Pages

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Where did October go?

Hi there. It's me.

And it looks like I've made October a real kind of "bookends" month for my blog, popping in on the 1st and then disappearing until the very end of the month.

Here's a quick recap of all the fun.

We went apple picking! We ended up with 30 pounds of apples (insane), and thus had to cook up every apple recipe we could think of in the following weeks. We also each ate at least two apples a day for the entire month.

We went to the Renaissance Festival. This was only my second time going, and this year wasn't as much fun as last. Since the weather was just gorgeous, it felt like everyone had the same idea as us, and the crowds were pretty brutal. I also felt totally sick that night after eating Renaissance Festival food...eeeek!

We cooked our very own pho, and it was positively fantastic. It was also surprisingly easy to do, and pretty inexpensive.

I went camping for the very first time. And after posing for a photo in our tent and feeling like I was an L.L. Bean model, things quickly went downhill. The temperature dropped to 40°F that night, and I couldn't stop thinking about a serial killer entrenching upon our camp. Peeing in the woods was as dreadful as expected.

"Let's pack this tent up!" I exclaimed shortly before 8 o'clock that Sunday morning, shaking a poor Adam awake. "Let's GO HOME."

I will never forget how wonderful that hot shower and morning nap in our cozy bed felt. Sigh.

We hosted a costume bash this past Friday. Adam and I dressed up as Hopper and Barb from Stranger Things, Gus was a lion, and Clementine was a monkey. We had two fires going in the yard, chicken and beef chili, and lots of wonderful friends stop by. But man oh man was I ready to take off those reader glasses and itchy wig by the end of the evening.


What I remember most about this October though is the absolutely perfect weather, with so many days of sunny skies and gentle breezes. I remember the lazy weekend mornings, with hazelnut coffee and sleepy dogs, and chilly nights on the front porch sipping on red wine. I remember driving down our street after a night of rain and seeing the orange and yellow leaves floating through the air. I remember feeling cozy and content.


Saturday, October 1, 2016

Time for All Things FALL

While I consider September 1st as my personal start to fall (it's when I allow myself to start burning pumpkin- and leaves-scented candles), I must admit that the true beginning to autumn definitely belongs to October.

Oh, October!

I am quite pleased with our little cottage—I believe it's been nicely fall-ified.

I set out a bunch of mums and a few pumpkins on the front porch, and I even found a charming scarecrow at Michael's a few weeks ago. He is standing proudly in the front landscape, where the only thing he's actually scared so far is our Golden Retriever.
Clem isn't afraid of the scarecrow. Probably because she is blind.
I've hung my seasonal dishtowels with care.

In our family room, I created a subtle ode to fall on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center. Aren't my Day of the Dead skeletons amazing? They're my favorites.

I've been wanting to stay in more often on the weekends, opting for evenings filled with hot tea and good books, beginning my annual need for coziness.

And we've certainly switched out our summer dinner go-tos with heartier entrées, like this roasted chicken! NOM!

Today, in celebration of the glorious month of October, I'm throwing on my overalls and we are heading to the apple orchard.

I mean, WHAT could be better? :D

Happy fall!!!