Turning red

Red leaves.. Red Razorbacks... It is officially Fall in Northwest Arkansas! Besides the insane amount of rain we've had over the past month, the temperature has been pretty nice. I am still waiting on a few more sunny weekends for a nice hike but Football really seems to get in the way lately.. Other than weather, I've been playing tennis (high five Michelle for our shut out last week), reading my first book in book club, enjoying a weekly Flow session (yoga, pilate's, tai chi mix), watching a LOT of gossip girl and football, and trying out new fall recipes!

Favorite recipe this month- Asian Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Without further adieu, a few pictures from September and October. Stay tuned for a Halloween post to come. After an incredible amount of brainstorming, our costumes for Friday's party are pretty dang cute, and not at all when we originally had planned...

My Sis Meredith's 25th Birthday dinner at Bordinos! At this point, we had polished off a pitcher of sangria, so mom's smile is quite cheery.

My good friend Molly chaired an event benefiting the Children's Safety Center, and raised some major dough to benefit our local kiddos in need. I'm so proud of her, and we all had a great time.

Celebrated Bikes Blues and BBQ down on Dickson! We don't really look the part do we...at least we had fun watching the bikers zoom all over the place.


Watched some Razorback football in Ft. Smith and surprised one of Matt's best friends, Brian, for his 30th birthday. Matt's is just around the corner, December!!

Hosted a Southern tail gate themed wedding party for one of my college friends Brooke (sandwiched between Theresa and myself). The bourbon punch was a hugeee hit ;)

All the hosts with Ms. Brooke! We were all ChiO's together, and we welcome all excuses to get together and throw parties. There is nothing like a good time with my great friends!

Matt's roomie from college, Taylor, was married on Old Main Lawn. We had fun catching up with all the PDT boys, dancing the night away. You can imagine whose idea that was.

This past weekend we all headed to the Curry's lake house to watch the Razorback's play and celebrate Matt's brother in law, Jeff's, 30th birthday. These pictures are towards the end of that night, but we had a blast playing yard games and sitting by the new fire pit.

Frizzy misty mess

You surprised me today by telling me how pretty I am... on the rainiest of days, when my hair is in a pony tail and I feel the furthest thing from pretty. I'm sure you have no idea how much I appreciate that. But I do.

Pitter Patter

I just have to admit it. I have a thing for maps and globes. So when I stumbled across this, my heart went a flutter. I think Martha Jones may have to order this for her fabulous new condo.

Cut out paper map of London!

Close up shot of one section, red version, super adorable.

I heart Etsy

When I became a ChiO and began my semi obsession with owls (that I hear will last my entire life), owls were just not hip. They were rare to find, and almost all owls were creepy scary looking barn animals, though we sort of loved them anyways. Fast forward to three years ago (guesstimate), and owls started popped up EVERYWHERE, and are the cutest little things you have ever seen! As I was doing my weekly perusing through Etsy, I found a few adorable Owl prints that I just might have to own. I love the sellers handle LuckyBluebirdArt, and she has a variety of equally swoon worthy designs for the non bird lovers as well.

If this little face doesn't "recruit a hoot"...not sure what will!

What a Hoot!

With the first Fall football game underway, I really feel like summer has packed up its bag and headed outta town. Which to me meant one thing last week, Fall DECOR! Anyone who knows me well can attest to my love for Halloween. I totally geek out during the fall, and my little condo is already fully decorated with fall gear. The last addition I need to work on is the yearly pumpkin craft. I normally carve pumpkins, a tradition that I've loved since I was little. My mom always salted and cooked the seeds for us afterward! For the past two years, she has grown a garden full of blue pumpkins (the best for baking pumpkin pie she swears)!

Last year I got into the spirit by playing with spray paint techniques, inspired by Martha. Stewart that is. Think polka dot and striped pumpkins galore! So far this year, I'm lovin' What a Hoot! I'm also a sucker for anything monogrammed, so these Letter pumpkins are hot on my list as well. I'll post a picture with my finished product for all to admire. Jump on my hayride and get inspired!

I heart these blue pumpkins with lace detail. I feel like you might need some serious tools to tackle this project...

My 2008 Inspiration

2008 pumpkin painting party- notice my bronze and chocolate brown polka dot pumpkins in front of me! How funky is Cody's wicked witch broomstick hanging over the table? Must have it.

Frenzied

Some ladies lose their significant others to a wide variety of hunting seasons. To me, this has always been a little foreign, since I have never dated a hunter. Maybe we lived a little too "Northern" in Arkansas, or the fact that my dad was never in to it- after shooting a bird when he was about 10 and swearing he'd never hurt another creature on purpose... I really had no idea how much time and travel it took. Well ladies, I think I've found my sweetie's equivalent. It's a little sport really, called football. I mean, what else can make a 29 year old man act like every Saturday (Sunday and Monday) is Christmas morning!

First we start of the season with a very pricey fantasy football draft. I am somewhat pleased that Matt chose the Bengals defense and TO as one of his players, since really their reality shows have launched my interest from a 2 to about a 6. Then comes College Game Day, an entire 24 hours of heart pounding intensity. I will admit that I enjoy College ball, I am a die hard Hog fan, and I enjoy other SEC games. That does not mean that I feel the need, desire, or desperate aching pain to watch each and every game that happens to be televised, like Matt. When football is on TV, the trance consumes him. His only verbal or mental break is a phone call from a friend (again talking football speak about "D" and other abbreviated words I am not familiar with), or food.

After last weekend, the full day of College games, and start to the NFL season, I had somewhere right around 8 games under my belt. I was the definition of a couch potato. I even ate egg rolls, Doritos and almost an entire bag of beef jerky for lunch. That is NOT ok. After all of that, I welcomed Monday morning, and work, as a way to get moving away from that boob tube! Driving to work, I was spaced out with the radio humming in the background. About 20 minutes down the road I realize that the entire drive, I had been dialed into sports talk radio. Sort of like when you flip to golf and 30 minutes later you are still watching, and have no clue why, don't know any of the players, and don't care? Similar situation. The funny part was, I understood what they were talking about, and deep somewhere in my unconscious I liked it.

HELP! This disease better not spread. I can't handle two crazy football fans, one is very much enough. Cheers to what will be a very long few months of football. Maybe I'll take up knitting again, at least I can be productive from the couch...

Georgia/Razorback game is this weekend, first home game of the year! So many friends are making it to town, the festivities to visit are a mile long. I wouldn't have it any other way.

GO HOGS!

Rachel Zoe Shuts It Down

Okay, Would you not just die to work with Rachel Zoe each day? Why does Taylor have such an attitude?? Maybe it's part of her charm, but she seriously acts 7. I wish it were appropriate to act 7 at my job, life would be so much more interesting if my bosses asked me to do something and I replied "Never", and meant it. If I could move my desk anywhere, it would for sure be next to the kitchen, you get to chat it up with a lot of people, and are only seconds from a mini Reese cup or pretzel stick.... I couldn't be happier that this show is back on, I always find myself seriously laughing alone in the living room each time she says BANANAS. I too, always agree with her choices, and boy wouldn't I love to even have a few of those dresses, even the ones that didn't make the cut. Can't wait to see her QVC line this fall.

If you don't watch Rachel, start. If I were a famous person, I would call her in a second (after I lost like 20 pounds so I could actually wear the sample sizes), and would look fabulous all the time in my vintage statement necklace and one of a kind Chanel.

Can someone tell me this is not award show perfection??

Top Favorite Shows of the Moment:

Design Star- Final 4! I'm liking Antonio at the moment.
Flipping Out-OCD flipper, I'd hire him any day, but only if Zoila could hang out too.
Rachel Zoe- I die.
Project Runway- Missed it last week but I know it will always be at the top of my lists once I catch up tomorrow.
Hard Knocks-Bengals training camp- Real life of football, I'm totally hooked.
Entourage- Always entertaining.

Most Looking Forward to:
GOSSIP GIRL- I heard that Chuck and B actually stay together this season, and I couldn't be more excited about that.

Gosh am I glad the Bachelor and Bachelorette is over and I can focus on quality reality shows. :)