apple picking || falling into fall

My family went apple-picking one Sunday afternoon when the weather was fall-like and we wanted some adventure. We got a basket-full of apples, fed catfish at the pond, and sipped cider slushes afterwards.

Here's some pictures from our afternoon....

//

My good friend Bethany is doing a fall blog party over at her blog Giveaways of Blessing. This is the tag from the first day. So, here's my answers to the FALLing into Fall Tag. Ya'll be sure to check out her blog!

1) What's your favorite season? (Don't be afraid to answer any season other than fall, if it's truly your favorite season!)

For me, it's a tie between autumn and spring. This year, though, I think I'm leaning more towards fall.
  

2) What's your favorite part of autumn?

  

Oh! I like a lot about fall! The nice weather, the pumpkin-everything, the family traditions, watching for the leaves to turn colors (and the excitetment when they do), I could go on and on. :)

3) What's your favorite memory of autumns past?

Probably the memories I have of going to the pumpkin patch with family. We would get lost in the corn maze with our cousins and hunt for the perfect pumpkin. (Actually, this is stiill one of my favorite things about fall.) 

  

4) What's some of your favorite autumn foods?

Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins, pumkin spice lattes...pretty much anything and everything pumpkin. My new favorite is a cider slush! Oh, it's delicious. Also, the meal at Thanksgiving (i.e. green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, etc.).

  

5) What's some of your favorite things to do in the autumn days?

Well, when I'm not doing school, I like to curl up with a good book. When the weather is enticing I love to do that outside while drinking some hot cocoa.

6) What's your favorite autumn wardrobe additions? (Scarfs, gloves, socks, jackets, leggings, etc.)

Hands-down sweaters and scarves. I love adding a scarf to an outfit and sweaters are pretty much my favorite.

  

7) Does your family have any autumn traditions? (Pumpkin patch picking, Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc.)

The pumpkin patch, which I've already metioned, as well as Thanksgiving dinner (with all the family) at our house, and the party at church (instead of Halloween).
  

 8) Hot cocoa or apple cider? Do you like to add anything to it such as marshmallows or ice cream?

 Hot cocoa!! Right now, I enjoy it plain (as I'm dairy-free at the moment).

9) Pecan pie or pumpkin pie? Why?

Pumpkin pie, absolutley. Because I really haven't liked nuts at all until this year and there's somthing so deliciously creamy and crunchy about a pumpkin pie warm out of the oven with golden-brown crust.

10) Which is your favorite month, September, October or November? Why?

I'd have to say October or November. Because October is the first month that is exclusively autumn, but November includes Thanksgiving and the excitment for Christmas starts to mount.

SUNday style

top: target, skirt: target, belt: target, sandals: target, earrings: claire's

...nope, I don't like target at all ;)

Happy September, everyone! With the new school year nearly here and fall quickly approching, I always have new goals and ideas for the upcoming season. Recently I've been thinking about this little ol' blog of mine. I have a sort of new vision for what I want to put here that will hopefully take less time and make posting a little more steady. More structure, something you can count on, and something I can use my time efficently on. So, what will this mean? More outfit posts! Hopefully a recipe, tutorial, or two. And I still plan to continue with the 5 on 5 every month for 2013, as well as the thankful lists, and you'll probably see and awkward & awesome now and then. Mainly, I'm thinking the difference will be the amount of outfit posts. So, this is kind of a trial run and we'll see how it goes. :) Also, enjoy the new design!

On to the post...this is the outfit I wore to church yesterday. A maxi skirt! I borrowed one from my aunt two years ago and went and got the same one just a few days ago. (Actually, I found the tag still on it towards the end of church :P) I'm looking forward to finding different ways to style it for fall and winter.

Happy Labor Day!

Go here to see skirt & dress inspiration.

friday favorites

...also, some pictures of me and my sisters with some starbucks. you're welcome. ;)

this pin [x]

this post on how to become a book reviewer [x]

blueberry cheesecake ice cream [x]
this pretiness [x]

going to the fair (more pictures to come on the blog) [x]
this fall outfit [x]
this quote/painting [x]
this look [x]

a new chapter | haley jane

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

-C.S. Lewis

"I read once in a book that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I've never been able to believe it. I don't believe a rose would smell as sweet if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage."

-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Here it is. Haley Jane is up and running and I am so excited to share it with you all. It was time for some "sprucing up" around here. And not just a new design. A new look, a new feel, and a new name. I think blog names are important. My own name seemed to be the obvious choice, because, well, it will always be relevant to this blog. Because there is no exact theme to it. It is a little sad to be saying good-bye to Chapter Thirteen., but I am oh-so-excited for this change. 

I hope to "break the mold" as far as posts go, though it will be gradual. I'm looking forward to incorporating some new things (don't worry -- there will still be the same ol' things here, as well). I'm hoping to explore some more sorts of things I can put on here, and really just be better at documenting, being open and realistic.

I'm looking forward to this new chapter.

springtime on the farm.

raspberries are good. really good.

There's four fluffy kittens underneath the floorboards in the hay shed. They're getting curious and have figured out how to get out from their hole. The mulberries on the tree in the front yard are sour right now, but they'll soon be ripe and juicy, staining faces and the bottom of feet with their sweet, purple nectar. There's a strawberry bed in the garden, full of verdant flourishing plants. There's colorful butterflies flitting and hovering over the grass. There's zinnia sprouts in the flower bed. The brome fields are bright green. There's little speckled eggs and two tiny squirmy baby birds in the birdhouse. There's pink and white little wild flowers scattered along the side of the road.

I love springtime on the farm.

And now there's a calf in the east pin. Her name is Dolly -- Dolly Bright. She's a little blonde calf that Addy and I take care of now. We named her Dolly after Anne of Green Gables' cow. It was fitting. Do you know what Anne's cow does? She gets out of her pin -- then they have to chase her. Which is exactly what we did. Oh, the adventures we have. Ha! Dolly ran down our road with strength and speed we didn't know such a skinny, orphaned cow could have. Thankfully, though, Addy flagged down a man who was driving down the road, he happened to be a cowboy. This morning he found Dolly and brought her back.

...

Also, do you like the new design? This one is specifically special because this is my first attempt at conquering minima.

Happy Friday!

answers

What is your favorite band/singer/song? 
I really don't have specific favorites. Some I like are Anthem Lights, Britt Nicole, Francesca Battistelli, and Needtobreathe.


What is one thing that sets you apart from other people? 
Hmm...I guess one way I'm "different" from some people is that I'm homeschooled. Not that it sets me apart, but it's one way I'm different from some.

Do you knit or crochet? 
I knit a scarf once...and I've started and stopped many knitting projects ;) I'm trying to learn to crochet.


What kind of movies do you like? 
I'm usually drawn to any movie with a log cabin, an older era, great characters, humor, a good plot, and a happy ending.


When did you start blogging? 
I started blogging in May 2011. But most of ya'll have only know me since early September, when I made Chapter Thirteen a public blog.

What inspires you most? 
It's hard to pin-point one thing that inspires me. Books, movies, people, blogs, and everyday life all inspire me.

What is your favorite Bible verse? 
I've always liked Revelation 22:13. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Rain, snow, or sunshine? 
Sunshine all the way!


What are you favorite books? 
I like the Viking Quest series, the Millie Keith A Life of Faith books, Janette Oke's books, and I'm really liking the Anne of Green Gables books that I'm currently reading. 


What is your favorite color? 
Confession: I've never been able to pick one color I like best and if I do, it'll be changed the next day.


Do you like the Anne of Green Gables movies? 
I can't even count how many times I've watched the Anne of Green Gables movies. So yes, I do like them. A lot ;)

What is your favorite meal to cook? 
I do more baking than cooking, but when I do I like making the Olive Cheese Bread from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook.


What do you like taking photos of the most? 
I'm usually drawn photo journalism.

What is your dream job? 
Something that would combine missionary and photographer (remember...dream job ;).

What is your favorite quote?

One of my favorites..."There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still." -Corrie ten Boom

What are three things you can't live without? 
1) Jesus 2) Family 3) Chocolate

What's you favorite day of the week?
There's really not a day of the week I don't like, but I'm partial to Sundays.

What was your favorite memory of being thirteen?
The trip to Colorado and going to Virginia.

Besides Kansas, where would you live?
Prince Edward Island in Canada.

What is your favorite dessert?
My mom's homemade brownies.

What blogs do you like reading?
Under the Sycamore, Pastor's Girl's Ponderings, and Aspire. You can see some more of my favorites here.

What gave you the idea/inspired you to start a blog?
At first when I started Chapter Thirteen it was a place to dump all my photos and keep in touch with family. So that was the original idea. And I'd looked at other's blogs and thought maybe I could try it.

Do you like being homeschooled?
Very much.


What's your new crochet project?
I'm attempting to make a granny square, haha.


How's the driving coming along?
I'm getting ready to read the handbook and going towards getting my permit.

Do you have any new kittens?
Not right now, but we think one of our cats may have some soon :)

//

Thanks for all the questions! Happy weekend!

-haley

ask me a question or two

It's that time again! 

I've been needing to update my questions page for sometime now. Do ya'll have any new questions you'd like to ask me? Leave them in a comment or drop me an email. I'll answer them in a post soon!

Happy Monday!

-haley

awkward and awesome thursday

awkward

-Going to the gym for the first time. (Oh trust me. It was comical.)

-Consistently sleeping through your alarm, ha.

-Trying and failing to use the word sullen in a sentence. "Ok people, it really is a word. It fits better printed in a book than said aloud."

-Fighting auto correct.

-Waving back at someone then realizing they were waving at the person behind you. That totally happened.

-Using sour cream in a recipe for something sweet. Somehow that's not right, but it didn't turn out half bad.

awesome

-Making banana bars for Bible Study snacks.

-A fresh supply of books.

-Sunday mornings.

-This video and all the Messy Monday videos. So, so funny. Made my day.

-Pretty masking tape (here).

-Pictures

(and just for the sake of real life, the dishes...)

Happy Thursday!

(about awesome and awkward thursday: here)

-haley