Did you know Fall is my favourite season? This time of year I get obsessed with roasting root vegetables and baking seasonal treats. I wear a lot of wool sweaters and drink large amounts of tea. My all time favourite thing though is the one day I look forward to every year...Halloween. Even at the very end of summer I start dreaming up costume ideas (Yes, I'm 23 and I still dress up just for fun!) and how to decorate my home to make it the best on the block. We like to go all out and the fact that this is our second year in our home is very liberating in terms of going Halloween crazy! All I can say is my handmade autumn wreath is up on my door already and I'm getting into the cold weather spirit. If you're not that into fall or struggling with how to put yourself in the mood to be inspired this season, don't worry! I've put together a list of things I'm doing to keep myself cozy as the weather changes.
Top left: I made these awesome Pumpkin Pecan Muffins and a Loaf from the same recipe! (Recipe posted below!) This recipe calls for canned but using fresh pumpkin instead would be truly amazing.
Top right: In the Fall, Bath and Body Works is my best friend. There are a lot of scents I don't like, because I find them too artificial, but I'm crazy for their Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin scent. Their other scents that contain spices like cloves are also amazing because they carry right into Winter and the Holiday Season. So if you bought too many, they'll be relevant for a while!
Bottom left: This was my very first year of planting in my garden and I haven't quite gotten the hang of landscaping yet. I know I have many years to figure it out, so I'm not worried. However my plants didn't do so well this year. The late start to the summer meant the seeds I planted are only just starting to get their blooms! What the heck! I planted some hens and chicks and they didn't do well at all. I brought a couple inside as an experiment and they did great. So I gathered up the rest and put them in a new pink Mid Century planter from Value Village. These babies are staying with me for the winter. My Fall goal? Fixing up my garden, collecting seeds and bringing some plants inside for the winter. Next year my garden will survive!
Bottom right: Staying cozy with pillows. I've been on the hunt for gorgeous retro fabric. I found two old pillowcases that were falling apart, so I cut them into round circles and made pillows! In the colder weather, sitting surrounded by warm blankets and comfy pillows is essential. We were lucky enough to install a new furnace when we moved in, but I don't always feel like using the heat, especially so early in the season. I'm trying to conserve energy by cuddling my new homemade pillows.
I bet you're ready for that recipe now, right?!
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
Be aware this recipe makes so much! Like I said earlier, I got a large loaf and a dozen muffins out of it.
It is also by no means healthy, but sometimes you just have to treat yourself!
*1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup water
* 3 cups sugar
*3 1/2 cups flour
*2 tsp baking soda
*1 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp nutmeg
* 1 cup pecans (add more or less for desired amount)
* extra pecans for garnishing on top
Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and then add all wet ingredients. Mix well. Grease your loaf pan or muffin tin and pour in. Muffins will bake for 20-30 mins and Loaves will need 50 mins to 1 hour to bake. Mine needed the full 30 mins and hour, but it will all depend on your oven, so keep a good eye on them. Take them out and let them cool for 10-15 mins before serving. I hope you enjoy!
So there it is, a good pumpkin recipe to start you off this season. Other things I've been enjoying? I'm re-watching Lost and I'm powering through it, because I honestly forgot how much I used to love it! I'm back to wearing my FlowerBomb fragrance. It's a strong, spicy and warm floral if you've never tried it. It's positively deadly. I only bring it out for Fall and Winter, so it's been on repeat for the past week and will be my continuous go-to until Spring gets back again. It's a little on the pricier side and I actually got the bottle I'm currently on for free. (Oh, the perks of working in the beauty industry. But I'm not anymore!) If you're on a budget, Rihanna's fragrance Reb'l Fleur is a fantastic dupe. I am not really a Rihanna fan, but really, who needs to know!? My music playlist has been a mix of Planta, the newest CSS album and Austra's Olympia. Austra is coming to Winnipeg soon and I'm too excited to see them again! I'm listening to so much A.C. Newman as well. I can't get enough of powerful music while I work on CharmingShop. Creativity needs background music for sure!
I hope you found some inspiration in my Fall post today. Thanks for stopping by!
Marissa xo
CharmingShop
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