A New Year, A New Blog

Check it out here.

My dear friends Sara and Joe are getting hitched next summer and they let me design their save-the-date announcements. Here's the three finalists:



Psst... I can also do invites and holiday cards if you know anyone who's in the market for some custom stationary!

Because we show up places wearing the exact same outfit, without discussing it before hand. Because I can furrow my brow and roll my eyes and then burst into giggles when I look across the room and see that you are making the same faces. Because we can both eat red jello right out of the pan. Because our lives seem to run on a bizarre parallel, where we are faced with emotions that are simultaneously the same and completely different, but always real. Because when people find out we have the same last name they say, "of course, I thought you two were sisters." It's for all of these reasons that I shouldn't be surprised when I think all day about blogging about a certain movie that I've seen recently, and then look at your blog, and realize that you've blogged about just that movie. Of course. You would. Jules. This is getting ridiculous.Today at work we got to talking about Away We Go and how much I absolutely fell in love with every angle of this film. I was asked if I liked 500 Days as much.... and while I do have a soft spot in my heart for that movie as well (ahem, remember the chalkboard?? Not to mention Zooey's covetous bangs. Oh yeah and the company I was with when I saw it... that's not a shabby memory either), but rarely does a movie come along that I resonate with in my core like I did with this one. A movie that makes me feel safe in the knowledge that, and of course she said it first, everything will be okay. I find soulmates in Burt and Verona. In that deer-in-the-headlights moment. In the "i think i might be a fuck-up" moment. In the "i don't know what's coming next, but it's going to be something" moment. I find myself on the brink of something. What...I'm not sure. So here I sit. With baited breath. And anxious anticipation.

2009 New Year's Resolution No. 7 of 10

"Buy, wear, and pull off ankle boots."

Well, the "buy" part is taken care of...

My lovely and talented friend Tamara is having an art show next Friday! And what makes it even better is that the show is being held at the winery where my equally as lovely and talented roommate Deanna handcrafted the wine that we will all be enjoying. I got a sneak preview of the paintings last night... there's some real goods in this lot. I think it's going to be a good, make that great show. If you're in the area you should absolutely stop by.

I love this...

I might have a problem. I have an unreasonable love for thrift stores. I mean really unheard of. I think I could spend all day, several days a week, rifling through other people's discards. In fact this weekend I was even called a thrift store broker because by Friday I had already scoped out all of the good finds across town, so that come Saturday, when I had my thrifting clan with me, we could be extra efficient and capitalize on 50% off day. I know, I know, it's completely ridiculous...but I love it. And if I do say so myself, I've been scoring some incredible finds lately.Dee has recently started collecting old cookbooks, and I found this Julia Child book... check out that front cover, she's seriously about to massacre that food!

And her new collection looks quite lovely, on this new bar - the base is the old bathroom vanity from Dee's house before she renovated. Of all the things that got tossed out from the house I made her keep this - she thought I had really lost my mind, but I knew that it would come in handy at some point. Well this weekend I found a side table with this marble top, 50% off of course, and it is a perfect fit. So I cleaned up the vanity, stocked it with all of our booze, and now it might really be the cutest bar I've ever seen.

My bathroom has been a work in progress for a while - I was waiting for some inspiration. Well I found it when I saw this chalkboard headboard wall in 500 Days of Summer.

I've always liked chalkboard... there's something quirky and nostalgic about it... but ever since I watched the character in the movie draw new bedroom scenes on his wall, I've been swooning. So, as the creative wheels started turning, and since my love affair with this color scheme lives on, my bathroom started to take shape... and my I'm glad that it did. I can honestly say that this is the coolest bathroom I've ever had - and with the number of times that I've moved, believe me I've had a lot.

And possibly my favorite find from this weekend was this adorable chair - only four dollars! Of course I had to find a worthy fabric of gracing this seat - I think it's a good thing when the upholstery costs 3 times as much as the actual furniture (I realize, still not that much in this case, but it's the principle).
Tam came over for dinner on Monday night and we ate delicious pasta, drank lots of wine, and chatted for hours on the couch. We've been friends for seven years already - isn't that crazy? We got to talking about how much life has changed in seven years - makes me feel old. and happy.

sunday morning. coffee. banana muffins. mimosas. breakfast burritos. fresh fruit. dee. jules. sunshine. fall air. laughter. compassion. understanding. breath. goodness.

A Near Garden State Experience

Because sometimes you need to paint a wall blue.



And sometimes you feel a little bit Zach Braff.



And you have a near Garden State Experience.

Denver by Design

My friend, and coworker Ali's boyfriend, Brian was recently selected as a finalist in the Denver by Design competition being held at Mod Livin'. A competition to find the best modern design object, art or furniture created by a Colorado designer, Brian is one of 25 finalists and his Nudel Chair will be on display at the store for the month of August!

A panel of judges will select the ultimate winner, but a People's Choice Award is also up for grabs, and will be determined by online voting. Follow this link to see all of the designs and vote for your favorite: http://modlivin.com/voting/

In the spirit of impartial fairness, you're free to vote for whichever design you so choose... though we all know the nudel chair is the best...

Saturday Night on South Broadway...

You never know what you might find. And last Saturday you can imagine my surprise when we crossed paths with a marching band in the rain. Who would have guessed that during the Denver Underground Music Showcase, while local musicians were playing inside every bar and restaurant in the area, a street band could steal the show... and cause all of us to dance in the street.



I've been in a bit of funk this week. I think it's the weather. I love all the rain we've been having, but it's been too cold for me. I just hope we get an extra week of 80 degree weather in October to make up for this, it's really not fair to take a week of my summer sunshine away from me. But, tonight I went for a great run, and I have high aspirations of waking up for sunrise yoga tomorrow morning, before I meet up with Morgan! I'm so excited. We haven't seen each other since London, 3 years ago, and she's in town this weekend. I think I see antique shops in our very near future. Not quite Portobello Road, but it'll do.

A Little Bit of Perspective

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I couldn't help it. I was up late watching the sky flash bright colors in this stormy Colorado summer we've been having. I couldn't decide on an outfit that I felt like wearing to work, so I settled on rolled up jeans, flip flops, a tank top and scarf (only in boulder is this suitable office attire), threw my hair up in a pony tail (not even taking the time to straighten my bangs, so my already uneven fringe was sticking out in every-which-way), and started to trudge out the door. Luckily Dee had told me that today was secret "free pastry" day at Starbucks (apparently a nationwide campaign isn't so secret, but I pretended I was part of an elite group trusted with this information), and I thought that, of anything, could turn my morning around. I waited patiently in line, thinking about the upcoming work day, yawning several times, deciding whether a case of the Tuesdays was a viable illness to call in sick. I ordered my Americano and made my way over to the waiting zone by the barista. The man making my drink tried to stike up a little friendly conversation with me, and in his teetering-on-cheesy-in-only-a-starbucks-manager-type voice said "you look incredible today! Do you have a job interview or something?" I shockingly looked down at my wrinkly outfit and rubbed my makeup free eyes, trying to figure out if I was supposed to laugh or cry, or say thank you. Then, I quietly heard the man sitting at the counter next to me utter under his breath "I wish I had a job interview today." And just then I noticed two other men sitting next to him at the bar chuckling and nodding their heads in agreement. And just like that, as the first sweet drops of caffeine entered my system, I shut my case of the Tuesdays out of my head, grabbed my free pastry, and headed off to my consistently-paying, music-playing, jeans-wearing office for another day of work.

This Week I...

• Officially kicked off the "Summer of Sangria"
• Had our first backyard party
  
• Started painting my new room
• Planted a garden
• Held my friend's baby
• Enjoyed a lovely champagne brunch
  
• Went on a walk
• Watched the Nuggets in the playoffs
• Sat on the porch
• Carpooled to work
• Posted my 100th blog post!
  

Quite possibly the best email I've ever received from a contractor -

"As Elvis Presley would say---Your WELcome."

I think something just froze over

Because when you're Clark and Janice, Tuesday is the day you just go out and buy a new car...for the first time since 1994.

And I'm In.

I've arrived. I'm pleased to announce that I am fully moved in, and nearly unpacked, in the cute stack of north denver bricks that I now call home. As I was pulling together boxes last week and packing up my house in lafayette it hit me how commonplace that act had become. And then I counted. In the matter of 18 months I have moved 4 times. Four times! What?! A friend commented earlier in the week that I had come full-circle now that I was back in Denver. While I have to admit that I am extremely excited to be back in the city, I don't feel at all that I have returned to the same place. It's been a journey over the past four years since I lived in Denver last. I'm a different person now. It's a different city. I'm excited to be exploring a new neighborhood, discovering new secrets, meeting new people.
Dee has been a welcome housemate, cooking up a storm, and pouring wine like it's water... I have a distinct feeling that I will gain several pounds while living here. Last night she had an all-out fry fest with homemade fish n' chips and french fries. It was a simple night - good friends sitting around the table for hours, but pretty great.

I just remembered how much I want to visit Belgium in the spring.

Have you met my friend Tamara? She's quite incredible, really. And, she's sporting a new look!

To celebrate her new digs she's giving away 2 of her lovely prints!

I've been counting down the days all week, and now, with just one more to go, I can hardly contain my excitement! On Friday Sean, Julie and I are hitting the road for a little impromptu escape to Moab. I'm charging up my camera batteries, creating Ipod playlists, dreaming about fantastic adventures ahead.

Hello, Spring? Are you near? I'm ready when you are.

Joslyn over at Simple Lovely just announced that she has landed her first opportunity to actually have her dream job (which is to be an interior designer). I'll admit it made it a little easier for me to get out of bed this morning and ready to go to work, knowing that my real job is someone else's dream job. While there are so many wonderful aspects of being employed in the creative industry, there is something strange about your creative passion becoming your source of income. As soon as something that was once your personal outlet becomes your job, it's like it has an evil twin who can suddenly and unexpectedly turn up and whisper mean things in your ear that makes your dream job feel so much like a...well, a job. Don't get me wrong, 99% of the time I love it. And I still find myself pausing every once in a while in awe of the fact that buildings get built because I imagined them in my head and drew it out on paper. And that I create spaces that interact with people and affect how they feel in their environment. Oh, and there's all the beautiful textiles and furniture and what-not to play around with; that's not so shabby either. And getting to watch people walk through a space that is there because you created it - oh my, that's priceless.
Joslyn put the question out there about what your dream job would be, if money and personal skill in that arena weren't an issue. My answer? A whole lot of part-time jobs that add up to a whole career where everyday would be different than the one before. One where I could utilize my creativity, and capitalize on the fact that I can never make up my mind on what I actually want to do when I grow up, and I have a different life plan and passion every day. So here it is, my dream job would be: hospitality designer for boutique hotels / photo stylist / residential designer for clients who love mid-century furniture, sustainable practices and repurposed materials / yoga instructor / textile and product designer with Tam, working out of our shared studio in an industrial downtown loft, or maybe an old garage on a quaint street where the bungalows have been turned into coffee shops / baker / wedding stylist / blogger / boutique owner. And since this is my dream job I would write into my contract that at any moment, without notice or repercussion, any of the above-mentioned jobs may be added to / dropped / put on hold for whatever else tickles my fancy at that given moment.