Autumn in America

I wouldn't be at all surprised if an all-American survey showed that majority of the population considers Fall their favorite season. Autumn in America is nothing short of amazing. September still feels like Summer, and in many states most of October too. Besides sunny warm days, it bursts into all shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. November brings one of the most beloved holidays, Thanksgiving, and preparation for the winter celebration extravaganza. And of course, we can't overlook Halloween which children and adults alike simply adore for its unique spooky spirit: costumes, candies, party fun and home décor. Speaking of which, I gave all the rights to decorate our home for Halloween to my daughter and husband since they absolutely love it. But one of the things that makes Autumn and October in particular really fun for everyone is visiting a pumpkin patch. Many farms open their imaginary doors to the public during the whole month, offering hey rides, corn mazes, petting zoos and of course pumpkins of all sorts, shapes and sizes. I would say that other than football and Halloween party games, America's favorite Fall game is playing farmers!

To fully engage in this game, we love dressing the part as well - the pumpkin patch definitely brings out the best of country style clothing: cozy sweaters, tall boots, plaid shirts, boho skirts and dresses, and denim in all its wide variety. And do remember to top it off with a super fun hat, the best your heart desires, be it made of wool or straw.  

Which hat do you like better, the one on me or the one on Justin? Oops... you totally caught me cheating! Yes, Justin and I are wearing the same hat! As a blogger I was fortunate to receive an offer to pick any hat from the line offered by a specialized store Tenth Street Hats. If you have followed me for a while, you know that I love hats both for the weather protection they provide (sun, rain, cold, snow - you name it) and for style because they have the ability to complete an outfit. (If you're new to my blog, feel free to check out my earlier posts under tagged HAT). But I'm not the only one who loves hats in my family: Justin wears hats year-round as well. So I thought why not choose something that we can share - something universal, classy, and good for both hot Summer days and transitional times from Spring to Fall?

As you enter the website, you are offered to take a short test, and judging by facial shape and style preferences, you'll be offered a few hats to consider. There are plenty of Fall styles to choose from for both men and women (over 375 as I understand), but our hearts were immediately stolen by the straw hat named PUERTO which was still perfect for early Fall here in the Pacific Northwest. It took us a while to take pictures because of the poor air quality caused by wild fires (the worst in recorded history!), and of course we wear masks at all times due to COVID-19 (I only took mine off for photos, and Justin has to be extra careful to protect his lungs, so he was still wearing his). Funnily enough, when Justin and I intuitively choose this hat, we realized that it fit both our styles and face shapes (round and diamond), so I could say that the Tenth Street test is pretty accurate. The quality of the hat is really superb, the size is correct (L/XL), and the decorative weaving provides excellent air flow. I really think that it works as a unisex hat, but for a feminine touch I can always add a scarf or a pin.

Justin and I had such a wonderful day out! It reminded us the hundreds of outings we had together (and many have been documented on my blog for the past 7 years). Oh how we miss them this year! In fact,  I realized how much I missed it all: choosing a fun outfit to create a special feeling, choosing a place to go by activity or just atmosphere, spending time together in a fun environment (of course, nothing is better than Home, but...you know!), taking pictures, and after all reflecting on our experience while working on photos and writing... We were so glad that we did it! And now, we practically have a small pumpkin farm shop at home. No worries, they will find a good use! There will be plenty of pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, roasted pumpkin etc. And of course, those whimsical gourds to decorate for Autumn. I was delighted by the variety our local farms offer. And look at these spooky pumpkins on photos above (they were called simply Blue and Pink pumpkins) - aren't they awesome? And they really match Justin's gorgeous Southwestern shirt in smoky or foggy Autumn shades. 

Our harvest included a couple of huge cabbages which were $2 each. I love cabbage and am going to make Russian pickled cabbage salad as well as sour kraut (квашеная капуста). Do share if you know a good recipe! And if you're looking for more Fall inspirations, please check out my old post which includes more of pumpkin fun and seasonal cooking: OCTOBER 2018.

That's all for now. I am looking forward to our next style adventure, and of course I plan to share our new home with you as soon as I complete some of the many projects and take time to photograph and write. I can't wait to hear what you think of our pumpkin adventures and outfits. I think Justin looks particularly gorgeous in this hat.

The Puerto hat that we share - courtesy of Tenth Street Hats

Everything else is remixed from our closets

Natalia's outfit

Denim jacket - Old Navy

Red dress - Eloquii

Embroidered booties - Kenneth Cole

Necklace and earrings - Chico's

Amber ring - 1960s vintage, USSR made

Purse - Frye

Justin's outfit:

Southwestern shirt - Cabela's

Trousers - Duluth Trading Company

Boots - Steve Madden

(more on these boots in one of my very first blogposts back in October 2013 HERE)