Not everyone needs them, but I do. The change of the seasons, the turn of one cycle of nature to another.

It's a spiritual revolving for me. My faith has not been a direct, upward climb, but it has been and is a daily cleanse and a foundation of hope and a loud call to love more. With the arrival of autumn, the addition of color, the fall of the leaves, the crisp scent in the air, I am reminded of a deeper change within each of us.

The act of leaves moving from green to yellow or red to fallen forms of themselves, leaving behind a blank tree that must now weather the winter on its own, encourages me to strip away all that is unnecessary and unhelpful. And to remind myself of what I truly need to live the life I hope to.

From Peter Schineller, SJ:

It means a letting go, as the trees let go of their leaves. What are you called to let go of this season? Possessions? Grudges? Status? Can you shed them gently? When I was growing up there was a large tree on the corner of one of the streets in our neighborhood, which always turned red before the others--from the top down. There were other trees whose fallen leaves blanketed the grass with reds, oranges, and yellows. As with a tree that sheds its leaves, perhaps your letting go might make things more beautiful for the world.

How can the season invite you closer to God?

I have plenty that I want to shed this season - some of which I'll be sharing here on Pars Caeli. I'm taking a call from nature to dig into my roots and let go of what has served its time, and to grow stronger for all that is to come.

What will you let fall away? Can you shed it gently?

xoxo, MJ

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Oh, wait. That was written for another season...but I'm hacking it for fall. I will miss summer (you were so lovely this year), but I am ready to welcome autumn with its colors and cozy scents in a warm embrace.

So, happy fall, friends! As a family we made a list of adventures we want to enjoy together this season, similar to the one we created for the summer. This past weekend as we reminsced over our favorite summer memories, we also tallied up all our favorite aspects of fall. It's always good to have something to keep you moving forward! Looking back on our summer list, I am happily surprised by how many of these ideas we were able to do. We treat our bucket lists as great go-to ideas to make the most of the season with no pressure involved. 

Here in Indiana, there is so much to do as we transition to a time of harvest and get to the heart of what makes this land so wonderful.

Are you ready for apple dumplings, crisp and colorful leaves, and a whole lot of football? How do you celebrate the change of seasons?

xoxo, MJ

Y'all know I love the blogging community with the supportive, creative, hilarious women I have come to know and appreciate. And when I find excellence I'm just no good at keeping it to myself. I've had a handful of local friends lately ask me for new - and great - blogs to dig into in their spare time. For me, this sort of question is in the same line as tell me about your kids... I could go on and on.

And actually knowing the amazing people behind these blogs makes me love them that much more. If you're looking for recipes that taste and look great, create seasonal decor to inspire, or read the latest adventures of successful, smart, and sassy women...follow one of these greats.

Easy overnight cinnamon pull aparts from Melissa at Lulu the Baker.

Mommy Coddle published by Molly with her incredible pumpkin bread.

Joy sharing family secrets with yummy apple butter over on Frock Files.

Alexandra making things fun with upcycled sweater pumpkins over on Alexandra Hedin.

Gorgeous and good for you roasted carrots from Janae at Bring Joy.

Learn the fall essentials with Amy from This HeArt of Mine.

Now go.. and learn and create... and if you visit these ladies, tell them MJ sent you. :)

Happy weekend, friends. Let's make it a bright one.

xoxo, MJ

Happy Halloween, my friends!! It is raining and cold here which means it must be the day I send my children out in a thinner layer than ever to run through puddles and eat sugar! Whatever the weather may be by trick or treating, we are going to live it up.

Did you go carve or no carve on the pumpkins this year? Our crew wanted carved and painted. The beauty of painting is that it can be done weeks in advance and enjoyed for a long time. Our carving happened just a few days ago, but the impact is awesome of seeing the glow through my little's designs.

As the costumes get put away and the candy remains, what will you do with all of these pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns? Likely pitch them quickly... but here's something fun for your toddlers, preschoolers, and small ones.

Play Hammer the Pumpkin, borrowed right from the lessons of great preschool teachers Grab a few golf tees, a play hammer, and a pumpkin!

We used one of the smaller decorative pumpkins that was never carved or painted, but ripened pumpkins, gourds and even cut jack-o-lanterns work really well (especially for the smallest of hands).

For the first few holes, I got my preschooler, L, ready by starting the tees. And then he got really into it and for at least 30 minutes hammered away happily.

Beware, big sisters often want to get in on the fun, too.

I loved the final look of our hole-y pumpkin. I've tucked this process in my mental file as an easy way to make a polka dot pumpkin for next year, but until then, I decided to add some pizzazz to the final drilled pumpkin. The end effect reminded me of a PUNK in...something like metal washers scattered all around.

So save those pumpkins for just a bit so that your little ones can enjoy some hammering fun!

Happy Halloween, friends, and happy fall!

xoxo, MJ

Hi cuties,

Happy week to you. It's the last full one for September, and it's time to get your fall on. So far we have three oversized pumpkins on the stoop, a wreath on the door, and 3 large bags of apples hanging out in our kitchen. We're just beginning to crack open the wonder of autumn.

My pal, Renee, and I decided to get crafty last week, and we were choosing among some ideas we'd seen around the interwebs. Choices: yarn words, burlap placmemats, or concrete planters

With all the supplies ready at hand, we opted for.... drumroll please... the burlap placemats.

Renee was our shopper and purchased all that we needed (though it wasn't much) from the local craft store. Wanna do this craft date with a buddy of yours? Here are the simple ingredients:

• 3 yards of burlap - we made 10 placemats out of this amount with plenty spare.
• Paint - we had a variety of colors but opted for the black since it made the biggest statement against the brown texture
• Scissors
• Sharpies or stencils
• Fray stop or clear nail polish
• Patient friend (not required but makes it much more fun)

First we measured the size of a standard placemat and decided to cut ours to 14" x 18".

Renee has a beautiful home and even more beautiful children (three under the age of 4), and I'd like to take just a moment to thank her for hosting me and for putting up with my very crooked cutting of burlap.

We worked at her dining room table, and I laid out the fabric to get the best cuts. Inevitably the burlap would stretch and pull in one direction or another, and nice straight edges were no where to be found.

But! Never fret. Burlap is forgiving, and for this project we wanted to create a fringe... so we had a little wiggle room (and some repairing trims to do).

Burlap cut to size... To create the fringe on the placemats, pull one string on each edge until you achieve the desired length you'd like.

Next step adding the design. We both wanted words. Renee went with the names of her family members (except for baby E who might not yet appreciate burlap). I went with words of thanksgiving.

These dried really quickly, and we added some fray stop to the border. Simply turn the placemat over and trace along the entire perimeter.

We've been enjoying our new placemats since last week, and the kids have been intrigued with their words at each meal. I love the bit of texture and some homespun goodness all tied together with a fun friend project.

Renee and I had so much fun we're making Craft Date a quarterly gathering. We're currently sketching out the winter project (got any ideas you wanna toss our way?)!

Also the idea of a Craft Date sparked a collaboration with Kim over at Design + Life + Kids. We'll be doing a project next Tuesday for Craft Date... one from the idea files last week... those amazing milk carton concrete pots. If you're dying to make some too, send me a message!!

Have a project on your mind and need a pal to get you motivated to create? Leave an idea in the comments or send me an email at parscaeli@gmail.com, and we just might be able to set up a craft date, near or far.

Because it's just more fun to do it together.

xoxo, MJ

PS. Renee, you're the best.

Hey there. Happy week to you! How's September rolling along? Fall is racing in fast and bringing her crisp air and snuggly wardrobes, and I am delighted.

I am also delighted to have a friend. A friend who will craft with me. This week, after much rescheduling and scheming, my friend, Renee and I will break open a bag of supplies and keep our hands busy crafting until we call it a day or a DIY done.

Our plan was to share some pins that have really piqued our interest as of late and decide together on which one was worthy of the craft date. Here are the three projects I suggested. Some of these have been around for a while, and I just haven't had the time to make my own versions.

Which one would you make? Or do you have another project on your mind?

Found via Cottage and Vine

Via Family Chic

Via Martha Stewart

Tune in next week to see what we crafted and just how we did. And if you're lucky enough to have a friend in your life who will craft with you, give them a hug for me. She/He is awesome!!

xoxo,

MJ

PS. If you want to make your home a warm, wonderful place to be every day of the year, follow Renee over on Pinterest.

Happy week, friends! Thanks for your understanding with last Thursday's post. I was determined NOT to get another sinus infection and spent a whole lot of time sleeping. Good news - I think I avoided this one!!

Despite the warm temperatures around here, I am still dreaming of fall and the tasty treats that announce the season. My shopping has made a turn to the fall as well, and I want to share some Etsy treasures I've found. It's been so long since I've shown off a curated post (it felt good to indulge in some handmade beauties).

Looking for a giftie for someone special during the season, check out these:

1. A personalized birch vase from Bragging Bags is a sweet way to say I like like you, the old fashioned way.

2. We buy many, many little pumpkins and gourds to set around the house. These three little knit pumpkins from Luna Cab Co will never spoil and find a way to fit into any location.

3. Nothing says fall like color! Hang these fun tissue paper garlands all over. Nice work, Pipsqueak and Bean.

4. Faunay Flora Shop makes these great gold feather bracelets to accent any (and every) fall outfit.

5. Oh the scarves of autumn!! I adore the combination of leather and knit in this one from Three Bird Nest.

6. Jump into a pile of these leaf pillows. Outdoor indoor goodness from Snow Little Shop.

I'll be talking fall all this week - bear with me summer lovers.

Do you change anything in your home or wardrobe to reflect your love of autumn?

xoxo, MJ

Welcome back to the Turn It series!! Joy from Frock Files and I are sharing stories/ideas/fresh perspectives that we hope will make you recognize opportunity in the problems that come your way and prompt you to use your creative juices for the power of good. Here's more from the incredible Joy:

Last week when we drove up to Vermont, we were surprised to see that many of the trees had already lost their leaves. Even though the color maps showed that the area had just peaked, they were gone -- basically overnight. Because I love fall so much, I become a live in the moment person during this short period, and I’m baffled by people who proclaim that they can’t enjoy autumn because it just means that winter is coming. But when I saw those trees, I knew that it was time to begin bracing myself for the reality that’s on its way.

Since I’m from Hawaii, I generally spend the winter wondering why I moved to the Northeast, where at least five months of the year are just plain hard. It’s a silly question, though–I know exactly why. It’s because there’s nothing like the excitement of the first yellow-green leaves on the trees in the springtime, or driving down the freeway in October to a blur of trees so brightly colored they could be ablaze. And hey, that picture
up there is of the forest I drive through every day–it’s pretty easy on the eyes even when it’s covered in snow.

This series is all about turning those tedious or dreadful or ominous things into ones in which we can delight, and I’ve decided that perhaps what I need is a change of perspective as I prepare for winter. Creating a list of activities I really want to do this winter actually has me looking forward to the snowy days ahead.

• Read, Read, Read. It’s recently occurred to me that I miss reading books. Reading long form works satisfies me in a way that short snippets of information just can’t. I’m working on creating a reading list for myself. If you want to make one too, the New York Times Sunday Book Review is a fantastic place to start. And I do hope you’ll share your picks with us!

• Decorate. I moved back to Boston in June. It took us three months to turn the second bedroom from storage unit to empty space, and another month and a half to finish painting the four walls. When the weather’s great, the last thing we want to do is be inside. Wintertime provides great motivation to make our home as cozy and gorgeous as possible. On our agenda: installing our own crown molding, painting the bathroom with stripes, and furnishing the office/guest bedroom. Decorating also involves lots of movement, which I can’t get enough of in the cold months.

• Craft. Louise of Laid Off Mom started a craft date a few months back, and she invited both MJ and I to join in on the fun. The project unleashed a whole crafty side of me that I didn’t know existed! I’m excited to spend more time creating things. Need inspiration for your own craft projects? I’ve been collecting lots of craft ideas over on my Pinterest board dedicated to the topic.

• Make Warm, Delicious Things. I’m such a sucker for stews, soups, and hot drinks. In Portland, I was introduced to something called hot buttered rum. Have you ever heard of anything with a more delicious name? Anyway, it’s unreasonable to have these things when it’s hot. But when it’s cold, I feel like it’s for survival.

• Learn a Foreign Language. A few years ago, we went to Montreal and sheepishly had to ask people to speak to us in English. With a trip to Paris in our midst, I’m putting my foot down and we’re going to learn some French this winter beyond “Où est la bibliothèque?”

• Do a Movie Exchange. I have a handful of favorite films James hasn’t seen. He has a handful that I haven’t seen. We plan on methodically trading off nights: one night, we’ll watch Marie Antoinette (mine); the next time, we’ll watch Brick (his).

What are you looking forward to doing when things get cold outside?

Ooh, now I'm dreaming of hot cocoa and winter baking afternoons. Thank you Joy for these great ideas (I so want to do a movie exchange!!). What are planning to do to make the most of the upcoming winter?

XOXO, MJ

Hellllooo, Friday! Fall is in the air here. With temps in the 50s this week, we broke out the cardigans, pulled up the knee socks, and took in deep long breaths of air filled with smoky leaf scents. Perfect-o.

We're welcoming some visitors this weekend for fall football fun and taking some time just to hang out and make some family memories. How about you?

A big thank you to all you good people who take a minute or six or fifteen (thanks, dear husband) minutes out of your day to stop over here to Pars Caeli and check out what's going on. I'm celebrating you today on World Gratitude Day. Maybe tomorrow you and me should head over to the zoo to spread the thankfulness to the pachyderms on Elephant Appreciation Day (really? I had no idea). Sunday will be the perfect day for a family game event and join in the fun for National Checkers Day.

Here are three great autumn activities for you or your kiddos to try this weekend:

                                 

1. GET OUT THE SHAVING CREAM:

To my dear friends in hot, warm, or just not fall climate regions, let's make these super swirly and fun leaves. I love how Kelly marbled the shaving cream (yes) and paint. All the beauty of the autumn colors plus all the fun of crafting with shaving cream. Yes, yes, yes.

2. MAKE EVERYTHING LOOK LIKE CANDY CORN:

The melty striped triangles just hit our supermarket shelves. I don't love candy corn (anyone get the Nick Jr Moose A Moose reference?), but I love the look of the white, orange, and yellow stripes for the season. Katie Brown did a great round-up of candy corn decorating ideas that has convinced me to change a few of my pumpkins...

3. GET INSPIRED:

If you haven't noticed, I have a yellow spot right over there in the left column for Alt! Alt Summit and now the Alt Channel and the Alt blog are fabulous resources for bloggers, designers, photographers, cool people, and stylists. I have made amazing connections and learned a ton from the dozen or so Alt Channel classes (very affordable at $15/class) I've taken. For blogging inspiration and business advice check out the new Alt blog.

I really appreciated this post from Victoria Hudgins on Setting Up and Styling a DIY. And this one too by Mike Loveland on Photoshop tricks. And scratch off business cards are really the coolest.

I wish you a bright weekend, friends.

XOXO, MJ

It's the fresh waft in the air, the undeniably new and dazzling color palette, and the treasured foods and decor that only come around this time of year.

I adore fall. I mean, I love summer, and spring brings such goodness, and there's nothing quite like a bright winter snow. But...

I am an autumn girl.

For a handful of years, I lived in wondrously warm, sunny climates that offered no change of seasons. And though I loved the ocean and swimming pools all year round, I felt incomplete without the shift into cooler temperatures, falling leaves, and apple orchards.

Pars Caeli went through a bit of a seasonal change this weekend. I've deepened the rainbow to reflect our new tones, added some new social media accents to keep you looking and following, highlighted some of my popular posts, and there are many more great additions to come...

When I began the Summer Edition of this blog, I wrote down all the fun experiences we wanted to have for the summer. Well, here we are again, and this post wouldn't be complete without a Fall Adventure List.

I'll be watermarking posts (thanks, Paige!) to make it more convenient for your to share ideas with your friends (or strangers, why not share the love?).

We waved our last goodbyes to summer with a dinner/splash party at our house. 8 kiddos under the age of 10 were fed, entertained, and sweaty (with no minor or major meltdowns) so I consider it a success.

How are you prepping for fall? Any ideas I could add to my list?

XOXO, MJ