Hello, October!

First off, hi! I'm back from the radio silence (otherwise known as the month of September!) and I'm so sorry I've let blogging go to the way side, but the start of this school year has been ROUGH to say the least. Things are finally starting to calm down and I feel like I can get my head above water now. Which is great, because it's just in time for my absolute favorite month........

Happy October everyone!!  

October, let me count the ways why I love so: the changing of the leaves from green to vibrant reds, oranges and golden yellows (the reds are my personal favorite!), the crisp fall air, cozy over-sized sweaters, chunky knit scarves, boots, bonfires, football season and tailgating, apple picking, hot and fresh farm stand cider, pumpkin picking, carving, and decorating......ok, just pumpkin everything. Including the coveted pumpkin spice latte (Dunkin is preferred over Starbucks), Cheers to Oktoberfest, and fall flavored beers, scary movies, haunted houses and hayrides (D has a love/hate relationship with these - but always ends up going anyway), Halloween, and preparing this years Halloween costumes (because you know, costumes are kind of my thing!) Finally booking a weekend trip up to Salem, MA for a weekend filled with witch hunts and scary ghost tours. The return of scary fall TV shows like American Horror Story and The Walking Dead......and hopefully the final installment of the Paranormal Activity movies (D and my yearly tradition) And lastly, we're having our engagement party this month! So many fun things to look forward to (and blog about), so I promise more blogging coming your way.I just hope I have enough time to fit in all my October fun :)

xo Steph

love lately.

It's been such a busy, busy week and it's only Wednesday!! I hate when that happens. Can we just fast forward to the weekend please? But until then I'll just share some of the things I'm loving lately, in my new love lately posts where I'll be sharing some of my favorite things. Take a look!

1. Pumpkins. And my mantle. I haven't had much time for anything, let alone decorating, so my mantle has been pretty bare. LAME. I picked up some cute mini pumpkins and lined them up for a simple minimalist look. I love how the results came out!

these would also look nice on a mantle // or these for a different look

2. Fall candles and scents. I may have a slight obsession with these yummy scented candles from Bath and Body Works, so much so that I came home with a large bag of treats the other day! D probably wishes I would spend less money on candles but hey, they make the whole place so warm and cozy. I know deep down he really appreciates it! These are some of my favorites along with Pumpkin Hayride and Pumpkin Apple. Sooooo good! My store actually just sold out of Pumpkin Apple but I found a similar candle here which is just as yummy!

3. My obsession of fall-ness comes to work with me. Did you really think my office wouldn't get a fall makeover too? Yup, I got sweet cinnamon pumpkin hand sanitizer for my desk (which is crucial working in a school with kids), a lipgloss in the same flavor, and a pumpkin pecan waffle plug-in. Everyone loves visiting my office because the smells are so delightful! Who wouldn't like a waffle scented office? So very festive : )

4. This guy. I just love him all the time. Not just lately : )

 5. Seasonal K-cups. These are in constant rotation right now because, Tis the season! I actually just bought some nice pumpkin liquor too and I'm looking forward to experimenting with a pumpkin version of irish coffee! Also thinking the hot apple cider might be pretty tasty with some caramel flavored vodka!

pumpkin spice k-cups // apple cider k-cups

 6. French hens. Well this french hen print to be exact.  I was obsessed with this print ever since I saw this adorable sweater (in it's cashmere version) from J.Crew last year. It was too expensive for my last year, but when the same print hit J.Crew Factory I was all over it! When I like something, I like it a lot!

The blouse, scarf and iphone case are already sold out but they still have these tops if you're loving this print like I am:

sweater // cardigan 

7. Respect and an arm party. As a school counselor, we recognize this week as the week of respect in which we help students understand the importance of respect. We got these snazzy blue rubber bracelets which I've been rocking all week, and I think it's a pretty sweet addition to my arm party!

alex and ani bracelets here // here // here // Old Navy Chambray polka dot top // similar here

Well that's all for now -- What are you loving lately??

Happy Hump dayyyyyyyy everyone!

xo Steph

also linking up with Because Shanna Said So

Happy October First!

In celebration of the first day of October (shouldn't that be a holiday, or at least celebrated?) I wanted to share some of my favorite fall inspirations. 'Tis the seasons for pumpkins and sweaters and everything scary!! Ohhhh I can't wait to start working on our Halloween costumes....

Anyway, get inspired! For all original sources and more fall inspirations check out my fall in love with autumn pinterest board : )

1. melt in your mouth pumpkin cookies - yes please.

2. bowl full of a gourds make the perfect centerpiece

3. Happy Fall, complete with chalkboard and festive garlands

 4. soup out of a pumpkin. why didn't I think of that?

5. colorful leaves. or better yet the smell of burning leaves always remind me of my home in PA.

6. ombre mantle action

7. fireplace overflowing with pumpkins upon pumpkins

8. a warm cup of tea (when you need a PSL alternative)

9. gourd garland if perfect for lining a porch or deck

10. a fall picnic in this vintage beauty

11. pumpkin picking is a must! hoping to recreate this picture

12. homemade apple cider donuts. tied up on trees. 

I'm sure I could make a game out of this!

13. DIY backyard bonfire

14. One word. October. Also the reason I will probably never leave the northeast.

15. pumpkin pancakes. 

I need to convince D to try making these since he is the pancake aficionado around here.

16. playing around with fall themed adult beverages. Like hot apple cider with caramel flavored vodka. Ummmmm amazing.

What else is inspiring me this lovely October first? These mercury glass pumpkins are fabulous, Wood Wick candles in Pumpkin Butter are amazing not only because of their scent but also the sound of a crackling fire, this for my inner Betty Crocker, and this because it intrigues me. Do you think it would be good on toast in the morning?

So happy October First everyone!

Hope you're feeling inspired today!

xo Steph

Pumpkin Spice Latte #tbt

So I got to thinking, what a shame it is that many bloggers (myself included) can create such great content for their blog, but if you didn't read that day -- poof! it's like that post never existed, as it gets pushed farther and farther into the archives. I know bloggers work very hard on content and in constantly creating new and fresh ideas for readers to enjoy. But if that post or day was missed, it's most likely off the radar. That's where my brilliant Throwback Thursday series or (#tbt as instagrammers are calling it) has come into play. I thought it would be really cool to use some of my Thursday posts to re-feature some of my favorite old posts just in case you missed it. That's the nice thing about style too -- what is old will always become new and fresh again! Fashion is always being recycled. So why not do that here too?
Here's an outfit I wore last year that D aptly said, "you look like a pumpkin spice latte!" which I think he was pretty accurate. Between the mustard colored sweater and striped scarf, I was totally channeling warm fall colors which captures the essence of a pumpkin spice latte. As I sip on a #PSL as I write this post now, I pay homage to my most wonderful time of the year : )

Outfit Details:

 Mustard Tunic: H&M (cute option here) // Black jeggings: Lauren Conrad for Kohl's (similar)
Scarf: Old Navy (fall-ish scarf) // Gold Watch: Fossil // Love Necklace: Tiffany and Co.
Leopard Flats: Payless (nice option)

Taking my Throwback Thursday post a step further, I was thinking it might be cool to even host a Throwback Thursday link-up with other bloggers as a chance to make an old post fresh again, link up with other bloggers, and make some new friends in the process. But before I go about doing this I wanted to get your input. 

Is a Throwback Thursday link-up something you would be interested in?

Let me know what you think in the comments section : )

Happy Friday Eve everyone! 

xo Steph

also linking up with Tara at Mix and Match Fashion