When the year grows old

 Dress: Sangria; Jacket: Aeropostale, thrifted;

Boots: Target; Tights: Vera Wang; 

Skeleton key necklace: vintage, from Minx. 

I cannot but remember     When the year grows old --  October -- November --     How she disliked the cold!  She used to watch the swallows     Go down across the sky,  And turn from the window     With a little sharp sigh.  And often when the brown leaves     Were brittle on the ground,  And the wind in the chimney     Made a melancholy sound ... I cannot but remember     When the year grows old --  October -- November --     How she disliked the cold!  - Edna St. Vincent Millay, "When the Year Grows Old"

Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood

 Dress, belt, boots: Loft; Tights: Vera Wang; Sweater: American Eagle. 

I've had this dress for years, but I haven't put it into constant rotation until now. Something about the dark colors and flouncy skirt just epitomizes romanticism and autumn for me. I got a little haircut trim this past weekend, and so now the bangs are back.

Sort of related to my title: Have you all caught the shows "Grimm" and "Once Upon a Time"? I've always been into revisionist fairytales and so these shows seem to fit the bill creatively. It took me a couple episodes to get into "Once Upon a Time," but I'm really enjoying the plot details (and reading the show's forum on Television Without Pity), and I like all the hidden easter egg details within the scenery (like the apples at the mayor's house). Not so sure about "Grimm" yet, as I feel the character development fell a little flat in the pilot, but I thought the use of the Eurhythmics' "Sweet Dreams" during the woods sequence was genius.

What television or movies are you enjoying this fall? (I'm also quickly getting into "Hell on Wheels" -- I love American railroad history). 

How quickly the glamour fades

Dress: Sangria; Sweater, boots: Loft; Necklace: BR, gift from ML.

Taking photos in the mornings is one my favorite pleasures in life. This morning the lake was clear, the birds (egrets and owls and ducks) were out, and everything just felt so peaceful -- something I've been needing for a while in the midst of school and work.

  

Maybe it's the changing season and spending too many hours watching the leaves fall, but I'm thinking I need to lose a few layers as well -- of my hair, that is. I'm debating how short to go, but I think bangs are definitely in my future ...

In the misty morning fog

 Dress: Liz Claiborne; Jacket: Club Monaco, thrifted; Blouse: Chaps; Tights: Vera Wang; 

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted; Belt: from camp a long time ago. 

I had a hard time going through these photos because half of them turned out dark and serious, almost like a film noir, and the other half appeared bright and cheerful. Unsure of how to balance this duality in tone, I just chose my favorites. Have fun guessing which photo fell under which theme (hint: apparently pensiveness is correlated with buttoned coats and slightly-popped collars for me).

Because I am convinced that the next three weeks are the absolute prettiest time of year to do landscape photography in this area, I've challenged myself to go shoot every single day this month, even if it's only for a few minutes a day. I used to spend every morning at the park during my more disciplined days; with graduate school, it's become more difficult to claim more of my free time back. I'm looking forward to getting back to making this hobby more of a priority ...