Life Lately: Easing into Fall

The first days of Fall are hard to beat. The air feels crisp but it's warm in the sun and everything smells so fresh, especially up north. Summer in Lake Geneva will always be the time when I feel most alive but there's a sense of calm when the leaves start to change and you can smell the wood burning of a neighbor's fire. Our recent Family weekend at the lake was the perfect kick off to the new season...

We ordered breakfast from the tiny convenience store down the street and ate it outside on the patio in sweatshirts and blankets. We walked around the neighborhood under the most amazing blue sky with not a single cloud. My parents hosted our first ever "Fall Fest," (in place of our usual 4th of July event), complete with cherry & apple brats, Oktoberfest beers, golf cart rides and pumpkin decorating. We put on our pajamas at 6 o'clock one night and snacked on leftovers and poured champagne. Ro and I spent a warm afternoon at the park followed by a snack at my favorite coffee shop. Mike and I checked out an open house down the street and fell in love, as we do almost every time we look. FYI - we're not actually hoping to move, it's just something we've come to love doing on weekends - It's great for gathering ideas and it's fun to imagine different scenarios that could play out in the future. We ate until our pants no longer fit...everything from my Mom's DIY nacho bar to the taffy apple salad was quintessential Fall and we didn't want to miss any part of it. 

SHOP THE LOOK:

If we're being totally honest, I spent most of this weekend in sweatshirts, overalls and leggings but I did manage to spend one day looking like a real human by putting on a swipe of bright lipstick and taking this new denim skirt for a ride, which btw, I now want to wear on a daily basis. I usually have trouble finding skirts that are just the right length - Either they're too short for going out in public or too long for being 31 years old but this one is high-rise and still fits just right. It's got frayed edges and I love pairing it with long sleeves or sweaters & booties so I will be doing that as much as possible in the next few weeks while I can still get away with bare legs. On another note, I'm not into all of the Fall trends (not too keen on the wide leg denim just yet), but I AM happy that belt bags (aka, fanny packs!) are having a moment because they're actually so much fun. I love this leather one from J. Jill - like, it might be the cutest one I've seen but I own the iPhone 8+ which is massive and unfortunately, doesn't fit in the bag so if I'm wearing this, I usually stick my phone in my back pocket or the diaper bag. 

Since my style was this weekend was mostly cozy chic, I reached for this open front cardi quite a bit. It's textured and runs fairly long so it's awesome for pairing with leggings on cold mornings and I've been wearing it daily for early walks with Ro and the dog but it was also a nice addition to this skirt/blouse combo.

We have so many fun things coming up, I can't wait to recap it all including a mini trip to San Fran (baby free!), the pumpkin farm, dinner with good friends and planning Ro's first trick or treat outing!

How are you enjoying the first week(s) of Fall? 

Summer Lists, Simplified

Wearing:

Top: Evereve

Shorts (similar) | Hat (similar) | Bag: c/o J. Jill (very similar!) - also love this one!

Sandals: LC Lauren Conrad

Jacket: J. Crew (similar)
Sunnies: Old Navy

When Mike and I were dating, we would always make a Summer list - Things we wanted to try or experience and after a year or two, some of those become annual activities. Six Flags, Taste of Chicago (for rainbow cones and cheesecake!), Sox Games, Movies at the Park, North Avenue Beach, Brew at the Zoo. We also penciled in travel wherever we could, like a road trip to Cedar Point and an anniversary visit to Catalina Island, where he proposed. But the tradition of the Summer list started way before there was a Mike...

I've made one for myself for as long as I can remember and early on, when Summer meant you had all the time in the world, the plans were much more simple. Spend a whole day in Megan's pool, finish my new book, burn mix cd's on Kazaa (The best, right?!), jump on the trampoline, organize neighborhood flashlight tag (this was my JAM!), get a blizzard at Dairy Queen, sleep until noon, ride bikes, live in my swimsuit. God, when I think about days like that in my head, it seems so long ago that it's hard to believe they ever happened. Those were some of the the best memories I've made though, at the time, I didn't appreciate how fast and fleeting they actually were.

It's funny, though, because with Ronan, I get to re-live the simple days of Summer once again in a way. Because he's experiencing everything for the first time, he's fascinated by it all so he's a great reminder to slow down and appreciate all the little memories we're making together. Things like sitting on our deck blowing bubbles, eating our breakfast outside in pajamas, going for early morning walks, sitting in the grass and letting it graze our bare feet, enjoying the swings at the park, splashing at the water table, eating a cold treat on a hot day (or in his case, a cool teether). Even though we have a full calendar of activities with some event occupying almost every weekend, I appreciate having something that helps me remember all of Summer's wonderful simplicity.

Speaking of wonderful... these cotton striped shorts from J. Jill are that and more. I call them my "Mom Shorts," (which is quite literal) because of the length, but I mean it in the best way possible. Most of my shorts are fairly short (not necessarily cheeky), but still too much for the office and  many places in real life. Not only are these length appropriate but they are so soft, not too tight or too lose and the cutest striped style for Summer. I love blue/white together and you guys know I have a stripe addiction so it's not surprising I wear these multiple days in a row during the week. They are the perfect throw on & go bottoms so I can already tell I will be living in them for the next few months.

What's on your Summer list? Do you make one every year?

See ours on Instagram! Happy Friday :)