We’re almost all the way into the first week of fall and it still feels like the dog days of summer here in Houston. Even if the weather doesn’t change anytime soon, I’m here to help y’all enjoy the autumnal season and all of its glory today with River Oaks Shopping Center. I’m rounding up four different ways I like to welcome this colorful and cozy time of year below. I’m also sharing a bit of fall fashion inspo and my favorite current reads too. Head on down for a festive blog post that will have you craving all things pumpkin by the time you reach the end!
1. Sip on a Pumpkin Spiced Delight
Because you know you want to! The taste of cinnamon and pumpkin brings me to that happy place where I think of crisp fall air, leaves trickling down from the treetops and bonfires burning somewhere off in the distance. Even though I can’t necessarily have that experience here in Houston, I’ll still sip on a pumpkin flavored drink just so I can get a little bit closer to that nostalgic feeling of autumn.
And we all know there is a bit of debate going on surrounding the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Some say that anything pumpkin spice has become a “trend.” Well, that’s like saying it’s trendy to want ice cream come summertime! lol! River Oaks Shopping Center houses not one, not two, not three but FOUR brewers of Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spiced Lattes on its property. You can find one at either of the two traditional Starbuck’s across the street from each other at the corner of Shepherd and Grey. There’s another Starbucks inside Barnes & Nobles and a fourth down the way inside the famous art deco Kroger. Giving you all the opportunity in the world to get your pumpkin spice fix!
2. Browse Barnes and Noble for a Good Book
It may be 95 degrees outside, but I’m still lighting that pumpkin scented candle and curling up under a cozy throw with a good book in hand. I like to get my “fall on” anyway that I can!
I’m an avid reader and probably gobble up 2-3 if not more a month. Needless to say, Barnes & Noble is my absolute happy place. Ahhh … just the smell of all of those books, once I walk through the door, is pure bliss! I’ve been on a big historical fiction, fantasy, time travel, romance kick lately. (And when I say lately, I mean the past 10+ years!) Stacked up are a few books I’ve read within the past year or two that I can’t say enough good things about! Each of these novels was a pageturner that kept me up until the wee hours of the night too. Linking them all below in case your tastes happen to be similar to mine!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series
3. Scoop Up Sweaters & More for the Chilly Season Ahead
Yes, it isn’t quite sweater weather in Houston just yet … but by golly, it WILL come! I mean … by at least late November? The fashionista in me gets oh-so-excited once the fall trends start to appear in my favorite stores. I also like to grab pieces that I can’t live without or know will sell out early, prepping for the cooler weather ahead. And with all of the traveling we’ve been doing lately, it’s been nice to actually wear my favorite cool weather pieces sooner rather than later.
J.McLaughlin is one of my favorite places to shop for fall apparel, year after year. From the coziest cashmere sweaters to chic coats that will stay in style season after season – this River Oaks boutique is my go-to this time of year. Both my sweater and boyfriend jeans styled above are new from J.McLaughlin. Their clothes come in such great quality and are great for travel too. Every time I shop here, I tend to pick great neutral pieces that I can effortlessly mix and match on a trip. A few of my current favorites are below.
Oh and shout out about this reversible blue coat!! I brought this to Canada with me a few weeks ago and am packing it for our Ireland trip next week. I love that its actually two beautiful coats but takes up the space of one in my suitcase.
4. Bake Something Sweet to Share
Cooler weather always calls for warm tasty treats baked with love. But just because we don’t have that particular weather just yet, doesn’t mean we can’t pretend! I love to bake and cook … but I rarely actually get around to it, to be honest. For some reason when the season changes from summer to fall I find that I have this itch to bake pumpkin bread, cinnamon monkey cake, pumpkin pie .. you name it. If it’s some sort of fall-themed dish, I’m like, “Yes, I will bake you this season!”
Both Kroger and Sur La Table in River Oaks Shopping Center make it easier than ever for me to scratch that fall-baking itch! Both have entire sections with fall-themed decor and end caps offering seasonal specials to make your fall baking even easier. Excuse me while I go whip up Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread in a festive orange rimmed dish for any and every houseguest we might have this season!
What type of activities do you like to do to embrace the fall season, especially if you live in a warmer climate?
Thanks so much to River Oaks Shopping Center for helping me to feel like it’s fall and for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks to you all for supporting the brands that make Lone Star Looking Glass possible.
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xo, alice
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Photos by Ban Avenue
