CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

HOLIDAY TEA PARTY

 You are never too old (or young) for a tea party. Monday, after a lovely, snow-filled weekend, my friend threw a tea party, complete with fruit tart, bouquets of poinsettias, Fortnum & Mason tea (the kind of tea thrown into the Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party!), Christmas music and a crackling fire. It was the perfect way to ease into a new work week and seek refuge from the cold with friends and steeping tea.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving is four days away! Here's to a week filled with gratitude and love. 

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LOVELY FALL WEEKENDS

The Avett Brothers' concert on Friday night set the stage for a perfectly simple weekend, which we spent watching football, drinking mimosas by the fire on our favorite patio, driving with the windows down, baking this-and-that fall recipe, making decorations for Thanksgiving, and letting the hours pass by over the Sunday newspaper, cups of coffee, fresh-made potpourri lofting from the stove and Louis Armstrong reverberating through the house.

EVERYTHING ABOUT FALL

Fall--with its whispers of coolness in the air that drift in through open windows, leaves that turn into the perfect autumnal hues, Saturdays spent watching football with my family, recipe after recipe calling for cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, and the excitement and adrenaline stirring inside as we near closer and closer to the holiday season--is my favorite. In short, happy Sunday.

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AFTERNOON IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

You are never too old to go to the pumpkin patch. Sunday, after an afternoon spent baking and watching the NFL while the rain beat against the windows, we slipped on our hiking boots and set out to a local farm to pick pumpkins. We ran through the just-too-short hay maze, shuffled through the corn-filled sandbox, and spent the afternoon walking leisurely through the patch, searching for the perfect pumpkins.

HAPPY FRIDAY

I can't wait to spend time at home this weekend. We are going to carve pumpkins, go apple picking, and spend hours on the couch together. I'm sure many delicious cups of coffee (and wine) will be involved too. Happy Friday!

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TREAT YOURSELF: FALL CAMPING TRIP WITH FRIENDS

Fall has finally arrived, and we couldn't wait to welcome it home. My twin sister and our boyfriends went on a one-night camping trip on "the mountain," as folks around here like to call it. We packed bikes, the kayak, tents, armfuls of firewood and plenty of blankets. We arrived at the campsite in the evening, with just enough time to set up and get comfortable around the fire before cooking dinner. The next morning, we rode our bikes to breakfast at the restaurant on the mountain (with homemade biscuits, sausage gravy and endless mugs of coffee), then made the four-mile hike to the waterfall and back. In the afternoon, we kayaked through forests of lily pads on the lake. When we got home, I had 4% battery left on my iPhone, a Jeep running on E, eyelids so heavy I could barely hold them open and not a single regret.

Photo journal below

WHAT TO BRING ON A FALL CAMPING TRIP: wool socks, leggings, scarves, cap, stretchy headband (perfect for second day hair), extra blankets, sleeping pad, sleeping bags, lantern, bug spray, sweatshirt, t-shirt, firewood, fire pit, lantern, chips & salsa, hot dogs, s'more fixings, kayak, bikes, football.

TIP: Always anticipate the weather to be cold at night. There is nothing better than digging in your bag and finding that extra fleece pull over you threw in at the last minute. 

TREAT YOURSELF: PICNIC FOR ONE

Sometimes an afternoon picnic for one is all you need. After work on Tuesday, I grabbed a couple of pumpkin cookies and my laptop, and opened a wool blanket on my driveway. I was quickly joined by our animals, who were just as happy as I was to enjoy the cool weather.

TIP: Bring only what you need.

TREAT YOURSELF: WEEKEND AT THE SHORE

This weekend, my family and I went to Rehoboth Beach, DE to celebrate my cousin's wedding. We rented a house on the boardwalk (a novelty to southerners) and flew in Thursday night. We were greeted by a quaint blue home with a screened in porch, a candle flickering in the sea breeze, a cabinet full of board games, bags of fresh herbs from my sister and brother-in-law's garden, and a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge. We spent our days walking barefoot to the shore, exploring Gus & Gus, Khors Bros Ice Cream, Dolly's and other wonders of the boardwalk, renting bikes and surreys, watching college football, playing Guesstures, and enjoying the day with our feet propped up, all the windows and doors open, and burrowing under the fleece throw on the couch.

The wedding was everything you'd expect from a northeastern, fall-style beach wedding. The reception was in a expansive house on the beach with floor-to-ceiling windows, white curtains that blew in the wind, natural lighting, and plush white and navy couches and love seats. Guests treated themselves to a DIY mojito station and hors d'oeuvres before eating the fresh cedar plank salmon, which was prepared by my dad and uncles on the back porch. The night ended with an enormous bonfire on the beach, s'mores and the waves crashing in the distance.

What to pack to a weekend at the shore: Leggings, sweatshirts, sweaters, scarves, moccasins, maxi dresses, jeans, a puffer vest, warm socks, a good book.

Tip: Embrace the cool weather, and celebrate fall at the shore.

TREAT YOURSELF: CAREFREE CAMPING TRIP

Getting away from it all is a lot easier when you are actually away from it all. We have found a regular campsite on a mountain that has multiple lookout spots, a kayak-friendly lake, and hiking trails. The best part is that there is a restaurant on the top of the mountain that overlooks all the grandeur below the sweeping hills. Sometimes, all it takes to unwind is a spur-of-the-moment, one-night trip to the mountain with just enough to get through the night and a french toast breakfast in the morning.

What to pack on a camping trip: Hiking boots, water shoes, leggings, thick socks, sports bra, clothes to layer, pajamas, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, blanket, fire wood, fire starter, flash light, hammock, hot dogs, buns, condiments, s'more ingredients, water, beer, instant coffee, lantern.

Tip: Substitute a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup where the Hershey's bar would normally go on your s'more.

Tip: If you forget a corkscrew for a bottle of wine, a tent stake will work to pull the cork out.

TREAT YOURSELF: A SUNDAY PICNIC

A couple of years ago, my older sister found a picnic basket for me at a vintage store in town. It has been sitting in my room for weeks as a decoration on my dresser. This weekend, Aaron and I decided to put it to use. We packed it with lemonade, a bowl of fresh fruit, two slices of lemon cake, and a chilled bottle of Reisling. I brought along some "Thank You" cards to write, and Aaron brought some school work, but we spent the afternoon belly-up in the sun, reading and reciting poetry to each other, and letting the day effortlessly slip by.

HOW TO PACK FOR A PICNIC: Usually when you are going to a picnic, you will be carrying your picnic basket a little way. Make sure not to pack so much that the journey becomes strenuous instead of relaxing. Pack only what you need. This picnic is a treat for you. Leave all of your stressful work and worries at home and take only what makes you happy. Don't forget cups, plates, and plastic utensils. We packed some wet paper towels in a zip-lock bag so we could wipe our hands after we ate the fruit. The more items you can throw away at the end, the better.