So it begins...

It's unmistakable: Long summer days have morphed into evenings punctuated with a golden autumn light; European, map-toting tourists have been replaced with eager, backpack clad college students; and then there's that hint of wood smoke and the distinct smell of sharpened pencils in the air. It's FALL! I ask you: What's better than spiced cider on the stove and holiday excitement hanging in the atmosphere? I want to run out and buy gourds and Indian corn and fake cobwebs. Don't even get me started on planning for Halloween costumes (do you recall my panic last year?).

I purchased a pumpkin-spice candle the other day, and was decidedly crushed when sasbeau proclaimed the smell was... eh hem... "tacky." STOP! My heart! But I suppose I had to concede—so I replaced the candle with cloved oranges and cinnamon boiling on the stove (a patented mom move), and now sasbeau has gladly stepped aboard the harvest train. Since it's officially the season of caramel apples and turning leaves, I'd like to point out a few autumn musts...

1. Rent the coziest of cozy movies for any season: Meet Me in St. Louis. Think Judy Garland at her best with mushy love undertones, musical numbers, endearing family moments, festive holiday scenes, precocious kiddos, and a happy ending. Pay close attention to the cake they eat on Halloween night—To. Die. FOR. And the quotes are more quotable than you can imagine. "Wasn't I lucky to be born in my favorite city?"

2. Pour apple cider into a pot, throw in a few cloved oranges, sprinkle in cinnamon and nutmeg, and snug in with a steaming cup of deliciousness. OR, just enjoy the sweet smell of fall. You can thank me later. (Gifts and compliments are heartily welcome.)

3. There's something about bundling up for a foggy beach walk, cool sea mist chilling your lungs, and icy waters washing over your toes. It's fresh and fun, and the best part is coming home to a warm abode with, oh I don't know, cider on the stove. (So I live in sunny Santa Barbara, but it still happens here. Sometimes. On occasion. Mostly in my head.)

4. 30 Rock starts tonight! In my opinion, the series is grade-A perfection. Alec Baldwin was made for his role on the show, and Tina Fey, well, let's just be honest, she's a genius. Have you seen Date Night? Sexy robot? Two words: Comic prodigy.

5. Felicity sweaters. That awkward co-ed, Felicity, donned the comfiest, most adorable "this old thing?" sweaters you could hope for. Soft with thumb-holes in the sleeves, her sweaters were an inspiration in 1999, and continue to act as a winter-wear standard for me today. I suppose we should thank that minx, creator J.J. Abrams. "Hey." "Hey."

6. Picking the perfect pumpkin. You not only need an interesting shape to carve into, but a fantastic, gnarled stem. This is harder than it sounds, which would explain why my entire family treks to the pumpkin patch together, each of us on an intense mission to find THE ONE.

Now, I could go on and on and ON about steaming stews, blustery afternoons, CUDDLING!, and farmers market—I haven't even touched on fall farmers market finds. Did I mention soft socks? And that extra Restoration Hardware blanket on the bed? I'll let you chew on the musts I've listed for now, but this is only the beginning, dear readers. It's three months and counting until Christmas... We have a lot of holiday posts ahead of us. And they all include the word "cozy."