Round Up!

Okay my dear internet cosmos, I'm gonna pick up the beat here a little. After the last couple weeks of what can only be described as "trudging", it's time to move on. Here are a few things that have gotten me excited lately:

6 Tools to Help Predict How Long You'll Live. According to the "sit test", I'm not gonna make it to 50. Fantastic.

Mother Nature Network

An Upbeat Emotion That's Surprisingly Good For You. This makes my overly-emotional, completely irrational, over-analytical, snowball-inducing-avalanche-of-love-and-wonder-and-joy heart just go nuts! Things like this make me feel so much more sure about the goodness of life. (Found via Refinery29)

New York Times

These are just too good.

Hello Giggles

"...then something that feels like it's in the diarrhea family, then ones I'll call the hammer and sickle, then the mortar and pestle, and the ones with teeth." Completely hilarious, and totally beautiful.

NY Mag

And if you are able and interested, please consider supporting the 2nd Annual Nationwide Miracle Milk Stroll that will be taking place around the US & Canada on May 2.  Their purpose is "to raise funds, educate, and raise appreciation for the life-saving power of human milk".  Find a location near you and get to strolling!

Best for Babes

Ahh now don't you feel better? Hope you all have a wondrous Easter weekend.

--mel

want | need | wear | read : HIM

This dude really needs no introduction so I'll keep it short:  my Mr. is the jam.  And so is his gift guide.  All of his ideas will translate perfectly to that special dude in your life, whether it's buying him a piece of gear to assist him with his latest hobby or taking advantage of the opportunity to pick out the perfect slim-fit trouser for him to replace his baggy pleated khakis.  So, without further ado...

want:  If you've ever seen A River Runs Through It, you probably understand the allure of fly fishing.  Standing thigh deep in a beautiful and powerful river amongst stunning scenery, the ultimate focus on the current moment, studying the dance of the water over the features below to interpret where the fish are hiding--all reasons I want to learn this art.  For Colorado, this rod will get you everywhere you want to go from delicately presenting a dry fly on a small mountain stream to nymphing a high alpine lake.  Also, you don't have to sell your car to buy it, which is nice.

  need:  As a gentleman of "uncommon proportions" (to put it kindly), dress clothes that don't make me look like I'm playing dress up in daddy's work shirts are hard to come by.  J.Crew has lots of love for the skinny, tall man and the quality is worth the price.

 wear:  I've been on a search for a simple, low-profile shoe that I can wear both casually and to work over the last few years.  TOMS Cordones came close, but disintegrated in a little under two years without much abuse.  I'm hoping these Vans will be the answer.  

read:  With dreams of DIY renovations in our future, we gotta start figuring out what the hell we're doing.

The next WNWR is all about baby!  All the adorable (and seasonally appropriate!) gifts to get for the little humans in your life, curated by the genius behind Moshi Moshi.

Shades Of: Purple & Gold

With the onset of fall happening right now, I'm really drawn to the combinations of varying shades of purple and gold that are happening all around us.  The aspen trees are bursting into flames and the hues of gold are leaning toward almost flourescent, while other trees are tending to go out a bit quieter, their green leaves turning darker and then over into the side of purple and eventually to brown and away, gone, into winter.  And every once in a while, you see a rose losing some of it's pigment, changing a once rich shade of wine into a lighter blush.  The combinations of these varying shades--the bright metallic golds with the rich deep indigos or light muted comfortable purples--are helping me to find inspiration in the now, instead of dwelling on the cold winter to come.     

(clockwise from top left) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 

Spring/Winter Wardrobe 201

Last year around this time, I posted about how Spring had sprung "in theory", but certainly not "in practice".  Well, whaddya know, it's doing it again this year.  This weekend it was both a balmy 70 degrees and a snowy 25.  This, my friends, does not a happy dresser make.

I was hoping I wouldn't need to combine my winter woolens with my new fresh airy Spring wardrobe AGAIN, but alas, here we are.

Which brings me to today's lecture:  "How to combine Spring and Winter wardrobes:  Part 2"

Lesson 1: "It's sunny and snowing…does this mean the devil is beating his…??"  I'll stop you right there.  Yes, you may have thought this was impossible, but in CO, anything is possible, and it happens more often than you may think.  Throw on your favorite jeans with a cheery painterly cardigan and a sunny yellow coat.  All this bright color will make you less depressed to put on your snow boots for one last run (hopefully) of the season.

Lesson 2: "I have a hot date tonight…and I'm freezing.  Can I wear my sweats?"  Answer: no, you can't.  You spent the money on that amazing maxi dress with the flirty jeweled plunging neckline, and you're gonna wear it.  This is where the perfect mix of "hard + soft" will work wonders--pair it with a warm leather moto jacket, nude suede booties, and a precious minaudière, and you're good to go.

Lesson 3: "It's a beautiful Spring weekend, but the whipping wind is bitter cold!  Don't make me put on the wool coat again…"  You're right.  For your sanity, put away that wool coat!  Instead, keep your warm cozy wool scarf on, but pair with your new floral moto jacket, preppy striped trousers, and your trusty leather ankle boots.  Just the right amount of winter gear to shield you from the icy breeze.

EXTRA CREDIT--Lesson 4: "I bought my 8 month old a ton of adorable spring dresses but I may get child protective services called on me if I let her out in only these.  Help me not go to prison!"  Okay, calm down.  Layer her warm winter tights under her new happy dress to keep her legs warm.  Throw her lined coat on top to keep her body toasty, and her leather booties on bottom to keep her toe-ies warm (because these are the ONLY SHOES that will stay on her feet).  Precious.

Hopefully, I never have to give this lecture again.  Come on Spring, you can do it!  

--mel

spring

Well, they say that Spring has sprung.  

I say…"they" have straight up lost their marbles.

As I sat down to type this, it was snowing outside my window.  Yesterday, I was wearing rolled up jeans and a cardigan.  Tomorrow it's expected to be sunny and 65, which in CO is the equivalent to the perfect day.  

For us here in the high desert, Spring is shaping up to be pretty much "by the book" so far.  These crazy mood swings are always par for the course for the beginning of Spring.  So, while I'm not exactly surprised, it doesn't change the fact that I am still longing for a consistent stretch of cool and sunny days.  Perfect days, if you will.  The days when I can finally put away my snow boots and heavy coats until next year.  The days when I can plan on going outside a couple days in advance and not have it literally snow on my parade. 

Until then, here's a little collection of what my Spring-colored dreams look like.  Hope this helps to put you in a sunny mood as well.

XOXO

--mel  

Loeffler Randall "Emma" d'orsay flat  //  Harriet's Haberdashery children's patchwork quilt dress

springy crocheted cacti  //  floating balloons from Railsberry

Eugène Séguy Insectes  //  Adventures in Dressmaking natural dye dress    

Petit Backstage  //  Averie Cooks Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Faribault Woolen Mill Co.

First of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your tremendous response to my last post.  I was blown away by all the amazing stories I was told both here and on my Facebook.  I can't tell you just how wonderful it was to connect with all the mamas out there who have been on a journey like mine.  You all are amazing.

So, let's keep hanging out, shall we?  I've got another suggestion for you today:  WOOL.

Warby Parker Sunglasses

I've had a long running love affair with Warby Parker and have been loyally sporting these frames ever since my big glasses search a couple years ago (remember?).  As much as I love my glasses, I find myself keeping them in the case rather than on my face much more often than I should.  What's my excuse?  I have none.  I'm just lazy and forgetful.

Anyway, I've recently been trying to be better about wearing my glasses more, as my vision is certainly not something that is going to get better without them.  And I'm thinking that it might be time to invest in a pair of prescription sunglasses so I can work on my peepers even while enjoying this lovely sunny state of mine.

Here are my current faves:

Everett

Jasper

Preston

So tell me, my dear internet cosmos, which ones are your favorites?
--MEL

HOW TO: Cook & Camp

Hopping in the car and heading off into the woods with my Mr. and the furry children is one of our favorite pastimes.  This is what we lovingly refer to as "car camping"--load up all your stuff, go park the car somewhere, unload all your stuff, set it up, enjoy the outdoors for a couple days, then load it back in the car and head home.  Easy peasy.

When we go car camping, we take advantage of the fact that we're not hiking in with only what we can wear on our backs.  Translation:  we turn our campground in into the freakin' Ritz.  We bring the camp stove and the skillets and the french press and the lanterns and the hammock and the speakers for the iPod.  To steal a slogan from a super ritzy local ski resort, it's "not exactly roughing it".

I think one thing that intimidates a lot of people about camping is what will be on the menu once you're out in the middle of nowhere.  This is where car camping becomes especially perfect.  You can cook up a straight feast in the woods with nothing more than a campfire, a grate that goes over the fire (a regular staple at most campgrounds), and a skillet.  And to kick it up to the next notch, you can buy a relatively inexpensive camp stove (we have this one and it's perfect) and french press and have almost all of your kitchen conveniences right outside your tent.

Some of my favorite camping recipes include:

Campfire Potatoes:

This recipe is intended for the grill at home, but if you par-boil and prep at home, you'll have little foil-wrapped potato packages ready to be thrown directly into the campfire when you arrive at your site.  I've eaten these along side campfire-frilled steaks and veggie-kabobs roasted over an open fire.  Oh, and don't forget your favorite wine and the perfect little stainless steel wine glasses to drink from.  Perfect.  

Campfire Cakes:

Who says s'mores are the only way to go?  What happens when you put boxed cake mix into hollowed out oranges, wrap in foil, and throw into the campfire?  Heaven, I tell you.  Here are two recipes that will get you there.  I recommend using dark fudgy chocolate cake and adding chocolate chips.  The chocolate cake becomes infused with the orange that it's baking in and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

Campfire Pancakes:

I can't remember a time we've gone car camping and not woken up and made pancakes in the morning. Bring a good skillet and whip up a batch of your favorite pancakes (this one looks particularly yummy) in no time over the open fire or on your handy dandy camp stove.  Make sure to bring a kettle or pot to boil water for your freshly brewed french press coffee as well.  

Now get out and enjoy the outdoors!  

--MEL

 

Olive Us

Happy Friday my dear internet cosmos!  Hope you had a fabulous week.  My Mr. just started a new rotation which means he's working part of the weekend (blech) but hopefully we'll find some time to have a little fun.

I've been in love with Ben & Gabrielle Blair's (yes, of Design Mom fame) video project, Olive Us, for quite some time now.  The series follows their six beautiful children through their everyday adventures and captures the magic of childhood to a tee.  The beautiful video production team, Tiger in a Jar, makes every video seem right out of a dream.

Their most recent episode, "Betty in Paris", is probably my favorite yet.  Is there anything more magical than seeing the world's most romantic city through the rose-colored eyes of a child?  I think not.

And make sure to check out the other episodes of Olive Us here.

I hope you all have a wondrous and awe-inspiring weekend,
MEL


Betty In Paris from Olive Us on Vimeo.

El Cosmico

So, I know I'll probably catch some flack for this, especially since all I've been doing since I moved here has been bragging about the perfect weather and how CO can do absolutely no wrong.  But it seems, every paradise has it's rough edges and CO is no exception.  Here's my issue:

I'M COLD.

Yes, I said it.  I'm freaking cold.  We'll have a week of temps that never get above 20 degrees and then we'll have a glorious reprieve of a few days in the 40's and 50's.  Which in CO is damn right balmy.  Right now is one of the wonderful sunny weeks in the low 50's which really is perfect, but I know next week we'll get another snow storm and another freeze and the cycle will start again.

I never thought I'd say it, but I think I'm ready for a winter getaway.

I've been dreaming of El Cosmico in Marfa, TX for a long time now and it's looking more and more necessary every day.  This dreamy lodging location boasts completely restored trailers (think streamlined, chrome, shiny bullets), safari tents, teepees, and camping, all in the meditative desert of west Texas.  They also have really fun events from time to time, like this upcoming culinary weekend featuring renowned west Texas chef, Lou Lambert.

I never thought I'd ever want to go back to TX to vacation.  But if any place can do it, El Cosmico is definitely that place.

(All images from here.)

  

Let's talk.

Happy Friday, my dear internet cosmos!

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about this blogging platform. I think there are a lot of circles where if someone where sitting down to talk to the infinite void of internet every day, that person would be committed. But we do it. And we love it. And even if no one talks back, we keep talking. Tell me, is this normal?

See, I just posed another question to the unending ether without thinking twice about it.

I know there are voices out there on the other end of this thing. I've seen you, heard you, held your hand, drank a cold one with you, lived with you. Hell, I've even read your conversations with the same internet that I write to.

My point is, I'd love to hear from you. I want you to talk at me the way I talk at you in this platform. I'd like to create that old fashioned thing they call "conversation".

So, here are some ways you can engage in "active listening" with me:

*Look to your right-hand side of this page. Now look up a little. Yep, right underneath that mysterious picture of me. Enter your e-mail address and instead of having to remember to come check up on me, I'll come straight to you in your inbox.

*Stay over there on the right-hand side and you can subscribe to this blog. That means I'll show up in your reader when I write a new post.

*I have a lot of opinions on a lot of things. Do you? Let me know by leaving me comments at the end of posts.

And even if you're more the "silent listening" type, it's okay. You're beautiful just the way you are. I'm just glad you stopped by to stand quietly in the corner and observe. You're welcome anytime.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! MEL

(image from here)

Dream House

My Mr. & I are serious dreamers.  We talk all the time about our dreams for the future and at the risk of sounding disgustingly corny, we will go so far as to rip pages out of magazines and bookmark endless websites to plan for our dream home.  We talk about our dream garden and our dream solar panels, our dream cabinet pulls and our dream house numbers.  Seriously, no topic is too small for us to start planning.

Last month, I came home and pulled my newest Dwell edition out of the mailbox and quickly planted myself on the couch and started dreaming.  Now I will say, it's hard for me to flip through any design magazine and not find some sort of inspiration, however small it may be.  But this time was different.  This time they had our exact dream house featured in the magazine!  Like seriously.  To a tee.  This is THE ONE.

Open floor plan.  Wrap around porch.  Walls of windows.  Central courtyard with a fire pit.  Green construction.  All under a big sky.

I'm completely obsessed.

--MEL  

(All images from my imagination here.)

Big Easy Express

Lately, I've had a bit of wanderlust and I have no idea why.  When this happened in FL it was because I wanted so badly to get out of the choking swampy humidity that was suppressing my joy.  When I was in TX it was simply because I wanted to be anywhere but TX.  But now, I'm exactly where I want to be, and there's not a smidgen of humidity squashing anything, and yet I still have the urge for some wind in my hair.

I think it probably has something to do with the fact that the possibility of escape and exploration is way more tangible here than it's ever been anywhere else that I have lived.  Everyday, I see the great Rocky Mountains looming to my west and calling for me to get off of the freeway and go to them.  And so this wanderlust I feel has nothing to do with unhappiness or feeling stifled.  Instead, I think it's a direct effect of being inspired every single day that I wake up in this new majestic home of mine.  It's a wander that keeps me hopeful and joyous.


Big Easy Express Official Trailer from S2BN Films on Vimeo.Another thing that doesn't help with this urge to get out into the wilderness is watching the above trailer for the new documentary Big Easy Express.  Emmett Malloy's film follows Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes as they hop on a train in California and ride across the country toward New Orleans on a musical tour like no other.  Besides being full of amazing music, it looks like it was a tour full of magic and mystery and wonder.  Just the kind of trip that seems so close and so appealing to me.  If the trailer is enough to make me go nuts with the urge to fly, I can't imagine what watching the entire documentary will do to me. Tell me my dear internet cosmos, have any of you seen it? Hope you all have a dreamy Wednesday--MEL   

Denver Week Finale: Gabrielle from Design Mom

Well, my dear internet cosmos, we made it.  It's been a wonderful week exploring my new home town of Denver and I hope you have had as much fun as I have.  I just want to take a quick second and thank all of the wonderful bloggers who were kind enough to let me in on their favorites.  They have made me feel so welcome and have given me TONS of ways to stay busy exploring and falling in love with my new hometown.  There is no way for me to adequately thank them for such a wonderful gift.  And I hope their suggestions have inspired you to get out and explore your hometown too, even if it's not Denver.

So, today we have our last list of Denver favorites from a blogger who really needs no introduction.  But for the sake of good etiquette, I'll at least keep it short and sweet.

Who?  Gabrielle Blair
What?  Blogger extraordinaire, design maven, super mom, community builder, role model, inspiration
When?  Her family adventures have taken her all over the world, spanning many beautiful years, most recently France (swoon).  She lived in Denver in 2009-2010 and has a whole bunch of wonderful things to do here on her blog.
Where?  Here are her top favorites, only a handful compared to the many more wonderful ideas from her blog, from her time here in Denver.  And make sure to check out subscribe to her blog to stay up to date on all the other places she documents.
Why?  Because a little random blogger from CO decided to e-mail her on a whim for some Denver advice.  And because this busy mom was so kind enough to let me in on her secrets.  And because she was so kind enough to let me share them with you.

So, without further ado, Gabrielle's Denver favorites, after the jump...

Design Mom

Hi Megan! We love to eat at Oceanaire and Cherry Cricket.

Oceanaire, Landry's Select

The Cherry Cricket, denver.org

We love concerts at Red Rocks.

Red Rocks Amphitheater, denver.org

We love Duffeyrolls.

Duffeyrolls, Design Mom

 Staying at the Brown Palace.

The Brown Palace

Weekends in Boulder. 

Boulder, Blog the Rockies

Rocky Mountain National Park.  

Rocky Mountain National Park

MEL here--I also just had to include the following three pictures from Gabrielle's blog.  This is how her family enjoyed the RMNP.  Can't believe I hadn't thought to do this myself!

Denver is awesome!  Kisses, Gabrielle

Thank you so much Gabrielle for your list of Denver favorites!

And thank you, my dearest internet cosmos, for joining me for this very special week.

Have a great weekend exploring your hometowns--

MEL

Denver Week: Melanie from You Are My Fave

Happy Friday everyone!  As you know, we're coming up on the finish line of Denver Week and I have to say, I've had a blast.  I hope you all have too.

I'm so glad that you have come back to check out today's list of Denver recommendations!  And remember--I will have one more list for you guys tomorrow from a former Denver-ite who has been completely changing the world of blogging over the past few years.  Seriously.

And today, I couldn't be more thrilled because we have another Denver blogger who has her hand in a TON of different creative venues as well.  Meet Melanie Blodgett from You Are My Fave.  

First of all, I just have to give a little disclaimer here.  Compared to all the wonderful guests I've had this week, I am very new to this whole blogging business.  And I know I'm a very small fish in a HUGE pond.  But anyone who knows me can testify that in the majority of my time on earth, I've never met a stranger.  So I thought I'd try to reach out in the blogosphere as well.  And just from this week alone, I'm feeling not quite as little as I once felt.  

Melanie was one of the first bloggers to make me feel this way.  When the Mr. & I were relocating to Denver, I of course had a million questions.  I have read Melanie's blog for a while and just thought, "Hey, she might have some great insight!" and I e-mailed her.  Next thing I knew, I had lists full of awesome neighborhoods, restaurants, and amazing things to do in Denver from Melanie.  And if that wasn't enough, she even had her own realtor call us and make a connection.

All of that being said, Melanie is the real deal.

So without further ado, here's Melanie's list of must-see's in Denver, after the jump:

You Are My Fave

There are a lot of great parks in Denver--Washington Park is the most popular, but City Park is great too and Sloan's Lake has a nice path around it.

Sloan's Lake, Denver Photo

The Highlands Square neighborhood is charming and has a great street of shops to browse through. I especially like The Perfect Petaland Word Shop. Another couple charming areas are Pearl Street and Gaylord Street. 

Highland Square, Denver Photo

The Perfect Petal, Design Sponge

Wordshop, Bloodstream

Three other shops I love: Talulah Jones, Fancy Tiger, Mod Livin

Talulah Jones, Westword

Fancy Tiger, Sunset

Mod Livin', Design Sponge

The Santa Fe Arts District has a Friday night art walk on the first Friday of the month.  There's also great antique shopping around there.

Santa Fe Arts District, denver.org

The Denver Public Library system is expansive and amazing, you won't need a Netflix subscription once you get a card.

Denver Public Library

Red Rocks has a lot of concerts in the summer and movies.  It's an amazing venue.  I also love the smaller venues in the area: The Fillmore, The Ogden, and The Bluebird.

Red Rocks Amphitheater

The Fillmore, colfaxave.com

Ogden Theatre, Cinema Treasures

The Bluebird, writRHET

We like to take day trips to Boulder and go to the farmer's market and stroll up Pearl Street   (Check out Emily's list and Tiffany's list for photos of these two favorites.)

Denver Art Museum 

Denver Art Museum, buildipedia

Rockiesgames are fun to go to in the summer.

Colorado Rockies, denver.org

A few restaurants we love: Steubens, The Hornet (Remember from Will's list?) Root Down, Jelly, Cloud Nine Frozen Custard 

Steuben's

Root Down, Open Table

Jelly, Westword

Thanks so much for the great list Melanie!  I have to say I have tried a few of the wonderful restaurants and been to some of the parks and areas of town on this list and she is right, they are all amazing.  I can't wait to try all the rest.


Tell me, what do you guys think about Melanie's favorites?  Are any of hers yours too?


Don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for the grand finale of Denver Week and to hear from this lovely blogger extraordinaire!


XOXO
MEL