Snowpocalypse

Between starting a new job, the snowpocalypse, and just general life insanity I am behind on blog posts. Above is an unedited video for your viewing pleasure, complete with sideways angles because I forgot my video camera doesn't flip its focus. So I will pretend that you care enough to turn your head to keep the perspective.

Five on Friday// Thanksgiving Crafts

I don't know about you, but I'm just not in a festive mindset yet. I thought that maybe some awesome Fall projects would help set the stage so I searched the web for some great Thanksgiving craft ideas. Here's what I found.

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Use those hollowed out pumpkins from Halloween for a beautiful planter to line a walkway or add some color to a tablescape!

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These fresh flower crowns over at A Beautiful Mess are so fun! They'd be a great addition to any party.

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Indian corn is gorgeous and comes in so many different colors! It's a great addition to holiday decor. This makes an otherwise boring candle pretty and festive.

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This is a simple, but beautiful way to get the whole family involved on Thanksgiving. Collect branches and put them in a mason jar, then have everyone write down something they are thankful for and hang it on the tree.

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This bunting screams Fall and would be a welcome sight in any home. It'd be fun to incorporate pine branches along with the pine cones for a nice fresh scent.

Simple Saturday// Painting with Nature

 I had this idea the other day to try painting with different things found in nature. And you know me, any excuse to break out the paint and make a mess gets me excited. I used a bunch of pine needles as my brush and created a background. Then I collected an assortment of leaves and mixed a few colors of paint to make leaf stamps on my background. To be honest, I'm not sure how much I like my end result, but I think the idea has limitless potential and it was fun to do. The sky's the limit for what you could use as brushes and stamps. It's a super kid friendly activity and the end result could be hung on the wall or used as wrapping paper, a card, or whatever else you can think of.

Falling for Autumn

We have been SO fortunate with our weather lately. It's hard to complain when we have multiple gorgeous sunny days close to 80 degrees. All I want to do is frolic about outside! This weekend I went to Chestnut Ridge park with my boyfriend. There's really no better way to put this, it was delicious out. Autumn smells, summer weather. I was in heaven. We spent a pleasant couple of hours wandering the trails, playing in the leaves, and enjoying the rainbow of trees.

Simple Saturday// Mulled Cider

 It is the season of cider! There is little that screams Fall flavor to me like cider, especially since I don't care for pumpkin. Sorry PSL fans. I will not be joining you. Hot cider is a wonderful accompaniment to chilly Fall days and with a couple of added spices, you can have a really simple and delicious mulled cider.

 I did not make my own cider so this recipe was ultra simple, although I've heard you can do the whole shebang in a crockpot. We are fortunate enough to have Mayer Brothers Cider Mill locally, but it's only open a few months a year so it has quite the cult following. For my mulled cider I started with 4 cups of cider in a medium sized saucepan. I added a 1/4 tsp of each of the following: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg. I found that this amount of spice was perfect for the amount of cider, but you can adjust the amount and kinds of spices based on preference. After adding the spices, I heated the cider on a low heat for about 20 minutes until it was warmed through. This is delicious and so simple to do. The spices don't overpower, but enhance the cider. Enjoy this Fall classic!

Tall Boots, Taller Socks

 I don't know what the weather's been like in your neck of the woods, but in dear old Buffalo it was 85 degrees yesterday and today it is cool, rainy, and wicked blustery. Talk about a wardrobe challenge; everyday is a surprise weather wise. It doesn't feel like October to me even with pumpkins and Halloween decorations everywhere. The leaves seem to be dying faster than they can change color. Hopefully we hit a dry spell so I can create a good old fashioned leaf pile to romp around in.

 I realize this is my second consecutive outfit post with leggings. You'll just have to bear with me as you'll be seeing them a lot. They're easy to layer with and they're comfortable. Don't hate it.

Chambray: Borrowed, T-shirt: Conversation Pieces, Leggings: Gift, Socks: SockDreams, Boots: Target, Necklace: DIY

Love for Leggings

 I know leggings polarize a lot of people. You either love em or you hate em. I for one love them! I love not having to wear actual pants when it gets cold! They are comfortable, perfect for layering, and allow for a better range of motion. I almost never sit properly in chairs and leggings let me do what I want! Live long and prosper fellow legging wearers, I salute you.

Jacket: Steve and Barry's, Shirt: Old Navy, Tunic: Handmade, Leggings: Gift, Boots: Rocket Dog, Necklace: Gift

My darlin' momma took these outfit photos for me. I love having this field behind my house. It's nice, and for me, necessary, to see something other than houses and telephone lines when I go outside. It is gorgeous and we get to see the deer :)

Pack Your Bags

Bag 1 Anthropologie

Bag 2 Anthropologie

Bag 3 Ebay
Bag 4 Free People
Bag 5 Ebay

It's the season of the weekender! Time for fall drives to see the leaves change, short trips, hot chocolate, and layers! I am obsessed with the three kilim bags, especially the last one. So much so that I am trying to figure out how I can make one so I don't have to drop a couple hundos to purchase one. Happy adventuring!