look at, even if I wasn't interested in improving my watercolour techniques! I have done a bespoke watercolour workshop with her and worked with her when I was doing photography. Having met her in person, I can assure you she is as sweet and lovely as she is in her Instagram stories. In her videos you can follow along as she creates beautiful watercolours! It goes without saying that she is hugely talented.

• York - Visiting this magical place has become a yearly tradition for me. It restores my creativity and reboots my energy. I especially love going at this time of year. Halloween festivities and the gloomy Autumn weather makes me feel like I'm in a real-life Harry Potter movie. I wrote a 48-hour city guide for York a few years ago, which you can find here.

• Leonardo da Vinci A Life in Drawing - This book features almost all of the 200 drawings shown at the special exhibitions for the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death. It seems to be one of the most comprehensive books of his illustrations, both well-known and lesser-known work.

• iPhone 11 Pro - I upgraded because of the photo quality since I only really take photos on my phone nowadays. It's important to me to have the best quality phone camera so that I can be more lightweight as a photographer.

Related: March Favourites , May Favourites

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