see ya later summer...hello fall!

As we head into labor day weekend, most people get a bit sad & want summer to stick around for as long as possible. The long warm days, beach trips, the short-shorts and sun dresses, they want that careless feeling to last forever. I for one, am not one of those people. I am welcoming fall & September for that matter, with open arms. Hello crisp, cool days, pumpkin spice lattes, cozy scarves, lazy Sunday's, a good crock-pot stew, leather jackets, skinny jeans, colorful leaves, apple picking...the list goes on & on.

Unfortunately in DC, and I'm sure many other parts of the country the heat & humidity tends to stick around a bit longer than I would like, therefore I've compiled some fall inspiration (read: fall fashion) that make me extra happy that my favorite season is right around the corner:

Is anyone else as excited for fall as me?!

*much love to Rue La La's pinterest boards.

camping getaway

This weekend I went camping for this first time ever. For those who know me well, I'm not a huge 'outdoorsy' person, mainly I really just don't like bugs (but who really likes them anyways?) But this time around I decided to put my fears aside and told myself to go outside of my comfort zone and do this. We packed up my car (way too much stuff for one night, but we needed it all!) and headed to Shenandoah National Park.

As my one colleague put it, this was considered "glamping" because we weren't truly in the wilderness as my car was about 2 feet away from our tents, so if something went really wrong such as a bear showing up or a sudden downpour we could have hopped in my car at a moment's notice. However, the weather was gorgeous & after a four hour hiking trip that day, I slept surprisingly well in the tent we had. Despite some small snafu's such as a curious raccoon trying to get into our trash & my car battery dying; I had a great first camping experience and it's definitely something I would do again in the future!

*Also the absolutely gorgeous views from Skyline Drive made it totally worth it too.

a solid start.

I always like when a new month starts on a Monday. For example today, is Monday, August 1st. It makes it seem much more official, like you're starting off on the right foot. I have been both excitedly awaiting and dreading this month all at the same time. Why excitedly? On the 9th, I'm going to see one of my fave bands (Kings of Leon) in concert and I have a trip to New York (FINALLY) in the works which of course I am pumped about. Also, the heat & humidity in the DC area is getting pretty darn unbearable that at this rate I am ready to welcome the crisp fall air with open arms.

Why dreading? Well, for the first time in four years at the end of this month I will not be heading back up to school. It weirds me out, makes me wonder about my future, makes me feel old and scares me along with 1,000 other feelings all at once. But for now I will take it all one day at a time, starting with Monday, the 1st.