A Magical Fall

Fall is a magical time of the year. There’s finally some relief from the heat of summer. The nights are breezy and cool, and everything seems more vivid. To me, the moon and stars even appear brighter! There are amazing things happening all around us, but taking note of them is a conscious choice.

This year has been incredibly busy, and instead of having time to savor a fall moment or two each day, I’ve had to dive head-first into some “reality check” projects and obligations that have consumed the majority of my spare time. But I’m determined not to let autumn pass me by. This post is a catalog of a few easy ways I’ve managed to relish some of fall’s magic. A big part of that has been surrendering to creative ideas, even if just for a half hour.

It leads you here, despite your destination

–The Church, “Under the Milky Way”

Galaxy Cookies

It’s as simple as ordering some pre-made cookies and decorating them with a bit of “magic”. In this case, the magic took the form of easy-to-prepare icing (powdered sugar and water), plus some Wilton unicorn sprinkles and edible silver stars. My daughter loved every delicious bite, and I enjoyed the process of creating something so special.

Dreamy Eyeshadow

I love a good close-up featuring memorable eye makeup, like the starry gaze of a leading lady in a Flock of Seagulls video or a gray-blue outlined eye featured in an ’80s Moody Blues video. On a busy afternoon that had me dreaming of new possibilities, I opened my makeup drawer and grabbed a shimmering eyeshadow palette, then googled “galaxy eyes” for some ideas.

It was fun to use a combination of navy, purple and aqua for an easy celestial effect (see above), and this little escape of an activity took an otherwise routine day to another level.

A Magical Playlist

I’ve been working on this playlist on and off for awhile now, and this week felt like the right time to finish it. The goal was to channel some of the more otherworldly tracks of the ’80s. There are obvious songs that weren’t chosen (I preferred The Cars’ “It’s Not the Night” to the more upbeat “Magic”), but hopefully you’ll find it to be a fun journey through realms that range from hard rock to breezy pop to New Wave and more.

While I often create music video playlists, this particular group of songs included some tracks without videos. I kept it audio-based today. Listen to the playlist here, but don’t hesitate to watch the magical moments in videos for songs like “Foolin’,” “Abracadabra,” and “Under the Milky Way”.

During the busiest times of the year, we may have to be intentional about creating our own magic. Little things can make a big difference. I hope this fall brings you plenty of magical moments. Thanks for reading!