What I Wore: Goodbye September

Dress- Forever21 | Belt- Delia's | Sweater- Delia's | Shoes- H&M | Watch- Macy's

How did September go by so fast? Seriously, it seems like just yesterday we were leaving August and just getting into the swing of being back at school. Now, it's officially Fall and October begins tomorrow. Before I know it, it'll be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then Winter Break! As my last semester as a college student taking college classes, it seems to be going by way too fast. 

Monday's are always a little hectic for me with three classes and my book club meeting. I'm out the door by 10:50am and don't come back home until after 8pm. It's nice having my only long day be on Monday, though, because then I get it out of the way and can relax by the time Tuesday rolls around. I only have two classes today and then knitting club, so it's not going to be that bad of a day. While I do have an exam in my film studies class, it shouldn't be too hard. Hopefully it goes well! 

Sweet On Sunday #24

1. This Luck Be a Lady Dress in Blossom looks like it would be so much fun to wear. I don't think I would stop twirling around if I were wearing it…

2. The pug face on this iPhone 5 Case Prince is just too adorable not to love. 

3. Seeing as September is almost over, this Baby Got Bat Bag would be so perfect to wear during October.

4. Just look at all of the colors in this Preppy Colorblocked-Pockets Cardigan! So perfect to stay in a bright mood during the colder days that are undoubtedly coming up. 

5. I love the scalloped edging of this Perk of Art Bag. So cute! 

Project Wishlist: Cowls

Daughter Approved // Outdoors // My Favorite Things Infinity Scarf // Leftovers Cowl // Valuminosa

I always have projects that I want to make, but I never had enough time in the day to make them all. When the fall weather moves in, I always want to make as many cowls as possible to snuggle up in as I head to class in the crisp air. My favorites list on Ravelry absolutely explodes and I pine after all of the beautiful cowl patterns there are out there…

The one that I definitely can't wait to start is the My Favorite Things Infinity Scarf. I love how that pattern leaves the ability for the knitter to make it unique to their own favorite things. I would definitely have a panel that says "knit" and "purl". The sheep are adorable too and they even have elephants! The possibilities are endless and it looks like so much fun to make. 

As for the other scarves, the patterns look simple yet they turn out gorgeous! I love how big and fluffy the Valuminosa cowl looks and that purple color is gorgeous. I have some pink yarn, though, that I could see making a gorgeous cowl with that pattern. Oh, I'm already itching to get started! 

[Instagram] Books, Books, and More Books...

Over the past week, I have accumulated quite the amount of books. Despite the fact that I already own almost 1,000 books already (how did that happen??), I just can't seem to stay away from book sales. Half Price Books was having a warehouse sale where everything was $2 or less. Of course, I went on the first day right when they opened and found a glorious amount of books that I just couldn't live without. I didn't even spend that much money! I walked out of there with 14 books for myself for only $9. I got another 6 for my mom for only $3. How could I pass up on a deal like that? I also couldn't resist finally buying Isla and the Happily Ever After from The Book Depository. I have been dying to read the book and after seeing it posted on so many book blogs and Instagram accounts, I finally gave in and ordered myself a copy. It's finally in my hands and I can't wait to start it!

Aside from my exciting trip to the Half Price Books Warehouse sale and receiving my book mail, I spent the weekend watching some Outlander and running a 10k. The 10k was hosted by Panera, which means that there were some delicious Panera bagels, sandwiches, and cookies at the end, which I ended up devouring. I finished the 6.2 mile race in only 47 minutes (an average of a 7:30 min/mile pace), coming in second place in my age group (by one minute. So close, yet so far…). I was beyond happy with my time and couldn't have been happier with my cinnamon crunch bagel at the finish line. As for Outlander, how steamy was The Wedding episode? I mean, I already love Jamie, but now? Totally swooning over him. I already want to watch that episode again…

It was definitely a busy, yet incredible weekend. With books and running, what was there not to love?

10 Things Making Me Happy

I know that it's only Tuesday, but I've already been having a pretty great week! I think it's because I get to finally go home for a weekend visit on Thursday, but it feels like this week is just flying by. Homework for my classes hasn't been too bad and attending running club and knitting club always puts me in a good mood. Here's what else has been making me happy this week...

1. Finishing the Panerathon 10k in exactly 47 minutes. I ran 6 miles every weekend for about a month to train for the race and set a goal of 50 minutes. I dominated my goal and ran an average of a 7:30 minute mile, coming second in my age group. The free Panera afterwards didn't hurt either.

2. Finally being able to read Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I read Beautiful Disaster over the summer and devoured it in one day because I loved it so much. After meeting Jamie a couple of weeks ago and buying the second book in the series, I am so excited that I finally have time to sit down and read the story from Travis's point of view.

3. Having only three more days until I go home. I haven't been home in about 5 weeks now, so I'm definitely missing my parents, sister, and puppy. I can't wait to spend the weekend with my sister and Rosie (my parents are going out of town…awful timing, I know) and just relax and forget about school for a bit.

4. Making packing lists. I've had to make so many lists lately and they are so handy when I need to pack for anything so that I know I'm not forgetting anything.

5. Watching the Wedding episode of Outlander. Talk about steamy!

6. Receiving book mail that I've been waiting on for weeks. Isla and the Happily Ever After arrived in the mail yesterday and it definitely made my day.

7. Unwinding at knitting club. Some really great people joined my knitting club this semester and I always look forward to spending an hour with them and my latest knitting project every Tuesday night.

8. Getting ahead on homework. Since I'm going home this weekend, I want more time to spend with my sister and less time to spend on homework, so I'm getting most of my assignments done early and it feels so good to have that off my back.

9. Having class canceled so that I could go to running club. My evening class yesterday was canceled because my professor was out of town, so I was able to go to running club and see some of my new friends, which I am only able to normally do on Thursdays and Fridays.

10. Less than 100 days until Christmas. Time to start knitting up those Christmas presents!

On My Needles: Moss Stitch Scarf

Since school started, I've been going to my knitting club meetings every Tuesday and those meetings have definitely become my highlight of the day. So many new people have joined the club and we enjoy sitting down to knit and chat about life, school, and anything else that comes to mind. As a club, our goal is for every member to make at least one item to donate to the hospital, so I decided to start this Moss Stitch Scarf that I found on Ravelry. The pattern is super easy and it doesn't take too long to make! I'm able to make some progress on my scarf during our meetings while still being able to pay attention to our conversation. It's the perfect project!

With this cold weather moving in, it's so hard not to work on projects all for myself rather than projects I'm going to give away. I have to keep in mine, though, that I have plenty of scarves to keep me warm for the moment while there are people who truly need a scarf to stay warm as the fall weather moves in. Hopefully someone in need will receive this scarf and feel a bit warmer this winter.

Are any of you working on a fun project? I hope your projects are going well and that you have a fabulous start to your week!

Sweet On Sunday #23

1. The pattern of this abstract watercolor print dress is so pretty! 

2. I am obsessed with the color of this Inspiring Atmosphere Dress. 

3. Hehe, these Go and Grab a Bite Staple Removers are just too cool. I would love the dinosaur one! 

4. Pretty Analog Your Hours Clock! I would love to hang this in my kitchen. 

5. OH MY GOSH. I didn't even know that these things existed. I definitely need this One Hot Cookie Mug Warmer. Like, right now.

Hugo (2011)

Source

When Hugo came out in 2011, I had absolutely no interest in seeing the film. What could be so entertaining about juvenile film about a little boy who lives in a train station? I couldn't have been more wrong. Little did I know, this film was an homage to the beginning of cinema and George Melies. Ever since I started taking film studies classes when I added my film studies minor, I have become fascinated with all things film. My professor in my history of film class brought up Hugo multiple time when we were talking about the birth of cinema, so I knew I had to see the movie. 

In 1930s Paris, Hugo Cabret has been living in the walls of the train station ever since his father died, leaving him an orphan. Determined to fix an automaton his father was working on, Hugo uncovers secrets he had never known had existed while finding a true friend along the way. 

Source

This movie was just…magical. I can't think of a better word to describe the world that Martin Scorsese has created with this little boy living in a train station. I absolutely adored Hugo and his obsession with tinkering and fixing his father's automaton. The world he lives in is so whimsical, fantastic, and adventure-filled from the very beginning of the movie. I was fascinated with his life and was immersed in his journey towards unlocking a secret that ended up having to do with the birth and magic of cinema. 

Since I had already learned about George Melies in my film history class, it was fascinating being able to watch his story unfold as if it were currently happening. I've actually already seen A Trip to the Moon twice, so I loved how I was able to see them "discover" such an important piece of film history. The recreation of Melies' filming of his movies was simply magical and I was mesmerized with the film history being portrayed in this film. I was able to pick up on a bunch of references to other early silent films as well, which made the experience of watching this film that much more magical. 

Source

Any fan of film history absolutely has to see this film. Scorsese truly honors Melies and his contributions to film history in a fun, unique way. The story created around Hugo Cabret's life is impossible not to love and I know I'm not going to forget that little boy anytime soon. For a magical story about a boy who likes to tinker and discovers the magic of cinema, you have to watch Hugo. 

Dress Me Up in Fall

Be Marigold Dress || Bonfire Bubbly Dress || Practice Your Calligraphy Dress || Computing Cute Dress || Department Director Dress || Party Among the Pines Dress || Jolt of Jazz Dress || Marget Scavenger Hunt Dress

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I love Fall. And I love dresses. Okay, so it's not that big of a secret. But I am in love with the latest dresses from Modcloth and couldn't help but put together a list of dresses I think are perfect for my favorite time of year. I love the earthy colors that are so popular during the fall and how crisp everything is. I just think of bonfires, picking apples, roasting s'mores, baking everything with pumpkin…mmm and it's only just begun! 

This upcoming weekend is going to be very busy and I can't wait! I have a trip planned to Cincinatti for Half Price Books' clearance warehouse sale, woo hoo! While I'm there, I'm stopping by JoAnn's to pick up some yarn to make some gifts for my cousin's baby shower in November. Then, on Sunday, I'm running a 10k sponsored by Panera! I'm super excited and can't wait for those delicious bagels that will be waiting for me at the finish line. Other than that, I'll be spending as much time as I can either outside, soaking up this beautiful fall weather while drinking some pumpkin hot chocolate or snuggled up in my room reading yet another fantastic book. Don't you just love fall? 

What I Wore: Flower Power

Dress- Forever21 | Sweater- Forever21 | Shoes- Modcloth | Watch-Macy's

Looking through all of my dresses, I realized that I have a lot of florals. I think that when I see a floral dress, I love how many colors are in the pattern and can imagine matching that dress with so many different kinds of sweaters. Obviously, I just have to buy it! I wore this dress for my 21st birthday with a jean button-up shirt and I already pulled it out again to pair with my pink sweater. I love how the sweater makes the pink of the dress pop more. Oh, and I definitely can't forget about the shoes! I got them from Modcloth and they are amazing. Seriously, they fit like a glove and are probably the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. I'm obsessed! I'm so sad, though, that they're not available anymore because I would definitely buy these shoes in every color possible. They're just perfect!

I know I talk about the weather in almost every one of my posts, but it's been crazy lately! The temperature has dropped a good 10 degrees since last week and now it's constantly in the 60s, if not the 50s. I wore this dress out when I had class at 11:30 am and it was just the perfect amount of layers to feel comfortable. I had class until 6:30 pm and then I had book club from 7pm (which was super fun because we read Jane Eyre and gushed about it for a solid hour). By the time I was walking home at 8 pm, the temperature had dropped a good 15 degrees and I was freezing! I guess that's Ohio for you...

Craft Corner: Apfel Strudel Cowl

That's right, I crocheted something other than a blanket and it actually didn't turn out awful. I've always had a problem with crocheting and turning at the end of the chain. My row typically turns out all wonky and I never have the same amount of stitches in the end as I did in the beginning. I finally sat down on Youtube and watched a couple of tutorials on turning and it's actually not that hard! I struggled a bit for the first couple of rows of this cowl, but my friend helped me through it and I ended up flying through this project while catching up on the latest episodes of Outlander. 

Apfel Strudel Cowl 

From Raincloud & Sage

Found on Ravelry

Tools

1 skein yarn

size J (6.00 mm) hook

tapestry needle

Instructions

Chain 35

Chain four (counts as first triple crochet stitch)

Work triple crochet in each stitch until piece is at desire length

Fasten off, sew seems together, and weave in ends 

Enjoy!

This was probably one of the easiest cowls I've ever made once I got the hang of crocheting in a line. The original pattern from Raincloud & Sage says to use treble crochet, which I hadn't used before. When I googled it, some sources said it was a US double crochet while others said it was a US triple crochet. Based off of what her picture looked like, I decided to do a US triple crochet and think it was the right choice. Also, she used a larger hook (size 7mm), but I only had a 6mm, so that's the one I used. Feel free to use a bigger hook if you want a bigger stitch! 

I can't wait to wear my new scarf as the temperature starts to drop into the Fall weather. It's my first scarf of the Fall season, but it definitely won't be my last! 

Sweet On Sunday #22

1. Yes, more sweaters! This Beautiful Color Blocked Knit Cardigan adds the perfect amount of color to cheer up any chilly day. 

2. Tee hee, how cute is this Feline Bold Bag? That face, though…

3. I absolutely adore this Writer's Notebook Set from Etsy. I'd definitely be more inspired to write if I had these adorable journals to jot notes down in. 

4. I don't know why, but the simple design of this Pebbled Faux Leather Tote caught my eye and I fell in love. It's perfect to carry around while running errands or meeting up with friends and it would definitely fit my current read inside. 

5. I literally want to buy everything from Forever21, including this Crossback Woven Dress. Aren't the colors adorable? 

Ten Things Making Me Happy

I absolutely love Rosie's blog Cider WIth Rosie and adore her lists of ten things that have made her happy during the past week. Making a list of ten things is such a simple thing, but it can really make you appreciate life so much more. It's those little moments that always make me smile. So, here's what's made me happy this week…

1. Finding my favorite fall candy at Kroger, especially the white chocolate candy corn M&Ms. I may have eaten half the bag within 5 minutes of getting home... 

2. Joining running club. Wow, running with a bunch of actual runners seriously kicks my booty. We run at a steady 8 mile pace and on our last run, which ended up being 5.6 miles, we ran the last mile in 7:30. I'm definitely going to be in fantastic shape by the end of the semester. 

3. Staying up reading well into the night. I've been making an effort to not fall asleep while reading and it's finally working! I've managed to stay up until midnight for the past two nights and have made good progress on my TBR pile. 

4. The drop in temperature. Finally, no more sweating while walking to class. I absolutely love how the temperature has been in the 60s lately. Fall has definitely arrived. 

5. Buying an anniversary card for my parents and writing them a cute little note to let them know that I love them and miss them. I can't wait for them to get it on Wednesday!

6. Chatting on the phone with my sister on my way home from classes. 

7. Visiting the local library and browsing through the shelves, picking up anything that catches my eye. I walked out of the library with 5 books today, which definitely shouldn't have happened since I have so much to read. But they all looked so good and I just couldn't resist. 

8. Still obsessing over how I got to meet some of my favorite authors last week. 

9. Slowly making progress on the granny square blanket for my sister. Each square just gets prettier and prettier. 

10. Waking up early Saturday mornings to run 6 miles through the sleepy town of Oxford. 

Kitchen Krazy: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles

I don't know how much more I can obsess over Sally's Baking Addiction. I follow her on Instagram and get her email updates, so I always know when she has a new recipe up on her blog. And almost every time she posts something, I want to drop everything and make her latest recipe. I first saw the picture for her White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles on Instagram and about had a heart attack. I love all things Pumpkin and she made a pumpkin snickerdoodles? Yummy! 

I made a batch of the cookies on Sunday and realized that you definitely have to wait at least a day to enjoy the cinnamon, pumpkin goodness. If you eat them right away, the flavor isn't quite there yet and it feels too mushy to really enjoy. Wait a day, though, and the flavors are ten times stronger and the mush has turned into chewy goodness. While waiting 24 hours to devour these cookies is hard, the glorious taste is well worth the wait. I brought the batch to my knitting meeting and walked out with only two cookies left. While I was disappointed to only have two cookies left to enjoy after only eating one measly cookie from the ones I had made, I was delighted that everyone loved them so much. Nothing can compare to the feeling of people enjoying your homemade baked good. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles 

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients 

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons pumpkin puree 

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

Directions 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in white chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

3. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

4. Roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll each of the dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and arrange on 2 baking sheets. Slightly flatten the dough balls because the cookies will only slightly spread in the oven. The photo above shows what the cookie dough balls should look like before baking.

5. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. Keeping them in the oven for longer may dry them out.  Remove from the oven and press a few more white chocolate chips onto the tops, if desired. If you find that your cookies didn't spread much at all, flatten them out when you take them out of the oven.

6. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack. The longer the cookies cool, the chewier they will be. I let them sit out for at least 1 hour before enjoying. I find that their chewiness and pumpkin flavor is more prominent on day 2. Cookies stay soft, moist, and chewy stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Freezing directions: Roll the chilled dough into balls and freeze in a large ziplock bag for up to 2 months. Baked cookies may also be frozen up to 2 months.

What I Wore: Spring Into Fall

Dress- Delia's | Sweater- Ann Taylor Loft | Sandals- Forever 21

Whenever I look at this dress, I think of Spring. I even wore it to Easter mass last year, which is pretty much the definition of Spring. Despite the fact that it is definitely not Spring right now, I couldn't stop myself from wearing this dress. I love the bright floral pattern and I'm obsessed with the fact that it has pockets. I've also been trying to stock up on cardigans that can be worn with dresses and I fell in love with this sweater at the Ann Taylor Loft Outlet I went to while I was on vacation in Myrtle Beach. I could already think of all of my floral dresses sitting in my closet that would go with the green color perfectly. 

Despite the fact that I've been dying for Fall weather, I'm definitely going to miss days that stay in the 70s with a cool breeze that stop you from becoming a sweaty mess after spending only five minutes outside. Yesterday was one of those days and I did not want to change out of my dress when the day was over. And those sandals! Walking at least a mile to and from class means that I definitely have to have a pair of comfy shoes one (I already have blisters up and down my heels from wearing new shoes) and these sandals are heaven. I could have walked for miles and been totally fine. That's the beauty of a good pair of shoes that look good but also feel fantastic. 

Sweet On Sunday #21

1. These Vintage Cutout Sunglasses are perfect for Fall weekend trips. 

2. These Little Owl Necklaces are just too adorable. I'm especially in love with the white one on the right. So cute!

3. I am totally a Cat Lady for Life. Well, you know, when I finally get my own cats… 

4. I know that I already have a Lion King sweatshirt, but I am so tempted to buy this other Felted Lion King Sweatshirt. 

5. This Granny Square Snood from Lulu Loves is definitely going to be the next project I make this fall. 

Fall Into Sweater Weather

Howdy Do Sweatshirt in Grey // Happy Cat Cardigan // Deer, Far, Wherever You are Sweater // Classic Plaid Pattern Paneled Sweater // Red Heart Knit Cardigan // Novelty Striped Knit Sweater // Preppy Owl Pattern Cardigan // Mesh Surface Crochet Knit Cardigan

I am so over this summer weather. We had such a cool summer and now that I'm back at school, Ohio decides to have a high of 90 degrees. every. single. day. It's September! Shouldn't we have at least some reprieve of this ridiculously hot weather? I don't know about you, but I am so ready to finally break out my sweater collection and embrace the cool, crisp weather of fall.

Over the past couple of years, my sweater collection has multiplied about five times as big as it was in high school. I absolutely love sweaters because they are a staple in my wardrobe that can span a wide range of seasons. I can wear a light sweater in the fall, heavy sweaters in the winter, and then light sweaters again in the spring. I can wear a sweater to dress up an outfit or wear them with some skinny jeans and a pair of Uggs. I literally live in sweaters during the winter months and am always looking out for more to add to my wardrobe.

I love sweaters that are fun and can start a conversation. Owls, cats, deer…the possibilities are endless! Not to mention the color choices. Just talking about sweaters makes me long to bundle up in one, drink some hot cocoa (with some pumpkin creamer, of course), and read a good buck all night long. Oh sweater weather, where are you???

What I Wore: Pineapples and Kitties

Dress- Delia's | Sweater- Delia's | Shoes- Delia's | Watch- Macy's

Hmm, looks like I like Delia's…a lot! I didn't even notice that basically my entire outfit was from Delia's until just now. I didn't buy all of these pieces at the same time, but they sure do go together. My mom says that when I actually start teaching, I'll be wearing the same outfits as my students because I still shop at Forever 21 and Delia's like I did when I was in high school, but I can't help it! They have such cute clothes that I am in love with, so who am I to say no to my style just because a wide range of people shop there? 

And can I please obsess some more over those cat flats? I've wanted a pair for forever, but was never willing to spend a bunch of money on them. They finally went on clearance and I got them during another special sale at Delia's for about $7. You could say I was excited to finally own them. I got my regular size, but unfortunately they ended up fitting about a half a size too big. I just wore some flat socks with them and stuffed each toe with a tissue. Surprisingly, they fit pretty well and were very comfortable to walk to and from class in.

A lot of new clubs have been starting up this week, so I have been busier than ever! Now, I have a meeting every single night Monday-Thursday, so this semester is definitely going to keep me busy. Since I'm student teaching next semester, though, it's basically my last semester as a college student taking college classes. While I'm very excited to finally graduate in the Spring, that means I'm finally going to have to go out into the real world and work a real job. Can't I just stay a student forever?

September 2014 Goals

Guess what? It's September! Where did August go? Well, I'm not complaining because Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. There's everything Pumpkin, the super hot and sweaty weather is going away, I can finally break out my extensive sweater collection, and I get to wear my hand-knitted scarves! Okay, so I know we're still a ways away from actual crisp fall weather, but being in September means we're that much closer. I'm so excited! But here's a little bit about the goals I've set for this month…

Join a new club Throughout the past three years at college, I've tried out a lot of different clubs, most of which I haven't stuck with. I still have knitting club and book club, both of which I founded, but I'd love to join a club where I get to meet new people and that gets me out of my apartment more. I'm thinking of joining running club because I've always wanted to ever since I started running freshman year, but I've never had the guts to run with complete strangers. I'm going to check out the first meeting and see how it goes!

Make s'mores I've been pretty much craving s'mores all month. I'm determined to finally make it happen. 

Finish at least half of granny square blanket I mentioned the other day that I'm working on a blanket for my sister. I want to finish it relatively soon, so I'm aiming to have half of it done by the end of the month. 

Start and finish a knitting project I have so much yarn and with knitting club starting back up, I seriously need to buckle down and start a new knitting project. I'm thinking of making a new cowl, so it's definitely time to spend some quality time with Ravelry to find the perfect pattern. 

Read a lot more books for fun The only time I got to read my choice of books instead of review books this summer was when I was on vacation. I definitely need to make more time to read the books I've bought that have been sitting on my shelves for who knows how long. 

Instagram everything I'm obsessed with Instagram, what can I say? 

Bake with lots of pumpkin Starting in the fall, I always crave everything pumpkin. I am dying to try out new pumpkin recipes. These White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles seem like the perfect place to start. 

Train for Panera 10k I convinced one of my friends to run the Panera 5k/10k with me at the end of the month. I really wanted to challenge myself, so I'm going to run the 10k while she's doing the 5k. I'm hoping to finish at 50 minutes or less, but that definitely means I'm going to have to do some speed training before then. Wish me luck! 

[Instagram] I Gotta Go Back..

Is it just me, or does everyone want to start singing "Back to School" from Grease 2 every time they head back to school? No? Well too bad I sang it to my sister every time she even mentioned school to me in August. But seriously, back to school time is here and I've survived my first week as a college senior! Not much as changed since junior year except for I have a killer turquoise room and some new fun classes to do a copious amounts of homework for…

Of course, I had to take the first day of school picture on my last first day of school as a student. I forgot how hot August was when I have to walk to and from class everyday…Maybe that's why I spent almost all of the Labor Day weekend cooped up in my room watching and finish up Gossip Girl. I had about 17 episodes left of the series starting Friday and finished up the last three yesterday. I've been working my way through that series for months now and I'm so sad it's over. What do I watch next?

Last weekend, I made sure to stop by the local library and it was so nice to be back there. It's so much smaller than my public library at home, but the small size makes it feel so cozy. At the library I picked up some movies to watch this weekend when I wasn't watching Gossip Girl. I only managed to get through Rebel Without a Cause and An American In Paris, but I hope I can find sometime this week to squeeze in a couple more of them. Hopefully I don't have too much homework! 

On My Hook: Summer Garden Afghan

After finally finishing my second chevron afghan, I have been itching to start another huge project. I love always having something fun to work on, especially when the end result is bound to be beautiful. The anticipation just makes me work faster and longer until I final have my finished project. Since I now have completed three afghans during my knitting career, my sister decided it was time for her to have her own, made by me of course. I told her as long as she bought the yarn, I'd be happy to provide my services. Little did I know she'd pick out a completely adorable color scheme that I fell in love with as soon as I made the first square. 

My sister decided she wanted a Summer Garden Granny Square Afghan, which is the same exact pattern I used to make my very first crocheted afghan. We went to JoAnn's together to pick out the colors and I brought the project to school with me. Over the long Labor Day weekend, I've been working away on my squares through countless episodes of Gossip Girl. I'm making some good progress considering it took an entire year to finish my last afghan. I'm hoping to finish this project before Thanksgiving- just in time for the cold weather! If I don't steal the blanket for myself, that is…

Is anyone else working on a fun project? I love to see what other people are working on so that I have inspiration for what to make next. Going to my knitting club always gives me so many ideas that I know I'll never have enough time to complete. But a girl can dream! As soon as I finish this afghan, that is.