A few years ago I started hearing this word romanticize. Everyone was telling us to romanticize our lives. I take this to mean doing a little extra to celebrate the season/holiday/event/etc. The intentionality of the celebration is what makes it special, and while that can look like extra work, the payoff is always worth it to me. Remember The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo? She said to hold onto the things that spark joy and get rid of the rest. Romanticizing things sparks joy for me, so I’m going to hold onto that as long as I can.
I’ve recently had the epiphany that I am an autumn. I’m a cold weather girly, and I love the change of seasons, especially with the crisp mornings and the need for a sweater or some boots. I am having the most fun with my pumpkins, fall flavors, fall decor, fall fashion, the slightly cooler temps, the leaves that are finally starting to change around here. We’ll have about a week before they fall off the trees, so open your eyes and really take in the beauty of this season. It’s nature at its best out there, y’all.
Romanticizing this fall season has been a true joy. I know we’re nearing the end of October, but fall isn’t over yet. It’s just beginning here in terms of temperature, so let’s stretch it out a little bit longer. Here are a few ways to easily romanticize your life before the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is upon us.
Romanticizing Your Fall Menu
Soup Season is here! We had a few chilly days during fake fall, and we made a delicious Chicken and Corn Chowder from Southern Living. I take no credit for this one. Paul found it and asked if we could try it. I was all too happy to oblige. It was scrumptious with just the right amount of spice.
Friday night is Girls’ Night in the Norman house, and seasonal cocktails have been on the menu while Bethany and I got caught up on The Summer I Turned Pretty. We have made and loved this Apple Cider Margarita, this Autumn Spice Margarita, and we’re big fans of Sam Adams Jack-O Beer and Ocoberfest.
Romanticizing Your Fall Wardrobe
Nail Polish
I LIVE for fall nail colors. I rediscovered an old favorite nail polish by Zoya called Charli. Zoya is one of my favorite brands of nail polish. It’s high quality without harsh chemicals. Charli can look greyish green, army green, and olive green. It’s a beautiful color and looks good even on me, someone with a pretty fair complexion. I’ll be rewearing this color all season long.
Boots
Before you scroll away because it’s too darn hot for boots, hear me out. Boots with dresses. There’s still airflow. You can do tall or short ones to manage the sweat factor. They are a fall wardrobe essential and a nonnegotiable for me. I’m riding the western trend high right now and really loving my cowboy boots with most things I’m wearing. Tecovas are the route that I went, and I may never look back.
Hide the Tootsies
If I may offer an alternative to boots while still keeping your toes covered, I’d suggest the following: mules, clogs, Mary Janes, ballet flats, or cute sneakers.
Can’t fathom not having your feet free? What about a suede wedge? Fall textures like suede, leather, and corduroy and colors like cognac, oxblood, and chocolate brown could be just the thing you need.
Loungewear
If loungewear is wrong, I don’t want to be right, ok? I love a matching set. I’m actually writing this while wearing one. I’m talking loungewear and pajamas. If it matches, I want it, and I will wear them repeatedly. I wear my Christmas jammies year round for crying out loud. Not the Norm has some great sets if you want to support a local business. The Joyspun line at Walmart has very cute pajama sets at a great price. Spanx has a wonderful line of loungewear called Air Essentials. While it’s a pricier option, it’s totally worth it. Old Navy and Gap have some good options too.
Layer
One other way I make my wardrobe more fallish is to throw a blazer on over everything. I have this one in two colors. It’s usually light enough in the mornings, but I can shed it come the afternoon. If you’ve got a sundress that you love, add the blazer, some cowboy boots, and you’re fall ready. Now, am I ready for sweater weather? You bet I am! It can’t get here fast enough. Bring on the cardigans and pullovers!
Romanticize Your Fall Decor
Some years I go all out for fall and Halloween decorations. I’ve really leaned into the spooky on occasion with skulls and old creepy photos I found in thrift stores, but this year, I’m feeling only a little spooky. I want pumpkins galore and a touch here and there of a skeleton and a jack-o-lantern. Here are a few fun things to incorporate into your home to dial up the “fall”.
Do a Craft
A group of my girlfriends and I have a fall brunch every year. Well, I guess it’s considered breakfast if we’re there at 8:00 and eating by 8:30. (Such is life when toddlers are involved.) After everyone is fed and seasonally dressed, we load up and head to Countryside Gardens to let the kids pick pumpkins while we do the same. This year, we decided to get crafty and turn our pumpkins into a floral arrangement. It was inspired by this reel on Instagram, and it was fun to put together. Putting your brain to work in a new way is challenging and fun and sparks other creative ideas. It’s the best snowball effect. I recommend doing something like this for yourself or making one to take to a friend. It could make a great housewarming gift, hostess gift, or just a fun fall happy.
You can get great fall faux florals at Hobby Lobby. Hearth and Hand has pretty ones at Target, and the fall stuff is on clearance. or you can clip the real deal from your back yard. Mine is a mix of real and fake, and I love it.
Dishes
Maybe you are like me and inherited a beautiful set of fall dishes. Or maybe you need to invest. (I’m particularly crazy for these.) Either way, you can bet that some seasonal dishes will provide instant happiness for the whole family as you sit down to the table. I look forward to unboxing them and putting them in the cabinet every year. I recommend getting the kind that can go in the dishwasher and microwave, though, because no one really wants to be adding dish washer to their seasonal to-do list. Unless, perhaps, your kids need a new chore to keep them busy. Then, who cares? HA!
I have two sets of these for Halloween and LOVE them.
Battery Operated Candles
I love the ambiance of candles! While seasonal candles are fabulous, I’m not talking about those. Those are always present and burning. I’m talking about the taper candles and pillar candles that we love the look of but never burn because they melt and disappear. Enter battery powered candles. I don’t even care if some people think they’re tacky. It gives me such joy to see the flickering pillar candle in my iron pumpkin decoration. Now I need to get myself a few taper candles for the brass candlesticks for Christmas.
Pumpkins
Naturally, you have to have a pumpkin or twelve sitting on various surfaces of your home in order for it to be fall. I mean, that’s just the laws of physics or something. You can buy all manner of them at Walmart or Target or Hobby Lobby, but I would suggest visiting a local gift shop to find yours. The owners are putting in extra effort to stock their stores with unique styles that stand out from your typical big box store. I think all of my pumpkins came from small shops or were gifted. Shopping small will give you a more curated look and will bring you immense joy, because shopping small is an experience that is so greatly appreciated by those store owners.
Spooky Season
A strand of orange lights goes a long way to bring a bit of whimsy and fun to the Halloween season. I also delight in my skeletons. The five foot one is from Walmart, and the one on my door is from Dollar General. I clearly can’t leave well enough alone and must dress them.
My coworker told me this one looks like me in my coffin after 100 years. I snapped this photo of us last weekend and thought, yep. It’s me.
Doormats and Mums
This is a super inexpensive way to quickly (and cutely) add some fall decor to your exterior. I love to shop Walmart, Target, and dollar stores for doormats. I never pay much for them, either. They get ruined so quickly at my house, but I just love them.
Romanticize the Cozy Life
A chai tea, a good book, a fall coded movie, and a warm blanket make for the perfect cozy fall day. These days are few and far between because things get so busy. If you can carve out some time for yourself to have an hour or two of just relaxation, you’ll be so thankful. Here’s how I’d do it. I’d start with a beverage like this chai tea, or one of those cider margs from above. Then I’d probably paint my nails a fall color (like this deep purple) while watching an episode of Gilmore Girls. (Is there a more perfect fall TV show?) After that I’d switch to a few chapters of a fall book like The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand or If It Makes You Happy by Julia Olivia (top of my fall TBR currently). Next, after making myself a fall snack (like this one), I’d turn on When Harry Met Sally or You’ve Got Mail and tuck in under my favorite blanket (though this one has me swooning) to enjoy an old favorite. Sometimes it truly is the simple things that bring so much joy. Doing this by yourself or with a buddy would make for a sweet fall day you’ll be wishing you could recreate again and again.
There you have it. It doesn’t take much to bring some romanticized fall flair to your life. Every time I see my crafted pumpkin, I smile and think, I made that. When I walk up to my door, I smile because I love how inviting and festive it is. When I get to put on my coziest loungewear and drink my favorite fall beverage, it’s an instant mood boost. I hope you’re squeezing every last ounce of autumn goodness out of this season. I sure plan to.
