BOOK CLUB: NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL

October book club brought us Lena Dunham's new release, Not That Kind of Girl.

Once again we happily convened, this time in Clifton at Teddy's awesome apartment. There was food & dips & happy conversation. Some of which was centered on the book :D

I really only have one talking point for this one:

Did you like it?

I feel like Lena Dunham is very polarizing. You either like her or you hate her. I happen to like her... I think. She is only a few years older than me. She's extremely open. About everything. About her body, about her career, & a lot about her love life. I have to admit it was a little shocking to see some of the things she was comfortable chronicling -- but I definitely applaud her for that. 

Overall, it wasn't a very hard read. The font is big, the material is extremely uncomplicated, there is no order. It felt like talking for several hours to an extremely chatty friend. 

I'll be interested to see what you think! Next up: we're not sure yet! Laura is hosting book club in about six weeks, but she has yet to pick a book. I'll be sure to let you know!!

Hope you all had a really great Halloween weekend! Thanks for stopping by Magical Simplicity!!

OCTOBER FAVES

Travel, pumpkin, pictures! Travel! Pumpkin!! Pictures!!! That was October in a nutshell... or shall I say, an acorn (Get it? Because it's fall :D) But there was a little time for some faves, of course!

I visited a few pumpkin patch farms: here & here too. & then I explored ways to eat the amazing pumpkin all October! We tried super easy muffins, roasted seeds & 3 ingredient mousse. Did you recreate any of these?! How'd it go??

A glorious field of sunflowers. Swoon!!!!

My friend Rachel  introduced me to Apple Cider + Champagne Mimosas at book club. Later Teddy introduced me to Bourbon Apple Cider. Both are absolutely to die for & a new favorite drink.

Also, while we're talking about foods.... this home made monte cristo. What?!? That's a Cooking with Katie creation ;D

Possibly my very  favorite thing about October was that a few dear friends asked me to take their engagement photos! Both Rachel + Casey & Megan + Sam chose amazing fall days & had the most perfect fall photo shoots. I adored running around the woods taking photos of people in love. It was literally & absolutely my favorite thing.

My grandmother turned eighty! & we had a wonderful little party to celebrate in Dayton. I got to see almost all my cousins & their children & had the most lovely visit right before I headed off to Minneapolis.

Obsessed with this. It popped up on my Walk the Moon Pandora station & I'm super in love. To be honest, I first thought the "Oh Hey!"  line in "Oh Hey!  I can't believe I captured your heart."  Was actually Ann-ayyy, (ya know, like a really lyrical way to say Annie). Regardless. I still love it & think you will too. 

Tonight is Halloween & we're having a little party after the trick or treaters retreat with their candies. I'm wearing some cat ears with a little face paint - what are you guys doing?? I can't wait to see the photos! Happy, happy, happy fall, darlings!!  

3 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN MOUSSE

You guys all know that I love brunch. I love everything it stands for: delicious breakfast foods, delicious breakfast drinks, lazy weekends & of course, favorite family & friends to brunch with. This weekend my sister invited my mom & me over for a little brunch. I brought the turkey & bread for Monte Cristos, she provided the Bloody Mary's & our mom brought the Pumpkin Mousse.  

My mom is super fit. So naturally she had the ingredients for a low-fat pumpkin mousse. I don't know the nutritional facts exactly, but it's gotta be nearly fat free. 

You will need:

• 1 can pumpkin 
• 1 tub lite whipped topping
• 1 package (dry) sugar free vanilla instant pudding

Dump it all together in a mixing bowl.

Mix......

& serve! So easy? I know. It's the perfect thing to bring to a get-together on the go. & so seasonal, to boot! I topped it with a little cinnamon, but that was mostly to make it look beautiful for you guys ;D

P.S. Sorry (but only a tiny bit) for the pumpkin posts overload. Like I've told you before, for some reason my family really loves pumpkin. Like, really.  I promise I'll slow down a little now that it's almost Halloween!! Xoxo guys, & thanks for reading!

PHOTOS| MEGAN + SAM

I'm in love! With Megan & Sam! Many moons ago Megan & I went to Saint Ursula together. Then we both headed west to Miami University (you remember... the place of a million memories). Well, fast forward a few years & I had the lovely pleasure of spending a morning with Megan & fiance, Sam.

They are the most dreamy couple I know & these are just a few of the hundreds of pictures that show it. I loved traipsing through another fall day with true love to capture a few precious moments. 

So here's their story: Megan & Sam met their senior year of high school. She was watching a soccer game with friends & somehow against the odds ended up wearing his jersey. But Sam didn't ask for Megan's name that day. That's where fate jumped in. Several months later, Megan accompanied a friend to a graduation party in Harrison. Lo & behold, it was Sam's. Five years later: we're taking their engagement photos.

Oh they just take my breath away! This is the sweetest couple in the entire world, I swear. Sometimes, scouting ahead for the perfect lighting, I would turn 'round to say something & spot Sam stealing a kiss. I absolutely loved getting to know these two.

& don't you just adore Megan's Burberry shawl?! She said she got it at Steinmart (score!). If any of you see it there.. I probably wear a medium... & I like really  love it. Like, so much.

I could've posted about a million more photos (at very least, 50) but I'll save those for the lovebirds. Megan & Sam, thank you for letting me be a part of this special time in your life. You are the sweetest.

& darling Magical Simplicity readers, I hope you enjoyed a peek of this dreamy photo shoot! Now, back to our super-fall week! xoxo. p.s. our mega gorgeous Pride & Prejudice-esque photo location is a secret gem in Indian Hill: Rheinstrom Park [map]. 

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

So a friend of mine recently described jack-o-lanterns as "so magical, but when you're actually doing it... that's some really hard work!" She does have a point... There are so many guts & messes & small intricate designs. But, it is worth it. Why? Because in addition to a ghoulish gourd on your door step, what makes a jack-o-lantern so worth it is the tasty secret inside. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

You will need: 

• A pumpkin
• Salt
• Water
• Olive Oil

Okay, so first you're going to want to preheat the oven to 375. Empty out your pumpkin. Just scoop all the guts & all the seeds out and dump them in a bowl of water. The guts will (mostly) fall to the bottom while the seeds will float to the top. 

Scoop the seeds into a colander to get the excess guts, boil the seeds in salt water for 10 minutes. Spread them out in a single layer over a greased cookie sheet. Pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with olive oil & more salt. (I saw this post after I made these. She has you toss the seeds in oil rather than sprinkle. I think I like that better. It will lead to more thorough coverage.) 

Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping somewhere in the middle. Voila! Crunchy, perfect, delicious browned pumpkin seeds. 

The taste instantly sends me back about 15 years, running around as a fairy princess, or a bunch of grapes (purple balloons pinned to my sweatshirt & leggings with a twig in my hair!) or one of my mom's many homemade costumes. & is it just me, or do pumpkin seeds kind of taste like popcorn? Xoxo, everyone. Thanks so much for reading!