Squirrels love fall, too!

Have I mentioned before how I simply adore this time of year? Not sure if I have.....In any case, I'm not the only one who cherishes autumn. Squirrely here knows what I'm talking about.


{Photo by Christine Kysely, via Pinterest}

Heath Ceramics

A dense gray fog has settled on Santa Monica of late, subsequently creating the perfect autumnal atmosphere. When it's cold and a little dreary outside, I want nothing more than to cozy up inside with a warm blanket, a fat book, and a mug of hot tea (or hot chocolate if I'm feeling particularly indulgent). This gorgeous mug from Heath Ceramics would do the trick quite nicely. They have a cornucopia of colors available - I would be quite happy with any one of them, truth be told. Anyone care to donate to Joanna's Heath Ceramics fund? Anyone? Bueller?

"Pumpkins Make Fall Bearable"

I think I'm in the mood for a little autumnal cuteness on this gorgeous fall day. How about you? Though I sure as hell wouldn't wish to be that pumpkin. 


{Bronx Zoo bears' fall frolicking from YouTube, via Jezebel}

Wild Thing

One of the many things I love about autumn is the ritual of dressing up on Halloween. While I personally refrain from the dressing up part, I can't help but fall for the adorable children's costumes that pop up around this time of year; I love the joy and sense of playfulness that a holiday like Halloween engenders. And if I had a kid, I would absolutely put him or her in this Max costume, as inspired by the beloved children's classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Though the cost is a wee prohibitive, I'd rationalize the purchase by letting the kid wear it year-round. I mean, how could a bookish mother resist?

Look at that tail! Incidentally, before stumbling upon the children's costume, I had read an interview with Wild Things author Maurice Sendak that has made the blog rounds in recent days due to Sendak's, uh, colorful opinions about some famous people. The webosphere likes to point out how crochety Sendak comes across in the interview, but I find his candor rather refreshing. So he's human after all! Who would have thought? A fascinating interview that is well worth the read.


{Images from katesy's Etsy, via A Cup of Jo}

Ode to Autumn

Friday, September 23rd marked the first day of autumn here in the northern hemisphere. This little autumnal song sums up perfectly my sentiments about this most glorious of seasons (I have my five-year-old twin nieces to thank for introducing this celebratory tune into my life). Take it away, Moose A. Moose.

{From Youtube, via Nick Jr}

Changes

Nothing signals autumn quite like the start of September. Even if mother nature isn't exactly hopping on the autumnal bandwagon - she can be a bit stubborn, holding onto summer longer than she sometimes should - there is a feeling of change in the air (I've waxed lyrical about this before). Bouquets of sharpened pencils, crunchy leaves of red and gold, nubby woolen socks, cuddling up underneath a warm blanket at night as the brisk night air drifts through an open window, steaming mugs of spiced apple cider are all conjured, at least in my mind, on the 1st of September. Though sometimes it takes awhile to coax Autumn out her shell, she nearly always does. And it's well worth the wait.

{Image via Flickr}

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Today marks the first day of autumn. In Europe, that is. In the United States, autumn started yesterday. Confused? This link explains how the autumnal equinox can fall (pun intended, of course) on two separate dates:

The solstices and equinoxes are not actually days, but rather they are instants of time. The equinoxes are the instants when the Sun appears directly over Earth's equator....For 2010 the moment of the autumnal equinox is September 23 at 03:09 UTC (coordinated universal time). Coordinated universal time is also called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the standard time in the Greenwich, England time zone. Because this year's autumnal equinox falls so early in the morning in UTC, it is on the previous night in locations a few time zones west of Greenwich. In the United States, the autumnal equinox will be at 11:09 PM EDT, 10:09 PM CDT, 9:09 PM MDT, and 8:09 PM PDT on September 22. The autumnal equinox, or the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere, will be September 22, in the United States and locations further west. The September 2010 equinox will however be on September 23 in Greenwich, England, Europe, and more easterly locations.

And did you check out that beautifully brilliant moon in last night's sky? The tiny bright star next to it is actually Jupiter. Jupiter and the moon will be bosom buddies for the next month or so, but after that they won't rendezvous in the night sky until the year 2022. Start your sky gazing now.

{Image via here}

Anticipation

Nothing signifies the transition from one season to the next quite like the first day of September. Never mind that today is just as warm and summery as the day before or that the official start of autumn isn't for another three weeks. It's just that today feels different from yesterday, as if the world somehow shifted in the span of 24 hours. Even though she hasn't fully arrived yet, Autumn is making herself known in subtle ways, whether she's lingering in the cool night air or abbreviating the sun's length of time in the sky. This feeling that things are different, that change is imminent, permeates the air, creating a sort of feverish anticipation for what lies in store. Can you sense my excitement?

Birthday musings: things I want

Alas, my birthday is on the horizon. And not just any birthday. My golden birthday. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, fear not, because apparently you're not the only one. It appears that the golden birthday phenomenon hasn't quite taken root seeing that I've had to explain the concept more times than I would have thought necessary (I have my mother, from whom I first learned the term, to thank for that). Basically, a golden birthday is when a person turns the age of their birth day. So in my case, I will be 29 years old on the 29th of August. See how that works? Kind of nifty, right?

It's a happy, exciting time of year for me. Not only am I celebrating turning another year older (and, dare I say, wiser?), but I am also celebrating the start of my all-time favorite season of the year: the crispness of new beginnings that is autumn. As is often the case during this time of year, when we find ourselves at the precipice of one season and looking forward to the next, I like to make a list of goals and things I plan to accomplish in the year ahead (as well as contemplate all that I've learned and accomplished over the past twelve months). I also like to make a wish list of things I flat out covet and want in my life. If money were no object, of course. I can't think of a more ideal condition in which to shop and dream...

Blame the back-to-school feeling that hangs in the air as August draws to a close, that sense of newness and scholarly pursuits and learning that inspires me so, because every year at this time I want a new handbag. And this messenger bag evokes all those stirring autumnal feelings for me.

I already own a plethora of nautical tees (they're just so clean and fresh and very French, no?), but I can always make room for one more. Especially for one this adorable.

I've grown tired of reaching for my blackberry whenever I want to ascertain the time. If I had this oversized watch from Omega to call my own, checking the time would be a pleasure and maybe even the highlight of my day.

I've had my heart set on these darling alphabet earrings for quite some time now. And I think the time has come for them to be mine at last.

A cozy pair of nubby socks would make those chilly autumnal nights that much warmer. I remember a scene from one of the Harry Potter books in which Dumbledore confesses that what he most desires in all the world is a pair of thick woolen socks. I totally get what you mean, Dumbledore.

I heavily rely on scarves when the thermostat takes a nosedive, or any other time for that matter. They just elevate an outfit like nothing else. And the label behind this lovely number takes my breath away.

I don't think Jonathan Adler could be any cooler if he tried. And without a doubt my life would be so much better if I had this owl sculpture to look at every day.

Shop and dream....shop and dream....

Autumnal Equinox

Dear Autumn,

Welcome back! It's been too long, really it has. I say 'welcome', but to be honest, it doesn't even feel like you're here. The neighboring hillsides are currently ablaze and the mighty sun seems quite happy to stay exactly where he's been all summer, hanging solo in the sky, unencumbered by any pesky cloud formations that might drift his way. Suffice it to say that you're a little wary of making yourself known just yet. I understand that you tend to be shy, especially in southern California. I get it, Autumn. I've been in this situation before and I just want to let you know that I'm prepared to wait. After all, the best things in life are worth waiting for, no? Think of all the fun that lies in store for us: the scarf-wearing, leaf-peeping, apple-picking, pumpkin-carving, firewood-smelling, hot coco-sipping good times are ready for the taking, Autumn. That is, when you care to join me. Until then I remain patiently yours,


Joanna xoxo

Giving Thanks

I'm grateful for so many things in my life, not least of which is the opportunity to spend 5 glorious days with the boyfriend and his family in northern California for the Thanksgiving holiday. Last Tuesday we caught a plane to San Francisco and we made a last-minute decision to upgrade to first class. It was very swish: there was loads of leg room, the flight attendant was extra attentive, and we had bits of cheese and mushrooms as a little on-flight treat.

Upon our arrival, we hopped in a car and drove to North Beach, San Francisco's Italian district. Not only does the neighborhood boast a myriad of cozy Italian bistros, but it is also home to City Lights, one of the best independent bookshops on the planet, and a mecca for all Beat enthusiasts. The shop has three levels, is well-stocked, and the sales people are super helpful (I had inquired after a book of which at the time I could not for the life of me remember the title nor the author, and when I offered the briefest of descriptions, the salesperson instantly knew exactly what book I was talking about!). Since it's flat out impossible for me to walk inside the shop without buying anything, I quite happily gave in to temptation and purchased three books: The Haunted House by Charles Dickens (each chapter is written by a different author; Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell are contributors, so it should be a fun read indeed!), Night and Day by Virginia Woolf and Mrs. Woolf and the Servants by Allison Light (the book I had trouble remembering, which came highly recommended by the fabulous Mary-Laure!).

After the book spree, we drove about an hour north of the city to the tiny farm town of Petaluma. It was a pretty idyllic location to spend Thanksgiving. Golden leaves impart a pop of color to an otherwise gray Petaluma street.

The guys went out mushroom hunting and brought back these beauties.

While the ladies stayed indoors, lit a fire, and sipped spicy Xocolatl hot chocolate.

Good to the last delectable drop.

On Thanksgiving day, we shared an exquisitely prepared meal in the barn in the backyard, where we feasted on pumpkin soup, roasted turkey, and sweet potatoes with marshmallow (though the combination sounds quite bizarre, the dish is mouth-wateringly delicious). Our lovely and gracious hosts are real foodies, which I loved because eating is one of my favorite things to do! Everything was absolutely incredible. This shot was taken during the day.

And this is the night-time shot complete with roasted pig, of which I did not partake.

All good things must come to an end. Sniff, sniff. We decided to drive back to Los Angeles, taking in the Richmond bridge, golden-drenched central coast vineyards, and a Cheshire cat Santa Barbara moon along the way.

Rainy days

On gloomy overcast days such as this, I find no greater pleasure than staying indoors with a pile of books at my side. I've about 100 pages to go in The Amber Spyglass, the final book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. After that, I'll continue the Halloween theme (the rain is keeping me in a Halloween state of mind), with some deliciously ghoulish stories from The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, which is one of my all-time favorites.

I also get a kick out of this Halloween card. It just makes me smile.

Waiting for Autumn to Arrive

Autumn is my absolute favorite season. It conjures up so many lovely images: crisp golden leaves, tweed blazers and leather boots, pumpkins and hay rides, the smell of sharpened pencils. Even though I'm not currently in school, I cannot help but equate fall with that beginning-of-the-year feeling where I'm starting a clean slate and anything is possible. All this and more gets me in the mood for this wonderful season.

Only trouble is, at the moment southern California is experiencing a long and lazy Indian summer with hot days that just won't quit, and I'm feeling less than inspired. I long for the day when I can luxuriate under a warm, woolly blanket with a good book (perhaps a good ghost story or something gothic by Daphne du Maurier) while dark storm clouds parade across a lead-gray sky and rain lashes against the windows. There's nothing like a little gloomy weather to get one's creative juices flowing! It's your move, Autumn.