Today is a real fall day here: brisk, cool, and chilly.  Perfect weather for soup-making.  I’d love a hot bowl of vegetables in a simple broth, and this recipe from Simply Recipes is sure to cure my fix.  As I’ve mentioned here before, every recipe I try from this food blog is fantastic and is usually my go-to-food-blog for any recipe I’m curious to try but haven’t made before.  This particular recipe is actually from Wolfgang Puck, and after reading many of the positive comments to the post I am excited to cook this up and serve it with a lovely, crusty baguette.

Vegetable Soup with Sweet Basil

{image shown belongs to Simply Recipes}

The new 2010 calendar from simplesong design have just arrived!  It’s simple and clean, not overly fussy… something I love about letterpress.  I also absolutely love the bottom scalloped edge.  Suann’s work is always so elegant, and this calendar will definitely be on my Christmas list!

{images shown belong to simplesong design}

After my post last Friday on the Halloween wedding we’re attending, this past weekend as been full of online searches for costumes, rentals, and basic do-it-yourself ideas for my husband and I.  After a disappointing visit to a large thrift store today (with tacky, smelly clothes from the 1960s-1980s), I’ve since found two costume rental stores in Massachusetts and will be placing phone calls first thing tomorrow morning.  However, in my non-stop search for anything Colonial, Edwardian, Victorian or perhaps from the Regency time period, I came across this lovely site called 18th Century Blog.  The site is run by Johanna Öst and discusses fashion and culture from the 1700s, and many posts include images of her in period costume (which I believe most, if not all, she makes herself!).  Her blog has many images and good information on this time period, especially about Sweden in the 18th Century.  She also has a Flickr set which includes her in period clothing at Skansen, an open air museum in Stockholm that shows the Swedish way of life before the industrial era.  I’m beginning to wonder if my fascination and love for time periods long ago is going to take over, and I might start learning to sew simply to make period costumes…  Until that happens, I’ll live vicariously through Johanna’s blog!

{images shown belong to 18th Century Blog and Johanna Öst}

I am bursting with excitement over the invitation we received in the mail.  We have been invited to a wedding on Halloween (which in itself is exciting), but it’s going to be held at an art museum and the attire says to, “Wear something you can dance all night in!  Formal attire from any era is encouraged but not required.  Medieval, Renaissance, Victorian, Elizabethan, Gothic, Steampunk and basic black are options.”  If you happen to know me (in a blog sort of way or in person), you’ll know that secretly I’m an old lady that loves everything (especially clothing) from the 19th Century.  This is one of my biggest dreams come true!  Finally, a reason to actually dress up in a period outfit!  My husband is also very excited and has already determined to pick an outfit that’s inspired by Johnny Depp from Sleepy Hollow.  My head is racing… do I choose something more Edwardian, or something more Victorian?  It says there will be dancing, so perhaps I shouldn’t come with a big, fussy outfit.  But when else do you get to wear a corset and perhaps, an elegant hat?  My only question is how will I find clothing that could fit into this time period?  Most thrift stores carry clothing from the 1950s-1970s… so it will be hard to find items from pre 1900.  I don’t have a lot of sewing skills, but I think I’ll have to put them to the test and buy items that can be altered and changed to fit more of the style I’m looking for.  I’ve been lusting over these items as inspiration ever since.  How cool would it be to wear a mini top hat?  Any advice from loyal readers is much appreciated!

(dress by redthreaded)

(hat by the very talented Topsy Turvy Designs)

(a gorgeous vintage Regency dress from the collection of the Bath Museum of Costume in Bath, UK – an amazing museum for period clothing!)

This morning my husband and I went out for a walk at a local Audubon Sanctuary.  It was glorious.  I wish sometimes that I could capture these moments with you all and post a “scratch-and-sniff” link, because the smell of the woods was heavenly.  Leaves are just beginning to fade and fall, and the mingling of them with mounds of pine needles while baking in the sun was incredible.  The forest was quiet, except for a constant little “pop” and small “thud,” about every minute or so, as the animals start to pluck the acorns from the trees.  The paths were literally covered in acorns as apparently they’ve been at this for some time now.  The only other noise besides their acorn gathering, were our footsteps and the quiet hum of crickets.  Next time I’ve got to bring my other camera to capture this sound and share it with you all.

{for more of my morning walk images, check out my Flickr}

Last year my husband and I went to Shelburne Farm in Stow, MA for apple picking.  We went a little later in the apple season, during mid October, but there was still plenty left on the trees.  I remember coming home with about 25-30 lbs of apples and making apple crisp, apple pies, applesauce and all-things-apple for about 2 full months.  We actually went apple picking a few weeks ago to try another farm, but let’s just say the mix of rain and an “entrance fee” (on top of a price per lbs in apples, instead of the flat rate we paid for our large bag last year) made for a very stressful and unhappy day for my husband.  The start of fall is making me think it’s about time to go picking again (since we only picked about 8 lbs of apples and they’re already long gone), but this time back to Shelburne Farm.  Looks like I need to make some room in the freezer for sliced apples that should hopefully last into the winter!

{images shown are from our trip to Shelburne Farm in 2008}

Yes, it took me a while… but, I’m finally warming up to the idea that summer is truly over (yes, today’s the first day of fall).  Autumn means chilly nights to spend snuggling by the fire, sleeping peacefully with cool air at your face but staying toasty under thick covers, making warm bread and hot soups, picking apples and pumpkins and drinking hot cider, and enjoying the colorful foliage.  Stephanie’s posting from this past week on 3191 Miles Apart really got me excited.  The photos conveyed autumn’s colors, and more importantly, the feeling of fall.  I knew it would take me a few weeks but finally, I’m ready to let go of summer and embrace fall.

{images shown belong to 3191 Miles Apart and Stephanie Congdon Barnes}

I’ve never really been a fan of the color yellow, unless it’s more subdued (not acidic, like a bright lemon yellow).  However, Floris and Jennifer’s Wedding (found via Snippet and Ink) has proved me wrong.  I LOVE the yellow that they used; a bright, cheerful, bold yellow.  They included the color in their floral arrangements, invitations, favors, but also in a homemade photo booth and (get this) a ping-pong table.  If I had a ping-pong table at my wedding reception, I would’ve been so much cooler in my husband’s friends opinion.  I am simply in love with that idea, and in love with this color yellow.  I’m so glad they changed my mind!

{images shown via Snippet and Ink, photographed by Daniel Kiyoi}

Have you been following Chelsea on her amazing travels through Sweden?  She’s staying there for an extended visit, from summer through fall.  I’ve been drooling over her trip photos in her Flickr set “Sweden” and now I desperately want to visit (although Camilla gave me some photographic reasons for wanting to visit not that long ago).  Thank you, Chelsea, for keeping your loyal blog readers in the loop on your travels!

{images shown belong to Chelsea Fuss}

Everytime I visit Wholefoods lately, all I want to do is purchase and eat (by the dozen) their snickerdoodle cookies from the bakery.  So I was very pleased indeed when I went over to Smitten Kitchen today to see what to make for dinner to see a recipe for Snickerdoodles as the first post.  Sugar cookies with the right amount of cinnamon go perfect with a tall glass of milk or a hot cup of tea… or maybe tonight they might just replace dinner!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

{image shown belongs to Smitten Kitchen}