Each month, I like to take a moment to reflect on my favourites from the weeks gone just before. Favourites of all categories that is - favourite reads, treasured finds, the best books and shows I've come to love and hold dear. This practice helps me slow down and is a fantastic way to keep gratitude at the core of everything I do. If you're curious as to my favourites, and looking for recommendations across all categories, then do read on and discover them for yourself too. Without further ado - here are my most recent little (and big) joys and recommendations, hopefully for you to find some inspiration from, Dear Reader.

I hope you enjoy!

With love,

Leah

xxx

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What I’ve Been Reading

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Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to pages that invite stillness and beauty, the kind of books that ask to be lingered over, cup of tea in hand, soft music playing in the background.

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Cocoon by Ali Heath has been quietly inspiring me. It’s more than just an interiors book, it’s a gentle, intimate study of homes that soothe the soul. Every space feels lived-in and deeply personal, a layered cocoon of textures, stories, and light. It reminds me that true comfort in a home comes not from perfection, but from authenticity.

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Outside In by Sean Anthony Pritchard is like a breath of fresh air on the page. Honest, humbling, and full of joy, it's a glorious celebration of flowers in all their natural, unpolished charm. Sean shows how arranging blooms can be simple, soulful, and instinctive, how even the most modest garden cuttings can become art when placed with love.

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A New English Style by Salvesen Graham is a love letter to timeless interiors. Rooted in tradition but never stuck in time, every room feels effortlessly elegant. There’s a softness and depth to their style that makes heritage feel fresh again, layered, storied, and entirely livable. It’s the kind of book I return to again and again, always noticing something new.

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And then, there's Country Life Magazine. I’ve been gently collecting copies, each one a little portal to another world. Thumbing through its pages is like opening a window to quiet grandeur. It speaks to the heritage of old houses, the romance of rambling gardens, and the stillness of the countryside. More than a magazine, it’s a way of seeing, one that reminds me to look for beauty in the slow and the rooted.

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What I’ve Been Listening To

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A few weeks ago, I had the joy of ticking something truly special off my bucket list; La Traviata under the stars at the Verona Arena. There was something utterly magical about sitting in that ancient amphitheatre, warm night air all around, music drifting through the open sky. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the hush that fell over the crowd as the first notes began.

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Since then, I’ve been revisiting my favourite arias from the opera “Addio del passato” and “Sempre libera” in particular seem to linger in the air long after they end. And from there, as it so often happens, I’ve tumbled headfirst into another love affair with all kinds of romantic arias.

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“O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi always stops me in my tracks, so delicate, so full of longing. “Un bel dì vedremo” from Madama Butterfly has a quiet strength that feels like hope and heartbreak all at once. And “Casta Diva” from Norma is pure, soaring beauty.

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I wouldn’t call myself an opera expert, not by any stretch. But I do know when something moves me, and more often than not, it’s a love song. Something tender, passionate, perhaps a little tragic. Opera, for me, isn’t about knowing all the words. It’s about feeling them.

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What I’m Watching

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Before our recent trip to Verona, we curled up one evening and watched Letters to Juliet. It’s the sort of film that’s unapologetically sentimental, soft lighting, sweeping Italian views, and a storyline that’s as sweet as it is predictable. A little too cheesy, perhaps… but sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

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But if you’re after something set in Italy with a bit more soul and depth, I’d always recommend Under the Tuscan Sun. It’s a story about love, yes, but more so about finding yourself again, the kind of romance that blossoms through friendship, food, and sunlight on old stone walls. It’s beautiful, heartwarming, and quietly empowering.

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A Room with a View is another favourite; dreamy and slow, filled with those poignant silences and stolen glances. Florence steals the scene more than once, and there’s something endlessly evocative about watching young love unfold amid crumbling ruins and Renaissance light.

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And of course, there’s Tea with Mussolini, with the wonderful Judi Dench. It’s one of those films that manages to be both elegant and quietly fierce; telling the story of a group of extraordinary women navigating life, art, and war in Florence. Judi, as always, is magnificent.

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