Happy Fall! and and I hope everyone has had a happy October! It's that time of year where the leaves are changing, scary movies took control of the tv, and neutral shades are taking over your closet! However, one of the best things, are all of the fun fall activities that pop up. Haunted houses, hay rides, apple picking, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches! With everything going on this year it was questionable what would be possible. Although this year may be very different from years past, you still have to keep trying your best to make the most of it! Luckily here in upstate NY many of our local farms were still able to offer some of their fall activities! But, only with masks on your face, social distancing taking place, and sanitizing stations of course! Was it Different? Yes definitely ! But was it still fun? Absolutely!

I haven't been to a "pumpkin patch" since I was in elementary school. However, I have been dying to go again for years. I just remember it being so much fun! I also remember stuffing my face with donuts and drinking endless cups of apple cider. I always would make plans and they would fall through. However, this year I was determined! After a bunch of begging and convincing, I got my family to go on this adventure with me. We headed to Wickham Farms and it truly was such a great experience.

​Now I don't know if my memory is off, or if things have changed... but that place was just so gorgeous. There were so many picture perfect places. This farm is truly full of endless Instagram worthy spots. With the pandemic going on, if I was a parent, this would be the perfect place to get those "school pics" in to send out to the family. Wait, do people still even order those pricey picture packages? Do people still mail cute cards with pictures in them, or is everything just on social media? Either way, it's the perfect place to get some fall pictures in, if you can't tell by some of the gems I captured with my family.

Now we didn't take pictures the whole time. The farm was loaded with endless activities. We played giant board games, road a train, slid down a huge slide, and got lost in a corn maze. The corn maze was definitely quite the experience. My mom and aunt were freaking out before we even stepped in, but luckily we navigated our way through. We watched all the different animals graze on the farm, we scavenged through 100s of pumpkins to find the perfect one, and then we bounced on a giant inflatable one. Most importantly we stuffed our faces with fresh warm donuts and apple cider.

This trip to the pumpkin patch was just what I needed and exceeded my expectations. It was so nice to do something that felt normal again, and do it with the people I love. I know that this will be something I make sure we do every year moving forward. Happy Fall Everyone <3
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-FASHMIRA

Wheeeeewwww!! These past few months have been nothing short of shocking! The world truly took a turn that was so unexpected! Out of nowhere everything just stopped! If the pandemic has taught us anything it's to expect the unexpected, and to never take any moment for granted. For something as simple as going to a retail store, hanging out with friends, or even hitting the gym... it can all easily be taken away from you in a matter of seconds. When the world goes back to normal I'm sure we all will be making the most of it!

In the meantime we are all working towards getting used to our new normal. As we do this a new mandatory accessory has hit the scene! MASKS! Masks have become key, as we all begin to make our way back outside. They have also become a staple in our wardrobe. For me personally, I see the masks as a way to make a fashion statement while still keeping yourself and others safe! I personally always thought those snapchat filters with the masks were so cute! So, although many of us may find the masks uncomfortable or slightly irritating, we can still find ways to make the most of them!

I like to coordinate the masks with my outfit! We have to wear them all the time, so there's no point in walking around with colors clashing. Might as well serve a look while you work through a pandemic right?

I'm lucky to have a grandma who has been sewing all her life! She made my family so many different kinds of masks in multiple pretty fun prints! I felt the need to make many of her masks statement pieces in my outfits because they truly deserved to be the focal point! Just like this one you see here! It has so many bright pastel colors that are eye catching. Whenever I wear a pastel piece I feel the need to keep the rest of the outfit light as well. Therefore, I paired it with light wash jeans, a white top, and yellow converses to highlight and accentuate the colors in the masks.

I know many of you may not be lucky enough to have a grandma with an abundance of elaborate fabrics. However, at this point all stores have incorporated masks into their inventory. You can definitely score some cute masks in different colors and patterns just about anywhere at this point. Two good place I highly recommend, checking out for masks, are Target and Old Navy! Target has masks in 2 packs in just about all colors for less than $5. Pick out your top 3 most worn colors and then get 3 packs of coordinating masks! Old Navy is doing a great job with masks in all different cute and trendy patterns. They are offering them in sets of 5-10 and they have so many different fun combinations! One thing about Old Navy is they always have simple but stylish patterns. When it came to masks they definitely didn't fall short and they fell right in line with the rest of their timelessly stylish items.

So, yes these are definitely unprecedented times. However, we have to make the most of what we are dealing with. Add a little bit of normalcy with a mask that shows some personality and style. When the future generations look back at pictures of crazy 2020, make sure you're the one that stands out in your color coordinated pandemic look.

-FASHMIRA