Hello Fall...

I figured that today was as good a day as any to write about fall. Especially considering the beautiful 66 degrees we have outside in Waukee. The sun is slowly setting and the leaves are changing colors. Such a gorgeous time of year! Is there anything better than sweatshirt weather? And the first time of the year when you get to tuck your skinny jeans into boots, throw on an over-sized sweater and a scarf, grab your coffee and head out? I am always very excited for fall activities. But, this year, I am even MORE excited than usual!

The trees that line the parking lot at work are so pretty right now!

Last weekend, we attended a wedding for Troy's cousin, Grettchen, and, by golly, it was one of the most beautiful wedding locations I've been to. The ceremony took place at Bellevue State Park overlooking a landscape that was to die for. The reception location had a deck that overlooked the Mississippi River and there was a pretty purple sunset that evening. And, of course, Grettchen was gorgeous as well! We are excited to have Miss Grettchen, her son, mom and a friend stay with us this week too!

Seeing the beautiful fall colors in the cute little town of Bellevue is what really got me into the fall spirit.

So, I decided to do a little decorating around the apartment. Most of my things (including my 4+ tubs of Halloween decorations) are packed away in a storage unit in Dyersville, so I had to use some of the canvases I painted while we were in Maine and my chalkboard. I also picked up a few Cinderella and White pumpkins from Hy-Vee that are just adorable! The galvanized milk pitcher was a last minute purchase from Target for $3 - can't beat that!

In honor of "National Dessert Day," I thought I would post a fall-friendly dessert I recently tried...and couldn't get enough of here: Martha Stewart's Rhubarb Crisp. I only had about a pound of rhubarb, so I used some tart granny-smith apples to make up the other pound (and I would highly recommend doing that anyway...especially for fall). I also didn't have cinnamon (looks like someone needs to do some grocery shopping), so I used nutmeg and a little extra brown sugar instead. And it was the bomb.com! (In fact, we ate it so fast, I was unable to get a picture...so the picture to your right is Martha's...shhh!)

More on my Fall Favorites coming soon! This weekend, Troy and I are headed to Grand Rapids, MI for a marathon he is competing in! I am excited for yet another get-away for us! And to snap some more amazing pictures of the beautiful state! More on that when we return!