Enjoying Fall

Thanks for the comments and encouragement on my last two posts. I'm part of a group at church for women who just moved, and I shared about my frustrations there on Wednesday. I'm glad I did, because I felt better after talking about it.

I haven't done any photos in awhile. So I thought I'd share some of my fall decor around the house. I put most of the stuff on the mantle. Here's the overall look:

I got these mini apothecary jars from my aunt, who was about to get rid of them in a garage sale. I filled them with some twigs from a bush in front of our house, and a dried up hydrangea from the backyard:

This vase is also rescued from my aunt's garage sale. I cut a long twig from another bush from the front yard. The bright red leaves of this bush are gorgeous, and it adds a nice touch inside the home:

These yellow leaves are from a tree on our street. Most of the trees have no leaves left, so I'm glad I got some from this tree before they're all gone. The vase is from my cousin Jane's wedding:

Another view:

I got these gourds at the farm market where I picked Fuji apples. They were on sale 3 for $1.25. The milk glass candy dish is a find from a garage sale in my aunt's neighborhood, for $1. I put them on the coffee table next to my african violet plant:

We also have a medium sized pumpkin that W picked up at the local grocery store for $4. It's sitting next to the fireplace.

Total cost of fall decor: $6.25

Fuji

I went Fuji apple picking today.  Sort of.

So here's the run down on apple picking, for you big city folk. The farms have a calendar of dates that show when certain varieties of apples will be available for picking. My aunt and I checked the schedule online over a month ago and saw that Fuji apples would be picked this weekend, and begin today at 9am, at the farm where she's been doing this for years.  We mark it in our calendars.  $16 for a 25lb bag that you can pack to overflowing.  My aunt insists that arriving at 9 sharp is a must.

This morning I get over there and apparently the picking happened last week, not this week as planned.  So they had the Fuji apples in bins, already picked.  I have to say, they still looked amazing and super fresh and non-store-bought-like.  But it was a mad craze, because there was a whole lot of people who were planning on doing their annual Fuji apple picking, who were all scrambling for apples (think Black Friday).  Some people took work off for this special event.  That's how good these apples are. It was a good thing I came at 9 because those who came 15 minutes after me had the bottom of the bin to pick from.  So I left with 50lbs of Fuji apples (2 bags).  Last year my aunt picked 9 bags, I think, and she was sharing them with me and W in May when we were house hunting.

So that's the story of the Fuji apples.

Hello, and Autumn

I have not had a chance to update this blog with so much going on.  I was out of town and then my aunt here in Columbus had surgery last week.  Anyways, I hope everyone is doing well!

I've been enjoying the fall.  It's such a great season and so many things to savor.  I love the autumn leaves, the bright reds and oranges, apple picking, the variety of squashes to eat, the cloudy days and rain, flannel sheets, making my coffee, cozy sweaters and scarves, wearing my boots, lighting candles.

Which reminds me, I'm going apple picking this week, for Fuji apples...

Happy 추석

Happy Korean Thanksgiving, or Mid-Autumn Festival! While each Asian culture has its traditions, a big one for Koreans is to eat a type of rice cake called songpyeon. Here's a photo I took at a wedding I shot last year, to give you an idea:

추석 (Chuseok) is a time to celebrate the harvest. I plan on making bulgogi and chapchae, typical foods eaten on this day.  I actually have some songpyeon that I'm defrosting right now from my cousin Jane's wedding. Also, fresh fruits from the harvest are eaten, so I'll make sure to cut up some asian pears that I picked a few weeks ago.

After dinner, hubby and I will look at some of the photos I took in Korea this summer, and then take a walk at night to enjoy the full moon.  He doesn't know it yet, but this is the plan.

Fall Blanket

Fall has officially arrived here in Columbus.  There is a slight chill in the air, and the house has cooled down. We switched out our summer blanket with a warmer one that we bought in Korea over the summer. It provides just the right warmth for fall weather.

27 cents

i got this milk glass vase for 27 cents at a thrift store in the area.  the flowers are from my cousin's wedding.  i played cello at her wedding and was returning the cello i had rented.  on the way back, i saw a little thrift store.  i went in and found this.  when i took it to the counter, the lady told me it was a quarter plus tax.  yeah!

in other news, i'm going to new york city for labor day weekend.  w's friend is getting married.  i'm so excited!  please leave a note if you have any recommendations for things to do in nyc.  i'll be staying in tribeca.

i think fall is coming.  the weather this week has been significantly cooler...

t-giving in chi town

since we'll be going to LA for a good chunk in december, we are spending thanksgiving here in chicago. although i'm sad i won't see family, i'm excited about spending thanksgiving here. we're getting together with 2 other couple friends (we all live within 5 blocks of each other) for our t-giving dinner. and a baby will be there too!!!

will and i are bringing mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn and a pumpkin pie. we got the america's test kitchen cookbook from a friend and it is AWESOME. every recipe we've tried has been amazing, and i love it because they tell you everything they tried and why/how they came up with the recipe. so we will be using the book for all our dishes. except the pumpkin pie, which we'll pick up from costco because i love costco's pumpkin pie.

depending on my mood, i might also try to create a simple centerpiece for the dinner.

things i am grateful for this year:

• a job in this economy, = a means to pay rent and living expenses
• an opportunity to live in a new place during our first year of marriage
• my church, our small group community
• friends, both in LA and chicago
• my husband and the ways i get to know more about him as the days go by.

it is no small thing to make friends and feel a sense of community in a brand new place, especially for someone like me, who lived in the same city for 28 years. i have a newfound appreciation for international students or people who transplant to a new city or country for work, school or life circumstance. i am so grateful that we have friends, not because that means we're cool, but because i know that friend chemistry and other such things are out of our hands. i feel grateful for people who took initiative with me to hang out in the early days. the other day i was reflecting with will on my first few weeks here. looking back, i was so much like a deer caught in headlights. i think on my 2nd or 3rd day here we went out to dinner with those same 2 couples we're spending t-giving with and i remember feeling really out of it and in a daze. everything felt surreal. my friend e is super busy as an ER resident but she took time to take me out to lunch and hang out with me during that first month. that meant so much to me, because at that time i had no friends, no work, no community, no car, no snow boots to even go out. haha. it is funny looking back at my own self just 11 months ago. now i have a job, friends, a community, i know my way around the city, i got all the fall/winter/cold weather gear and i know which grocery stores to shop at.

because of all of that, i think this year i've just felt so grateful for basic things like an income, friends, church and a warm winter coat. they are basic but so essential!

we've had the awesomest fall weather and it hasn't snowed yet. i checked the weather and it's supposed to snow on thanksgiving. i know i might regret saying this later, but i'm actually excited about it snowing on thanskgiving. it will be beautiful.

beautiful fall weekend + random

after a couple weeks of cold weather, we had a beautiful fall weekend here in the midwest. the sun was shining and it was warm. i spent most of my time outdoors, walking among the crowds in downtown, and hanging out with friends at maxwell street market where we enjoyed tacos, horchata, coke from a bottle and fresh churros.

on another note, my hair has gotten very long and i'm thinking about chopping it on my trip to LA in december.

friends r and e had their baby about a month ago and i'm so in love with her! i haven't seen her in over a week and i'm getting desperate. a visit is forthcoming.

last month we used our crockpot for the first time and made chili. and then will made chicken soup. the thing is awesome. i need to find more recipes.

i can't get over how much i love chicago. lately i've been realizing that it's been like a dream to live here for the last 10 months. some things i love about it:

work is 2 miles from home, church is 1 mile from home (yes!!!)

friends live close by: caddy corner from us, and 5 blocks away

there are so many cool areas around the city, each with their own personalities

i get to meet people from all over. more than half the people i meet here are not from here

the trees

the way the city comes together (i'll try to expand on this in another post)

also, i'm going to see the nutcracker next month with a friend. i haven't been to the ballet here so i'm looking forward to that.

peace out.

halloween

i'm going to a halloween party at will's school this weekend. i don't know what to wear! i'm really not a costume person, but i'm sort of looking forward to this party...now if i could only come up with something interesting...

fall grocery list

+ pumpkin
+ butternut squash
+ sweet rice flour

for new recipes for pumpkin bread and hobak juk (korean squash porridge).

signs of fall

-- boots and coats everywhere
-- a few trees have begun to change color
-- people are no longer hanging out by the lake
-- the beachside restaurant has closed shop for the season
-- the sun sets 2 hours early
-- i broke my umbrella last week. actually, the wind broke my umbrella. we've broken 3 umbrellas and lost 2 since moving here. ha.

oh, and of course, the highest temperature this week will be 59.

fall is around the corner

i feel it. the weather is changing. the high today and for the rest of the week will be 75 degrees. today a coworker told me that the 80s are now gone. get ready for more weather posting from me.

in other news,

-> i am slowly becoming addicted to dunkin' donuts regular coffee. it is surprisingly good. the word is it's the creamer.

-> i've been using a new granola recipe. will and i love it. to give you a preview, it involves olive oil, pumpkin seeds and coconut chips. can you resist?

-> we are contemplating getting a kitchenaid mixer. is it worth it?

-> i helped plan a baby shower for the first time! and i took photos: 1, 2, 3

-> had an awesome summer: jazz fest, sox game, cubs game, wildfire, u2 concert, dance festival, music festival, air show, bourbon tour, cave tour, architecture tour, southern bbq and 10 visitors. whew.

-> will is back from louisville. i am getting used to having a roommate again.

-> small group starts tomorrow. i am nervous and excited.

i hope everyone is well.

it's fall

i was loving the weather this weekend.  on sunday the sun was out and it was windy.  the skies were clear and the air was crisp.  fall has arrived in LA!

i love the fruits around this time of year.  especially the beautifully round persimmons.  they remind me of delicate versions of pumpkins.  mmm.