Fall Inspired Date Ideas

Happy Monday friends! It’s the hardest thing in the world to get up on a Monday morning, particularly after a fun weekend. David and I went down to San Antonio for the weekend to celebrate his sister’s birthday. Frankly, I’m already looking forward to next weekend because I’m so exhausted from this previous one! Every Saturday David and I usually have a date of some sort to just enjoy each other’s company. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to come up with date ideas that we both like though. Surprisingly enough, going to a pumpkin patch doesn’t get him too excited. Knowing that we aren’t the only couple that runs out of date night ideas, here’s a few that you and your man will love!

1. Go to a football game! Here in Texas football is everyone’s favorite sport. Being the true Texan that he is, David loves the sport and would like nothing more than for me to enjoy it too. Unfortunately, it isn’t my favorite thing. However, being at an actual game is lots of fun! Head out to your alma mater’s big game and spend it cheering with your man!
2. Enjoy Oktoberfest! If you’re a beer drinker, Oktoberfest is probably one of your favorite festivals. Why not go to your city’s event with your boyfriend? You’ll both have fun sampling different German beers and getting your hands on some delicious food!
3. Get scared in a haunted house! Nothing terrifies me more than things popping out at me or chasing me, seriously playing tag as a child freaked me out! But it’s kind of fun to get a little scared with your man so he can put his arm around you. There are so many fantastic haunted houses out there this year, you’re sure to find one close by!
4. Bake a pie! If you’d rather stay in, try baking an old fashioned pumpkin pie. Throw on a favorite Halloween movie (Hocus Pocus anyone?) and bake a pie from scratch. It’ll be a fun new experience for both of you and certainly something you’ll want to do every year!
5. Host a bonfire! Invite your best friends over and do a backyard bonfire. Nothing is more fun or romantic than snuggling up next to a fire with your man! Bring some hot apple cider and marshmallows to roast for a cozy night with friends.

David and I love spending time together but finding things to do is always difficult, especially fall-themed things that don’t involve corn mazes or pumpkin spice lattes. Finding things that both of you enjoy is so important and David and I both hope this little list helps!

Pumpkin Spice and Paint

Happy Friday! I really shouldn’t complain about how long my week has been since I’ve spent the last two weeks exploring Texas, but I’m tired. I’ll be unwinding by the pool tomorrow and then decorating my parents’ house for Autumn Sunday! Little things like that give us reasons to be happy I think.

Speaking of happy things, I went with a friend to a fun place in my town called Wine & Design! The idea behind it is people getting together to have a glass of wine and paint. I did a painting here a year or so ago with my friend Lindsey and we painted a bird in sunset (post here). This time, my friend Amanda and her soon-to-be roommate Caitlin went to paint a fall themed canvas!

Amanda and I have known each other since before Kindergarten. When we were painting I remembered in my memory box that I still had one of her birthday party invitations. She remembered that at one of my birthdays she wore a frilly dress and socks thinking it was a party to dress up for. Apparently it wasn’t! Several of us ended up riding bikes and she fell off of hers. Good times.

Before we started painting, we inventoried our supplies- paint brushes, paper towels, aprons, mason jar full of water to rinse our brushes in, and finally paint saucers. For the painting we did, we only used black, white, mustard, brick red, royal blue, and brown.

Our instructor, Angelica, was really incredible! She’s from Mexico originally but went to college for art in Los Angeles. While we were painting our canvases she was putting the finishing touches on this gorgeous mason jar canvas!

The finished product was amazing! The best part was that everyone’s canvas looked a little different. We all put our own unique touches on our artwork. I just love mine. It’s the perfect decoration for the coming season.

 

Here are a few other pretty paintings that were hung up all around the studio! The black cat in the pumpkin is my favorite! The cat belongs to Angelica and she told me that she adopted her from the animal shelter after someone had found her behind our local Taco Bell. Ironically, I remember several times last year trying to get her to come to me but she was too scared. I’m so happy she has a good home now!

Here’s the link to the studio in my town! Have a lovely weekend!

Rainy Days at Starbucks

Yesterday was a rainy day in Maryland so the sister and I took some time in the afternoon to do homework at Starbucks. There’s something so nice about sitting in the coffee shop, listening to jazz music, doing work, and just watching the rain fall outside. Very peaceful. I just wanted to nap actually. When I got home, my furry gray cat, Tanzie, was sitting on my bed looking out the open window as it drizzled outside and the wind blew.

My sister was working most of the afternoon on her history and literature class. Poor kid has so much reading to do! I worked on discussion posts for two of my classes. We both got frappucinos too. Hers was a vanilla bean frap with a pump of raspberry. It tasted like cotton candy, no joke. I got a pumpkin spice frap, which was amazing and way better than the hot drink! I was surprised I liked it but I certainly did and have a new favorite seasonal drink.

Of course, Rebecca and I did the obligatory photo of our drinks that we got because they were ‘totes’ cute. I should have Instagrammed it but I didn’t. Oops. The other day I was with my best friend and her younger cousin and I took a picture of the iced latte I got from Dunkin Donuts. Her cousin, who is about 13, looked at me and said “Careful, your white girl is showing!” I about died of laughter. Then she added “hashtag ‘white girl problems.” I thought I would never recover from that one! She’s a funny kid and just says whatever comes to mind.

All in all, it was a decent day. I’m praying for motivation today because I have 2 papers, 2 quizzes, and about 12 response posts to do by Saturday night. Here’s hoping I’m productive and focused although it’s unlikely! Wish me luck and leave me good concentration tips below!

Autumn iPhone Wallpapers!

Happy almost-autumn everyone! This is one of my favorite seasons. The leaves changing, air becoming crisp, pumpkin-spice everything, and warm sweaters make me feel very happy and content. Perhaps because my mom has always decorated our home for autumn making it feel very warm and inviting. It makes growing up and leaving the nest a little painful. I figure I have one more autumn left where I can spend the entire season at home before I have to move out and get a big-girl job.

In honor of this lovely season, I’ve found a few iPhone wallpapers online that are freebies! Ignore the slight differences in size between them. They all worked fine on my iPhone. They vary in color and style so hopefully you find one that suits your fancy! They are linked to the website where I found them so you can properly download them onto your phone. Enjoy!