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

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.

Beer

For someone who really loves beer, Colorado is a great state to live in.  The New Yorker recently published an article in which they literally mapped the rise and abundance of craft breweries in the U.S.  Colorado ranked #3 for total number of craft breweries in the state and for total barrels of beer produced in 2012.  They also came in #5 for having 15 craft breweries for every 500,000 people in the state.  Not too shabby.

And because I know I have such adept and meticulous readers, I'll go ahead and jump ahead of the curve and assess the fact that yes, I am indeed writing a post about beer on a Monday morning while 30  weeks pregnant.  No need to worry, my dear internet cosmos, I am still firmly planted on the wagon.  

On a side note, I may or may not have already asked my Dr. if it's acceptable to crack open a beer right after delivery in the hospital.  And being that we live in CO, she may or may not have responded in support of the matter.

Check out the full interactive map here.  How'd your state do?

Spring/Winter Wardrobe 101

According to the weathermen, Spring is here.  However, I live in CO and that means that Spring is in fact still Winter.  I mean, we got a foot of snow this weekend.  Highs are in the low 40's today.  Does that sound like Spring to you?  I don't think so.

So, that means that I have to push my winter wardrobe for at least a few more weeks of low temps and try and disregard all the adorable new spring clothing that is now in every store.  But I'm not very good at following the rules.  

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

Lesson 1: The Breezy Blouse--pair a new tissue thin pastel button-down with a wool jacket and booties to stay warm.  Top it off with sherbet-hued glasses for an extra spring in your step.

Sunglasses / Jacket / Booties / Shirt

*******

Lesson 2:  The Silky Shift--Pair a breezy dress with your staple opaque black tights and knee-high boots.  Top it all off with a cozy cashmere cardigan and you're good to go.

Dress / Cardigan / Tights / Boots 

*******

Lesson 3:  The Bright Brogue--Take off your clunky winter boots and throw on some bright kicks to liven up the day.  Pair with colorful jeans, your favorite chambray, and a thick wool jacket, and you're all set.

Jacket / Shirt / Shoes / Jeans

*******

And that concludes the class for today.  Any questions?  Good.  Now go and conquer the last few weeks of this stubborn winter.  

--MEL

Body Basics: dry skin edition

Hello my dear internet cosmos!  Hope you all had an awesome weekend.  Ours was spent mostly huddled inside as we got our first real snow storm of the year (and of our lives), and after watching cars get stuck in the middle of our street, we decided not to brave it.  And lo and behold, I look outside right now and it's snowing again.  Shocker.

We also spent the weekend reflecting on the unbelievable amount of love and support we received from my last post--I really never expected to see so many well wishes in our lifetimes.  We are so very grateful for you all.

So between being pregnant and living in CO in the winter, one of the most important lessons I have learned is:  MOISTURIZE.  You thought you were gonna get something deep and profound, huh?  Well, winter at 5400 ft. and pregnancy hormones will teach you real fast that remembering to pack in as much moisture as possible is about as profound as it gets.  Plus, when you're pregnant, it's easy to obsess over ever ingredient of what you put on and into your body, so finding products that are safe and natural are an added must.  And it can get real expensive real fast buying every all-natural moisturizing beauty product you can find before you actually find what works for you.

And that's where I come in:  in hopes that you may have a bit of an easier go at it than I did, I put together a little cheat sheet for all of you searching for the perfect products.  Here we go:

1- Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing Body Lotion.  I searched and searched for a lotion that wasn't greasy, yet was still thick and super hydrating and this is the hands-down winner.  Plus, it makes you smell like a cake, in a non-barf-inducing-knock-you-over-the-head-and-out-the-door kind of way.  

2- Manuka Honey Night Cream.  I've found that no matter what face wash or daily face lotion I use, this is the only thing that ensures that my face stays hydrated.  I put it on after a lazy swipe of a cleansing cloth before bed and I wake up with noticeably more moisturized (and clearer!) skin.

3- Rosebud Salve.  I have spoken before of my love affair with this stuff and I swear it will never die.  In addition to using it on my lips and dry cuticles, I've starting dabbing a bit around my eyes if they feel extra wrinkly and dry and rubbing it on (and possibly in) my nose as the big bad pregnancy hormones turn my nose into a rock garden.

4- Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo.  It is borderline impossible to find a good hippie-shampoo that lathers and moisturizes like all the non-hippie shampoos out there.  And I have a particularly thick head of hair that demands a good moisturizing cleanse, regardless of my geography or the status of my latest pregnancy test.  This shampoo is the clear winner.  You'll never know you're skipping out on all the gunk and grime that makes other shampoos so silky smooth.

5- Sedu Anti-Frizz Polishing Treatment.  No matter how wonderful your shampoo is, the second you throw a hair dryer on your head, your hair is gonna go flying.  This argan oil serum is unbelievable.  I literally use ONE drop of this stuff after drying my hair and it makes my hair shine like the dickens.  That's right.  Like the dickens.  I'll even use it on my second-day-without-a-wash head of hair and it gets rid of the static without making my hair oily.  Seriously.  Buy it now.

6- Kiss My Face Peppermint Foot Creme.  When I first moved here, I tried to lather up my feet with regular body lotion at night and put on some socks and head to bed, but alas, I'd wake up in the morning with no socks on and feet dryer than they were before.  Now, I've found the trick.  Every morning, before I get out of my house shoes, I'll put this all over my feet, put my super soft wooly house shoes back on, and not take them off until I'm putting on real shoes to walk out the door.  Works like a charm.

7- Burt's Bees Baby Oil.  Yes, I know it's for babies.  Yes, I realize you are not a baby.  And no, you do not have to be pregnant to use this.  All I know is that if it's safe for baby's skin, it's probably safe for momma's skin, and it's certainly safe for everyone else's skin as well.  Once or twice a week, I'll squirt a little of this onto a wash rag and wipe it over my entire body at the end of a shower and then rinse.  It is outrageous how much more moisture this adds to your skin.  Before I lived in one of the most scorched places in the US, I would use just this at the end of the shower and not even need body lotion.  That's how good it is.

8- Origins All-Purpose High Elevation Cream.  I keep this in my purse and put it on my hands multiple times a day.  I think the name speaks for itself--it was formulated for us up here in the clouds and it is heavenly.  A little bit goes a long way thankfully because it's certainly not cheap, but it's the absolute best.

Hope this helps!  Now go and save your dry skin!
--MEL

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   

Catbird

So, I have found a new-to-me online shop called Catbird and I am completely obsessed.

Watch out bank account.

Here are my absolute favorites:

D.S. & Durga

The above scent from D.S. & Durga, all dirty and sexy and spicy with Indonesian patchouli, jasmine, and mace.  I think it may be intended for men.  And I completely do not care.

And just in case the overtly-masculine scent is making people question, I think it is necessary for me to be wearing the most precious gold and turquoise ring ever created:

Claire Kinder Pip Ring

Now that I live in CO, a place where everyone and their mom loves to camp and decides to do so in every state park within four hours of me every single weekend, therefore prohibiting me and my Mr. and our pups and our friends to enjoy the wonders of camping in this majestic wilderness...ahem...sorry...the ranting mechanism in my head sometimes goes a little berserk.

Anyway, here's my point:  for when there is not a real campfire to drink whiskey and roast marshmallows beside, there is this candle:

Catbird Campfire Candle

And when there are no stars to gaze at, there are these matches to light aforementioned campfire candle with:

Constellation Matches

So seriously, if any of you, my dear internet cosmos, wishes to help prevent my marriage from ending due to me sending us into an oblivion of debt from this store, please feel free to send me as many of these items as you see fit.

Thank you in advance--
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  

Denver Week: Emily from A Denver Home Companion

Happy Hump Day!  If you've been with us since Monday, I'm so glad you're back!  And if you're just now joining us, here's what we've been up to:  it's Denver Week!  I'll have a new post every day from some of Denver's most wonderful bloggers, sharing some of their favorite things to do in the Mile High City.  We started off the week with Will from The Momentum, who told us about all the great places to get your midday buzz on.  Then yesterday we heard from Tiffany from Camp 1899, who introduced us to a local winery with a $5 tasting.  If this keeps up, we may have a real drinking problem by the end of the week. 

Anyway, today we have a guest-post (my very first one!) from the delightful Emily Power from A Denver Home Companion.  Emily and her painstakingly adorable family--her chef & coffee shop celebrity husband, her doe-eyed doll of a daughter, Ramona, her precious dog, Otto, and her goats (!!!)--have homesteading in the city down to a tee.  I love reading about all of her adventures as a creative, a mom, a wife, and just all around rockstar.

So without further ado, take it away Emily, after the jump:

Emily & Ramona in Ironwood, one of Emily's favorite places (read below)

Megan, being new to Denver, asked me to write up a list of my five favorite places in this town for her to check out. Five places? Just five?! It was hard to narrow it down. I didn't, after all, want to leave anyone out. There are so many places to explore and shop and eat at in this city that I love love love love. To narrow it down i chose the top five spots that i keep returning to over and over lately. 

1. crema coffee house. Is anyone that knows me surprised I listed this? I am an unabashed fan and supporter of this place (full disclosure: my hubby is one of the owners and the chef here). It is great. The coffee is serious and excellent and the food is unique but accessible. Don't let the naysayers scare you: yes, it does seem to attract a large amount of the hipster-persuasion but they don't bite and the baristas love meeting new customers and making regulars out of you. My favorite is the toddy (iced french press, perfect for this heat wave), the breakfast burrito, the gyro, and the juice. It gets busy, especially on the weekends, and everything is made with lots of handcrafted love, so expect a little bit of a wait but trust that it'll be worth it.  

Crema

2. ironwood. This is a magical shop of curiosities, vintage goods, local art and jewelry, succulents, and beautiful stones and rocks. Aly has lovingly and painstakingly created a space that speaks to the whimsy in all of us. It is certainly not your average gift shop or vintage store. Even if you are not a lover of knick knacks and small tokens of nature, make sure you pick up a break-it-yourself geode as a memento. Also, if you are a thrift-store-shopper or estate-sale-goer and have some goods you want to unload, Aly does buy from pickers. 

Optimysticism installation, Ironwood

3. commons/confluence park and surrounding paths along the river and pedestrian bridges leading to downtown. Here's how you would utilize this space: start with a drink in the bar at linger during happy hour (sure, the patio is popular but I think the bar is a lot sexier and more comfortable and less crowded). Then head down the hill to little man ice cream for dessert (just order a kids size: it's cheap and more than enough ice cream. I recommend anything with the word "salted" in front of it). Keep walking down 16th, across the I-25 pedestrian bridge. If you're on bike you must stop into salvagetti (first building north of the bridge) to say hi to the great employees and best bike shop in Denver. Otherwise, keep walking straight and you'll run into commons park. South one block is confluence park. These places are great for relaxing, having a picnic, people-watching, or access to trails for biking or running. Beyond commons park is yet another beautiful pedestrian bridge that spits you out essentially right on the 16th street mall. Skip this place, but pop into the kitchen for dinner or take a peek inside union station. Heading back to where you started, stop into williams & graham for a nightcap.

Linger, Pitch Engine

Little Man Ice Cream

Salvagetti, from Emily's blog

The Kitchen, Denver Post

Mix It: Williams & Graham's Vieux Carré from 5280 on Vimeo.

*MEL here--How cool is the above video about one of Williams & Graham's specialty cocktails?  Plus, I have friends who live near this bar and said it was a super rad speakeasy-style bar, masked behind a storefront of bookshelves.  Looks like our drinking problem will continue after all.*  

4. denver art museum: This museum rivals some of the great ones I've seen in my travels. It's big without being overwhelming and they have a good balance of an incredible permanent collection as well as great temporary exhibits. My favorite section is the western american collection. I thought that it was going to be cheesy oil paints of Kinkade-ish landscapes but boy was I wrong. I visit on the first Saturday of the month when the museum is free. It can be a bit crowded but I've never been a lingerer in a museum so I'm fine sweeping through, saying hi to my favorite pieces, and ducking out. If you want a quieter experience here, I suggest avoiding the museum at this time. Oh, and if you have children, this museum is so kid-friendly. I can't wait until Ramona gets better at walking and her and I are going to have a date here.

Western American Art, Denver Art Museum

5. boulder farmers market: No this is not in Denver but if you're in the Denver area on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings, it's certainly worth a drive to Boulder to check it out. The produce is fresh and local and the vendors are kind and excited about what they're doing. There are some prepared food kiosks but mostly it's fresh produce and happy-animal products (Denver is notorious for having "markets" that offer mainly local companies selling their prepared foods. This does not a farmers market make). To make your drive to Boulder worth it (though I have driven there just for this) I'd suggest poking your head into boxcar coffee and cured for some caffeine and picnic provisions (or grab lunch at pizzeria locale). If you want to get some hiking in, chautauqua has lots of trails to choose from.  (It's MEL again--in my very short time here, the Mr. and I have searched hi and low for a great food co-op or farmers market and surprisingly, we haven't come across much.  So this is wonderful to know about!) 

Boulder Farmers Market, Bon Appetit

Boxcar Coffee, Eric McNeish

Cured, Denver Post

Pizzeria Locale, Archinect

Chautauqua, Planet Ware

OK. I knew I couldn't do it! I have to throw a 6th one in here for good luck:

6. patzcuaro's. I order the margarita (as big as your head) and the chicken burrito deluxe. Nothing fancy. Good-sized portions. Cozy and shaded patio. Salsa with a kick.

Taqueria Patzcuaro, Lovely Denver

Welcome to Denver, Megan! I can't wait to hear what you think of these places and also recommendations on places you discover on your own.

Thank you so much Emily!  It's Wednesday which means I might hop in the car and head to the Boulder Farmers Market today!

Tell me, my dear internet cosmos, have any of you been to any of Emily's favorites?  Tell me in the comments below.

I'll be back tomorrow with a new list of things to try out from this super cool new mom.

XOXO

MEL