When the leaves start changing, I start feeling the rusty and cognac tones for my wardrobe. So when I saw them all lined up on one sweater? Sold! Feeling fantastically fall in this one...
Also feeling fantastically fall because after days of gray and rain, it was just the right weather for a sweater + light jacket, and for wearing my favorite fall shoes. Which, contrary to blogger vibes, are not ankle boots... much as I love the look of boots + sweaters, I put off wearing them as long as possible, because I know I'm in for months and months of nothing else. These Sam Edelman flats are totally worth the investment to me, because they're so timeless, and the cognac color is just so rich and wonderful. My go-to shoe at present, because they go with everything.
And how about those changing leaves on our new little Japanese maple you can see in the background? Fall feels have arrived, for sure.
Much as I love my fall jackets (allll of them), I have been trying to take advantage of the brief time in Michigan weather when layering with sweaters is just the right amount of warm - and taking inspiration from some of last year's favorite outfits in that regard...
Denim on denim + a neckerchief + a sweater blazer lead to feeling extremely jaunty on the day I wore this outfit last fall - definitely a mood I'm interested in re-creating!
Sweater blazers are also excellent for a fancy/casual look, by putting a blouse underneath and then pairing with cool kid sneakers.
Still rocking the bare ankles (and knees, ha!) while it's possible, but with a super cozy faux wrap sweater on top for warmth. And how about those fall hues?
For a bit of a dressier look, a patterned camisole or blouse in nice fall colors is under a long cardigan works quite nicely!
And finally, a look I actually wore in winter but would be perfect for now too, without having to put a coat over top of - cozy sweater layered with a button-down and cute popped collar.
Now if only the weather would stay like this for long enough to re-wear all of these outfits - but alas, I'll probably have to cover them up with warm coats (not to mention need socks) before too long.
I always say that summer just flies by, but actually it's true of every season. Well, except winter - that has a tendency to drag on for about forever. But going into the fall, I'm having the same feelings of summer of wanting to make sure I'm intentional about enjoying the things I love about it.
So, a little bucket list for the season of crisp air, coziness, and apple crisp:
Bake something with apples
Go on a trail run
Try my first-ever pumpkin spice latte (gotta fit the fall blogger stereotype)
Have a breakfast date with Peter
Do a family gravel bike ride (gravel riding is my fave in the fall!)
What's on your list this season?
p.s. I enjoyed reliving a bit of summer, going back over my summer bucket list. Didn't quite do the once/month cookout, but we did have lots of great extended family time and a bit of friend time too. Otherwise, the list led to some great stuff: a 15-mile bike ride with Peter and Hendrik that ended with delicious fried chicken & ice cream, so. many. good. books, making strawberry jam with my dad one morning at the cottage, and basically a whole week of special outings with Hendrik, from a local amusement park to a pool afternoon to Starbucks + back-to-school shopping. What a great summer!
Not ready for summer to end, but apparently fall is really coming for me: as soon as Hendrik started school, the temperatures dropped and the autumn gusty breezes picked up. Makes it harder to really get that last summer weekend out of the beach (but you better believe we're there even if wrapped in towels for warmth), but easy to get dressed in some simple fall classics, at least.
I do really love jeans + t-shirt weather, even if I'd rather it appear later in September, and it was a good excuse to pull out the new jeans profile I'm testing out, with a bit of a wider leg and very high waist. I think I like how the style is offset by a tucked-in, fitted tee, to make for a good fancy/casual combo. And of course my favorite cargo jacket as a topper... It's a year-round staple for me, but it's especially perfect for the fall feels. Super basic, but enough little details to make it feel like an outfit.
Popped this easy ensemble on last week for the school dropoff run and then a walk over to the farmer's market with my tote - which also got a taste of the fall feels, with the first crop of apples already showing up (!)
As someone who works from home and has a kid, I live a pretty much entirely jeans-appropriate lifestyle - and now that we're in very solidly jeans-appropriate weather, I thought it would be fun to look back at some denim-based outfits from falls past, to get some inspiration for fall present...
This quilted addition to my fall jacket collection is so perfect with jeans. It definitely adds a little warmth beyond the usual field jacket, making it good for weather in the mid-50s - but you can get away with slightly cooler temps when you layer sweaters underneath! Pair with perfectly fallish cognac, and I love this outfit for all kinds of outdoor fall fun, like going apple picking or taking Hendrik to pick out a pumpkin.
Ah, I love weather where a chunky cardigan is appropriate outerwear, and bare ankles aren't too cold... Fall neutrals on top with my signature pop of poppy red on the bottom makes this a very "me" outfit, and perfect for looking easily pulled-together for an appointment or day of shopping.
Fall jackets, date night style! My leather moto jacket is actually surprisingly warm, so it makes for the perfect "cool" factor for evenings when we've got a babysitter lined up... I often pair it with a silky blouse underneath, but the graphic pop of stripes is always a great way to go too.
These days I gear a little more simple with the accessories than when I posted this outfit originally, but I still love the general idea of these cozy Saturday vibes with a graphic tee, blanket cardigan, and lots of gray. I love the gray + denim combo this time of year.
And yet another fall jacket in my collection! A black anorak with a basic striped tee and some cute sneakers is perfect weekend wear as well, for walking to the farmers market or downtown with the fam. Or maybe even doing the soccer mom thing, except that my kid hated soccer so much that he flatly refuses to do it again. Ha!
So you can see, jeans all day every day for me, especially in fall. What are you repeating these days from your past fall wardrobes?
Bloggers seem to loooove to talk about fall. I'm a summer lover deep down, but scrolling back through some of my Pinterest-inspired projects from the fall, I'm reminded of some pretty fantastic flavors and colors of the season that are most definitely worth recreating - and thus I'm resharing...
pumpkin planters - such a great way to combine two of fall's best decorations: pumpkins and mums!
one pan wonder - sooo thrilled brussels sprouts and butternut squash have appeared at the farmer's market, because this one's soooo good
fall date night style - score one for white jeans after Labor Day, when you go with all cognac on top!
wrapped wheat centerpiece - simple yet packs a great punch, and so easy to make for a festive fall table
mini donut muffins - donuts and cider sound like just the thing for fall, right? Make your own yummy ones in a muffin tin with this great recipe
All of those inspirations from falls past will be making a reappearance for fall present, they're so good. But I also have some new ones in mind, top of the list being a ghost costume at Hendrik's request for Halloween, roasted delicata squash with the stash my in-laws have given us from their garden, and maybe some great non-candy Halloween treats.
Before we get to my mini wardrobe lineup for the month of November, I had to share my on-repeat fall outfit that supersedes them all ... depending on the shoe, this one has been taking me everywhere from Thursday date night (here, in blue suede boots) to errands (sneakers) to family photos (pointy toe flats).
This sweater doesn't quite fit into any of my mini wardrobes as it's not super remixable - the pre-layered deal doesn't really allow for changing it up much - but it is still SO easily wearable. I love it for the reason I love dresses: it's a pre-made outfit all in one (though in this case you do need to put on some pants). Definitely my go-to when I'm not sure what to wear but want to feel cute and put together.
Here are several two-fer top options if this easy outfit option sounds appealing to you!
And while this might not be the most remixable, it goes great with items that have definitely earned their place in my mix & match wardrobe - here are some other ways I've done the rest of the pieces. What's on your repeat list lately?
Michigan is full of good apples in the fall... We took Hendrik to pick them for the first time last month, and there have been piles of them at the farmer's market, which has all put me in mind of some good apple recipes. Here's what I have been (or want to be) making, for every time of day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert to boot!
sunrise scramble: a favorite from my Whole30 days, from a great cookbook, Well Fed 2. Cook up a pound of ground pork with a diced apple and a diced/steamed sweet potato and a healthy bit of this sunrise spice mix, and then scramble in some eggs for a great sweet/savory meal (and plenty of good leftovers!)
brie, fig and apple grilled cheese: just wow. Melty brie is one of my favorite things ever, and combined with apple and more? Sounds like a heavenly lunch to me.
BBQ chicken apple pizza: while my other half likes to stick with a traditional calzone when we have at-home pizza night, I like to take my portion of dough and do fancy things - doesn't this one with chicken, red onion, apple, and BBQ sauce look enticing for next time?
apple cranberry walnut salad: after a couple of decadent things, the apple goes right back to being healthy (and still tasty!) as a salad fixing.
apple spiced cake: I had to bookmark this one as soon as I saw it on Alyssa's blog. Apple pies and streudels and crisps are all wonderful, but I like how simple this one is for a little change-up. (Though definitely keep the same a la mode options as with all those other apple desserts, please!)
Just for fun, here are a few shots from our apple picking outing. We've since consumed all of the ones we brought home (Hendrik would have eaten all of them on site if we'd allowed), so we might need to do it again - so that I can eat all of the above.
Since the Pinterest-inspired posts for the next few weeks are pretty much going to be taken over by stuff for my birthday boy's party, today I thought I'd get our fill of fall Pinspiration with a recap of some best-of favorites from the past... enjoy!
And while we're on the subject of best-of Pinspirations, I wanted to share three favorites from the last linkup. I love Erin's fancy/casual lace and distressed denim look, am excited to try the hummus chicken Megan posted (since I've already done and loved two other hummus chicken recipes from my own board!), and think the small bathroom storage solution that Amanda copied is brilliant.
If you have any to share, come back on Thursday, October 29, for the next one. By then it'll be about time to start trolling the holiday Pinterest boards for ideas to bring into real life!
