Oh the dreaded fall and cold weather.  I'm cold natured and when it falls below 70 I'm ready to hibernate. 

Recently at K-Mart and Walmart I saw the Halloween candy, shirts, and decor starting to come out.  Labor Day officially says good-bye to summer.  I do love early fall and early spring because I can turn off the central H/A unit, open the windows and let mother nature cool my house and  watch a few electric bills plummet which puts more money in my pocket for Christmas shopping :+}

Fall means changing out wardrobes--putting away all the fancy schmancy flip-flops, fun skirts, sport shorts, etc.  It means bringing out the longer skirts and winter ensembles which also require that dreaded pair of pantyhose to look professional.  I did get some really nice riding boots last year (I love horses) so I'll be able to pull those out in another month or two!

  I usually clean out my 2 walk-in closets every spring and every fall.  Usually I donate whatever I didn't wear the previous year to Goodwill but this year I decided I wanted to venture out to the flea market.

For me, fall also means slowing down on my outdoor exercise regimen and getting back into the gym.  I don't mind circuit training and the treadmill but I much prefer exercising outdoors with my friends than at a ladie's gym with strangers.

My preacher of 15 years passed away 2 years ago in October so Halloween always is a reminder of his passing.

We also have to set our clocks back one hour and man I hate losing that extra hour of sleep!  And it seems more depressing when the days get shorter.  Nightfall has a way of tricking you into believing you should be in bed, but it's too early to visit with Mr. Sandman.

Fall does bring with it the opportunity to use the oven more without sweating to death and with that, for me, is the chance to bake more potpies--yummy!

I think my favorite time of year must be spring because that is my birthday and when I get to do an annual vacation with my older brothers.

No matter how we feel, we will welcome fall.  We will glory in the Lord's handiwork as we watch the leaves change colors, the frost appears on the windowpane and we head into homecomings at the high schools, fall festivals, Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

Fall kind of creeps on me and I usually am too busy to know it has arrived to do anything really major.  The biggest transition is in what to wear.  It is pretty cold in the morning when I am heading off for work.  But it gets warm, if not actually hot during the day here in New Mexico. 

I need to keep up with the professional dress code at work.  But when I leave that building and go work in the schools, they are not as air conditioned.  I have to figure out something that is in season, but layered enough so I can take things off and still look professional and modest around the children.  It is not an easy thing to do. 

As far as cleaning, I wait until it is closer to the holidays for that. 

With my wet vac, unfortunately! :(

I love this question. Fashion-wise, I am mixing vintage, fast fashion, and two carefully chosen items from a boutique to save money and keep things interesting. The general vibe is preppy and traditional. Key items: Three button-down shirts from the Gap (one was $20), a gray flannel high-waisted pencil skirt from my local turnabout shop ($40), a black silk minidress with an illusion panel by Geren Ford ($300), and a short black double-breasted jacket from Forever21 ($27) to wear over a purple plaid shirt and wide-leg jeans. I am still looking for gray flannel high-waisted pants and I need new black tights. As for cooking, I am moving onto the heartier dishes. Last weekend, I browned chicken in bacon, then stewed it in wine (vinegar also works) with mushrooms and leeks. Next weekend I'm planning to do something similar with a pig leg, herbs, and tomatillos. I always think I should make donuts in October, but it never works. Where I live (New York) fall is the time to go to gallery openings (they are open to anyone) and parties.

Mopar, is Fall your favorite season?

Your style is very eclectic and the combination of items you mention sound really cool. If you have some time, upload a few pictures to share with us! I'd love to see some pictures of the dinners you're making too!

I especially like apple picking and making homemade applesauce, apple crisps, cakes, etc. The house smells wonderful with the windows open and these types of things baking.

Smells real good when you fry onions and leave 'em sitting on the range over night too.   But then again, I spent years as a short order cook so I'll take onions over applesauce any day of the week.  

 I'm getting ready for fall by doing a huge garage sale.  Hopefully the rest of my family won't miss all the stuff I sell.

Oops, make sure to open your windows!  Will you get rid of any sentimental things? You should probably get your family's input before putting them out for sale?

I agree with you on the smell of apple crisps.  My church takes the Senior Saints to an apple grove to pick apples each year.  I love cutting up apples, add some cinnamon and let it simmer in a pot throughout the day.  It is a nice aroma.  Just a suggestion: I found that the combination stained a pot so I have one cheap pot that I use just for that purpose. 

Fall is coming.

Things get colder.

The wasps go away.

It's a time to make sure all the pruning and tree cutting tools are nice and SHARP.

For soon, with the falling of the trees' leaves, it's time to do some CUT'N!

I've got a new strategy for this year's cut'n.

Take digimital PICTURES of the trees, with the leaves still on um!

That way, the dead branches (leafless) will show up real quick and easy and when all the leaves have fallen, I can go back and cut the right branches off.

And, there is the important step of "undercutting" the limbs before cutting them off...

Ah... I can smell the scent of the forest... in my woodburning stove.

:)

Yup.

Fashion is good.

With the weather turning colder, it's time to get into my Craftsman black jacket.

Sears don't got no employee coat hanger rack no more (tossed).

I'm not sure how this is going to work this year.