“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I look forward to September 1st each year because, well, I'm a Harry Potter nerd. Obviously. Also, in my mind, it's the beginning of fall and what should be the actual beginning of the school year. I start my yearly reread of the books July 31st, Harry's birthday, which means I'm still in the middle of reading when this day rolls around. It's the most fun.

This year, Erica and I wandered over to Coxhall Gardens in Carmel, IN. We visited last year for our photos and videos as well. It has some perfect little spots that look a bit like Hogwarts/Oxford. At the very least it looks a bit boarding school. It was so incredibly hot this day, but we suffer for our art. Thankfully we found shady areas in which to film, so it wasn't the absolute worst.

Typically, I purchase the newest Hot Topic collection in honor of September 1st, but I didn't really like what they had this year. Box Lunch had some cute options, but again, wasn't something I wanted to buy. I did get this long sleeve peter pan collar top from Hot Topic because it's just absolutely adorable. It'll look so cute under sweaters and dresses throughout the season and into winter. I love a fandom piece that is subtly nerdy. I thrifted the skirt and already had the sweater vest. It's definitely not school dress code, but I like to think Hogwarts students changed their uniforms à la Gossip Girl.