Red Poets Society and Purple Pose: A Hint of Halloween

Top: Allegra K, Amazon; Skirt: Vanilla Star, Macy's

Girly Ghost Necklace

Bag: Olivia Miller, JCPenney

Hair clip: Target

Boots: Impo, DSW

Top: Madden Girl, Macy's; Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Stylish Skulls Necklace

Bag: Skinnydip London, Macy's

Barrettes: INC, Macy's

Shoes: Madden Girl, Kohl's; Socks: Amazon

Jacket: XOXO, JCPenney; Skirt: So, Kohl's

Glam Ghoul Necklace

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Sunglasses: Zulily

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

It's late October, and you know what that means: time to scare up some spooky.  And I can't do that without the ruffled, violet top I've worn for the past two Halloweens.  Part fright night, part '90s, it puts the Poe in poet's blouse.  And it looks especially bold with red -- Red Hat Society colors notwithstanding.  

Speaking of hats (and the heads that support them), I got into the spirit of things by making some skull necklaces.  Even the ghost one has a tiny skull dangling from the center if you dare to get too close.

That said, I'll be steering clear of the occult.  

Unless it comes with candy.

Squad Goals: Anchored by Burgundy

Top: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Courtly Corpse Necklace

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bow: Art Class, Target

Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Skirt: So, Kohl's

Boots: LC Lauren Conrad Kohl's

Sweatshirt: LC Lauren Conrad Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Tights: A New Day, Target

Bag: Madden Girl, Macy's

Bows: Limited Too, Kohl's

Victorian Vibes Necklace

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Socks: Amazon

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Anchored by the color, not Ron.  Although I like to think that my corner of the interwebs is newsworthy.  And who doesn't love a Will Ferrell reference?  That said, burgundy's intriguing because it's red with a darker backstory.  Game for the challenge of this haunting hue, I mixed it with pastels for my fits.

Because sometimes even the darkest horse needs a My Little Pony palette.

Haze Craze: Comfort Food for Thought

When it was my turn to make a book club pick, I went with an author I loved but, for some reason, hadn't read in years: Lorna Landvik.  Full of folksy wit and wisdom, this Midwestern bard always got me right in the feels.  So I was excited to become reacquainted with her via Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes).  

When fifteen-year-old Sam Carroll finds out that he has to work at his mom's newspaper for the  summer, he's bummed.  But after literally sleeping on the job at his dad's work (he took a nap in an RV he was supposed to be cleaning), his mom thinks that he's in need of some discipline.  What's more, she has a special assignment: read and vet Haze Evans's old columns so they can rerun some until she comes out of her coma.  Sam's initial reaction is, who cares what some old lady has to say?  But as he reads, he's surprised to find that the answer is most of Granite Creek -- including him.  

Hazel "Haze" Evans has been writing for the Granite Creek Gazette since 1964.  A wizard at weaving everyday life with current events, she's beloved by many and despised by a few, as evidenced by some scathing letters to the editor.  It's one such hater that gives Haze her nickname "radical hag," leading her boss to suggest that she cushion her more controversial columns with recipes.

We get to know Haze through her columns -- as well as some not-fit-to-be-print correspondence -- with Sam as our guide.  The more he learns about her, the more he learns about life -- and himself.  As do we.  Because in all her homespun, colorful candor, Haze makes us think and feel, reminding us that we're more alike than different.  It's a lovely legacy, for us and for Sam, lending sustenance to body and soul.

Which is the very best kind of recipe.

Although Haze's lemon bars sound good too.   

Scarecrow Inspo: Pumpkins, Plums, and Pickles

Bow: Wild Fable, Target

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Nine West, Ross

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Jeans: So, Kohl's

Leaves of glass.

Bag: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Dessert alert.

Skirt: Rewind, Kohl's; Boots: Penny Loves Kenny, Amazon

Top: Simply Vera, Kohl's

Branching out.

Bag: Fashion Express, JCPenney

Old trinkets of the trove.

Whenever I post a new crop of fits, I search for what ties them together.  Sometimes it's a no-brainer.  Other times, my mind is as empty as a clearance rack the day after Christmas.  But I'm always determined to find a common thread (pun intended) anyway.  So I scrutinized the fits in this trio.  Sure, they're rustic and moody, befitting autumn's melancholy.  But that wasn't what I was after.  So I persevered and pondered and figured it out.  Because this hodgepodge has -- and this will get weird, but then again, when does it not? -- hints of harvest hues, namely pumpkins, plums, and pickles.  Or, if you're a stickler, pumpkins, beets, and gourds.  But I wouldn't eat a gourd, and neither should you.

Which gets us out of -- and into -- that pickle.

Turning Over a New Leaf: Upward and Autumn

Top: Simply Vera, Kohl's 

Emboldened Arches Necklace

Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bow: Wild Fable, Target; Sunglasses: So, Kohl's

Bag: Mellow World, Kohl's

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Top: Nine West, Kohl's

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Skirt: Rewind, Kohl's

Cozy Colors Necklace

Bow: Wild Fable, Target; Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's

Sweater: ModCloth

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's

So, this was the first week of fall.  And a funny thing happened.  Instead of saying, it's still hot, I'll keep wearing fruits and flowers until the first frost, I reached for plaids and corduroy.  The resulting fits were even brighter than some of my summer ensembles, making me wonder, wait, do I like fall?  

I was as gobsmacked as you are.  

It just goes to show that you can always grow.  Even if it means finally admitting that you loved something all along.