Happy Weekend:

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Happy Friday, everyone! I'm so ready for the weekend to be here. It feels like it took forever. The weather is supposed to be amazing this weekend. What are you planning to do with it? We've got an early run on Saturday, maybe a bike ride or two, and some good eating to do. I'm thinking of trying this recipe. It looks delicious. And we will eat it outside in a fun fall picnic. Because eating outdoors is one of the best pleasures I know. And so is the air outside.

In case you weren't around, here's what happened this week:

1. I ran with the new Garmin Forerunner 10 (and loved it)
2. The new Big Bang Theory season premiered 
3. The Mindy Project debuted. Did you watch it? It is hilarious
4. I decided to treat myself to a new fall handbag and then felt guilty about it, so I didn't (I still want to though, I'm just trying to work up the nerve to spend $$$ on a bag)
5. Andrew got a new job! Ask him about it.

P.S. Today is Hug a Vegetarian Day. Show the love.

The search is over:

I've been searching for the perfect boots for a long time now. I have some pretty strict requirements: they must be a riding boot style, no zippers, it must be a pull-on, perfectly flat or at least a very very small heel, must come up to just under my knee, must be the most beautiful warm shade of cognac imaginable, and it must be plain but not too plain. If I'm going to invest in the perfect boots, they must be a pair that won't go out of style for oh, say, the next 20 years. Because that's how long I plan on keeping them around.

The perfect pair has eluded me for years. I was starting to think they didn't exist. And then. Oh, and then. I found them. Or maybe they found me.

They're Frye's Dorado Riding boot. In Whiskey. And they are beautiful. They are also $498. I have never spent that much on a pair of shoes before. And for a while I thought they were out of my reach because of the price. And I still do, a little. I mean, that's an awful lot for a pair of shoes. But then I broke the price down by cost per use:

$498/6,720 days (or 20 years) = $0.07 per day

The total cost per use would be 7 cents a day. Not too bad. 

Even if I only had them for 10 years it would still only add up to 15 cents a day. 

So, you see? Not that expensive at all. As long as you look at it for what it is: an investment.

So thanks in advance, Santa, for the boots. I'll take good care of them. I promise.

Fall Fashion:

sweater $45. blazer $195. cords $89.50.  boots $148

One of the things I love most about fall is the clothes. I dress in different styles the rest of the year but when the weather gets cooler, I become decidedly preppy. I yearn for tweed blazers (elbow patches are best), riding boots, chunky knits, corduroy, and striped scarves. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, I want a monogrammed hacking jacket and a letterman jacket. I want to live in a world where this Tommy Hilfiger is reality:

Doesn't it remind you of a Wes Anderson movie? Maybe that's why I love it so much.
So, if you see me around this fall/winter, I will probably be wearing some variation of the above outfit. Because it's pretty much perfect. And perfect for any occasion. Football game? Yep. Thanksgiving bash with the family? Check. Neighborhood bonfire/corn maze? Of course.

I want to go to there:

Predjama, Slovenia. If I go here sometime during my life, I can die happy. Seriously.

FALL:

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It's fall you guys. Finally. I love fall. I mean, I really love fall. I would run away with it and get married if it were legal to marry a season (and if I wanted to be a polygamist). And then we would be together always. My love for this season is well-documented (see here, here, and here). I like all of the other season just fine. But fall. Oh, fall. It is my favorite. Everything is better in the fall. Here is what I'm looking forward to in the coming days:

1. Trees changing colors (aren't trees much more beautiful when they aren't just green?)
2. Leaves crunching under my feet on the pavement
3. Breaking out jackets, even if they are light ones and only in the morning
4. Bonfires, hayrides, and raking leaves
5. Pumpkins. And pumpkin flavored things
6. Soups
7. The way the air smells different
8. All the good television shows come back on
9. Halloween and Thanksgiving. Fall kicks off the holiday season
10. Having actual reasons to snuggle under even more blankets with someone special

It's cooler, the air is crisper, and it's absolutely gorgeous outside. You better get out there and enjoy it!

Happy Weekend:

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Saturday is the first day of fall! Best time of the year! I almost feel like we should throw a welcome home party or something. I'm thinking a banner, some party hats, and of course, tons of delicious pumpkin/cinnamon/ooey gooey food. You know, really do it right. And drink ourselves silly with chai tea lattes. Welcome back fall. We've missed you.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I love:

This is one of the highlights of my week. Seriously. We only let ourselves have one on Saturday, after our long run. But oh my, Mexican Coke. It's worth it. I would run about three long runs if it meant I could have one at the end.

New Reads:

I'm the type of person who can never resist a good Pride and Prejudice sequel. So when I found Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride by Helen Halstead, I gobbled it up. Naturally.

From the cover:

"In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen brought together one of the most beloved literary couples of all time -- Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Now, Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride continues the story of these passion-filled newlyweds as they enter London's glamorous high society.

This page-turning novel finds Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy entangled in the frivolity and ferocity of social intrigues. Although Elizabeth makes a powerful friend in the Marchioness of Englebury, the rivalry and jealousy among her ladyship's prestigious clique threatens to destroy the success of her new marriage.

Written in the style of Jane Austen, full of humor and sardonic wit, Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride brings Regency society vividly to life and continues the romantic, sometimes tragic, stories of other popular Pride and Prejudice characters including Georgiana Darcy and Kitty Bennet."

I want to go to there:

I've been itching to go somewhere new lately. Aren't the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan beautiful? Yep, I think this would definitely do the trick.

This makes Monday easier:

Mondays are the worst. Monday morning are the worst of the worst. But this will help make it a little more bearable:

Fall is almost here! And with the turning of the seasons comes new clothes! Fall is without a doubt, my favorite season to dress for. Corduroy, tweed, pea coats, and riding boots? Yes, please. J.Crew knows what I'm talking about. Their new lookbook is chock full of everything I want my wardrobe to be this autumn.  I'll be taking a page from their book in styling my outfits once the weather turns a little crisper. Join me, won't you?

Happy Weekend:

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Happy weekend everyone! The weather is supposed to be amazing (again) this weekend! I'm so happy all that ridiculously hot weather is finally behind us. Can you believe it's going to be Fall next week?! I'm so excited.

What fun adventures do you have planned this weekend? Saturday we've got an early morning run. Sunday I think we're going to go thrifting/antiquing. We're still hoping to find some lamps for our bedroom. We've got some delicious cookies to eat that have been calling our name all week. And we're going to try bathing Tillie outside for the first time! I can't believe we've never done that. Probably should have tried it earlier in the summer but better late than never!

Here are a few highlights from our week:

1. The new Domino special edition issue is out! And it's awesome!
2. Starting a new cleaning regimen and feeling so good about it all week long
3. Getting a sneak peak at Fall weather
4. New York Fashion Week has me glued to the internet. Alice + Olivia, Marc Jacobs, and Jil Sander!
5. Finding a large size Mexican Coke in an unexpected place! What a happy, delicious surprise!

Have a good one. XO.

I love:

The new issue of Domino is out. Go pick it up and have a look. It's beautiful.

Lamp shopping:

Last weekend, our bedside lamps stopped working. Or actually, last weekend we decided to replace two beside lamps that stopped working about a year ago. Okay, it's really only one that doesn't work. The other works but you have to turn it on and off by unplugging it. And it finally got annoying enough that we decided to do something about it. I've had those lamps since college. They used to reside in the living room of my college apartment. So, it was definitely time to upgrade.

I've been hunting lamps all week. And do you know what I've found? The right lamp is hard to find. First you have to figure out what type will work best for your space and then you have to determine what style fits you best. There are so many different kinds to choose from. It's a little overwhelming. And it shouldn't be. It's a lamp. Pretty much just a light bulb on a stick, right?

Determined to get this right, I've been researching and reading as much as possible so that I can make an informed decision. I read a lot. Some of that reading happens in bed. So I thought I might like to use a task light on my side of the bed. Like this:

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See more after the jump!

New Reads:

This week, I'm reading When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro. I first discovered Ishiguro when I stumbled across the movie version of his novel, Never Let Me Go. Because of my love for other Japanese authors (Haruki Murakami), big surprise, I liked it a lot. It's incredibly strange which is an element that I love in fiction and films. So I picked up the book version and started looking at the rest of his writing. Never Let Me Go is still sitting on my "to read" list but I am finally getting around to reading this one.

It goes a little something like this:

"Renowned London detective Christopher Banks was born in Shanghai at the beginning of the twentieth century, and lived there relatively happily until he was orphaned by the disappearance of his father and mother. Now, more than twenty years after leaving Shanghai, he is a celebrated figure in London society; yet the criminal expertise that has garnered him fame has done little to illuminate his understanding of the circumstances of his parents' alleged kidnappings. Banks travels back to the seething, labyrinthine city of his memory in hopes of recovering all he has lost, only to find that the Sino-Japanese war is ravaging Shanghai beyond recognition -- and that his own recollections are proving as difficult to trust as the people around him. Masterfully suspenseful and psychologically acute, When We Were Orphans offers a profound meditation on the the shifting quality of memory, and the possibility of avenging one's past."

New clothes:

J.Crew had a big sale a few weeks ago and I picked up a couple things to start rounding out my fall wardrobe:

1. Minnie pant in navy
2. Wool No. 2 pencil skirt in black

Happy Weekend:

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Happy Weekend everyone! I love having short work weeks because the weekend comes that much faster. What will you be doing? The weather has been so hot this week but is supposed to cool down over the next two days so I will be out enjoying it. There will be an early morning run, some long walks with the pup, possibly a bike ride or two, and one of my greatest joys: eating outdoors. 

I hope the weather is beautiful wherever you are. Get out there and enjoy it. 

Haircut:

It finally happened. A haircut. Oh, a glorious haircut. I love the feeling of getting my hair cut, don't you? Especially the first haircut after summer. Gone are the sun-damaged ends and my whole head feels lighter and reinvigorated somehow. And it doesn't hurt that my hairdresser happens to be one of my best friends. So I know she's going to make me look fabulous and bonus: I get to spend some time catching up with one of my oldest friends.

After my hair appointment, I had a running group meeting at Go!Running in the Heights. So much fun. I had a gift card from the MacArthur Park 5K that I used on a new Moving Comfort sports bra and an Amphipod water bottle. I'm excited to get out and use them this week.

Emerson Fry:

I know I've talked about Emerson Fry before and how much I love her. I literally covet every single one of her designs. Well, her F/W collection is out and big surprise, I am in love:

See more after the jump!

Hair:

I've been playing around with my hair a lot lately for two reasons: 1. I desperately need a haircut and 2. I've been so busy lately that washing my hair sometimes has to take a backseat (gross, I know). But I've come up with a lot of new hair ideas and I feel brave trying them out. My hairstylist friend Katherine would be proud.

I love:

Happy Monday! Need a pick me up? Look at cute new shoes:

Here's what I will be wearing them with: