Labor Day has always been a special time for me--when summer is winding down and fall hints at us in the early morning. My birthday is in a few days and I always feel as though I get to start over in some way, especially this year with boxes still waiting to be unpacked and so many new things from our wedding registry that were waiting patiently for this move before they could finally be opened and used.

This summer was a good one, and while I find myself already missing Minneapolis, I'm so looking forward to this autumn in Charlotte--our first fall as a married couple, sleeping in on chilly weekends and drinking hot coffee and joking incessantly about an upcoming winter that won't be nearly as cold and long as the last, even if I know I'm going to miss all of that snow.

Wishing you a wonderful Labor Day, friends.

Last week I visited my parents' house and had some friends over for a s'mores party! My brother built a campfire and I created a quick and fun menu of different s'mores for us to try. We made PB&J s'mores, bacon s'mores, salted caramel s'mores, and even a bananas foster s'more!

La Crema sent several bottles of their Pinot Noir and we had such a great time by the fire, drinking wine and eating way too much sugar. My friend Chad was even in town from Connecticut, so I got to see him for the first time since my wedding--and I hadn't seen my friends Matt or Tony since then, either. The whole thing felt like a big, awesome reunion (with roasted marshmallows). 

This post was sponsored by La Crema. Thank you so much for your support as I continue to work with brands. Visit the La Crema blog to get the recipes for all of our s'mores creations!

And for La Crema, the end of summer also means wine grape harvest! Now you can participate in this exciting time of year in Wine Country by signing up for La Crema's Virtual Vintner program. Join the virtual winemaking community and set the course for a totally new crowd-sourced creation from La Crema.

Photos by Photo + Love for Freckled Italian.

A few weeks ago when I was visiting Charlotte, my friend Langley and I spent an afternoon drinking coffee and walking around NoDa, where we ended up at a sweet little vintage shop. I couldn't resist this bright silk dress. It was perfect for a summer afternoon out in St. Paul last weekend.

Dress: Vintage (from The Rat's Nest)

Shoes: ShoeMint | Belt: Target | Clutch: Hobo

Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelet: Banana Republic | Earrings: Acute Designs