Autumn Haul

Happy Halloween and happy autumn haul! I've rounded up some of my favorite items that are gracing the stores at the moment. From cute pullovers to beanies to camp socks, here are my recomendations to make your November wardrobe the star of the show — xoxo darling, Hayden.

{Pants, Gloves, Green Coat, Red Skirt, Socks, Tan Coat, Yellow Plaid Coat, Color Block Dress, Purse, Grey Hat, Orange Fleece Pullover, Silk Scarf, Orange Blouse, Green Blazer, Belt, Black & Tan Beanie, Plaid Double Breasted Blazer, Black Scarf, Loafers, Red Plaid Coat, Blue Clutch, Red Beret, Orange Plaid Shirt, Sunglasses, Green Blouse}

Week Re-Cap

Girls trip to Pumpkin Nights.

Oof, y'all. I haven't left my apartment since Saturday evening because of the oppressive snow. It never did this last year and now I have a real understanding of SAD (Seasonal affective disorder). It's depressing to be stuck inside for three straight days as it just keeps snowing! But last week I had so much fun — tried new restaurants and coffee shops, hung out with some girlfriends and more. This weekend I have a few plans but mainly I just want to go outside! What have y'all been up to? — xoxo darling, Hayden

 A Napoleon from Mojo Coffee in Aurora.

A pumpkin chocolate chip cream cheese cookie — because fall.

Such pretty snow on Thursday.

A s'more bar and latte from Beet Box in downtown Denver.

Went to Taps & Tails with some friends at the Denver Zoo.

We saw some elephants.

And drank some good beer!

Look at that sweet giraffe. 

And we had pizza fries. 

Friday night we drove up to Pumpkin Nights in Brighton.

It was so wholesome and fun! 

We all got Banomanom (ice cream made from fruit).

Olive & Finch brunch on Saturday morning.

I'm sure all of the fall leaves are gone now because of the snow but look at her!!

Latte at Aviano in Cherry Creek.

Homemade Chipotle Queso

Since it won't stop snowing, I thought I'd share with y'all one of my new favorite recipes. It's perfect for cold weather, it'll keep ya all warm inside. Enjoy — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Chipotle Queso:

You'll Need:

-1 tablespoon butter

-4 ounces cream cheese

-1 1/2 cups whole milk

-12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

-1 tablespoon flour

-2 chipotle adobo peppers 

Instructions:

1. Heat skillet with butter, cream cheese and milk, until mostly blended.

2. Add your cheese and flour to the mix, slowly.

3. Once it's nice and cheesy add your peppers.

4. Serve hot with some bread! 

Troubleshooting:

I used a recipe from Half Baked Harvest, but I didn't follow the instructions super well — my cream cheese was straight out of the fridge and my peppers went in whole. None of that really detracted from the taste and I still loved it. I think as long as you get everything melted together, it will taste delicious.

Quotes of the Week

Ooo y'all it is cold and snowy and it just won't stop. But happy Monday — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Images here.

Buffalo Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I saw these sandwiches a long time ago on Pinterest and saved them to make in the fall because I knew they would make the perfect cozy dinner. And boy, did they! I was running behind on a bunch of things and headed to trivia the night I made these — so you can tell they are super easy to make — and I loved them. Simple but delicious and would probably be great next to pumpkin squash soup or a spicy tomato bisque. I will probably be making these the next snow day I get to stay in for — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

You'll Need:

-1 chicken breast

-2 slices bread (I used sourdough)

-2 tablespoons butter

-1/4 cup buffalo sauce

-2 slices pepperjack cheese
-few pieces of Sartori Tennessee Whiskey BellaVitano

-skillet

-sauce pan

Instructions:

1. Put chicken breast in a sauce pan, cover breast in water (should completely cover the breast).

2. Cook on medium for 10 minutes — depends on how hot your stovetop gets. Basically just cook until it's white all the way through

3. Take chicken out of pot and shred it with two forks in a bowl.

4. Add hot sauce to chicken and mix it up until incorporated. 

5. Butter all four sides of bread. 

6. Place slice of bread on skillet at a medium heat, add slice of cheese, your shredded chicken another slice of cheese and the top piece of bread.

7. Heat until you're happy — I like mine to just start to brown around the edges when I pull it off — just make sure you give it enough time for the cheese to melt. 

Troubleshooting:

I didn't have any issues making this one! This recipe is adapted from Greens & Chocolate.

Burnt Orange Pumpkin Patch

Where my Texas ladies at? The top in this post (scroll to the bottom for the exact top) is only $19.99 at Target and it is absolutely perfect for a Texas game/event. Plus, as we get more and more into fall, it works for everyone. I love it. It's super flattering, comfy, creases easily but hey, that's life. Other than that you've seen the jeans...I never wear sneakers and I am in this post because I needed to be comfy, the exact pair can be found on Amazon here. We shot these photos at the Dallas Arboretum, who's pumpkin patch is the best I've ever visited (throwback to a few years ago). What do y'all think? — xoxo darling, Hayden 

Week Re-Cap

Loving my front door right now.

Oof you know when you have a bunch of fun things planned and then you realize you planned them all for the same week? Like you have an event every night in a week? That's me this week — fun but a lot. I'm also on a mission to try new restaurants and coffee shops because I feel like I've been lacking recently. So, it's a busy week but it'll be fun and fine. Check out what I did this week below...basically I drank a lot of caffine — xoxo darling, Hayden

Tuesday coffee stop at Brew Culture Coffee.

Cheeselandia sent me a bunch of cheese for my party last Friday — photos coming tomorrow! 

Tried a coffee place near my apartment & their iced latte was A+.

Saturday mornings are for the girls who like football.

Late Saturday lunch at HOJA.

Nixon's Coffee House Chai in Denver.

Sunday brunch at Duffeyroll Cafe.

Solid Grounds Coffee in Littleton.

Sunday lunch at Latke Love, one of my new favorites in Littleton.

Halloween Costumes

As with most Halloweens, I've rounded up some costume ideas from my favorite ladies in pop culture. Plus, you might already have a bunch of these items in your closet, which is my favorite part of creating a Halloween costume. I'm currently obsessed with Sabrina on Netflix's style so there's one for the modern witches out there, I also love Midge on Marvelous Mrs. Maisel so if you want to look like the classiest of ladies on October 31st there's one for you, Nancy Drew has always been a favorite of mine (I was obsessed with the books) so you can look like the newest version of the teen detective or there's the always classic Jackie Kennedy for our more politically inclined ladies out there. What is your favorite? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Jacket, Headband, Lipstick, Purse, Tights, Boots, Turtleneck, Skirt 

 Hat, Broach, Dress, Heels, Coat, Nail Polish, Gloves, Watch 

Dress, White T-shirt, Sneakers, Locket, Earrings, Watch

 Hat, Pearls, Gloves, Pocketbook, Dress, Heels 

Quotes of the Week

What a weekend! I think I almost had a heart attack three times during my Texas vs. Kansas game. I truly thought we were going to lose at the end — thank god for Dicker the Kicker but also...why were we relying on our kicker to get it done? Anyway, it was stressful but the rest of the weekend was nice. It was the first time where I didn't have any activities (aside from the watch party) so I got to lay in bed, try some new cafes and cross a lot off my to-do list. Plus, I threw a party for my girlfriends and that was super fun. What have y'all been up to? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Images here.

OU Weekend Vlog

Last weekend I visited Serena in Dallas for our big rivalry game and I thought I'd vlog it, because why not? We love content! So here ya go — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Leftover Halloween Candy Bars

I wish as a kid I had thought to do something with my Halloween candy like these bars! I remember my candy would slowly dwindle and it would be sad when just a few things were leftover. But now, you have an idea of how to use that candy to make something equally as delightful...trust me, my office went crazy on these. You can choose whatever candy you want, the original recipe I used didn't specify what they used but I thought I'd tell you what I did in case you want to re-create it. What are y'all's thoughts? — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Leftover Halloween Candy Bars:

You'll Need:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Pretzel M&Ms

Snickers Bar

Two Reese's Pumpkins

Chocolate Covered Pretzels 

Kit Kat Bar

Instructions:

1. Mix butter, sugar and light brown sugar together. 

2. Add eggs and vanilla extract. 

3. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together.

4. Slowly add flour mixture to liquid mixture. 

5. Pour approx. half the mixture into your baking dish (lined with parchment paper). 

6. Place as much of the candy as you want in the mixture.

7. Pour the rest of the mixture over the pan, make sure it covers the first layer. 

8. Put more candy on top — this will be the layer you see, so make it as aesthetically pleasing as you want. 

9. Bake for 34-45 minutes — depending on how you like your bars. 

10. Pull them out to cool, cut 'em and serve! 

Troubleshooting:

I used this recipe. The batter is incredibly sticky, so be forewarned!

Week Re-Cap

Cotton Candy Taco at the Texas State Fair

This week was a good one, except for the horrid snow. I got to visit one of the best friends in Dallas, attend our big rivalry game (we lost, but it's fine), eat too many cotton candy flavored items and just get back to my more college roots. When I got back it was just as crazy, I have been at Junior League each night this week but I'm now down for two nights before I host my Wisconsin Cheese Halloween Party...and I'm hyped about it. Then this weekend I'll go to the Texas football watch party, maybe convince a friend to do something fall with me, who knows. What are y'all up to? — xoxo darling, Hayden

My parents sent me the cutest care package. 

We had our first snow in Colorado — and I hated it. 

Uhm, everything truly is bigger in Texas.

Doing a little shopping at Rubial's in Dallas

Love this bean! 

Fall has hit the Dallas Arboretum.

Sunsets truly are the best in Texas.

Serena's new apartment still has Carl the Cactus — and yes, we were watching Twitches.

Saturday's OU vs. Texas game.

We lost, so I drowned my sorrows in sugar.

Is Big Tex creepy to you?!

Cotton Candy Beer at the Texas State Fair.

My boss told me about this lip balm last year, I finally needed to buy more lip balm, so here we are. Guess I'm set for the next eight years.

Monthly Inspiration No. 1

If you've been a Haute Table reader for a long time, you'll remember I used to do a series called Saturday Inspiration. Basically, I rounded up my favorite photos from Pinterest and put them in a post. Well, I kind of miss it but not in a sense that I want to do it once a week. But I was thinking, why not do a kind of moodboard each month, the post won't go up on the same day every month, more like when I'm feeling it. And it will just be a culmination of everything that has been inspiring me lately in photo form. It could be all food one month, all photos of forests the next — who knows. Anyway, here is the first of many, let me know if you like the concept — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Quotes of the Week

Images here.

My Favorite Halloween Goodies

I've created two new Halloween themed bakes for you (the majority of this post) but I've also decided to round-up other goodies I've made over the years that I think would be perfect for your Halloween shindigs. Check them out and let me know what you plan on making this spooky — or spoopy, if you're like me – season — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies Recipe

You'll Need:

2 ¾ cup of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of salted butter, softened

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 handfuls of candy corn

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. Cream butter and sugar together. 

3. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended.

4. Throw in the candy corn. 

5. Form dough into balls on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. 

6. Bake for 15 minutes.

7. Let cool & enjoy! 

Troubleshooting:

This recipe was adapted from Family Fresh Meals. I made really big cookies with it, but you could make smaller ones to get bigger return. Also, while the cookies came out soft and delicious, the candy corn seriously melted, I liked the way they looked, but if you want the candy corn to retain their shape, I would suggest baking the cookies for 10 minutes, pulling them out, shoving the candy corn in and then baking them for five more minutes. 

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles

For the more adult people at your party, these cookies taste like fall and, therefore, taste like Halloween. 

Pretzel Rollo Delights

These snacky bits are great for a potluck situation, plus, they have candy so they're the perfect Halloween situation.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Probably my favorite cupcakes of all time, these cupcakes are great for any fall party. Or just...any time of the year when you want cinnamon cream cheese icing. 

Little Shop of Horrors Cupcakes

While, LSH is not usually a Halloween thing, I think these terrifying cupcakes would be great if you were going for a more "horror" themed party.

American Tiffin

A combo of chocolates and cookies, this will go over well with the kiddos.

A Pom Pom Moment

Well...I mean are we surprised I bought a sweater with giant pom poms on it? Like come on...it screams me. And like...I want more of them. 

But in all seriousness, yes, I bought this sweater on hella sale from Neiman Marcus Last Call, it seems like it is currently sold out, but I'm hoping they get more in stock. At the bottom fo the post I've rounded up some other great alternatives — that might find their way into my closet at some point. We took the photos on Kenosha Pass the first weekend of October when the leaves were at their peak and I love 'em. What do y'all think? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Week Re-Cap

A weeknight dinner at AJ's BBQ.

Oh my, it's already Wednesday...this week has flown by, I swear. I'm tired and I still have so much to do! The past week I was sick, volunteered at my first Junior League event, tried a bunch of food and my friend Zach visited...so a lot. But all good. Today I'm packing as I leave for Dallas tomorrow night because y'all know what week it is — Red River Rivalry week! It's supposed to snow...yes, you read that right, tomorrow so I'm a lil apprehensive about that but oh well, I'm going to a warmer climate. It'll be the first time that I've seen Serena since December, thank god, I miss her so much! And we have fun plans to visit the Dallas Arboretum, eat at new restaurants and enjoy all the Texas State Fair has to offer. I'm hyped — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Volunteered for my first ever Junior League shift with Julia! 

Saturday morning breakfast at Denver Biscuit Co. 

Reunion Bread is a Bon Appetit Top 10 Best American Restaurant finalist.

The prettiest fall tree in Cherry Creek.

Texas won!!!

Saturday night at the Colorado Symphony.

Saturday night at Green Russell — if you go, get the cheddar puffs, they are to die for.

Late Saturday night on Larimer Square.

Sunday breakfast at Cutthroat Cafe

A Sunday morning drive over Kenosha Pass.

Sunday afternoon at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Stumbled upon the cutest new cafe in Park Hill.

Watermelon Sorbet

Sunday dinner at White Pie — so good y'all.

101 in 1001 Update #5

Alright, it's truly time to get down to business on this list as I have approx. 16 weeks to finish 48 goals...just kidding. When you make these lists you are trying to understand how you'll feel in three year's time and that just doesn't work! So, at the bottom of this post I've made a list of the remaining goals I think I can accomplish. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on it, I've already completed more than I had on my first list and I feel really good about myself. Since May of 2017 a lot of stuff has happened — I graduated from college, got a job, moved to a new city, was in a relationship, made new friends, etc. And that is what these lists are for, to challenge yourself...and oh boy do I feel challenged!  Without further ado, here are the updates — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Updates:

See Three More Classic Films — Completed

One night I just decided to watch Strangers on a Train, it wasn't my favorite — the guy really creeped me out probably more than he should. And then I saw Psycho in theaters, which was so much fun.

Have a Picnic — Completed

I finally threw a real picnic for some of my girlfriends in the summer and it was so fun! Now that I have all the equiptment I'm planning on doing more next summer. 

Travel by Myself — Completed

Well, this one happened accidentally. If you watched my Croatia + Bosnia travel vlog, you would have seen me be stranded in the Split, Croatia airport for 12+ hours. I then made the airline fly me to Munich, Germany for the night before heading home to Denver the next day. I've traveled by myself before, but this was a fun addition — I got to see downtown Munich and drink some beer/eat some sausages by myself. 

Go to a Trivia Night — Completed

This has been a new thing! My friend Jessica and I discovered a trivia night at Platt Park Brewing that we really like. We never win but we have fun talking to the quizmaster, bartenders and one of the sandwich guys. Highly recommend if you live in Denver! 

Take a Spontaneous Trip — Completed 

The same friend from above and I started doing these spontaneous Sunday adventures in-and-around Denver. We've traveled to Georgetown and a bunch of the cities in northern Denver with plans to visit more. It's so fun to depart at around 10am on a Sunday and just go see stuff that you hadn't planned to see. We've tried new restaurants, bought sweatshirts, had a lot of ice cream and more. 

Try a New Cuisine — Completed

I had never had Bosnian/Croatian food before visiting the countries and now I'm kind of obsessed and sad I can't find it in Denver! 

Be More Open with My Emotions — Completed

I will fully admit I'm still not fully there with this one but I think I've improved by leaps and bounds. I was in my first true, adult-ish relationship and I had to share so much more of myself than I had done before. To the point where it made me open up to other people — like my best friend. I think it has all been healthy and I'm proud! 

Join a Professional Organization — Completed

While I haven't joined an official professional organization for journalists — I've joined AAUW, League of Women Voters and Junior League of Denver, all of which provide me with professional growth, networking and more. 

Visit a Friend Who Moved Out of Austin — Completed

I've since visited Hannah in San Antonio a few times and I'm going again in November. I love visiting her for the break from work and just to get back to my Texas.

Try Five New Foods — Working

As I dicsussed above, I tried a new cuisine and because of the new cuisine I got to try Ćevapi and Burek.

Read Five Non Fiction Books — Completed

I'm surprised I hit this goal before my regular book goal, because it has been a challenge to read non-fiction most of my life. But look, it's done! I recently finished Cupcakes & Cashmere (the first blog I ever read), Bad Girls Throughout History (a great read if you are the least bit feminist), The Year of Cozy (loved the design of this book), The Little Book of Feminist Saints (yet another feminist read that I loved).

What I Have Left — that I think I can accomplish:

Take a cooking class — I'm thinking it would be super fun to attend a holiday cooking class — maybe cookies or another baked good? Read 55 books — I have 33 left at the time of this publishing! I'm trying to get it done ASAP.  Come up with a feasible budget — I should already have this, right? And I think I do but maybe I should write it all down. Take a photography class — Maybe this will happen. I need to look into it and I want to.  See five plays — I've already purchased tickets to one in early January and I just bought a membership to the Denver Performing Arts venues so I should have the other two done soon. Do a giveaway on the blog — Do y'all want this? Maybe I should just go for it.  Get business cards — I desperately need to do this both for the blog and for my food instagram. I've just been putting it off.  Watch all of the movies nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards — I still need to  watch Green Book, Roma & Black Panther. Try something adventuresome — I feel like I've done this? But at the same time I'm struggling to think of one.  Respond to things in a more timely manner — I am so much better about this but I'm giving myself until the end of my 101 to cross it off.  Try five classic candies — I just need to do this one. Send more postcards when I travel — I've been so bad about this! But maybe the last few trips of my year I can work on it. Buy something big for myself — I haven't done this and I don't really know what I would buy. I like saving my money for my eventual move...but I'm also a live in the moment type of person...so I'm just not sure. Have a t-shirt quilt made — I need to do this soon. Try lipstick for at least a week — I don't even own lipstick, but I could just go buy some and do it.  Brush up on geography — While I don't yet feel comfy crossing this off, trivia has taught me that I'm still pretty good at geography.  Listen to a new genre of music — Yet again, I just need to sit down and do this. Buy another succulent — If I'm being honest, I'm not sure I want to do this...I don't think I'm a plant person. But I can do it.  Find a new magazine — I've seen a few that I like, I just need to pick one. Say yes to five invitations I would normally say no to — I've done this twice, but I have a feeling there are more I could count/have more opportunities to do this, this year.  Indulge in something nostalgic — I'm planning something in the next few months, be that a Disney Channel movie night or something else. Send flowers to someone out of the blue — I've been meaning to do this for three years! Unplug completely, once, for 24 hours — I can't explain why, but this terrifies me. Visit a new national park — I don't think I'll get this done by late January, but my plan is to have a trip planned by then that will cross this off. Participate in a donation drive, at least, once a year — I have a bag made up, I just need to figure out where to donate it to.  Send a pitch to a major publication — I actually have an idea for this!!!

Quotes of the Week

It seems like it was just Monday...like what the actual? It seems like I can't quite catch my breath, but I am having a blast so I guess it's okay. But I am telling you after this coming weekend I have one week of normal that I'm really looking forward to. What about y'all? — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Images here.

Fall Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

Back when I made my pumpkin chai snickerdoodles, I had half a can of pumpkin leftover...and I looked it up and pumpkin only lasts for seven days when it has been opened. So, I couldn't waste it...I'm too cheap...and decided to make it into pancakes. I've had pumpkin pancakes at First Watch and Kerbey Lane Cafe but never made them myself. But let me tell you, these are super easy to make! Let me know your thoughts — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe:

You'll Need:

-1 cup pancake mix

-1/2 cup pumpkin

-1 1/4 cup water

-1 tbsp cinnamon

-1 tsp nutmeg

-1/2 tsp all spice

-1/2 tsp cloves

-1/8 tsp cardamom

-whipped cream

-walnuts

-syrup

-cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Put pan on burner at light heat, spray cooking spray on pan.

2. Mix together pancake mix, pumpkin and water in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Add in all the spices and mix together.

4. Put 2/4 cup mix on pan and cook until a little crispy on the edges, flipping as you need. 

5. Make a stack of 'em, squirt some whipped cream on top, drizzle syrup and top with some chopped walnuts. 

Troubleshooting:

These are pretty "spicy" but I like them that way. If you want the pumpkin flavor to come through a bit more, use half the amount of spices I used. Also, they aren't incredibly sweet — because I like to douse my pancakes in syrup — but if you don't do that I would suggest adding 1/8 cup of sugar. 

Fall Sweater Round-Up

Y'all, as I type this I'm sick in bed but IT IS FALL!!!! Yesterday was misty — like truly misty all day — and it was 49 degrees. Today, from my sickbed I saw the sun come out...but it's still the weather to where I can wear a sweatshirt, leggings and socks under the covers of my bed. So, without further ado, here is my fall sweater guide, complete with 27 sweaters! Which is your favorite? — xoxo darling, Hayden

From left to right, top to bottom:  Row 1: Tan V-Neck, Blue & Colorful Fair Isle, Fall Colors Striped, Black & White Checkerboard Row 2: Red Cable Knit, Burnt Orange V-Neck, Red Dalmatian, White Fuzzy Row 3: Burnt Orange Cable Knit, Cream Turtleneck, Light Orange Button, Yellow Pattern Row 4: Long Striped, Long Red Row 5: Brown & White, Light Pink Pearl Short Sleeved, Scalloped Striped, Dark Green, Bright Red Pocket Row 6: Pink Mock-Neck Cable Knit, Orange & Navy Checkerboard, Dark Grey, Gold Cropped Row 7: Bright Blue Cable Knit, White & Tan Chevron, Orange Turtleneck, Navy & White Fair Isle

Week Re-Cap

We stan a hayride.

Alright y'all, it's fall in Colorado and I'm very excited about it. Yesterday was cold and rainy but I was in bed sick...yeah, how fun. I want to be able to enjoy these first few days of October without having a cold! So, let's hope this is just a bug and I feel great today and tomorrow and for the rest of the year. 

This past weekend we did some fall activities (a corn maze, a hayride and more) and this weekend I'm doing more fall activities with one of my besties Zach! What are y'all up to? — xoxo darling, Hayden

 Friday night dinner at Abrusci's Fire & Vine.

 Saturday morning Jessica and I went to Ya Ya Orchard in Longmont.

She made a friend.

We took a hayride.

Ate a bunch of apple spice donuts.

And took a ton of photos.

 We had lunch in downtown Longmont.

 Enjoyed pizza at Rosalee's Pizza.

 Saturday night we had a lil fall festival party Saturday night 

with plenty of apple cider sangria.

 Sunday morning Liz and I went to Chatfield Farm's corn maze. 

Sunday night I saw Rear Window at Alamo.

How I Decorated for Fall

If you've been following the blog for any amount of time you'll know that fall is, by far, my favorite season. There is something so perfect about it getting colder, the leaves changing, me actually feeling cozy, the holidays, just everything about it. And I'm a basic lady so there's that too. 

This year, I went all out on our apartment fall decs because I didn't get a chance to last year — fall happened when I was still settling into Denver. I thought I'd show y'all what I did — it's nothing too special...but it makes me feel happy every time I see it. Plus, it'll be a great base for my Halloween decorations, which will be making an appearance come Oct. 1st. Let me know what y'all think of my decorations and tell me about your's below — xoxo darling, Hayden.

I purchased two of my favorite candle from Bath & Bodyworks — aka Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin — and I always have one burning. The cookies are pumpkin chai snickerdoodles, recipe here. 

I made this pie garland from a Martha Stewart tutorial. You just need construction paper, craft glue and some white pom poms. It cost me $2 from Dollar Tree (pom poms & paper) and $3.50 from JoAnn (craft glue) to make this and I think it's adorable. 

Because I purchased the construction paper for the pie, I had a bunch left over and decided to make leaves out of the red and yellow paper. I found some random clip art leaves on the internet, printed them, traced them and cut everything out. I bought some cute twine from Dollar Tree, strung the leaves and taped it up. The light curtain is from Amazon. Total Cost: $2

On a blank wall in our living room, I made yet another leaf garland (didn't cut the leaves this time) and bought some colorful leaves to tape up on my wall. The big leaves came from the floral section of the Dollar Tree, I used the twine from the above project and the colorful leaves came in a pack from Dollar Tree. Total Cost: $9.50

The fireplace was the most expensive for me...by far...because I'm obsessed with pumpkins and I bought far too many plastic pumpkins. But I did buy them all on sale at JoAnn, except for the really big one, that came from the sale section of Michael's. The leaf garland was $1 for each strand at Dollar Tree (so total of $3). Five of the smaller pumpkins are from Dollar Tree and the white ones painted with copper paint I DIYed. The paint was $1 at JoAnn. Total: ~$50

I had purchased this blanket (similar) for my picnic but it looks so cute in

 a basket (similar) in the corner of our living room.