Celebrate autumn's return with this great vintage Rosy Apple Pie recipe

The hours of daylight are drawing shorter, sunshine take longer to awaken in the morning, and dew - soon to be frost - hangs heavy on each blade of browning grass and wind-kissed leaf as each new day breaks.

There is a near palpable excitement in the air, fall is little more than a week away and with it comes the return of many, many scrumptious foods - scores of which are just starting to hit their stride in terms of seasonal availability and freshness.

Without a doubt, there is no fruit that personifies autumn more than apples. Sure, others - pears and grapes, for example - speak of this golden tinged chapter of the year, but it is apples, for countless centuries now, that have heralded fall's triumphant return and brought such joy to our dining tables.

In celebration of the fact that the seasons are changing hands again and the abundance of locally grown apples that are out in full force here in the Okanagan (Canada's most famous and, I believe, prolific, apple growing region), I thought that it would be fun to shine the spotlight on a delicious vintage recipe for apple pie.

This circa 1940s recipe for Rosy Apple Pie has a fun twist, the flavour of which just ups the autumnal-ness of this tasty dish all the more in my books - cinnamon candies. Of course, if Red Hots aren't your favourite or they're hard to come by where you live, by all means swap them out for some regular powdered cinnamon from your spice rack instead (and likewise, as I always say, if shortening isn't up your alley, by all means use favourite suitable cooking fat, such as butter or margarine, here in lieu of it).



{I love how the pretty red tinge from the cinnamon candies in this vintage apple pie recipe lend it an even more autumnal note that is redolent of seasonal garnet hued maple leaves and glowing fall time sunsets. Vintage recipe image source.}



Apples are one of my favourite fruits ever. They're filling, contain healthy fiber, are great for you, and can be put to work in a plethora of savoury and sweet dishes alike (I'm especially fond, come autumn time, of slowly pan cooking them with sweet onions, thyme, black pepper, and a dash of cinnamon or all spice, and serving them with roasted or grilled meats and/or vegetables). It would be a crime against the season, assuming you're able to safely eat them (aka, that they don't both you from a medical standpoint), not to load up on scores of them while they're at their fall time finest.

I always make a point to do just that, even picking our own from various local orchards some years. In pies (for all my fellow gluten-free folks out there, this pie works fabulously with your favourite GF pie crust, fear not; I've made it numerous times, so I speak from experience), muffins, cakes, pastries, scones, fruit salads, candy and caramel apples, parfaits, baked whole, and scores of other dishes, apples are the cheerful, satisfying taste of the season that helps to make saying good bye to summer and all of its own marvelous produce a whole lot easier to bear.

Add corn on the cob, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, squash, late season tomatoes and green beans, and other awesome autumn vegetables to the table and you've got a veritable feast of seasonable loveliness to indulge in. I swear, my stomach start rumbling at the mere thought. Good thing I've got plenty of September crop apples in the fridge! :)

25 Vintage Deals Under $100 for August 2015

Speedy and very busy for me, August's go-go-go pace has somewhat taken the wind out of my sails. As such, I gave serious though to skipping the 25 Vintage Deals post this month (a new one doesn't happen every single month, but I do aim to get them up whenever possible, especially since I know that they're popular with many of my readers), as they take quite a few hours – and a fair bit of energy - to put together and write.

However, on Friday night one of my conditions started flaring up and the Etsy shop related work that I had planned to do then wasn't able to happen. Instead I wound in bed and it just seemed logical to start gathering listings for today's post while I was, which is exactly what I did. :)

Though the weather here, save for a spot of rain on Friday, has been great lately and far more summery than autumnal, there are subtle signs of the next season's impending arrival and indeed, the fact that we're into the last stretch of August is one unto itself.

Given that school will be starting again for many of my readers and/or their kids, and since most of us automatically associate late summer with brand new notebooks, shiny red apples, and hitting the books, I thought it would be a lot of fun to focus August's edition of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100.00 on school days and early autumn related vintage, vintage appropriate, and handmade budget-friendly finds.

So grab a freshly sharpened #2 pencil, slip into a plaid skirt, and get ready to jot down notes on all the wallet approved bargains that are coming your way this month! :)

25 Vintage Deals under $100

for August 2015

1. No fruit is more synonymous with the end of summer and all of autumn than apples. Be they the real deal or the wearable kind like this delightfully fun little brushed gold vintage brooch, as the days grow shorter, one is always served well by upping their apple quota. $8.50 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




2. Chalkboard paint and chalkboard themed decor items have been all the rage for several years now, but sometimes they're no beating the real, original deal, like this great mid-century 13.5 x 19 inch handheld chalkboard slate that could easily be hung on a wall in any classroom or part of your house. $30.00 from Blue Moon Collectibles.




3. This used 1940s Double Q composition notebook is extremely cool. Inside the original owner kept school notes and filled some of the pages with her very talented illustrations. What a special slice of mid-century daily life! $15.00 from Kenton Collectibles.




4. Perfect for pre-school aged children, very much including younger siblings when their older brothers and sisters rush off to catch the school bus next month, this timelessly fun vintage metal See and Spell Toy is sure to entertain little ones and bring back plenty of memories for the the young at heart alike. $40.00 from DeeDee's Vintage Decor.




5. There is something very young-woman-about-campus to these fabulous 1940s style Tan Faux Suede Bow Accent Chunky Heel Shoes. They're stylish, comfortable looking, and so timelessly pretty! Available in modern ladies sizes 7 - 10 from Blue Velvet Vintage.




6. An awesome mid-century modern inspired print calls the fabric on this versatile little handmade zipper pouch home. Use it as a pencil case, makeup bag, small clutch - whatever you can dream up! $13.00 from The Curious Needle.




7. One of the most classic and important signs of the harvest season - the wheat stalk - stars in this timelessly pretty, Thanksgiving perfect mid-century vintage copper matching brooch and earring set. $27.00 for the set from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



8. From garments to scrapbook pages to teacher's gifts, the array of creative projects you could create with this set of handmade apple print fabric covered buttons is as vast as the number of leaves that will tumble to the ground this autumn. $4.83 for a set of five buttons from Handmade by Elaine.



9. Cute, kitschy and such a great conversation starter, this 1950s Polly red top 1950s lunchbox with matching thermos features oodles of cool mid-century illustrations and is so much fun, you might want to give it pride-of-place on a kitchen, classroom, or office shelf. $58.00 for the two-piece set from Tessie's Old Oddities.




10. Perfect now as is or with a cardi + tights (and/or tall boots) for the nippier days of the coming season, this fun, sophisticated mid-century matching cotton floral print jacket/blouse and skirt set sings with the colour palette of the changing seasons. Fits up to a 34 inch bust/26 inch waist. $52.00 for both pieces from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




11. Hand tooled leather stars in this eye-catching, festively fun little dish that suits the end of summer as well as it does each day of autumn. $12.00 from Beyond The Door.




12. Squeal worthily sweet, this 1960s Josef Originals school teacher mouse vintage figurine is as cute as September's golden light is beautiful! $6.00 from Raindrop Vintage Shop.




13. There are certain scents that will always go hand-in-hand with the return of the school year and chalk - and chalk dust - is most certainly one of those for me. Take a trip down memory lane with this delightful mid-century box of colour chalk. $10.00 from Fly By Night Vintage.




14. Jazz up your back-to-class 'do with this wonderfully cute mid-century vintage "School Days" fountain pen shaped hair barrette. $10.00 from Rosebud Cottage.




15. Nothing says fall quite like the sight of crunchy leaves carpeting the ground or the jewelry version jazzing up our favourite ensembles. Greet September's return in timeless style when you pin this elegant mid-century vintage black and coppery brown enamel maple leaf brooch to your favourite dress, blouse, or sweater - its colour palette also makes it a great choice for Halloween, to boot. $14.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




16. Keep your noggin' nice and toasty while watching outdoor football games, picking pumpkins, or doing yard work come autumn time in this whimsically charming mid-century vintage yellow and green wool beanie hat embroidered with the team name Rough Riders. $25.00 from Savanteer Vintage.




17. Fabulous for its intended purpose or as a stylish decor item/photo shoot prop, this fun Stenso Lettering Card comes with its original wrapper and still in very good shape. $10.00 from Retro Reaction.




18. In the last few weeks I've bought four new scented candles to help ensure I'm ready to face the encroaching long nights of fall and winter all the better. If I was going to add a fifth to the seasonal collection, I would be very (!) tempted to make it this seriously scrumptious scented, autumn perfect handmade pumpkin bread soy wax tined candle. $6.00 for a 4 ounce candle from Sweet River Candle Co.




19. You like vintage school supplies, oui? Then this pretty and practical set of French language flashcards from 1959 is for you. $18.00 for 51 flashcards and their original box from Recent History.




20. Whether you're a teacher or not, chances are you enjoy the symbolic pairing of apples and late summer, including making them a part of your wardrobe. What more fun and whimsically charming way to do just that than with this big, beautiful vintage rhinestone and enamel coated green apple necklace? $26.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




21. Charming illustrations combine with wooden letters and a practical, handy education tool in this 1940s Richmond Spelling and Numbers Board, that would also make for a great piece of home decor, especially in an office or library. $24.00 from Retro Reaction.




22. For several decades now my maternal grandma has had a set of coaster which feature dried flower sandwiched between clear glass. Every time I look at this lovely mid-century vintage clear plastic brooch with its dried wildflowers, I am reminded of those coasters and warm summer and early autumn days spent at her house. $14.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




23. Worth its asking price for the soft sage green colour and awesome font used on the cover alone, this lovely 1940s classmate autograph book is a thoroughly charming reminder of a once common item that most smart phone carrying students today have never even heard of - let alone owned. $10.00 from Lisa's Retro Style.




24. If ever there was an iconic little girl's school dress, this beautiful vintage Polly Flinder's smocked plaid number it is. Aww! Stated as being a (children's) size 5. $14.22 from Wee Little Ones Vintage.




25. Pear season is really starting to hit its stride here in the sunny Okanagan right now and will continue for several seriously delicious weeks to come. If you're a fan of this sweet, juicy fruit and/or wearable items that depict it, then this warmly hued vintage 3D plastic pear and gold tone chain necklace is for you! $18.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.

♥ ♥ ♥

I've said it before, but I'll happily say it again, there is truly something about this time of the year - especially once we hit early September - that really feels like it's the start of a new year. I use it in much the same way as one and have been doing a lot of housekeeping, organizing, and a few home repairs lately.

It's just natural that we want our abodes, our own personal sanctuaries, to be neat, tidy, and in good working order before the brutally cold winter months take hold again and we hunker down to keep the chill at bay inside of them.

This is a beautiful, endearing time of the year. Busy, yes, but also often a lot of fun and filled with such a rich bounty of seasonal joys! Some of which I've tried to capture here in today's post, which I'm very glad was able to come to fruition in the end.

Have a relaxing, wonderful second to late Sunday in August, my dear friends! 

(And if you haven't done so already, please be sure to check out and leave a comment - to support on of our own - on this week's brand new vintage blogger interview post featuring an engaging discussion with the very stylish Holly Brolsma-Colon from Veronica Vintage.)

Kicking off fall with a delicious vintage apple crisp recipe

Proclaiming, cutely, that "the toppings on apples makes this apple dessert tops", I knew that this vintage recipe was just the one that I wanted to use as the first of the fall season, a time that is as inherently connected to apples as winter is to snow.

I'm a huge fan of apples, and have grown to love and appreciate them even more over the years, especially once they became one of only a very small handful of fruits my health permits me to partake of any more. From tart Granny Smiths to sublimely juicy Pink Ladies, there's scarcely a variety of apple out there that I don't adore sinking my teeth into, especially when they're at the peak of their growing season like they are now.

The Okanagan Valley were I live in renowned for its apples and it never fails to disappoint come fall. Thousands upon thousands of red, green, yellow and burgundy orbs cling to the seemingly countless apple trees around these parts, just beckoning one to plunk a piece of fruit, dust it off on their shirt, and chomp right in.

Not one to steal however, I prefer to get my apples from either a local fruit stand or supermarket - picking your own from an orchard is also a great option, but not always the quickest one, if you suddenly need a basket of apples for that evening's dessert - like that in today's scrumptious old school recipe for apple crisp.

{A timeless fall classic that never, ever goes out of style, apple crisp is the kind of warm, sweet, wonderful dessert that always pleases table guests of all ages. Image via Eudaemonius on Flickr.}


Apple crisp was a standard, and much loved, dish in our home when I was growing up, and to this day I still prefer to serve it with wedges of thick, well aged cheddar cheese and frosty vanilla ice cream, just as my mother often did when we were young.

While this particular recipe differs somewhat from my family's classic (which includes an oat crumble top), it certainly doesn't sound any less delicious (especially if you swap the shortening for butter or margarine). I'd up the quantity of cinnamon and perhaps toy with the idea of a pinch of nutmeg or allspice, too, but otherwise I’d likely leave it exactly as it is.

Should your area still happen to have a glut of pears at the moment, too, you could absolutely make this dish with them instead of (or as a 50/50 mix) using apples. In the warmer months, peaches and plums are both shinning stars in fruit crumbles, and you can always turned to frozen or canned fruits in the wintertime.

Summer may be done and over for another year, but with desserts as sweet and wonderful as this, I don't think it will be hard to welcome autumn with open arms - and eager forks - once more, do you?  

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Before launching into today’s recipe, I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who left Valentine’s Day wishes for me over the weekend; it was such a joy to share Cupid’s special day with you all for the first time on Chronically Vintage. I really hope that you each had a marvelous February 14th!

I should also mention that this post brings my "blogcation" to an end. Even though I’ve been under the weather for several of the days I was "off", I really cannot believe how immensely fast an entire week and a half whipped past.

During my time away from actively blogging, I was able to catch up on a sizable portion of my (massively overdue for a reply!) emails and various other online tasks I’d hoped to accomplish, as well as to (finally) do a few things around the house that I’d been yearning to take care of for some time, yet never seemed to have enough hours in the day to quite accomplish.

While I don’t feel like I’ve just returned from a dazzlingly lovely tropical holiday, I do genuinely feel a renewed sense of blogging energy. I’ve better come to terms with the issue that was plaguing me heavily regarding staying abreast with my blog comments, and have also decided that I simply have to allow myself a little R&R sometimes (we all do!).

Once more I extend my deepest and most sincere of thanks to all those who have left comments for me over the past few weeks. Your encouraging, caring, friendly words have been a true help to me. I’ve missed you all dearly, dear friends, and look forward everything that the feature holds in store for Chronically Vintage!



Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

The alternative title for this dish– the one by which it’s best know around my kitchen – is “comfort soup”, for that’s what it instantly delivers to anyone who sits down before a bowl of it. Mild, yet far from bland, nourishing (you can practically feel the many wonderful nutrients from the squash, yams, carrots and apples seeping into your body with each steaming spoonful) and absolutely perfect during the winter months, this soup is exactly what I need today to help banish the rather unpleasant sinus cold I woke up with on Monday morning!

It’s by no means essential that you use Gala apples here, though I do prefer a sweeter apple such as Red Delicious or Pink Lady if I’m out of Galas (if you like would like a bit of tartness, feel free to use Granny Smith instead) – you could even opt for ripe, juicy pears instead of apples should the desire strike.

As with many soup recipes, this one is forgiving. You can forgo the squash and increase the amount of yams (or vice versa), omit the ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon and spring for a jolt of zing with a little curry powder, paprika or lightly sautéed shallots sprinkled over the top right before serving (actually, I have employed shallots before even when I’ve kept the cinnamon in place).



{As if I’d possible contemplate using any other kind! ;-D If you’ve got a hankering for both carrots and a beautiful piece of artwork featuring this humble root vegetable, you can pick up this charming vintage inspired Old Fashion Carrot print for $12.99 (US) from art.com.}

There’s something both heartily rustic and yet so elegantly refined about this soup. It calls to mind quite weekend afternoons spent watching the snow fall tranquilly, the pleasure of happily flowing conversation and many requests for second helpings.


Ingredients

• 4 cups of (homemade or good quality store bought) vegetable broth

• 2-3 medium sized carrots peeled and sliced into circles (thickness of your choice)

• 2 Gala apples peeled, cored and sliced

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 large yam, peeled and cubed

• 4 tbsp of butter or margarine

• ¾ cup cream (either single or double, the choice is yours)

• ¼ tsp nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger (optional)

• ½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)

• Freshly milled pepper (to taste)


Directions

In a large, heavy bottomed sauce pot combine the vegetable stock, butternut squash, yam and nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add in the sliced carrots and gala apples. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are cooked through), stirring often.

Next, take the pot off the stove and carefully pour the soup base through a colander, into a large bowl or another large pot, but do not discard either the stock liquid or the apples and vegetables. Return the stock to the pot, but not the veggies and apples. Next puree the vegetables and apples with a hand-held mixer or in the food processor (even a sturdy blender would work, if you don’t have a stick mixer or food processor – I’ve made it this way many times and it always comes out great).

Reintroduce the pureed vegetable and apple mixture into the broth over medium heat; add in the cream, butter and salt and black pepper. Stir often and bring to a rapid simmer (but not quite a full-on boil), reduce the heat and cook for another 5-10 minutes depending on the consistency that you prefer (the longer you cook this soup for the, the thicker it becomes).

Serve while nicely warm, ladling ample portions into soup dishes or generous sized cappuccino mugs. Should there happen to be any, leftovers can be stored (covered) in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I adore serving this delicious soup with fresh or toasted slices of French or sourdough bread, homemade apple butter (to keep the apple theme going), and a little jug of fresh cream to be passed around and drizzled into the bowls by all those you may be sharing your table with you.

Serves 3-4 as a starter or light lunch

Bon appétit!

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Spiced Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Yesterday, brushing my ever-present shyness aside, I posted a few fairly recent photographs of myself here on Chronically Vintage, and in response was met with an outpouring of the most thoughtfully kind comments imaginable.

I mean it with the utmost sincerity when I say that you, my amazing readers, have the ability to undo a lifetime of self-esteem and negative body image issues with your heartfelt, caring, supportive words. I read through all of your comments, trying to keep my tears at bay, this morning and honestly wished I could reach out and hug every one of you.

I know that there are many out there who haven’t the slightest qualm about sharing their photos publicly, but for those of us who struggle for whatever reason with showing our faces (in photographic form) to the world, positive, caring feedback can truly make an astronomical difference in terms of how our ability to develop better self-confidence, but also to help our self-esteem levels on a day-to-day basis.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who left a comment on yesterday’s post, this recipe – a little something sweet for some of the sweetest people on earth - is dedicated to all of you.



~ Spiced Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookies ~

Bursting with the heady, soothing scent of warm spices, these cookies are just the thing to have on hand for lunch boxes, desserts and serving to company with mugs of hot tea, warm milk or even eggnog during the holiday season.



{Making cookies is such a fun (and deliciously rewarding!) activity that usually requires less time than many other forms of baking, making it the perfect for those days when you want a homemade treat but aren’t able to devote ages to hanging out with your oven. Vintage photo of a woman dropping spoonfuls of cookie batter onto a baking tray from the Life Magazine archives.}


Cinnamon is my favourite of all the spices and I constant try to track down, or create my own, recipes that include this aromatic, zingy flavour. This particular cookie recipe is one I whipped up a few years back – during the fall, naturally (no other season calls to mind the pairing of apples and cinnamon quite like autumn) – and continue to make each year when the mercury starts dropping and you’re suddenly hit with the feeling that you want every morsel of food you eat to be wholly comforting in terms both of taste and aroma.


Ingredients

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening or butter (or a 50/50 ratio of the two combined, which is a favourite cookie baking approach of mine as I find it helps to yield a really nice crumb), softened (room temperature, not melted)

• ½ cup homemade or store bought sweetened applesauce (you want a fine textured apple sauce, so if yours is on the chunky side, you may want to run it through a food mill or food processor before including in the cookie batter)

• 1 extra large egg (or equal amounts of egg whites, I’ve made these cookies with egg white many times and they turns out just as well)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup white sugar

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)

• 1 cup butterscotch baking chips (such as Hershey’s “Chipits”)



Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/gas mark 4).

In a large mixing bowl thoroughly cream the white and brown sugars and butter (or shortening) together with a mixing spoon or electric beater. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well combined with the sugar and butter; once those ingredients have mixed together well, stir in the apple sauce and beat until amalgamated with the other moist ingredients.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir well, ensuring that the spices are evenly distributed through the dry ingredients.

Next stir one third of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients at a time, stirring (or beating, if using an electric mixer) well after each addition. If the mixture seems slightly dry to you (it should be pretty moist thanks to the apple sauce), add a tablespoon or two of lukewarm water, milk or more apple sauce, if you have extra on hand. Now pour in the butterscotch chips and blend well to ensure even distribution throughout the batter.

Grease or line two baking trays (cookie sheets) with parchment paper (or a non-slip silicon baking liners) and drop cookie mixture onto the trays in rounded teaspoon portions, leaving a bit of space between each cookie (I usually put about 12 cookies per tray). (Note, if – like mine – your oven tends to cook things unevenly based on what height the tray is placed at, you can either bake one try of cookies at time or rotate the racks that the trays are placed on half way through baking.)

Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are firm and the tops are lightly golden brown. Allow warm cookies to rest on their baking trays for a couple of minutes and then transfer them to wire cooling racks.

Serve warm or at room temperature, storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days (these cookies can also be frozen for at least two months in a freezer safe container).

For an extra special treat, serve the cookies while they’re still toasty from the oven with bowls of French vanilla or caramel ice cream, or with dishes of sweetened whipped or clotted cream for dipping.

Makes approximately two dozen cookies

Bon appétit!

Welcome back, September, I’ve missed you something fierce! (Plus passing along the Stylish Blogger Award)

So begins the month that hearkens the arrival of autumn, my most beloved season, and (with any luck) a return to more bearable temperatures! I am literally gleefully to see September return and cannot wait for all of the resplendent elements that autumn brings with it.

Before I go any further, I want to take a moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to those who left lovely "get well" comments for me in regards to my post on Monday. I'm feeling a little bit better, but am quite ill at the moment still (just one of those flare-ups I'm going to have to let run it's painful course). Thank you so much, everyone, for your sweet words. You are such wonderfully caring dears!

Over the past few weeks I’ve received blog awards from five different, fantastic ladies (thank you each deeply!). I’ve not had a chance to blog about any of the accolades yet, but thought that I would use today as the perfect time to start passing along one of these awards.

At the end of July fellow Torontonian Poke Salad Annie (of Loose Leaf Tigers) bestowed the Stylish blogger Award upon me, which really means a lot as I adore this stylish, cultured, wonderful gal’s blog and was super touched to receive an award from her.

The conditions of the award suggest that the receiver list 10 facts about themselves that their readers may not know. As it really hasn’t been that long since my last such post, I thought I would put a creative spin on this award for and instead list ten of my favourite things about September.

First however I want to pass along the Stylish blogger Award to ten amazing (and immensely stylish!) blogs that continually fill me with a plethora of inspiration. It is always terribly tricky to whittle down a list of fellow bloggers to pass an award along to, so please, by all means, if your name is not listed below, still feel to bestow this award upon your own splendid site.




Kirsten from Leproust Vintage

Simply Colette

Jennifer from Stay Classy LA

Syd from Golden Girl of the West

Kelley Anne from Kaleidoscopic Refrains:

Mademoiselle Coco from Knitter from the Past

Lagelle, the Art of accessorizing

Miss Matilda from Miss Matilda Dreams

Oh, Kirby!

Rosina Lee


Each of the recipients is welcome to pass this award along to whomever they wish (please copy and save the graphic above to your desktop of online photo album if you’d like to post it on your are), or simply accept it with my heartfelt thanks for being the magnificently lovely blogs you are.


{10 elements of September that I perpetually adore}



{A return to temperatures that permit the comfortable wearing of outfits sporting long sleeves and lightweight coats and wraps. I always feel more comfortable when I can don clothing that covers me up more than it tries to show me off.}



{The reappearance of longer nights. Few things rival the beauty and tranquility of a summer dusk that seems to last forever, but truthfully I like waking up in darkness and rarely mind the sun setting earlier in the evening. Perhaps I’m part vampire, who knows? ;D}



{Wonderfully relaxing nights spent playing card and board games, as a breath-taking harvest moon casts its amber glow through the living room window.}



{Leaves! Glorious, fiery hued, crisp as melba toast leaves. Raked, blowing in the wind, for jumping into piles of, for simply admiring their dazzling beauty, there are countless reasons why I adore autumn leaves!}



{Anything and everything to do with fresh-from-the-orchard apples! From apple sauce to cider, pies to pancakes, caramel to baked, come fall I eat so many apples the doctor is bound to stay away all year long! :D}



{The unmatched scent of wood smoke as it wafts like a cheerful specter through the ever-more-crisp autumn skies, first at night and then as the season progresses, all day long. Eternally one of my favourite smells on earth.}



{Walks in nature...preferably in the wildness, but I’ll certainly settle for an urban setting, too. The emphasis is on filling my lungs, still parched from summer, with as much refreshing, invigorating autumn air as possible.}



{The first crop of newly harvested pumpkins that begin appearing in the grocery shops by the middle of the month. I can never hold off until Thanksgiving to bake my first pumpkin pie of the season and delight in whipping one (or more!) up look before October has arrived.}



{Jumper style dresses and other types of frocks that can be worn over top of blouses, turtlenecks and long sleeved shirts. Often paired with dark hued tights, this look is a definite favourite of mine that I count down the seconds all summer long to start wearing again (turtlenecks and +40 temperatures being the natural enemies that they are).}



{The need to add – instead of remove – layers of bedding at night. As a self-described “cuddle bug”, I adore snuggling up and cocooning myself with a cozy, super soft blanket or two as the mercury begins to plummet outside.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


Thank you again deeply Loose Leaf Tiger for the wonderful award! I encourage anyone who is not familiar with this lovely lady and her fascinating (often vintage themed) blog to swing by and pay her a visit.

This post is what I’m sure will be the first of many that will highlight my intense love of autumn and everything that the season brings with it.

I know that a lot of us had have come through a scorchingly hot summer and are as eager as can be for the arrival of fall. I would adore hearing about the things that spark your love of this season and what you’re looking most forward to as the last days of summer melt away into our memories.