It still feels like summer out there, so it’s been really hard to get into the swing of the autumn months or convince myself that the calendar actually rolled forward to October 1 on Monday! Fall is also always the busiest photography season for me, so between a steady flow of work, being a mom to an almost-two-year-old, trying to keep up with our home, and all the family events also happening this season, most of September slipped by without my really noticing!
You’ll probably hear me me say this at least a thousand more times between now and Thanksgiving, but fall is my absolute favorite season. As much as I love decorating for Christmas, there’s just something about pulling out my boxes of fall décor from storage that awakens something inside of me: Anticipation. Excitement. A sense of peace. The joy I feel adding little pops of autumn to our home—pumpkins and leaves and apples and wagons—is a feeling I wait for eagerly once August rolls around and I’ve had just about enough of the heat and humidity.
In honor of this first Friday of October, I’m sharing a roundup of some of the things I’ve been loving this season! And, as always, I’d love to hear what some of your fall favorites are!
1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Several years ago, I joined a book club locally with some fantastic women who I have come to call friends. I have loved being part of this group, and through all the changes in my life over the last several years, having that time with them once a month to discuss the books we read and the fellowship of their company is always something I look forward to!
Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine was our first pick of the year, and we discussed it a few weeks ago during our September meeting. I knew there was a lot of hype around the book and wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I absolutely loved watching Eleanor blossom and find her sense of self — her place in the world — throughout the story. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend that you check it out!
2. This is Us
I was a bit late to the party with this show, but I’m all caught up now and have been watching season 3 each week since the premier! Randall and Beth’s family is definitely my favorite; I just love their relationship and their marriage dynamic, and the chemistry between Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson feels so authentic! I think my favorite part of the show is how well the timelines from each of the different eras flow and feed into the present-day story line. I’m eager to see where this season goes, especially with the peeks we have gotten into the future!
3. Autumn Scented Candles
Burning candles is an absolute fall requirement in my book, and I’ll admit that I started breaking out some of the more subtle autumn scents, like Macintosh apple, back in August. I love the way they fill our home with the seasonal scent and add to the atmosphere with very little work on my part! My absolute favorite fall scent is Yankee Candle’s autumn wreath (I may or may not be hoarding 3 or 4 of the large tumbler candles in our linen closet…). I’m very picky with my fall scents, but this one checks every. single. box!
4. Fall Playlists
Certain artists are quintessentially autumn to me: Norah Jones, Mumford and Sons, Brendan James, and A Fine Frenzy are pretty much on a constant rotation as soon as the days start growing shorter and the leaves begin changing. Like candles, I love the atmosphere they create and the feelings they evoke in me!
5. Weekly Inbox Inspiration
In the last year or so, I started following Coffee + Crumbs, and I always look forward to reading new essays over my coffee in the morning. Reading other women’s reflections on motherhood in all its different stages has been good for my soul. I often see my own struggles mirrored in the words of others, and there’s so much comfort in that. This week’s essay from guest writer Heather Tencza hit me right in the feels, especially as I watch the seasons change from summer to fall outside my window. Her words about periods of dormancy and struggle preparing us to bloom in a new season keep echoing in my mind. I’m definitely saving this one to circle back to when I need to read that reminder!
