The Great Pumpkin

I'm celebrating tonight by watching my all-time favorite Halloween movie and trying not to overdose on fun-size candy bars. What are you doing?
Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Chewy Caramel Apples

Waiting for these freshly dipped apples to cool before giving them a drizzle of dark chocolate. I can't think of a better football-watching treat!
Super easy recipe found here.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Wintry mani inspired by this freakish October snowstorm. Chanel Riva with Deborah Lippmann's Today Was a Faity Tale glittery accent nail. I'm in love with this pale blue polish.

Trim the Tresses

Best way to end a grueling week? With a relaxing color and cut at my favorite neighborhood salon, of course! I was long overdue for a trim and I'm always amazed at how much better I feel afterwards. Crossing my fingers that this forecasted snowstorm completely misses us this weekend. I'm not ready for winter yet!

First Flakes

Yes, those are snow flakes on my fleece and I'm not happy about it. Pre-Halloween snow is way too soon!

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

I just got home from the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, an annual event that takes place at Providence's Roger Williams Park Zoo. It was amazing, to say the least. There are over 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins scattered throughout a trail with themes and music playing throughout. This is the third year in a row that I've gone and it seems to get better each year!

One of my favorites this year was this beautiful dragon that represented the Chinese New Year as part of the "Around the World" section of the show. First of all, it was huge and so detailed. I feel like the picture doesn't even look like a real pumpkin! It was a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit and now I can't wait to carve a pumpkin this weekend. Read more about the exhibit and check out lots of photos here.

Monogrammed Notecards

Special thanks to my littlest sister, Birch, for sending these amazing notecards my way! She has been working on a new project at her job involving adding personalization to the line of bags they manufacture and came across these during the research process. I'll be sure to put them to good use! I do love anything personalized.

Five Minutes Peace

I really savor my quiet time in the mornings before I leave for work. If I have time, I like to take half an hour to have a cup of coffee, enjoy my breakfast, and catch up on my daily blog reads. Although it doesn't happen this way every day, I try to plan for this time at least three or four mornings during the week. It seems to make the rest of my day seem less rushed. Do you have an early morning routine before your day really gets going?

Moneyball Matinee

Finally made it out to the movies this afternoon to see Moneyball. As someone who loves baseball (and math), I thought it was a really great film. Jonah Hill played his character incredibly well and obviously Brad Pitt is always great. Two thumbs up!

Leather and Lace

Today I paired a feminine lace top with my favorite Vince leather jacket for a girlie-glam look while strolling outside of Boston. A good leather jacket is such a great closet staple!

Channeling Austin

Given the choice between coffee and tea, I almost always go with coffee. Today, I deviated from the norm and ordered a spicy hot chai, which always makes me think of my little sister Austin, who makes the best homemade chai tea. I can't wait to have one when I'm home in December!

Commuter Capture

Pretty view of downtown Providence from the ride home tonight.

Scheduling Snafu

A post-work cup of coffee and scheduling session was a peaceful way to end a hectic day. Sometimes it seems impossible to fit every appointment, phone call, and piece of paperwork into my day!

Bad Luck Boots

I have the worst luck with Frye boots. This is the third pair I'm sending back (for various reasons). At least Zappos has free shipping both ways! Here's hoping the replacements work out.

Pretty Packaging

I swooned over the nautical packaging on this chocolate bar!

The Fun Bun

Rocking a Kourtney Kardashian-inspired high bun today courtesy of this tutorial from The Beauty Department. It was super easy.

A Day Spent Downcity

Today was pretty much the perfect fall day. We kicked it off with brunch at one of our favorite restaurants downtown (that also served the best coffee drinks), hit some of the local boutiques, and ran errands in preparation for football watching on Sunday. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and it felt like autumn once again.

Popcorn and Pinot

Finally, the work week is over. I spent the evening celebrating that fact with friends at a local dive bar and it was just what I needed to welcome the weekend. The popcorn didn't hurt, either.
Happy Friday!

Mid-Week Celebration

Just a few bangles to help me get through the day. It can only get better after yesterday, right?

I Know How Alexander Feels

You know, from the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Good thing the neighborhood pizza joint knows how to make up for it. Our waitress arrived at the table with two pitchers full of ice to keep the drinks cold (and flowing)! I love having a go-to local spot to enjoy dinner and a glass of wine after an exceptionally long and trying day.

Farmer's Heirlooms

I've recently fallen in love with heirloom tomatoes. I don't know if it's because they've been so readily available at the farmer's market all summer, or if their various colors make me happy, but I love having a few on hand. Recently, I've been slicing them up and having them with scrambled eggs and Ezekiel toast for breakfast. I discovered these miniature heirlooms over the weekend at Trader Joe's and have already incorporated them into an end-of-summer salad and breakfasts.

Crunching Leaves

Today was the perfect morning for a jog around the neighborhood. Even though it's going to be another unseasonably hot day, it was crisp, cool, and the leaves are finally starting to change.

Indian Summer

Although the thermometer on my porch is not 100% accurate, temps did get up to the upper 80s here in Providence today. It's been nice, but the wacky weather has left me with a little bit of a cold and stuffy sinuses. Hopefully it passes soon so I can enjoy the long weekend!

Multi-Pics

I've been having so much fun with my new diptic app. It's a great way to create little collages with your iPhone photos and add different colors/effects. I'm going to use it to capture an outfit (think shoes, hair, accessories). Do you have a fav photo app?

Seasonal Cup of Joe

I'm in love with all things pumpkin, but I'm not sure about straight pumpkin-flavored brewed coffee. I asked at the checkout, and was told that the Trader Joe's blend is more 'pumpkin pie spice' than actual pumpkin. I think it might be worth trying, especially with the holidays around the corner and lots of cold mornings ahead!

Pink Pony

Thanks to Blair's amazing fashion sense, I now have an updated way to style my (very old) pink pony tee.

Job-Less

Rest in peace to one of the most influential minds of our lifetime.

Halloween Cheer

It's starting to get spooky around here!

Gossip Catch-Up

I'm the first to admit that I was late to hop on the Gossip Girl train, but now I'm completely hooked. I'm about halfway through with season three, and I have to say, the college years have been great so far (unlike the major Saved by the Bell letdown)! Plus, the fashion keeps getting better. I'm hoping to catch up by the end of the current season. Is it worth continuing? Chuck Bass is my favorite character (and Georgina my least fav)!

Sunday Sweets

I love Sundays, especially in the fall. M and I have a regular routine where we wake up and go to one of our favorite bakeries for coffee (and sometimes a sweet treat). We plan out all of our dinners for the week and then go straight to the market to get the shopping out of the way so we can make it home in time for football. I love it because it's something to look forward to, plus it saves a lot of time with making dinners during the work week. This morning we had iced coffees and I stole a bite of M's old fashioned cinnamon roll. It was so good, and reminded me more of a cinnamon-sugar donut.

Do you have any Sunday routines?

My Kind of Equipment

I debuted my very first Equipment blouse out to dinner tonight! Now I really feel like a grown up. I can't wait to collect more colors (like poppy). They are such a splurge, but definitely luxurious and a great investment piece.