The Autumnal Equinox is Thursday, September 22nd. As summer says a final goodbye, the leaves are merely beginning to transition through technicolor states of being, and slowly drifting to settle on the sidewalks. To get us all ready for the crisp air and cozy weather, I’ve compiled a list of all things Autumn!
Authors & books to dig into, preferably with a candle burning & your favorite blanket hugging you:
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Harry Potter — A fall classic that will remind you of your childhood, and that time you dressed up as an HP character for Halloween.
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Edgar Allan Poe — My love for Poe dates way back, but it creeps back in during these chilly months. Find a compilation of his works at your local bookstore or the library, or you can just google him and find some of his most well-known pieces for free online.
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Stephen King — An obvious one, but I can’t leave him off this list. Pick up your old copy of It and live through the terrors all over again, for the sake of the season.
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Coraline by Neil Gaiman — You’ve probably seen the movie, but have you read the book? Gaiman has a way with words that will bring the story back to life, no matter how many times you’ve watched the film.
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Agatha Christie — Mystery novels are a must, and Christie does it like no other.
- H.P. Lovecraft — If you’re into horror, but prefer the smell of old books and relish in the sound of crinkling pages, go pick up a Lovecraft story from the library.
Music to listen to as you walk to class with leaves crunching underfoot:
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Amadeus — Family and Friends
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Spirit Cold — Tall Heights
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Arizona — Frances Cone
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The Breach — Dustin Tebbutt
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Love You More — Joel Baker
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Holland — Novo Amor
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Jolene — Ray LaMontagne
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Family — Noah Gundersen
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I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) — Sleeping At Last
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Roses — MacKenzie Bourg
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Bloom — The Paper Kites
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Welcome Home, Son — Radical Face
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On the Frame — Beta Radio
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Ripple — Grateful Dead
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Cecilia And The Satellite — Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
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Boardwalks — Little May
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Across the Sea — The Sweeplings
Clothes to buy to begin to transition out of your summer wardrobe:
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Vegan leather mini skirt, like this one from Nasty Gal
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Quirky graphic tees, like this one
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A silky bomber jacket, found here
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A camo muscle tank, found at, guess where? Nasty Gal!
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Take the mini skirt up a notch with some animal print
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Skorts are back and better than ever, and this one will stand out at every party
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For a fancier evening, keep it simple & fun with this dress
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Switch up your usual black leggings with something like this from Free People!
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And find a bra to match, here
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Another legging option for those hot yoga classes that are suddenly not as unbearable as they were in the summer can be found right here
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To complete whatever look you’ve got going, a cute headwrap for class, yoga, or a night in watching AHS
Things to watch to get you excited for all things orange, yellow, and black:
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American Horror Story
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Wednesdays @ 10 PM on FX
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Scream Queens
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Tuesdays @ 9 PM on Fox
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Sleepy Hollow on Netflix
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Practical Magic on Netflix
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Harry Potter (I know, I’m obsessed, but, I mean, you have to! Fall is miraculously magic, and Harry Potter has the most magical movies in this world.)
Adventures to embark on to take in all the autumnal beauty surrounding us in Colorado:
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Maroon Bells, Crater Lake hike in Aspen, CO
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My dad and I took this one on last fall, and it’s forever one of my favorite hikes. It’s not terribly grueling, but it is terrifyingly beautiful. You’ll find yourself surrounded by Aspens in an abundance of fall colors, and the air seems crisper here than anywhere else I’ve ever traveled.
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Estes Park / Rocky Mountain National Park
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For a shorter road trip, travel to Estes or Rocky Mountain National Park for a variety of hikes for all levels of adventurers.
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Nederland
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Only 17 miles or so west of Boulder, Nederland is full of wide open spaces for you and your friends to explore.
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The Boulder Farmers’ Market
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Keep it close to home, and still find yourself surrounded by pumpkins, apples, apple butter, and sunflowers!
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And to finish setting the crisp, crunchy mood, some pretty lil’ words to take with you:
“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” — Sarah Addison Allen
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
— Albert Camus
“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
— Henry David Thoreau
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
— Lauren DeStefano
“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like
they’re falling in love with the ground.”
— Andrea Gibson
“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”
— J.K. Rowling
“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.”
— John Donne
“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.”
— William Cullen Bryant
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne
“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke
“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”
— Humbert Wolfe