Happy October!
We’re still a few weeks away from peak fall foliage, but there are signs of autumn’s arrival everywhere. Apple farms are open for picking, boots and wool capes abound, and there’s something distinctly different in the air (is that cinnamon?).
Last year Michael and I did All The Fall Things and I think it burned us out a bit. I’m looking forward to crisp evenings on outdoor patios and mixing up seasonal cocktails rather than trudging through apple orchards trying to avoid people and sitting in traffic on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
As for last week, we made the short drive to Travelers Rest, South Carolina, for Indie Craft Parade. It’s easily my favorite Carolina festival to date!
With 100 vetted makers (including a couple I’m proud to call friends IRL), the show was busy but thankfully spread out enough to not feel too crowded at the time we visited. I walked away with two purchases: a bandana slide and a sweet ring for my pinky, as my jewelry box doesn’t contain many pretty things in that size. Oh, and I also walked away with gift ideas for the future *wink*!
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We couldn’t take a trip to the Greenville area without stopping for food, coffee, and a loaf of bread to take home (bread and coffee beans are always my favorite souvenirs!). Bake Room and Methodical Coffee are both located at The Commons, a food hall and retail space adjacent to the Swamp Rabbit Trail. We visited both of these vendors on our last trip to Greenville, so knew we were in for a treat.
Although we weren’t too hungry at the festival, I couldn’t turn down a Liège Waffle that I didn’t have to make myself. Mountain Goat was on-site serving up better waffles than the ones we ate in Belgium. Post-festival, we drove back to Greenville for a beer at Birds Fly South (now closed) and dinner at Asada, where we unexpectedly joined tables with friends who had the very same idea.
A day to a city in a neighboring state is about as exciting as last week got, but here are a few other things that happened:
Reading & Watching:
I’ve spent much less time in front of the TV this week, which has been really nice – I haven’t watched anything other than The West Wing or CBS Sunday Morning (our weekly Sunday morning ritual).
Most of my screen time has been dedicated to Wayward, and that feels so, so good. I’m working through a list of site updates, so slowly you’ll notice some subtle design changes around here.
I finally finished my audiobook (I actually had to look up the plot online afterward, as the ~twist~ wasn’t obvious to me while streaming it), and I started a new book this week: The Listening House by Mabel Seeley. It’s the first book I’ve read by the author, and I’m into the spooky murder mystery plot and how it reads as though it was written in the same time period as it is set (edit: that’s because it was published in 1938 – my library has it cataloged as a 2021 release).
Some interesting things from around the internet:
-Saks is holding their Friends and Family Sale, which includes some rarely-discounted products from brands like Aesop (and it looks like Nordstrom is price-matching!).
–Remember what cakes used to look like?
–I wish more cities would adopt this program.
-Today is International Coffee Day, and World Market has my favorite brewing apparatus on sale.
–Putting the fun in fungus. Charlotte-area friends, I buy the jarred stuff along with fresh corn tortillas and Oaxacan cheese at Lupitas, but I haven’t seen any fresh huitlacoche anywhere (I’ll keep you posted if I find any!).
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Charlotte
Have you noticed that you feel more tired than usual after outings? I feel like I can’t come back from a day out without needing an entire 24 hours at home to recover. After Saturday’s adventure in Greenville, I spent both Sunday and Monday at home in my comfy clothes, finally venturing out on Tuesday to work from a new all-day coffee shop/bar. It was so nice to work outside that I’m insisting Michael joins me one afternoon a week to work at a local cafe, which means you’ll probably see a post about Charlotte’s best places to work remotely soon.
Otherwise, we pushed ourselves to do another free outdoor HIIT workout from a local gym on Wednesday, I ran some very boring errands Thursday, and today I ventured out to hide the prize for this week’s art scavenger hunt – I can’t wait to see who finds it!
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Home
I knit this quick snood from a pattern I found on Ravelry as a birthday gift. I’ve never knit with such a chunky yarn before, and I’m worried about how much I liked finishing a project so quickly! I’m still planning my projects for the holidays, but I’m glad to have one entirely complete.
I had high hopes for the frozen Levain Bakery cookies available at our local Whole Foods, but they left me nostalgic for my last trip to New York rather than satiating that desire (next time I’ll just make the copycat recipe, though the storebought Levain cookies were a million times better than the Milk Bar ones).
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Beauty & Style
Since I primarily stayed home this week, my daily uniform has essentially been loungewear – but when it came time to make a grocery run or a visit to the coffee shop, I reached for two of the things I purchased last week. I neglected to take pictures (I know, I’m still getting back into this!), but I paired the pleated maxi skirt with this basic black tank and the striped shirt with a pair of light-wash denim. Easy, classic, out-the-door.
Speaking of jeans, has anyone tried Denim Therapy (or a similar service)? The very same pair of jeans is wearing through in the inseam. I called my local tailor, and they only offer patching services instead of reweaving (which I would prefer). I’m a bit nervous about the cost, and the result. Your input is greatly appreciated!
Last week also included “grooming day,” what I call the one day each month when I dermaplane my face and tint my eyebrows. I honestly can’t believe I waited so late in life to do either of these quick tasks (I call it a grooming day – but from start to finish it takes less than twenty minutes).
My facial hair is super light, but it grows so long (here’s a pre-dermaplaning photo). Dermaplaning helps remove both the hair and dead skin cells, and I feel like skincare products apply much more evenly after. My eyebrows are also super light (they’re almost translucent, it’s so weird), so tinting them makes a huge difference. The tint runs a bit cool and ashy, so I still use a brow pomade to warm the color slightly and add some hold.
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Next Week
My plans for the first week in October are still up in the air, but that’s because there are so many things going on in Charlotte right now. Tuck Fest, Taste of Charlotte, and Front Porch Sundays are just three of the larger events going on this weekend.
Are you engaging in All The Fall Things, or are you taking it easy this year?
