five for friday

1.  While I'm living it up at the Influence Conference, make sure to follow along on Twitter @themarygraham.  I'll share all the good stuff you're missing if you couldn't make it this year.

(source)

2.  "Scary Beautiful"--have you seen these shoes?  It's not what you think, so if you haven't read the story about them, go here and do it now.  Interesting commentary on beauty. 

3.  Of course, as I'm heading to the airport yesterday to pick up some Influence Conference peeps, Harper throws up all over herself in the van.  So Chris met me on the north side and took her home.  Perfect timing that she gets sick when I'm going to be gone for a couple days (and we leave for vacation after the conference).  So we're praying for a quick recovery.  And no more throw up.

4.  This week marked my return to blogging after a much-needed break: I figured out my why, got to attend an awesome magazine launch party with my brother, did my first closet consultation (success! more to come later.) and got to spend time with my babies because I'm on fall break.  And I still have another week to go--life is good right now, very good.

5.  It's definitely fall in Indy: boots, scarves, frost on the windows, and harvest decorations!

Have a great weekend!

you dress fresh.

(skinnies & blouse/belt: Target, sandals: Old Navy)

The problem with buying fall clothes and then promising myself I won't wear them until it's cooler outside is that my classroom is freezing cold.  So while we're still breaking 90 degrees outside, inside room 129 it's freezing and I can't feel my fingers.

I kept the look a little summer-like with sandals, but when fall finally hits, I'll be wearing this with boots and a scarf. 

Or maybe three scarves because I'll be so excited for scarf weather.  I'm a rebel like that. 

Linking up to The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde, and Rolled-Up Pretty.

Brown County in the Fall

Over fall break (yes, I'm still talking about fall break...), we got to spend a day wandering around Nashville, playing in Brown County park, and getting stuck in a major traffic jam on the way home.  Two out of three were awesome.

This summer we spent a day there with Chris' family and vowed to go there more often since it's so close and there's so much to do.  It was one of the things on our fall break to-do list that actually got done--go us.

(This first picture isn't special in-and-of-itself, but for what was said right before the picture was taken.  We put Ellie in the front so she could get in and out easily.  As soon as she was buckled in, Harper started pushing on her seat and annoying Elliott.  She was complaining that "Harpy keeps kicking me" and Chris and I thought this was funny.  It was their first official sister fight and so we documented it for sentimental reasons.  The first official sister fight.  It's only going to get better from here.  I can't wait...)

 

the bottom ground

A couple weekends ago we helped our friends, Grant and Jessica, celebrate their daughter's first birthday.  The party was held at her parents' house where I have lots of childhood memories and specifically remember a raging 8th grade boy/girl party (remember when going to a party where boys would be was major?).  Funny, because now, I'd much prefer an all-girl, no boys allowed party...it took becoming an adult to realize it's more fun with just the girls.

Anywhooo, the party was great: fall weather, a pumpkin hunt, presents, chili, lots of old friends from high school, yummy cake, and Ellie peeing in the woods.  I don't think it could have been any better.

 

purple rain

Today is a rainy, dreary fall day.  I wish I was still curled up in bed with a cute little baby as opposed to working.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

So in defiance of this crappy day, I'm remembering a crisp fall day spent at the orchard last month.  Harper cackling in the swing and Ellie running through the hay piles, it was a good day.  I'm also thinking about Elliott in preschool right now, wearing purple for purple day and using Lilly the Counting Frog for her show-and-tell item.

 

Today I'm missing my family.  And missing my bed.  So if you're home and your day allows it, could you take a nap for me?  Thanks.

what we ate on halloween

I found lots of yummy things to make for our Halloween party this year while browsing Pinterest.  And then I actually stopped just pinning things and made stuff.  Mark your over-booked calendar, because that was a first.  Go me.

Mummy (and friends) juice boxes; inspiration from here.  Ellie had a blast gluing wiggly eyes on the boxes.

Ghost pops idea (from here).  That triangle?  Um, supposed to be a witch's hat.  Don't be jealous of these skills.

Candy corn pretzel kisses (found here) and rotten pretzels (leftover white chocolate from the ghosts and black sprinkles).  Those candy corn treats are amazing.  And I hate candy corn, but you can't even taste the candy corn.  That chocolate and pretzel combo thing worked some kind of magic on the candy corn to make it delicious.  Truth.

Add chili, peanut butter sandwiches, some veggies, and hot cider and you've got yourself a delicious Halloween feast.  And you might not even have room for the candy.  I said might not. 



I'm participating in this fun Pinterest Challenge from Sherry @ Young House Love and friends.  Check out all the crafty peeps out there--they put my ghost pops to shame!


in the grove

The first time I met Kaitlyn Meeks, she was five years old and practically sitting on top of her sister, Ali, watching early-morning cartoons in my living room.  It's definitely gone uphill from there. 

Now she's 21, a senior in college, and a talented photographer.  Although sometimes she does use her photography skills for evil, like the time she made a wanted poster of me while wearing a reindeer headband.  It was not one of her finer moments.

But these pictures? Definitely fine...

it was perfect in my head

We went to the orchard, picked apples, bought pumpkins, drank apple cider slushies.  It was epic fall fun.

To complete the cute family moment, we were supposed to carve pumpkins.  Elliott was supposed to get all messy, Harper was going to love playing in the pumpkin goo, and I was going to not get messy, take some pictures, and, afterwards, clean up whatever chaos was left as Chris took the babes off for their baths.  This is what I had envisioned.  It would be a nice, calm, fall evening.  After everyone was clean and in bed, I would make pumpkin seeds and relax.

Instead, this is what happened:

Elliott got to draw her pumpkin's face--she did a really good job!

Immediately after Chris cuts open the pumpkin, Elliott says, "What's that smell?"  Um, a pumpkin, Elliott.  That smell is a pumpkin.

Harper puts everything in her mouth so no pumpkin fun for her.  Instead, she gets a teething biscuit.  And promptly shoves it in her ear.  Good thing baths are on the agenda.

This was the only time Ellie touched the inside of the pumpkin.  She didn't like the feel of it.  Awesome.

So family-pumpkin-carving night turned into Chris-Graham-pumpkin-carving night.  Last year was much better.

Cue the Ellie dance party breakdown:

It's completely safe that she was dancing with a chopstick, right? Right.

Pause to make sure Daddy's working hard...

And now on to some light reading while Daddy continues.

Oh, good, he's done.  Let's all get together and pretend it was a group effort. 

Harper K. presents: The Graham's pumpkins!

Tada!