Gettin' By

They say this is where the fun begins.

Well hello Monday!  I am still floating around in a musically-induced high after what was undoubtedly the highlight of my summer - getting to experience the amazing Avett Brothers in concert at Red Rocks!  Even the early evening rain couldn't dampen our spirits as Mike, Ali and Ryan I and waited for Scott and Seth to take the stage (and a few beers didn't hurt, either!)

The concert was everything I could have hoped for and much more. These guys are just so, so talented. And the love they have for the music and performing is contagious - I got goosebumps when they played my favorite songs. Seeing them live has only made me love them more. It was an unrivaled experience in an incredible venue (and I will now be perpetually stalking the etown website to see when the broadcast of this concert will air so I can re-live it all!)

And an unexpected bonus?  I finally  got to meet my Simple Sister, Elizabeth Dillow (even if it was only for a few minutes in line for the women's restroom!)

So today I wanted to share two of my pages from the Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit. The kit sold out (no surprise, since it's a fabulous collection of goodies AND an exclusive JBS stamp and acrylic mask!). So just a heads up - mark your calendars for midnight on August 1 to get your hands on next month's kit - it's gonna go fast too!

R & E | supplies: cardstock (Bazzill, Core'dinations) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye Joy Woodgrain, My Mind's Eye Buddies Herringbone, Sassafras Lass Kindle, Sassafras Lass Beaming) + JBS stamp + JBS ink (Chewing Gum, Cough Syrup) + American Crafts alpha + My Mind's Eye brads +  EK Success scallop punch + Uniball Signo pen + shoelace, vintage ticket & label, vintage fabric circle, date stamp

I created my own patterned paper using the Soda Water stamp, alternating Chewing Gum and Cough Syrup inks in a checkerboard pattern. I stamped on Bazzill White Orange Peel, which because of the texture, makes the stamped image a bit imperfect.  If you want a clearer image, I'd suggest using the Bazzill Simply Smooth.

Cutie Pie | supplies:  Bazzill cardstock + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye Boy Tapestry, Sassafras Lass Beaming) + Maya Road kraft doily + Sassafras flower stickers + JBS stamp & acrylic mask + JBS Malted Milk ink + American Crafts alpha + My Mind's Eye brads +  Courier font + vintage book page, machine stitching

Here I used the butterfly template to trace the shape onto white cardstock and trim it out.  Then I stamped the Soda Water (with Malted Milk ink) to add some detail to it.  I added several rows of (messy) machine stitching around the edges to highlight the shape on my page.

Hope you all have a great Monday! I'll leave you with one of my favorite Avett Brothers' lyrics (because they have definitely made my world a better place!)

We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way.
--Avett Brothers, Salvation Song

Five On Friday.

1.  Snagged this cute little summer dress for Riely for less than half off at Zulily, figuring it will be great for those first few weeks of school when it's still warm.  (And just a side note, if you haven't signed up for emails from Zulily, you really, really should! I am not affiliated with them in any way, but if you have a little girly-girl and want to score some smokin' deals, head over there!)

2. Counting down the hours until I get to see my beloved Lyle Lovett (along with the amazing Taj Mahal) perform in concert at Red Rocks tonight (which is unequivocally the most fabulous venue in the universe. I'm not even biased.)  And since this is the first time I've ever seen him live, I am confident Lyle is crafting the the most stellar performance ever in his long musical history, complete with a public dedication of Here I Am to little 'ol moi. (Do you think anyone informed Lyle that the world revolves around me?! Hoping he gets the memo!!)

3.  Even though I'm not typically a flavored-coffee kind of gal, I am digging this Coconut Creme flavor from Coffee Mate.  It totally makes me feel like I'm eating pie for breakfast.  Or what I imagine it would be like to eat pie for breakfast.  Because, of course, I have never, ever, in my whole life done that. And if I had, I certainly wouldn't admit it on, um, the world wide web. Geez.

4. Last night I sat down and browsed the new Boden catalog. And subsequently dog-earred pretty much every other page. But unless that winning lottery ticket comes through, I'll settle for just buying this skirt and this cardigan. 

5.  Thoroughly enjoying this particular vihno verde by Gazela.  It's a crisp, dry, and slightly fruity white wine with just a hint of effervescence (and who doesn't love a few bubbles??) It's divine on these hot summer nights.  And since I will be saving my pennies for a Boden spending spree, the $5.99 price tag is perfect.

And that wraps up my five for the week.  Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Monday Marathon Update.

Happy Monday people! Here's the scoop on last week's marathon training.  It involved some triumphs (making pace on the tempo run!) and some failures (crashing and burning and possibly shedding tears on my long run).  But it's another week down with no injury, so let's call it a success.  Here's what happened:

W O R K O U T S
(scheduled workouts are in bold, my actual workout in italics)
Run 1: 1 mile warm up, 4 x 800 @ 3:28, 10 min cool down
           1 mile warm up, 4 x 800 @ (3:27, 3:38, 3:46, 3:50), 10 min cool down

Thinking this run was only 4 miles, I didn't take water - doh!  But with the morning heat coming off the hot black track + fast speed work, I was wiped after the second 800 repeat.  Lesson learned - water bottles need to accompany me regardless length of run!

Run 2: 7 miles: 1 easy, 5 @ 8:35m/m, 1 easy*
           7 miles:  1 easy, 5 @ 8:34m/m, 1 easy

*Being that I busted it to make the 8:34 pace for 5 miles (can I get a woo-hoo!?!), I took the "easy" on this mile to heart and walked about 1/4 of it.  

Run 3: 15 miles @ 9:20m/m
           15 miles @ 9:27m/m

The first 10 miles of this run felt really good and I kept a 9:15 pace fairly easily.  Then it started warming up and I reached a hilly part of the run, and pretty much tanked, increasing my cumulative mile pace to 9:27.  I may have cried at mile 14.  I'm gonna blame it on the heat and the Avett Bros. song that happened to playing on my ipod. :)

C H A L L E N G E S
Heat, heat and more heat!  We had a week of temps over 100º, so the outdoor runs were hot. Sweat was abundant and I realized that my fuel belt loaded with hydration needs to accompany me on all runs.  Another challenge?  Getting in the two days of cross-training the program recommends.  These runs wipe me out and exercising on the non-running days is not appealing at all.  This week, our volleyball league gets going again and I'm officially counting my Monday night games as cross-training. 

I N S P I R A T I O N S
I had some requests to post my ipod playlist - I have about 3 hours of music loaded in my running mix, but here are some of my current faves that get me to pick up the pace - enjoy!

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters
Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
Intergalactic - Beastie Boys  
You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne
Don't Go - Yaz
Keeps Gettin' Better - Christina Aguilera 
I Held Her In My Arms - Violent Femmes
Billionaire - Travie McCoy
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Weezer
Private Conversation - Lyle Lovett
Right Round - Flo Rida
Rain King - Counting Crows
Rock & Roll - Eric Hutchinson
You Wreck Me - Tom Petty
Girls - Beastie Boys
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) - Beyoncé
The Underdog - Spoon
Say Hey (I Love You) - Michael Franti & Spearhead
Truth No. 2- Dixie Chicks

Tune in next Monday for Week 14!

    
    

Five On Friday.

1. Stocking up the winter wine stash with two new reds (a Robert Sinskey Pinot Noir and a Vincent Arroyo Cab) on the recommendation of our orthodontist and independent wine consultant, Dr. Dave.  Nothing like having a friend who can serve as your sommelier and straighten your kids' teeth. Now if I could just convince him to add a wine tasting bar to the ortho office...

2.  Sharing photos of my new 'do, thanks to some red extensions:

If any of you remember my last adventure with blue hair, you'll note that this time rather than dye my own hair a funky color, I went with already-dyed extensions - a much better option!  They don't fade and bleed and the color is so much more intense.  And they are rather addicting.  I'm already planning new colors for fall. :)

3. Barely containing my excitement over scoring tickets to see Lyle Lovett at Red Rocks at the end of month.  It will be my first time to see him perform live and I can't wait to see him in this amazing venue!

4.  Planning a birthday excursion for Riely next week that includes getting her ears pierced (eek!) and a trip to the American Girl store (so her doll can get a new outfit and visit the hair salon!). Riely is hoping they'll have colored hair extensions for her doll. Wonder where she got that idea??

5.  Coveting what has to be the perfect summer purse from Bayan Hippo - a fabulous orange color AND ruffles?? Come to mama!!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Five on Friday {Texas Edition}

In honor of our upcoming vacation to Austin, I thought I'd make a not-so-comprehensive list of the things I'm looking forward to enjoying while in the Lone Star State (time with family and old friends notwithstanding, of course!)

1.  The Don't Mess With Texas propaganda.  It may have started as the slogan for an anti-littering campaign, but this phrase has turned into one kick-ass state motto.  Even as a die-hard Colorado native, I sported a Don't Mess With Texas bumper sticker on my car for years after I no longer lived there.  I love seeing theses signs that unabashedly state the love Texans have for their homeland. 

2.  Texas beer. Yes, I can buy Shinerbock in Colorado (and also the Blonde, Hefeweizen, and 101 varieties!)  And I could probably even find Lone Star if I looked really hard.  But there's just something about enjoying a Texas brew within the state lines that makes you want to toast the Alamo, Longhorns, and Lyle Lovett with every swig.

3.  Dinner at the Salt Lick.  In college, we made many crusades from San Antonio to Driftwood to enjoy the delicious BBQ, live music and outdoor setting of the Salt Lick.  Always toting fully stocked coolers (Driftwood is in a dry county), we'd trek to this seemingly middle-of-nowhere site and to drink beer, eat amazing food, and burp loudly. (OK, the burping part is just me.)

 4.  Taco Cabana.  I'll fully admit to making hotel reservations and immediately MapQuest-ing the nearest location of this fine dining establishment.  It is quite possible that during my four years of college in Texas, I subsisted solely on their bean and cheese tacos and diet coke.  It is also quite possible that this is the reason my "Freshman 15" turned into the "Freshman 45".  But OH THE HOMEMADE TORTILLA GOODNESS!

5.  The Music.  I'm not a huge country music fan, but something about being in Texas makes me want to sing along with the three-name legends like Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allen Coe, and Robert Earl Keen. Really, is there any better accompaniment to beer and bbq than a cowboy song?  Once again with the food and alcohol thing - I'm nothing if not consistent, yeah?

Hope y'all have an amazing weekend!  Come back now, ya hear?!

Five on Friday {Saturday Edition}

1.  Realized about half-way through yesterday that I had failed to do a Five on Friday post.  Knowing I was disappointing all seven of you who read the blog was not enough to make me leave my lounge chair at the pool to come and post.  {sorry}  If I had a shiny new iPad, I just might be able to go to the pool AND blog.  hmmmmmm....

2.  Am currently fueling up with coffee and a bagel and trying to get myself psyched up for the 10-mile run that awaits me when I finish this post.  Listening to Eye of the Tiger and Chariots of Fire and such, because, you know, they make the whole exercise thing seem noble.  And worth it.  Am I buying it?  Um, not so much.

3.  In planning an upcoming trip to Austin, Mike and I have made the brave decision to take the kidlets to the best water park in America:  Schlitterbahn.  Our biggest challenge with the excursion?  Getting our children to stop calling it the ShitBomb.

4. Realizing my mouth is watering just thinking about eating barbeque in Austin, namely at the one and only Salt Lick.  And simultaneously making the important self-realization that while Chariots of Fire does not really inspire me to go run, the promise of a huge slab of ribs does. 

5.  And because you should be rewarded for stopping by on a weekend and reading my drivel, I'll hook you up with the funniest YouTube video I've seen in a long time.  Be warned - after viewing you may randomly bust out singing the lyrics Mullet with headlights! for no good reason. And you'll giggle.  LOTS.  Enjoy! (the video and your weekend!)

I think we'll get Bob a big wedge of Gouda.

Every year during the week of Thanksgiving, a local Denver radio station replaces their normal programming with Christmas and holiday music for the duration of the season.  And don't you know that as soon as they make that switch, my car radio is tuned to that station (much to the chagrin of my dear husband, who knows that during this time of year, every car ride is another opportunity for me to break into loud and, most likely, out-of-tune Christmas carols with overt enthusiasm that is only spurred on by the embarrassed and horrified look on his face.)

At any rate, the kids and I were out and about running errands last week when the seasonal favorite Feliz Navidad came on.  We all joined in singing with much gusto, especially little Riely Grace.  And just when I was beginning to marvel at her grasp of the Spanish language, I realized exactly how she was singing the chorus:

POLICE BARBIE DOLL!  POLICE BARBIE DOLL!

(Not to be confused with the ever-popular Fireman Barbie Doll or Riot Control Barbie Doll.)

Needless to say, I almost drove off the road I was laughing.so.hard.

Later that day, Hayden and I were still giggling about the misheard lyrics while we came up with a completely new chorus for the song:

Police Barbie Doll
Police Barbie Doll
Police Barbie Doll, and a ferret named Tanya
And some cheese for Bob.

So now every time that song comes on the car radio (which happens surprisingly often, you know) we all break into spontaneous laughter and belt out our very own version, with sincerest apologies to José Feliciano.  Nothing like a little family bonding over low-brow humor to usher in the holiday season, am I right?!?

Back from Broadway...

I know I'll be in trouble with you all if I don't report back on our wonderful theater weekend and, of course, the outfit that won the most votes!  So here's a quick update.  We had so much fun - the drive up to the mountains with filled with long-overdue girl talk (and quick stops at Starbucks and Taco Bell).  When we arrived in Grand Lake, we wasted no time cracking open the first of many bottles of wine and got ready for our evening out.  Dinner at The Rapids restaurant was delicious - perfect food, a beautiful setting, great company, and of course, more wine!  We got a quick shot after dinner by the river with the camera timer:


As you can see, I opted for the overwhelmingly popular outfit #2, though I ended up pairing it with a more dainty shoe -  red patent open-toe heel.  (And I'm pretty sure the fact that I had THREE options for red heels to pair with this outfit indicates I just may have a slight addition to shoe shopping. Ahem.)

After dinner, we headed to the theater for the production of All Shook Up, which was complete fun, in a delightfully hokey sort of way.  We laughed lots, due in part to the wine, but mostly from the lively and animated cast and their spirited delivery of favorite Elvis songs.  We even got a photo op with the lead male, Dylan Paul, after the show:


He was in the middle of telling us that this shot would be our "normal, smiling pose" after which we would do a "sultry Elvis-lips" pose:



Notice he is the only one who actually did the Elvis pose.  I'm guessing this is why he has a career in theater and the rest of us don't. :)


So onto other business... the winner of the PixiePetals giveaway!  Here's your random number:

And here's your winner:


Email me your address, Erica!  And have a great Monday everyone!

Birthdays, Burgers, Beers, Blue Snow Cones (and a brief appearance by Barbie!)

On Sunday, this little girl turned four years old:

And we celebrated with a backyard bash that included a bouncy castle:

A beautiful Barbie birthday cake:

An impossibly cute baby boy:

 

Some very blue raspberry snow cones:

 

 

 

Lots of good conversation:

 

 

And of course, no gathering would be complete without an impromptu family sing-a-long to David Allen Coe (courtesy of me and my parents):

Thanks to my sister in law, Ali for being the official event photographer.  And now that it's over, the clean up process begins...can you guess what my to-do list looks like today??

Have a good one!