Best of October

| Book | 
I just finished reading Dead Wake and it was very good. It took me pretty much the whole month to read it, but that was because it was so busy with school. It was about the sinking of the Lusitania so if you like history books I would totally recommend it. 
  | Boots | 
I got these boots from DSW and I am in love. The structure is great and I love the little buckle on the side. My only complaint is that they are so dark that they look a little werid against black leggings. I know I will be wearing these boots a bunch this year. See an outfit with them here. 

| Scarf | 
I love plaid scarves. They are so perfect for fall. You can just add them to any outfit. These Old Navy scarves are suprisingly soft and really big. They take the term blanket scarf to a whole new level. See an outfit with it here!

| Hat | 
When I got this hat I knew it would be perfect for fall. The red color reminds me so much of the leaves that this is the only hat I have been wearing. I wore it every weekend to the farmer's market. These hats in general are a little more structured that than the other ones, but I really like how it looks. 

| Socks | 
The entire summer I was looking forward to wearing my ragg socks again. I don't know why I love them so much, but boy I do. Now that the weather is cooling down I wear them almost everyday no matter what shoe I am wearing. They are just so comfy and soft that this is the only kind so sock I like to wear. (other than christmas socks)

| Cliff Bar |
I decided to try this Cliff Bar on a whim. It takes the claim of "spiced" very seriously. The bar doesn't have a strong pumpkin taste but it is a fun alternative to other bars for the fall. 

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

This week wasn't anything special. Saturday was about the only good day of the week. There isn't anything wrong with the rest of the week, but it just wasn't anything great. The only eventful part was the fact that I had two college interviews. One was kind of awkward, but the other one was so great. It went on for almost three hours! Here is the rest of my week:

|1|

This weekend's farmers market was the last one of the year. I really love the farmer's market so I am going to miss it. It was always a time where my mom and I could just spend sometime together. I also loved trying new foods and just people watching. I am already excited for it to start next summer!

|2|

This weekend we raked the leaves in my yard. Somehow it seems that our trees got so much bigger this year. Raking leaves has always been one of my favorite things, so it was a great way to avoid writing college essays. I also chose this pictures because my dog looks so weird but it also shows the size of our huge pile. 

|3|

Finally I got my senior pictures! I love them. I feel like I have been waiting forever to get them. I will have a post up next week of the pictures that I bought. Senior pictures were one the things I was most looking forward to about this year. I am really pleased with how everything worked out!

Have a great week!

xoxo,

Maddie

Agenda Organization

I have finally figured out exactly how I am going to organize my agenda this year. It might of taken about 2 months but I am really happy with it. I typically start each year by planning out what colors to make different things. I use several different colors so it is easier for me to tell what is what. Here is what each of the colors mean:

Orange: Out of School Activities

Purple: School Activities

LIght Green Special School Days

Pink: Sports

Dark Green; No Homework

Light Purple; Homework

Blue: Tests

Magenta: To Do List

This is my monthly view. For the months I try to add in any sports I have to do (none in October), volunteering, and anything else that could be deemed important. I like to use this to make sure I don't plan too many things around the same time.

My weekly view is where I put all of my homework. I make sure to add everything I need to do. I love the different colors because it so really easy to tell if I need to study for a test or if I have homework. Since I have started this system of color coding, I haven't missed any assignments or forgotten about tests.

That is an overview of how I organize my agenda. I know all of the colors can seem to be a little much, but it has helped me so much. I would totally recommend coming up with a system of your own to keep your agenda in order. 

Let me know if you any questions!

xoxo,

Maddie

Layered Up for Fall

| Scarf | Vest | Shirt | Leggings | Socks | Boots |

     I finally got a pair of LL Bean Boots this year! I had been wanting a pair for a while. I was never sure about getting a pair of boots so expensive, especially when I already had the Sperry version. I definitely made the right choice. For being a winter boot, they are super comfortable and I know I will wear them a ton when it snows. 

     BTW, this scarf is my all time favorite. Coming from a place where winter lasts for at least 5 months, I have a lot of scarfs, but this is by far the best. I wear it so often that I that I have to make to skip a week or two in the winter so I don't wear it to school every week. When unfolded, it is longer than I am tall, it is so soft, and best of all it is plaid. Old Navy came out with a bunch of new colors this year and I know I will have to get myself at least one new one.

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

This past week was pretty typical, ie a ton of school stuff. The most exciting thing that happened was I had an interview for one of the colleges I applied to. I was pretty nervous about it, but it was totally fine. In the next couple of weeks I have a bunch of college related things going on. With that, here is my week!



|1|

I got a pair of bean boots for this year and I love them! They are surprisingly comfortable. I also have the Sperry version of these and I have to say that I like the LL Bean boots better. I love how these lace up unlike the Sperry ones. I would totally recommend you get a pair if you don't have one already, but get them quick before they are back ordered!

|2|

I feel like all I am doing these days is writing college essays. By deciding to apply to 10 colleges I really did this to myself, but that doesn't stop me from complaining about how much work it is. Most of my weekends involve sitting at a computer trying to write a stellar essay. The hardest part about writing these essays is knowing that I am going to have to wait until April to find out where I get in. Wish me luck!

|3|

Did you check out Tuesday's post on the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes? If not you better! These pancakes were the highlight of my weekend. I want to have them again so badly. They were the epitome of fall and the perfect way to start any day!

Have a great week!

xoxo,

Maddie 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes

 Pumpkin is not always my favorite food, but boy, do I love pumpkin baked goods with chocolate. My mom (check out her blog) decided this weekend to try these pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes that she had found while reading cooking blogs. Let me tell you, these are amazing! These pancakes were delicious because it wasn't overwhelmingly pumpkin and the chocolate chips add a sweetness to them. The only thing I would change about the recipe would be to add a little more chocolate chips, but other than that these were perfect. Now if only I could have these every weekend.

This recipe comes from Half Baked Harvest. I would recommend you check out Tieghan's blog. Her pictures looking amazing and the food she makes is to die for.

Ingredients:2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
4 tablespoons browned butter or melted butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
      In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, butter, maple syrup and vanilla. If your pumpkin puree is thick and not mixing well, just blend the all the wet ingredients together in a blender.

     Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix the batter until just combined. It's OK if there are lumps in the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the batter and set aside for 10 minutes.

      Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add butter, or spray with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup pancake batter on the center of the hot pan and gently spread the batter to form a circle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Using a spatula, gently flip the pancake over and cook the other side for a minute, or until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter

(I love to add maple syrup to everything, and it was great on these pancakes)

What a perfect way to start a fall morning!

xoxo,

Maddie

Boots & Scarves

| Dress (Similar ) | Sweater(similar)  Scarf | Boots |

Fall is for layers.There is no other time of year that is better for throwing on a couple layers and still being able to wear your outfit without a coat. This is one of the first years that I have owned causal dresses like this, so I am really liking being able to wear them with a sweater and look cute for school. It has been particularly chilly this past week so adding a scarf has been a must for every outfit. I have two interviews for college this week and I think I am going to wear this outfit. They are at a coffee shop so I this would be a perfect look. 

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,

Maddie