Downtown

Wednesday night is usually date night for me and TC, but this week we mixed it up a little and went on a Tuesday night. VERY adventurous of us! TC bought tickets to the Colbie Caillat concert at the Saenger Theater downtown because he knew she is one of my favorite artists.  However, I have to give credit to whom it's due - this was all TC - and again, he wooed me with his great ideas and surprises. I am not even much of a concert person, but I have to say the idea of coffee and a concert downtown does seem quite romantic... And so he ordered our Fall-flavored coffees from a local coffee shop and picked out the most lovely, alluring concert he could. No. 4 & 12 together were such a sweet treat. As always, we loved trying something new and local and, of course, being together. I love date nights....



Lovebirds and their Adventurous Selves

Local Coffee Shop

 

I enjoyed the "Jack-O-Latte"

 Great show!

The night view of the Saenger Theater (2nd posted picture of the Theater this week!)

Bonfires

Autumn Fires

by Robert Louis Stevenson

(from A Child's Garden of Verses, 1885)

In the other gardens  And all up the vale, From the autumn bonfires  See the smoke trail! Pleasant summer over  And all the summer flowers,The red fire blazes,  The gray smoke towers. Sing a song of seasons!  Something bright in all! Flowers in the summer,  

Fires in the fall!

I cannot say enough about the fun I had this weekend. It was seriously the most picture perfect weekend. My entire family celebrated Fall, non-stop. If you are currently doubting your abilities to celebrate Fall....don't! A Fall-filled weekend is as easy as finding an hour to spare. On a budget, we were able to visit a corn maze, tour an outdoor market, warm-up by a bonfire, toast a marshmallow, carve a pumpkin, and roast pumpkin seeds - all within 48 hours and an estimated $24 (fair note: we already had our pumpkins and carving kits, which helped cut cost. We bought carving kits two years ago, for a great price, and still have them. In fact, we only spent money on the corn maze...A-MAZE-ING...Okay that was CORN-Y...I'll stop...). Feeling great that No. 3, 7, 8, 13, and No. 17 on the MUST DO list were successfully enjoyed! 

The corn maze was quite the adventure, not to mention my sister inevitably makes any trip a laugh-til-you-cry event. The farm we went to has a tractor/barrel ride (difficult to explain, but promise you, you would love it), corn cannons, bounce-thingy, pig races, hay rides, and haunted hay rides. It's the second year we have gone and it's still a ball! 

On Saturday, Dad, BK and MK went hunting, Trent watched football, and mom and I went to the outdoor Market on the Square. We reunited at lunch for food and football..and more food. Too much food. Sunday, after church, we practiced shooting the bow, helped mom get ready for an upcoming craft show, and prepped our pumpkins for carving. We usually have contests in these creative situations; however, we all opted to have no competition, until BK felt she had a brilliant idea. Then it was a competition and the neighbors were called. This would be the fourth year our neighbors have contributed to judging our friendly, family competitions - usually it's with Easter eggs though. BK won this one...until next year! Can you guess which pumpkin is hers?

We ended the night with a bonfire, roasted pumpkin seeds and a movie. Monday came too quickly.

Market

Every Saturday morning during the Fall, downtown has an outdoor market. Today, Mom and I gallivanted around town, starting with the Market on the Square. The city market allows locals to sell their homemade good and crafts on Saturday's in the Fall and Spring. It's a great way to highlight talented culinary and organic artists and encourage city commerce. Not only is it good for the city and local artists, it's an excellent adventure and successful check mark on the MUST DO list! No. 13, you were fun. We came away with scrumptious pumpkin butter jelly for biscuits in the morning and a dainty bouquet of fresh flowers.  

 



Pencils

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms." - Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

Last night, I watched You've Got Mail. It never ceases to be as charming to me as the first time I watched it. It's an appropriate film for the season too. It has one of the best Autumn scenes in the movies. This clip misses the above quote, but you still have to love it. It's one of my all time favorite movies, next to While You Were Sleeping. They are classics. Indisputably, two of the best romances ever made in my opinion. I could watch, and watch again, and never tire of them. I use quotes from these movies all the time: "A bouquet of newly sharpened pencils," "These mashed potatoes are so creamy," "Fight, fight, fight," "That caviar is a garnish," "I should have gotten a blue spruce...they're lighter." How these quotes ever really fit into a normal, every day conversation, I have no idea...but in my world they sneak in.

Tonight, I fixed a pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, and corn for TC and the parents. I've been quite domestic lately. Last week I fixed several "fall-ish" dinners (thus fulfilling #5). I also made my first batch of monkey bread. Because of the cinnamon in monkey bread, also feeling I have successfully checked off the #11 MUST: "fall-ish" desserts. I look for simple recipes, and so far everything I have tried has been simple and wonderful! I'll pass the recipes along soon.

This picture is of a Tennessee tree in the Fall. I miss the vibrant colors that go with the changing of seasons there. If you've never seen East Tennessee during the Fall, I would strongly recommend adding it to your bucket list.

Weekends

This weekend was mostly lazy. Slept in. Watched t.v. Forsook chores. All in all, it was precisely what was needed.

Saturday was football and sushi. Several months back, I, TC, and two of our dearest friends decided we would go on a search for the "best sushi around town." By virtue of who they are, it's always a good time.  We've tried four sushi places so far and have the next four planned out. Looking forward to the next stop.

Because of where I live, Fall weather is delayed well past the first date of Fall. It's unfortunate. However, we make the most of it. Though this past weekend was warm, the skies were clear and sunny. So Sunday after church, TC and I decided we would go hike our land we bought a few months back. It's fourteen acres and has a creek running through the middle of it. LOVE it. A few friends joined us for the exploration.

A field on our land...dotted with black-eyed susans

 Black-eyed susan's paint the road sides and fields in October.

Under the tree canopy by the creek

Jess and I

This weekend my sister and brother-in-law are coming into town, so I've intentionally saved some of my Fall MUSTS for them... Not sure they will be quite as enthusiastic about my plans in the beginning, but in the end they will have had they time of their life... Maybe slight exaggeration, but it will at least rival the time of their life.

Homemade

Alright, I must confess...a few things had been completed on my Fall MUST DO list at the time of my last post. However, for any of you to truly appreciate what's been accomplished, you must first have known how desired and premeditated these festivities were for me. No worries though - you will get a full update of Autumn's lures.

So yesterday afternoon, I looked relentlessly for a pumpkin patch (#2) that TC and I could visit this weekend in hopes of also accomplishing #3. Unfortunately, I discovered some disheartening news. Pumpkins apparently do not grow on the Gulf Coast - "you have to drive north of Jackson, MS if you want a to pick your own pumpkin off the vine," said the lady on the other end of the receiver. She offered her pumpkin barn to me though. (I asked what she meant by "pumpkin barn". In this case, a pumpkin barn is where purchased and already picked pumpkins reside for us less fortunate Gulf Coastians). A gracious offer to say the least. She will probably be seeing me soon.

Alas, I updated TC of this sad news on the way to our college and career service at church, where we talked about other things we could add to our list. A few more we thought of are as follows:

15. Go to the Fair (Thank you billboard).
16. Have a hot chocolate picnic at night so we can star gaze Fall constellations (little bit of a romantic).

Having made Trent fully aware of EVERY detail of my Fall plans previously, he informed me after church he was going to check off one of my MUST's once we got home. A surprise! I love surprises, and even though I'm mildly impatient, I complied and did not push for an early reveal. Once home, he had me wait in the apartment, keep my eyes closed, and after a few minutes, walked me outside. When he said "open your eyes" I was standing in the middle of a homemade pumpkin patch. Yes, folks; He is really that precious and thoughtful (But how he managed to pull this off so quickly is beyond me). Since it was dark outside, he held flashlights while I went through and picked out the pumpkin I wanted. I returned the favor and let him pick out his pumpkin while I held the flashlights. The best surprise - we got to keep all of the pumpkins. Which means I should add another MUST to the list...

17. Toast pumpkin seeds (seeing we will have ample). The options for seasoning pumpkin seeds are numerous, so the above is simply basic instruction for those of you who have not tried pumpkin seeds before. Delish.

TC's the best. And so happy he made #2 a dream come true. Possibilities for a perfect Autumn are endless.

Autumn

My favorite time of year...Autumn. Good things happen this time of year. I met my husband this time of year. My fondest college memories are this time of year. Bonfires this time of year...I could go on. And I will, but first things first. I missed blogging about the adventures Summer held, so I won't be guilty of the same during my preferred season. Literally, I love everything about the Fall. A few weeks prior to the first date of this cuddly season, I created a MUST DO list to help me embrace everything I've come to love about "this time of year" (sorry to be redundant).  Here it is:

1. Go to a football game, preferably Alabama. Roll Tide
2. Visit a pumpkin patch.
3. Carve/Paint/Decorate pumpkins. These are cute.
3. Attend a festival celebrating some food of some sort. Pecans? Sausage?
4. Go to a concert.
5. Make Fall-ish Dinners
6. Throw or attend a costume party...I've got a theme in mind...
7. Get lost in a corn maze and Not Call 911.
8. Roast a marshmellow or two at a bonfire.
9. Create a Fall playlist (there are actually songs that set a Fall mood).
10. Visit a small town and check out their Fall decorations.
11. Fix a few Fall-ish Desserts
12. Have a cup of Fall flavored joe from a local coffee shop.
13. Go to an outdoor market.
14. Watch Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin

I am sure there will be more things added. Glad I've got TC who loves adventures as much as I do. I'll keep you posted on our progress!

Suggestion: Create your own Fall MUST DO list with your friends or family!