Forget about summer, fall is where it’s at. Who needs heat, humidity, and wrinkled cotton dresses betraying your sweaty armpits when there are wooly sweaters, broken-in riding boots, and glorious layers to hide your body’s imperfections? But the magic of fall is in more than just the wardrobe change--the end of summer will forever signify the magic of Back To School.

While some kids dreaded the end of their free summer days, I was counting down the days until I could don my uniform and sharpen my pencils again. I spent each Sunday of late July and early August grabbing the Sunday circulars away from my brother so I could see what was new in the world of school supplies and make a careful list for our trip to Target.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had to go back to school (six years to be exact), but I still get a tickle in my tummy every time I smell that first hint of Autumn woven into a late summer breeze or feel the first dry leaf crunch under my feet, and I still comb the Back to School aisles at Target and grab some fresh notebooks and pens.

I’ve also made it a tradition to make a Back To (not) School shopping list: the few new staples that will put that First Day of School spring in my step... even when I’m really just gearing up for another crazy Monday at the office.


(1) Vintage Matchstick Cord in Vibrant Flame, J.Crew (US$79.50)
Jenna Lyons is my hero. Did you know that she’s 6 feet tall, JUST LIKE ME? I like to think that this innate tall-girl-solidarity is why J.Crew consistently makes clothes that are made for highly evolved females like myself, who can reach anything at the grocery store without help. That’s why I like these bright, cozy cords. Because I’m tall and can reach things, and these will look great while I’m doing just that.

(2) The Cambridge Satchel, Classic (£74)
Kelly Green. Yes please. This will be perfect for holding my notebooks and pens and maybe even a sandwich if I become the kind of girl who remembers to pack her lunch every day!

(3) Moleskine Ruled Volant Pocket Notebook (2-pk US$8.95/C$10.49)
I’m a notebook hoarder, and tend to keep “special” notebooks reserved for “special” ideas I haven’t had yet. Not this year! I’m filling all the $9 notebooks I have with the most pedestrian of my thoughts, to-dos and lists.

(4) American Apparel Winter Leggings (US$19.99)
The worst thing about cheap leggings is seeing your flesh through the thin weave of cotton whenever you bend your knees. These are the only leggings I’ve found that are thick enough to hide all traces of your pasty skin. Do I feel ridiculous paying this much for leggings? Yes. That’s how I know they’re worth it.

(5) Bass 'Wayfarer Karikole' Penny Loafers (US$79.95 sale)
I fully understand how wrong these could look, but I also suffer from a disorder that allows me to believe that I can make anything look cool. Or at least so uncool that it’s almost cool. No?

(6) Mariner Scrunch Neck Sweater, Lands End Canvas (US$59.50)
Look, I didn’t expect Lands End to be cranking out styles that perfectly fit my Pippi Longstocking meets Carolyn Bessette Kennedy meets Washed Up Hipster meeting Soccer Mom style, and I bet they’re just as surprised to hear me describe this sweater that way. Either way, it rules and I just want to wear it to an apple orchard and maybe stand near a campfire in it. Who knows where the fall will take me?

Am I the only person with a stack of new notebooks at her office desk?  What's on your list?