This is, like, my fifth time writing this post. Fingers crossed, it will save and be published and not disappear like the last four times.

Y'all know I love fall. I like the pretty leaves and the crisp weather and the hella cute outfits... But what I really love about fall are the boots. I have loved boots for as long as I can remember. I was stomping around in platform boots (a la the Spice Girls) in the fourth grade, towering over my classmates who just didn't get it. Seriously, those things had about a 3-inch sole. And they were amazing.

I've toned down my taste a little since then, but my love for boots has never been stronger. So here are five pairs of boots that you need for autumn. Okay, I guess you don't absolutely need all five styles... But, let's be real, you'll want them in your life.

The first style is a total throwback to my fourth-grade self. Platform combat boots have made a slight comeback, thanks to this wave of nineties nostalgia we're experiencing. Seriously, imagine those boots with a black, floral print dress and a choker necklace.

But if you're looking for something a little more now, some little ankle booties are the way to go. They look good with literally anything and are available at just about any price point. You can get them in different materials and colors... I love burgundy and emerald green for fall, but you can wear black booties all of the time. I don't think you can go wrong with these boots.

Riding boots are another favorite of mine. They can really make a casual outfit look more finished. But, more than that, they keep your legs safe from those autumn puddles that always splash up and soak the hems of your pants. So you can totally justify purchasing a pair of these as useful and stylish.

Let me tell you a story about this next style. A few years ago, I bought a pair of motorcycle boots from Hot Topic on clearance for $17. They were beautiful and perfect and I wore them with everything. About a year ago, the sole started falling off. I even taped those suckers up and wore them after that, because I loved them so much. Eventually there was no saving them and I had to throw them away. It was a very sad moment in my life. So, in memory of my amazing boots (may they rest in peace... or pieces), you need to buy a pair of these.

Last, but not least, is another nineties throwback. Combat boots. See, part of the reason I love boots is because you can wear them with anything... I especially love wearing boots with daintier clothes to give them an edge. And these boots will do just that. They are so popular at the moment, too, so you can find them for any price range and in various colors and styles.

What boots will you be rocking this autumn? Or do you wear these babies year-round, like me?

Working from home sounds like a dream... And, let's be real, it pretty much is. I don't have to worry about whether I can make it to work in the winter, I can schedule projects on my own time and, if I'm organized enough, I can sometimes take an unplanned day off. But that doesn't mean that working from home is all sunshine and lollipops... whatever that means. Even some of the perks have their downsides.

Pro: Pajamas. They are comfy, but...

Con: Pajamas can lead to laziness. You definitely feel more motivated when you're in actual clothing. Of course, I say this as I sit in my really comfortable and warm pajamas.

Pro: Working from bed. But...

Con: Again, working from your bed can lead to a bit of laziness. Plus, it can just be really uncomfortable sometimes. A home office space is definitely a must, even if you still work from your bed occasionally (like I am right now).

Pro: You can work on your own time. That means you can easily find ways to fit in workouts, cooking, cleaning and other chores or errands. But...

Con: It's easy to procrastinate. Because you can do your work whenever you feel like it (within reason), it is easy to push projects to the back burner or leave them until the last minute.

Pro: Less gas money. I mean, hey, I don't usually have to leave the house. But...

Con: It can get a little lonely. I'm pretty introverted, but even us introverts need some time out and about. It is important to schedule time to spend with friends or family. You don't even have to schedule, just do.

Overall, I love working from home. I know how lucky I am to be able to do this at this stage in my life. There are just some tweaks you have to occasionally make to your daily routine to work to the best of your ability.

Because I don't have nearly enough books, right?

Sometimes I just get the urge to go into a bookstore. Sometimes it is because I'm looking for something specific, but sometimes it is just because I like to be surrounded by books. Maybe it's a writer thing, or a reader thing... Maybe it's an introvert thing? I don't know. All I know is that this weekend, I had the strong urge to be surrounded by paper and ink and binding.

Of course, you can't be surrounded by all of these amazing books and not buy one... or five. Or more. So I thought I would share what books I picked up on my little outing. Posts like these always inspire my to-read list and, maybe, you will be inspired to look into a couple of my picks.

The first three books were actually inspired by a fanfic... And, look, before you judge me for being a twenty-six year old who still occasionally indulges in fanfic, just know that I could go into a whole spiel on how fanfic is actually prevalent in classic literature and continues to be an important facet of current literature and can be an interesting writing exercise besides... But that would be my English major coming out.

Anyway, poetry is awesome and these are three of my favorite poets ever. All of them are so important to the genre and thinking about the contributions they made to poetry make me miss when it was considered a valid occupation. Seriously, everyone, read poetry. Write poetry. It's amazing.

How to Build a Girl has been on my to-read list for a while, and I'll admit that a big reason for that is because the cover is so nineties. Yes, I am riding that nostalgia train hard. Caitlin Moran has a history of being problematic, if I remember correctly, so we'll see if I actually enjoy this book or just get pissed off whilst reading it.

Do I really even need to tell you about #GirlBoss? I feel like I'm the last blogger to read this book.

As for the last book, I was a pretty big fan of Eat, Pray, Love. It spoke to the white girl in me and, yeah, inspired me quite a bit. I haven't really kept up with Elizabeth Gilbert's works since, but this one is all about living creatively which is just as perfect for me now as Eat, Pray, Love was for me years ago. Plus the cover is just stinkin' gorgeous.

What books have you picked up lately?

You don't hear about mental illness much in the blogging community, though I'm sure a fair few of us deal with it on a daily basis. Part of that might be because, as bloggers, we strive to share the good parts of our lives: our interests, our adventures, and things that make us happy. It's hard enough to talk about mental illness in our every day lives; it's even harder to address it in the happy little worlds we have created for ourselves and our readers.

Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder... These are terms that most people are somewhat familiar with, but we don't always understand how they can affect the lives of those who have them. For example, some people may experience being depressed without having depression and, because of that, it is often used as a synonym for sad. Thanks to Katy Perry, a lot of people think bipolar disorder is just a case of being hot and cold... And, as someone who struggle with being bipolar, that is far from the truth.

Okay, it's actually not that far from the truth. If you wanted to really simplify it, that would be a decent way of putting it. But, for me, the best description comes from what it used to be called: Manic-Depressive Disorder. That's what being bipolar is: a cycle of ups and downs, periods of being manic and periods being depressed.

You may notice that on my blog I go through times of regular activity followed by periods of complete and utter inactivity. That is an effect of my bipolar disorder. I have periods of depression, which doesn't always translate to sad. Sometimes it just means I lose motivation and drive or I feel lackluster, so to speak. Then I will have manic episodes, which are usually when I'm most motivated and productive. That doesn't mean manic episodes are great-- though, they usually feel that way. Manic episodes also come with impulsive behavior. That behavior was a lot worse when I was younger; now it mostly just shows itself in some reckless spending habits.

I also have generalized anxiety disorder, similar to Zoe and Tanya of YouTube fame. For me, this most presents itself socially. I don't like making phone calls, I'm awful at regular conversation... I always fear that I'm doing or saying something wrong. It also manifests itself in other ways, but these are the most common.

Mental illness is something I think we need to address-- in the blogging community and in society at large. Often I've felt that, because of my mental illness, I can't be successful in the blogging world. But I think that the more we talk about these issues and support one another in these discussions, the better off the blogging community will be.