Falling into Fall

I cannot even describe in words how happy I am that it is Fall.

But I will try. (No one ever accused me of being terse.)

I think that I have Seasonal Depression, but opposite of most people in that I kinda get in an emotional funk in the summer. This happened last year and the year before too, but I thought it was for other reasons. It's probably not exactly depression, more like seasonal moodiness I think.

This week, temps have been in the 70s and 80s, which is very cool for Texas in September. In case you couldn't tell from my last post, I.AM.LOVING.IT.

I just feel so alive, so free. I want to go and do things outside, lay in my hammock and read, take my dog for a walk, wake up early just to feel the cool mornings.

Perhaps one of the reasons I am so ecstatic that Fall is here is because last year I was in Florida and didn't really get a Fall. It is by far my favorite season. I just love everything about it.

Today I drove around with the windows down just to soak it all in. It was fantastic.

Maybe most people feel like this in the Spring, but Fall just makes me ready for changes. I'm ready for something new, different, exciting. Coming from a girl who hates change, this is big.

Patron or Patroness of Fall, pray for us!

Projects!!

In my spare time, I've recently been completing some projects. I don't do a lot of "pinterest projects" kinda how I don't use a lot of recipes. I just look up stuff and fuse a bunch of ideas I like. One project that I'm particularly proud of is my new bookshelf. It cost $20 at a garage sale and I used supplies that I found in my garage to make it what I wanted. I love the idea of upcycling!  I took pictures along the way so I could show you.

Before

The base stain is espresso, the top stain is kona

Not exactly the "ombre" look I was going for, but I like it

The finished product!!! I love it!

I've also been doing some Fall cleaning and cooking! I've cleaned out a few tubs of clothes in the garage as well as my dresser and my closet. 

Enough t-shirts to clothe a small country

My closet is now color coded and everything in there fits and is work appropriate, and is something I actually like. (Why do we sometimes end up keeping clothes that don't fit right or that we don't like?!) I've also cleaned out my linen closet and underneath my bathroom sink. I love being organized!!

As for the cooking, this is what I've been up to:

Baking these! Pumpkin + Chocolate Chip? Yes.

And turning this...

Into this!

And tomorrow I'll be participating in my first ever Chili Cook-off!! I'm not sure how well I'll do, I was volun-told by my teammates that I was the chili cook for this competition just a few days ago. The chili is in the crockpot this very second, and let me tell you, the Shiner was a good idea.

This is what I'm working on right now

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. I just LOVE the weather! Even though it got up to 90 today, the breeze is blowing and it's getting down in the 60s at night, and I can't wait for turning leaves, crisp air, and great hair weather! 

Bella enjoying the cooler weather

Anyone else enjoy a good Fall cleaning? Got any organization tips or great project ideas? Let me know!

St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!

Constancy of Love

Last weekend I went to the beach for my 24th Birthday.

For those of you who don't know, I hate my birthday. I am very resistant to change and I especially hate changes which are permanent, such as turning a new age. Something about the way I can never be 23 again just makes me cringe. I think it's because I don't trust the Lord. Actually, I know it. 

Anyways, this year, instead of dreading my birthday, I just decided to think of it like any other day. That made it much more bearable. No expectations, no disappointments. 

The beach was great. We went to Galveston Island in south Texas. Since it was the week after Labor Day, the beaches were pretty empty. It's always nice to be at the beach, and I can always get some good praying and thinking done there. I'm pretty sure this is a common sentiment. 

This is nothing new, I'm not going to say anything that anyone hasn't said or thought about the ocean before, but that's kinda neat. Kinda like the Church. There's not really anything new to say, but contemplating her will always bring about something new. God is always doing something new, even in the Scriptures and in His Church.

The waves of the ocean never stop lapping up against the shore. Sometimes the rush can be calm and peaceful or dangerous and frightening, overwhelming. Things about the ocean change, but the ocean never changes. Constancy is the quality of being faithful and dependable. Just like the Father's love. Unending. Ever ancient, ever new. 

There's something so refreshing about sitting on the edge of something so great and terrible. During the day, it's a paradise. Sun, sand, water, people laughing, couples in love. At night, the opposite is true. It's easy to be afraid of what you can't see lying below the surface. Its vastness seems infinite and it makes one think about their mortality and the vastness that lies beyond this short little life. I don't understand how anyone can go to the ocean and not believe in God. 

St. Brendan, Patron of Seafarers,  pray for us!