6 Reasons we LOVE Fall

Fall is here! 

And while it is fun to dwell on the wonderful summer that was had it is time to move forward to a new season that brings joys of its own. 

We wanted to share some of our favorite things about fall, because fall is awesome!

HALES

1. Fall Colors

The trees come to life in the fall, as if having one last party before winter.   It brings me such joy to see the leaves change colors.  From the soft greens of summer to bright yellows, deep oranges, scarlet reds, then down to the ground to rest in an autumn mosaic.

2. Hot Tea

I drink tea year round but there is nothing quite like drinking tea in the chill of fall.  Give me Chai tea, Black tea, Green tea, add some honey, milk or lemon.  Give me tea and I will be happy.  

3. Harvest Season

After a summer of weeding, watering, and waiting harvest season is finally here! It is amazing to see how a little seed can turn into something so beautiful.  Gardening fills me with such hope! 

BECKS

1. Fall Clothes

AHhhhhhh! I love layers so much! If I could wear boots, cardigans, flannels, and jeans all year round I would. There are so many different fabrics and patterns to play with in the fall and the rich colors warm my heart!

2. Leaves/ leaf art

 I love really leaves, especially when they change colors and start to fall. Walking to class in the morning is always prettiest in the fall because of the changing leaves!

Have y'all seen the leaf art on Instagram and Pinterest lately? Well I couldn't resist breaking out my hole punch when the first leaves hit the ground! You could also use the little dots that get punched out for some natural confetti!

3. Apples

 It seems that in recent years apples have been overshadowed by their lovely friend the pumpkin. Don't get me wrong I love a good PSL (pumpkin spice latte) and some pumpkin pie! I just love apple cider and apple pie a little more. There is something so magical about going to apple orchards and picking your own apples too! I have been dreaming a trip to a local orchard a lot lately!

(Also we know it's not quite October yet, but we just can't resist this quote!)

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables    

HALES and BECKS

Mason Jar Cozy

Take a moment, if you will and imagine a world without rough edges.

I have had the sudden urge to make a cozy for everything.  Imagine a world filled with toaster cozies, car cozies, house cozies, even a cozy for your cat.  Just when you think that your cat can not get any cozier suddenly their twice as fluffy and snuggle-able as before.  

I would first like to acknowledge that I do not like patterns nor do I believe in them.  I don't live by a pattern so why should my projects have to?  Once I start sewing more this may change but for know I stay as far away from them as humanly possible.

I started by crocheting in a circle and adding stitches, almost doubling the amount of stitches every time to keep the bottom of the cozy flat.  If you don't know how to croche in a circle there are some awesome videos on YouTube.

Once I reached the size that I wanted to bottom of the cozy to be I stopped adding stitches.  

When I stopped adding stitches the cylinder started to form on its own.  And I just stopped once it felt right in my heart. 

 

After carrying it around for a couple days I got the idea to add a strap to my next one so that I could sling it across my shoulder and take it on my adventures! 

Making the world a little softer, one cozy at a time: HALES

Adventures in Dorm Food: Puff Pies

Once in a while I try to make homemade food in my dorm room. I get tired of dining center food pretty fast, which I have concluded is because a lot of the joy in food comes from making it! (at least for me) I titled this post "Adventures in Dorm Food" because not all of what I make is successful...

I have made anything from cookies to toasted pumpkin seeds to tortilla pizzas in my dorm room! Last year I discovered the beauty of a small appliance called "the brave little toaster oven". You may be wondering, isn't it just called a toaster oven?? No, its not it is a very brave appliance because it is basically a mini oven that can do anything a regular oven can.

 For some time I have been wanting to experiment with puff pastry, and what better time to bake than when I could be doing homework? I have heard it called procrastibaking and I am definitely guilty! 

To start I gathered my ingredients:

puff pastry (let thaw at room temp for 40min)

Savory pie: mozzarella

                       dried rosemary 

                        cherry tomatoes

Sweet pie: brown sugar

                apple slices

              cinnamon

I pretty much made these recipes as I was grocery shopping at Target, so they can be easily adapted to whatever fruit/veggie/seasoning combination you want! (next I may try a pb&j banana pie...the possibilities are endless!)

Top your pastry to your hearts desire! Try not to overload them because it really does puff and heavy toppings will not allow for the fluffiness you really want! I put too many apples slices and too much brown sugar...with that said it still tasted good! 

I baked them at 400 degrees for about 10-12 min. I used the browning of the cheese and the texture of the apples to guide my baking time.

These little pies turned out pretty good and I can't wait to try making some others!

 Also shout out to the dining center for the apple! (I could probably win some sort of award for my talent in using dining center fruit in creative ways...)

Please take a moment to appreciate these quotes as well!

24 best quotes ever about food

From the *kitchen of the #1 Dining Center Fruit User- BECKS

*the term kitchen is used loosely (see also dorm)

A Spot of Tea

Would you care for a spot of tea? 

There is nothing quite like an early morning tea party in the middle of Wartburg campus. 

Sky view

Pinkies Out!

Morning wouldn't be right without scones, cookies, mini cakes, fruit and goldfish

two leaves and a bud

Tea Party Polaroid Picture

A fantastic end to a wonderful summer

Hales and Becks; pinkies in the air like we just don't care!