Pumpkin Picking.

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
-L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Yesterday I spent my lunch break wandering through a nursery picking through the plethora of pumpkins. I've never waited this long to get pumpkins, but it's been a busy October for me. This has been the first full week of weather that truly feels like October, so it was a perfect time to pick a pumpkin. I picked up this big, oddly shaped, pale orange pumpkin and I can't wait to find a place for it in my living room. I think it has the perfect amount of personality!

October Movie List

I recently mentioned that I have a stack of movies that I pull out and try to go through every October...I guess it's sort of a tradition. Of course I don't really have time to watch twelve movies in a month anymore. In college I could play them while I was working on projects or studying, but now I'll watch a one on the weekend or maybe after work if I have the time. I had planned to share each film individually, but since it's already mid-October I just don't think that I'll have time to go through all of them. Besides, they're not just Halloween movies. You could watch them any old time.

(All images via Google image search)   
1. Hocus Pocus
2. Interview with the Vampire
3. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
4. Young Frankenstein
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
6. Sleepy Hollow
7. The Corpse Bride
8. Scream
9. Sweeney Todd
10.Practical Magic
11. Secret Window
12. Edward Scissorhands

Do you have any Halloween favorites that you watch every year?

Weekend Away: Bulldog Bash

This weekend was Bulldog Bash in Starkville, so of course we spent our weekend there. We drove over late Friday night and watched a little bit of The Black Crowes concert in the Cotton District and got to see a couple of people, but it was too hot to spend much time in the crowds. We really kicked off the weekend on Saturday morning with a hearty Southern breakfast, a few good friends, and lots of coffee at Starkville Cafe before walking around downtown.



Then we spent the afternoon tailgating in the Junction, visiting with family and some of our friends from college. We went out to the game—-our dear ol' State was playing LSU this weekend. Though it wasn't a pretty ending, it was a great night for a football game and the stadium was full of fans proudly wearing the maroon and white.



This morning we met up with MrLanke, as usual, for Sunday brunch before heading back to get ready for the work week. Today we went to Restaurant Tyler, filling up on mimosas and thoroughly unhealthy breakfast foods. Fried Green Tomato Benedict for me, Sausage Biscuit Benedict for the mister, and a French Toast Sandwich for Lanke.



On our way out of town, we stopped to get a big cup of Blueberry Cobbler coffee from Strange Brew to get us through the long drive home. I walked away for one minute and the mister had picked up a bag of The Great Pumpkin Spice for each of us. Then we drove home through the rain that's supposed to bring us some fall weather.

Young Frankenstein

You've all seen my list of Halloween movies, and tonight I picked Young Frankenstein. Anyone else love Gene Wilder? He's so fantastic—there's not much better than him as Willy Wonka in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. If you love to read as much as I do, check out his book Kiss Me Like A Stranger. I picked it up at a library sale a few years ago and it was pretty fantastic. Come to think of it, I'd love to read it again.

Anyway, if you've never seen Young Frankenstein, I recommend you find a copy and watch it as soon as possible. I guess you might need a certain sense of humor to appreciate the movie, but I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it. Here's a little clip:

Halloween Movie Nights

Last weekend I decided it was time to get out all of my Halloween(ish) movies and start watching them. It's like my own 13 Nights of Halloween! Somehow, when I went through all of them I forgot to grab The Corpse Bride! I have no idea how that happened, what with my love for Tim Burton films and all. A cold front came through Austin today, so it seemed like a perfect night to curl up on the couch after Grimm with a nice, hot cup of tea to watch it. Every time I watch it, I love this particular scene more and more—it's such a fun tune for a grim tale. 

Here's what the lineup looks like, though it seems I'm one short of 13:

Sweeney Todd

Hocus Pocus

Edward Scissorhands

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Interview with the Vampire

Young Frankenstein

Secret Window

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Sleepy Hollow

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Corpse Bride

Practical Magic

Maybe I'll fill that last slot with an old classic. Hitchcock, perhaps? What are your favorite Halloween films?

Semi-Homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Since it's the the season of all things pumpkin, I thought I'd whip up a batch of {semi-homemade} Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins. It's no secret that fall is my favorite season, so naturally I like to try cooking with pumpkin like everyone else. This is a really, really simple recipe—and they're light, too! 

1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix (I used sugar-free Devil's Food)

1 can Pumpkin Puree (I always use Libby's)

6oz of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix your cake mix and pumpkin puree on medium speed for 2-3 minutes—this makes your cupcakes a little fluffier. Then mix in most of the 6oz of chocolate chips. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill them almost to the top with batter. You can make regular sized muffins (3 WW points+ each) or mini muffins (1 WW points+ each). I made some of both. Right before you put them in the oven, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top, just for a little extra chocolate. Bake them for about 20 minutes and enjoy! Oh, and the leftover muffins are wonderful microwaved for about 8 seconds, just to make the chocolate chips good and gooey. 

Do you have any tasty pumpkin recipes for me to try? I'd love to see them!

Insta-October

Texas Pumpkins, Wacom Drawings, Tea + Scones, New Coffee Mugs, Halloween Movies, 

Nap Attack, Candy Corn Nails, Etsy Update, Mario Kart

What have you been doing lately?