Sunday, October 31, 2010

The apples hung above us like so many rose petals

A couple of weeks ago we took an afternoon trip to the apple orchard....
It was our first time ever going to one and we were not disappointed in any way! It was just as we had imagined.
There were rows and rows of apples-- everything so green and lush. We just wanted to grab our favourite book and sit and read between the tall rows.
The apples hung high above us in clusters of colour. You'd bend down with the warm sun drenching your back with warmth and drop the hard, smooth apple into the brown wicker baskets.
Apple picking was such a pleasure! The apples were so easy to pluck from the branches so you filled your basket rather swiftly.
The orchard was split into sections of the different types of apples they grew--we picked gold and red delicious and they looked absolutely scrumptious! 
It was the three of us (Erika, Rachel, and Emma) wandering along a couple of paths taking photos and picking apples--how lovely it all was!
The sunshine was so bright and warm that day, which was brilliant because we were able to occasionally get a sun flare in some photos.
Our baskets filled quite quickly and soon we were heading back towards the barn to pay for them...
Taking some pictures along the way of course...
We feel as if you shouldn't even go to the store anymore to buy apples (which sometimes may not even be yummy!) but instead go to an apple orchard--it's so much more pleasurable, and the apple's are absolutely to die for with their sweet taste and crunch.
It was such a wonderful afternoon! We hope to go back to an apple orchard possibly again this Autumn and if not, we look forward to another lovely trip next year! 
Have a wonderful day, darling's! We do hope you enjoyed this little post. Cheers to Autumn! 

xoxo-
Erika&Rachel

P.S.-Rachel will have photos from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (!!!!) up as soon as possible. :)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The evening sunshine gleamed across the golden fields

Oh, beautiful autumn how lovely you are!  I wish there were a much better word to describe you, but alas there is none.  To say that you are beautiful must suffice.
Fall comes and goes like the blink of an eye.  If you happen to fall asleep one night and wake up the next morning and find it gone, don't be alarmed because it's very easy to miss it's beauty.  Luckily Rachel and  I have been enjoying fall this year and have seen as leaves change into gorgeous shades of red, orange, and yellow.    
As we talk about autumn let us acknowledge the beautiful golden fields that change along with the leaves.  I dare say know one could paint such a masterpiece as God paints every year when fall comes round.  Walking through the golden fields is thrilling and taking pictures makes it just that much better.
How I shall miss theses golden days of the year, the smell of pine cones and pumpkins, the beautiful breeze, the magic of it all, but as it has not completely fallen away yet, we shall soak up these last few weeks and enjoy them to their fullest. 
Winter is an etching,
Spring a watercolour,
Summer an oil painting, and
Autumn a mosaic of them all.
-Stanley Horowitz-
I hope you wonderful readers have been enjoying yourselves too.  If you have been too busy to step outside this wonderful season, please take a break and just for a few minutes go out an get some wonderful, fresh fall air!
I adore fall evenings!  The sun gleaming about my yard looks like bliss.  I wish I could catch the light up in a little jar and keep it with me, but seeing as that's out of the question I will just have to enjoy it while it's here. 
Farewell to you all!  Hope you have a wonderful week!
xoxo,
Erika&Rachel

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Autumnal things!

Hello, darlings. This is just a quick post...Erika has one coming next week and we also have TWO photo shoot posts prepared to post soon next week as well. However, I found that we needed a new post so here I am. 
This month has flown by oh so fast it's hard to comprehend. This whole year for that matter! And I was happy to find that it wasn't just me feeling that way. I mentioned it to my older brother the other night and he said that  he still feels like it could be July. 
The leaves are changing and so many have fallen, the fields turned golden and are now harvested, and just around the corner is Halloween! I forgot just how much I adored Autumn. It's so magical. I love all of the seasons, each in their own way, and always look forward to their coming. 
The air has become colder and I've been having to layer more, which I love. In some of the pictures the leaves may not look changed, but now so many have fallen and everything is golden. It's so true that Autumn comes with a blink of the eye! It was only about two weeks ago where everything was green. 
Last Saturday Erika and I went thrifting for the first time at Salvation Army! It was so much fun and we each found a few things. But, you know, it's funny because whenever one of us finds something we both really like (while thrifting that is) we end up paying half and half and share it! We already have a cute sweater and hat that we got over the Summer (Oh, Summer....you are bliss and I miss you!) and share. So, now we've added to that collection a cream sweater (we think it looks as if one of the Weasley's would wear it) with brown, orange, and yellow (all pretty shades, mind!) designs across it. My mum said it looks like a skiing sweater. AND, the best for last: we found the most epic faded cranberry red velvet ankle boots that lace up. So adorable and just what we were looking for. So, yes, I get them for next week since I'm going to the theme park. :) 
Speaking of the theme park, I AM GOING TO BE THERE IN FOUR DAYS! I am so excited. I can't even handle that it's already here! We're flying on Monday and it's my first time flying so I am so excited. I can't wait to share with you all of the fantastic photos and stories!
Oh, and before I end this I have to tell you all something! Erika and I are going to be trick-or-treating on Halloween night and we are so excited. And, we must share something: we have never been trick-or-treating before! I think maybe possibly when we were like 5 or 7 or something but not since then. And yes, I am fourteen and she is sixteen, which you may call getting a bit old for trick-or-treating, but not for us! But, what I wanted to tell you was what we're going to dress up as for Halloween and here it is: we got some white sheets from Salvation Army and are going to cut holes in them where our eyes are and are going to be ghosts! And, what's epic is we also bought the classic plastic $1 pumpkins with faces from Wal-Mart for our candy. We're so excited for the pictures! 
 And, what draws this post to a close is just this: my excitement for the theme park! Because, as you can all probably guess that's what's occupying my mind this weekend since we're leaving on Monday! I've made a list of all the things I need to pack and have already picked out my outfit for the flight. :) I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I will talk to you when I get back from my trip Wednesday! I can't wait to share photos. :) It's going to be so epicly fun! AH! I can't believe I'm actually going, it's amazing.

Cheers!
xoxo-
Rachel 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

one month until absolutely amazingness and one week until pure magic!

It is so unbelievable that in one measly month we will be sitting in a theater watching the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Time has flown so fast this year...more than we can even handle...it feels like just yesterday was March and Rachel was online finding pictures of the Harry Potter cast and crew filming a few scenes in the woods--all horrible quality, mind you, but it got us so excited. 
Then the film was such a mystery--we had no idea what would be kept in the film from the book and what would be chucked, not that we know now but you get a much bigger picture. But that's one thing that is so exciting about films--the anticipation, the excitement, and not knowing what the director will show you, what the actors will say, where the music will take you. 
We get chills just thinking about this movie! The film shall be absolutely amazing and mind-blowingly epic. We know it will be different from the others, not how it's directed or anything but in a way that will be more intense, more emotional, more scary--which is as it should be.
Today is one month until the release of Deathly Hallows pt. 1, and again, we can't even handle how fast it has come! It literally feels like yesterday when we were thinking, "Oh my goodness! Deathly Hallows is nine months away! That's so long!" But, it's come so fast! Which is brilliant but also a bit sad thinking that we're just one step closer to the end of the films. 
They just released LAST NIGHT eight new TV spots (trailers pretty much haha) that are absolutely amazing! There is LOADS more footage shown and it's all incredible. This movie shall blow our minds. WE CANNOT WAIT! You can watch the different ones herehereherehereherehere, and a personal favourite: here. They're all worth a watch, because of course they're all amazing, how could they not be? Our hearts just pound when we watch them! ONE MONTH! WAAAAH! 
~
And, before we end this post Rachel has a little something to say:
It is just ONE WEEK until I will be standing in the cobbled street of Hogsmeade at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park! It will pure bliss...and looking at this picture makes me so happy because we'll be there at nighttime as well...which is fantastic. So, in my opinion today is a very good day--one month until Deathly Hallows and just one week until the theme park. Goodness, life is good!
Oh, and did I mention? My darling sister Hannah is paying for EVERYTHING! The flight, the tickets to the theme park, accommodations, everything. Though, I have to provide the money for the merchandise at the theme park but who ruddy cares! I'm going to the HARRY POTTER THEME PARK for Pete's sake! We shall be flying to Orlando on Monday, going to the theme park ALL day on Tuesday (which is amazing...lunch AND supper at The Three Broomsticks? And Honeydukes candy for dessert?! Yes please!) and then flying home on Wednesday.
So, yes, I AM SO EXCITED! I still can't comprehend that I'm actually going...it was such a shock in August and its come so quickly that I'm still in shock. I can't even handle that I'll be flying on a plane (for the first time), landing in Orlando, and then going to the theme park. I never expected to be going to the park so soon...it only opened in June! But, I am SO excited and my sister is the best. ♥

And yes, one month until Deathly Hallows and one WEEK until the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for Rachel! 
Cheers! And have a wonderful day. 

xoxo-
Erika&Rachel 

Sunday, October 17, 2010

"Hungry...I hope there's pudding."

It was about 1:00AM Friday night a couple weeks ago. Erika and I had been on the internet for a couple of hours looking at blogs, Stumble Upon, We Heart It, etc. We both decided we were craving something sweet. After a few ideas, I (Rachel) decided pudding was in order. So, we got on the Taste of Home website, printed out a promising recipe, and got started.
We rushed about getting all the ingredients and turning on the stovetop, trying not to make a terrible amount of noise since my parents were asleep.
We put the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, added some milk, and transferred it to the stovetop and stirred. We both had to take turns stirring.
It was so fantastic to be cooking at 1:15 in the morning...and also quite pleasurable knowing in a matter of minutes you would get one of the very best desserts.
We added the chocolate chips into the saucepan and stirred....and stirred...and stirred. At first it looked kind of odd and I wasn't sure how I felt about this whole recipe...
But gradually as you stirred it became creamier and chocolatier...
And turned into rich chocolatey goodness!
We got out the "pudding cups" as I call them and each filled a cup. It looked so delicious my mouth was pretty much watering!
Then, with mugs of milk in hand, we headed down to my cosy living room and watched an old Nancy Drew short film from the mid-30's. :) 
The pudding was absolutely delicious! I have to use the recipe again. Homemade pudding (well, homemade anything for that matter) is about a billion times better than the Jell-O brand! You can find the recipe we used here
In closing, I shall say just this:
"You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure, and when I say nothing I mean nothing, you can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. It's such a comfort."
Julie and Julia, how I love you! ♥
Photo shoot post coming soon. :) 

xoxo,
-Rachel

P.S.-I got a Tumblr page called Tottenham Court Road. The link is here. Let me know what you lovelies think! x x x