Last month, the director of my group invited our small team to his cabin for a mini Oktoberfest, hiking, plus hunting. We drove 3.5 hours outside of Boston to a serene part of northern New Hampshire, where he owns a few hundred acres of land. It felt wonderful to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a weekend.
I wore this outfit for indoor social activities, and packed green jeans and old sneakers for the wilderness. Layers are necessary for staying comfortable in fluctuating weather, and also to shield sensitive skin from itchy sweaters. As long as my vital organs are warm and toasty, my legs can tolerate being bare up until late fall.
Mixing textures and adding a hint of pattern keeps a basic outfit from being too basic.
The host went all out and ordered massive amounts of food from GermanDeli.com…the sausages hot off the grill, tangy sauerkraut, plus sweet and hot specialty mustards were delicious together. 
Liverwurst, cold cuts, and cheese also from that website. It was my first time trying liverwurst, and personally found it to be quite tasty – especially when spread on a warm pretzel roll. 
I engaged briefly in shooting practice, but lacked skill and stomach for the real thing. Instead, we ended up going on a 2 hour hike out of the host’s backyard…it sounded leisurely, thus none of the guests were prepared for the steep terrain, untamed trail, and crater-sized moose tracks. About 5 minutes in, I decided to stop expending energy on pretending like I wasn’t completely winded. I have newfound respect for those who hike such trails for fun!
Stein mugs that each hold 3+ beers, brought back from many trips to the real Oktoberfest in Germany. 
I was impressed by the kitchen prowess demonstrated by all the men on the trip. The host “prepped” his game birds then trussed them with bacon, while others baked pies from scratch and grilled up a mountain of veggies.
Fresh pies and hot apple cider to accompany Scattergories and Taboo after dinner. I caught the host seasoning our cider with cinnamon sticks and a generous pour of something.
The next morning, I woke to the aroma of another boss whipping up blueberry crepes. Not one to be wasteful, I dug out grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and cheese leftover from dinner, for a savory crepe filling that the cook is now hooked on.
Left: Wild boar sausage patties from a previous hunting trip. They were interesting. Right: Leftover pie just as good the next morning.
Readers – Thank you for reading these posts from my weekend getaways. In my opinion, fall is the most beautiful time in New England…I only wish I took more photos of the scenery (was probably too delirious while hiking) to share!
Love the blog! What size are the Ferragamos you are wearing? I've heard they go down to a size 5?
I really like your blog. As a fellow petite it is really nice to hear from someone else who has trouble finding clothes that are small enough and short enough. I really like your honeycomb sweater too!
-Emily
http://from-small-beginnings.blogspot.com/
I'm very happy for you . Not everyone have what you have at work
I'm very happy for you . Not everyone have what you have at work
I absolutely love that honeycomb sweater!
♡ Lexi @ Glitter, Inc.
thanks for your reply jean :), was the job you left the first job you took on after school? As soon as I graduated from college i stayed with the same company for 5 years and well i guess i am seconding guessing myself. Should people our age spend 2-3 years and jump around or is that a bad idea?
Hi there – I stayed for 3.5 years and needed a change badly. This may sound trite, but life is too short to not take chances and push yourself! I think settling for something you're not perfectly happy or content with is the worst thing one can do. The worst that can happen is you don't like it at the new place is you can move on (and if you're not "good enough" there you can try harder and self-teach, take courses, ask for help, etc), but if you don't give yourself the chance then you'll never know. Best of luck in whatever you decide to pursue!
Hi there – 1) I'm guessing you are joking because this was a tiny gun but no, no shoulder pain ; ) 2) It depends on how much fabric was taken in and how delicate the fabric is. If it's just a little fabric, or if the material seems like it might unravel if I cut it and leave raw edges hanging, then I don't trim it. If it's a lot of material, I do trim it and do a zig zag stitch on the edges. I have a serger machine to do a proper overlock but never use it because it's so tedious to thread and get the right color thread.
Awesome! Hemming thrifted skirts is so easy and such a great way to recycle high quality skirts from the past : )
Usually black mid-calf rain boots…those things are rain/slush/snow proof!
I work in financial services : )
Hi Janki, I see your point and agree that too often, women naturally 'fall' into the role of administrative tasks and it ends up sealing their image. I notice a different attitude in general at more male-dominated environments (like when I work with teams from other offices) and am fortunate it's not something I face on a daily basis in my own team. at some places, women do have to work 2x or more as hard to be recognized equally, and I applaud those who forage their way to the top. Have fun at sewing!
Hi Kaye – it's great that you want to be fashionable for your significant other at home, but I just love over-sized, fuzzy comfort clothes when lounging around at home! And I think every loving significant other likes those kind of clothes too. I'm using in fuzzy socks and PJs, but if you want to look more put together, I could suggest comfortable tee dresses (C&C; and splendid make soft ones) or chunky knit cardigans over dark denim.
The Steins have a name? I had no idea! Love your anecdote : )
Thanks so much, Rina! Take care on the other side of the world!
Thanks so much for your comment, Michelle. I understand a lot of your sentiment here, and to be honest, there will always be coworkers that will be nothing more than just coworkers. I feel lucky to have found a few good friends from the workplace, but understand that is usually (or often) not the case. I wish you the best of luck in finding the right balance between being able to "be yourself" in front of colleagues while maintaining professionalism : )
Sleep in a loose bun when hair is almost dry but not completely : )
Thank you for your compliment! I am still using the same routine of just sleeping with my hair (almost dried, but not completely) in a bun at the nape of my neck and hoping that it comes out wavy the next day. I don't use any products and don't do anything the next day, but the downside is it's hit or miss (sometimes it just ends up as very messy bedhead).
hi jean,
i read in your earlier post that you quit you job. how long did you stay in your old job before you decided to make the jump. i've been doing finance for 5 years and i always thought about jumping to a new company but i am afraid that i would be good enough in the new company. any advice would help.
Looking elegant as always! Love the green hue of your jumper for Fall, it's so on trend this season.
http://www.jeetly.com
Ahhh… fall is in the air.
– L
Jean : Two questions: did your shoulder hurt after shooting this big gun? Looks like form western movies! And I always wanted to ask you about alterations on that blouse and other things you do like dresses. Do you cut out the material that is left sewn inside sleeves/torso or do you leave it in? Do you always cut it out or how to decided? If you cut it out, do you use some sort of overlock stitch on edges?
this post is so beautiful. i love how it excites me for fall! your blog is really amazing & i read every post. lets collaborate if you're interested. xo.
Hello,
Nice to see you enjoyed your time. I am trying to contact you as I just launched my blog today and.. I am lost and would need some pieces of advice. As I just do not know how to contact you well I have to use this comment area to do. Apologies in advance and MIA for your help.
Regards.
Hey someone's selling the sweater you're wearing in a mustard color on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NWOT-J-Crew-Honeycomb-Sweater-in-Heather-Acorn-Size-S-/280991744794?pt=US_CSA_WC_Sweaters&hash;=item416c69c31a
=) after seeing this post I immediately went to Goodwill and found a wool skirt. I hemmed it myself, and the total came out to $2.50! I'm very excited to wear it this winter.
Love this post!
you look adorable 🙂
Cammi @ Cammilicious.com
Mmmmm!! Look at all that food! 😀