welcome fall

It happens every year. The mercury stops its climb at 70 degrees, and before I know it, I’m daydreaming of afternoons spent at apple orchards and eating homemade pumpkin bread just out of the oven. I wake up with a renewed energy to head out for my morning run – because there really is no better run than the kind where the grass is wet with dew, and the air is chilly enough that I’ll leave my long-sleeved tee on the whole time – and I have the urge to listen to Ella and Bing again.

What ratchets this year’s fall season up a bit higher on the ‘special’ scale is that I get to spend it with my newly two-year olds who are busily learning every new thing there is to know about their world. What a magical time of year for them! Things are changing. Leaves are falling, geese are honking up above, and Mommy’s busy baking tasty treats again. This fall will mark the first time they run through a leaf pile and pick their own pumpkins at a patch; this fall they get to taste how delicious hot cocoa is after playing outside on a chilly afternoon.

It's the simple things that make me so happy, and I can't wait to share these special first moments with them.


Welcome fall!

back in the saddle again

What began as just a few days off quickly spiraled into a few weeks, and before I knew it a few months even, but I'm so happy to be back now. Hello friends! I hope you've been having a splendid fall. This is my most favorite time of year. Crunchy leaf piles, baked apples and sweater weather make me smile.

Just a few favorite fall things...

Trader Joe's pumpkin butter for breakfast.
Makes waffles taste heavenly.



Cozy pj's.
And tucking under a cozy down comforter for bed.



Orange and black.
Which, coincidentally, are my high school colors. go Phantoms!
(And, upon closer look, the stripes may actually be brown, but close enough!)



Trading in flip-flops for (beautiful!) boots.





What have you been up to? What's your most favorite thing about this time of year?

xo, Kristin

summer fun

So, how have I been spending my lazy days of summer? Just doing a little of this...

gobbling up ridiculous amounts of watermelon * smiling at my flip-flop tan lines * chasing after two little ones who have learned to crawl - and fast! * eating gooey marshmallow s'mores * finally getting a library card and checking out some new reads * wishing I could dance even just a little bit like my favorites on “So You Think You Can Dance” * looking out for beautiful pieces of vintage milk glass *




growing my first tomato plant * cuddling with my pup * celebrating a birthday with a volcano cake * enjoying family walks with stops along the way for chai lattes and blueberry scones * loving the days that have been humidity free * treating my tootsies to pedicures * reading a few chapters before bed each night * roadtripping to northern Wisconsin for a week of family fun * (and lamenting the speeding ticket that I still have to pay) *




baking my very first carrot cake with cream cheese frosting * running at daybreak * wishing my friends luck as they pack up and move to the suburbs * using the grill more than the oven * bending into lots of down-dogs * enjoying the bounty of fresh summer fruits * drinking a fair share of chilled white wine * brunching with my best girl friends * watching in awe as my children learn and do new things each day * playing like a kid again *




And finally, thanking heaven for this wonderful life that is mine. all mine.



(All of the images in this post are from the uber-talented Jane Heller and are available for sale here. 1, 2, 3)

royal apothic rollerball

"inspired by the scent of a California orange grove in bloom."

I just can't stop smelling my new perfume...

(Royal Apothic Rollerball Perfume in Orange Blossom, $16 at Anthropologie)

i love it. love it. love it.

favorite things from a to z

(warning: lots of words, no pictures)


Just a few things that make me happy...


Anthropologie, "Annie", homemade apple crisp, AG Jeans (definitely my favorite fit; I can't wait to wear jeans again!)

vintage buttons, bubbles, ooey-gooey brownies, brunch with friends, blogs (from where else would I get all this inspiration?), Bleeding Heart Bakery blueberry scones

cardigans, christmas carols, C.O. Bigelow mentha lip gloss, crooner music, vintage cake stands, cupcakes, chocolate mousse, cookbooks, chesterfield sofas, cheese popcorn, camp fires, the board-game Clue

date nights with wade, dove chocolate, dark wood floors, dairy queen, diet coke from out of the fountain

etsy

farmer's markets, fortune cookies, flip flops, fonts, fireflies, flea markets

glazed linen, grilled cheese sandwiches, gummy bears, giggling babies, ghost stories

our honeymoon in Italy, hammocks, Hariboo raspberries, historical fictions, havarti cheese with dill

ice cream, Italian food, interior design books

Judy Blume's "Just As Long As We're Together," Jack-o-Lanterns, costume jewelry, J. Crew

kookaburra licorice

letterpress, lilacs, lulu, lazy weekends, libraries, "Love Actually," La Cucina handsoap, lilies of the valley

antique milk glass, milkshakes, monograms, my Michelle watch, memoirs, Michael by Michael Kors perfume

naps, Nestle Flips (chocolate covered pretzels)

otters, christmas ornaments, Oberweis dark chocolate ice cream

peonies, peanut butter m&m's, polaroid pictures, petit fours, photobooths, pop-up books, parmesan cheese, Painted Lady boutique in Chicago

handmade quilts

ruffles, homemade rice pudding, Real Simple magazine, running

free samples at Trader Joe's, stationary, stripes, s'mores, sundresses, sparklers, sharpies, strawberries, scarves, Sweet Mandy B's (the best cupcakes in Chicago!), spooky movies, "Sixteen Candles"

turtlenecks, Turtle Sundaes from Scooter's

ultrasound pictures of our babies!, Up in the Air Somewhere handmade pottery

homemade valentines, violets, Vinho Verde from Trader Joe's, vanilla steamers

Wellies, "When Harry Met Sally," white interiors, words to live by

"Young Frankenstein," yoga, "You've Got Mail"

(sorry, I can't think of any x's.... or z's.)


How about you? What are some of your favorites?

monday mornings

Oh boy, am I getting off to a slow start today.

It all started with the perfect morning, actually. The kind where the cool breeze was blowing in just the right way so that we had to pull the blankets up under our chins. I just laid in my cozy bed listening to the birds outside and cuddling with Lulu and Wade. Our bed was so warm and cozy and peaceful... no one wanted to get up!

And now I'm just moving in slo-mo. I wish I could crawl back in bed!

(The Window II by Jersey Maids)