spying. russian style.

Friends. I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. There is no good excuse. I wasn't out looking for my soul under a rock or taking a time out to read a good book or anything like that. I've just been busy and that's the truth. But here I am, back with a fresh pair of specs and a question. Do you remember playing "I spy" on road trips when you were a little kid? Or maybe you are a big kid pretending to be a little kid and have played it recently. That game was among my favorite pass-the-time-car-games. Second only to the classic "blue punch buggy no punch back". I loved playing "I spy" though because my little eye usually wandered to the prettiest or most unique thing around and landed there.

So here we go. No, not on a road trip (I wish) but rather on a little journey through pictures. I've searched high and low and my little eye has picked up on some of the prettiest things this side of the Mississippi. I haven't decided how often we are going to play eye spy on this here blog but I do know we are playing today. Tuesday.

eye spy :  mustard.

     

  

  

How are you feeling about mustard? The color not the condiment, naturally.

wednesday whistle.

 No Regrets - Forest Sun
Check out Forest Sun dot com to purchase the Walk Through Walls album.



wednesday whistle.

I heard this song for the first time last week. My friend over at Life Through a Lens and I were discussing a scenario in which we could travel abroad together. When I told her I probably wouldn't be able to accompany her on a trip this summer, she played me this song. I loved it.

Vienna - Billy Joel

Released in 1977 on the album The Stranger

Today I have realized two things about myself:

1. I love frothed milk in coffee more than any normal person would be ok with.

2. I am really excited for fall shows to start. Again, probably more than I should be but it is just another reminder of how much I love the fall.

This might seem super lame and may cause you to think that I really need to get a life and not watch so much tv. While this may be true, DVR and Internet TV are beautiful things. I generally record only the things I am going to watch and don't spend too much time watching other shows. Except if those other things include an occasional episode of Wheel of Fortune or Extreme Couponing. (Some day I'll tell you about my love for word games and saving money at grocery stores.)

So here is my guide to the fall season of prime time television.

sunday:

ABC - Pan Am - 10:00

monday:

ABC - The Bachelor - TBA

tuesday:

NBC - The Biggest Loser - 8:00

wednesday:

CBS - Survivor - 8:00

ABC - The Middle - 8:00

ABC - Modern Family - 9:00

thursday:

ABC - Grey's Anatomy - 9:00

ABC - Private Practice - 10:00

Who knows what could happen this season.

Will Jeff Probst ever get tired of saying "the tribe has spoken"? Will Derek really leave Meredith alone with baby Z and totally disregard their 'only works on tv' post-it marriage? Will Addison finally realize that she is the source of her own problems and stop changing her hair color? How many boxes of tissues will I use during this season of the Biggest Loser?  Will Tom Haverford continue to make me laugh out loud in an uncontrollable manner? Will Ben F. bounce back from his broken Ashley heart and be able to reclaim true love for himself?

One can only hope.

What shows are you excited about this fall? Do you have a favorite?

On Thursday, We Twirl.

I'm really excited about this week. A few days ago, I talked about some really exciting treats that have me in great anticipation of this fall season in a really big, silly way that is probably kind of obnoxious. Along with the exciting things though, I had to point out that although it may be September, the temperature and humidity is reflecting more of what it feels like in May or June.

I want you to know, I may have spoken too soon.

I'm totally ok with that because the high yesterday was 59. Fifty nine people. (!!!) Incredible. Sure, we had to endure 48 hours of rain on a holiday weekend to get there but I'm not going to complain. This morning, I walked outside and smiled. Right away. There was no stopping me. The weather has that kind of effect. If you are having a bad day, hop in your car, drive to north Alabama, get out of your car, and look up at the sky. I promise you are going to want to throw your hands in the air and twirl around. In case you need a visual:

Another very exciting thing that has happened over the weekend. Prepare yourself. It's back. Yes, I am referring to the pumpkin spice latte. When the friendly barista at Starbucks asked me how my day was, all I could say was "Wonderful! Pumpkin is here!". True story.

By the way, do the initials PSL remind you of anything besides Starbucks' abbreviation for 'pumpkin spice latte'? If you are reading this blog, they should. Am I so in tune with my love for fall that I would name this blog using the same initials as the most delightful hot beverage IN THE WORLD? The answer is no, probably not but I would like to think that on some subconscious level, it was completely on purpose.

Today is a day to be enthusiastic. Enthusiastic about the little things. Weather. Coffee.

Enjoy your day!

wednesday whistle.

Down by the River - Honey Honey

Rainy Labor Day

it has been raining for almost twenty-four hours. straight.

i hope your labor day is filled with a

little sunshine, good friends & most of all, rest.

i have two out of  the three. i'll take that.

Fall Favorite: College Football

Another anticipated fall treat: college football.

The fifteen week season kicks off today. I will be watching my Alma Mater, Florida State take on Louisiana Monroe this afternoon. Sadly, this is the first season in four years I won't be there. Football is an all American tradition that ignites the spirit of comradery among fellow fans and creates a divide between friends who pull for the opposing team. For me, sitting in Doak Campbell stadium for the first time was pretty incredible. It was one of those times you realize you are a part of something so much bigger than yourself. My favorite part of the game is the beginning. The sea of fans in their game day best begin to clap, chop, holler and cheer as Cheif Osceola rides out on Renegade with his lit spear. As he makes his way to the middle of the field, he pulls back on the horse and throws the spear on to the field. Naturally, the crowd goes crazy. The game has begun.

If I were still living in Tallahassee I would incorporate these things into this football season.

Proof that Seminoles live here:

Football cake pops:

A tailgating necessity: Chili and Cornbread in a jar

And of course, a game day outfit:

Even though it won't be the same this year, I am determined to enjoy the Noles football season from 600 miles away. I hope whoever you cheer for today, you're doing it with pride and a heart full of excitement.

images from pinterest 

Fall Favorites

I know living in the south means that we don't start to feel the effects of cool fall weather until approximately October eleventh. That means that today, when I step outside it will still be pushing 98 degrees. Nick Lachey will not be present. Sorry ladies. Or fellas. No judgement here.

Today though, I'm going to disregard the warm weather completely and embrace all the anticipated lovely things about fall.

First fall favorite: tweed.

 

My email from JCrew this week was fully on board with the tweed obsession.

When you love fall & all things magical, you get excited about things like tweed jackets from Emerson Made

If you are anything like me, you say YES to everything about this outfit.



What could be cooler than yellow tweed? Really, JCrew?

Or perhaps you're not one for wearing tweed and would rather incorporate it in your home with a great storage ottoman. That would be just fine. 

Ok last one just because, how adorable?



What a delightful time of year. I hope the anticipation of the season is making you as happy as I am. 

images from pinterest

Pumpkin Enthusiast.

Well folks, it is the first day of September.

Do you know what this means? Fall. This means fall. Which also means PUMPKINS. (!!!) Last year I embraced the pumpkin enthusiast within me. I decorated and carved a pumpkin, made pumpkin desserts, visited a pumpkin patch and drank way too many Starbucks tall pumpkin soy coffees.

As the season approaches, I feel the need to defend my love for pumpkin. As we know, pomegranate, leggings, and Uggs have all circled though our world and were at one time labeled “trendy”.  (Let’s be honest though, Uggs? What were those trendy people thinking? Even the name sounds less than cute.) My point is that there is probably someone out there that felt a little cheated because they’ve been eating a pomegranate every day for fifteen years.  They knew about the delicious fruit long before the world and its antioxidant craze claimed it as their favorite.

My fear is that this is going to happen to pumpkin.  Everyone is going to start to love it and it will no longer be special. I can see it now, me and the pomegranate lover sitting on a park bench somewhere sharing a box of Kleenex because the world has taken one of our simple joys and claimed it as their own. Not cool world. Not cool.

In effort to preserve my love for this seasonal orange vegetable that stems from the squash family, I am going to maximize its existence in my everyday life or at least post about my love for it on this here blog. Whether it is through pictures, recipes, fashion inspirations or simply an encounter with anything pumpkin. It will be here. So here it goes...

Today I walked out to observe the pumpkin patch in the back yard and look what I found: I was delighted.

Pumpkin patch. Circa 2010: pure bliss

wednesday whistle.

Josh Ritter - Good Man