Now that it’s October, I have come to terms with the fact that summer is over (*cries into flannel blanket*) and it’s time to bring on the rest of the year without the amazingness that is warm weather.
As most people know, I could create an entire blog on what I will miss most about summer. I am not too proud to admit that I am the personified version of Leighton Meester’s ‘Summer Girl.” However, there are a few things that make the transition into colder weather bearable for me.
*All pictures are mine unless otherwise noted.
Fall Apparel...
I will miss sundresses and flip flops, but I am excited about these two things…
Peacots
Any article of clothing that makes me feel like I am Olivia Pope is simply the best (hence my obsession with peacoats). I am not a fashionista, but peacoat season is definitely something I look forward to every fall. They just make anyone look like a total boss. Seriously, how can someone not feel that way when wearing a peacoat?
Fall Nail Colors
I am very particular about about which nail polish shades I wear on my nails depending on the time of year. Fall nail colors happen to be my favorite! I usually have a shade of red or pink on my nails, and the “burnt” shades for fall are the absolute best. My top three favorite shades are linked below (listed in ABC order).
- Mink Muffs (…not a shade of red but I still love it!)
- Mrs. Always Right
- With the Band
On the Table...
Every single year, these are my favorite fall eats…
Chicken + Brussels Salad from Sweetgreen
This is, hands down, my favorite salad in the entire world. I know I post up a storm on my Instagram stories whenever I eat the Summer BBQ salad, but it’s only gearing me up for the actual “most wonderful time of the year.”
When the Chicken + Brussels salad is on the menu at Sweetgreen, I make more trips to that dining establishment than I can count. Okay, you’re probably wondering when I am going to stop this rant about why I love that salad and start talking about what’s in it.
The picture I took really does not do it justice, so I’ll list the ingredients below…
Mesclun and Romaine
Apples
Roasted Sweet Potato
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Chicken
Walnuts (I ditch the walnuts)
Cranberry Maple Dressing
Needless to say, it’s DELICIOUS!
Pies in a Bag from Elegant Farmer
The more I look back at all of the food pictures on my phone, the more I realize I have this random obsession with pie. Okay, I am mainly obsessed with the Elegant Farmer pies in a bag (and they are THE BEST), so maybe it isn’t so random after all.
There are other pies I absolutely love and will write about eventually, but for now we are sticking to ALL THINGS FALL. I literally wait all year to treat myself to Elegant Farmer pie and we usually have them at my Thanksgiving dinner.
The picture here makes the pie look so mushy, but the crust is actually so perfect and the caramel on top is epic. Now, can someone please grab me a heaping scoop of ice cream so I can blue-skidoo into this picture and eat the pie straight from the pan? Thanks!
I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is FINALLY right around the corner so I can get my annual slice!
Pumpkin O's from Trader Joe's
I am not a huge fan of pumpkin foods. This is the only pumpkin item I actually will buy while it is in season. I don’t really keep cereal on hand either. Therefore, the Pumpkin O’s from Trader Joe’s is a rare find in my pantry. I do love that the pumpkin flavoring is not super overpowering, and I just add some cinnamon to the bowl before I dig in. I don’t know if the cinnamon actually cuts the already subtle pumpkin flavor, but it’s a mind game I play with myself so just let it happen.
In My Apartment...
Aside from dish towels, I do not have any seasonal decor in my apartment. I do look forward to pumpkin-scented candles every year. Similar to nail polish colors, I am very selective about which scents I have in my apartment during specific times of the year. For fall, I do not have a specific pumpkin candle I need to have in my apartment every year, but I think I got this candle* from Anthropologie last year and loved it. If I am too lazy to make it to Anthropologie (like I have been this year), I usually just go to TJ Maxx and smell literally all the options they have until I settle on a couple for the season.
*unless they changed their scent for 2019
With my Family...
My family and I compete in a gingerbread house decorating contest every year, and we have been incorporating this into Thanksgiving dinner for over 10 years! We each decorate own houses and then our extended family votes on them. As you can see, I absolutely crush the contest some years and definitely fall short in others.There are more pictures of previous houses that I am having trouble uploading but maybe one day I will just make them into a whole separate post.
In Conclusion...
I have been keeping my eyes peeled for some seasonal discoveries that will get me excited about FALL 2020, so now please excuse me while I embrace the very short time of year where I can walk outside without dripping sweat or freezing my face off!
Also, it is important to note that this list of things I look forward to will be taking a hiatus during the winter because I do not look forward to any aspect of winter in Chicago. I am “Team Summer” for life!
