The Chic Girl’s Autumn Bucket List
As an October Baby, Fall is for sure my favorite season. And if you’ve been here on D.I.D. with Cazoshay for a while or know me personally, then you know that is definitely true. Living in Arizona for nearly eight years has further enforced that Autumn is truly a mindset. You don’t have to have rain, crisp air & colorful leaves to appreciate the season, although they certainly help.🍂
Living with disabilities, it’s been important for me to make joy accessible for myself. I can’t do many of the things I used to enjoy doing, at least not in the same ways, so I’ve figured out how to adapt them to my current abilities. One thing I’ve noticed about this Disability Life is that a lot of the tips I’ve come up with work not only for those who are living with disabilities & chronic conditions, but also those who have busy schedules, are parents, or are otherwise sometimes (or often) looking for quicker & easier ways to do things.
Another important aspect of this Disability Life I’ve learned is that I don’t have to compromise my chic, elegant style! This list is proof of the concept that things can be accessible, without compromising being chic. The following is my Chic Girl’s Autumn Bucket List, the must-do activities for an elegant and enjoyable Fall, in no particular order.
1. Create a Fall Capsule Wardrobe
My go-to color for every season is black, but this is the time of year when many a chic girl-about-town turns to autumnal hues like browns, tans & deep burgundies-so don’t let me stop you! (I do love a good oxblood accessory…) Having a capsule wardrobe means you won’t have to search for clothes & think so hard about what you’re going to wear-which makes getting dressed quicker, easier & more enjoyable!
I suggest curating your Fall wardrobe from items you already have. If you must pick up something new, go the thrifted route. The British Fashion Council have said that we have enough clothing on the planet to dress the next six generations. Chic girlies care, & the environment & our future are no exceptions!
You can find upscale items on Vestaire Collective or my personal favorite, The RealReal. I’m actually thinking of having a Fall Clothing Swap Cocktail Party. Of course I’ll post the details here if I do. I like to do a second “spring cleaning” at the start of Fall so I can go into the winter months lighter & not bogged down by a bunch of extra belongings I’m not using anyway. A fun little cocktail party where ladies can drop in and “shop” is the perfect way to usher in Fall lighter, chicer & more sustainably.
2. Create an Autumn Playlist
One of my favorite mottos is, “life is a movie, starring you!” Every good movie has an equally good soundtrack. Spotify has some nice ones, whatever your vibe happens to be. I listen to jazz all year ‘round, but if any genre represents the season of Autumn specifically, it’s jazz. Bonus points if your soundtrack is at least partially curated on vinyl.
A few playlists to get you started:
*Cue Nat King' Cole’s “‘Tis Autumn” as your “going to get coffee” montage begins to play…
The Orpheum Theater, downtown Phoenix, AZ
3. Tour an Historic Building or Home
I’m not one for haunted houses, so touring an historic building or home is the chicer (& less scary) option. You can learn a little local history & view some lovely architecture at the same time. Here in Arizona, the elegant & picturesque Wrigley Mansion gives tours & also has a jazz series. I haven’t been yet, but it’s on my Autumn Bucket List.
Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX
4. Visit an Art Gallery or Museum
The cooler weather is an opportune time to spend the day in an art gallery or museum soaking up the creativity. The chic girl is also the cultured girl, so autumn is the perfect time to put on a nice outfit & head to one of your area’s art venues. This activity is great because it can be done alone, with a friend or even as a date. Afterwards you can get yourself a little treat at your favorite coffee shop to round out the day.
5. Create an Autumn Reading List
Autumn is the perfect time to get cozy & immerse yourself in a good book (or two!) I recommend going with philosophy, the classics or self-improvement. History & memoirs aren’t bad options for the season, either. Really you can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. Here are a few recommendations:
To Hell with the Hustle by Jefferson Bethke
When Broadway Was Black by Caseen Gaines
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Blue Butterfly by Eugene Ward
Breakfast at Tiffany’s & Three Stories by Truman Capote
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
*Accessibility Tip: Any book can become an audiobook when you use your iPhone’s Spoken Content feature. It works on iPads also. As someone living with a TBI, this has been a game changer! Many audiobooks are also available free on YouTube.
Autumn in Alaska
6. Go on a Walk
This is certainly one thing I miss about living in Alaska & Portland. The walks here in Arizona hit different, & that’s putting it lightly. I’m still not used to autumn trees being replaced by cactuses & it averaging over 100 degrees at the start of September. Whatever the weather is like where you live, you can romantacize your autumn walk no matter the environs. First, the outfit, of course. A chic autumn outfit from your sustainable capsule wardrobe makes the occasion, so start there. Whether you’re in the city or you have access to those beautiful changing colors in a more nature-filled environment, taking in the scenery is a great way to enjoy Fall, appreciate your surroundings & get active at your own level of fitness & accessibility.
7. Visit a Pumpkin Patch or Fall Festival
Most cities & towns have Fall Festivals, if not some version of a pumpkin patch also. You may have to venture a little bit outside of your immediate area, but it’s worth it to be fully immersed in the joy & excitement of the season. Fall festivals can look like a lot of things, but delicious seasonal drinks & food are almost always a given, yet another reason to don your chicest pair of boots or loafers & join the celebration.
8. Have a Fall Picnic
Fall is the perfect time for a picnic! It’s not unbearably hot, there’s not as many bugs & the snow hasn’t arrived yet to make picnicking impossible. Not a chef? No problem. Stores have plenty of ready-made items that are perfect for picnics (hello, Trader Joe’s!) A simple charcuterie board, some hot spiced cider & a nice dessert are all you really need, but of course you can make it as elaborate as you’d like.
9. Tour a Winery
Many cities & towns have local winemakers, & many of those makers give tours! This is a chic autumn activity you can do solo, with friends or as a date-whatever your current mood desires! A quick Google search will tell you what options are available where you live. And if there’s nothing close by? Another chic option of course is to take a little mini-vacay to your closest winery, naturally. Or you could sign up to attend a wine tasting at a nice restaurant in your city.
10. Watch Fall Movies
There are few things in life more enjoyable than a good Fall movie marathon. That may be an overstatement, but this is definitely one of my favorite Autumn activities. Grab your favorite snacks, a nice wine (or non-alcoholic beverage of choice), get comfy & check out one of these flick picks:
When Harry Met Sally (duh)
Fantastic Mr. Fox
You’ve Got Mail (duh)
Sleepy Hollow
Julie & Julia
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Scream (the first one)
Bonus: It’s not a movie but rather a tv show. Only Murders in the Building! It’s so good & is chock-full of chic New York style. Plus if you binge it, it’s basically like a movie, right? (Stream on Hulu)
11. Day of Pampering
Just because you’re likely under more layers doesn’t mean you should start slacking on self care. Because Self Care=Self Love. It’s a way of showing that you care about yourself, & are not just caring for others & attending to all the numerous things on your to-do list. You can schedule a service at a day spa or do it in the comfort of your own home. A few ideas? Face masks, manicures & everything showers are always great options.
12. Try a New Recipe
Autumn is the perfect time to try some new recipes, especially with seasonal ingredients (do I see a trip to the Farmer’s Market in your future???) Autumn meals are meant to be comforting while allowing you to enjoy spending time at home, sometimes while entertaining too. A simple roast chicken, a butternut squash soup…the possibilities for delicious new recipes is endless. Try Pinterest, TikTok, or visit a used bookstore & pick up a new cookbook to experiment with. Who doesn’t love a good bookstore in Autumn?
Did I leave anything off the bucket list? I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! For more inspo, view 10 Dinner Party Conversation Starters & my easy 5-Minute Shower Meditation.
I’d love to connect with you! Find me on social media here:
©2024 Cazoshay Marie. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cazoshay Marie with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
D.I.D. with Cazoshay and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health related program.
Just Do It!
Strawberries from a plant my mom gave me about three years ago
𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚍, 𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛...𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.
Carrots planted from seed and harvested by my favorite garden helper
Red okra
𝚂𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚏 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚜 𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚔𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜! 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚏 𝚟𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚘𝚛𝚜.
𝙸𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚎𝚜, 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚎𝚜, 𝚔𝚊𝚕𝚎, 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗, 𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚊, 𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚎𝚜, 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚜, 𝚕𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎, 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜, 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚜, 𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢, 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚜, 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚌, 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚢𝚖𝚎, 𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚌, 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚎, 𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚣𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚕. 🤷🏽♀️
Last year’s okra
𝙼𝚢 𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚐𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸’𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚍𝚘 𝚒𝚝!
The sweet potatoes I grew from one I got at the local farmer’s market
𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸’𝚖 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝! 𝙻𝚘𝚕
Baby Luffa
Peas starting to flower
Chinese Long Reed Noodle Bean
Can’t “beet” home grown! hahaha!
©2020 Cazoshay Marie. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cazoshay Marie with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
D.I.D. with Cazoshay and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health related program.