Autumn wish list 2025 ┃ personal curriculum, hobonichi, 204L

Hi, it's been a while.

Although, not as long as it was the last time I greeted you all, so I guess there has been some improvements on my part. It's probably more to do with my need to be more creative as the season changes. I've felt an urge to write more, learn more, do more... especially as my birthday looms at the end of next month.. 

Starting off small with a little wish list, because I love a good nosey to see what everyone desires in life, so I imagine the feeling is mutual. I've been on a no non-essentials spend the last few months as I try to save up for my trip to Japan and Korea in a month (and I'm shocked at how fast the time has come and still can't believe after almost 20 years I'm finally going!!), SO I've not indulged in any kind of unnecessary wants which has been quite inspiring and humbling. I've fully tapped into my minimalist life, but you know? I love shopping and felt like the least I can do is make myself a little wish list for after I return from the trip. 

• New Balance 204L Trainers - Of course shoes had to be on the list! I've been looking for a nice black pair of trainers to wear for a while and honestly the low profile 204L from New Balance were perfect. But because I'm forgetful, I didn't purchase them on launch date with my staff discount, so I'm waiting for them to be back in stock. My Gel-Kayano 14's are pretty much ripped to shreds, and I've not dabbled in low profile silhouettes in a while, so aside from the Onistuka Tigers I plan on getting in Japan, these are at the top of my list for Autumn footwear. I'll also be on the hunt for some comfortable flats. 

• Coach Work bag - Don't ask me why I want another Coach bag after the handles on my bag ripped when I had them repaired the first time.. The optimist in me says it's because that bag had very thin straps, and my other Coach bag with thicker straps is in mint condition. Whatever the case, I love this brown Lori bag which is currently out of stock, but if I can get my hands on one, I would love it for work, but I need to see if it can fit my laptop and gym gear, because I refuse to carry two bags to work like a kid who has P.E and food tech on the same day.

• Hobonichi weeks 2026 - Despite not using the planner for a third of the year (lol), this is once again on my wish list. My on again, off again relationship with planners and journaling knows no bounds, and I'm at the stage where I just indulge in some journaling and planning when my brain needs it, and leave it on my desk when I don't. The last few weeks I've really needed it, and I keep reaching for my Hobonichi Weeks planner, so I figure I'll get this again for next year, as I basically commonplace, journal, and plan in this one planner. I'm not sure if I'll migrate my workout/health planner into this as well, but we'll see..

• Personal Curriculum - "Oh, how the adults yearn for grad school.." said the top comment on tiktok with 51k likes. I already went to grad school and still, I yearn to study. And this 'Personal Curriculum' trend is one of the most wholesome trends in a long time which I can get behind. I want to make this more of a semester/seasonal thing, and over the summer I've had a lot of interest in goth style (mainly due to my wardrobe being largely black), so I plan to study more on gothic literature as the overarching theme with 'classes' within that theme. Really excited for this one!

• Hair - I've been rocking the same look pretty much the entire year and tbh I'm bored LOL. I've been really vibing with the look of braids, but its been years since I've worn my hair that way, so I'm worried I'll look weird. I also miss my long straight hairstyles as they always made me feel good. Also my bob cuts! I basically just want to invest in my hair again and try out different things. 

• Nails - Along with my non essential spend came the death of my cute nail regime. The past month or so I've worn very basic (read= cheaper) designs and September saw my nails trimmed to the base as I wait for my nails to grow out again. It's been tough but I'm working with it. I actually love the way my shorter nails look, it's very chic and practical. I've been contemplating what designs I'll do for October as it's a mixture of Halloween and my birthday so close together. I also want something cute for Japan.

• Perfume - I've been looking at Vanille Antique from Byredo for years now, and I'm not sure why I haven't purchased yet as it smells divine. I guess I'm hoping for something better to come around before I commit to such a big purchase on something that 'won't last'. Perfumes are the few things that I do like to invest in, and seldom buy. The ones I do have become essentials for the seasonal rotation. I think this might be the season I bite the bullet and buy what I hope to be my holy grail perfume for autumn. 

• Autumn Wardrobe - This seems to be on my list of wants all the time but it wouldn't be my list without one. I've been planning to re-arrange my wardrobe for weeks now and I guess I feel so overwhelmed by the amount of things I have, that I just keep putting it off. As we're officially in autumn and my trip is a month away, I really want to get my wardrobe in order so that I have a nice idea of what I plan to bring with me, and also an idea of what's missing in my wardrobe that I can purchase while in Japan. :) 

As usual, these posts are always intended to be small but I ramble too much to keep it under 1000 words. I wish I could type this fast at uni. I hope you're all having a nice life x 

- Minae