looking back: oct-dec 2011

OCTOBER:

NOVEMBER:

DECEMBER:

2010

in which november has begun...

... and it's cold. Too cold for sheer&sleeveless in the open air.

(dress: vintage; slip: uo; skirt/belt: thrifted; shoes: seychelles)

Halloween was wonderful! K and I didn't try to do anything too fancy, which I think is key. We carved our funny pumpkin...

... and then ordered a pizza and cuddled on the couch watching scary movies and drinking wine (and playing with matches). It was the absolute perfect way to spend the scariest night of the year, especially after such a busy weekend!

over the weekend: whitcomb's land of pumpkin

Another really lovely fall weekend is behind me, and I'm happy to report that K and I have an incredibly warty wonder of a pumpkin to carve later this week :)

On Friday night we went on a date to India House (we wanted to eat at Shalimar but parking in Burlington was a nightmare--damn UVM homecoming weekend), where we drank masala tea and gorged ourselves on samosas, curry and naan. Can't be beat. The service was soooooooo slow--we were there for over two hours, which has not been my experience at Indian restaurants in the past--usually they're practically throwing food at us and we're out of there in an instant. It was kind of nice to just sit and relax and drink tea and wait patiently (okay, I wasn't so patient, especially when the samosas took half an hour to come out) for our food. We picked up some Reeses Pieces and settled in at home for an evening of E.T. (I haven't seen it in so long!) and fall cider/Octoberfest beer. The next day I went for a long run (yay me!), watched some girly movies and then did some writing late into the night.

But Sunday was the best! K and I lounged around the house all morning, and then headed out to Whitcomb's Land of Pumpkin, where we picked up a few gourd-geous new friends and spent an hour or so getting lost in the corn maze! It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun tromping through the mud and finding the "checkpoints" to fill in our word scramble card and solve the riddle. My proudest moment came when I found the candy jackpot (I'm a fiend when it comes to sweets)! It was a perfect autumn activity. K took me to a haunted corn maze on our first "official" date, so it was nice to take a little walk down memory lane (or row?) as well (and the hanging skeletons in daylight were a lot less terrifying than the live monsters that nearly gave me a heart attack the first time around).

All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend a weekend! And now, back in the grind... but next weekend promises to be just as marvelous!

in which i love leaves

I love days like this. The sky is grey, there is a crisp fall breeze, the leaves match my outfit... ;) This dress is perfection for autumn.

(dress: thrifted; sweater: vintage; tights: h&m; shoes: lulu*s)

I really should just commit to doing my hair every day. I always like my outfit better when I tease my hair... is that weird? It's like an accessory in and of itself. When I was at the grocery store the other day, the cashier asked me if I was wearing a bumpit, and when I assured her that it was au naturale, she was quite impressed. Apparently she had fond memories of her mother's hairdo back in the '60s, and all of the teasing and hairspray it involved. There is definitely something to be said for not ravaging the heck out of your hair on a daily basis, but I figure since I don't straighten or dye it I'm probably better off than a lot of ladies anyway (as far as damage is concerned). <--- That's just me justifying my actions. I do that.

After my fun-filled weekend, I find myself in a bit of a Hump Day Slump today. Maybe it's just the laundry looming over my head. Hopefully the apple pie I'm having for lunch will lift my spirits (I tried to protest the apple pie bake-off at the office, but in the end it was too much to resist).

I just got a sudden urge to jump in a leaf pile.

That was weird.

over the weekend: apple picking!

I had a great weekend. Ever since K and I moved (back) to Vermont in 2008, we have been vigilant about sticking to a few fall traditions: apple picking and pumpkin carving. There is just something about autumn that begs us to take advantage--maybe it's because autumn is the last hurrah before we hibernate all winter, maybe it's some biological need to celebrate the harvest season, maybe it's because I was born in October and apple cider just runs in my blood ;) Whatever the reason, it's great fun (here we are in 2009 and 2010). After a scrumptious brunch at Libby's Diner in Colchester (yummmmmmm vegetarian benedict), we headed over to Shelburne Orchards, where we picked a bushel (40 lbs!) of McIntosh apples in under an hour (there were so many!). It was a gloriously sunny 75 degrees, and we had a wonderful time wandering through the rows, comparing best picks, and marveling at the beautiful scenery. We wrapped up the afternoon with hot cider on the hillside, and brought our apples home for lunches and pies and the like :)

That night I headed over to my parents' house, where they were having a big going-away gala for a neighborhood friend. It was a wild night, complete with a bonfire, mad dancing, fabulous people and lots and lots of wine. (Woodbury is where it's at.) No photographic evidence, but it's probably better that way. The next morning I got up feeling a little bit worse for wear, played a round of Bananagrams with my mom to give my muddled brain a bit of a workout, and went for a leisurely stroll in the forest before driving home on the back roads with the windows down and Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band playing bluesy music into the open air.

Good times :)