Summer was so fun, but I am also so ready for fall and after a few weeks of high 80 and 90 degree weather here in Indianapolis this weekend was a little chilly!

September was consumed with finishing up our kitchen renovation project, a bit of near-by travel to Chicago and Kentucky, decorating for fall, and my school Foodservice internship rotation.  The month was much less organized than I prefer to be because the inside of our house was rather chaotic due to construction.  The type-A planner that I am was a little stressed, but thanks to a great support system (Brian and family!!) I made it through and now I am so in love with our kitchen and thankful we were able to make this change.

Ever since we moved to back home to Indiana in March I have told Brian that I was looking forward to October.  For some reason, I just had a feeling that I would feel a little more settled, our house would be more put-together, and we would have somewhat of a routine…well! Let’s see what October has in store.

Here are some highlights from September.

Foods I am Loving

• The Gallery Pastry Shop

Over Labor Day weekend, we had friends from Denver visit us.  While they were visiting, we grabbed brunch at The Gallery Pastry Shop and we all LOVED every single bite.  The omelettes were satisfying and flavorful yet not too huge and the side of roasted local potatoes was literally perfect.

Definitely a new favorite Indianapolis brunch spot for us!

• Ezra’s Enlightened Cafe

Last Saturday, Brian and I took advantage of the summer-like temperature and walked the dogs into Broad Ripple for a lunch al fresco at Ezra’s Enlightened Cafe.  Ezra’s is a plant-based restaurant featuring lots of bowls, raw and vegan baked goods, and delicious twists on classic and new-to-us flavors.

We shared the Buddha Bowl (pictured on the right) and the Nacho Mama’s Bean Bowl (on the left).  Both were FULL of flavor and we enjoyed every single bite.  The only words we uttered while eating were “this is SO good!!!” Because it was THAT good.

Workouts I am Loving:

• Morning runs with Bernie, Rooney and Brian

Now that Rooney is a year old, we have been lacing up our running shoes about once a week to run early in the morning together.  I absolutely LOVE starting my day with Brian and the dogs!! Such a treat and a good way to be in a positive mood to start off the day.

Moments I am Loving:

• Symphony on the Prairie

When our Denver friends visited over Labor Day weekend, we attended an outdoor Prince Tribute concert put on by the Indianapolis Symphony on the Prairie.  This was our first experience with the event, but the symphony has been hosting these outdoor summer concerts for years.

We packed a picnic, drinks, blankets, and layers (it was a bit chilly that night!) and LOVED listening to the tunes of Prince.  It was so fun, Brian and I can’t wait to go again next year!

• Visiting with Kate in Kentucky

We were so excited to spend a full weekend with our friend Kate who now lives in Denver.  We drove a couple of hours down to her family’s cabin in Kentucky where we had wonderful friend time and the dogs ran and swan and were actually tired (a rare occasion with two vizslas!). It was such a fun weekend.

The pups slept all the way home in the car and laid around the house for two days. Seriously, that has NEVER happened before! 🙂

• Chicago!

We spent a long weekend in Chicago for a business conference for Brian, but we also squeezed in a bit of fun time too!  We stayed with our friends Caitlin and Dave and had fun exploring their adorable neighborhood with them after conferencing all day (although the conference was pretty fun too!)

• Rooney’s Birthday

Rooney turned a year old on September 20, and I still can’t believe it!! We brought her home in November last year, but thinking back to this time last year kind of has my mind blown…time has gone by so fast!

• My Foodservice Rotation in my Dietetic Intership

I have been interning with the Franklin Township school system and seriously loving every minute of it.  I have worked on marketing projects, recipe testing projects, helped serve school lunch and everything in between.  I really feel like I’m gaining wonderful experience and making meaningful connections.

• Our Kitchen Renovation is Complete!!!!!

Here is a reminder of the “before.”

And here is the after!

We are SO happy with the end result!!

I hope you all have a happy October!!! 🙂

Your Turn!

• Share your September highlights in the comments below! 🙂