{Five Things}

My dad with the flag he made for our friends' wedding.

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, and Friendsgiving on Tuesday, I'm finding myself more and more on Pinterest looking for warm recipes and decorations to fill our house. Though we'll be in California for Christmas and may not even get a tree (*tear*), I can't help but look forward to having my own house someday to decorate. 

After last weekend's fantastic and liver-busting wedding of two good friends and marvelous people, I'm looking forward to a simple weekend of reading, preparing for Friendsgiving, and going to see Mockingjay with a buddy. #HGforever 

The cutest floor dwellers I've ever seen in a coffee shop.

Snow covered pansies from Sunday.

All week I've been drinking hot water with lemon in the afternoons. I love that it keeps me warm and doesn't give me the shakes like coffee does.

One of the best views around is on Steamboat Mountain south of Abilene.

The Trouble with Fall

Fall is a wonderful time of the year, perhaps even the best. The weather cools down, the leaves turn beautiful shades of orange, red and yellow, and I begin to select every day items from my scarf collection again.

But, there are some stressful bits about this wonderful season that I would like to address here. Tell me if you agree.

1. Halloween costumes -- My friend Olivia loves to go all out with her costumes. They often involve lots of face paint, and elaborate outfit, and probably a few props to make it impressive and bold. My ideas don't come that easily. I love a good play on words, like Pig in a Blanket, which I was a few years back, or Facebook (thank you Office).

London, circa 2009

But still, every year, I stress about a good costume that is warm, comfortable, clever, and makes me look 10 pounds lighter. Am I really asking for a lot here?? This year, the runners up are 50 shades of gray, a luffa, or maybe a shooting star. Of course, all this could be moot because I'm not sure I have plans yet for Halloween, which I need to fix immediately.

50 Shades of Gray...but where to get all those paint samples??

2. The impending doom that is Christmas shopping for relatives -- I'm lucky; there are five of us in my family, and my brothers don't really care about presents (I get them gifts anyway, though, because I am the best sister ever). So, I don't have nearly as much to complain about than the people who are buying for family members in the double digits. I typically wait until after Thanksgiving to buy presents for my family, but this year I'm planning to shop early. "Planning" being the key word here. I love buying and giving presents to people, and I make a concerted effort to listen throughout the year for passing comments my family members or friends make about something they want or need. I don't always remember, but the few times I did made it much easier to buy for people when St. Nick came around.

What?! No.

3. Pumpkins -- All. The. Pumpkins. I love them, don't get me wrong, but we need to look at who we are as a society and a species. It's getting a little ridiculous. Google Pumpkin Spice Overload and click on Images and you'll see what I'm talking about. I bought a pumpkin a few weeks ago, baked it, puree-ed it, and made two loaves of pumpkin bread. Then I put the rest in the freezer because it stressed me out to think about how many pumpkin-spiced things I could make with it. I'll probably use it for a pie for Thanksgiving, but until then, we need to calm down with the pumpkin, people.




Okay, now that I got all that out of the way, I'm going to backtrack. Because besides these problems that I felt like complaining about today, fall will remain my favorite season. Going the extra mile to make a Halloween party fun, or buying a thoughtful gift for a loved one, yields more connection and wonderful times spent with family and friends. The effort is always rewarded in the end.

Once I've picked out my costume, I'm going to have a great time with my friends on Halloween. After buying Christmas presents, I'm going to sit wrapped in a blanket by the fire with my family. And despite complaining about all the pumpkins, I know me, and I'll probably have at least four more Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks before the season is over. After all, they are pretty delicious.

What do you love/hate about fall?

{Five Things}

Currently working my way through these fall catalogues.

This week, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen and around fall-themed things. We had so much food in our fridge and freezer, that I knew if I didn't use it for one thing or another I would have to throw out its entire contents in the near future. I'm working at the store again today and tomorrow, and look forward to a quiet weekend at home planning my next adventure (to be announced soon!).

Have a great weekend!

With a real pumpkin sitting on our counter for almost a week, I had to do something about it. The result? Pumpkin bread.

Loving the mums and pumpkins on the front stoop!

Maybe the cutest invitation I've ever seen: An empty wine bottle with a great bottle stopper.

Spaghetti Squash that I probably will not make again. It was okay, but not my favorite. Plus the whole time I only thought about the pasta that could have been in my bowl. 

{Five Things}

A pumpkin patch just north of town where we found seven pretty ones to bring home.

While this week was full of the usual (errands, work outs, and cooking), today and tomorrow I'm breaking the mold by working at the store where I used to work. The boss is out of town so I'll be helping out while she's gone. I'm looking forward to putting in a couple of days of work, and am excited to see some former friends/coworkers/customers and catch up on the past few months. Have a great weekend!

Kindle and coffee on a cool, early fall morning.

Getting a toy for Little Bit, which was quite overwhelming.

I'm thinking about sprucing up my room with a succulent or two.

Taking a break during Wednesday afternoon's brutally hard tennis session.

PS. Happy Aaron Samuels Day! (h/t Katie for reminding me.)

My Favorite Time of the Year

Tuesday was the first day of Fall!! I love fall, you love fall, all white girls love fall. But for me, it's more than the scarves, the leaves turning colors, and comfort food. For me, it's all about the TV shows. The stories, the drama, the everything. It makes me giddy. This list is going to seem like I do nothing but watch TV, but I promise it's not true.**  I limit my TV time to only a couple hours per day, and only after dinner. Otherwise, I could pretty easily sit on the couch all day with a bag of Doritos and do nothing productive ever.

I wrote last week about lessons learned from medical dramas, but this year there are a whole slew of other shows that I'm super excited about.

1. Once Upon A Time (Sunday) -- I've tried to explain this one to people that haven't watched it and I feel like a total dork. Everyone loves fairy tales, but a show where all the fairy tale characters live together in the real world and don't remember who they are because of a curse doesn't really sound that appealing. But the same writers and creators from LOST always leave you wanting more, and I'm excited to see where this season goes. Also, I should probably watch Frozen so I have some semblance of what's going on:

2. The Blacklist (Monday) -- Only in its second season, The Blacklist struck me early on as a show different from any other. James Spader is the master of this dark FBI drama and commands your love and respect. He also knows how to straight up CUT someone iffin they get out of hand. It gets more intense every episode, and the twists and turns in the first season left me panting for breath and more wine. It's on Netflix now, so go catch up on the first season and watch the second one with me!

3. New Girl and the Mindy Project (Tuesday) -- These two go hand in hand for me because they are on the same night and both tickle my funny bone in similar fashions. Jess and Mindy are very lovable and I would like to be both of their best friends.

4. Modern Family (Wednesday) -- It's just great writing, pure and simple. Dry, amazing humor that doesn't quit. What a wonderful hump day treat.

5. How to Get Away With Murder (Thursday) -- I love being in Shondaland. Viola Davis pretty much kills it (no pun intended) in everything she does, so I'm intrigued by this show and am anticipating how good it will probably be.

6. Biggest Loser (Thursday) -- Not a new one, but the only reality show I watch. It gets very dramatic with all the competitions, but it's also all about learning to eat right and live a healthy life.

Bonus: Who is excited about the new True Detective??

Double Bonus: Downton Abbey and Parks and Rec both start in January, so I'll revisit this when the year is ending. Get ready.

What shows are you excited about this fall??



**As I finished this blog post, I was a little ashamed and embarrassed to realize how much TV I actually watch when my shows are back. But then I thought, "eh, what the hell, that is how many TV shows I watch," and decided I shouldn't pretend.

{Five Things}

Friday night football game last week. Brought back so many memories!

This week has been very low key. I know at some point, my life will get crazy again with travel or work, so I'm trying to enjoy these slower days and soak in the stillness. This weekend will be a quiet one, filled with coffee, some writing, a few new recipes from Pinterest, and a movie or two. Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

My bounty from the farmer's market.

We've been trying to get this little kitty to come to us all week. He was so scared at first, but now he knows to come closer when he wants food. Slowly earning Little Bit's trust.

The most incredible pizza at Thirteen Pies in Fort Worth. Brie, bacon, parsley and Granny Smith apple slices. I meant to take a picture before we started eating, but I couldn't help myself. #needmoreselfcontrol

Animal cookie jars at Anthropologie. Love the bulldog!

{Five Things}

I've lived a lot of life...or maybe I'm a hoarder. Hard to tell.

I'm currently going through a box of my stuff that my mom kept over the years, and goodness gracious it is entertaining. It feels like another lifetime when I went on an 8th grade trip to DC, or braved the East Coast winters at boarding school. It's also very cleansing to go through old photos and reach back into my past. I'm thinking about things I haven't thought of in years, and at this uncertain juncture in my life, it's nice to be reminded of where I've been.

This weekend, I'm going to enjoy the cool weather by going to a high school football game tonight (I've missed those Friday night lights) and then have people over since my parents are out of town. Hmm, maybe high school wasn't so long ago after all.

Gotta love pens that write well. Especially this one at my dad's office, where I've been a temp for a few days this week.

Cheesecake for dinner is usually the answer to life's problems.

Fall colored nails making an appearance these days (still practicing the at-home manis).

Gorgeous West Texas sunset. Never gets old. 

Monday Meals: Aunt Jenn's Apple Pie

It's been a while since I've posted a meal, so I thought I'd start back with a classic and a favorite: my Aunt Jenn's Apple Pie. My brother was home all last week and requested this pie, so, with some help from my mother, I baked this beauty and we ate it heartily and with abandon.

Pie Crust:
1/2 cup cold water
2/3 cup shortening or butter
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Mix flour and salt together, then add water and shortening and mix. Flatten with rolling pin. Makes two 9 inch crusts.

Apple Pie:
Six cups of sliced Granny Smith apples (will be about 4 or 5 large apples)
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
A "smidge" of nutmeg
About a teaspoon of cinnamon
3/4 of a stick of butter, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice apples into small pieces. Add sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon and stir until the apples are well-coated with the mix. Pour into pie pan. Place slabs of butter on top of the apples before placing the top crust. Punch big hole in the top crust to vent and cover outer crust with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 25 minutes.

{Five Things}

The menu at Bill's Burgers that seems plucked right out of the 1950s (complete with a lovely glare).

Abilene must've missed the memo that summer is over. But, though the temps have stayed in the 90s this week, I've been feeling a cooler breeze blow every now and then while I sit outside and drink coffee in the mornings. I'm starting to think about the prospect of maybe bringing my scarves and sweaters out of storage, and I hope my wishful thinking will bring some fall weather to West Texas. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the lingering summer this weekend by spending time outside, either reading my awesome book or spending time with friends and family. I hope you have a great first weekend of fall!

Spending time with my grandparent's dog, Jack the Jack Russell. 

Wine corks fixed to small tables outside Cypress Street, a favorite downtown restaurant.

A new Onyx necklace that hasn't left my neck since Wednesday.

I hit tennis balls with my dad on Monday night and it wore me the eff out. Getting my tennis swag back is
tougher than one would think.