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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Autumn spice

 Happy TGIAF!  (Thank God it's almost Friday) haha!  Daniel and I had an amazing time in the Poconos last week, and I am happy to finally be sharing some photos.  First off, it is the peak time in the Poconos for Fall Foliage, the colors are unbelievable; from yellow to amber to fiery red and everything in between, there was no better time to experience the beauty of Fall.  Second off- we had gorgeous weather, though chilly- it was crisp and clean- with just a short burst of rainfall on Saturday.  We had some trouble getting the fire going when we first got up there- but Daniel got it down to a science so I wasn't bundled up in blankets the whole time.  We spent some time in Saylorsburg, where we went to the "Hotel of Horrors" a haunted house attraction, and sailed over to Jim Thorpe, about a half hour ride from the cabin, twice during our stay.  I really came to like Jim Thorpe!  There are so many cute little shops, bakeries, cafe's and historical sites, as well as a gorgeous river and train, and we weren't aware of it but some sort of festival was going on when we went back on Sunday and it was PACKED!  We didn't let that get in our way, though :)   
This coat was a gift from my boss at Clothes in the Past Lane.  I was so flattered that she decided to give it to me since I had been eyeing it for quite some time but had decided to save my money.  It was a going away present as I have accepted a new position that starts next week.  Right now is a huge transition time for me and I am really excited for my new opportunities, but I am trying to take it one step at a time.
This orange polka dot dress is another one of my fall favorites, the orange ruffles remind me of rustling leaves, and with the harvest gold/ peanut butter color of the coat it set off nicely against the Autumn backdrop.
I am quickly coming to see that my flats are not going to get me through the season, I badly need a pair of boots, and soon!  I am dreaming of a gorgeous chestnut brown faux leather tie up pair and a tall flat brown boot that I can wear everywhere- they are officially on the list!
Daniel got new jeans (yay!) since his other ones were completely falling apart.  We were joking that we could sell them as premium distressed jeans.  I got the flannel coat from Switch Skate and Snow on Main Street in Newark, (one of our neighbors at Clothes in the Past Lane) during one of their blow out sales- only $20!!! For a warm coat, I thought that was quite the steal- and it fits my incredibly tall husband perfectly.  Goodness I love this man, so glad we got to spend four uninterrupted days together!!
This was my outfit to Jim Thorpe when we went back on Sunday.  We toured the old Jim Thorpe Jail which is pretty spooky, and went for a wine tasting afterwards at a local winery just down the street, Big Creek Vineyard.  They were just a little place but had an amazing sweet La Brusca wine, and a great collection.  Usually I am all about the rich, deep red wines, but their's were a little too smoky, (even industrial if that makes sense?) so we settled on a bottle of sweet wine instead, and will be storing it for a special occasion. If you are in Jim Thorpe you have to take advantage of their wine tastings, they were quite affordable as well with their bottles starting at only $6.00!

What an incredible get-away it was.  I am so happy we settled on going up to the cabin, as originally we weren't sure where we wanted to go, but it ended up being the best choice.  I think next year we might stay a night or two in Jim Thorpe, we really enjoyed it there and would like to explore a little more.  I highly recommend a trip to the area if you are close by!  

Thanks for reading about my little trip, and I hope you are all enjoying your autumn adventures and still maniacally including pumpkin in each and every meal of the day, haha!  ( I know I am) :)

xo, Alyssa

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Celebrating Two Years!

Yesterday marked my second year wedding Anniversary with my amazing husband, Daniel.  I could not be happier or more in love, and I am so grateful to have him in my life!  We have grown so much these past two years, and I know that we will continue to grow and watch the world change around us.  He has always been there to support me in my dreams, carry me through my ups and downs and inspire me to explore my fullest potential.  Being married is not always easy, but goodness is it wonderful.  It really, truly is.  I can not imagine my life without him and my love for him grows richer and richer every day.  I am so glad that I have this amazing person to ride on the crazy train of life with, and I wouldn't have it any other way!



Ah.  So now that the mush is out of the way- it's time for some celebration! Daniel and I are going to be relaxing in the Poconos for a few days, and I am sooo ready for it!  Walks in the woods, eating pumpkin everything, antiquing and some more Haunted Attractions, just my cup O' Tea.  Autumn is so inspiring and transitional, there are so many ideas swirling around my head, and the prospect of taking off to the mountains in exactly what I need.   Hopefully I will get some shots of my outfits this weekend so I can refresh the blog, sorry that I have been slacking, but I promise to get back to my regular weekly postings soon!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week, and and enjoying this beautiful season!

xo, Alyssa  

Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Harvest Moon Festival!

October is already going so fast, can you believe that Fall is in full swing?!  Well, if you were in Delaware this weekend you never would have known- in fact, if you had a case of amnesia you would swear all your money on July or August, but then again the leaves are starting to give it away.  Daniel and I have had a busy weekend, but we were so excited to attend the annual Harvest Moon Festival yesterday, sweltering temperatures or not!  The festival is held on a beautiful farm called Coverdale  (where I also take yoga classes on Tuesday nights!), and features all sorts of fun things like hayrides, food, games, a marketplace, music and arts and crafts.  This year they had these incredible Alpacas and all kinds of homespun garments from their fluffy wool (this does not harm them in any way, it is simply harvested when they get so fluffy that they need a haircut!)  We were allowed to walk up and visit them, touch their fluffy little heads and learn about them from the farmer!  
I was equally excited to style this tapestry and cotton dress that I got from the shop the other day. I was dreaming up all sorts of creative possibilities, but settled on a pair of harvest gold tights, cream floral necklace, blue rosette headband and South American style clutch; but the icing on the cake had to be the adorable acorn pin that I received from Elizabeth of Stoic & Pariah this past week.  I was absolutely delighted to receive her package on Thursday, I was having a sort of hectic day and couldn't seem to get my feet off the ground right; and her sweet gifts and kind letters really meant so much to me.  Thank you for being such an amazing pen pal, Elizabeth!!!! <3  

The shade of these trees really made for some beautiful lighting.  The leaves are slowly turning, the grass is growing golder, and the sun is retiring early.
The farmer told us that the Alpacas are very family oriented and enjoy staying together and being affectionate with one another.  Does it get any cuter than that?!
Autumn is such a wonderful time to get back into creative and adventurous endeavors; cooking, nature, art, music or whatever is inspiring you.  Every new season fresh winds blow in and stale winds blow out.  Look at the world around you, explore, have new adventures, go new places and broaden your horizons.  Try a different exercise class, make an exciting dish, walk further down the trail then before.  Push your limits and discover more about you, and what makes you unique and beautiful.  Celebrate life and the new gifts of the season!

Fall Festival + Alpacas + Kettle Korn = pure bliss!

To usher in the fall and stay active, I recently signed up for a new series of vinyasa yoga classes and Daniel and I have been going on lots of adventures on our bikes.  Unfortunately he popped a tire on our way home today, but hopefully we can fix it soon!  Last weekend we took a 22 mile trip around Newark to Milburn Orchards (hooray apple cider!) it was such a great ride, I love how free I feel on my bike!

Tonight Daniel and I will be heading up to Wilmington to visit with my Grandfather and bring him dinner.  There are so many photo albums over there that I plan to look through again, and a few more family treasures to sort through. I hope you are all having a beautiful weekend and enjoying the Fall;  hopefully the crisper, cooler weather is right around the corner, I have a major hankering for some home-made pumpkin pie! As always, thanks for reading and enjoy your day! :)
xo, Alyssa