It's that time of year where you can hear the distinct voice of Eli Gold saying "
Touchdown Alabama!" Where
Pumpkin Spice is found in all foods for a limited time. And there is a rush to go to Bath and Body Works for candles that will have houses glowing and smelling like autumn in no time.
Two years ago I did a post of
Fall Necessities, and it's still one of my favorite posts to date. For me there is nothing more exciting and fascinating than the autumn months. I probably will always associate learning with this time of the year which helps enrich this time of year for me. This year I'm adding to the other list just a few things from clothing to food.
First thing on my list this year is
beanies or toboggans. I used to wear these all the time in my senior year of high school. Now it's just easy for me to pull one down on my head and go with it. I really like wearing them around the house because I keep it so cold in the house and when my hair is down my head can sometimes get cold.
It's fun to wear them out in public even when hot to just because I like beanies with fun sayings or graphics. I like them made out of all materials as well. Running is another time when I like to wear them. I have found some in the past with a hole in the back for a ponytail. Those are the ones that I really like for running. I just like beanies again.
When I was little the smell of cinnamon and apple made me think of autumn. My mom loved those twig brooms that were covered in cinnamon.
Apples were a staple to me then and they are staple to me now. They have so many uses to them besides just eating!
I love eating apples though. A warm apple pie topped with homemade vanilla bean ice cream is amazing to have after a hard day. Just a plain apple for a snack is delicious to me. I love the sound of the skin breaking on an apple as you bite into it. And the heavenly taste and smell of apple cider with apple bread is a feat that cannot be beat.
As a family, apple picking is something to look forward to every year. A bushel of apples is a beautiful sight when you have picked them yourself and knowing that you are going to make fabulous things with the apples. You can make art projects, apple butter, caramel apples, candied apples, and even tell a story or two!
It wasn't until a few years ago I really got into
cheese plates. Before then, the only cheese, cracker, and meat plates/board I knew of was a Lunchable. But that's not very creative or mature for a person that is edging toward her 30s. I enjoy a slew of cheeses now, and I rather enjoy learning how to properly pair those cheese with meats, wines, and fruits. That's what I love about them is the many different combinations of cheeses and sorts.
Autumn isn't the only time for cheese plates. Cheese plates can be enjoyed any time of the year, but I like the idea of having a cheese board available to snack on throughout the day. Another idea I love is enjoying an autumn cheese plate while on an autumn picnic while enjoying the fall foliage.
Quilted Vests has become a fashion staple for me in fall. I like having different colored ones so that I can pair them with any long sleeve blouse. They just feel so comfortable without having to put on a jacket or hoodie. I prefer to wear them during the day than just at night.
Many people wonder why just wearing a vest is sufficient though... and I have to agree I didn't understand myself at first. But this give mobility and helps just to add a layer without adding bulk. I'm not saying if it ever snows that I'm just going to wear a vest and be done. But if I'm outside during the cooler nights and I really don't need a jacket and I need to move my arms a vest is what I will wear. Or even if I just have to run out somewhere a jacket can be a nuisance in the vehicle.
Sure the sound of
crunch, crunch of the leaves are a wonderful sound, but there are many others that can be heard during this time. I prefer Bing Crosby, and not his Christmas music, but his many other artfully done songs. My
headphones turn this chaotic world and life into a beautiful musical. So many genres and so many talented artists.
Listening to music or even an audio book during an autumn rain storm is beautiful. There is nothing like curling up and enjoying the sounds of something amazing through your headphones as you are transported wherever you want to be transported. To me, curling up at my grandmother's house with a mug of soup, and listening to Bing Crosby croon out the lyrics; "
The falling leaves drift by the window, the falling leaves of red and gold."
Lipsticks in the cooler months are so amazing to play around with to change up the color. I don't like neon or coral lip colors, and that's what I have to wear in the spring unless I want to wear a nude color lipstick. To me I hate that because to me makeup is about enhancing not covering up your beauty.
Deep reds, black, burgundy, purple and several others is what I wear during the cooler months. There is something about wearing a purple lip that just gives me this powerful feeling because it is so different than anything else. Or how mysterious it feels wearing a black lipstick can give you a feeling like you are doing something so different. And wearing a bold red lip has always been in style.
Although, cookies are wonderful all year round there is nothing like
fresh baked cookies when the wind is blowing and windows are starting to rattle from the wind. Cookies can calm the soul, just by warming them up and sniffing without ever taking a bite-- that's a fact! Cookies are huge at bake sales and with the arrival of fall, it's bake sale season!
There are all kinds of different kinds of cookies, and different ways to make cookies. I'm old fashion, and I don't suffer from anything that requires me to eat gluten free, fat free, or anything of that nature. I just enjoy delicious cookies and sometimes I even enjoy them with real buttercream frosting on them! If you are going to make cookies, make them right!
And if you don't like working from a homemade recipes of cookies there are plenty of different options. I enjoy slice and bake cookies.
Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Cheesecake cookies are a delectable. But my favorite cookies of the autumn season? Halloween Oreos! What do they put in them to make them the best?
Recently, I started to get into the fading trend of
skater dresses and
skater skirts. I just know that in the past I was only just okay with them and would only wear them here and there. Now... I wear them all the time! I cannot believe I waited so long to get on this band wagon of skater dresses!
Now there are many ways to dress up or down a skater dress and skirt. Different patterns, styles, and fabrics all lead to many combinations with sweaters, jackets, blouses and footwear. The possibilities are endless with this fashion of a skater dress.
If you are going to take me up on wearing the skater dress, I would make sure to have some fleece
tights or some kind of tights to keep your legs from getting really chilly in the autumn breeze. There are several different kind of tights nowadays. You can get many different ones with patters of all sorts of things on them, or even sparkly ones.
And the weather is getting more dry by the day, and that means that you skin can become very parched. Mine skin has already started becoming more and more dry. Thank goodness for
lotion! I know some people do not like Bath and Body Works lotion, I'm not one of those people. I adore the scents they have, you cannot make some of those scents with essential oils, no matter how hard you try.
Though I do love a good body scrub and body butter to help aid the lotion from time to time. My favorite for the last two years is
Dionis Spiced Pumpkin Hand Cream. This lotion smells like fall in a bottle. I get compliments on it's smell all the time. People ask me what it is all the time when I wear it. Some have even told me that that they want to eat me.
Drip, drop, squeak, squeak... The sound of rain in the fall with
Hunter Boots on! I love Hunter Boots, simply because of their name. I'm really kidding. I love them because they are cute and functional. There is nothing like a good pair of wellies, or Wellington boots to keep your feet dry on a cold, damp day.
Being the mom that I am, even I enjoy a good rain puddle and these are perfect. So many people I know don't like to get them wet. That is the whole purpose is to get them wet. So why not live a little while wearing them, and using them to their full potential.
Last time I mentioned leggings and trust me I still adore leggings. I doubt there will come a time when I go back to wearing anything but leggings some days. However, I make sure to wear oversized sweaters/shirts or
tunic shirts. These kinds of shirts have really changed my life. Some of my favorite ones are from Modcloth;
Simplicity on a Saturday.
Saying that I adore these tops is understatement. I am obsessed with them. They are so easy to wear around and layer that is is ridiculous. There are tunics that you can't layer well because of the style but these you can. I recommend these tops to anyone who lives in leggings and wants to feel like they are wearing a tshirt to work when you actually dressed up!
Between coffee shop stops, football games, and bonfire parties you need something simple to hold essentials in and something that doesn't take up space. I prefer a
wristlet most of the year while I'm on the go, but during autumn it's even more so. Mostly the reason I do that is because my purses are all huge. I don't even envy the people with a small purse because it just looks puny to me.
However, with a wristlet you can get by with a lot of things. There are so many options for a wristlet today. From knock offs to Kate Spade, Dooney & Burke, and Bendell just to name a few that are awesome wristlets. I like one that can hold my phone, money/cards, and a think of lip balm and gloss. That's it.
Soups, chilis, and chowders made straight from the steaming
Crock-pot on a blustery day is like heaven. While I do enjoying using the Crock-pot during the hotter months so that I don't have to turn on the oven, there is something to using it during the cooler months to enjoy the smell of something savory in the little electric pot steaming the contents inside. I like to really get creative when making things during the fall, like recipes for tailgating or bonfire nights.
My
Crock-pot has even been known to make a dessert or two in the past. Like mulled apple cider or hot chocolate has even been produced during autumn and winter at my house. There are so many different recipes to discover on
Pinterest to help you find the perfect Crock-pot meal. You can even visit
365 Days of Slow Cooking, which you guessed it has daily recipes and over 365 recipes.
I am so glad that is fixing to be fall and that hints of fall are already in the air. Football season has started and the stores have out Halloween decorations. I am munching on candy corn as I finish writing this up. Autumn is upon us once again!
What are some of the things that remind you autumn? Do you have anything that you would add?
