A Sunny Day at the Orchard

Our annual pilgrimage to McCordsville, IN for, let's face it, applesauce. Tuttle Orchards has been my go-to orchard for years and it's really amazing to share with the people I love. My friend, Erica, and I have been doing this for a few years now and it never gets old! 

This year was a little different, though. They tore down/moved their apple trees! As some of the trees have gotten older, they've produced less fruit and they're starting fresh with some newer trees. While it was a bit disappointing to see trees that were not as bushy, I can definitely see the difference in the number of apples produced. Give it at least 5 years, and they'll be back to their original glory! This did not slow us down in the slightest. There were plenty of Golden Delicious to be picked. 

We always go at the end of September (usually the first day or weekend of the pumpkins!) and it's always a bit warm. While I usually prefer a cloudy day for these activities, it was so beautiful seeing the sky so blue. 

I, of course, wore my trusty new Hunter boots. I had to get rid of the last pair I had because I had worn them well into the ground. I thrifted these on Poshmark for well below half the price of a new pair! I had always wanted the olive green color and I'm excited to report that they're as lovely as I dreamed. I know people feel some kind of way about thrifted shoes, but I don't think there is anything weird about it unless they are well and truly worn. You can absolutely tell when shoes are unwearable. 

Another beautiful day at the orchard. Applesauce acquired. Cider relished. And too many apples brought home. 

Season of the Witch

The witch is back. 

And she has a secret. This Selkie dress? It will no longer zip in the back. I am absolutely devastated. It is my favorite Selkie dress. I mean, florals and Van Gogh's 'Skeleton with a Cigarette'? It's perfection. If I hadn't just told you this, you would have never known because the corset is doing all the work of keeping that hidden. In the short term, this is my fix. In the long term, I'm thinking about adding a corset backing. Then, no matter what size I am, I'll be able to wear my favorites. 

Bodies change and that's supposed to happen. I do not believe in keeping clothing that no longer fits (physically or emotionally). I'll make an exception for a $300+ dress. I am so emotionally attached to my Selkie dresses. I will absolutely find a way to make them work even though most of them no longer zip. Don't keep things in your closet unless you're willing to do the work to make them fit into your life and on your body. If you can't make the expense of altering work right away (like me currently), find someway to change it up. I can't believe I never thought to add a corset top to my Selkie dresses until I saw it on someone else. A cropped sweater vest could work as well for something that doesn't zip. If the sleeves aren't as problematic, even a jacket or a regular sweater. There are so many options in hiding something that isn't quite right. 

Mansfield Covered Bridge Festival

Another Mansfield Covered Bridge Festival in the books! I was really looking forward to this year because I wasn't able to go last year. Trips and other autumn things just got in the way. The Parke County Covered Bridge Festivals run for about a week, so, yes, there's a lot of opportunity to go, but also not. 

Once again, I was here for the food. I had loaded fries, a lemon shake up (honestly have to stop getting these, I just suck up seeds), a s'more, chicken noodles and mashed potatoes, and pumpkin ice cream. A bit disappointed we didn't have time for a funnel cake, but there's always next year! 

I didn't purchase many items this year. I am trying to be more picky when it comes to things like this (and thrifting) and it's working! Things just weren't lighting up for me as much. I found a cute pair of vintage stockings for Christmas, what appears to be a homemade wall hanging from a coaster (neat idea honestly), a vintage Disney record of Halloween sounds, and some chocolate fudge. I was thrilled to see a lot more thrift/vintage/antique type finds instead of the Amazon warehouse things. There were many lamps I wanted to bring home, but they were just a bit out of range in what I was willing to spend. 

While it's always my grandma and I who go, there are some visitors who join us. This year, my partner joined us and it was so much fun sharing this with him. Not sure he'll continue going each year like me! It's definitely not for everyone, but always happy to share in the experience, especially with my loved ones. 

We only visit the Mansfield Covered Bridge Festival and I'm keen to start exploring the others in the area. While I expect the items to be similar, I think exploring the different bridges and areas would be a lot of fun. I would just need to prepare myself to spend an entire day exploring. And realize that maybe I won't get through all of each in a single day. Impossible, really. I should also think about going two days instead of one. It's a long-ish drive (about an hour and a half) and splitting it between opening and closing weekend could be fun. Something to think about. 

Life is gourd.

This is my number one favorite tradition each year (probably). While I have and would just be a pumpkin head by myself, it is incredibly special to have my partner join in the fun. We pick out the pumpkins at the patch (except for one year when we did an emergency gather and shoot), carve them together, and then giggle our way through shooting. You can't really know your partner until they've got copious amounts of pumpkin guts in their hair (or beard). 

While I have certain poses I love to do each time, it's fun to mix things up. Pinterest always comes in handy here. I just searched "pumpkin head poses" and saved images to my phone that I wanted to recreate. It's helpful when you're trying to hurry through because 1) pumpkins are heavy and 2) it's hot and you're sweaty. Also, some people are just downright hilarious and I can't think of everything. 

Our carving went so much more quickly this year. I actually remembered to grab the pumpkin carving tools from storage when I brought over the Halloween decorations. Using giant knives and kitchen spoons really isn't as easy as using those cheap plastic tools from the kits. Although, I do think using a regular spoon to carve out a hollow under the steam is a lot easier. Maybe because it's smaller and sharper? I may never know. I do know that it didn't take ages and clean up was so much easier. 

For outfits, I truly love to keep it as normal as possible. I have so many Halloween themed pieces that would work and be really funny, but I truly believe these stand out because we're wearing normal clothes. My outfit was one I wore on our last night in London, but it didn't really get photographed. I love it so much. The lace top is so comfortable and I'll never be over these boots that I bought at TK Maxx. You can shop the pieces here. 

All of that to say, if you've been thinking about putting a pumpkin on your head, you absolutely should. It's a hilariously fabulous time and you'll have videos and photos to cherish and laugh at years from now.