Things I miss about Connecticut's Fall

As we can probably all agree, autumn is a really awesome time. If we can't remember, here's why fall is so exciting. And while autumn is good in Virginia, my heart still longs for a few really Connecticut-ish fall-isms. Now onto the list, using more real words than the previous sentence (hopefully).

• Fall breezes. Obviously Connecticut is colder than Richmond, and I miss the crisp fall breezes that the North has, which the South lacks. Sure, I can throw a scarf on now, but my neck will sweat, which is sure wouldn't be doing in Connecticut right now.
• Lyman Orchards. While this is a really specific one, it was only the mecca of all things fall. Apples, apple cider, pumpkins, hay, hay mazes, ducks, leaves, the whole fall 9-yards.
• Cold mornings. Okay, so not cold morning, but slightly colder mornings. Not to the point that your feet turn to popsicles when they touch the ground (yeah, mom, calling you out for the freezer our house became in the winter). But I miss that feeling of a bit of cool air on your face when you wake up, making your bed feel just a little bit better than normal.
• Soccer. Okay, so this one doesn't really count. But when I was in Connecticut, fall was soccer season (well, soccer season was every season, but fall soccer season was the best). It's not that Richmond doesn't have soccer, because clearly it does, but fall always reminds me of my youth and kicking a ball around.
• Falling leaves. Sure, some are falling here, but not as many as in Connecticut.
• My family. Fine, they're not specific to autumn, but we're in that stretch where we're gearing up for the holidays, and there really aren't any good times to head up for a few days before then.

Where do you live? What's fall like in your area? Sound off in the comments below :)

Six Costumes You Maybe Should or Shouldn’t Wear

By Cazey Williams Halloween is close enough that we should all be considering what we’re going to don come October 31^st – even if it’s a Dementor cloak to hide our food baby after all that candy corn. So what follows is a history of costumes I’ve memorably fashioned (or envisioned):

Vampire:

This is my signature getup. Stalk Facebook – and even MySpace – and you’ll see I’ve been a vampire since before Edward Cullen was a thing. I also don’t do it like the simpletons aka wear Dollar Tree fangs. No, kids, I use dental adhesive. I also have a cape, gloves, and some Renaissance-esque medallion – we’re talking Anne Rice vampires. On the topic of that dental adhesive, I even made out with someone with those incisors, and they didn’t fall out (!!), though I can’t imagine I tasted very good.

Love’s Prisoner:

This is when things got weird. I was going through a quasi-relationship with a girl who had a boyfriend (not that I endorse that sort of thing, unless you enjoy uncomfortable stories like this one), so why not be metaphorical and angsty? I bought some plastic shackles (the prisoner part), and then I tore up a white t-shirt with a kitchen knife and sprinkled blood on it. Some of that blood ended up on my bathroom carpet, which I still own and step onto after every shower. I focused on exposing my left nipple with said shirt and put a prosthetic wound across my heart. Get it? No? I don’t know…

French painter:

This was by far my favorite costume, but the one that received the most criticism because apparently I dress like a French painter in everyday life. (Is it bad I take that as a compliment?) Admittedly, the only thing I bought for this outfit was a watercolor set. And I stole a cardboard box from a dumpster to make a palette and used some computer paper for my cig. But I never would have paired those yellow pants with that striped shirt any other day. Okay, maybe. It’s hard work being a hipster.

Narcissus:

This one was last year, and I never made it out of the house because #selfdoubts. Basically, I wrapped myself in a toga (read: bed sheet – though it was a green sheet, because that’s different) and a bought a Dollar Tree wreath for my laurel and even some plastic grapes. The final touch was a handheld mirror. And then everyone was like, “It’s Halloween, not a toga party.” And I was like, “Does no one remember reading Edith Hamilton’s Mythology in seventh grade? I’m Narcissus!” I also didn’t know if my pecs were in prime condition for the wintry night, so I changed into zombie attire.

The Vain Man:

I’m trying to bring Narcissus into the modern age. I’m also afraid I’m just too highbrow for people. Or I overthink costumes. Who is the Vain man, you ask? Well, he’s the one who walks like he’s on a yacht. He has a hat dipped strategically below one eye, and he has an apricot scarf! You probably think it’s you, don’t you (don’t you)?  Oh, so you don’t think anyone will get it? “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days” came out in 2003, though. Okay, I guess I won’t be the Vain Man this year.

Gym bro:

I haven’t pulled off this costume either, but I think it’s brilliant – and if that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is. The idea is you wear those toe shoes that they’ve proven are worthless , a tank top that has sleeve openings down to your hips, an iPhone strap around your biceps, and you put a bandana around your forehead. You also have to haul around a gallon of water. Bonus points if you refuse  alcohol on Halloween because #gains. I would do this, but I eat bread, so I’m not sure I want to show my abs.

So now I have two weeks to figure out how I’ll stun the masses on All Hallow’s Eve. Any ideas?

My First Food Review & It's Fall Themed

I've always wanted to be a food blogger because it combines my two favorite things: food and writing. I even went so far as to sign up as a food blogger from some offer on Craigslist. Shocker that one didn't work out. But I'm not taking no for an answer, so here's my first food review. In celebration of the first week of fall, it's pumpkin flavored.

I'm reviewing Dairy Queen's Pumpkin Pie Blizzard.

So if I were to give this pumpkin blizzard a rating, it would be a one out of five stars. And here are all the reasons why:

• The pumpkin pie is composed of two elements: the pumpkin pie filling and the crust. I know this because that's what a real pumpkin pie consists of. But here's what it tasted like in blizzard form:
  • The crust tasted like, shaped like, looked like, and probably were oyster crackers.
  • And the pumpkin pie filling tasted like (if I had to guess), looked like, and had the exact same consistency of pumpkin baby food.
• So pause while you picture those two elements, wrapped up in some melty vanilla ice cream.
• Then, add in the excessively sour taste of the baby food, coupled with the stale cracker crust, and it's just a depressing combination of food.
• The worst part of the whole experience was that this isn't even what I wanted. They had run out of cookie dough. And they ran out of chocolate ice cream the previous time.
• So clearly it's not meant to be, but let's get back to the most depressing thing about this whole bit:
• I have been trying pumpkin everything lately, except for the fact that everywhere runs out of it. I went to Dunkin Donuts and they ran out of pumpkin flavoring for coffee. Then I went to Starbucks and they ran out of pumpkin scones. So by the time I make it to Dairy Queen and they actually have pumpkin flavored foods, and it's terrible.

But let's be honest, this set-back won't stop me on the quest for pumpkin flavored everything this autumn.

Tis the season: Sweater Weather

As the roommates and I went for a brisk walk last night, we took in what would be the final walk of the summer. And while typically I'd feel upset about the end of summer, this year, I can't but only be a little sad to see the summer sun set. Because autumn is officially here. A time for jeans, plaid (is plaid still a thing, I hope so because I love it), boots, sweaters, scarves and hats. Well, not so much hats because I'm not a hat person, but I like the idea of being able to wear a hat.

I have a special place in my heart for New England falls, but last year's Richmond fall was equally wonderful. And with the plethora of fall-themed activities I have in mind, this autumn will be sure to top it all. Pumpkin flavored everything, carving pumpkins, picking pumpkins, taking pictures next to pumpkins, and thinking about pumpkins only comes second to apple picking, cider drinking and perfect fall weather walks. And changing leaves. And falling leaves. And the scent of fall. There's really nothing better.

Plus, the perfect fall weather means that you don't have to worry about your toes looking good all the time, a headband is an easy way to make your hair look presentable, and if you gain a few extra pounds, who cares? No one is seeing you in a bathing suit anymore.

So if none of that made any sense, I get it. I'm so excited for fall that it's almost impossible to prioritize which reasons are most important.

I hope you all share in my enthusiasm, dive your feet into your boots and enjoy the perfect temperate weather.