5/31/12

On the bookshelf: books in May


Little Bee by Chris Cleave - my second book club suggestion (I was the lucky one to get my name drawn twice in a row).  This novel is about the relationship between a young refugee from Nigeria and a married journalist living in England.  It's told from each of their women's perspectives and follows the winding path of their relationship together and their past individual histories.  Book club thoughts:  the majority enjoyed it, one thought it was too wordy and another thought the ending was.. well, you might just have to read it, I don't want to give too much away!  And actually, the back of the book says to not share the storyline at all and to let others take it in for themselves, so I've already told too much.  I personally enjoyed this book (though inevitably sad at times) a lot. 

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner - oh Jennifer Weiner, you're such a great beach-read-author.  I hope she doesn't take offense to that!  But seriously, all of her books are easy breezy, always focused on a group of women who somehow come together in the end to overcome all the obstacles together, and always enjoyable.  This book was no exception, and really, I would recommend any of her books (Little Earthquakes is my favorite so far).
  
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - another book club pick, which had a similar mood as Little Bee.  The story focused around a young boy and his father, traveling the road in search of hope in a post-apocalyptic world.  McCarthy writes such a detailed story, I read through this book in few days, always wondering what was going to be happen to the duo with a pit in my stomach the entire time.  A captivating story, and one that I would recommend, but it's a nail-biter.  I warned you!  

5/30/12

Memorial Day Weekend: Camping

A few friends (and even more dogs) went camping near Quandary's Peak over the long weekend.  We drove to the mountains with the windows down, my feet up on the dashboard, listening to Dispatch and Guster and all those other 'jam bands' that we love so much.  The only word I can think to describe the little road trip would be refreshing

It's crazy how different Denver feels compared to any town west toward the mountains.  I can see the mountains from our back patio and during the entire drive to work, but it doesn't feel the same as actually camping in the mountains. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to experience both. 

We cooked burgers/hot dogs/spaghetti (for me), played catch phrase, chatted around the campfire, bundled up from the 30 degree temperatures, and watched the pups play happily around camp.  And then endured the windiest night's sleep I've ever had.  We made it through, tent intact and everything!

I even shot a few cans with a BB gun!  It was my dad's birthday and I thought he would be proud.

5/29/12

The Color Run

  
The start line:  thousands of people in white, about to get splattered.  Oh, the anticipation.

(Insert photos of running a 5k that I did not capture.  I was trying to keep up with my team, and focusing on getting blasted with as much as color as possible.)

Which was a total success!  


When everyone crossed the finish line, we were all given bags of color(ed corn starch) and counted down to...


If you have a Color Run near you this summer/fall, you must do it.  Seriously.  Sign up.  Go, go, go! 

5/23/12

Currently...

 (via)

attempting to // make every Pinterest recipe I've pinned recently.  So far, so good. 

excited about // handing back the keys to our apartment in just a few months.  The cat's out of the bag now, we finally found a house to rent in Denver!  With a yard, and a fire pit, and twinkle lights!  Can't wait to share photos soon. 

listening to // The Lumineers, a local Denver band that I'm really liking these days. 

loving // all the Downton ladies getting their dance on.  Yessssssss. 

hating // the slow workdays.  The weather is getting nicer every day and I would love to be outside playing. 

looking forward to // June!  Our dear friends Joey & Stacy are coming to visit, Bon Iver concert at Red Rocks, annual girl's trip with my favorites, Ryan's first 10k, and celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary.

reading // The Road by Cormac Mccarthy, our next book club read, very suspenseful so far.

stumbled upon // this tumblr. Go ahead, laugh a whole lot. 

watching // Friday Night Lights on Netflix. I'm just now hopping on the bandwagon and loving every second of the ride. 

spending time // on Skype and Google Video a lot lately, keeping up with our far-away friends and family.  5 years after purchasing a webcam and I'm finally comfortable talking/being in front of it.  Sort of. 

5/22/12

A Little More Neon

Continuing our themed weekend...

We went to a Neon Party on Friday to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday.  It was almost impossible to not dress in 80s attire, since that was the era neon clothes were born, but we did our best. 


                           Ryan's outfit:                                                                        And mine:
                         shirt - old navy                                                          shirt - forever 21 (surprised?)
                        pants - thrift store                                                                  jeans - GAP
                          jacket - GAP                                                                 earrings - forever 21


Oh, the outfits at this party.  They were stellar!  Lots and lots of duct tape.  Though we only knew the birthday boy, so I didn't take any more photos.  That would've been a little weird, right? 



Happy birthday, JR!

5/14/12

Boulder Farmer's Market

We enjoyed a rainy, dreary weekend in Denver, which is pretty much my favorite weather.  Especially if it's accompanied by coffee or hot tea while sitting on the patio enjoying the rain.  Mmm, I love it.  And it hardly ever happens here, being the "sunshine state" and all.

Saturday, after I enjoyed my morning coffee on the patio, we made our way to Boulder to pick up a few things from the Farmer's Market, one of the largest in Colorado.  And the street food, holy amazing. 

 Our loot: 2 tomato plants, 1 jalapeno, 1 rosemary, 1 basil.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the city (and its new Moosejaw store!).  The more time I spend in Boulder, the more I love it.  And conveniently , it's only 30 minutes or so from our apartment.  #win

Oh yeah, and I chopped off all my hair! 

5/9/12

DIY: old candle jar to new container

Inspired by a recent Pinterest find, I decided to take on the simple project of turning my old candle jar into a reusable, wax free, container.


First step:  place the candle jar in your freezer for a few hours.  It actually makes the wax shrink away from the sides of the jar!  Who knew?


Second step:  use a knife to pick out the leftover wax.  It took 5 seconds, the old wax just slid right out.


Third step:  peel off the side and bottom stickers.  Then clean the jar with warm water and vinegar (the vinegar really helps the glass to shine). 

Fourth step:  put your new container to good use!  I decided on a new home for our Q-tips, they were a little difficult to grab under the sink among all the other clutter. 

Ta da!

5/8/12

Turban Headbands

A few weeks ago I was loving these turban headbands from Dottie Adele.  So much, that I purchased a couple! 



I'd say it makes for a pretty cute way to manage my unwashed hair.  That might seem gross, but I promise your hair will be happier if you don't wash it every single day (Real Simple Magazine told me so). And now there are comfy headbands to keep anyone from knowing anyway!

PS  looks like Valerie has a couple turbans left in her shop if you want to snag one up for yourself!

5/7/12

Friday Cruiser Ride


The Highlands Cruisers are a pretty fun group of people.. with some very cool bikes.  And really, who doesn't want to feel like they're part of a parade?!  People wave, cheer, and throw babies.  (not really, but they get pretty excited)

After the short ride, Ryan and I fell back and parked our bikes so we could explore the Art Walk for the rest of the evening.  Everyone opens their shops on the first Friday of every month and usually provides wine and snacks, for us all to browse and enjoy. 

It really was a great way to end such a busy week.