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. 

Book Club // Al Fresco

Last week my amazing friend ashley hosted our monthly book club and by no surprise, it was a total success. She pulled out all the stops and created a beautiful al fresco dinner for us in her oasis of a backyard. Ash got to debut her antique cafe chairs; a labor of love that she restored after hours of work. Additionally, she set the most stunning table for us to dine at under the twinkling lights strung across her backyard. 

The weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy a spread of tasty mexican food, specifically these cheesy chicken enchiladas. As the sun set, we lit a fire and bundled up in ashley's collection of snuggies and talked until the late hours of the evening. Of course, the conversation was flowing (as was the wine) and my heart felt as full as my stomach; filled with happiness, humor, compassion, pride and appreciation of these amazing women I am blessed to have as friends. A couple girls were not able to make this book club but will all be reunited next month when mary makes a trip back to denver... I cannot wait.

I have said it many times on this little blog of mine but these girls are my world and I could not be more blessed to call them my friends.

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

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. 

Pretty Pumpkins

Halloween is synonymous with pumpkins. There are literally hundreds of ideas on pinterest for carving but my favorites of late have leaned more towards pumpkin decorating versus actually busting out the knives and and getting your arms covered in gooey pumpkin innards.

(all the ladies before our crafting began  /  decorated pumpkins of all shapes and sizes)

My bookclub got together last week for our 2nd annual pumpkin decorating evening and of course, our creativity was encouraged by alcoholic beverages. Lindy hosted us at her house and after we filled our bellies with her homemade chili (so good btw), and aweing over her baby boy wade, we rolled up our sleeves and got to crafting. Lindy raided the isles of the craft store, finding supplies ranging from paints to sequins and even tiny spiders and stick-on mustaches... endless options to adorn onto our pumpkins.

A lot of the girls came with a game plan and their creations were nearly identical to their inspirations. Mary's white and sequin pumpkin was my favorite of the evening and sara's 'dia de los muertos' was also the perfect combination of spooky and adorable. I failed a bit with the pumpkins I decorated but had a blast non-the-less.

(our finished pumpkins... no need to carve them when there are so many decorating options)

The evening definitely got me in the halloween spirit and it didn't hurt that my closest girl friends were there to make it an evening full of inappropriate jokes, tons of story telling and quality time together. Check out last years fun by clicking here.

Weekend Update

This weekend was spent with close family + friends and being lazy at home with rocco. It was like a big hug from those I hold closest to my heart. I had a very nice dinner with ryan on friday at jax followed by some much needed girl time with my besties on saturday night. Happy tuesday everyone, hope your day is going well.

Weekend Update

It was a fairly low-key weekend in my world... lots of time spent at home, some tooling around denver and seeing family. The weather was also very 'spring', tons of rain, cloudy skies, a bit of hail and cool temps. The phrase 'april showers bring may flowers'  needs to be reworked because here in denver, we are 2 months behind this phrase. 

We grilled up jalapeno-cheddar burgers on friday night to enjoy while wrapping up season 5 of breaking bad. Saturday ryan and I grabbed breakfast at jelly and then spent the afternoon with his family... running errands, eating tacos and then playing a pretty intense game of monopoly. 

Sunday was the busiest day of my weekend... in the morning my family came over to surprise my sister with a new bike as an early birthday present. We took a family bike ride over to the pearl street farmers market for a test-ride and then sampled our way through the rows of booths at the market. Then on sunday night, I got together with my girlfriends for another round of bookclub. Mary was hosting and the plan was to picnic at jazz in the park but the crazy rain forced us inside. I don't think any of us girls cared about the last minute game change though... drinks, fun conversation, super yummy food and laughs made for an awesome evening, regardless of the location.

Oh, and I don't think I have mentioned it here but ryan and I joined a keg kickball league. It was drizzling sunday afternoon but it was our first game so we went out and played. I will admit, I am not crazy athletic and I was a bit nervous about making a fool of myself but it was really fun and everyone on the team are super nice and not super competitive. 

Book Club // Pumpkin Decorating

If you did not know, halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. The colors, decorations, activities and festivals all make this time of year completely magical in my book. So, it was only natural to host a seasonally-inspired event, honoring one of the most iconic images of fall... the pumpkin.

(clockwise from top left: all our pumpkins ready to paint  /  supplies and pumpkins  /  mary, ashley, me, sara and lindy)

I hosted book club with my girlfriends this month and took some inspiration from leah at freutcake to have a no-carve pumpkin decorating party. I hit up my local craft store for all my supplies... paint, sequins, markers, metallic brads and washi tape. Oh and then I gathered up a gaggle of pumpkins and invited the girls over.

(all of our finished pumpkins on my fireplace hearth (I love my spooky pumpkin sitting behind them))

Everyone brought wine (to help with our creativity) and I made a pot of chili and cornbread which sounded perfect for a cool autumn evening. Of course, it was unseasonably warm that day, like in the low 70s, but the girls didn't seem to mind too much.

From chevron to spiders, bedazzled to initials, I am so impressed with the final products. The girls loved how all the pumpkins looked together and insisted on leaving all of them at my house. I was completely against this at first but am now loving how they are looking on my porch and around my home.

(my front porch, all dressed up in festive decorations)

Book Club // Jazz In The Park

I belong to the most nontraditional book club I know.  A group of girlfriends and I get together on a monthly basis for 'book club' but we never assign a book.  We never even talk about reading.  We just use the term 'book club' as an excuse to get together each month.  The hostess rotates monthly and they get to plan the activity; wine and cheese pairing night, at-home-facial night, drinks on the patio, cooking dinner together... you get the idea.

This past sunday, my 'no-book book club' got together to kick off the season of jazz in the park.  This month mary hosted us and put together quite the grand picnic.  We had tons of fresh fruit, a bunch of dips, cheeses, crackers and super tasty brownies for dessert.  Oh, and lots of wine!  

I brought my most favorite low picnic table which is an essential item for any good picnic so you have a place to congregate snacks and keep your drink from spilling over into the grass.  Mary also laid out one of the quilts she made and gina brought a couple too.  

It was such a fun night listening to hazel miller play in the background as we told stories and laughed away the evening under the setting sun.  I think I am going to nominate myself to host next month's and have the girls over for a backyard soiree.

Weekend Update

Happy monday.  I hope everyone had a good weekend.  Mine was a bit busy (a true sign that summer is in full effect) but the weather was so nice here in denver I cannot complain.

Friday night we went to the new pizzeria locale that I talked about here a couple weeks ago.  Of course it was delicious but the layout and style of the place is a bit more like a qsr (quick serve restaurant, a la chipole or tokyo joe's).

On saturday I got a much needed cut and color.  I am still trying to decide if I like the cut but the color feels more like me so I am happy.  Oh, and I got to go see daniel tosh perform for a belated birthday present for my girlfriend ashley.  We grabbed drinks before hand and then went to the show.

I was super motivated on sunday morning to do a little painting project that has been on my mental list for a while now.  Ryan was busy helping his dad so I made a quick trip to home depot and then got to work.  I will show you what I did later this week... I am so happy with the results!  To wrap up the weekend, my 'book club' got together for the first night of jazz in the park this season.  So much fun with the girls I love the most.

What did you do this weekend?  I would love to hear all about it.  

Weekend Update

Honestly what a great weekend.  It was hot, productive, fun, relaxing and full of people that I love so much.

(Clockwise from left:  wine while I peruse the menu  /  pork belly  /  veggie four square)

Friday kicked off with a light dinner with Ryan at one of my favorites, Rioja.  We started with the cardamom spiced pork belly with the most silky and rich garbanzo bean puree.  The pork was salty, smoky and seared just enough to create a nice balance of crusty and tender textures.  We then moved on to the vegetarian four square which has four ever-changing options to sample.  I loved the polenta croquettes with a herb creme fresh and the shiso peppers were another highlight that came with a spicy jam that brought some lingering heat to the back of my throat.  I will have to write a review on this place someday soon as there are so many things that Rioja does right in my book.

Saturday kicked off with a terrifying encounter with a bat that I found while spraying down my porch.  I honestly had a near full-blown panic attack as a little wing with claws came creeping out of a wood crack.  Slowly the wing reached out followed by a little beady head with two black eyes staring right at me.  I SCREAMED for my husband who came rushing to my screams to watch it (thankfully) fly away.  Two words... very traumatic!

(Lindy  /  Gina  /  Beth  /  Ashley  /  Sara  /  Me  /  Mariah)

The best part of Saturday was the pool party that my sister threw for a bunch of girlfriends at her apartment.  We had margaritas, snacks, hilarious conversations and some serious girl-time with the 6 most important women in my life.  Oh, my mom also stopped by for a bit and played honorary Grandma to Lindy's bundle of  joy  Rory which was enjoyed by all.  I think everyone had a wonderful time and I hope we will be doing this a bunch more this summer.

(Clockwise from top left:  our new patio with little Rocco running around  /  Ryan's brickwork  /  Gina and I planting  /  'R + J' with Rocco's paw print)

Sunday was another day spent in the backyard for our major backyard renovation that I mentioned here.  We made a trip to the Home Depot for tons of items and were able to complete a brick boarder for our patio, plant both a bougainvillea and a clematis in two bright yellow/gold pots, mosaic some flag stone under our big tree and finally add some ground cover that will eventually grow to wrap around all the stones.  We got some major help from Ryan's dad Jon, my sister and Beth even came over to enjoy all the changes.  I could not be luckier to have so much support on this project and to see what a difference some hard work has already made.

Cheese Please

There are few things better than getting a group of friends together to laugh (and drink) the night away.  I love hosting parties and I had been planning my latest for a while now.  One of the best wedding gifts we received was a Wine and Cheese pairing book along with a beautiful cheese board made from a wine barrel.  Well, the book was so fascinating and informative on the world of cheese, that it inspired me to host my closest girlfriends last night for a wine and cheese party!

(Clockwise from top left: Beth, Gina Mariah and Rocco, wine bottles galore, Mariah, Rocco and I, Sara and Gina, my cheese and wine book, Mary and Beth, our spread)  My appologies to Lindy who I somehow did not get in a photo.

All the girls were responsible for bringing an assigned bottle of wine that was paired with cheeses and snacks that I provided.  I put out some little notes on each cheese along with the pairings they match best with.  This was the only 'formal' aspect to the evening, the rest was story-telling, lots of giddy laughter and consumption of deliciousness.  It was a lot of wine, but like true champions we were able to tackle them all!

What I loved most about the book was that it gave some background information on over 50 popular cheese from across the globe.  There were descriptions on flavor profiles, texture, color and the process to make each particular cheese.  The pairings were quite delicious, especially the parmigiano-reggiano and champagne and the Zinfandel and 2-year aged cheddar.

The night was a hit and so easy to put on.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone for an excuse to get your friends together and learn a bit more about wine/food pairings. 

Secret Santa Celebration

Last night I hosted my dearest girlfriends at my house for a belated Secret Santa Exchange (that was the worst kept secret I had ever been a part of) and to also celebrate Sara's birthday.  The night was well over-due and honestly so much fun!  We had delicious Leek and Potato soup from Williams Sonoma, champagne for toasting, a couple bottles of wine, gooey desserts, sparkler candles and enough laughs to last me well into February.  To say I LOVE this group of girls is a total understatement because they are so much a part of who I am.  They have shaped my life, shown me what genuine friendship can be and made me a better person on so many levels.  Thank you ladies for a wonderful night and even more, for the friendship we share.