I’ll have the pumpkin spice nothing, thanks…

Unpopular opinion alert: I absolutely cannot stand pumpkin spice. Or pumpkin anything that’s edible, to be more specific. Maybe that’s less specific? I’m not sure. Yes, including pumpkin pie. So I confess, I am a pumpkin spice hater.

That’s me, above, barking at every Starbucks, Dunkin’, and these days literally anywhere that sells food or drink. From August to November. Every single year now. Just… no. All the nope

Look, I am a positive person. Throughout my life my number one comment from strangers/new friends is almost definitely “you smile a lot” (and it’s true, I do). So I hate to be a hater, but see, I shared maybe two lines of this same thought with my email list in September. It was very off hand, and yet I was thoroughly entertained by the amount of response I got to my off-the-cuff pumpkin spice hater comment.

So I think it’s time to hash this out. I’ll just put it simply. To all the pumpkin obsessed, countdown to PSL season, if-it’s-orange-I’ll-buy-it addicts out there… you can keep it. More for you, you enjoy it. Have your pumpkin cake and eat it too, because the rest of us are sitting on the sideline like…

It’s not you…

To be clear – I still love you. I do. Everybody who sent me a PSL emoji the day after I sent that email, I thought it was hilarious. And no, I did not know it was an emoji prior to that. Of all the things that still don’t have an emoji…

And to be even more clear, I love fall. I mean, I love it. It is the BEST time of year for family photos, it’s football season which is fun even if I’m not that into it (go ahead, take away my southerner card, just wait till I let slip my real thoughts on Thanksgiving food), the weather is clutch. Fall is the best. Other than Christmas, and summer. Top three seasons for sure.

But listen… can we agree, things have gone a little. too. far.

For example…

Last week, I visited Dollywood during their Harvest Festival and scored a tasting pass from a stranger who was on her way out – holla holla!!! If you’ve never been to this type of thing, that’s basically a pre-paid food voucher, that I did not pay for.

The food booths were ballin. I DIG some fall food booths. If you haven’t been to the Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World’s Epcot, hit me up and we’ll plan you a foodie trip (I’m a travel agent too!). Sweet potato poutine (poutine is my JAM, eh). Maple bacon walnut funnel cake. Sign. Me. Up. But then, later in the day I grabbed a pizza that was labeled as something I wanted…

And y’all, it was pumpkin. pizza. Pizza, with some type of pumpkin sauce, and pumpkin seeds on top. I meannnnn…. really, Dollywood?? Really.

You do you, man…

Truly, I hope everyone who loves their pumpkin EvErYtHiNg has enjoyed their season. I really do. And if you know me at all you know I LOVE fall – we did TWO fall mini sessions this year!! But can you just leave my pizza out of it, ok… That’s all. Get your coffee, your donuts, your Little Debbie’s, your cold brew, and you enjoy the heck out of it.

Just know… it’s not just me (it wasn’t ALL emojis I got after the email). We’re out here, fall-in’ it up too. Largely unsuspecting, still, after all these years, that someone would dare turn pizza into such a monstrosity. The pumpkin spice haters club is not impressed.

If we could just tone it down just a teeny little bit. Like maybe leave pizza, diet soda, and Chick-fil-a out of the pumpkin game (although I see you, CFA, with your “autumn spice” milkshake… don’t think I don’t know what that really is…). That would go a long way for the rest of us.

And speaking to the rest of us, guess what – it’s October 30! That means, we’re turning the corner, like tomorrow. Walmart is already 90% changed over, which means PSL season is fading into the distance until next August 1. My pumpkin spice hater club, we made it through. And for the record, NO – I did not eat that stanky pizza.

I like the enthusiasm guys, but we’re just not all there with you. Now please excuse me, I have to go start sorting through my 17 storage totes of Christmas decor and finalize three different Christmas Mini Sessions thank you…

-Lindsay (President, Pumpkin Spice Hater Club)

PS – Keep up with the blog for more totally unrelated-to-photography but hopefully super fun content!! I plan to do this a lot more often, it’s fun for me too!! Let me know what you’d like to hear about in the comments! Clearly, I can do a pretty good ramble about a lot of things…

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