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11.05.2013

AUTUMN COMES TO CENTRAL PARK


saturday was such a good day i could probably go blind tomorrow and feel like i'd seen it all. i kid you not, THEEEEE perfect day. mother nature freaking KILLED. the leaves were on fire, the sky was an icy blue, the air was scientifically the perfect temperature. i swear they've probably done studies on it. at one point i shouted at brandon--no i really shouted at him in the middle of the park--BRANDON THE AIR FEELS LIKE NOTHING! I CAN'T! FEEL! THE AIR! and then we walked through the mall with all the arching canopies of pumpkin-y trees and it was like shuuuuuut uuuuuup. leaves like confetti twisting through the air, and the crunch! don't even get me started on the crunch. it was so perfect it was stupid. there were so many people in the park that day and all of us with our cheesy grins on, looking up into branches with our mouths open in awe, we were all just IN it. we all knew, it was like we could all tell deep in our bones that this was the last day of it. the last day before it got too cold, too dark, before all the leaves dropped and turned to mushy stew on the ground, the last day before daylight savings time came along and pooped on all of us, and so we were doing it. we were all DOING IT.


we stayed outside until the last drop of sunlight had disappeared, finding excuse after excuse to stay out, walking down path after path to delay going home; we even camped out under a fir tree in the middle of a sudden short-lived downpour, because even covered in raindrops the day was too good to miss. 

and then it went dark and we all went home, and pulled on our coziest socks.


it's all going to go too fast from here on out, you know. after halloween comes the marathon, after the marathon comes the thanksgiving parade, and then come the christmas shops and the ice skating rinks and the santas and the trees all lit up, and before you know it it's over. we've been chugging uphill and chugging uphill and saturday was the top of it, the very tippy top, where you could see it all; everything that came before and everything that is coming next. the holidays are like a slide where you speed all the way to the bottom. this is our reward for a year well done, this exciting slide of autumn into the holidays and christmas and joy and it all happens far too quickly and it ends before you know it. and then it is january and you're like, now what.

we stared it down on saturday. we opened our arms wide. we felt the breeze. and now we are ready. 

here we go. 

p.s. my loafers are from zara!

74 comments:

  1. Sigh. I miss NY always, but this time of year I am seriously, pathetically broken hearted over it. Gorgeous post. And now I'm going to go look at the snow out my window and cry.

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  2. I cannot believe how beautiful autumn is in NYC! I need to go soon!
    beautiful words, you made me feel like I was there too :) thanks!

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  3. Those shoes?! I have been looking for them everywhere! Where did you get them?

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  4. I was there Saturday and I felt it all too. Loved it so much that we went back on Sunday in our down coats, because I too fear that any day now, it will be gone - so I'm going multiple times a week, whether I can feel the air or not ;)

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  5. I'm literally dying at these pictures and wishing I was in NYC to experience fall there! The high today is 80 degrees here in California and my sister and I sweat wearing scarves to pretend it's actually fall. :)

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  6. I've been reading your blog for a few months now. You have such a talent for writing. I love your voice. It's so fun to read. Thanks for letting people like me peek into your lovely life.

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  7. I'm new to your blog but I swear yo you guys are the perfect family. I love reading your posts so far. I'm a new blogger so take a peek at my blog.

    sincerely,
    http://boardingtogether.blogspot.com

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  8. oh fall, how you fall upon us so quickly and leave us even faster! it almost isn't fair. xo

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  9. This was just beautiful, all week I have been trying to come up with words for this perfect time of year as fall ends and the holidays begin. You nailed it.

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  10. so close yet so far away. it only takes me 25 minutes from my door to central park, but I probably won't get a chance to see the beautiful trees now that daylight is over at 5pm :(

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  11. This is beautiful. All of it.

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  12. Hello Natalie, I always read and almost never comment, you know, always in my cell phone. But today I was sitting in front of my computer and the end of your post filled me with emotions about the holidays coming and what a perfect way to express it that I just HAD to leave you a comment telling you that I really love coming back to this blog and reading what you say the way you say it.
    I lived in NYC for 4 years until 3 months ago that we moved to Houston, and I've been missing SOOOO much NYC auttum!

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  13. It is so nice to savor those moments...just stop long enough to appreciate the season before they all slide by...

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  14. Oh goodness, I'm so envious of all of this Fall goodness that you are surrounded by!!
    And I love your loafers! So perfect for the season :)
    You always write to beautiful!
    xo TJ

    http://www.hislittlelady.com

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  15. I love this post, Natalie! Thank you thank you thank you for it and the beauty that it added to my day. xoxo

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  16. AUTUMN IS PERFECTION. as is central park//nyc that day. SIGH! truest words. xo

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  17. Beautiful! Fall is most certainly amazing!! And your shoes are DARLING! :)

    http://sometimesgracefully.com

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  18. This post just made me want to move so I can have this perfect moment next year. But still, I don't think I could bottle up all those feelings quite so precisely. Beautifully put Nat. <3

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  19. Beautiful. I'm still laughing about your I CAN'T FEEL THE AIR comment!

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  20. Can you tell me about your loafers?

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  21. how beautiful. what a great post. :)

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  22. This is one of those posts where I can just feel the words flowing through you to me as you hit that sweet spot of subject and language. I love all your posts but this is one where I go "ahhhh".

    Also, the fact that people go out into this beautiful world and continued to be awed by the seasons even though they occur year after year after year kind of restores my faith in humanity, ya know?

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    1. Right? My thoughts exactly. I could have been sitting there with her eating a cronut. Whatever the heck that is!

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  23. I am so loving this weather too! Gosh the leaves are so beautiful right now.

    www.seashellsandeggshells.blogspot.com

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  24. You've captured Autumn PERFECTLY! This gem is my new secret weapon in the fight against the winter blues - another read through will surely help to snap me out of them. So thanks ;) Oh, and Huck's outfit is EVERYTHING. Seriously, this child is just too much!!

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  25. Gorgeous! love the pictures, love your words. a perfect synopsis of the lead up to the holidays and what a joyful, whirlwind they are.

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  26. Yup, I generally LOVE your clothes and shoes and accessories and whatnot, but the one time, I'm like DANG, where are those loafers actually from? And bam, you forgot to say. :(

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  27. Haha! Your description of the air is so good. I felt that way one late August/early September in Paris. I remember getting up early to wander the empty streets with my honey and remarking that the air felt just... so perfectly PERFECT. Later I described it to my mom like this: "WE COULD HAVE WALKED AROUND NAKED! The air and the temperature felt THAT neutral and perfect." She thought that was crazy-lady talk. :)

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  28. These photos are unreal! Literally gave me goosebumps!! Thanks for sharing!

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  29. Oh Natalie, thank goodness for you.

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  30. Ahhh this is so good. That it exactly how Saturday was in good ol' Provo, perfect and sunny and crunchy. Then on Sunday we woke up to snow.

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  31. That last part was so good and so true I had to read it aloud to my roommates. Great as always!

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  32. last paragraph = perfection. i just booked a little post xmas ski trip for our family even though budgets are tight and who knows if there will be snow and on and on. it's our reward.

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  33. This is so perfect!! I love reading your posts!

    Xo Josephine
    www.joselovincolors.com

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  34. It looks so beautiful outside. -Hanna Lei

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  35. And, that glorious Saturday? Was also my 30th birthday. I feel like the Universe is looking out for me sometimes.

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  36. love these!


    xx

    http://everydaybeginings.blogspot.com

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  37. Ohmygosh! I need to move where there is a real fall! These California autumns are the stupidest.

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  38. I wish I could write something meaningful about how the way you find beauty and joy in your life really brightens mine.

    I also wanted to tell you that back when Huck was a wee babe and I had no baby to call mine just yet, I would read your posts about mommying and most especially about breastfeeding and I have to say you are my nursing muse. I used to be slightly creeped out by breastfeeding, but then here you were my you've got mail, diet coke drinking soul sister talking about how much she 'loved the nursing' and I always knew I'd give it a try because 'breast is best' and all that, but I absolutely love the nursing too. Before your blog and babble posts, I only ever heard women talk about how terrible and painful breastfeeding was, so thanks for giving me a ray of hope and doing your part to normalize breastfeeding for me.

    Now I'm all over here like women's rights! Breastfeeding in public! Especially without a cover. Get your boobs out and feed yo baby. The end. So glad I could blog in your comments here. You're a champ if you read this. <3

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  39. Such a beautiful post. Just so beautiful.

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  40. It's funny. For about two years now I have tried to find the words to describe fall, the October to November transition. To put into words this turning feeling. The feeling of change that is felt right down to the bones. You know, really give autumn the firework description that it deserves. This my dear is it. You did it. You put that all consuming fall ora into beautiful words. If you were near by and I read this in front of you I would have clapped. Applauded really. I would have given you that goofy high five you want to give people when they give you the name of that actor you have been trying to think of. So thanks and goofy high fives to you lady. YOU are killing it.

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  41. Such a gorgeous post, these photos are amazing!

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  42. oh wow - I love how the seasons are so obvious on your side of the world...we dont get that here in Australia...

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  43. that 1st shot is AMAZING!!!

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  44. This post and these just pictures just freakin' rock!

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  45. can we just talk about his cowboy boots. he's a balla!

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  46. You are amazing! You always find the perfect way to say the things that everyone else is thinking and doesn't know how to say.. i live for your blog!! and that Huck of yours, there are no words.

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  48. Simply fantastic photos, Nat! Love them!!!
    Great post. You really summed it up beautifully. It all goes by so fast...

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  49. These photographs are seriously stunning!! There's nothing like stopping to smell the roses :)

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  50. i'm moving out to nyc in exactly one month and this post is making it eeeeeven harder to wait that long! can you believe places like this even *exist* in real life? gah!

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  51. You look beautiful but oh my gawd those pics!!!! The leaves are amazing!perfect!!!

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  52. Well that was just lovely. I just loved it.

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  53. these colors are ahhhmazing.

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  54. i just can't get enough of the leaves right now, the bright gold and reds just about slay me. of course i made the mistake of telling atticus over the summer that all the leaves were green, in an effort to explain colors. ahhh mama, you dummy!

    http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2013/11/mornings.html

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  55. These photos are unreal. UNREAL.

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  56. I'm a long time reader but 1st time to comment - what a glorious post - "thank you"!!! It really is such a special time fast approaching - all the more special for myself and my family as we are crossing the oceans to spend it in NEW YORK...
    Chrissy x

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  57. Those last few paragraphs... yes. Exactly. :)

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  58. Oh man, those pictures make me miss NYC. You captured it beautifully in both words and photos.

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  59. oh my goodness i love this. i feel the exact same way, we're speeding onto the holidays now...

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  60. OOOOH, perfect. I want to visit NYC so bad.

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  61. This looks like my favorite day ever! Love fall! Love cities! I need to visit NYC in the fall!!

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  62. This looks like my favorite day ever! Love fall! Love cities! I need to visit NYC in the fall!!

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  63. these pictures, golly. they're too good.

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  64. Woooow! I love this pictures!!

    http://almostinsiders.wordpress.com/

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  65. This post is so lovely! I'm so happy I read your blog and get to join your joy filled world for a while :)

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  66. I just have to say.. you make me belly laugh out loud when I read your blog. You are so damn funny! Thank you for always lightening my mood. Although I don't really know you, I am confident that you are one impeccable human being.

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  67. Gorgeous description and photos! I miss autumn in Central Park. It's definitely the place to be in this season. Enjoy!

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