Sunset Walk

On my June bookshelf

I realize July is nearly over, but I hadn't yet posted my June reads, so I figured I'd hop to it before I lost another month to this speedy summer I seem to be having!

I traveled to Michigan with my Mom at the beginning of June, and travel almost always leads to extra reading for me thanks to hanging out in airports and not being a plane talker. I also tend to gravitate towards beachy chick lit and Young Adult reads, so don't be fooled into thinking I'm a fast reader...I just have the book tastes of a teenager when the sun is out and the temps are skyrocketing.

ps- Russian Winter was an incredible novel, and was neither beachy nor YA.  I definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes fiction that weaves together characters and stories from their present-day and their relevant past.

Fill in the blank Friday

1. One of my happiest moments ever was coming through customs in Sydney, Australia to find Jamie and Nick waiting with huge smiles on their faces. Those first hugs were the best!

2. Summer is wedding season and weddings are a lovely celebration of a couple's love. I think weddings are gorgeous and can be fabulously lavish affairs, but are sometimes over done. I'm partial to a City Hall ceremony myself and will stand firm on only having the closest family and friends at my wedding (when/if I get married). A wedding is for you and your love, and those people who have helped you to become the couple you are. They aren't for family you hardly know, friends of parents you've never met and other "supposed-to" invites. *in my opinion*

3. This summer has been my busiest one yet, work wise, and has been surprisingly hot and humid. Granted, this is by CO standards, so the heat is to be expected, but the lasting humidity is a surprise.

4. My summer food of choice has been mangoes and caesar salads.

5. My summer uniform has been lots of sundresses, or jean capris, tank/tee, flip flops and a cardi in my purse for the evenings. I spend a lot of time in my running shorts, too, but that's not overly glamorous, although they are super comfy.

6. If I could spend the entire summer in one location I would choose Colorado, actually. I love Colorado summers, and compared with the other summers I've experienced (Midwest, East coast, tropical) I don't think I would trade mine in.

7. My summer anthem is either Young Blood by The Naked and Famous or Just A Little Bit by Kids of 88.

A break from life to celebrate a birthday (and to eat sushi)

Work has been crazy. It's been frustrating. I've been on the edge of tears after finishing for the day a few too many times. I tend to turn into the ultimate hermit when my stress levels peak. I revert to my tried and true inner introvert, finding solace in my thoughts and the scenery on long walks, embracing the calm found in books, cups of tea and the occassional glass of wine. I don't have the urge to go out and surround myself with people. It can be too overwhelming for me.

But, there are those times when I pull myself out of my hermit-like ways and join the world again, despite my stress, or exhaustion or raging hormones. It's good for me, and you know what? I rarely regret my decision. That's what I have to remind myself: I love my friends and the energy we give off simply from being around each other. We understand the stressors in each of our lives and strive to push it away with laughter and good food...and we usually succeed.

My friend Lisa's birthday was on Tuesday, and even though I was *this* close to losing it over continued work problems and general discontent over still not feeling 100% after last week's cold, I made the time to join in for her sushi dinner at one of our favorite spots in town. I'm so glad that I did. We sat outside, people-watched, made friends with a spunky boxer puppy, enjoyed a glass of wine, ate copious amounts of sushi and I tried saki and mochi for the first time. It was the perfect interlude to celebrate my lovely friend, and to remind myself that I never want to let life pass me by.

Fill in the Blank Friday

I can't believe it's been 10 days since I last blogged...so sorry, dear readers! My only excuses are the current insanity of my workload and the nasty cold I've been fighting this week; summer colds really are the worst! But, I'm starting to feel perkier and there's a small light at the end of the Fiscal Year-End tunnel that I'm currently stuck in at work, so here's hoping I get back into the swing of things quickly! But until then, I leave you with Lauren's summer-themed blanks!

1. My plans this summer include a lot of work (wildland fires like to burn in the summer, people!), Friday night dinners from the grill, reading as many mindless chick lit books as possible while laying out by the pool, morning hikes with my Mom and evening walks/jogs once it's cooled and the sun is setting.

2. The best summer I ever had was probably last summer because it started off with a trip to the Chesapeake with Corey and Matt and was full of hikes, Skype fests with Jamie and boys...although to be perfectly honest, I think all summers have their pros and cons.

3. Summer is reading on the patio, fresh herbs and tomatoes in the garden, late evening walks because the days are so long, fresh fruit, mountain drives, flowing sundresses, sandals, swimming, sun tea, lazy weekends after busy weeks and margaritas on the patio with friends.

4. My favorite summer food is fresh tomatoes and basil with salt, pepper and a drizzle of balsamic.

5. The best way to quench a summer thirst is with freshly brewed blackberry sage sun tea, or a frozen strawberry margarita.

6. My summer uniform consists of a lot of sundresses, running shorts and a tee when I'm lounging on the weekends, and as many bright colors and pretty patterns as I can incorporate into my wardrobe.

7. The best thing about summer is how long the days are. The extra hours of daylight encourage outdoor activity and fill the evenings with endless possibilities.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Lauren's blanking all about summer vacations today, so feel free to link up! I mean, come on, who doesn't love talking about summer vacas?

1. This weekend I'm planning on doing some cleaning and reading, picking my Mom up from the airport, visiting Corey and baby Landon (!!), possibly going for a hike and hitting up the Taste of Fort Collins, and I'm looking forward to it!

2. My last vacation was the most amazing trip of a lifetime to Australia. I'm dying to go back (but you all know that already).

3. My next vacation will be a long weekend in Boston, hopefully.

4. My favorite way to relax is with a long walk followed by reading with a glass of wine.

5. When vacationing one should always relax and have fun. I'm big on planning things out, but I have to agree with Lauren: a little spontaneity is important! You should always take pictures, too...there is nothing wrong with a little documentation.

6. When vacationing one should never pick fights, nor turn down a really good opportunity; you'll probably regret it later.

7. The best part about a vacation is travel. Stay-cations are lovely, but having the opportunity to get away from it all for a little while is a fabulous thing. Whether you're off to a new destination or an oft-frequented one, there are always new adventures to be had.

Fill in the blank Friday

Happy Friday, lovelies!!
I cannot believe it has been 2 weeks since I last participated in Lauren's Friday blanks. It sure does feel good to play along again.

1. Winter is beautiful in its own way. It can be cold and bleak, but I love seeing the sunshine through the bare tree branches and enjoying the serenity of freshly fallen snow. Winter encourages cuddling, hot coffee and tea, blankets and reading...nothing wrong with that!

2. Summer is usually too hot for me. I love that Summer makes me feel young and alive, but I really hate being hot.

3. If it were summer instead of winter right now I'd probably be wishing I were reading out by the pool or playing at the park instead of sitting at my desk. I'd also be plotting my weekend Farmer's Market trip!

4. My favorite thing to do in winter is brew a pot of tea, throw on my sweats and cozy up on the couch with a book or a movie. Meeting a friend for a glass of red wine on a chilly evening after work is fabulous, too.

5. My favorite thing to do in summer is read by the pool, go for long walks in the evening and drink margaritas on the patio with my girlfriends!

6. The ideal outfit for a sunny summer day is a sundress, flip-flops and sunglasses.

7. The ideal outfit for a frigid winter day is jeans, boots, a cami and a warm, cozy cardigan.

Hiking Bobcat Ridge

Oh, what a lovely weekend! I was in absolute desperate need of sleep and some serious "Erin time", and luckily got both. I spent all of last week sleepwalking my way through some mental hang-ups rather than actually sleeping, so come Friday I was a wreck. I was past the point of exhaustion and pretty much on the verge of tears all day long. I also put in some extra hours at work last week because my inbox is over-flowing! It felt good to do so, but it only added to my stress levels.

Chatting with Jamie on Friday served its purpose and transformed me from a scary, on the edge, sleepwalking thing back into Erin. 'Twas a grand thing! I was able to go for a long walk, drink some tea and get 10 hours of much-needed sleep Friday night. Saturday and Sunday were both spent playing catch-up. I had errands to run, an apartment to clean and things to do. I saw a lot of my parents, which is always a lovely thing in my book, and even had a little social movie outing (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was quite good! Quirky, but good). But really, the focus of this weekend was my sanity. That sounds odd to say, but if anyone had witnessed the state I was in at the end of the week, my statement would make perfect sense. Thankfully, I had just the weekend that I needed and I'm back to sleeping well (despite one minor sleepwalking incident last night) and feeling like my "normal" self!

I think the highlight of my weekend was actually my Sunday morning hike with Mom. She is, by far, my favorite person to hike with and we had a great time. We went to Bobcat Ridge (where I had a near panic attack inducing encounter with a snake last year) and just hiked our little hearts out. We chatted, I took pictures and we both took in Colorado's lovely scenery. There were hardly any other people on the trails, but we did see several horseback riders out, which is always fun. The weather was perfect for a hike and it was a great way to start off the day!

I hope everyone else had lovely weekends!

This is my Colorado

I had a very quiet, low-key, slightly hermit-like weekend, but I did get out for a gorgeous hike with my good friend Chelsae on Saturday morning. Hiking is one of my favorite things to do, and while I am more than happy to set out on a solo hike, it's nice to have a friend to enjoy the scenery with.

Devil's Backbone Open Space is one of my favorite places around here for a nice, quick hike. It's less than 30 minutes away from my apartment, far enough removed from the city of Loveland to feel like you're truly out in nature and it's free! Plus, it's truly gorgeous and you can make it as difficult or easy of an adventure as you want.

I picked Chels up early and off we went! It was grey and overcast when we started out, which was actually nice because it kept the temperature down, but as we hiked the sun started to peak its way out from behind the clouds and by the time we reached our turn-around point we were both hot and sweaty (signs of a good hike if you ask me). The sky was the bluest of blues, the rock formations jutting out from the ground were a lovely reddish-organge and a faint breeze kept the grasses rustling throughout the morning. We didn't have any encounters with snakes or creepy crawlers, which rates as fabulous in my book, and Chelsae indulged me by not mocking my constant picture-taking. It was pretty quiet when we started our hike, but by the time we were heading back to the car, the place was lively with hiking families and mountain bikers.

We completed the morning by treating ourselves to a latte and then headed home to freshen up for the day. It was perfect!

(The Keyhole formation is my favorite!)

Lucile's Creole Cafe

Going out to breakfast is one of my favorite indulges. I've always loved going out for brekky, although I'm not quite sure why. It probably has something to do with excessive amounts of coffee and gorging myself on heavenly food to the point where I don't need to eat again until dessert that night...yea, I wasn't kidding when I called it an indulgence.

My favorite place in my town is called Lucile's Creole Cafe. It's housed in a small, old yellow home in Old Town and is always packed. If you have personal space issues, Lucile's might not be the palce for you; but, personally, I love the tight squeeze between tables, the mismatched linens, the noise of fellow eaters and the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. It's fun to be around so much life, especially when you're a morning person like me. Plus, it certainly doesn't hurt that the food is incredible! Everything has a cajun flare and I've yet to have a bad dish: eggs with potatoes and avocado; cheesy grits; the most to.die.for biscuits ever; caramel french toast; lightly fried eggplant with poached eggs and hollandaise; rainbow trout, anyone? And the list goes on and on...love! Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! And, did I mention the tasty, strong coffee and the spicy homemade tea? Oh yea!

The patio is packed in the summer, but nothing beats getting up early on a snowy morning, bundling up to meet friends at Lucile's and chatting over hot chai and plates piled with food while snowflakes gather on the trees surrounding the restaurant. It's obviously love.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Hooray! It's Friday!! I'm currently finishing up my final accrual and already making plans to head out early for some family and friends time...aka, I'm going to see Eclipse with my Mom and one of my dearest friends, Chelsae. :-)

In honor of the Holiday Weekend, Lauren at the little things we do... has chosen July 4th themed blanks; how very festive!

1. This weekend for The 4th of July I'll be going to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival to sweat my little heart out from booth to booth, eating at The Cherry Cricket (amazing, wishing Jamie was joining), sleeping-in, hopefully reading by the pool, maybe taking in some fireworks and BBQing with my parents and my favorite cousin who is in town for the week.

2. Fireworks are, like Lauren said, a bit overrated. They're fun, but my world doesn't feel incomplete if I go a year or two without seeing them.

3. Nothing says summer like freezer pops, laying out by the pool, BBQs, reading outside until the sun finally sets at 8:30 or 9:00, roadtrips, mojitos, driving with the music blasting the windows down, fun sunglasses, playing at the park with friends and heading to the mountains on the weekends.

4. My favorite summer memory is when my parents and I roadtripped back to Michigan when I was 11 or 12. We stopped at my Dad's childhood haunts, visited family, got along for the entire trip and spent an amazing day on Mackinac Island. Roadtrips with Jamie to and from Minnesota and Colorado also tops my favorite summer memories list.

5. My favorite thing about summer is being able to go for a walk after dinner and having the sun still shining.

6. Summer in a word is nostalgic.

7. If I could choose to have summer or winter year round I'd pick neither. I love the Summer sun, but I get waaay too hot; and as much as I truly do like Winter, I couldn't live in it year round. I'm a Fall kind of girl.

A bit of catching up

Things have been busy! Do you ever feel like you plan too much, even though, when you look at it on paper, it doesn't really seem like all that much? Yea, sometimes that's how I feel about my social life. I'm an only child who relishes in her alone time, right? Yet I can have entire months where I have something going on nearly everything single evening. WTF?! So, apparently I am actually a social butterfly who plans, plans and plans until one day she feels overwhelmed by too many people and activities, goes into cranky-bitch mode and then takes some much needed time for herself before starting the process all over again. Yep, that sounds like me!

All kidding aside, I really love doing things with my family and friends, and because I'm a planner, I do like seeing my calendar full of writing...but sometimes I need a break. And this past weekend served as such for me. It was my first weekend since finishing up my Accounting class (I got an surprise A!), the sun was shining, the weather was CO-gorgeous and my pool was open! So, naturally, I spent a lot of time reading by the pool, frying my poor little body to a crisp and lazing about with my coffee. It was wonderful. It felt like summer break and I felt like a student again. My love of reading has been renewed and I once again have a stockpile of books from the Library. Yes sir, feels like summer break to me.


This week has been busy, and I've had some frustrating encounters at work, so needless to say, I am once again ready for a break. A real break, not just a weekend. You know, like a vacation break. And, lucky for me, I get to hop on a plane to Baltimore tomorrow evening and soak up some Chesapeake Bay sun, gossip with my Baltimore Bestie, eat fresh seafood and just RELAX. Hooray for 3 day holiday weekends from work and accumulated comp time. Oh, and, I also get to see Sex and the City 2 with said bestie! She had just moved East when the first SATC came out and we've pouted ever since about not having been able to see it together, so now we're making up for lost time and planning a girl's evening complete with Sex and the City amazingness! I'm pretty sure this weekend will have to involve a cosmo (or two) at some point, don't you think?

Tonight it's dinner with my parents, painting my nails, maybe dragging my butt to the gym (becuase I will be gorging myself on stuffed sopapilla goodness) and hopefully doing a load of laundry. I'm working from home tomorrow in order to put my multi-tasking skills to good use, and then it's off to the airport!

Does anyone else have something fun planned for their Memorial Weekend?

ps- I cried during the LOST finale and am not 100% in love with how they ended it, but that's ok. Still, my Tuesdays seem a little sad and empty now.

pps- I officially have business cards at work...that's right, I'm legit now!