This weekend I photographed a wedding (pictures to come later) and the venue had
so. many. pumpkins.

It was a cold, cloudy day so it was perfect fall weather. I have never seen pumpkins in so many different colors and shapes. Some of them were HUGE. I thought they were beautiful and the colors were so vibrant. They were basically begging me to take their picture. 

They were easy to work with; they sat perfectly still. 

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” 
― Henry David Thoreau

Is it time to watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown yet? Because this really makes me want to!

I know it's kind of a fad now to take pictures like this, but it's a fad for a reason.
I think wood is actually very pretty, especially when you can see the rings. 

I saved the best for last...

The owners of the venue had the sweetest dog. He greeted me when I got out of my car and loved posing for pictures.

I went walking out in my yard the other morning because it felt cool like fall is supposed to and I was excited. I took my camera with me in case I found anything interesting and I did indeed. I'm no fungi expert, so I don't know the name of this little guy. I do know that there are a ton of them in my yard, and this was my favorite one.

I think I found it! It's called Russula if anyone was curious. 

We haven't raked the leaves yet, so I was able to get all the colors blurred in the background. 

“October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy...carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins..."  ― Rainbow Rowell, Attachments

The last time I went to TJ Maxx, I saw this little gem. I get really excited when I see "Grow Your Own" on the packaging. I feel so self-sufficient. You really cannot mess up, and you can never go wrong with strawberries. So don your sun hat and gloves, it's gardening time! 

I'm not going to lie, I wanted in partly because of how cute this box is. 

The package contains a flower pot, compost disc, and the seeds. I told you it was super simple!

1. Put the disc in the pot and water until softened and soil expands. 2. Sew the seeds. 3. Give it TLC daily.
(please not the reality tv channel) 

Make sure it gets plenty of water and sunlight, and you will have your own little strawberries.
The perfect thing in summertime! 

As you probably gathered from the previous post, I love flowers. Emerson said it best,"The earth laughs in flowers." When you think about it, they do seem like a tangible form of joy. I finally triumphed over summertime laziness and planted some. Now I want them everywhere. Can you totally replace grass with flowers? Probably not, but think of the time you would save since you wouldn't have to mow! You would have to water them all I suppose, but I digress. 

These orange ones remind me of dragon eggs. Or maybe the fire emoji. 

There are so many blooms on this one. I just set out two that came in a planter, and they sprouted and flocked like crazy.

Other green things.. 

I have yet to find out what these are, but they are covering the well in our front yard. I think they have a lot of dimension and character. I like when leaves are a greyish green. 

The Rose of Sharon. Probably one of the most gorgeous blooms I have ever seen. Not to be confused with the pregnant sister in The Grapes of Wrath. 

I love getting flowers, and I assume you do as well. Consider this post a bouquet from me to you!

Ah, summer. A few months when time doesn't really matter. Your only worry (if you're me) is that pesky humidity. This particular summer, I have been quite interested in plants. I have been trying to learn more about flowers; how to care for them and how to call them by name. It seems that succulents/terrariums have been a trend lately. Since they are so cheap, I tried it out. They add the right amount of greenery and life to a drab area. So, I got my flower pots and painted/planted my heart out. 

I saw this pattern on Pinterest when I searched for ideas, so it is not totally original. I think it matches the simplicity of the succulents very well.



I might have overplanted the bigger flower pot, but they do just fine as long as they get enough sun and not too much water. The more the merrier!

I was afraid this little guy would outgrow the baby sized pot, but he is still going strong. 

 I definitely suggest leaving these outside. I had my terrarium in my room, and it did not get enough light. If you have it in a window sill or a sunroom, it should do perfectly.

There's just something about them.

I think the sunlight on the green leaves looks so energetic. It makes me feel alive to see them outside. Having plants livens up any home and, in my opinion, makes it happier. So go for it! Bust open that piggy bank, and make a trip to Lowes. Plants are good for the soul. That is my personal prescription for a bummed out summer. 

A few pictures from when it randomly started pouring the snow a few days ago. I had to protect the baby (my camera) while taking pictures, so I walked around with an umbrella. I felt awkward but it had to be done. I like the contrast between these pictures and my last post. Maybe one day I will actually take pictures when it is sunny!

Over the weekend my mom and I went to see Into the Woods. It was amaaaazing. As I type this I am actually listening to the soundtrack. I am kind of obsessed. It was just so magical. I had heard mixed reviews so I was afraid it wouldn't be as great as I expected, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. Anyways... when I woke up today to rain and fog I just really wanted to go outside and take some pictures. And it was a great excuse to fangirl over the movie as well as a book I will mention later. Without any further adieu, here are some photos.

Rain soaked logs and leaves

Counting the Rings

Farewell Old Friend

Anyone else see an eye?

And last but not least...

Alright, THIS is the book I mentioned earlier. This book contains five short stories that are suspenseful and eerie. Each ending is kind of a mind-boggling cliff hanger that left me confused and just spooked enough. I was left sitting in my room asking myself, "What the heck just happened?!" They're kind of enchanting in that they give you a sense of wonder while maintaining an edge of your seat thriller vibe. I could read this once and week and never get tired of it. Oh, and each page is fully illustrated and the story itself is in hand written lettering. It is so beautiful and detailed. I just can't recommend this enough.