Goodbye November!
Hey! I want to tell you things!
Hello hello!
In typical fashion, I haven’t sent out a newsletter in quite some time. I really enjoy making them but then I worry I’m just being a nuisance. I guess that’s something I need to work on, eh?
But here we are - heading towards the end of the year. 2024 has been an odd one I suppose - I’m feeling a bit more hopeful after the horrors of the last few years… but now I need some of that hope to turn into actual good things?
MY CREATIVE ADVENTURES
I’ve been lucky enough to table at some lovely conventions - PrideCAF in Bristol, MCM in London, and Thought Bubble in Harrogate. Thanks to everyone that came to visit me. Fun fact: I thought it would be super cute to walk across the famous Clifton Suspension bridge in Bristol but:
It is a very hilly walk to get there
I was too scared to walk across the bridge because it looks effing terrifying!
I met lots of interesting and lovely people on these adventures so shout out if you’re one of them!
I finished a brand new picture book - Here Comes The Icklebridge Marching Band. It’s for young readers and is all about learning locations via the medium of a marching band! It’s super cute and I feel very proud of it. The response has been really lovely too! I would like to be brave and try taking it to some agents but if you want a copy - I’ll have some at my next event.
Remember my Froggy scarf? Well I’ve got a new scarf design in the works… I don’t want to spoil it for you but it is pretty *magical.* It should be in my hands (and shop) at the start of 2025!
On a completely unrelated note, I’ve got four fancy prints up in my shop for a limited time. One of them features the Duck Wizard going shopping for his next quest. Unfortunately I can only ship to the UK but check out the shop whilst I have some left!
Also if you’re following me on Instagram, I’m about to start my advent calendar adventure. Each year, I treat myself to a cute advent calendar and film my daily openings. This may be the most unique calendar I’ve had so far but I don’t want to spoil it for you here.
FUN THINGS I’VE BEEN ABSORBING
The first thing I should say is that I enjoyed the Wicked movie. Less keen on the press tour and relentless marketing, but I thought the movie was fun. Did I eat too many snacks? YES! Have I had Defying Gravity on repeat? ALSO YES.
Additional observations are:
The goat song is still not for me.
No One Mourns the Wicked should’ve been split in two on the album so I don’t have to listen to the overture every time.
I really enjoy them keeping the sound of Glinda slamming the book down in Popular.
The real question is: do you consider yourself more of an Elphaba or a Glinda?
If you like fun anime, I can recommend DanDaDan and Delicious in Dungeon. They’re currently both on Netflix UK. The former is about a boy and girl that find themselves dealing with paranormal / supernatural entities. The latter is about some adventurers making their way through a mysterious dungeon, and how they keep their stomachs full whilst doing it.
I’ve been playing Obsession on Board Game Alliance. It’s a board game about running a stately home - you win points by adding rooms, inviting guests and increasing your reputation. It took me a while to get my head around it but it’s a lot of fun. My favourite part is when a guest arrives who actually costs you points, so you have to find a sneaky way to dismiss them.
If you haven’t already seen it, I really enjoyed this video by Jenny Nicholson about the Star Wars Hotel that Disney built. It is four hours long but it’s four hours of what a good video should be - it is interesting, enjoyable, and leaves you wanting to send it to your pals so they can watch it and then you can all chat about it over a Nando’s. But you’re chatting so much that you HAVE to order pudding.
I’ve also been watching lots of YouTube videos about cruise ship reviews but I’m a little too embarrassed to share those… FOR NOW!
THINGS I’M FEELING EXCITED FOR
Not to sound too pessimistic but I’m not super sure what to write here. What am I looking forward to… besides Wicked part two?
I’d like to go to Japan in 2025? That would be interesting.
I have some more ideas for cute picture books and graphic novels.
I’m looking forward to absorbing the weird and wonderful Christmas movies? Shout out to this sexy snowman movie!
Oh! I know what I’m feeling excited for… A CANDLE REVIEW!
CANDLE REVIEW
It’s been a while but I still have about one million candles left from my podcast days. I pulled out WINTER GARDEN from my candle drawer which feels pretty fitting. I mean, I initially pulled out a candle about angels but that felt a bit too powerful for me to handle today.
WHAT YANKEE CANDLE SAYS:
“Quietly captivating . . . the refreshing scent of lush evergreen branches captured in icy splendour.”
I’m going to say now that this blurb really turns me off. I don’t know. Like - I think that could be said about all the winter candles. What makes this one different?
NAME:
I think the name is a bit dull. There’s an entertainment venue in Blackpool called The Winter Gardens and that’s a great name for a venue - it sounds magical and intriguing. Don’t mind me - I’m off to the Winter Gardens to get a quest from a wizard!
For a candle it makes me think “oh this candle will smell like a cold garden.” And maybe it’s just me, but when I think of positive garden scents, I think of spring, summer, or autumn - not winter. I think a nicer spin on the name would’ve been Frosty Garden or Snowy Garden - give it a softer vibe.
3/10
COLOUR:
A white candle (maybe off-white but that might just be age?) for a winter-themed candle? I’m shocked… at how predictable this is! I think a better angle would’ve been for a more dark blue / green - suggesting plants and also coldness. Or maybe even a pale turquoise - just something to make it stand out from all the other white candles. 1/10
LABEL IMAGE:
The label features some frost-tipped branches / leaves. It’s a really nice image and I wish the rest of the candle took its cue from this. My only note would be to add in a bit of interest - maybe a little squirrel running along? Or some red winter berries?
6/10
SCENT:
I can’t find the scent notes for this on the Yankee Candle website so I assume this is no longer in production. I hope I didn’t just light a super rare candle haha. Winter Garden smells a little piney? A little musky. Feels like more of a forest than a garden. I enjoy the scent - it feels fitting for the run up to Christmas.
7/10
SYNERGY*: I enjoy the scent (which most people would argue is the key to a good candle) but I wish the rest of the candle worked in unison to promote it. It feels like you we’re talking about two different candles here.
FINAL CANDLE THOUGHTS:
Unfortunately it’s a tale of two candles - a nice scent and decent image, let down by all the other bits and bobs.
If I was Head Candle Wizard (I assume that’s who makes all these decisions), I’d push more for the woodsy angle - I’d call it FROSTY FOREST. The label can stay as it is (with maybe a little squirrel or forest friend in there), and then I’d make the candle forest green or maybe dark turquoise. This way, you’d be transported to a winter walk through a festive forest… rather than a confusing gallop around Jack Frost’s garden (not a euphemism).
17 / 40
OK I should wind it down there. But I hope you’ve enjoyed another sporadic peek into my brain! I also hope you’re doing as well as possible.
Have I missed anything noteworthy with you? Let me know in the comments!
Have a lovely day
Timothy Winchester x
*This is how well all the elements of the candle work together. I think that’s important! You don’t want to buy a candle called “Pink Rose,” that is green and smells like chocolate! Well, maybe YOU would? But I don’t think it would be very effective.