Changing Clocks

I thought the “fall back” in time that we recently experienced would make getting out of bed a little easier. Instead, it’s resulted in pitch black driving conditions on the way home from work at night. Though I always get anxious at this time of year thinking about the long march ahead into the dead of winter, I do have a few things in store this month to keep my spirits high:

1. Spend a long weekend hosting friends from college and finding every excuse to do girly activities like a trampoline exercise class
2. Hit the strip in Andersonville and check out some bars and a restaurant that I’ve never before visited
3. Wear my new black leather booties to death
4. Check out the Wonders of the 1893 World Fair exhibit at the Field Museum
5. Continue my heavy use of the crock pot and try a few new recipes
6. Attend a local art and wine festival event with the tickets that I recently scored from a friend
7. Clean out my closet and get my massive sweater pile into the drycleaners
8. Head to Cincinnati to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and eat lots of turkey, cranberries and stuffing
9. Start to seek out the perfect item to add to my ever-growing holiday decoration collection
10. Begin planning my next warm weather vacation…

Crossing County Lines

I had no sooner opened my eyes on Saturday morning before I realized that we had a completely unplanned day ahead of us ready to fill with adventure. I rolled over in bed, grabbed my iPad, took a look at the forecast (dreary but doable), and then quickly flipped through Twitter before stumbling upon this article listing a few local spots for apple and pumpkin picking.

It wasn’t long before we were in the car, coffee in hand, and making our way through cornfields to Stade’s Farm in McHenry County. We took full advantage of the trip by squeezing in a side visit to Glacial Park, where we were able to score a picnic table that afforded us some great vistas and a spot in which to enjoy our still-warm apple cider donuts. I love this time of year.

Greener Pastures

The amazing view in Lake County during a recent road trip

The first week of one of the most gorgeous Midwestern months is already behind us, and I’m left scrambling to accomplish some of my favorite fall activities before the weather turns and we (with great resistance) plunge into the depths of winter. A few of the things that I’m looking forward to this October…

• Packing my new Phillip Lim x Target luggage and heading to a cabin on Lake Okauchee to boat, fish and play board games with my family
• Digging out my multi-colored crocks and Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe and filling my condo with the fragrance of fall
• Carving these ghoulish mini pumpkins
• Eating gooey, toppings-covered caramel apples
• Kicking around colorful leaves while trying out a new hiking trail with my hiking pal, Flossy
• Making s’mores over a campfire
• Paying a visit to Madison for one of their last Farmers’ Markets of the year
• Hitting up a haunted corn maze in the middle of nowhere
• Lighting tons of candles and watching a scary movie
• Finding ways to incorporate my scarf collection into my wardrobe as the weather cools down

New Leaf

Accented my blowout and new Phillip Lim x Target shirt with a marabou pouf

It’s fitting that the first day of fall was this past weekend, as it seemed to usher in an era of transition. I unpacked some warmer clothes, got a new haircut, and added a few new accessories to the mix as the weather leveled off and stuck around the mid 60s. We went into the City for a couples dinner, where I caught up with friends who are busy leading their adult lives all across Chicagoland, and then we headed up to Waukegan to walk another leg of the Des Plaines River Trail (our last visits documented here and here) and to kiss my boyfriend’s childhood home goodbye for the last time. It was a poignant moment that officially put the summer behind us and encouraged us look forward to new places, experiences and traditions. 

The numerology possibilities for my fingers are endless thanks to my new rings

Admiring the convergence of Mill Creek and the Des Plaines River (and one of my first hot drinks of the season)

One last glance before leaving for the final time

We skipped Sunday night dinner in favor of bowls of popcorn, Breaking Bad and the Emmys

Fall Forward

And just like that, one of the last official weekends of summer is upon us. Not only am I desperately looking forward to a long holiday weekend, but I also can’t wait to embrace some of my favorite late summer/early autumn activities in the coming month. Among my goals for September:

• Incorporate a few favorite fall trends into my look, including camouflage, dark green nails and deep berry lips
• Tidy up one room each night so that I don’t have to do anything cleaning-related during the weekend
• Use a long forgotten Chicago ArchitectureFoundation gift card that I recently found in a drawer to rediscover a part of the City
• Set aside time to enjoy a few local chocolate and beer pairings
• Continue to use regular HGTV watching as an impetus to save for a future home, complete with personalized improvements
• Visit the new Trader Joes in my neighborhood frequently to sample all of their specialty goods that I’ve been without for so long
• Whip up a batch of homemade granola to scent the house and put one of my Weck canisters to work
• Organize all of my favorite blogs on Feedly
• Go for runs under falling leaves in the parks along Lake Michigan
• Attend a fall festival up in Lake Country with my sister

I hope that you have a restful holiday weekend too, and I’ll look forward to seeing you around here in the new month!