orange orange orange

franken-loaf.

in yesterday's post i mentioned that one of the reasons i love fall so much is that i can get seemingly all of my favorite foods pumpkin-flavored.  well, that stuck in my head today and after a morning run, i made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up ingredients to make a pumpkin loaf.  i used this simple recipe, and subbed in non-fat greek yogurt (somehow i didn't realize that i had no oil in my pantry) for the vegetable oil and canned pumpkin for the shredded pumpkin.  what came out was a monster pumpkin loaf-it rose so much during baking that i had to remove the top rack from the oven! 

oh-so-yummy.

i also had some leftover cream cheese, so i made a quick cream cheese frosting for a sweet treat.

and this was all happening during game 4 of the world series...that the GIANTS WON! excuse me while i go celebrate the win + my one year anniversary in san francisco!

the streets are closed!

pause

i'm so happy we're done traveling until the holidays.  while i loved seeing old faces and meeting new ones, i can say that it is wonderful to be home for an entire weekend and not have to go anywhere! 

now that i'm back home and the days are shorter and cooler, i've been taking some time to stock up on some chunky knits to prep for the cold weather ahead.  this is my absolute favorite time of the year; the weather is perfect, everything is pumpkin flavored, and i get to wear beautiful sweaters all the time! i'm obsessed with vince and have been lucky enough to snag two amazing pieces so far this season.  why stop at two? here are some more looks i'd like to get my hands on this season:

honeycomb cardigan

  

biker jacket with leather sleeves

     

leather zip ankle leggings

don't these just make you want to curl up with a mug of hot apple cider while sitting next to a roaring fire? i love this time of the year.

a second to breath

...literally, a second. arizona one week, maryland the next, and off to south carolina this weekend.  oh, and just a few things going on at home to keep my busy in between (work, fleet week, the america's cup, 49er's game, giants game, hardly strictly...and on, and on, and on!). am i tired? yes, a little bit.  have i loved every second? YES.

on top of all of the fun things going on lately, the weather has been ridiculously amazing. the beginning of last week was HOT-i mean actually hot in the bay-so much so that even having every one of my windows open didn't help because there was no wind either. luckily for the weekend activities, the temps cooled down just a bit and made for a perfect weekend of fun and relaxation. my favorite part was seeing the blue angels...i seriously do not understand how they fly that close.  my amateur-paparazzi bf was actually able to capture a shot of them criss-crossing (if he can do that, he can take my outfit shots...still working on that one though)...get ready to have your mind blown!

incredible.

on that note, it's time to start packing once again.  this time for a 4-day trip to the beautiful state of south carolina.  hoping to make the best wardrobe decisions, i've already checked weather.com a few times to confirm the highs (70s) + lows (mid-60s).  i'll definitely be packing my favorite pair of j brand jeans, probably a dress or two, and flats-for sightseeing, of course.  all packed in a carry-on, which is a big deal for me, and i have to admit, it's a little difficult!

do you bring a carry-on for most trips? or is it just too hard to narrow down your potential outfit choices? i could use some smart packing tips!