Chili Night!

my chili & my happy spoon!

After writing a post about my Fall Favorites, I decided to make Chili for dinner! Its the perfect Fall food and even though the weather isn't exactly "cold" I still had a craving for some homemade Chili. Yum!

Does anyone have a Chili recipe they want to share? I love new recipes!!

Fall Favorites

TOP 10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FALL!!!    In no particular order....

10) Cool Weather & Chili - After a really hot summer, I love the cool cool weather of Fall. It actually is comfortable to be outside in the middle of the day and at night time you need a light jacket. Also, I love making and eating Chili...its just not the same when you make it in the summer. Fall = Perfect!

9) Football Season - LOVE football season! Especially being able to watch a game on the field. Reminds me of being back in school and all the excitement of a new school year! Plus, its hard to beat college football Saturdays.

8) Vogue September Issue - FASHION ALERT! Biggest issue of the year is the September issue and its always packed with the best Fall fashion. Even better, almost all women's/fashion mags are doing huge September issues.

7) Hoodies, Jeans, & Flip Flops - During Fall, I love being able to wear hoodies, jeans, and flip flops. The weather isn't quite cold enough...so flip flops are still an option! Yeah!

6) Changing Leaves - Fall is so beautiful because the trees become amazing shades of red, yellow, and orange. Plus I love the *crunch* of dried leaves when you step on them.

5) Halloween - So I know I'm way beyond trick-or-treating but I still love Halloween. Every year is something different to do....hand out candy to little ones, scary movie, costume party...whatever it is, its always fun!

4) Pumpkin Patches & Haunted Houses - This goes along with #5 but I love going to a pumpkin patch and picking out the best ones, just like when you're a kid. And they always have those funky-shaped gourds. Those are pretty cool! And ofcourse, Haunted Houses are a blast! I went to one in the middle of nowhere and it was especially freaky! So fun!

3) Dark OPI Polish - I think dark finger nail polish can look so chic, but in the summer time its a little too intense looking. But for Fall, it is fabulous! I am loving dark jewel tones, dark reds, and those really dark plums. Lincoln Park After Dark, Diva of Geneva, Royal Rajah Ruby, Miami Beet, and Plugged in Plum are a few of my favs. But the new Swiss collection is AMAZING too!

2) Sitting by a Fire - This is fun to do in the summer, but when its so hot you really don't need the fire's warmth. Fall is perfect for bonfires with friends or getting your fireplace going in your home. The sound of a crackling fire and smell of Fall evenings is so wonderful!

1) New Vera Bradley Patterns - I love love love Vera Bradley and this Fall's colors are so cute!! My personal fav is Very Berry Paisley. Yay for Vera!

What do you love about Fall???

The Boys of Fall

Kenny Chesney in high school!

There are many things I love about Fall...changing leaves, cool evenings, hoodies, and Halloween...but one of my absolute favorites is football season. And when I heard Kenny Chesney's The Boys of Fall, it reminded me once again of why I love football and Fall. Especially Friday night high school football! I cheered all four years in high school and there is something really special about those Friday nights. The energy is so incredible and I loved spending all that time with my high school friends. If you love football and thought those high school nights were something special, you'll love Kenny's music video for this song. It reminds me of being of teenager and cheering on my high school friends. Even though it feels like a million years ago, I'll never forget those Friday nights.

5K Down, Many to Go!

Yayy!! I finished my first 5K! It was soo fun and I loved being out there running with all those people. And surprisingly, I felt really good at the end of the run! My time was really good for me and I've come a long way since I started running at the beginning of the summer. The rest of my Labor Day weekend was super relaxing. Got to see my family from out of town and ride dirtbikes with my BF. Added Plus, the weather here was amazing. Crazy wind, but the temperature was soooo nice and no rain! Yipee! The only bad part about long weekends...they always have to come to an end.

How was your Labor Day weekend?

Final Days of Summer

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!


It doesn't matter how old you are, Labor Day weekend always marks that last weekend of summer. School may have already started for many of you but summer still seems like its in full swing til this long weekend. Last chance to hit the pool (hopefully they're still open wherever you are) and enjoy the outdoors!


Today we're having the best weather in weeks! Finally in the 70s and sunny! Makes me forget about all those 100+ degree days and random thunderstorm downpours. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to the rolling thunder and enjoying a nice summer rain shower...but when thunderstorms pop up out of nowhere and rain out my summer plans...I'm not the biggest fan.


This weekend, I'm running my first 5K ever!! I'm so excited! Definitely don't feel totally prepared but I can't wait to start the run. Time to put that training to the test! The rest of the weekend will be spent outside with family and friends. I love the laziness of the end of summer. Nothing can be more enjoyable than a long weekend and a forecast for beautiful weather.


What are your plans for Labor Day weekend?!

Motorcycle Boots

I'm loving the Motorcycle Boot trend for Fall 2010. Its a little punk and edgy but paired with a softer, girly top creates the perfect balanced look for fall. Love them with leggings or a dark skinny jean. Now I'm in search for the perfect boot..not too manly...gotta have some buckles or studs...not too $$$....and has to be comfy. Is that too much to ask?? I think not!

Has anyone found motorcycle boots that they LOVE???

Bondi Bands

Its official....I got my first Bondi Band!! Yayy!! Bondi Bands are these awesome headbands that are great for keeping your hair back and sweat out of your face when you're running, dancing, playing any sport, or just doing your everyday stuff! Plus...they're super cute!!! I first heard about these from Confessions on Conquering 26.2. Bondi Bands come is sooooo many different colors, patterns, and many of them have cute or funny sayings on them. This is the one I got...

LOOVVEEE THESE!!!