Fall Bucket List

Fall is in full swing here in Jersey/NYC and this California girl is not ready at all. The seasons changed so swiftly here. One day it felt like summer, the next I was needing a sweater and boots! Having grown up in Southern California, I'm not accustomed to true seasons, and the change between them is typically slow and subtle. Suffice to say, the sudden cold snap caught me off guard. I am not yet enjoying the frosty morning and evening walks with the dogs where we are all shivering, and yet as cold as it feels to me right now, I know that it's going to get a lot colder—and I also know that I don't really know what I'm in for!

Nevertheless, I'm not ready to hibernate for the winter and I've heard New York is really beautiful in the fall. So in addition to getting a new pair of boots (I'd love these classics) and a warmer, East Coast-appropriate coat (this one with a fur-trimmed hood caught my eye), here's a list of activities I'd like to accomplish this autumn season:

Go apple picking. I've never been and now we're living in a region where it is possible! We're just an hour-long drive from Wilkens Farm and Masker Orchards.

Indulge in fall flavors. Give acorn squash another try with this apple, cranberry and sausage stuffed recipe that should make the hubby happy. Bake the apple tart I wanted to make last fall. Put an autumnal spin on one of our favorite dinners with butternut squash risotto. And on an especially chilly evening, whip up a batch of mulled apple cider, spiked for extra warmth.

Experience Broadway and the ballet. I don't have a specific Broadway show in mind (recommendations welcome!) but I would love to see the New York City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.

Wine tasting in the North Fork of Long Island. One of G and I's favorite weekend pastimes in San Diego was wine tasting in Temecula, so I'd love to explore a few East Coast wineries. Apparently, Long Island Wine Country is the place to go (in particular, Shinn Estate, Bedell Cellars and Croteaux Vineyards) and it turns out that merlot, the hubby's favorite varietal, is the signature grape of the region. (For a closer-to-home wine tasting option, we could also check out Brooklyn Winery and Red Hook Winery.)

Bundle up and go ice skating. NYC has many rinks to choose from, and while I'd love to spin around the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, the long lines may lead us to the Winter Village at Bryant Park (bonus: shops!) or Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

Attend the Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center. Or, at the very least, visit and snap lots of photos while the famous giant tree is on view this holiday season. 

_______________

There are a few things we didn't get to on our summer bucket list that we could still aim to do now, including visiting Brooklyn Bridge Park (and the bridge itself) and checking out the Brooklyn Flea's indoor winter market. There is so much to see and do in NYC and we might not be able to do it all, but we are going to have fun trying! What's on your fall bucket list? 

(New York Autumn Art Print 

by Rifle Paper Co.)

(Fun) Weekend Goals

[ Christmastime in St. Pete. ]

Sightings of tinsel, twinkling lights and other festive holiday decor. Carols playing on repeat in my head. The fact that I've already begun my Christmas shopping. Attending St. Pete's tree lighting last Friday night. All of these things are making me feel like winter is here, and making me reflect on those fall bucket list items I have yet to complete. Luckily for me, the first official day of winter isn't for a few more weeks (Dec. 21, if you're wondering), not to mention it still feels like autumn here in Florida, so I still have some time to check those fun to-do's off my list.

A quick recap of what my fall bucket list entailed:

• Make a hearty soup from scratch. (Specifically, this chicken stew with butternut squash and quinoa.)

• Visit The Chihuly Collection. (I already have the tickets, just gotta go!)

• Explore the Tampa Bay area. Done, but we could definitely explore more! We attended Oktoberfest in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, visited Oxford Exchange not once but twice (and even another time just for the delicious coffee), walked around the University of Tampa campus, and even went to a Buccaneers game.

• Pick our own fall veggies. (Unfortunately, we missed our chance and the farm is closed. We'll have to wait until spring.)

• Browse the St. Pete Indie Market. Done! I'd like to check out the much larger Saturday Morning Market in the heart of St. Pete next. And we can get fresh-from-the-farm veggies at the market; a good second to the above item.

• Bake an apple pie/galette/crostata. (I did make a pie for Thanksgiving that had apple in it, but this apple fan still wants to cook up the real deal, with no pumpkin or pecans competing with the Granny Smiths for attention.)

If the hubs and I are super proactive, we could probably accomplish the soup, the galette, and the visits to the Chihuly exhibition and Saturday Morning Market this weekend. But maybe that's too ambitious? I'll let you know how I fare on Monday.

Because we also need to get our own holiday tinsel and twinkle... before Dec. 21.

Do you have any fun plans for this first December weekend?

Sweet Fall Treat : Pumpkin Dump Cake

I made this easy cake on Halloween and totally forgot to post about it. Luckily, it is not just a Halloween-appropriate dessert. This Pumpkin Dump Cake is the perfect fall treat. It tastes like pumpkin pie, but it is so much easier to make. That's the thing about dump cakes. While they don't have the most appetizing or elegant name, they are simple, quick and delicious. You basically dump the ingredients in a pan and bake. Even better? You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge already. So if you're craving something sweet this weekend, give this cake a go.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Recipe via Tablespoon, with a few minor changes

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 60 minutes | Serves 16

INGREDIENTS

1 (29 ounce) can pure pumpkin

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

3 whole eggs

1 cup white sugar (I used half white, half brown for a deeper, molasses-like sweetness)

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 (18.25 ounce) boxed cake mix (instead of the suggested Betty Crocker Supermoist Yellow Cake Mix, I used a Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix for extra fall-time flavor)

1 cup chopped pecans (optional, but highly recommended)

3/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Spread pumpkin mixture in prepared baking dish. The mixture will be very wet! This is OK.

3. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top of the batter. If adding pecans (please do!), sprinkle them over the cake mix. Pour melted butter on top, evenly distributing over the dish. Bake 50 minutes.

4. Let cake cool, then cut into slices (which may fall apart like mine did, but it still tasted good!). For extra decadence, top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I used Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean gelato and it was heavenly.

My husband loved this cake, saying it tasted just like pumpkin pie, and even a friend who watched our dogs over the weekend (while we were in Miami) enjoyed the leftovers. I will warn you: this makes a lot of cake! We were unable to finish the whole pan. So it is ideal for an autumn dinner party, or even to cap off a Thanksgiving meal.

If you give this recipe a whirl, I'd love to hear how you like it!

Fri-YAY for the Best Days

Saturday and Sunday are always the best days. Too bad there's not more of 'em! But I guess having just two days for going on adventures or simply doing nothing provides the motivation to make the most of them-- whatever you do, or don't do.

This weekend, the hubby and I do have plans. New friends invited us to tag along with them on Saturday night to Guavaween, a "Voodoo Carnival" in Ybor City. I did a little googling and discovered it is quite the rowdy and rollicking Halloween party, with booze and beads, burlesque and side show acts, street performers and a costume contest. So, as to blend in with the wild crowd, I may have to throw together some kind of edgy, creative costume in a jiffy. We'll see how that goes. I was kind of looking forward to not having to purchase a tacky, over-priced costume this year... I need inventive, affordable ideas post-haste!

Sunday is all about football, of course. But instead of heading to a bar, we'll actually be at a game! GT's Coast Guard shipmates (and their girlfriends/spouses) are gathering at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for tailgating, and then we'll go inside to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Minnesota Vikings. It'll be my second time at an NFL game and while I'm not the biggest football fan, I am excited to drink some beer, eat a mustard-topped hot dog and meet some new people. 

I'm also thrilled that the weather will be much nicer than my first NFL game, when we saw the Chargers at home in San Diego and basically melted in our unshaded seats, suffering through each quarter in sweltering 100+ degree heat. Yuck. I couldn't even pretend to have fun that day. Even GT, the biggest Chargers fan ever, was miserable. Fortunately, the forecast this weekend is predicting temps in the high 70s and low 80s. Perfect. That's Florida in the fall.

Have a great weekend!

(Image via A Fabulous Fete)

Thinking Outside the Jack-O-Lantern

Succulent Adorned Pumpkin Stack by Succulents & Sunshine, via Wedding Chicks

Contrary to most bloggers, Halloween is not my favorite holiday. Not even my second-favorite holiday. I mean, I don't hate it but I guess the holiday has just never lived up to the hype for me. (Kind of like New Year's Eve.) I'd say my best-ever Halloween happened three years ago, when my now-hubby and I got together. (We shared our first kiss at a Halloween party in 2011. But more on that story next week.)

Anyway, even though I'm not the strewn-the-house-in-cobwebs, place-skulls-on-the-mantel, plan-my-costume-for-months type, I am a bit smitten by all the untraditional pumpkin decorating DIYs I've been seeing lately. Especially the no-carve ones! Those are the best in my book. No (pumpkin) guts but all the glory. 

Here are some of my favorite "think outside the Jack-o-Lantern" ideas:

Festive Message Painted Chalkboard Pumpkin by Long & Found, via Glitter Guide

Floral Fall Planter by Oh Joy! (follow link for video)

Metallic Studded Pumpkins by Lily Shop, via Wedding Chicks

Painted Ombre Pumpkins: Pink to Purple by Cosmopolitan // Pink & Orange by Funkytime, via Glitter Guide

Spray Paint & Washi Tape Pumpkins by Lil' Luna, via Wedding Chicks

Pumpkin Bud Vases by Green Wedding Shoes, via Wedding Chicks

Would you create any of these untraditionally decorated pumpkins? The thumb tack and washi tape versions are so quick and easy, they're hard to resist! Plus, they'd likely last until Thanksgiving. Maybe transforming a gourd or two will help get me in the Halloween spirit. If nothing else, it would sure pretty up our doorstep.

Fall Bucket List

Fall is not my favorite season. I don't have bad feelings toward autumn, oh no, it's just Spring has always been the one to hold a soft spot in my heart. And yet, I'm finding myself reconsidering.

It may have something to do with living in Florida. OK, it has everything to do with living in Florida. I am so over hot, humid, sticky, oppressive, don't-want-to-leave-the-house weather. I'm fully ready for crisp air and cool breezes that call for layers and boots. More than ready, I am eager to welcome fall with open arms and an unusual amount of glee. The anticipation is killing me.

So, while waiting for Florida to catch up with the calendar, I decided to channel my new season enthusiasm into something productive: A Fall Bucket List. Here, in no particular order, is what I hope to accomplish over the next few months:

1. Use our beautiful, new enameled cast iron pot (in teal!) to whip up a hearty soup. This colorful chicken and butternut squash stew is packed with flavor in the form of good-for-you ingredients (plus, I pinned it on my Foodie Fixations board ages ago so I finally need to make it!).

2. Visit some of St. Pete’s many museums. I bought a LivingSocial deal for The Chihuly Collection (I’ve loved Dale Chihuly since seeing an exhibit of his work at my college’s on-campus museum) but I’d also love to check out the Museum of Fine Arts and The Dali.

3. Explore the bay area. Since the weather should be cooling down soon, with less humid days and nights, I’m looking forward to forsaking air-conditioned buildings and enjoying the outdoors. I just learned of the Tampa Riverwalk and it looks like a fun (romantic, even) place for a sunset stroll and watching the neon city lights dancing on the water.

4. Pick our own fall veggies. I wish I could go apple picking but, alas, I live in Florida and it seems there is no apple picking opportunities here, at least not near me. But, I can go zucchini and squash picking, which is a good runner-up option in my book. The hubs and I can eat tons of the stuff. Sweetfields Farms, which also boasts a pumpkin patch and beautiful barn, sounds promising, and there’s a corn maze—though I’m not sure if exploring a five-acre labyrinth will be fun, frustrating or frightening.

5. Browse the St. Pete Indie Market, a street fair showcasing local artists and makers on the first Saturday of every month in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. I missed September’s market so I’m hoping we can make it to the October installment this Saturday (before the Pup Crawl).

6. Bake an apple pie, or any of its rustic variations: tart, galette, crostata. They all sound good! This apple mosaic tart with salted caramel looks divine and impressive, but the recipe is deceptively simple. My favorite kind.

What's on your fall bucket list?

(Top image found on Pinterest, edited by me)

Dark Blooms : Fall-Worthy Frocks

If you know me, you know I'm a dress gal. I love a good frock. I especially love a good flirty, floral frock. I have too many to count and yet I'm always craving more. I justify my addiction by wearing a dress any chance I get. Even if the weather is cold and gloomy, as long as my legs are shaved, I'm throwing on a dress. (Tights are a lifesaver even when that caveat isn't accomplished.) It's just so easy to slip on—one and done, and out the door.

Now that it's officially fall, I thought I'd round up a few autumn-appropriate floral dresses from my favorite boutiques. Darker colors, longer hemlines and sleeves make even a full-on flowery dress a not-out-of-place choice in the cooler months. Boots and a chunky sweater seal the deal. Heck, I'll probably sneak a few of my bright and breezy summer sundresses into my winter wardrobe with just the addition of those key accessories. I am and always will be a California girl at heart, and we don't pay much mind to the changing of the seasons. (Seasons? What seasons?) It just takes a few swaps and new details to make a seamless transition into a new time of year. But hey, any excuse to go shopping, right? That's what "changing of the seasons" means to me.

Check out my top picks on my clotheshorse wish list...

LuLu's:  1 // 2 // 3

Ruche: 1 // 2 // 3 

ThreadSence: 1 // 2 // 3

Free People: 1 // 2

Are you as excited for fall fashion as I am? I can't wait for this Florida weather to cool down so I can layer up. But until then, I'll keep rocking my floral frocks—barelegged, eager for tights season.

(Top image of adorable fall style via The Moptop)