Curated & Saved #26

Autumnal vibes, wedding day reflections, and hilarious history podcast deep dives.

Welcome to Curated & Saved, your weekly drop of recommendations of culture and cool stuff, all vetted by yours truly.

Each week, I’ll share what’s fueling my brain, what I’m saving for later, and what deserves your full, undivided attention.

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Currently Consuming

Quick recs of whatever’s caught my attention lately. Could be a playlist, a show, a book, a viral video or anything else that’s taken over my screen time in a good way.

Posts to help embrace Autumn

The weather has fully turned, the leaves are flaming gold and russet, and just like that Autumn has landed here in the UK. This is very much my season. But after the dreamy laziness of late summer and the chaos of wedding planning, it’s taken me a moment to settle back into the slower, cozier rhythms that autumn invites.

While catching up on my Substack backlog, I came across three posts that really helped me transition into the season. If you’re also struggling to shake off summer or just want to lean deeper into the mood, these are well worth a read:

📻 Set the mood with Elle’s cozy autumn playlists

Elle’s curated a perfect selection of autumnal sounds. From soothing instrumental tracks to meandering indie songs all ideal for crisp walks through crunchy leaves, slow Sunday mornings, or even focused work sessions with a warm drink nearby.

cozy autumn playlists

🍂 Romanticising the slow step into the season with Michelle

Fellow Autumn-lover Michelle reflects on the beauty of easing into autumn gently, rather than rushing headlong into pumpkin-everything. It’s a soft, thoughtful reminder to slow down, especially before the speed of the festive season kicks in. I’m bookmarking this one to return to all month.

Romanticising the Soft Step Into Autumn

📓 Hannah Connolly on romanticising September (and beyond)

Hannah’s a perennial favourite of mine. Her post is brimming with bucket list ideas, rituals, and reflections that make you want to lean fully into “Lit Girl Fall.” If you’re craving inspiration for how to actually enjoy this season beyond just lighting a candle, this one’s for you.

Notes On: How to Romanticise September

The Long Form

One standout piece of media that actually earned my full attention this week. Worth carving out some time to read, watch or listen to.

Marriage Inc. (Fairytales by Caroline)

Still floating in the soft haze of post-wedding bliss, I stumbled across this beautifully written essay by Caroline Donofrio and it couldn’t have landed at a more perfect moment. Marriage Inc. is a gentle but sharply observed reflection on the modern wedding industrial complex: the pressure to go big or go broke, to turn your relationship into a content strategy, and to shape your celebration (and yourself) into something endlessly photogenic and “on brand.”

In the whirlwind of planning, it’s easy to lose sight of what the day is really for. Social media ramps up the stakes. The pressure to perform a kind of perfection becomes inescapable, even if you’re trying to resist it. Reading this piece reminded me how much of that energy I absorbed without even realising it.

Marriage Inc.

And yet…now on the other side, the moments I keep returning to aren’t the ones we spent the most money on or even the ones we meticulously planned.

Caroline’s piece is a thoughtful, articulate reminder that beyond the Pinterest boards and production value, there’s a real relationship at the centre of it all. And that’s what actually matters.

The Backlist

Not everything needs to be brand new. Here’s something older or overlooked that’s still totally worth your time.

Girl Historians: The Kennedys Series (YouTube/Spotify)

I’ve been a longtime fan of Girl Historians, and their deep-dive series on the Kennedys has been an absolute highlight in my podcast rotation lately. Even as someone who thought I had a pretty decent grasp of this iconic political dynasty, Carly and Blair still managed to surprise me with lesser-known facts, spicy trivia, and fresh angles on familiar stories.

What really makes it shine, though, is them. Their chemistry is unbeatable. It honestly feels like being on a chaotic, hilarious hour-long FaceTime with your two smartest, funniest friends who just happen to be really into 20th-century American history.

The series covers everything from the myth-making around not only JFK and Jackie but the entire Kennedy clan, to the darker, messier undercurrents that often get glossed over. And while the subject matter is sometimes heavy, they strike a perfect balance between reverence, critique, and humour (with plenty of pop culture side tangents for good measure).

If you’ve ever been even mildly Kennedy-curious, or just love a smart, funny, well-researched podcast, this is one to queue up.

📺 Watch the full series on YouTube

👉 Subscribe to them on Spotify

On The Wishlist

A peek at what I’m eyeing next - from books and shows to random finds I’m excited to try out.

Loafers Made for Leaf-Kicking

Lately, I’ve been fixated on finding the perfect pair of loafers. The kind that ticks every box: classic yet contemporary, practical but still stylish and something with that unmistakable dark academia energy. I want them chunky enough to give a bit of height, but still comfortable enough to handle brisk morning commutes and long walks through the city as the leaves start to fall. And ideally, they’d be sturdy enough to last me through several autumns, not just this season’s trends. It’s that sweet spot between function and form I’m after.

I haven’t found the pair yet trawling through Vinted yet (I still have my fingers crossed for a coveted pair of Ganni ones!), but I know I’ll know them when I see them.

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Thanks for checking out this week’s Curated & Saved! I’d love to hear what resonated with you, or if you’ve got any hidden gems to share.