autumn

Fall Stuff List 2017

Audrey32 Comments

Before I begin… Today, four years ago, we moved into our house 🙂
Also, Happy Birthday to my cousin Sam!

On to some fall time goodness…
I’m always more motivated this time of year and it’s reflected in my goals and seasonal bucket list. (Last year I killed it.) This year I’m combining everything into one list and I’m going to be more specific and intentional with each goal 🎃

fall_bucket_list_2017

  • Go to at least two fall festivals (examples below)
    • Yankee Peddler Sept. 9 & 10, 16 & 17, or 23 & 24
    • Swiss Festival Sept. 29 & 30
    • Atwood Area Fall Festival Oct. 6, 7, & 8
  • Move into the new house! (We close the first week of Oct.)
  • Host our annual Halloween Party!
    (This is year it’s more housewarming and less costume. I know, I’m sad about it, too.)
  • Visit a nursery and get some mums for the front porch
  • Pick/buy pumpkins
    • Carve them
  • Get a bay of straw for the front porch
    (Sidenote: You should always buy straw for decorations. Hay is food for animals.)
  • Work on meal planning and try out these recipes:
  • Find a walk route in the new neighborhood with pups
  • Get a few rooms in the house decorated
    • Living room
    • Master bedroom
    • My office
  • Get 25% of my Xmas shopping done by the end of Oct.
  • Visit an apple orchard
  • Bake a new fall cookie
  • Drink some apple cider
  • Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Beetlejuice
  • Find cute booties (*part of 30×30 list)
  • Take a dog or two on a hike (*part of 30×30 list)
  • Scrapbook. Even a little bit. Just get something done… lol
  • Dog park with E (in Columbus)
  • Homemade ice cream, damn it

For the sake of consistency and closure, I guess I should touch on my summer goals and bucket list items…

Bucket List

  • Go on a mini-golf date with K
  • Finish Year 3 scrapbook
  • Beach house vacation with the whole family
  • DCI Championships with K in August
  • Finish backyard landscaping
    • & host a cookout for the company
  • Take Enzo to the dog park
  • Outdoor concert with K & friends
  • Garage Sale (#2)
  • Visit the farmers’ market
  • Make a serious dent in Erin’s reading challenge
  • Drink more water
  • Make homemade ice cream
  • Take the pups on an adventure

Recap: I sucked… Most of the things I crossed off were already in the works when I made the list. Also, Ly and Enz got a bunch of time at the dog park thanks to open houses and showings so…. I feel like that counts as “an adventure.”

Goals

  • Clean junk out of basement & utility room (Yay house-selling!)
  • Get spare bedroom clean and de-cluttered 
  • Wash cushion slips
  • Wipe down fans, baseboards, etc.
  • Go for a bike ride once a week
  • Go putt-putting/mini-golfing (With the fam, but not as a date with K)
  • Tackle three books per month (…ish)
  • Clean out/update my Spotify playlists
  • Finish Year 3 scrapbook
  • Order pics for year 4

Recap: Slightly better than the bucket list. Opening the house to strangers forced me to clean a lot.

For being an insane season at work and selling the house (twice), I feel ok about those goals. Plus, we all know I’m not that tough on myself anyway with these. *shrug*

What’re you hoping to accomplish this fall? How’d you do over the summer?

It’s Coming… 🍂

Audrey34 Comments

It seems that the majority of us are ready for a seasonal shift…

I am anti-wish the days away, but I’m so pro-fall someone should give me a crown and call me Queen of October. Seriously, though…

Today I bring you a list of late summer things that remind me fall is coming. (I feel like a GoT reference could be made, but I don’t watch it so I’m going to let that opportunity slide.)

Humidity-Free Breezes
You know what I mean. It’s that cool, fresh breeze that interrupts an 82 degree afternoon. We feel it, we suddenly crave more, and we obsessively check our weather apps to see if the windows can be cracked that night.

That Bonfire Smell
My husband says bonfires smell like ham. I don’t agree since I dislike ham but love the smell of burning logs.

Movies on Television (that are just a tiny bit premature)
My heart actually leaves my chest when I see films like Beetlejuice on TV. #MyFav

The Leaves
Most of ours are still green but if you look toward the top of the trees you have a few rebel leaves that are starting to protest in red and orange. Be still my heart.

The Produce Aisle
The squashes and pumpkins and other gourds are coming out to play. Is it too soon to carve a pumpkin? Asking for a friend.

I have zero shame in my fall obsession. I’m glad summer is packing her bags. Please Lord, give us a cool, breezy, uneventful fall.

Got any fall plans this year? Hopefully we’re moving houses, going on a small trip, and celebrating my b-day. (We’re definitely doing the latter 😉 ha.)

Fall Fall Fall

Audrey42 Comments

I’m currently listening to my husband fight/argue with our oldest dog … She keeps barking during his favorite TV show. I feel like this is a window into our future with a teenage daughter… Ha.

Hi ya 🙂 I totally bailed on Monday but I had a busy weekend and a lot going on and I just didn’t want to throw together a half-assed post. But I’m here today & that’s what matters.

So let’s talk about fall. (You might be sick of fall talk… If that’s the case maybe don’t come back here until Monday… #sorrynotsorry)

I’m waiting to post my fall goals until Steph and Sara‘s link-up on Friday, but I wanted a fun bucket list for the season so that’s what we’re doing today! I also added some fall inspiration at the end, too- just in case you haven’t gotten your sweater wearing, scarf draping, latte sipping fix 😉

Audrey’s Fall Bucket List:

  • Go to a local apple orchard & bring home a bushel small bag of apples
  • Get all the fall decor out & around the house
  • Visit a few fall craft shows (preferably with Mom)
  • Pick out some bright orange pumpkins
  • Carve said pumpkins (preferably with Fred & Christina)
  • Drink lots of apple cider
  • Get a PSL DONE 😉
  • Host our annual Halloween Party (theme coming soon!)
  • Take the dogs to a local park or nature trail for hikes
  • Visit a haunted house
  • Bake a few new fall cookies
  • Fall vacation with the husband
  • Add a few classy, seasonal pieces to my wardrobe
  • Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  • Create & enjoy a fire pit area in our yard

Some of these are already in the works (the Halloween party, our fall vacation) but most of these are fun things I try to plan every year (and usually fail). A few of these might double as goals on Friday’s post, too. Meh. That’s just how it works.

And now for some Fall Inspiration! (Follow me on Pinterest for more!)

Style

fall_inspo_1
link | link | link 

Noms

fall_inspo_3
link | link | link | link

Halloween!

fall_inspo_4
link | link

What’s on your bucket list this season? We’re SO CLOSE to the first day of fall! ❤︎

audielou.com_signature

 

Fall About Me

Audrey4 Comments

What better way to finish out my favorite month than with a “Fall About Me” post?! I stole these questions from Lindsay at Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stilettos but I promise the answers are all mine 🙂 I can’t wait to share party-goodness with you guys next week! Monday I will update you on my movie challenge progress (spoiler alert: I’m not doing so hot…) and Wednesday I will talk all about the party! Then every Friday in November will be “Thankful Fridays” in honor of Thanksgiving! Ok, on to the good stuff!

Have a FANTASTIC Halloween, friends!

Favorite Candle Scent: Well, I just bought “Lakeside Sunrise” from Bath & Body Works, but I really love any fall scents. I think I might wander back into the store soon and stock up. (I keep buying Christmas/winter scents… oops!)

Best Fragrance for Fall: I never wear name-brand perfume, but my mom bought me Dior for my birthday and I really love it!

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? Coffee in the morning, hot chocolate while relaxing, (decaffeinated) tea in bed!

fall_favorites
My Halloween Kitty Sweatshirt

Favorite Thanksgiving Food: I love all Thanksgiving food (except cranberries… ick!), but I am a sucker for real, homemade mashed potatoes. I could eat them everyday, forever and ever.

Best Fall Memory? Shoot… I love fall and have so many memories. Camping with my dad, raking leaves with my brother, carving pumpkins every year with my brother, haunted corn mazes with my friends and K, my birthday parties in the past, Trick-or-Treating with my friends… Every fall memory is a good one!

Favorite Pie: I don’t actually like pie… The only kind I will eat is pumpkin or peanut butter cream pie, but they have to have a graham cracker crust.

Most Worn Sweater: I have a white sweater that I wear often, but you usually can catch me in my Mount Union or Bristol sweatshirt! Love me some sweatshirts!

What is Autumn like where you live? We typically start the day with a little frost or chilly dew. Temperatures tend to hang out in the 40s and 50s until early afternoon. Some days we see 70 but 60 degrees is perfection in Ohio during fall! Our evenings drop back into the 40s and you can smell the strong hint of campfire or bonfire on every block.

fall_favorites

Football games or jumping in leaf piles? Umm… band competitions? When I was in high school Fall meant marching band. But it also meant football games. Our rival game is actually tonight! Go Phila! Beat Dover!

What song really gets you in the fall spirit? Halloween by Dave Matthews Band!

Which makeup trend: Dark lips or winged liner? I don’t have the make-up to do either of these… but I would probably go with dark lips- it’s so bold and sexy! (And I’m horrible at eyeliner… getting it on, getting it to to stay on, etc.)

Is pumpkin spice worth all the hype? No, it’s not. I like the lattes on occasion and my grandma makes an AWESOME pumpkin cookie, but other than those two items I can go without it.

Favorite fall tv show? Once Upon A Time, The Mindy Project, The Muppets. K and I are also thinking about investing in Quantico.

Combat boots or Uggs? Combat boots. When Uggs were just popular I was gifted a pair and I wore them to death, but I’ve never felt the need or desire to replace them.

Skinny jeans or leggings? Skinny jeans. If I’m hanging around the house I tend to wear athletic shorts (and K does not approve of leggings in public), so when we go somewhere I usually have on skinny jeans!

fall_favorites
My Parents’ Pond

Halloween: Yay or Nay? Well let’s see…. Um… YAY! I’m so excited for our party tomorrow! I think I’ve always loved Halloween so when my friends humor me with costumes and parties it warms my little heart.

Thoughts on Black Friday? I could take it or leave it. I have 25% of my Xmas shopping done, so I’ll probably be more attentive to cyber Monday, but I will be out working on Black Friday since my part-time job is retail… yaaaay…

Fall mornings or evenings? Both. Because fall is fall. I love brisk (weekend) morning walks with the dogs and sitting around a bonfire at night.

One fall 2015 trend you’re loving: I love that sweatshirts are in right now. I love scarves and leg warmers and boots. And I love how “in” Fall is in general… pumpkins and corn mazes and festivals!

See you Monday!

Happy_halloween

-Louise

My Friday Fall Favorites

Audrey9 Comments

Keeping with the fall theme, today I’m offering up three of my favorite things about fall!

Honeycrisp Apples
In the days of my youth I knew not the difference between a peach and an apricot. Nowadays I’m like a pro. (Kidding. I think the difference is the fuzz. Is there anything else? They’re like the same thing.) A few autumns ago Erica and I went to an apple orchard in Amish Country and I learned the difference between honeycrisp apples and all the rest. The difference is HC apples are the tastiest and the others are average. That’s really all you need to know. I love munching on the sweetness of a honeycrisp apple! Go try one if you haven’t yet!

aples

Sweatshirts
When I wear one of my million sweatshirts my husband likes to inform me that the 90s called and they’re pretty peeved that I still have their sweatshirt. To this I say, “Poppycock.” In high school I loved my hoodies, but as a young adult on the verge of average adult on the verge of soccer mom (love this hair cut), I can’t get enough of the good, ol’ fashion, non-hooded sweatshirt. I prefer wearing scarves and hats with the basic design of this beefed-up long sleeve shirt. I like that it makes me feel vintage. I like that they’re in style for now. (And when they fall out of style I’m staying strong and holding on tightly to my Lion King crewneck and my Gryffindor alum sweatshirt!)

fall_favorites

Outside
When I was a kid my dad and I were members of the YMCA program Indian Princesses. (Yellow-knifes forever!) This meant that we met monthly with other dads and daughter to make crafts, have fun, and bond with our dads. Twice a year we did a weekend campout at a YMCA camp, one in fall and one in spring. I will always remember these weekends with a smile. First of all, all my best friends were in Indian Princesses. Secondly, our activities consisted of canoeing, bonfires, horse back riding (not a highlight), fire-cooked foods, hot chocolate, guitars around a fire, late nights, sneaking around, cute & sometimes-scary rituals, and staying up way too late, getting sick, and coming home covered in mud. We also had a super serious water balloon fight each year. (Seriously, I was almost abducted once by an enemy tribe!) This is before 10 and 12 year olds had cell phones, so we were totally disconnected from home/internet. This was a weekend away with our dads who pretty much let us get crazy dirty and lost in the woods (when they weren’t with us canoeing, hiking, or also getting lost). Fall has always been my favorite, possibly because of Indian Princesses & my dad. I love being outside in October. I love sitting around a blazing outdoor fire. I love looking up and seeing nothing but a moon and a million stars.

fall_favorites

So those are my favorite things about fall (plus pumpkins, scarves, boots, warm drinks, the colors, mums, gourds, apple cider, cool air, open windows, marching band, Halloween, Thanksgiving, frost, leaves, bare trees, four wheeling, hiking, haunted mazes, parties, festivals, my birthday…. ).

What’s your favorite part of fall? Do you have any fall date nights planned? Maybe a trip to see some changing leaves?

-Louise

The Best Halloween Movies!

Audrey10 Comments

YOU GUYS! IT’S OCTOBER! IT’S FINALLY OCTOBER!

I love this month ❤️ Breathe in that magical air- the air that shakes leaves from trees and carries the smell of campfires and cinnamon. YUM!

October rewards us for making it through the end-of-winter blues, rainy days of spring, and disgustingly hot days of summer. And she never ever fails. October brings my birthday & Enzo’s birthday each year, in addition to my favorite holiday: HALLOWEEN! This year it also brings a weekend get-away for K and I, as well as a wedding for K’s brother and future wife! This month is the bee’s knees crow’s beak (because it’s fall now).

Since we’re all gearing up for the most mystical eve of all- All Hallows’ Eve– I figure what better way to celebrate the season than Halloween movies? I know ABC Family does a “13 Days of Halloween“, but this year their list is a little lifeless (and not in a good way). They leave out a bunch of great movies (probably because of trademark rights) and included ones that don’t relate to the holiday at all. It’s an ok list, but don’t miss out on these great flicks either!

(I’m on a movie-kick this week!)

Halloween_Movies

Beetlejuice (PG) | 1988
I love this movie. It is my favorite Halloween movie. (I know that as a 90’s kid I should worship Hocus Pocus, but I just don’t. Sorry not sorry.) This film is directed by Tim Burton and it’s genius. Honestly, when isn’t Michael Keaton genius? Actually, the entire cast is beautiful: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis (LOVE), Winona Ryder. Even if you’ve seen it, get it out and watch it again. Show your kids. It’s a classic.

Hotel Transylvania (PG) | 2012
This is a super cute movie and one for the whole family. There are so many big names voicing vampires, werewolves, and other ghouls. Halloween element aside, it’s a great movie about growing up, letting go, and trusting those you love. Pop some popcorn and warm up the apple cider! A sequel is in the works, too, so keep an eye out!

The Brothers Grimm (PG-13) | 2005
Heath Ledger? Yep. Matt Damon? Sounds good. This movie has just the right amount of creepy weirdness to make your skin tingle. You can watch this one any time of the year, but Halloween is a perfect occasion. If you have a fear of horses (like me) it makes this movie extra spooky.

Harry Potter (PG) | 2001 & 2004
ABC Family has HP on their list, but they have the wrong movies. If you’re staying true to Halloween you should watch the first movie (Sorcerer’s Stone) and the third movie (Prisoner of Azkaban). They at least reference Halloween in the first film (“TROLLLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!”)  and the third one has a werewolf. If we’re being honest, though, witches and wizards and muggles are relevant all year long, not just Halloween.

Monster House (PG) | 2006
This is a kids movie, but it totally creeps me out. I mean, the house tries to kill them. Monsters under the bed are cake compared to a demonic house! Like Hotel Transylvania, this movie has quite a few celebrity voices. It’s not my favorite Halloween movie, but if you haven’t seen it it’s worth a movie night.

The Craft (R) | 1996
Here’s the scary one. I first saw this film in high school and it still creeps me out. Think A Great and Terrible Beauty plus Mean Girls? Plus some witchcraft. It’s a girls’-sleepover-kind of movie, but the kind you sneak from your older sister’s bedroom and watch once everyone has gone to sleep.

Don’t forget about the classics like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

I also discovered some movies I’ve never seen that will be on my list this year!

  • The Witches (PG) | 1990
  • Young Frankenstein (PG) | 1974
  • The Haunting | 1963
  • The Monster Squad (PG-13) | 1987
  • Creepshow (R) | 1982

Honestly, I don’t enjoy gore. Most of these movies are good for the family and won’t cause too many nightmares. I like to be spooked, but not scared, so my list is (mostly) PG!

. . .

Brace yourselves, because 90% of this blog will be fall/Halloween-related this month. We will talk about the benefits of fall, Halloween costumes, and birthday goodness. Also, I throw a big Halloween party for all our friends at the end of the month, so I’ll blog about party prep, too! Are you feeling as good as I am about this month? I hope so!

What’s your favorite part about fall? Do you have your Halloween costume picked out yet?

audielou.com_signature

My Passions | Blog-tember Day 4

Audrey6 Comments

*Happy Friday!*

I was a little hesitant to commit to the fabulous Blog-tember Challenge (hosted by Bailey Jean), but with the encouragement of Stephanie I’ve decided to approach it like an a la carte challenge and participate on the days that I don’t have anything concocted.
…like today!

Friday, September 4: What are you passionate about?

Easy enough prompt, yes? I am passionate about:

  • animals
    Hands down, my deepest worldly passion runs about on four legs (sometimes less) and barks, growls, meows, grunts, and moos. Honestly, I could do a month’s worth of posts dedicate to animal rights and behaviors and welfare and cruelty… but I’ll save it. I use cruelty-free products, brake for squirrels, help lost pets find their way home, and share a bed with two cold noses (and a human one). My career goal is totally focused around animals and someday I hope to be saving lots of lives!
  • fall
    I hate wishing the days away, but I can’t wait for the leaves to turn and the temperature to drop. I love October (and my birthday!) and the fall weather and fall foods and marching band and leaves and hot drinks and scarves and boots and clouds and everything fall. It makes me incredibly happy and every year I look forward to the changing seasons!
  • my relationships
    I know that I drive my husband crazy because I’m constantly observing. I observe myself, him, our relationship, other people, past interactions… EVERYTHING. But it makes me a more conscious human. Sometimes I lay in bed and watch our dogs sleep or listen to K breathe. Sometimes I sit quietly in the living room and take in the wall color and the fireplace and the bookshelves, and I feel so grateful to share this blessed life with my husband and our friends and our family.
  • reading, writing, and scrapbooking
    I love to learn and create and savor memories (captured in pictures). These three things are my hobbies and I feel so refreshed when I can dedicate time to each activity.

passion

There are things I wish I was passionate about/hope to be passionate about, too! These include yoga, cooking, and being a mom someday. I think I’ll work on yoga first… HA!

What are you passionate about?

-Louise

Brave Love Blog