We are off! My husband and I are headed for a long weekend in Chicago. And the party starts as soon as we back out of the drive way. If you travel with kids, you know exactly what I am talking about! Without them, everything is 100% easier. [I have almost missed flights when traveling alone. I am too darn relaxed.] My carry on has earphones, a new book, a couple of magazines and my camera. THAT’S it! I don’t need to worry about snacks or on-board entertainment. I won’t need to light a fire under anyone’s ass. We simply drive to the airport, breeze through security, sit back, relax and arrive just in time for cocktail hour in Illinois. The plan is to eat, drink, and take in the city from ground and water. We can’t wait!
Have a wonderful weekend. See you back here Monday! xoxo-denise
{This someecard created by moi! I couldn’t help myself.}
The Serena & Lily catalog arrived in my mailbox yesterday and I devoured it during Big W’s soccer practice! I am dreaming of remodeling our playroom into a family/media room. Ideas are swirling in my head! Have you made this switch over in your house? It is so exciting to think about reclaiming that square footage for something other than LEGO storage!
I want pattern, color, comfort, and fun! The thing is- I want it to be cohesive and well-planned, but not too matchy and not all from one store! Simple, yet interesting. Whoa, this is why it is exciting yet extremely overwhelming! Let me please add that we will not be doing any of the heavy lifting {no handymen around here}, but I will be doing the planning and selection of goods. Any tips on resources or design ideas? I am happy to take them!
I am walking the boys to school this morning. Wow, did we have an amazing summer. My whole life has been tracked by the school calendar. First as a student, then as a teacher, and now as a parent. Most people set goals at the beginning of the calendar year, but my mind is still geared to self-reflect in September. The kids get a fresh start, why shouldn’t I?
Last year marked the first year both of my kids were in school full-time. A year ago I wondered, now what? I didn’t have any specific goals, just an endless number of possibilities. I did learn to shoot pictures in manual mode and fell victim to Pinterest. However, my garage is still a mess, I didn’t read near enough, and my yoga mat is missing. I was extremely scattered and didn’t have much direction. Has that ever happened to you? My year of recovery {I have called it that since Little Man was born} is over. It is time to set and achieve a few personal goals.
I want to push myself and shoot whimsical, creative pictures. With a few editing skills, they can look ethereal and dreamy. The dust on my guitar needs to be blown off and this girl is going to learn to play it! Having received it when I turned 30, I am determined to play a song on my 4oth birthday. {This one scares me a bit!} We are traveling to Italy in the spring and I am eager to remember the langauge. I was never fluent, but I could hold a conversation in Italian while in college. It has been a long time. {Time to buy Rosetta Stone? What is the best way to learn a language later in life?}
When do you set goals for yourself? Do you find it harder as you get older?
Mom needs a new back to school outfit too! Right? After a summer’s worth of cut-offs, breezy tank tops and flip flops, I am ready to dive into fall as well. September is usually gorgeous here in Seattle, so it isn’t quite time to break out fall sweaters and boots. I would love to walk my boys to school that first day in this outfit. Colorful shorts, black flats and a loose fitting blazer. I would wear a tank under to keep it casual. {Come day two, you will most likely find me in workout gear and running shoes.} I hope you are all geared up for school. I am not sure I am. The pace will quicken, the stress will increase, and bedtimes will be earlier. I am going to try and hold on to summer as long as I can. After all, they are only kids once!! Good luck to all of you and your kids! xoxo denise
In just a few weeks, my husband and I {sans children} are headed to Chicago for a long weekend. We are traveling to watch our beloved Huskies play at Soldier Field. It has been 15 years since I was last in Chicago. I remember loving the city, so I am more than excited to be going again. There will plenty of time to eat, shop and drink! Where should we go? If you know Chicago, I would love and need your suggestions. Where should we eat dinner, grab brunch, shop for a great pair of shoes, and stumble in for last call?
Our family was lucky enough to spend three days rafting the Snake River through Hells Canyon. It is North America’s deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet. Yes, that is deeper than the Grand Canyon. It’s beauty is undeniable. I found myself looking up with my mouth dropped open for much of our time on the river.
The 3 day trip through class 4 rapids and over 30 miles of river was a guided by experts from Mountain River Outfitters. MRO gets 5 stars in every category. Simply top notch. We were joined by two other families-for a total of 6 adults and 6 kids ranging in age from 6 to 10. [An extremely kind German couple booked the trip at the last minute and were a great addition to our group. Lucky them, right?] Just prior to our trip I was nervous about taking my young boys, especially my 46 pound little man. Once we were through our first set of rapids, I knew I had worried for nothing and purely enjoyed the rest of our time on the river.
We arrived in Riggins, ID [population 424] the day before our trip. After a sleepless night {for me} and an early wake up, we left the hotel at 6am. We had a four-hour drive [in a large passenger van] to the launch point just below Hells Canyon Dam. The weather was amazing-hot and sunny! Armed with sunscreen, a camera, our dry bags and courage…we pushed off.
We witnessed a ton of white water, paddling and adrenalin! Right away. (more…)
Well, well well. Neon is back again. Have you found yourself asking, “Am I too old for this?” There is a fine line between dressing on-trend and dressing like a teenager. I do love neon. In the late 80’s, I had the most amazing pair of neon pink, lace fingerless gloves. [Seriously, right?] Today, I keep the neon as pops of color on clothing and accessories. Just enough to say, “I can still rock it.” If you really like a trend, find a way to subtly work into your wardrobe. Have fun and be brave.
I have been working up to writing a recap of my time at the Altitude Design Summit {ALT} in San Francisco. When my friends eagerly asked about my trip, I instantly answered great! Everyone has been so incredibly supportive and interested in how it went. It was great, but it was also overwhelming. The message I received {loud and clear} was ….I am going to need to work harder than ever. No one is going to hand you anything and it won’t happen over night.
Granted, I didn’t think I would receive a folder labeled, “10 Easy Steps to a Wildly Popular and Successful Blog”. However, my trip revealed that the pathway isn’t a clear straight path. There is no right or wrong way. Just my way. While exciting, that is also a bit daunting. As the fun of summer with my kids is in full swing, I have found that carrying the momentum from ALT home has been difficult. I have a ton of ideas, but not a ton of time to execute. Like any new venture it is one step forward and a few steps backward.
Now for the conference itself! Amazing. Cathie Tosach with Bing shared, “Emotion is in the details.” At ALT they take the details very seriously. From the location {The Fairmont. San Francisco} and hosted dinners and parties, to the sponsors booths and goodie bags. The conference speakers and the attendees inspired me to be creative, driven, dedicated and fearless. While I am not all of those things yet, the message is clear.
Good things come to those who {don’t} wait.
You should always have a few good take-aways from any new experience and this trip is no exception:
1. Cocktail parties are a very intimidating place- even for an extrovert! It helps immensely to have girlfriends by your side, even if you just met them an hour before at dinner.
2. Even established bloggers {Jordan Ferney and Victoria Smith} face the challenge of continually creating inspired and original content.
3. A room full of exceptionally talented and motivated women always makes me smile. {And proud to be a girl!}
4. Pretty sure I want a neon sign in my house. {This one is pure awesome!}
5. If I wasn’t at home full time, I am pretty sure I would want to work at Pinterest. Their headquarters is the coolest space ever.
I will admit I have gone a bit gold crazy. It wasn’t that long ago that I wouldn’t even think of it! My engagement and wedding rings are platinum and for years I would only wear silver or white gold accessories. Recently, I have thrown caution to the wind and dove into gold head first! I was so excited when I browsed on Moorea Seal‘s new online shop. It was overflowing with gold treasures! I gathered a few of my favorites, but honestly there are just so many it was hard to choose! I met Moorea Seal at the Altitude Design Summit in San Francisco. Her curated store is just over a week old! Pop over and check it out! “Do good, do great” is their motto. With each purchase, 7% of proceeds are donated to non-profit organizations. Nothing better than doing good while shopping!
Take a peek at mooreaseal.com. Which item is now on your wish list?
We spent less than 24 hours in Napa Valley this weekend. We didn’t arrive until 1pm on Saturday, but it was worth it! The summer brings large crowds on the weekend, yet the beauty of the valley somehow makes up for the “big business” of wine tasting. We started north in Calistoga and worked our way south toward Napa. Using Silverado Trail for much of the afternoon, we avoided the traffic and we were able to visit three wineries plus have lunch before 5pm. Then a quick rest and dinner in downtown Napa. Pictures tell the best story.
First stop, Chateau Montelena . Amazing grounds, historic chateau, and the winery that put California on the map of the wine making world in 1976. [If you haven’t seen Bottle Shock, rent or stream it tonight. It tells the story perfectly!]
Lunch in St. Helena. La Condesa. A girl can not survive on wine alone. Chips, guacamole, and tacos paired with the most refreshing margarita! It had me at cactus lemongrass-infused salt rim.
A quick jump over to the Silverado Trail and Rombauer after lunch. Red wine a hot day is tough, but the views from the deck cannot be beat. Rombauer is a great spot for a picnic! Tables are scattered throughout their gorgeous trails and grounds.
Mumm Napa was our last stop. We were able to grab a table on their patio [umbrellas and misters help with the heat] and we each enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine. We couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing way to end our afternoon of tasting. I highly recommend the Santana Supernatural Rose. Delicious!
After a thirty minute power nap at the hotel, we were off to The Thomas in downtown Napa. I will not belabor the point, but this place is top rate. Food, service, ambiance. The entire package. The dining room is cozy with an open kitchen. It is keenly decorated, with one entire wall displaying antique white table cloths and windows into their wine collection. In the heart of downtown on Main Street, The Thomas also has a roof top bar and deck which looks over the Napa River. I tell you-it is a must visit! While everything we ate and drank was outstanding, the warm cinnamon, sugar doughnuts with black pepper strawberry sauce put the meal over the top!
Our afternoon is Napa was the end to a great weekend in California. We had time together [just the two of us] and we were able to see our dear friends get married! A huge thank you to my mom and dad for holding down the fort and keep our boys fed and watered.
