Morning thoughts...

As I get myself settled in this new environment, my mind does the same with my thoughts. Although there is no window for me to sit in here, I have found comfort on my freshly made bed under a cozy blanket. A mug of coffee waits patiently for me to take another sip. I've made it a goal of mine to get out of bed before 6 AM, to rise with the sun. Even if I find myself returning here to document my thoughts. My reasoning behind this is simple; I feel much better about myself and my day when I get an early start. Not to mention that partial-darkness haze that fills my space in the morning, which motivates me to do it again tomorrow. 


My morning cup of coffee has slipped into my favorite season, which is right around the corner. You guessed it; fall of course. I join my coffee whenever possible and long for the upcoming days of being engulfed by the comforting scents, tastes, and sights of the fall months. I'm done with the hot, uncomfortable days. And so is my coffee. This morning it's sporting my favorite sugar-free syrup, along with its typical splash of soy milk and sprinkle of equal. The final touch of cinnamon transports my mug and I to mid-October. 

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Since my coffee has already crossed into the next season, it's time for me to prepare myself for the transition. I'm anxiously anticipating pulling out my fall wardrobe; leggings, over-sized sweaters, boots, etc. Although these lingering sticky days are preventing me from making the switch, there's no reason why I can't browse for new additions to this cozy wardrobe. Here are a few scarves that I'm drawn to (and can hopefully get my hands on):

With my obsession for cool weather comes my love of pumpkin...anything. My mission for this fall is to create as many pumpkin concoctions as possible, take full advantage of this excuse to do so. It just so happens that my next break from school falls during the last week of September; so you better believe I will be visiting this website and whipping up these guilt-free pumpkin recipes. I'm especially interested in the Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup:

And of course, while my soup is cooking, I will be curled up on the couch next to a burning pumpkin candle. Surely I will be needing a good book to read. Which means in the next 5 weeks I will need to get my hands on one that I've recently learned about through my girls at Good Housekeeping, The Happiness Project. The author, Gretchen Rubin, made it a goal of hers to spend 1 year doing something that made her happier every day. And then she wrote a book about it.

So there you have it. A quick recap of my thoughts and ideas for now. From here, I move forward, full force. The next 5 weeks will leave me busy with projects, work, weekends spent with family, and hopefully a little bit of fall-preparation shopping. It's time for another cup of coffee and another beautiful day.