It's starting to feel like fall! On one hand, this is lovely. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I'm all about cozy sweaters, colorful leaves, and the crispness in the air. But, I also love the warmth of fleeting summer in Seattle, and it's sad to say goodbye. We all know what's coming month after month once the beauty of fall fades out and the gray settles in. Argh. This summer has really zipped by.

And, another fun weekend ahead. Today I'm going to see It Might Get Loud with friends. Tomorrow is fall fashion shopping with friend Jen and plans to see Extract. Monday is Bumbershoot! Franz Ferdinand! Metric! Lots of good local bands, and comedian Nick Swardson is performing too. I've wanted to see his comedy live for a long time, so I hope I can! Comedy shows are more difficult to get in to at Bumbershoot.

Last weekend I reconnected with new-old friend Amanda for an afternoon at the Ballard Farmers Market and lunch at Bastille. Delicious! It was really good to see her (knew Amanda as a kid in MN, hadn't seen her for years and years, but now she's moved to Seattle) and the Market was so nice. There is so much there right now. I bought some corn and fancy hummus and nectarines and...lots of good stuff. For all the locals, Bastille is incredibly yummy Frahnch food. I recommend. Amanda and I were there for the Sunday brunch menu, but I'll be returning this week for dinner to celebrate friend Lindsay's birthday. Yay!

Oh, Casey and I went to Gainsbourg in Greenwood the evening after baby Finley arrived, and it's another one I recommend. Food is delicious and affordable, and they have an interesting cocktail menu. Adored the Edith Piaf, which was basically a lemon drop with creme de violette. I think you have to friend them on Facebook to see the menu. The atmosphere is cool and pretty laid back, and they have games! Casey taught me different types of poker, and, well, I won't brag about who ended up with the most chips at the end of the night.

Em and I saw Cold Souls last weekend. Another goodie. The concept is kind of Eternal Sunshine-ish, but the story is original with its own clever spin on what life would be like if we could extract our souls. Paul Giamatti is excellent, of course, and there are quite a few funny lines.

This week I haven't been writing on the blog, because I've been shamefully obsessed with getting caught up on Season 2 of True Blood. Really. It's an addiction. Lucky for me, Em has HBO On Demand, so I just show up and we settle in to watch episodes. Also lucky for me is the fact that Em has seen the episodes, so she can warn me when something horribly gruesome and violent is coming. She's great. She sits there with the remote poised to hit mute or fast forward during the bad, and then she narrates what's happening while I hide in the couch cushions. "OK, so now he's ripping out her heart..." I think I'm up to episode 10 now, so almost there. In spite of the gross factor, it's just so good. My favorite character this season is vampire Eric. I think he's stealing the show. First, he wore a track suit to the mall, which was hilarious in itself, but he's proven funny on a regular basis, sometimes awkwardly weird, and even charming with his lispy lines. I'm so into it! This Sunday is the season finale. Boo.

Must jet to get ready for It Might Get Loud. More soon!