Hello October!

Yesterday was the start of my favorite month of the year. I love October. 

Not to dampen the mood, but the start of this month also means that we are halfway through fall, which means I have to seriously evaluate all the Fall activities I want to cross off my list in the next 30 days. My list is below and so far I've crossed off... zero. Yikes! So here's to welcoming the best month of the year and celebrating fall in Minnesota! 

My Fall List 

Visit Minnesota's Largest Candy Store

Get lost in Severs Corn Maze

Cheers at Octoberfest

Attend a Vikings Game - see you next weekend Texans ;)

Pick a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch - there are hundreds around the Twin Cities!

Um... I forgot to mention I also love apple orchards and wineries. Literally, I could spend all year attending every apple picking, wine drinking event in Minnesota, but instead i'll keep it at a minimum and list a few of my favorites for you to add to your Fall list.

Orchards 

Emma Krumbees - Belle Plain

Pine Tree Apple Orchards - White Bear Lake

Aamodt's Apple Farm - Stillwater

Apple Jack's Orchard - Delano

Wineries

Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery - Kasota 

They also serve wood-fired pizza with your tasting!

Northern Vineyards - Stillwater

The best view to enjoy a class while over looking the St. Croix 

Scram Vineyards - Waconia

A great place to enjoy both wine and beer 

Nail Polish Marbling

If you follow me on Instragram (shameless plug...) you may have seen me share some nail polish marbling pieces. YOU GUYS, I'm obsessed with how simple yet how amazing this DIY is. I found it one night while scrolling through Pinterest and I've been experimenting ever since. 

If you're looking for a fun, new craft that can be used to make cards, decor, or anything your heart desires :) see below for full step-by-step instructions. 

What you'll need:

Nail Polish (I found that Sinful Colors works the best, and it's cheap!)

Thick paper of any size (I found the one below on Amazon)

Tuper ware or any container that can easily fit your piece of paper laying flat

Toothpicks

Room temperate water

Start by slowly pouring the nail polish into the water. Emphasis on slowly since this nail polish is really runny and if you get too much in your container it becomes hard to swirl. 

Once you've poured your desired amount, take a tooth pick and start swirling the nail polish in different directions until you get a design that you like. 

Immediately after you're done swirling the nail polish, grab your paper and lay it on top of the water. Do no dunk the entire sheet, just lightly tap on it so all edges capture the nail polish. 

And then... drum roll please... you have you're amazing, unique, super easy marbled design! Don't forget to let it dry until the paper is no longer wet from the water.

I love getting creative with this DYI and experimenting with mixing colors!

If you try this out, tag me on Instagram at @allisonupnorth. I would love to see your marbling creations :) 

Fall-spiration

I've been thinking a lot about passions lately and what I want to do when I grow up. At the age of 24 I feel like I need to have it all figured out, but I don't and I've come to realize that rather than dwelling on the unknown I should be embracing the unexpected. Who knows what opportunities will come knocking for any of us! Or what life purpose we may discover by trying new things.

With that mind set, I spent the long weekend setting aside the uncertainties and spent time doing things I love. One of those things was creating this fall inspiration (aka fall-spiration). I absolutely love the Fall and these pictures capture exactly why. So cheers to make time for trying new things, doing what you love, and embracing the unexpected!

I do not claim these pictures as my own. All pictures were found on Pinterest. 

Your Inner Creative - with Creative Art Box!

I love art; drawing, painting, heck I even tried pottery. It's an interest of mine that has always remained constant. Although I do admit, I don't carve out a ton of time to practice because I'm often too intimidated and don't know where to begin. We've all been there, right? 

Then, I was introduced to Creative Art Box. If you haven't heard of it, you're going to think it's genius when I tell you it's a monthly subscription of unique art supplies and projects delivered around a surprise theme each month. I'm wondering... why didn't I think of that?! Such a great idea for beginners (or experts!) who want to have have fun, and want a break from coloring in the tiny lines in adult coloring books. 

In this month's box I was surpised to find a miniature wood manikin to help with the basics of figure drawing (it's so cute!), some graphite pencils, erasers, and instructions on how to best use them all! 

Now remember, I'm not perfect, just practicing, but here are a few of my experiments with this month's box! 

What do you do to let out your inner creative??

Creative Art Box is a Minnesota based company. You can learn more about them and order your monthly subscription here! 

This post was not sponsored.