Weekend Update

August is literally days away and while I am super excited for all the activities and events that will be coming up in the month ahead, I savored this past weekend as much as I could. Why you might ask? Well, it was the last weekend for many to come that was not completely full of plans and things to do.  

Ryan and I spent a lot of quality time with rocco which felt so good after our scare last week. We lingered on our back patio, went on walks, soaked up the sun and just enjoyed being at home as a family of three. The weekend also brought together ryan's family for a bbq in honor of my brother-in-law luke who's birthday was earlier in the week. It was a relaxing and fun-filled evening that I hope he enjoyed as much as I did. My weekend wrapped up with treating myself to a pedicure and also some time at the pool before dinner on the patio. The weather was ideal and the company made the evening complete. 

I will not have another leasurely weekend again until late august and by then I will probably be the size of a house and extremely uncomfortable as my pregnancy comes to an end so I am glad I made the most of the past couple of days. Here is to hoping you did the same! 

Rocco Scare

Today I am snuggling with rocco a little tighter, giving him extra love every second I can and being grateful for his precious little face looking up at me.

In a single moment, a wonderful evening changed to a panic-filled experience that altered my perspective entirely. We went out to dinner and had the most enjoyable evening; a delicious meal, a fun-filled drive home full of laughing, talking about our bebe-on-the-way and just general happiness. However, when we walked into our home and rocco did not come running to greet us, we knew something was wrong.

(left to right:  new years day 2012; the day we picked rocco up from the breeder  /  a kiss for rocco in 2013 after the broncos won a game  /  my favorite, snuggling with rocco in bed)

For nearly 2 hours, we were tearing our house apart, running through our neighborhood in a panic and crying his name; my heart broke in sadness that my sweet little 3lb yorkie was gone forever. I had the most horrible thoughts running through my mind and I could not stop the tears streaming down my face. I ran inside to use the restroom around 10:30pm after searching through the parks and yards around our house and when I opened the door, he was standing in the hallway looking up at me. 

(my heart was smitten from the moment I saw him at the breeder in 2012  /  ryan and rocco playing in the snow last winter 2014)

I have no idea how he reappeared, how we did not find him in our search or why he never came to us after the dozens of times we said his name... but he's home. When I saw his innocent and scared face, the most intense relief consumed my entire body. I was sobbing in happiness all night that he was okay, wrapped up in my arms. I also was overcome with appreciation and love, as our closest friends dropped everything to come help us look for him and our family's offered to do the same. So much fear and sadness quickly turned to the most extreme gratefulness... to say it was an emotional overload would be an understatement.

(ryan, rocco and I ringing in the new year, december 2014  /  rocco loving up on my baby belly this spring 2015)

People's pets are like their children and rocco is no exception. I have never experienced the terror and anxiety of losing a pet before but last night was something I would not wish on anyone or want to go through again. I am blessed he is safe and thankful that so many people love rocco like we do and that I can look back on last night knowing it is in the past. 

Weekend Update

Wow... a weekend full of sunshine and weather over 60 degrees; I almost did not know what to do when denver was blessed with multiple consecutive hours of sunshine. Don't you fret, just like riding a bike, it all came back to me and my weekend was full of activity and soaking in the vitamin d.

The weekend kicked off with pizza at proto's followed by drinks at fermaentra with our close friend brian. Saturday morning ryan and I started tackling some landscaping projects that we have been planning on since we bought our house last november; we (and I really should say ryan beccause I was pretty close to helpless) planted 10 new shrubs/trees in our yard. I cannot wait to see our hard work grow and bloom in the coming months and years.

Sunday was my favorite day of the weekend... ryan and I hit up the pearl street farmers market to gorg on street food and to pick up some awesome produce and artisan products. I snuck in a pedicure and then spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. 

I could not be happier to have the sunshine on my side to get some projects completed and to feel like may ended with warmth and clear skies.

Weekend Update

Hello monday. After a weekend filled with hours logged in the sun, tons of cold-pressed juice, quality time with friends and lots of relaxation, I feel refreshed and ready for the week ahead. 

Friday was the home opener for the colorado rockies which is pretty much a state-wide holiday. The city was buzzing and the weather was gorgeous, making my company's home opening party a major success. 

Saturday morning ryan and I got some stuff done around the house while rocco 'supervised' from the patio. Our pup could not be happier that the weather was in the 70s so he could sunbathe for hours on the outdoor furniture. We met up with matt + lindy and their adorable sons in the afternoon at the pioneer for some patio drinks and snacks before we headed out to celebrate our friend nicki's birthday. The evening bbq followed by cards against humanity turned into a spout of endless laughing and story telling. 

Sunday was a bit more low-key for me. I finally got some artwork up in our bedroom. I am framing some of the cards ryan and I have exchange over the years into a gallery wall but need to get a couple more frames. Ryan and I lounged around before trying out this new gnocchi recipe (fyi... it was amazing and I will be making it again very soon). 

Oh... and the best part of sunday, game of thrones and silicon valley premiered! Could the weekend have ended more perfectly... I think not. 

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. 

Weekend Update

I am back from a weekend of celebrations and feeling very grateful for the amazing friends + family in my life. There is nothing more important that family and putting your priorities first to create lasting memories with those you love. I will look back on this weekend for a long time to come, wishing to relive it over again.

On friday night we celebrated lindy's birthday with a wonderful dinner at spuntino. We had so much fun telling stories, laughing endlessly and enjoying a tasty meal together. We contemplated ordering dessert at the restaurant but decided instead to stop by dairy queen on the way home (#piggywantsome). Luckily the amazing staff at spuntino would not let us leave without a little bday fun which was very kind of them. 

Saturday was yet another birthday celebration... this time honoring my grandma who was turning 80. Nearly all of my family came together for this once-in-a-lifetime-celebration... aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and significant others came from all over the state to celebrate the matriarch of our family. Since my grandpa's passing in september 2013, our entire family has not all been together so, to have us all in one room for a positive family experience was even more special to everyone in attendance. It was a wonderful night full of smiles and stories... it truly brought me back to my childhood when we all spent so much time together.

The weekend rounded out with more quality time with family... sunday dinner at my inlaws' house. My sister-in-law krista made one of my favorite dishes, her family's german goulash. It was of course so good and I stuffed myself to the brim! Ryan and our nieces put together a beautiful and colorful salad that was so fun to watch them prepare. The evening dwindled away around the dining room table, telling stories and connecting as a family.

Weekend Update

Holy cow... it is tuesday and I am just now settling in to recap my weekend. Time really does just fly right on by when you are having fun and this weekend was fun. Between spending time with family, getting a couple projects completed around the house and then cuddling with my favorite 3lb pup... I also was able to spend some quality time with my husband to celebrate valentine's. 

Valentine's day was everything I could have ever wanted... a lingering pancake breakfast with ryan at home, going to the grocery store to pick out ingredients for a nice dinner together and spending time at home. Ryan also surprised me with a bouquet of  roses which are still looking beautiful in our living room 4 days later. 

I hope everyone had a good weekend too; here is to a hopefully quick work-week ahead!

Weekend Update

This weekend felt like july, not february here in denver. The weather was in the 60s and 70s... there was not a cloud in the sky and I think everyone dropped their plans to play in the sunshine. I had intentions of cleaning the house and getting a couple projects completed but when you are handed a summer day in the middle of winter, you drop everything... which is exactly what I did.

Friday night ryan and I headed up north to visit my seester peyton who has nearly completed her first year of college. We hung out in her dorm, went to dinner at rio and just enjoyed reliving the glory days of college. 

Saturday we dog-sat for my mother-in-law which made rocco a very happy boy. Cooper and rocco played like crazy in the backyard and then had a nice little walk around the neighborhood in the afternoon. Ryan and I ended up snagging a seat at the chef's counter at cholon for dinner that night and had the most entertaining and tasty meal. After dinner we made our way over to matt + lindy's house for late-night beverages and an attempt to watch the interview... but we all were dozing off which just shows that #gettingoldersucks.

Sunday was again gorg so we made our way over to the pioneer for snacks + drinks on the patio with our friends cole + brian. As we sat in the sun telling stories and laughing, I had to remind myself that it is still 'winter' in colorado as it truly felt like a summer afternoon. The day wrapped up with a visit to ella bliss beauty bar as I scheduled a desperately-needed facial. To end the day with such relaxation was like putting a cherry on top of a perfect sundae. 

Weekend Update

Hi there lovely readers. I am bouncing back from a horrible migraine that had me down and out  for a good part of yesterday; I feel like I am only functioning now because of my incredible husband. That man, he is a good one and if I didn't know it before (which I did for the record, that's why I scooped him up 14 years ago) I do now.

Saturday morning I got out for a few hours for a very special mom + daughter date. My mom and I went shopping and grabbed lunch just the two of us which I had not done in a very long time. Ryan and I then joined our friends and family to celebrate our close friend shannon's birthday. 

Sunday was pretty slow-moving for me... lots of laziness on my part but we finally got out of the house for brunch at true food kitchen before running a couple errands. I came home afterward and took a nap with rocco and then dragged myself out of the house to meet sara + ashley to see interstellar. I am glad I did because those girls always have a way to lift me up and improve my mood. 

What did you do this weekend? Any big plans you are making for the week ahead? 

Weekend Update

If you saw my post on friday, I said I was going to try to stay home as much as possible this weekend. I can proudly say this was an accurate statement... I left the house minimally and that made me really happy. Now, I by no means had an uneventful weekend; somehow I found a way to fill up the days with things to do.

Ryan and I had a much-needed relaxing night at home on friday. We watched boyhood and played with rocco a lot. Saturday we got our new dining room table delivered... finally! It is honestly my new favorite piece of furniture and it sets the perfect tone for the dining room and conjoining living room. We decided to get out of the house saturday night to see american sniper which was amazing and then had burgers + fries at cherry cricket. 

Sunday was our laziest day of all; I made us my version of sausage egg mcmuffins, ryan did a little work and my parents came by for football and deep dish pizza in the afternoon. I ended up taking a nap after my parents headed home and then spent the rest of the evening watching dvr and playing with rocco.

Like I said, a lazy-ish weekend at home. 

I am in the middle of my attempting to make homemade pretzels right now and the dough is ready to be rolled out and twisted up so I gotta go. See you back here this week!

Weekend Update

Man oh man... the broncos hunt for super bowl glory came to an end this weekend. It was quite the season but after our bitter loss to the colts last night, us fans are just left with sour tastes in our mouths. 

The weekend was not a total loss though. Highlights included a super fun night out with our wonderful friends matt + lindy at cherry creek grill, a special send-off meal for peyton as she heads back to college, quality time with my amazing parents and rocco getting the cutest groom.

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Back to the grind today so pour yourself an extra cup of coffee and keep your chin up. 

Rocco In The Snow

Denver got a serious cold front that moved in after christmas and lingered for nearly a week. The temps were in the mid-teens for days but at least it snowed which somehow made the freeze feel a bit more appropriate. 

I have mentioned before that rocco is obsessed with squirrels but this obsession was taken to a new level last week. Apparently 12-degree weather does not stop a 3lb dog when a pesky squirrel taunts him in the back yard from up in a tree. I was able to grab my camera and capture some of his fun before he got too cold. Rocco literally stopped in his tracks after about 10 minutes outside and ryan had to go out and get him. My poor little boy and his love for squirrel chasing.

 
 

 

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!

Weekend Update

Happy monday before christmas. If you were anything like me, your weekend was a bit busy... picking up last minute gifts, toasting at holiday parties and enjoying time with family + friends.

Friday night was ryan's holiday party for work which was maybe a bit too libatious because our saturday ended up being pretty low-key. I loved that I got to get all dressed up for an evening out but if I am completely honest, a night in making dinner at home in my pj's was a bit more my speed.

Sunday we celebrated both my sister-in-law peyton's birthday and my niece makenzie's birthday. We had a big family dinner, tasty apple pie for dessert and just spent time celebrating together. It got me really excited for christmas and also a bit panicked because I am still not 100% done with my christmas shopping.

My hope this week is to squeeze in some holiday fun before christmas eve... ryan and I always love driving around to see the pretty houses lit up or going to a holiday play and we have yet to check either of those off our list this year. 

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. 

Weekend Update

This weekend was another busy one for me but in a very good way. We ate out a lot... due to a lack of time to get to the grocery store and also not being 100% settled into the new house. However, I am never one to turn away a meal-out so, park burger, beatrice + woodsley, denver biscuit company and la cueva were visited this weekend. My stomach thanks all of them for making me one happy diner.

Ryan and I made some good progress on the house this weekend too. We changed out a couple light fixtures, put up window panels in our dining room, finished decorating our office and even put up our christmas tree. It is definitely starting to feel like home which makes coming home less chaotic and more settling every day. 

Rocco is starting to feel more 'at home' in the new house too. He was a very sad boy to leave ryan's parents' house because they too have a yorkie which became rocco's best friend. I think rocco had a hard time understanding why cooper was not at our new house, not to mention, why he was being left at home all day in the new house alone. Luckily I dog-sat my parents 3 pups this weekend so rocco had some playmates in his new house and cooper stopped by as well. 

Weekend Update

Wow what a crazy, busy, eventful, family-filled, not-a-moment-to-rest weekend! I had a 4-day weekend that felt like 12 hours and I think my body is feeling the repercussions of the non-stop activity. 

To kick things off, thanksgiving was pretty darn wonderful. While I did not get to spend it with everyone I wanted, the people I was surrounded by made it one of the best I can remember. My parents made a delicious meal, complete with all my favorite dishes. We watched football, laughed and told stories for hours. In the late afternoon, ryan and I headed over to his family's for another tasty meal followed by all of us playing cards late into the evening. 

This past weekend was also our big moving day into our new house. We had quite a bit of help from friends and ryan's family to get everything moved in and much of it unpacked too. It took 2 truck-loads to get everything out of storage and to the new house but it was all-hands-on-deck which make the process pretty manageable. The house is far from 'done' but we spent many hours over the weekend organizing, unpacking boxes and getting things settled in. It was draining and hard but exciting at the same time. 

A major holiday and a big move was not the only eventful things taking place over the last couple of days, my amazing husband also had his birthday on sunday. We got out of the house for a few hours to stop into cherry cricket for some football watching and drinks. Then we managed to squeeze in a birthday celebration hosted at my inlaws', complete with a birthday cake too. 

I am running on caffeine and a delirious-mind over here but I am just so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life to celebrate these milestones with. I hope your holiday weekend was a good one too. 

Weekend Update

Snuggling with rocco, watching movies by the fire, warm hearty meals, a little holiday shopping and time with family... that would pretty much sum up my weekend. 

Denver was cold and snowy... so much so that my weekend trip to visit beth in steamboat was derailed. I was heartbroken when we decided it would be best to reschedule and I could not help but wish I was there all weekend, despite the wonderful time spent at home. I am grateful for the memories made this weekend but there was nothing I wanted more than to be with my best friend. And... looking at my calendar, I am a bit unsure when we will be able to get away again... between moving into our new house, the holidays and some travel for ryan's work, ugh. Hopefully I can squeeze in a weekend before 2014 closes out. 

Weekend Update

Welcome back from your weekend. I am still adjusting to the reality that it is actually november. Maybe because the weather is so unseasonably warm and there are still leaves on so many of the trees. I cannot complain about the weather though, the sunshine and temperatures were the perfect addition to my weekend.

I spent my friday evening at my friend becca's house. She hosted a bunch of girls in her beautiful home for drinks and snacks. Saturday was then spent shopping and running errands. My mother-in-law found an awesome new drum chandelier at west elm for her dining room which got me excited about finding great fixtures for our new home. We decided to stay in on saturday night and cook a recipe out of my new 5280 cookbook, pappardelle bolognese. It turned out fabulously and was the perfect warm dish to enjoy with a couple glasses of wine on a cool evening. 

Sunday we watched my niece kamryn for the day so there was a lot of snuggle time with her along with coloring pictures and painting nails. We also got to see the broncos beat the raiders so the evening ended on a high-note. 

Snow is on the forecast all week so I think our indian summer is wrapping up. I am going to need to dig out my sweaters, boots and scarves to stay warm! 

Weekend Update

The unusually warm weather in denver (we are calling it our indian summer) made for a weekend in the high 70s, low 80s. Between brunching on the patio to crunching through all the beautiful fall leaves on the streets, this weekend was full to the brim with things I love.

My sister-in-law peyton came down from college for the weekend which meant quality sister time. We had sushi at izakaya den on friday, followed by the perfect after-dinner coffee enjoyed under the stars while telling stories with her mom and ryan. Peyton then got her hair colored for the first time on saturday; she did bayalage just like I have my hair. It turned out beautiful, only adding to the good looks she already has.

Saturday night we got together with more family and close friends for an evening bbq. It was fun to have everyone together laughing and telling stories. It made me excited for the holidays to come and the festivities that are only a few weeks away.

Sunday morning ryan and I went to church with my grandma followed by a delicious brunch on the patio at bread winners. It was idyllic on every level and the best few hours of the entire weekend. The day wrapped up with an afternoon movie, gone girl, followed by a family dinner of ina garten's pasta alla vodka.