palaces & pumpkins

the summer slipped away from me. literally. i feel like i was grasping for it, trying to hold on, and as i was reaching for that one last day i suddenly found myself bundled up in boots and realized … it’s fall. as with most things in life, it all just went by too quickly.

but here we are. we turned the heat on for the first time this weekend, and i guess that means we’re gearing up for fall … and then winter. i’m ready for cute scarves and new frye boots … but not at all ready for snow and freezing and layer upon layer just to hit the coffee shop across the street. flip flops and sundresses are just so much easier, right?

my wish for this fall is to simply be present. this summer was so manic – i feel like i spent 3 months in a perpetual state of lateness – rushing to pack for a trip, rushing to catch up from a trip, rushing to work, rushing home to the girls and wen, rushing to a meeting, rushing to starbucks to make sure i had ample caffeine FOR the meeting. i want to slow down, savor, enjoy.

which is exactly what we did today.

i had read about a pumpkin festival at ludwigsburg palace last fall, and made a mental note that we should take a day trip this year. so we packed up the car today and hit the road. 2 hours later, we were surrounded by people and pumpkins and the sun was shining and it was just exactly what we all needed.

the girls wore their dirndls and twirled their way through the palace paths and jumped over and on pumpkins all afternoon. we ate pumpkin pasta, rice, muffins and seeds – all delish. the palace grounds are AMAZING – so beautiful. every year the pumpkin festival has a different theme – this year was switzerland, so there was the materhorn, swiss army knives and a bunch of other swiss-themed icons all made from pumpkins – so amazing! the grounds also have this adorable fairy-tale village, with rapunzel’s tower, the queen’s mirror (from snow white), and other various fairy-tale sites.  the girls were in heaven.

hope your sunday was also filled with fun and adventure and slowing down to really enjoy and savor. xo from germany.