{what? when?!}

hold the phone.

are you serious?

september is gone already? it's really, truly october?!

why was i not informed? where did september go? and, more importantly...

why is it so stinking cold all of a sudden?

that's right. under my very nose, fall, and october, has crept into my town. and somehow, i missed it. when was the first day of fall, anyway?

fall is my favorite season. i love the colors of the trees (as fast as they seem to shed around here), wearing long sleeves, the colors and styles of fall fashions, and the smell of fall. it has a smell, you know. like burnt leaves and pumpkin and apples and molasses. it's truly incredible.

so i thought i'd share a few things, for all of you people who love fall as much as i do, i'm currently loving to help usher in the most beautiful season.

like i said earlier, it's cooling off fast here in illinois. it literally jumped from 74 down to 60 in one day. with a wind chill. this is kind of a remarkable change. so when i got my anthro catalogue yesterday and saw the most beautiful pieces of clothing i can't afford on my meager budget set against these beautiful fall backdrops, i went gaga (what is it about expensive clothing that makes it so appealing?). especially for this hat and this scarf (scarfs=love. seriously. i can't buy them fast enough.).

and...since my dad gives me such a hard time for wearing winter wear in the house (it's not my fault my room is the coldest of them all! my bed covers the heating vent!), these little babies from a fabulous etsy shop would do any person especially sensitive to cold. or if you're like me (okay, i'll admit) and just really love to be hot all the time (and wear winter things), buy yourself a pair. seriously. they're merino wool. sigh.

then you can settle down by your window and watch the leaves change color with this beautiful mug from (my favorite!) starbucks, sipping this tea (my new obsession). i mean honestly. it's perfection.

then, when you've gotten down to the bottom of the mug and still feel like you haven't gotten enough fall fix, feast your eyes on the work of this artist. especially this photograph. and this one. oh, and this one. it's so inspiring, i just don't know what to do with myself.

maybe, with the beautiful things mentioned above, missing september won't be all that bad. october could shape out rather beautifully, if you ask me.