The Lovely Side

Yesterday's post hopefully whetted your appetite for crisp apples, hot cocoa, roasted marshmallows, pumpkin seeds, wine, and maybe even some pumpkin lager.  Today I've got six more romantic little autumn escapades to enjoy with your significant other... and how to dress in lovely fall style!  (And you'll be craving some sweet corn, comfort food, and pumpkin spice lattes by the time I'm through!)

Maybe it's the fiery hues of fall foliage that warm our hearts.  Or perhaps the chill in the air sets us looking for someone to snuggle up with.  Whatever the reason, Spring Fever has nothing on autumn's beauty and opportunity for romance.  Date-worthy activities abound during the fall... as do perfectly cute fall outfits to wear while on those dates.  I've rounded up 6 fun fall date ideas with the wardrobe to go along with them.

I'm totally digging the red leather jackets that keep popping up.  Red is one of my favorite colors---besides black, white, or gray---to wear.  I like it on my clothes, my glasses, my shoes, my nails, my lips.  (Blame it on my mom and grandma for decorating their homes with an abundance of red!)  It's my go-to hue.  It's my... "When in doubt, wear red."  And I'm often in doubt about what to wear.  So a red leather jacket is a total lifesaver.

Without a doubt, autumn is my favorite season to dress for.  I live for fall fashion.  The boots, jeans, jackets, scarves, sweaters, tights, and layers upon layers!  So I've rounded up 7 of my favorite outfits---that I've worn or will be wearing shortly---for autumn days and nights.  (The items and brands aren't exact.  I basically have lookalikes of all these articles.)  Most of these outfits are suitable for everything from campus to coffee shops and study dates to first dates.  Enjoy!

I just went boldly where no spray paint has gone before (...at least in my hands)!

How'd this beauty end up on the door to my attic, you ask?  Well...

This gal's lovely apartment has appeared on the blog before, back in this post about Pretty Patterns, Pretty Pastels.  It seems I just can't get enough of Alison's uber-feminine rental... especially now that she's made a few tweaks that only up the pretty factor.  She's really mastered playing up white, throwing in pastels, and adding girly flair while keeping things crisp, colorful, and interesting.

Hello lovelies!  I mustered the gumption to put together my first ever video featuring yours truly!  I'm kinda a dork on camera so don't to be to hard on me!  (Or the fact that I can't help but pronounce ModPodge as ModgePodge. Haha.  And that I do not have mad video editing skills.  *Sigh*.)  Hope you enjoy the project!

This fall, I'm all about copper.  The metallic hue is just so much warmer than gold, and more interesting than silver.  I went a little crazy with some copper spray paint recently.  And this is one of my resulting projects.

Let's just say that I got my crafty little hands on some metallic spraypaint and now I feel like I have the Midas touch... only I turn things into a warm copper hue rather than the stereotypical gold. ;)  Metal tiles? Check. Antlers? Check. Candlesticks? Check.
I've rounded this newly-copper-fied objects on my vanity top for a quick pick, but I have ulterior motives in mind for each of them.  Stay tuned to see what these copper goodies morph into!
Artistically speaking, I'm going through a copper phase.

Although most insects give me the heebie-jeebies, artful butterfly and insect collections make my heart flutter.  What is it about framed entomology displays?  They're scientific and just a smidge creepy, yes.  But they're also interesting, a little Gothic/Victorians, and so very elegant.   Plus, this art form is popping up all over in the design world.  Insects trending?  I think yes.

It's been a while since I rounded up some of my favorite beauty products.  And with summer coming to an end and the tinge of crisp fall creeping into the air... what better time than now?  I'm tossing aside summer's shimmery bronzes, pretty pink lip glosses, and pearly pale shadows.  Instead, I'm reaching for deeper, darker, hues.  Here's my stash of beauty picks for early fall---and all under $10 each!  (Because I like to keep it budget-happy here on the blog.) :)

We've had a long, beautiful, hot summer here in Iowa.  It stormed all through the night last night.  And this evening there's the smell of autumn in the cool air.  It's time to say goodbye to the iced lattes, Summer Shandies, and sweet tea.  And to welcome the return of pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin lagers, and hot cocoa.  Oh, I just can't wait.  Dear Fall, please just get here already.  I'm ready for the jeans, the jackets, the boots, and the scarves.  The pumpkin patches, the fiery leaves, the hayrides, and the barns.