Isorhythm

Books Thomas Mann,  Der Tod in Venedig Richard H. Hoppin, Medieval Music Inna Naroditskaya, Bewitching Russian Opera: The Tsarina from State to Stage Der Tod in Venedig  is still ongoing, but I haven't been keeping a steady regimen. The same goes for Medieval Music . Inna Naroditskaya's Bewitching Russian Opera , however, is a page-turner. Clothes Mossimo Women's Solid Skater Dress in Dark Red Sam & Libby Dominique Pointed Toe Pump in Pewter J. Crew Factory Double Stripe V-neck Sweater in Cloud/Brilliant Coral J. Crew Factory Always Cardigan in Black J. Crew Factory Colorblock Boatneck Tee in Ivory/Navy J. Crew Factory Clare Cardigan in Champagne The dress and shoes were emergency purchases for a wedding I attended. I realized at the last minute that all my semi-formal wear was only spring/summer appropriate and definitely not warm enough for a November ceremony. Now that it's over, I'm thinking about altering the skirt to make it a more ...

Dress: ASOS; Cardigan: American Eagle; Belt: Target; Tights: Target: Boots: DV by Dolce Vita; Scarf: Gift; Earrings: World Market I'm going through one of those phases where I'm tired of everything in my closet. But I like this. I really like this.

Top: Anthropologie; Jacket: Custom; Skirt: H&M; Flats: Steve Madden I wore this to an academic conference last month. Everything needs to be tailored badly. I realized too late that most of the things I wear to work aren't professional enough for this kind of event.

Tunic: ModCloth; Skirt: Rafaello via TJ Maxx; Pumps: Mossimo via Target; Earrings: American Eagle I love to dress up more casual clothes. It feels like getting away with something I'm not really supposed to do. In college I became really good at dressing up pajamas. No one ever knew. These are the earrings I wore: Little bicycles make me feel like I'm getting a lot done.

Sweatshirt: Alternative Apparel; Tank: Target; Skirt: Loft; Flats: Alfani via Belk; Scarf: Gift This skirt is too big in both the waist and thighs but just right around the butt, a category too many of my mini skirts fall into. The result is a weird bell shape instead of a tailored look. I love the green tweed, though.

Sweater: American Eagle; Skirt: H&M; Tights: Target; Boots: Steve Madden; Scarf: Gift I didn't realize until I uploaded the pictures that they were all blurry, and this was well after I'd ditched the work clothes for sweats. But you get the idea. Besides, the blurriness gives it a ghostly effect, and it is awfully close to Halloween.

Sweater: Everlane; Skirt: Loft; Tights: Target; Boots: DV by Dolce Vita I'm still on the fence about the Big Bird tights, but they get so little wear and I figured there was enough mustard in the skirt to make them sort of go together. EDIT:  Actually, after more thought, I've decided I don't like this combination. Color-blocking fail.

Sweatshirt: Everlane; Skirt: Rafaello via TJ Maxx; Boots: Steve Madden via eBay; Scarf: Loft Outlet; Sunglasses: TJ Maxx I woke up on Tuesday thinking it was Wednesday, Wednesday thinking it was Thursday, and the cycle continued through the week. By Thursday, I was so ready for Friday that dressing up a sweatshirt felt almost mandatory. This one is so, so soft.

Dress: ASOS; Blouse: Everlane; Tights: Target; Boots: Steve Madden via eBay; Scarf: Street seller in Dublin It's finally beginning to dip below 70 degrees, so I'm starting the process of winterization by autumning up my summer dresses. These boots are hands down my favorite eBay purchase ever.

It was 80 and humid today. All I want is to pile on scarves, tights, boots, but alas. Top: Loft; Skirt: Rafaello via TJ Maxx; Heels: Nine West via DSW

Dress: Anthropologie; Cardigan: Gap; Tights: Target; Boots: DV by Dolce Vita It's been gray and rainy for the past four days. Boots and sweaters have been a must. And bears. I'm usually apprehensive about patterned pieces because I find them harder to mix-and-match, but I haven't regretted this dress purchase for a minute. I need a better way to take pictures than my Mac. I need a friend. That's what I need.

I've seen monthly recap posts on a few other blogs (namely here ), and I like the idea of looking back on what I've accomplished before flipping the calendar. September had a lot of stops and starts. Books Alan Light,  The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" Thomas Mann,  Der Tod in Venedig Boris Pasternak, trans. Max Hayward and Manya Harari,  Doctor Zhivago Light's being the only book I started and finished. I don't expect to be done with Mann any time soon, as I'm attempting to read it auf Deutsch. Clothes Everlane Classic Tote in Burgundy, $35.00 Weston Wear Bloomfall Peplum Tank, $39.95 Leifsdottir Delancey Trousers, $39.95 (possibly returning) Maeve Zola Shift in Navy, $49.95 Pesqueira Lola Dress, $59.95 I'd been eyeing the Zola shift (left) for weeks and was thrilled when it went on sale. It's light, has deep pockets, and is a perfect length for work. The Lola dress (...

Cook with seasonal vegetables. Knit warm, fluffy socks. Flavor things with pumpkin, cinnamon, sage, and cloves. Find places to walk and hike. Practice yoga every week. Practice flute or guitar everyday. Take more pictures. Be mindful and present.

I made it a priority this autumn to eat as many pumpkin and pumpkin-flavored things as possible. So I compiled a list of recipes, stocked up on organic pumpkin puree and pie pumpkins, and made as many pumpkin treats as I could in a single October. The recipe I was most excited to try was one I found, I'm not at all embarrassed to say, from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess via  The Geeky Chef -- Yeto's Superb Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Soup . I'd never paired pumpkin and goat cheese, but just the thought of doing so made my mouth water. The recipe looked a little bare but also easily modifiable, so I made significant alterations (different cheese, different squash, different spices). It's been delicious every time I've made it. Ingredients 1 small-to-medium pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1" cubes 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped 5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into quarters 4 c. chicken or vegetable stock ½ c. goat cheese, ...

So far this fall I've written several unfinished blog posts. I've stalled on my rigorous reading schedule, taking twice as long to finish Les Misérables than I probably needed. I've knit blanket patches for refugees, weeded too-large and too-small items from my wardrobe, and turned many squash into many soups. I've photo-documented much of this with the intention of uploading images to this blog, but as the days get shorter, it's become harder and harder to do anything but sleep after work. It's been an autumn of false starts. Within the next few weeks I'll be curating secret Christmas-gift Pinterest boards, planning for the new year, and baking with copious amounts of cinnamon.