Autumn is...

"...a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
Albert Camus, French existentialist author & philosopher

Spring is my favorite season and I have written about it many times on this blog. But autumn is a close second. After a wonderful, long Indian summer, autumn is finally here in Seattle and I am loving it. To me, autumn is a time to hunker down, light candles, bundle up in warm clothes and eat yummy food.

Orange cords have been my go-to pants for autumn for several years now...

J. Crew

 

I love bundling up in a cozy cashmere scarf that I don't want to take it off until spring!

J. Crew

And a pair of fabulous waterproof boots that can I can wear to drop my daugther off at school and also to a business meeting.... I love my classic riding boots but I am in the market for a new pair of great boots right now and I'm taking suggestions!

Steve Madden

 

On the food front, nothing says autumn to me like pumpkin muffins! I'm not embarrassed to admit I use the Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix. It is simply delicious!

 

 

And while I am at it, you must give the Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream a try. It is to die for!

 

 

I also love pumpkin soup and anything with butternut squash this time of year. I had a fabulous roasted butternut squash, pear and arugula salad for lunch yesteday at the Skillet Diner in Seattle. It not only tasted great but it was so beautiful that I had to take a picture of it.

 

 

I've seen a lot of new and fun ideas for decorating pumpkins this year. I love the chevron design below... lots more ideas here.

 

 

And autumn is the time of the year when we get our family photos professionally taken. We missed last year, but we've done it every year since Sofia was a baby. We try to time them for when the leaves are at their best and it's not raining. (Not an easy task in Seattle!) We're scheduled for next weekend so wish us luck!

 

 

Speaking of hunkering down, I've recently started a new consulting project that I am very excited about! I'm doing the communications and PR for the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center's new signature cycling event, called Obliteride, to raise money to obliterate cancer.... I am passionate about the cause and excited to be part of an amazing team.  So, if my blog posts become even more infrequent you will know what I'm up to. (Isn't it perfect that they designed their logo in "my" colors?!)

What is autumn to you?

 

 



November Gratitude

Happy November friends!

Wow, where did this week ago? I started this post on Tuesday and I ended up having a very busy week filled with Sofia’s parent-teacher conference, a community service award luncheon for my dear friend Phil Smart, Sr., client meetings, prospective client meetings, a trip to Olympia, seeing friends, a doctor’s appointment, etc, etc. Living a busy life - you know how it goes!

Anyway, I really wanted to write about November and gratitude. I was born on Thanksgiving and I’ve always loved this month for many reasons.  I love the fall colors and cozy dinners and hunkering down at home before the holidays hit. 

Last weekend, I took my camera for a walk in the Washington Park Arboretum, just a few blocks from my house. I ended up walking for two hours and saw some glorious sites that I wanted to share with you.

The most spectacular displays of color were in the Japanese Gardens.

 I was especially taken with the pagodas throughout the gardens.

I am so grateful to live so close to this amazing nature sanctuary that offers beauty, peace and tranquility throughout the year. In my opinion, the colors are most spectacular right now. I never take it for granted.

What are you thankful for?

I have been reading about intentions lately. Love and gratitude are so powerful. I truly believe you get what you give. I am focusing on gratitude this month and I’d like to encourage you to do the same. Write down at least one thing each day you are grateful for on a Gratitude List. It’s such an easy and uplifting thing to do. If you feel like it, reach out to someone you are grateful for and let them know. On Thanksgiving, review your list and remember how blessed you are.  This will open you up to continue receiving so many amazing things in your life.

My blog turns 1!

Speaking of gratitude, last week, my blog turned one and I wanted to thank you for reading it. I get so much out of writing it and even more when I hear how it’s touched someone’s life or inspired them to do something new or to simply notice the little things or to look at color in a new way. I love celebrating milestones and this feels like a pretty big one to me, although not as big as the one I will celebrate at the end of the month… more on that later!

With gratitude,

Amy