4th of July // Weekend Update

The fourth of july weekend was americana from beginning to end... bbq's, red, white and blue, family, friends and of course fireworks. It had all my favorite things combined into 3 days which in my world, made for a weekend of near perfection. 

Ryan and I hosted our annual 4th of july party and we had about 20 of our family and friends over to our house. I made some fun diy's from my inspiration board to decorate, whipped up a batch of patriotic jell-o shots with my sister-in-law peyton (which were a huge hit... even though I couldn't partake myself) and ryan had the backyard in pristine shape for yard games and hanging out. The evening ended with fireworks at sports authority field as we have done for the past several years and it was an awesome show. 

Sunday was also a very special day in my book... ryan and I were able to have lunch with my grandma and catch up with her about our trip to sweden. I so value the time and relationship I have with my grandma which was why our get together was such a highlight of my weekend. I also had 2 of my besties in town from fargo and steamboat so our bookclub got together for an afternoon picnic in wash park. The afternoon was exactly what I needed... hours of laughing and story telling with the women I adore more than anything in the world. I think I could have sat out in the park with them until the stars came out but sadly the rain wrapped up our fun. 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and made the most of our independence day. 

4th of July // Inspiration Board

Independence day is just moments away and I am looking forward to our annual 4th of july bbq with our family and friends. This holiday is always associated with food, drinks and our loved ones but of course, I want to add in some decorative details to infuse the soiree with red, white and blue. 

I have some inexpensive but hopefully impactful diy's in the works to liven up our outdoor space. Check out my inspiration board below for this year's 4th of july party and to see last year's, click here.

(left to right:  snap, crackle + pop game station  /  red and blue themed silverware set-ups  /  red, white + blue fruit ice cubes  /  patriotic fruit pizza  /  flag inspired mason jars  /  americana bunting  /  patriotic popsicles  /  spray painted lawn stars)

Oh, and for some more nostgic fun, here is the 2014 4th of july video I created and here are some great recipe suggestions for an americana meal that will be both tasty and gorgeous. 

Memorial Day // Weekend Update

A long weekend has me feeling refreshed and grateful. I slept in (which never happens), spent time with some family + friends, finally had a few hours in the beautiful sun before the clouds rolled back in but more than anything, really just relaxed with ryan at home. Somehow the weekend escaped me a bit and my iphone never seemed near enough to capture the highs over the past 3 days. However, the memories are rolling through my brain right now and making my heart feel very full.

Memorial day is always a time of gratitude and reflection for me. I think about the members of my family who so selflessly served and/or are currently serving our country and I am grateful for the thousands of people I don't know, who are sacrificing their lives to protect all of ours. I also cannot help but think of my grandpa who was a tanker in the us army; I have shared about him a few times (here and here) over the past couple of years and I feel patriotic holidays will forever be synonymous with him. 

My hope is all of you had fabulous weekends as well. Maybe you were crazy and frantically busy or had a slow and relaxing weekend like me. Whatever you did, I hope you also took a moment to reflect and say thanks for the freedoms we all share on a daily basis.

Weekend Update

Just when the beautiful spring weather felt like it was sticking around... denver gets hit with a crazy snow storm that my household is still feeling the effects from. It had been raining for a week in denver but the temps dropped and saturday night turned into a full blown mess. Ryan and I woke up to multiple 30-foot trees snapped and broken in our yard. We had the city come out and remove the branches which were lying on our power lines but now the damage is all over our yard to clean up. #funtimes.

Luckily the entire weekend was not as sad as the weather; friday evening we met up with ryan's cousin brett and his fiance kara for drinks at fermaentra and snacks from the colorado pig rig food truck. It was such a blast catching up and trying out some new-to-us places together.

Saturday was all about mother's day and I could not have been happier to celebrate the women in my life who have set such great examples as mothers. I made a trip with my family to visit my grandma and aunt, followed by a get together with ryan's family. We had a tasty bbq spread followed by card games and tons of laughing + story telling. 

We took it easy on sunday just ryan and I. We made breakfast at home, got in a workout at the gym, ran a couple errands and had a nice lunch at cherry creek grill. In all, the experiences outweighed the weather, making this mother's day another great success. 

For the Mom's

Happy mother's day! Today is a celebration of the women in this world who so selflessly put their children's needs above their own, nurture and protect at any cost and of course, fill our lives with endless love. 

I am grateful for the relationship I share with my mom; she has put up with my emotions, overreacting, strong opinions and at times, bratty personality for 31 years and her love for me has not wavered once. I am proud of the relationship we have built and the friendship we now share. I am also extremely proud of the countless women in my life who have paved quite the respected road in the world of motherhood.

(my family celebrating mother's day a week early at russel's smokehouse)

Next year at this time I will be a mom and get to join this amazing group of women who have the daunting task of raising our youth. It is overwhelming to me, knowing that the decisions, lessons, values, direction, support and self-worth I instill in my child will be what shapes and molds them into adulthood. If I am being 100% honest, this is what I fear the most in becoming a mother (well that and childbirth!). However, I am blessed to have so many encouraging and amazing influences to help guide me down this path.

Today truly is a celebration and I am smiling thinking about all the beautiful mother's I know. To read my previous mother's day posts, click here, here and here.

Weekend Update

This past weekend really did feel like spring had sprung. Not only did the weekend include family easter celebrations (which always have a nice seasonal tone) but I also somehow found a way fill in nearly every hour of the day with some sort of productive activity. Needless to say, it is tuesday and I am completely run down of all energy. I guess that is what you get when you push yourself just a bit too much.

I cannot say I regret my busy weekend activities though because they made my heart full and put a smile on my face. We spent sunday morning dropping off easter flowers to a few of our family members, got our backyard dusted off and put together for enjoyment, saw nearly every member of ryan + I's immediate family and also finally organized our garage (we have been in our new home for over 4 months now!). Oh, and we also got to sneak in some time with our favorite neighbors for some sunshine and playing around.

But back to our easter fun... my parents came over for a super filling easter brunch on saturday morning. It had all my favorite things... my family (well, most of them), honey-baked ham, my mom's homemade cinnamon rolls and cooking with my dad in the kitchen. The morning was nearly perfect and I loved every minute of it. Sunday we got together with my inlaws for more easter fun. My nieces had an easter egg hunt, we soaked in the sun on their back patio and I ate my way through 2 huge ham + croissant sandwiches. 

I hope you all had a wonderful easter that you are reliving in your head like me now. 

This Weekend You Could...

if you have not already made your easter plans, hop on over to westword’s site; they have a list of the countless restaurants offering easter brunch reservations and there are still spots available.

grab your jacket and a tasty beverage to keep you warm and head out to first friday. the denver art district on santa fe is buzzing with people checking out the boutiques, galleries and shops. yoiu might just find a custome piece you have to have for your home.

dust off your kids' easter baskets and head out across the mento-denver; there are nearly 20 scavenger hunts and easter bunny photo-ops across town and the majority of them are free of charge.

spring produce is popping up and our local farmers markets are finally opening back up for a season of fresh produce, local vendors and food trucks aplenty. boulder and logmont market’s are kicking off their season’s this weekend.

My weekend plans are all about family. Ryan + I have a few different engagments this weekend that are sure to be filled with lots of eating, egg hunting and celebrating with those we love most. I hope your weekend festivities are spent doing something you love with the people that matter most in your lives. See you back here on monday everyone!

Christmas Recap

Another christmas has come and past but the amazing memories are still dancing around in my brain... along with a few christmas songs that I wish I could quit singing in my head. This year's holiday brought snow, family from out of town, endless fun, seriously delicious food and some heartfelt gifts that were nearly as fun to open as they were to give. 

Christmas eve was spent at my inlaws' for their annual party with family + friends. The fire was blazing, I ate way too many helpings of tamales and green chile, the drinks were flowing and the evening was just down-right fun. The night ended as my sis-in-law peyton, her boyfriend connor, ryan, liz and I did dishes and acted silly in the kitchen. It was the perfect calm after the storm to get ready for christmas morning.

Ryan's family all came together to open gifts in the morning and having 2 of our nieces and our nephew there made ripping into the gifts so much fun. Watching a kid tear through wrapping paper with such anticipation and excitement might be one of the best things to witness; pure joy. It truly makes my heart full to see so many happy faces surrounding you as we celebrate the holiday together.

Christmas afternoon and evening was spent with my parents at their house. My dad went all out and cooked a chef-worthy meal that smelled and tasted like heaven. My mom's thoughtfulness in all her gift wrapping and making the night just so warm meant so much to me too. We told stories, watched football, drank wine, played with the pups and just enjoyed our time together. I think the only thing that would have made the night better would have been my sister attending. Maybe next year.

I hope you all had a great holiday. I am slowing working my way back into a blogging schedule after some much needed time off so bare with me as I get things back up and running over here.

Recap + Resolute // 2014

Happy new years eve! 2014 is coming to a close and I must say it was a pretty stellar year. I mentioned earlier this week that I had been focusing on my resolutions for 2015 but I also feel it is only necessary to recap some of the high's and low's that will forever make 2014 one to look back on for celebration and also growth.

So, without further adieu, let's recap 2014...

Ryan and I bought a new home after an awesome 5 year adventure in our 1st house together.

I had the pleasure of traveling to san francisco, charelston/hilton head and chicago.

My blog celebrated it's 3-year anniversary, however, I feel like the engagement with my readers has gone down so, this is obviously something I would like to improve upon. (feel free to leave a comment if you have an opinion on this topic)

Beth and I got to reunite in steamboat, aka the dreamboat, for a weekend of fun, laughs and endless conversation.

I created some new series to blog about including roundups, #foodporn and inspiration boards.

Rocco turned 3 and continues to win over my heart on a daily, make that minute-by-minute basis.

I had endless late-night bookclub get togethers with the girlfriends that I hold so close to my heart.

I strengthened the relationships with many of my family members this year and I am very proud about that. Yet, some relationships within my family have become extremely strained and nearly broken which has been very difficult for me to process.

With the help of my girlfriends, we pulled off a surprise baby shower to celebrate lindy's baby boy wade.

I turned 31.

(via)

And now for my resolutions for 2015...

As the saying goes, 'you are what you eat' and I will be the first to admit I have been a pizza-lovin-cheese-dip-eating-sugar-crazed-maniac as of late. I want to eat clean foods, choose produce that is grown without pesticides, adopt a more consistent 'meatless monday' routine and just be more conscious of what I put in my body.

On that note, I am also going to resolute to not drinking during the week. I don't need to have alcohol during the week even though my mind might try to tell me otherwise. I think if I stick to this goal, I will enjoy the glass or two of wine on the weekends that much more and my body will also feel a hell-of-a-lot better.

Continue to strive for authenticity. It has taken me a long time to feel confident in who I am but I can honestly say, I am happy in my own skin. I have my faults, things I want to improve upon and goals I am striving for but I know who I am and I want to present that to the world every day. It is so easy to fall into a pit of envy and jealousy but I am going to work hard to remember that I can only be me and I am okay with that.

Lastly, my happiness is only dependent upon myself. Outside opinions, materialist items, relationships, my job and so much more cannot be factors in making me happy and whole. I have to love myself endlessly and know that I am enough. I read a great article in glamour this month about reese witherspoon and I felt like she practically took the words right out of my mouth on this subject. 

So there you have it. 2014, thank you for all the lessons, celebrations and fun. I cannot wait to see what 2015 will bring to all of us. Be safe and see you next year!

This Weekend You Could...

go see one of the many new movies that premieres on christmas day; into the woods, unbroken, the interview, annie, the imitation game, selma, the gambler and american sniper all will be playing.

lace up your skates and take a few laps on the rink at belmar. The ambiance is beautiful and the entire belmar center is decorated in stunning holiday décor and lights.

catch a performance of a christmas carol before the season is over. This generations-old story is fun for adults and kids alike plus, you can get 20% off with the promo code: holiday.

head down to the newly renovated union station and check out the beautifully decorated terminal while having a cocktail in the ultra-swanky, cooper lounge. 

Many of you will have friends and family in town but if you get a little stir crazy, might I suggest a seasonally-inspired activity to break up your day? I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend. 

I also want to take a moment and say Thank You! I am so blessed to be celebrating my 3 year blogiversary this month. Every time you stop by, post a comment, send me an email or take a moment to be part of this little corner on the internet, I am grateful. This blog would be nothing without each of you and I hope you continue to visit here often. I have some big plans for 2015 so I hope you will be along for the ride!

Holiday Cards // 2014

Our holiday cards have been ordered and shipped so they should be arriving to our friends and family any day now (if not already). This year we ordered from minted and found their site to be super user-friendly. They offer free recipient-addressing on all the envelopes and if your order is over $50, free shipping. Seriously, if I was not already in the holiday spirit, that would have done the trick. 

While our picture is a little off with the coloring, I love that it captures a moment in time that I will treasure forever... the first weekend in our new house as a family. Oh and little rocco sure is looking handsome. 

check out last years' holiday card here. 

A Christmas Feté

Christmas traditions are some of my favorite... I am quite the sucker for yearly traditions that quickly become staples in celebrating a holiday. 

A few favorites come to mind like my in-laws' annual christmas eve party that brings together so many friends + family for an evening of tamales, green chile, cuddling up around the fire and shots of fireball. One that has been a constant memory since I was a young girl... eating smoked salmon on crackers (a gift my dad would receive each year from his brother) with my parents + sister after we were done opening gifts. Oh and I cannot forget, after a long day out-and-about seeing our families, I always surprise ryan with a small token in his stocking once we are back home.

I would love to someday host a big christmas party of my own to build a tradition behind. There would be a mix of sparkle and natural elements, gold accents with hints of red throughout the space, tons of flickering candles to dance in the ornaments adoring the tree and plenty of food and drinks to last late into the evening hours. 

Here is my rendition of a christmas feté!

(left to right:  sequin letter garland  /  branches wrapped in tiny white lights  /  saplings in glass jars  /  perfectly wrapped gifts in black gold + white  /  stocking utensil holders  /  holiday scent on your stove  /  effortless candles in a galvanized container  /  beautiful buffet table-scape)

Weekend Update

Friday thru sunday... the weekend was about as perfect as it could be. I spent the weekend surrounded by the people who mean the world to me, who have helped me become a better person and that I love with all that I am. I would re-live this weekend 10x over.

One of the major highlights of the weekend was my annual bookclub white elephant party. The gifts were fabulous, the stories made my belly ache from all the laughing, the drinks were flowing... and flowing but most importantly all the members of our bookclub were present. It has been years since all of us were in the same room and of course, I cried over the excitement of it all. 

Saturday morning was another super fun event; I joined my sweet friend mary for a morning of gingerbread house decorating to benefit parkinsons of the rockies. We had so much fun decorating our house and then playing plinko. Mary, after many attempts at previous events for this non-profit, finally won her critter that she had been eyeing. I am grateful to have been invited to join mary and that we made such a wonderful memory in the process.

Ryan and I finally got started on our christmas shopping on sunday. We made a quick pit-stop at my parents house to visit with them before hand which put me in the best mood to fight the traffic at the mall. We made quite the dent in our holiday shopping and I was in such a great mood that I came home and wrapped every gift up to display under the tree. 

The weekend wrapped up by snuggling with ryan and rocco on the couch. We watched some dvr, ate breakfast for dinner and just enjoyed our new home together as a family. Like I said before, it was a perfect weekend. 

Labor Day // Weekend Update

If you are frantic and busy today... then both you and I are suffering from being gone for a 3-day weekend. It always feels like long weekends = extra chaos once back in the office. Ugh.

I'm going to take a quick minute and tell you about my labor day. It was pretty casual in comparison to the other holiday weekends I've had this summer. I got in one last pool day with my parents, ate way too much food at a taste of colorado, had a couple bbq's with family and somehow also managed to fit in a little shopping. 

This weekend also marked the anniversary of my grandpa's passing. It was quite an emotional weekend when I stopped long enough to let my thoughts and memories of him takeover. This past year was hard at times with the littlest of thing triggering me, causing tears to roll down my cheeks at completely random moments through out my day. I miss his smile. The way he would shrug his shoulders. His joyous laugh. Labor day will always be a reflective time for me and one that I want to spend celebrating what a wonderful man he was. 

(the last picture I took with my grandpa, july 2013)

National Dog Day

Today is national dog day so it only makes sense to share some photos of the cutest dog in my book, my little baby rocco. Rocco is coming up on his 3rd birthday in just a couple months. He has become a bit more timid around strangers since his puppy days but he still loves to chase squirrels, sun bath, sneak-attack your face with kisses and stand directly below me in the kitchen begging for food as I cook. 

(rocco the first day we picked him up from the breeder and brought him home)

(begging me to play fetch with his favorite toy, a red ball that looks like an apple)

(doing what rocco does best, cuddling up)

Looking back on the past 2 1/2 years, my baby boy has changed nearly every capacity of my daily life and I honestly cannot image my world without him. I tell ryan on a regular basis how grateful I am that he took a chance and decided to get me a puppy for christmas.

Happy national dog day to all the dog-lovers out there! 

Ice Cream Social // West Elm

Did you know that july is national ice cream month? I didn't either until west elm contacted me about their #wescream2014 event in honor of the sweet treat and summer's best non-holiday-holiday-event. 

West elm celebrated by hosting ice cream socials across the country in their stores on july 19th. I brought my sister who is an ice cream lover, just like me. We shopped the stores' great summer line while also falling head-over-heels for west elm's collaboration with local artists; check out the products and additional info here. Denver's aiko pops were on hand to enjoy which was perfect because it was in the 90's and hot was an understatement on how I felt once I walked out of the store.

The ice cream social was a great excuse to have some wonderful time with my sister. I could not have asked for a better day or better company to enjoy some ice cream and a little shopping with.

Weekend Update // 4th of July

Welcome back from what I hope was a wonderful weekend celebrating July 4th. If your weekend was anything like mine, you gorged yourself on tons of tasty bbq, watched fireworks with a perma-smile on your face, made memories with family + friends and soaked up plenty of sun. I put together a fun little video from my weekend using magisto, check it out...

I have some great posts scheduled this week so come on back soon! 

Happy 4th

This weekend we will be celebrating our independence with family + friends, most likely on a patio with some delicious bbq. The weather in denver is of course, going to be hot so I thought I would put together an inspiration board for a forth of july party, complete with water balloons to give some relief to the heat. In my mind, this holiday is all about yummy food, fireworks and americana details. 

(left to right:  red white + blue bunting  /  sparklers  /  distressed ball jars  /  s'mores bar  /  american flag cupcakes  /  sunglasses  /  grill  /  water balloons)

Here is to a fabulous weekend... I hope you celebrate it with endless fun! 

See you back here on monday.

Weekend BBQ

If you are anything like me, you have been scouring the internet looking for mouth-watering recipes to make at your 4th of july bbq's this weekend. I think holidays are synonomus with food and making something that looks delicious will taste even better if you put your love and heart into it. I have 2 major bbq's that I am hosting this weekend and a couple of these recipes might be making their debut. Here is this week's #foodporn, bbq edition!

(left to right:  strawberry shortcakes  /  sticky bbq beef ribs  /  grilled corn on the cob with roasted jalapeno butter  /  green bean slaw  /  blistered shishito peppers  /  classic cheeseburgers with grilled potato wedges  /  beer can chicken  /  all star berry tart  /  stuffed + grilled jalapenos)

Weekend Update

Welcome back from what I hope was a very fun weekend. If it was anything like mine, it was filled with family and of course, celebrating the fathers in our lives. Between a big bbq at my in-laws', to a trip to the wild animal sanctuary and a coffee date for ryan, rocco and I at steam, my weekend was jammed pack with family + fun. 

Gina and I had a girls night at spuntino and again, it was a meal and evening for the books; great food, wonderful company and the best sauvignon blanc.

The keg kickball team I am on, was not only sunny and warm while we played yesterday afternoon, we came out with a victory!

Oh and I got to go to the cutest muffins and mimosas jewelry party at lindy's house... so many beautiful baubles and endless fun with my favorite girls.