Girls Trip: Portland, ME

I believe in girls trips, making time for those important female friendships!
This year we went to Portland, ME and did some leaf peeping. Yes, this is the actual New England term for seeing the leaves change colors. 

It was non-stop catch time and sightseeing in between. 

Places to See & Things to Do:

1. Portland Head Lighthouse: Iconic and beautiful no matter what time of the year.
2. Breweries: There are so many up in Portland it will take you all day to check them out. We went to Rising Tide. Tasty beers and a food  truck for snacks!
   
   
3. Downtown Portland: There are a ton of shops offering unique gifts and other commercials stores. It is fun to get a little lost in the shopping and take in the scenery. Be careful tough it is hillier than you think!
   
4. L.L. Bean flagship store: There is a giant bean boot at the front entrance and expansive selections. It is about 20 minutes north of downtown Portland.
   

Places to Eat:

1. Holy Donuts: Giant donuts! Need I say more? They also have vegan and gluten free options! The line was out the door for this tiny donut shop but worth the wait. They also have fun coffees and to die for breakfast sandwiches! 
   
   
   
   
   
2. Empire: Super yummy Chinese tapas. Perfect for a night of trying new things and sharing. The cost was super reasonable after we split everything between the five of us!
   
   
3. Food Trucks: Bite Into Maine. We grabbed some yummy and generous lobster rolls from this food truck and it did not disappoint! There are five different ways to get your roll and I went with the smokey Chipotle!
   
   
4. Taco Escobar: Fun and creative take on taco night! Their margaritas were also supper delicious! Be warned like most of the restaurants, this place is tiny, but worth the wait.Fun bartenders if you just want to grab a drink!
   
   
   
5. LFK: Bar snacks and pre or post dinner drinks! This place has a funky local vibe and is great while you might be waiting on a table elsewhere!
6. HOT SUPPA: Southern Style (New Orleans inspired) brunch! The line was out the door for this place, but moved pretty quickly. The farm to table menu was the brunch menu one dreams of! 
   

Shop What I Wore:  

Pumpkin Time

Between all the traveling Jared and I have been doing we haven't had a fall weekend at home together to get our pumpkins. I was able to get an earlier flight back from Vegas to give me a full two days home before my next (and last for the year) work trip!

There is a little church by our house that always does a cute pumpkin patch. The a portion of their proceeds goes to mission work so we love that our pumpkin obsession helps out others too. 

 

 

So excited to carve our little orange pumpkin next weekend. 

Light a fire and drink a little cider.

Shop my top look below:

Target October Finds

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and Target is helping to make my fall dreams come true. Comfy sweaters, cute shoes and new bedding are at the top of the list.

Shop below the items I have purchased and some I have my eye on for this October!
Especially Chrissy Teigen's Target collaboration!

Cotton Pickin' Fair

The first weekend in October is one Jared and I always look forward to. In the eight years we have been together we have only missed one of the fall fairs. We attended a wedding and it wasn't possible to do both in one day, otherwise we would have been there!

First Year (2011)

This year (2018)

Our pose hasn't really changed!

The Cotton Pickin' Fair is held in Gay, GA, about 40 minutes south of Atlanta. The fair has been taking place for forty years and benefits organizations in Meriwether County. Jared's family has been attending as long as he can remember.

 Their beloved 'Paw Paw' who's masonic lodge runs the BBQ Barn to this day introduced the family to the fair. Jared's dad and his siblings help carry on the family tradition by lending a hand every year at the fair. The fair takes place twice a year, the first weekend in May and the first weekend in October. 

Whenever I say that I am attending the fair, the first question I get is if you actually pick cotton. The answer is no,  but they do have wagons of cotton that has already been unseeded for you to pick!

Vendors come from far over offering a variety of antiques, crafts,food and clothes. There is something for the whole family and the fall show is a great time to get decorations and unqiue gifts for the upcoming holidays! We got two Christmas ornaments this year. 

We cannot get enough of the time we get to spend with family and the excitement that the fall fair brings!

Fall Hats

I never used to have an obsession with hats, because I have what I consider a larger head combined with a ton of thick hair. I have finally found a brand that creates sizing for all head types without having to get a custom hat made.

Brixton hats are sold at Nordstrom and on Amazon. They are worth the quality! I typically am a medium so make sure to read the sizing reviews before purchasing.

I've linked my new fall hat along with a few of my other favorites that I tried on!

Shop below: