There seems to be two types of people in the world: people who have hearts in their eyes when they think about autumn, and everyone else. Me, I like autumn just fine. I’m not someone who counts down the days of summer, just waiting for pumpkin spice lattes to return or anything – I find pumpkin spice anything to be a teensy bit vile, if I’m being honest here, and while I’m at it on controversial subjects, I don’t like ANY pie but pumpkin seems to me to be the worst – but autumn and I are on good terms.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Nicole’s Favourite Things, and so today, in honour of the season, I will tell you all about the things I love about fall. Some of these things might be products, but I am not being compensated by any company to write this post, and I received nothing for free.

With that disclaimer out of the way, and without further ado, I give you….

Nicole’s Favourite Things: FALLing in Love Edition

Thick Cozy Sweaters and Tall Boots

Much as I love spending the summer season in tank tops and skirts, there is just something so cozy about wrapping up in a big thick sweater. I love the trend towards long, flowy sweaters – they are so much more forgiving than the ones that graze your waistband and ride up, should you sit down and reveal the ravages of Thanksgiving dinner, or worse, your panties. Most of my sweaters are, of course, black, which makes mixing and matching very easy. However, this is what I’m wearing today.

It’s red! A red sweater! I feel like a big show-off – look at me in my red sweater! – but it’s all part of my gradual plan to add colour to my life. At this rate, when I’m 80 I’ll be in nothing but jewel tones. Changing the world, one sweater at a time. The above sweater is from the Gap, and I do love how they have online sales frequently, since the thought of actually going to the Gap and scrounging through piles of clothing to find the right size, and then standing in line for twenty minutes…well, it’s not appealing. Give me online shopping any day. The black cardigan is from Jacob, my all-time favourite store. Here’s a shopping hint: Jacob has killer Boxing Week deals, and yes, you can shop online. They also clear out all their sweaters in the spring, and it’s a great way to stock up on cozy (black) sweaters.

And boots! I have little ankle boots that I love, but tall boots are my favourite. As someone who is chronically cold, I like to be covered as much as possible as soon as the weather turns to “brisk” or “fresh” as they say in the fall. I wrote an entire post on boots, which I won’t repeat, but you can read it here. As an aside, every time I put on a certain pair of boots, I think of the fabulous salesman who told me I was “Puss in Boots”. It makes me stand a little taller, you know? Puss. In Boots.

Scarves

My mother-in-law quit smoking and as a result she pretty much knits all day long, which is to say I benefit from this. She knit me this scarf – which is one of six that she has made for me. I wore it today for the first time. Cozy!

Hmm. That’s not the greatest picture of it. I swear, I don’t look like Marie Antoinette in it. Or maybe I do, in which case, how fabulous. Who doesn’t like cake?

Speaking of cake…

Apples and Grapes, Oh My

My husband’s birthday is coming up and I’m going to be making this recipe, except as a layer cake, and with creamy chocolate frosting. Mmmm. What I should make for him, though, is apple crisp, since I have sixty pounds of apples and forty pounds of grapes in my cold storage room.

I brought these babies home from the Okanagan this weekend, and I have big plans. Ever since I got my food dehydrator back in March, I’ve been promising Jake that I would make grape fruit leather, come fall. The time has come. I’ve borrowed a friend’s juicer (thanks Rebecca!) and this weekend, it is going to be dehydration nation in the Boyhouse. I’m also straight up eating all the Concord grapes I can, which is leaving me with sore lips from all the acidity. But it’s worth it!

If you too have a plethora of apples, give this caramel sauce a try – or just read about the disaster that was my attempt at making caramel apples.

Decorative Gourds, Motherfucker

I cannot help it. I see a bag of cute decorative gourds in the supermarket, and I must have them. IT’S FALL, FUCKFACES. Too bad I don’t have a horn shaped bowl.