because once is never enough...

We had to make one more trip to a pumpkin patch with our friends Alima and Aubrey. This time we went down 280 to Harpersville, AL. They have an actual pumpkin patch back in the woods of their farm. You literally pull your pumpkin off the vine. So fun!

mimi, pop-pop and the pumpkin patch

The two little ones featured in these pictures make my heart sing! The old people aren't too bad either ;) Alexander, my nephew, was my first little love. I can remember him as a newborn and how I could hold him for hours. Jackson said soon after he was born that I would be getting baby fever. It's no surprise then that these two cousins are almost exactly a year apart. Margaret and I met my parents (known to anyone 3 feet and under as mimi and pop-pop) and Alexander at the Bennett Farms pumpkin patch in Heflin, AL. Heflin is half way between Atlanta and Birmingham so it was the perfect spot for us to get together. It was a beautiful day and the kids had so much fun running around the pumpkins and petting the baby animals. I packed us a picnic lunch with pumpkin cookies from Savage's bakery. Alexander ran around in circles with his pumpkin cookie while Margaret chased the barn kittens.

p.s. I am writing this while burning my Yankee Candle Spiced Pumpkin Candle-feeling very fallish!

a few things giving me chills this fall

our Jarrahdale pumpkin

It's fall and it couldn't have come sooner. The crisp mornings and the return of the pumpkin spice latte are all things I start anticipating around the end of July. This fall I have found a few new things that are making this years autumn even better than previous ones.

1. Cinderella pumpkins- the last couple of years white pumpkins have been the new fall decoration must have. This is the year of the stackable pumpkins (so the helpful lady at Sweet Pea informed me when I was picking out our pumpkins) Like fashion, layering is key! The Cinderella pumpkin is originally from France and is flat and orange. What girl doesn't need a Cinderella pumpkin? Glass slipper sold separately. I also fell in love with these blue grey colored pumpkins called Jarrahdales. And of course I still got a dozen mini boo's to decorate the dining room with.

2. Kove handmade- this Etsy shop is my new favorite. I just ordered the captain fringe scarf in the grey marble color. This is the perfect accessory for fall in the south. It's a necklace meets scarf creation. Everything in this shop is gorgeous. Side note-if you are a female family member of mine please do not order one of these. You will probably find one under your Christmas tree.

3. Corduroys- Ok, so these are one of my favorite things every fall. I personally feel that corduroys are the Jean's fancy cousin. I just feel a little more put together when I have my cords on. Old Navy has some great fits and colors right now. And of course they are at a great price. I picked up these in a pretty marigold color they call sweet caroline and in a Crimson color(perfect for game day) called Borscht.

4. my grandma's earrings- Covet these all you want ladies they are one of a kind. When my maternal grandmother passed away I was in 4th grade. Even then I had great style (kidding, kidding, I'll scan some pictures so you can see some of my terrible fashion faux pas's from days passed). But all of us girls were lucky enough to get to pick a few things of my grandmothers that we would like to hold on to. My grandma loved fashion jewelry. In particular big chunky pieces. She was definitely ahead of her time in the style department! These earrings my grandfather picked up for her on one of his hunting trips to Alaska (I hope I am remembering this story correctly). They are made of real ivory tusks(now outlawed of course) Remarkably I have held on to them all these years. I can't stop wearing them this fall! I love the delicate flowers-They are gorgeous. And the elephants are perfect for UA game day. Besides being fashionable I love the sentiment behind this jewelry.

5. Mumford and Sons- I have to give credit to my friend Amanda on this one. She had me download this groups album Sigh No More. It is my new fav go to album. I am no music critic but if I had to describe their sound it would be southern rock meets Irish folk. They are not from Ireland, London actually but something about their sound makes me think of the Irish :) Great for a fall drive with the windows down headed to a pumpkin patch!

6. Owls-Again, I must admit that this is not a new obsession of mine. Its not just that I was a Chi Omega (hooty hoot!) I have always loved these mysterious birds. If you look closely around our house you will see a wide-eyed feathery creature peering at you from a corner or two. But now I am nabbing some owl finds for Margaret as well. Like this sweet corduroy dress by Etsy seller Pink Chickadee. Or this adorable painting by Tootie Fash that just by chance matches Margaret's nursery perfectly! If you read my last blog post this painting is the reason I have been trying to butter my husband up. I am hoping it will stay on the wall in Margaret's nursery and not be returned to the artist's home.

bites and burns

My original post today was going to be about making a cooking playlist. I rarely cook anymore and this morning I decided to try out a new recipe. Jackson usually does all of the dinner cooking at our house but for reasons I won't get into right now I felt it would be a good idea to amp up my wifely-ness. So, I found this recipe (which looked like the perfect fall dish) from cooking light and got started prepping everything this morning while Margaret was at mother's day out. Well, as is usually the case, nothing about my day has gone according to plan. First off-peeling, cutting and cubing a butternut squash is a real B@#%$. Forgive my french but at this point in my day that is the only word I can find that truly describes the process. After an hour (and one google search of "how to best chop a butternut squash") I had finished this not so fun task. I had Aretha Franklin blaring on my ipod, the windows in the kitchen open, and was dancing around-having a ball-really enjoying the whole "back in the kitchen" feeling. The only thing missing was a glass of wine but it was only 10am (that's early even for me). The butternut squash needed to cook for 45 minutes or so at 425 degrees. The squash had been cooking for awhile when I realized it was almost time to pick Margaret up. I decided to let it keep cooking I would only be gone for a few minutes. So I get in the car and go to get my sweet baby girl. As I'm getting out of my car- mid conversation with my friend in Atlanta whom I rarely get to talk to-I drop my cell phone and it slides under my car right to the middle. I am parked on the road with my side of the car in incoming traffic. I have to belly crawl under my car, the whole while trying to watch and make sure I don't have my legs run over by other SUV wielding mom's hurrying to pick up their babies. All of this is going on in front of all the other put together moms who always seem to be dressed and make-uped every morning at MDO. I am definitely on my way to making friends here at our church. Finally, with my phone clutched to my chest, I make it into the Sonshine Valley to get Margaret and hurry home to my butternut squash. As I am walking down the hallway to Margaret's room I get stopped by one of the women who head up our MDO program. "Meghan, I'm so glad to catch you! I need to talk to you for a minute." she says. I'm thinking hmmm, maybe she wants me to volunteer or something. how nice! We walk to her office. She starts out, "this is so not a big deal but we are obligated to tell you." I guess she's not going to ask me to volunteer. Sweet MDO woman continues, "Margaret bit someone today in class. Really it happens all the time-do not worry about it. We just have to make you aware." Great. not only am I covered in oil and gravel as she is talking to me I realize that I forgot to brush my teeth this morning. I discreetly cover my mouth and respond "Oh my gosh I am so sorry! Was the other child seriously hurt?" All the while what I am really thinking is please God don't let Margaret get kicked out of your Sonshine Valley. I am just beginning to remember what it was like to kind of have a life. The ever gracious MDO woman replies "The child's arm was a little pink there wasn't any blood drawn. this truly happens all the time." Thank God no blood was drawn! What if word got out that there might be a vampire child roaming Sonshine Valley??? I saw a movie about Vampire children once-it was a Swedish flick-all subtitles-very disturbing. Anyway, I digress. We are in the clear. Margaret can stay-phew. I exit the office continuing to apologize and head to Margaret's classroom. "I'm here to pick up Jaws" I call out as I get to the classroom door. (Always lighten the mood with a good joke) I gather up Margaret and her belongings and we get in the car and head home. As we walk in the door the smell of burnt something assaults us. This is when I remember my butternut squash.

beautiful, lazy Sunday

I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful fall day! A nap just may be in order