yeah, you kinda do! really.

it's true. you guys deserve to hear it and I don't say it enough but thank you so much for reading this blog and all of your sweet comments. when i started blogging I never thought I'd end up here one day and I am so happy to have a faithful readership who is interested in our lives and comes back for more.

as i am quickly approaching the 500 follower mark I am planning a big giveaway for you all to say thank you. i've already lined up a few blogs and businesses who will be offering some pretty awesome prizes :)) but there is always room for a few more. this is a great way to gain new followers and exposure for your blog or shop.

sooooo, if you would like to be a part of this with your blog or shop or have a question, just send me an email at askforge@gmail.com
don't wait too long since this giveaway will go live once we get to 500.

and just fyi: all giveaways will have their own rafflecopter set-up(on the same day), so no one gets lost in the crowd.

sweater weather

sweater: gap, jeans: ae, shirt: ae, belt: h&m, socks: sockdreams.com, boots: timberland 

yes, you guessed it: i wore this picking out pumpkins at the farm.

i was happy to get out these boots from last year and get them a tad more worn in. i love nicely worn in boots but it always takes forever to get them to that point. 

the weather was also just the right temperature to wear a thick wool sweater instead of a coat. 

it's like that part of fall always seems to come to an end much faster than i'd like and then it's back to covering up with several layers and a heavy coat on top. 

we are back from toronto tonight and I can't wait to share all about the trip :) 

the truth about pumpkins

no, that picture did not get in there accidentally...
this is the truth about pumpkin picking and trying to get one decent looking picture with my son.
i swear it is impossible!

but yes, we went to pick out a few pumpkins last week. lovely, bright orange, overpriced pumpkins in virtually any size imaginable.
we always go to a local farm that also has weekend festivities throughout the fall. to avoid the crowds and because we had nothing better to do on a wednesday night we put on our warmest sweaters and off we went.

logan wasn't really interested in the pumpkins but rather fond of a bright red, antique tractor. this kid has and will be around tractors all of his life. if it has a motor he's gonna go check it out. if it can be steered he will steer it.

so yeah, instead of the pictures I had imagined of him carrying around his pumpkins I got him riding the tractor, steering the cart and of course picking through rocks and mulch. oh well, I'll take it!

finally, i have to admit that seeing my two guys walking together, wearing the same shoes gave me the warm fuzzies infinitely more than any display of pumpkin affection could ever have.

3 ways to wear a safari jacket

today you can find me over here sharing some inspiration for how to wear a safari or army jacket (whichever you'd like to call it) :)

to toronto

well, we are currently enjoying a very spontaneous road trip to toronto. the canada one. 

life has been hectic and quite surprising at times so we decided to leave it all behind for a few days with a little change of scenery. if you've been reading this blog for a while you already know we like to travel so nothing new there. 

we went from planning a 1-2 night getaway just the man and I, to a trip to D.C., to toronto with a stop in NYC on the way back, to how about disney world (man those orlando hotels were cheap), to no let's actually be reasonable and just drive to toronto and back. 

ha! yes, we are crazy. no really it's just yours truly. 

sooooo, long story short, while we are gone I have a few posts scheduled for you and then I'll be back by the end of the week with hopefully a ton of toronto pictures. 

now go stare at the animated gif for a while. am I the only one that has to stare at those for like forever?
the photographer man told me to purse my lips (which is one of my biggest pet peeves when looking at fashion blogger photos by the way) so I eventually gave in... enjoy ;)

knot that shirt

jeans: AE, tank: old navy, shirt: AE, sandals: old navy, necklace: aerie

this outfit is from last week before things got crazy. we grabbed dinner as a family for the first time in weeks and it was pleasantly warm so I got the sandals back out.
i also immediately dyed my roots after I saw these pictures... my hair has been a big pain lately. i think i'm ready for a change. bangs maybe? any suggestions?

also, and just to make this post even more random, i can't tell you how amazing it feels to have my man home after such a busy baseball season. he won't be working as much during the off season so we'll be able to just spend time together as a family.
it's so strange to have him around to eat dinner with us every night. i'm sure logan is still quite confused as well. i'm just glad not to be a "single" parent anymore :)

recipe: sweet fall harvest casserole

sorry, i dropped off the face of the earth there for a few days... we've had a lot going on lately. 

i won't bore you with the details but most importantly, Jason is finally home for the off-season so instead of following my blogging duties I slacked off and snuggled up to my man, trying to make up for the past 6 months. i'm sure you understand :) 

if you follow me on instagram, which you totally should by the way ;), you may remember me posting a picture of this deliciousness and threatening to post the recipe here. well, those threats were real! 

be warned that you may never want to eat another fall dessert after this... ok, you were warned.

here is what you'll need for 8 servings and an 8x11 baking dish

ingredients: 

• 1/2 butternut squash
• 2 large apples
• cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 pinch of salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon of flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp margarine or butter, melted

topping

• 4 ounces of vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)

bring a large pot of water to a boil. while you're waiting, cut the squash in half. use a spoon to remove the seeds and peel the skin with a potato peeler. be careful not to chop your fingers off ;)

cut the squash into cubes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. drain the squash and mash it well. 

peel the apples and slice them up. add a dash of cinnamon. set aside.

in the 8x11 casserole dish combine the mashed butternut squash, white sugar, vanilla extract, milk, dash of salt, flour, 2 tbsp melted margarine and eggs. mix it all well and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. 

in a mixing bowl prepare your topping by combining crushed vanilla wafers, brown sugar and melted margarine. i usually put the vanilla wafers inside a large freezer bag and use the rolling pin to crush them. pretty mess free. 

after 25 minutes remove from oven and layer apples on top. return to the oven for another 15 minutes. 

sprinkle topping over top and brown for 5 more minutes. 

enjoy!!!

recipe adapted from allrecipes.com