October 2010.

We went to our first real pumpkin patch this year. Alexia's first October we went to a small local nursery and took pictures.

I was just happy to not be pregnant anymore.

And last year was a complete failure. I convinced Ryan to drive out to a pumpkin farm on the eastern shore on a really rainy day, about an hour's drive mind you, all to find out once we got there that they were closed due to the rain. Lesson learned. Call ahead. 2009 would be pumpkins from Safeway. 

Eagerly anticipating Fall, we kicked off our October going to a fall fest pumpkin patch at Homestead Gardens. Besides the un-fallish warm weather, it was a great time.

They had all types of pumpkins, although I was hoping for the girls to actually get to see pumpkins still on the vine. Oh well. But Alexia got to feed animals for 25 cents (came out of a candy machine, cute idea). 

We came home with a big pumpkin for carving and a baby pumpkin (I learned is called a pie pumpkin because they are sweeter and used for baking.) 

And the winner is......this pumpkin!

October is one of my favorite months! Bring on the pumpkin bread, chilly and humid-free weather, and brightly colored trees. This is the beginning of entering into the holiday season! 

I was ecstatic to get our fall decor out of the storage closet. There was no way I was putting that in storage. I also pulled out our boots and sweaters, and switched out the girls' spring/summer clothes. One of my favorite organizing activities. 

Last year is the first real fall decor shopping I had ever done. And I deemed it necessary to win back the fall spirit that had been stolen from two straight years of nausea. Here's last year's fall preparation.

It is so fun to pull out seasonal decor as tradition. It's one of the things that make me feel like being a mom. Since growing up there really wasn't a woman's touch in our home when it came to decor. (My dad was an amazing single dad. I can't even begin to tell you how he did it.) 

Here's some of our festive goodies around our home this year. 

Last year's purchases, twig pumpkins:

Leaf dish w/ mini pumpkins (Alexia picked the pumpkins out at Trader Joe's):

Table runner and berry twigs made a comeback. This year I put the twigs in a brown pitcher I had, since last year's acorn vase was a bust. It was so fun to pick acorns with Alexia, but little tiny white worms ended up crawling around in the vase. And if there's anything that can make me puke on demand, it's maggots or anything that resemble them. And the other wild foliage I used ended up being such a mess. Was so cute in the Pottery Barn magazine, and even in my home for the first week. I'll stick to the unnatural this year though.  

And this year I splurged and bought this wall decor for $7 at Target:

With this trip to Target I also bought my very own pumpkin shaped peppermint patties. They have been a fun treat for myself with my coffee during the girls' afternoon nap. I also picked up Reeses peanut butter cups just for fun. For Halloween of course. 'Tis the season to start eating comforting goodies. 

I put a few ghords on a cake stand on our bookshelf:

And Ryan's mom gives me mums every fall. So Ryan planted those for me, since he's got the green thumb, and I have been very unfaithful to water them. But here they are in their dehydrated glory, with our pumpkins, on our patio. 

Alexia and I finally baked our first batch of pumpkin bread this year. Stealing an idea from another blog I follow, we made mini-loaves to deliver to our new-ish neighbors. 

My hope is that it will create a sense of community amidst our apartment living friends. I've realized how much people protect their privacy in apartments. Which is one of the things I am craving right now too. 

But the reality of the lack of relationship was made apparent to me when a knock came at my door the first month we were here. It was our neighbor that lives diagonally from us (there's four apartments to each floor) and her father who was visiting, and they were looking for a tool to borrow. They introduced themselves and the father explained that he had asked his daughter if she could simply "ask one of her neighbors" for the tool, and she said she didn't know any of her neighbors. 

This was wild to me, coming from a neighborhood where we were able to experience such a community in our last house with the families on our street. Ryan pioneered that one, because my natural bent is to want to stick to myself. But Ryan pushed me out of my comfort zone enough times that I was able to experience a relationship with our former neighbors where eggs and sugar were borrowed a lot from one another. 

All that to say, it's been my desire to get to know my neighbors. At least to where I know their first names and maybe get to the level where I feel comfortable asking to borrow an egg. Maybe it won't happen. Maybe I'll come across as a really needy and intrusive neighbor. Even if they don't enjoy me stalking them at their doors, I know they will enjoy the pumpkin bread!

Wish you all a Happy Fall!

Hello Fall. It's Good To Be Back.

In order to make up for lost falls (two years worth, to be exact), I made it my mission these last couple days to Fall-ify our home. The girls and I spent yesterday going from store to store to find all the Fall home decor essentials (and I finally used my gift cards from Christmas).

Our first stop: Kohl’s, to purchase this lovely leaf candy dish:

I tried caramel candy corn off of a recommendation from a high school girlfriend (thanks Melissa!) and I’m sold. Plus, I like the color better than the Spring-ish looking originals. (When I started buying candy for decor reasons, I don’t know.) And later I grabbed some fabulous wine colored, whispy grass from our front yard and put it in a vase.

Our next stops were to Target and then TJ Max for dining room essentials:

The next morning I bundled Alexia up in warm clothes for the most perfect Fall day to go collect acorns in our backyard. Here’s Mama’s little helper at work:

And of course, everything has to go in this child’s mouth:

Which, by the way, I was told the appendix’s function is to break down bark. So although most people do not use this organ, I can assure you Alexia’s appendix is alive and kickin’.

The last couple days have made me so excited to create our own seasonal family traditions. So keep me updated with some of yours, I would love to have ideas. And I absolutely love creative projects, so here is the end result, compliments of the latest Pottery Barn catalog (I like doing the project, but not coming up with the ideas):

In the left candleholder are the acorns we collected and the right one has leaves we picked off a tree out front. I love the colors, the cost (free, of course!) and knowing Alexia had a hand in it all too.

Also in this week of Fall overload, I made a homemade soup for the first time. I’m realizing homemade food is not as intimidating as I thought (thank you Ina Garten). Time consuming, yes, but do-able. For my first whack at soup, I made Lentil Sausage Soup. (Tip: I used canned chicken broth, because who has time to make their own?) Here’s the outcome

It was a hit according to all of my guinea pigs forced to try my amateur cooking experiments. And I love that it made enough for me to serve dinner for three, give to friends that just became parents of two, and freeze for a later time. So to add to seasonal traditions, making homemade soup is on the list. I love the idea of our kids having nostalgia for seasonal foods when they get older.

Now all I need is a pumpkin candle (all natural!) from my mother-in-law, Karen, who has her own candle business, Mia Bella. Oh, and there is a maple brown sugar candle that is to die for. It’s the smell equivalent to having baking goodies in the oven, minus the work.

Our final sign of Fall in the Grossman household consisted of Ryan and his brothers splitting wood in the backyard. We even concluded last night’s dinner with friends, by taking turns chopping wood. (I sat this one out due to fear of busting a stitch). Who knew chopping wood could be a form of entertainment? But you would be surprised how many people have been suckered into “helping”. Seriously, over the years there have been many times I have looked outside and found friends, brothers, friends of brothers, all taking turns chopping wood. I guess it’s a manly thing to do. Ryan even assured me, “it’s fun, you should try.” Maybe next time.

Well friends (and family), expect numerous posts about Fall, as I eat up every minute of not being pregnant this year.