no friends on a powder day.

There is a saying here in Steamboat and I can only assume any ski town:

No friends on a powder day.

Or more simply put:  

Every man for themselves.

Hell no, I won't wait for you.  

I'm sorry, what was your name again?

It cracks me up how passionate people are about about snow here in Steamboat.  We have a group text going with about 10 people where we text about week night/weekend plans, Broncos game meeting spots and what time people are meeting for skiing etc.  This morning, the first text I saw when waking up was: No friends on a powder day. Basically telling everyone Heck yes we got 12 inches of snow and hell yes I'm going skiing solo on my own time, at my own pace and you can't hold me back!

I remember living in North Dakota and we would get monster snow storms and the town would hardly even blink.  Work never was called off, schools never got a snow day.  Then after moving to Denver...whenever we would get anything more than 3" people would freakkkkk outttttt.  I would always show up at work to an empty office because people were "snowed in".  Internally I would be going mad thinking - "I got here!  Why can't you?!"  I know I was just used to living in ND where I once had to physically hold my drivers side door closed while driving and navigating through 12" of snow on my way to work because the lock on my door was so frozen I couldn't get it closed.  Ha!  That's a pretty extreme example, I know.  All this to say that I'm thrilled to be living in a town that welcomes snow and thrives off huge snow storms again.

I had an acupuncture appointment this morning and there was a little Sorel Boots party at the front door.  Made me giggle!

summer / fall book report

It's been since April since I have blogged a book report, so there are quite a few to document!  I have two notes on my phone of book suggestions.  I bet I add to these lists at least once a week!  Between chatting about books with my girlfriends and my guests at the b+b, I get so many recommendations.  I love it!  Between those two lists and our Olsonfield Book Club, I have enough book suggestions to last me a year.  Also - after writing this point, I realized that I never really explain what the books are about which has never been on purpose but is probably because you can click the link to read a professional  and experienced writer explain the book to you.  I'll just tell you if I liked it or not.  heehee

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physical books read
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If I Stay + Where She Went // These are both YA books, and I gotta say...I loved them.  Ha!  #youngadultatheart  They were a perfect mix of quick reads + chick flick books.  I enjoyed Where She Went more than I enjoyed If I Stay but both of them really were great.  I ended up watching If I Stay as it's now a movie and I sincerely hope that they come out with a movie for Where She Went, too!

Room // Man oh man.  My friend Laura was telling me how she was finishing this book at lunch one day and that evening Mary sent me the movie trailer for it.  I took it as a sign that it was a must read.  This one was absolutely heartbreaking but yet I could not put it down at the same time.  I was trying to explain to a few friends the general idea of the book and they both said "WHY would you want to read a book like that?!"  I can totally understand where they are coming from but as difficult as it was to read knowing that this is very much a reality for many little kiddos.  It was also good and kind of necessary seeing a different perspective on the lives that are lived out there.

A Man Called Ove // Mary picked this one for our Olsonfield Book Club and I think we both agreed it was one of the most touching books we had read in a while!  It was so beautifully written with the slightest bit of an edge.  Hunter and I were driving to Nebraska when I finished this book and I was sobbing at the ending.  I remember putting the book down after I had finished it and looked out the window crying pretty hard and Hunter just softly says "So.....good book?"  Ha! Yeah.  Great book.

The One & Only // I downloaded this book shortly after my the accident - I needed an easy breezy book that I didn't have to pay too much attention to.  It was an mindless read which was just what I was looking for.  I do love me some Emily Griffin but it was just a little odd.  It was good, just kind of a plot twist of a young woman falling in love with her best friend's dad - you don't typically see that in too many books.  Ha!

Let the Great World Spin // Gah - such a great book.  This storyline has maybe 4-5 really solid plot lines with different characters and as the book evolves you get to see how each character is related and their lives intertwine with one another.  I read this on my Kindle and I highlighted at least a dozen different quotes from my book.  My favorite, and one that I think represents the book really well, is "Literature can remind us that not all life is already written down: there are still so many stories to be told."  

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audiobooks listened to
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The Happiness Project // This is the first audiobook I've listened to that I wish I had read versus listen to.  The author narrates the book, which unlike the next book on my list, it totally killed the vibe for me.  This book has so many great stories and reminders on how to live an authentic and truly happy life.  However, the author....well....her voice drove me absolutely crazy.  Ha!  I wouldn't mind purchasing this book to reread it and highlight my favorite parts.  I recommended this book to a friend here in Steamboat - she read it on her e-reader and really loved it.  I'll give it a second shot.

A House in the Sky // This might be one of my top 3 favorite books I've read in 2015.  Unlike The Happiness Project, Amanda the author narrates this book as well and absolutely kills it.  This book is filled with intensity, passion, fear, love, friendships, enemies and growth.  I will likely listen to this book a few more times because it really was that good.  I highly recommend this as an audiobook for anyone looking for a great read { or listen! }.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks // Another absolutely phenomenal book.  This book is filled with so much knowledge and history over health issues that are hugely prominent today.  The day that I had finished listening to this audiobook, I immediately started playing it again.  Hunter and I were on a long road trip and I wanted him to listen to it as I think he would really enjoy it as well.  We didn't get too far the 2nd time through { because we started listening to To Kill a Mockingbird } but with him working in the medical field, I really think he would enjoy listening to this book.

To Kill a Mockingbird // Oh, To Kill a Mockingbird!  A classic, obviously.  But one that I hadn't read { or did I ever even read it?!  I can't remember } since elementary school.  I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed reading { listening } to this.  I was absolutely hooked and took it with me on every afternoon run, cleaning shift and as I was falling asleep at night.  10 out of 10 for sure.

Go Set a Watchman // Ugh.  Go Set a Watchman.  Probably the biggest disappointment in book form that I had experienced in a while.  It wasn't terrible, but following up To Kill a Mockingbird - it was tough.  I know there is so much history and background on these two books and I certainly respect Harper Lee for her talent, but it didn't hold a flame to TKAM.  After finishing this book, I posted an update to my Facebook reading: "All right fellow bookworms - I just finished Go Set a Watchmen and want to hear your thoughts. My initial reaction after finishing the book is that Harper Lee happened to catch Scout on a nasty week of PMS. I want to hear what you think!"  Have you read this?  I'm so curious to hear other's opinions on the book.

Brain on Fire // I was so enthralled in this book for a solid 3/4ths of it - but then the plot took a turn and I 100% hit a wall where I couldn't have cared less how the book ended.  I was disappointed but still respected the story and this woman's experience.

Who Do You Love // Jennifer Weiner is another favorite chick flick author of mine.  I was traveling to Minneapolis for a good friend's wedding and needed an easy ready to listen to on the plane, light-rail etc.  It was good!, but took a little longer than normal to gain momentum.  Loved the way it ended and I was really thankful to have this book with my on my Minnesota trip! 

Walk Two Moons // I just downloaded this book on Audible but have yet to start it.  I'll let you know what I think of it once I start it, though!

the sweet season :: broken down v.6

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 making :: i'm going to spend some time today making christmas ornaments to gift this year!

cooking :: quinoa pizza crust pizza - i've made this twice in the past three weeks and i just love the ease of making it and how tasty it is.  i have more quinoa soaking as we speak for dinner tonight!

drinking :: coffee coffee coffee.  we recently bought a new french press and really love it!  wee!

reading :: as the great world spins.  i had read appx 4 books within maybe a 2 week time frame about a month ago and slightly burned myself out.  i just recently picked this book back up again as it's part of our olsonfield book club and i really am enjoying it!

wanting :: oh man - this is a tough one.  wanting so much and so very little at the same time.  wanting to gain strength to power through confusing and painful moments while wanting to remember how sincerely grateful i am for this chapter in our lives.

looking :: forward to january!  we are in the middle of planning two separate trips with a really wonderful group of friends we've established in steamboat and i just know that both of them will be above and beyond fun.

wasting :: energy thinking about cuddashouldawudda.

learning :: my limits!  both mentally and physically.

wishing ::  a hot tub would show up in my bedroom, please and thank you.

enjoying :: the freedom to go soak in the hot springs at 10am.  there has been some adjustment since switching from my 9-5 to managing the b+b, but without question one great big huge bonus has been the flexibility to ski, soak or sleep at 10am on a thursday.  and i think that is pretty darn cool.

waiting :: for the pain to take a backseat before i go downstairs and start making dinner.

liking :: waking up to snowfall day after day.  i already have busted myself reminiscing about summer days spent in the sunshine and the green grass, but there is something truly beautiful and magical about waking up to the softest of snowfall.  

playing :: settlers of catan!  our good friends terese and koye introduced us to this game a few months ago and we are all shamelessly hooked.  it took a few rounds of playing for me to get the hang of a strategy but i've hit my stride!

wondering :: what the next 3, 6 and 12 months are going to look like.  it feels like that's the same answer i give for this one each time i write one of these posts - but i can't help it!  it's true.  i can often be found reflecting and daydreaming.  what can i say?!

loving :: our local thrift store in steamboat!  i have bought so many awesome home decorations at lift-up but recently they've been 
killing it in the christmas decoration department!  i want to take a trip there again today.  i just love it.

hoping :: for good news, positive vibes and progress made.

marveling :: at the bond of friendships near and far.

smelling :: for my birthday, my sweet friend terese gifted me a himalayan candle + lavender, rosewood, patchouli tea lights.  the scent of the tea lights and the glow from the candle is so relaxing for me.  i've been burning it more when i am feeling anxious and on edge lately and it really aids in calming me down.  i've got it burning right next to me right now!

wearing :: a really cozy bright orange sweater.  the same sweater i wore for our hilarious ski pass photos this year.

noticing :: how much i can relate to different aspects of the lively show podcast.  mary ida introduced me to this podcast and even though i've only listened to 2 episodes so far, i'm thoroughly enjoying how relatable they are.

knowing :: that everything is going to be ok.  that's something hunter say to me on the regular now when i find myself getting worked up over half a dozen different things.  it's such a simple phrase but such a powerfully true phrase that i repeat to myself in some of my more trying moments.

thinking :: it feels good to have this space to express the good, the bad and the ugly days.

feeling :: grateful throughout the chaos.

bookmarking :: different ideas to use in my christmas gift wrapping this year!

opening :: a new case of la croix - the obsession has swept the madfield house!

giggling :: at these two videos { one and two }.  i know, i know.  it's justin.  but something about these videos - guys, i'm a belieber.

needing :: r + r.
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sweet season post volume one and two and three and four and five

an accident.

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ac·ci·dent

ˈaksədənt/

noun

1. 1.

   an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
2. 2. an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause.

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I was in a car accident a little over a month ago.  The details aren't important - the who, what, where, when etc.  There weren't any alcohol, drugs, distracted driving, texting involved at all.  It was a simple left turn at a traffic light when there was a car coming straight towards us.  An honest mistake on our driver's end.  The oncoming car hit us on the passenger side of the car we were in at full speed and the car we were in was totaled.  I was sitting in the front passenger seat so I suffered quite a bit of impact.  It was a situation that happens thousand of times every single day.  Hundred of thousands of times, probably.  The crash could have been so much worse and that's something I remind myself of daily.  Yes, daily.  If the car that hit us was an SUV, if our air bags didn't go off, if a second car hit us or them right after the initial impact, if the car had hit my passenger door straight on, etc. we would have had a seriously different outcome.  The what if list is endless.  

Everyone walked away from the crash.  There was no blood shed from the 7 people who were involved in the accident.  That in and of itself is a miracle.  The thing is, I haven't been the same since this happened.  I am an now an incredibly cautious driver, almost to a fault, taking upwards of 10+ seconds to make a complete turn.  I am an even more skeptical and nervous passenger -  I over-think where in the car I should sit and what would happen if I picked the "wrong" seat.  At my first doctor's appointment for a check-up, I had a complete breakdown trying to explain to my nurse how the crash happened.  Worse than the mental aspect of it, my body is pretty beaten up.  I have constant back and neck pain from the whiplash that I suffered.  I can't go for a run, can't do a workout longer than 15 minutes (and that is even pushing it).  I can't ski.  Walking is painful.  Sitting is painful.  Laying down can even be painful.  Whenever we go for a bite to eat or to grab a drink, I have to visualize where we are going and what their seating looks like.  Do they have wooden seats?  Any cushion on their chairs?  Can we get a booth so I can sit on the cushion part of it?  I have basically have a heating pad glued to my neck and back.  I spend a lot of the day in a state of anxiety.  I truly am so sick of thinking about it.  I'm so sick of talking about it with friends and family.  I want this to be a complete non-issue in my life.  But the irony of it all is I get really anxious when I'm talking with people who don't know about the accident.  Hello!  I'm in a ton of pain over here.  Why can't you tell.  Why aren't you doing anything to help ease my pain?!  It's a complete mind fuck.  I have been going to a physical therapist but at my last appointment he finally said "I'm worried that you aren't getting any better."  It was actually a relief to hear that from him because I was worried I wasn't getting any better.  Hunter was even worried I am not getting any better.  My PT's lightest touch on my neck and back would not only have me wincing in pain but would leave me sore for 24+ hours following my appointment.  

I had about a week's worth of progress last week.  I was feeling really confident and very thankful for some relief from the constant pain.  I got cocky and upped my daily activity.  I went to the gym for 15 minutes on the elliptical 3 days in a row, two of those days even doing 15 minutes walking on the treadmill and then worked two days on my feet for 4 hours at Elevated Olive (my part time gig) and by Friday afternoon I was in tears from the pain and completely sick to my stomach.  This weekend has been challenging because I feel like I took two baby steps forward and a giant leap back.  I scheduled another doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon and have booked an appointment at different PT clinic in town so I know I'm doing everything that I should be doing, it's just beyond frustrating.  I feel so lazy and sick spending hour after hour on the couch with the heating pad, but truly that is the best thing that I can do for myself right now.  Ugh.

I feel so terrible for my friend who was driving the car.  She never intended for any of this to happen - we were on our way to a really great brunch when *bam*.  This situation defines the word accident; an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damange or injury.  Yup - that sums it up.  There was one other person in our car who also was injured and seems to be healing, thank goodness.  Like I said, it could have been so much worse, but this is still a pretty shitty and completely unexpected situation to be in.  

I am forever grateful for Hunter and his patience, his nurturing ways and his extra help around the house lately.  My friends have been so helpful with dropping off dinners/coffee to the house and in general keeping my spirits high.  One of the lovely women who cleans for me at the b+b recently gave Hunter and I free admission to Strawberry Park Hot Springs and a free ride there and back.  I was so humbled by her thoughtfulness knowing at an hour and half soaking in hot springs would be such a great relief for my aches.  I have never been good at asking for help so this situation is certainly humbling and has been a learning experience  I've also been spending time at our gym downtown Steamboat soaking in their hot springs as well.  I am thankful that I have a flexible work schedule right now that allows for me to spend some very needed time in the mornings or afternoons soaking.  I never take those trips for granted.  

Who knows what the future holds, but I hope, wish and pray for answers and some lasting relief.  Only time will tell.

I've said it before but writing things like this out is such a positive outlet for me.  I'm sorry if this post seems whiney but I just needed to get all my thoughts out in one place.

good morning!

Well - it's morning for me.  I have a kale packed smoothing racing through my veins and motivation to hit the ground running today.  I've got a morning trip to the gym then to the DMV and some volunteering with the Arts Council planned for today, followed by a much anticipated PT appointment later this afternoon.

What are you all doing today?!

Check out this amazing photo I took last week on my final descent into Steamboat.  Isn't it spectacular?  I feel so lucky to live where we live.

Have a really superfantastic Tuesday, friends!

whoopz.

You know it's been ages since I've blogged when my computer history doesn't even pull up my blog URL.  *gulp*

It's time to get back into the groove of things.  Things, being blog type things of course.  July to November is simply far too long to go without barfing my thoughts, feelings and photos on to the interweb!  It'll be a gradual process to get me back into weekly blogging, but I'm excited to get there again.

For now - enjoy my favorite photo of Hunter and I taken this past June.

Ahh - summer.  You were a good one.

blink.

Well.  May, June, July you sly little bastards.  You sure snuck in and out without so much as a hello or goodbye!  It's been a while, ol' blog.  Here's a quick { yeah, right.  lengthy } recap of what's been going on in my little neck of the woods!

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I've been baking.  A lot.  This is new territory for me.  I can throw together a Thanksgiving dinner for 13 and barely break a sweat, but ask me to bake muffins / a cake / cupcakes and I tend to spiral out of control.  The thing about running a bed and breakfast is...people expect { rightfully so! } freshly baked goods.  I'm too frugal to go out and buy pre-made muffins / scones / sweet bread every week, so it leaves me with one option, and one option only.  Baking these baked goods myself.  Thankfully I was at my parents house a few weeks back and I was able to get several recipes that my mom made all throughout our childhood.  This has helped me get over my fear of baking because I know what they are supposed to taste / look like so I have a pretty good idea if I'm navigating through the recipe okay.  Scones though?  Uncharted territory for me.  But I loved making them!  I am working on perfecting my bagel forming technique, which you won't find us Madfields upset about.  I've made 3 batches of bagels in 7 days  { enter oinking noises here }, though many of those bagels were used for breakfast sandwiches and served to our guests so technically we haven't ate three batches of bagels.  Technically.

I've been going to LiftUp.  A lot.  LiftUp is our main thrift store in Steamboat and I was afraid of it for the first 12 months I lived here.  Why was I afraid of it?  I'll be frank.  It's a smaller building with tight congested corners and to be honest, more often than not smelled like a giant fart.  However - a few months back I needed to find a few little things for the b&b and refused to pay inflated Steamboat prices in buying these items new, so I took a stroll through LiftUp and hit the jackpot!  I've continued hitting the jackpot week after week since then.  The way I justify this { mostly } weekly visit is that seeing how we've just moved, I will find one or two things I want to get out of the house and donate and oh ok while I'm here dropping these things off I suppose I'll take a stroll through the retail side.  It's ridiculous justifying spending $25 on several boxes of items { they often have 50% off all item specials } because it's been a really fantastic way of filling up our new unfurnished home, which is more than double the size of our last furnished home btw, on a budget.  The second to last time I went, the cashier said "Oh my.  Well don't you have quite an eclectic group of items?"  I wasn't too sure how to respond to that comment, so I just didn't say anything at all.  For being a small establishment, I really have been finding some fantastic finds that add the perfect touch of decor to our home.

I've been drinking iced coffee.  A lot.  What is my method for brewing iced coffee you ask?  It's quite scientific, actually.  I simply bring home the leftover pot of coffee from the bed and breakfast most mornings and pour what is left in the glass pitcher in our fridge that has been designated our iced coffee pitcher.  Sometimes it's with a little cream and sugar.  Sometimes with some Kahlua but mostly just straight coffee and ice.  I chuckle now at Beth 8 months ago who would toy with the idea of giving up coffee and/or having just one cup of coffee each day because Beth now essentially drinks bottomless coffee on the mornings that she works the breakfast shift.  Cooking breakfast for groups morning after morning, I knew it would be easy getting into the routine of making just a little extra frittata or baked french toast to reserve for myself...but I also knew it would add { haha - when I first typed that I accidentally typed ass.  Quite fitting. } up quickly and I would have to kiss my jean size goodbye.  I've gotten into the good habit of just snacking on the fruit if I'm hungry in the AM's, then eating a more balanced and healthy breakfast once I get home.  But coffee?  All bets are off.  There are some mornings where I'll admit to drinking half a pot of coffee before the guests even get out of bed.  Soon I will work to correct that habit, but it's really the furthest thing from my mind right meow.

I've been eating watermelon!  A loooooot!  As in averaging buying one watermelon a week....and Hunter doesn't snack on it nearly as much as I do.  I can't even help it though - I feel like City Market's watermelon's are especially good and juicy + sweet this year and I won't even apologize for it.  When we lived in Washington, fresh watermelon juice with lime was my go-to afternoon drink.  I continue buying watermelon and limes with the intention of making that juice again but sadly both ingredients don't last in our house long enough to hit the juicer.

Mixing our own night caps.  A lot! { hence the limes disappearing before it's time to make juice }....well not a lot because it is quite rare that there are a lot of evenings where Hunter isn't on call or I don't have to wake up at 6am the following morning.  But I declared the summer of 2015 as the Summer of the Night Cap.  We are such beer + wine drinkers that it's really all we've ever kept in our house.  When we moved into our new place we had the perfect spot for a little bar, except the only liquor we had to put on the bar was a nearly empty small bottle of Absolute Vodka and Sailor Jerry's from when I made homemade spiked apple cider last winter.  To remedy this "problem", we made a few trips to the liquor store to stock up on various liquors and have been having fun coming up with different night cap drink recipes.  We typically bring the dranks upstairs to the bedroom and just sit with the windows open and fan on high chatting about our days and the week ahead.  It's a new routine for us and I'm totally loving it.  We've been making Manhattans { and have seriously stepped up our game per Hunter's suggestion on what we use for Manhattans.  I'd been doing it the poor girl way of using Bullet Bourbon with a little maraschino cherry juice, but now we have bitters and vermouth and I will admit they taste far more authentic. }, White Russians, G+T's, mojitos { with the massive amount of fresh mint we grow at the b&b }, vodka sodas - the list goes on!

I've been making lists!  A lot.  Holy heavens, so many lists.  It feels like there are endless things to keep tabs on lately, all b&b related, between schedules, both cleaning and breakfast, menu planning, grocery lists, to do lists, guest check ins/outs, social media lists etc.  My life is one big piece of paper right now and secretly?  I love it.  I've always loved running errands and grocery shopping, which sounds strange when I type it out, but I really do.  I tried a system of list making on my phone to save paper, but I couldn't keep everything straight so I'm finally using up some notebooks I've had for a few years.  I feel like I have a good system down, so we'll see how long that lasts. ;)  A lot of my lists look the same seeing how I do a lot of the same things every day - but if it isn't on that to-do list, it won't get done.  Ha!

Watering our gardennnn!  A lot!  But maybe not as often as I should.  Our landlord's son built us a garden and we've had so very much with planting and watching our little babies grow.  I've come to terms with the fact that I am that person who sits outside with her cup of coffee talking to her plants.  It is so fulfilling watching those little seeds sprout and form plants!  I remember being thrilled beyond belief when not only did our greens come up, bit I could see the shape of kale leaves take place.  Gah.  Proud parents right here!

We've been la-a-a-oving our new house!  We had our eye on renting this house for a few months before we knew it would be available { our good friends live right across the street and gave us the tip to stalk the landlord to keep tabs on when his renter was moving out. }  { Ok, they didn't tell us/me to stalk the landlord necessarily - that was something I decided on all on my own.  But we are here!  Moved in!  Loving life!  So it all worked out.  heeheehee. #stalkerrenter } and the timeline of moving out of our last place and moving into this place worked out pretty perfectly.  It's a really lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in old town Steamboat with a great yard, right across the street from a park with access to mountain bike trails which anyone who knows Hunter knows he HATES the quick access to mtn biking { wink }.  It's only about 5 blocks from the b&b so the mornings when I don't have a strata/waffle mix etc to bring to work with me, I'm able to bike to work!  The size of our house is perfect for what we need - spacious with room for guests (YAY!) with the added bonus of actual privacy when there are more people than just Hunter and I in the house.  In our last house, there was just a sheer curtain separating our room from the kitchen/living room.  Which was charming, for sure - but got a little old.  In this house we have room to spread out if, let's say, one of us wants to take a nap, and the other one wants to catch up on watching Teen Mom 2 online while indulging in the last bit of last night's ice cream.  I MEAN THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE.  Yeah, an "example".  ;)

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I feel like I could go on and on { shocking }, but the moral of the story is that life is good right now.  Really good.  I have an amazing circle of friends, both in Steamboat and my long-distance besties.  I have my mom, dad and sister only a 3 hour drive away now that they moved to Denver about 2 months ago.  I have a loving, handsome, driven and supportive boyfriend.  I have a job that challenges me and allows me so very much creative freedom.

 

Rollin' with my homies // pt. 2

Continuing with life lately!:

I was a little bummed to spend Easter alone this year as it has always been my most favorite holiday.  Hunter was on a 2 week work trip to Arizona and most of the people I know in Steamboat were out of town!  After morning mass, I putzed around the house and ultimately ended up organizing my craft supplies.  This might not sound especially fun to most but my craft supplies had been in dire need or organizing ever since I moved out of my Cap Hill apartment almost 3 years ago!  I'd been itchy to sort through it all and was pleasantly surprised at how many supplies I had that I'd completely forgotten about!  I also had so much fun putting together Easter baskets earlier in the week for our niece and nephew and included some homemade bunny puppets!  

We thoroughly enjoyed our day Grand Junction trip that I talked about a little here so I won't bore you with it again.

One Saturday morning a few weeks ago, my girlfriend Audrey and I went to Beer and Yoga at Storm Peak Brewery!  They have been hosting this event for several months now but I was always working on the weekends and could never make it.  They move around some tables and barstools inside the brewery to fit everyone + our yoga mats. A local instructor taught the class and it was so enjoyable not to mention a unique venue for a yoga class!  Afterwards, you get a beer to enjoy with your fellow yogis.  That evening, we celebrated our beautiful friend Krisin's birthday!  These two women are incredibly dear friends of mine here in the Boat.  When we get together, there is always a bottle of champagne popped, a crazy amount of laughs and a decent amount of emotional tears.  We can and have talked for hours on end about struggles, celebrations and fears.  These two are so valuable to me!  That evening, we went to Splatz, which is a local wine + painting class.  I have been to too many enjoyable { and drunk heehee! } classes at Canvas and Cocktails in Denver and my expectations were set quite high.  The company was perfection while the scene left a little to be desired.  Lets leave it at that. ; >

Our nephew Charlie turned 5 the end of April!  Hunter was out of town for work but I went up to Wyoming with Hunter's dad for the celebrations.  I remember when we were living in Washington and feeling so broken and sad that we were missing out of the kiddos birthdays, so it meant so much to me to get to do a day trip up to Wyoming and hang out with the family.  The kiddos kisses and hugs are more valuable than therapy for me!  It was a great weekend.  We quickly stopped off at a new { to me! } brewery, Coal Creek Tap, before the party { yes, before.  Did I mention there were 14 five year olds at the party?!  We needed to prepare. } and I was beyond impressed with the decor, selection of brews and the beer itself!  I am really paranoid about putting photos of other people's children on my blog and on the internet, but trust me when I say these two wiggle worms are as cute as they get!  

Rollin' with my homies.

I found myself scrolling through my phone photos recently and I realized how much I've been up to lately and how little of that has made it to my blog!  It's been over a month since I left my job at the newspaper.  For some hilarious reason I thought once I was done with my desk job that I would have sooo much time on my hands.  Ha!  Life hasn't slowed down one bit - in fact I feel like it's gotten a little more hectic.  We are still in our very slow season at the b&b, but I've been keeping myself busy with small improvements around the lodge and working with my very patient and knowledgeable boyfriend on some small advertising we can do together.  But!  Here are a few things that have been keeping me busy during the past month+.

My sweetest, most hilarious and insulting { in the best way! } friends Steven and Todd came up to Steamboat on the Friday that was my last day of the newspaper.  They were the ideal distraction that I needed that weekend.  Hunter was out of town for work and their nonsense kept my mind occupied from any OMGwhatdidIjustdo thoughts that could have snuck into my mind.  We spent some time dining out, some time dranking with my SBS friends, some hiking but most of our time was spent with some serious rest and relaxation at home.  We laughed that when their friends would ask what they did in Steamboat, they would respond "We watched Mean Girls, sat in the sun and took lots of naps."  The boys assured me that they wouldn't have had it any other way.  These two are such dear and unexpected friends of mine...just go ahead and ask Steven how we met, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I'm so grateful for their friendship and them taking the time to visit me in Steamboat!

Steven and Todd left on a Sunday, I hosted a little girls night on that Monday, then Tuesday morning { after locking myself out of our house }, I took off for a solo night in Winter Park.  The weeks leading up to my leaving the newspaper, I had worked 19 days in a row.  Nineteen.  Looking back on it now, I'm not too sure how I had kept my sanity.  Keep in mind that many of those days I was working 2 jobs per day.  Somewhere in the middle of those 19 days I had had a minor freakout moment and went online and Hotwired myself a hotel room in Winter Park.  Just the thought of that hotel bed, with nothing to do and nowhere to be kept my sanity and motivation for the following weeks.  I took off to WP mid afternoon on Tuesday with a brand new audio book and a smile on my face.  After checking in to my hotel, I hit up 2 breweries and got some take out food that I brought back to the hotel and ate in bed while watching crap tv.  Indulgence at it's finest!  The next morning, I woke up on the early side and skied for a few hours hours.  I had only skied Winter Park once about 6 years prior, so it was fun to get reacquainted with the mountain again.

After leaving Winter Park, I headed to Denver!  My mom was flying in that Friday but I planned to get to Denver on Wednesday to spend some time with my nearest and dearest.  Though this trip happened over a month ago, I still get emotional thinking of how great a time I had that Wed + Thursday with some of my very best friends.  Jaime and Ryan so graciously let me stay at their beautiful home and made me feel more than welcome.  We had early morning coffee dates and late night gossip hours.  While they were at work, Jaime let me dive in to her nail polish collection, tea supply and fresh box of Door to Door Organics.  Our sweetest friend Lindy lives just 6 doors away from Jaime and Ryan, so I walked over one afternoon for coffee to catch up with Lindy.  I also got to smooch on her delicious youngest son Wade!  Thursday afternoon I made time for a run through Wash Park.  I love so many things about Steamboat but man alive, do I miss the parks in Denver.  I have memory after memory at Wash Park, Cheeseman Park, City Park, Confluence Park etc.  I didn't even need music to keep me occupied during my run because for 30 minutes I did nothing but reminisce about my time spent at that park.  Picnics with friends, runs with friends, runs with exs,  long Wash Park runs to get over breakups with exs, tennis dates with Mary the first month we both lived in Denver, Hunter taking me to WP to get acquainted with a mountain bike for the very first time, attending a funeral at the park, breaking up with a boyfriend at the park, afternoons spent solo reading under my favorite tree at the park...the memories were flowing for sure.  It was an incredibly nourishing afternoon.  After my run I treated myself to lunch at Native Foods.  Yeah, you don't have to ask this part-time vegan twice what her new favorite vegan restaurant in Denver is!  Thursday evening, Jaime and Ryan were kind enough to host a dinner with Lindy and her husband and our sweet friend Ashley and her boyfriend.  We had such a great time!  We FaceTimed with Mary to make sure she knew how much she was missed across the miles.  I know it must be obnoxious to have me post again and again how much I love these women, but our friendship, our bond and our time spent together is utterly priceless to me.  I feel blessed beyond words to have their influences in my life.

Friday my mom flew into town!  We rented a hotel in Westmister and had a hefty list of chores to accomplish with her time spent in Denver.  Mom flew in early Friday morning and per tradition our first stop after picking her up from the airport was at Ink! for coffee and bagels.  We accomplished equal parts play and work throughout the weekend with enough downtime in between.  One of our favorite parts was stumbling into School House Kitchen and Libations in Arvada.  Mom and I both let our hunger { and thirst :}  get the best of us and once made our way to bar we took a moment to feast our eye on what we had stumbled upon.  From what I can gather, it is an old school turned bar/restaurant.  The bar portion is in the old gymnasium and they did such a great job with converting the space but keeping the integrity of what it once was.  After our time spent there, we had a few more errands to run before calling it a day and picking up wine + cheese + crackers + veggies and collapsing into bed with our favorite Friday night TLC shows.  Saturday we had errand upon errand upon errand to run but managed to sneak in some time with my aunt + uncle, my mom's sister + brother for lunch, a little afternoon shopping and an evening spent at Phil and Sara's house sharing some wine and getting to know their neck of the woods.  Phil and Sara were so sweet to have my mom and I over { we thanked them with a bottle of wine! } to pick their brains about a few different things.  It was either the exhaustion that had set in, or Phil and Sara are really that sweet and fun to hang out with, but I feel like mom and I could have spent all evening at their house chatting over wine.  Phil is originally from CA, so it was fun listening to him and my mom talk their CA slang.  Plus, I loved getting an insider peek at a few details for their upcoming wedding.  Eeekk!  Sunday, Mom and I went to morning mass, grabbed a bite to eat, ran more errands and ended the night...you guessed it - in bed with cards + TLC + Food Network.  She { sadly!! } flew out on Monday morning but I felt too full of memories and love from the weekend to feel too bummed about her leaving.

I've had a few more adventures since leaving the newspaper - but I think I'll end this blog post with the stories above.  It's so exciting, a little nerve wracking but mostly exhilarating to think of what sort of things will fill my days and weeks now that I'm not tied to a Monday-Friday, 8a-5p desk job.   

April Book Report

I've been in another of my book worm phases for the past month or so.  Book worm phase = reading whatever I can get my hands on, whenever.  I have been spending a lot of my time painting which lends itself to audio books and the last week+ I've been in the car a lot which provided plenty of reading time.  The evenings I have been at home, I'm finding myself crawling into bed at 8pm { judge if you  must! } to dig into my books.  Here's what I read in March!

All the Light we Cannot See // This was a good book for me, but it wasn't great.  I posted a photo of this book on Instagram when I first started reading it and received a ton of positive feedback on how everyone absolutely loved it.  I think after hearing all of that, I set my expectations too high for the book.  It was a really well written book that really flowed.  A few sections were really long and drug out out for me, though.  I loved the final few chapters and just wished the author had gotten to that spot in the storyline quicker.  I started reading this book on my Kindle but eventually bought it off Audible and listened to the last half of the book.

Girl on the Train // Eh.  I wrote about this book a little in a previous post, but I was pretty disappointed.  The author did do something right, because I was hooked and could not put the book down until the mystery in the book was solved.  But once it was solved, I was disappointed and realized how dark of a book it was.  It made me want to read Chicken Soup for the Soul and get fill my reading moments with uplifting and positive stories rather those of murder and violence.

Me Before You // Man oh man, I loved this book.  I had seen a few bloggers post about it and when I asked my trusted book source Mary on if she's read it { of course she had } and what she thought of it { a simple: "Heartbreaking!  But so good!" } I was sold.  This was another one I listened to on Audible while painting and I was completely hooked.  I would also listen to it at the gym, while I was out for a run, or stick my phone in my bra and listen to it in the car while running errands around town.  She has a variety of other books she's written and I would love to read more of her books.

The Story Hour // This was Audible's Daily Deal one morning and I caved & bought it.  I had about 2 days of painting left on a particular room that I was working on and needed something more than a podcast { that would interrupt my painting to get up and change every 40 minutes }.  It wasn't the storyline I had anticipated, but I did really enjoy this read { or listen! }.  The storyline wasn't necessarily relatable but parts of the book that the women were going through really spoke to me.  I enjoyed this!

At the Bottom of Everything //  I share a Kindle account with Hunter's dad and it works out so well to get a variety of books into my life.  This was one that he had picked out and I started reading it at the beginning of a long weekend on the road.  It took me a few tries to get hooked on the storyline but once I did the book was captivating to me.  I think I highlighted sections in this book more than any I'd ever read.  It was an open, honest and raw story of tragedy, friendship, bonds of family and diversity.  Loved, loved this book.

Cover of Snow // This is another book that Hunter's dad had added to the Kindle account that I started reading without any idea of what the book was about.  It opened with a really dark explanation and visual of a woman waking up and finding her husband had committed suicide overnight { told'ya it was dark }.  The story is all about uncovering secrets of her husband's past she had never known and really finding answers to what caused him to take his own life.  Hunter and I were on a mini-vacation to Moab last week and I finished this book in appx 24 hours.  Yes, literally one day.  It was so good!

I've started Maze Runner, and I'm starting to listen to The Happiness Project on Audible and I'm struggling to finish Rushed on the Kindle.  I would love to hear if you've read anything good lately!  I'm riding out this Book Worm train as long as I possibly can.  Ha!

Will paint for food (and wine).

When I agreed to the task of repainting the entire interior of the bed and breakfast, I knew I was signing on to a huge task but I didn't really know.  It wasn't until I mentally set aside 3 days to complete one room + bedroom and it wasn't until a week & a half later that I actually completed painting the room that I realized...oh shit.  This is a huge project.  I'm not complaining because I did quit my job knowing that I would spend a month or so painting before the season really picked up.  But!  I'm allowed to complain when something you thought would take 3 days actually took 10.  

I've met a fantastic group of women here in town and for about 3 months now we've been getting together religiously once a week.  I was bitching talking to them about this all and my sweet friend Lauren offered 3 times to plan girls night at the Mariposa and we'd have a painting night.  I felt so horrible at the thought of making them work that I said no 2 times in a row.  Finally when she offered the third and final time something in me whispered Take the help you dumb-dumb.  

I took the help.  I fed them.  I got them good and wined up.  I gave them paintbrushes and set them free.  We had such a great night!

I am so thankful Lauren was pushy enough to offer up their evening to help a friend in need!

Ketchup!

Well hello there friends!  Let's play a little game of catch up, shall we?

My day to day looks so very much different than it did 4 weeks ago.  { Alex or Laura, if you ever read this blog I apologize for this next statement } It was so much easier for me to write + post blog posts when I had a few minutes of downtime Mon-Fri while working at my desk jobs.  I could keep a tab open and go back to it a few times throughout the day to add to the post and proof it before posting!  Now, I really only sit down to the computer is to send quick emails for the Mariposa and to read blog posts a few times a week.  I've certainly enjoyed not being glued to the computer 24/7 but of course that means this little ol' blog of mine has been neglected!  Whoopz.

I recently found Cookie + Kate which is my new favorite vegan + vegetarian Instagram account and blog!  I've made her soba noodle salad and hummus so far.  They've both tasted incredible and were easy to put together without intimidating ingredients or processes.  I want to make her west africian peanut soup later this week and her mango spring rolls maybe even this afternoon!

When Hunter and I lived in Bremerton, we had a green smoothie for breakfast and some sort of juice every afternoon, no questions asked.  Once we moved back to Colorado and both of us had one or two different jobs, our daily routine got so screwy.  Since leaving the newspaper, I have quite a bit more flexibility in my day which means setting aside time for daily smoothies and juices has been made a priority again!  Hunter has always been the smoothie lover, while I am the juice head.  Our smoothies have basically been either spinach or kale with frozen bananas, frozen fruit with some agave to sweeten it up.  I've been topping the green smoothies with chia seeds, hemp seeds and raw cacao nibs.  They have really been deeelicious!  Our juices vary but usually are carrots + apple/pear + ginger, beets + carrots + apples + ginger or celery + cucumber + kale + ginger + apple.  I've been adding more chia seeds to them because chia seeds cure all as far as I'm concerned!

It's been snowing pretty consistently since Thursday and even though I'm a little itchy for Summer, it's nice having a few days of cuddling up with tea + hot coffee again.  I know we'll be basking in blue skies and tulips soon enough, so this little snow storm hasn't phased me much.  Before this little bit of snow, we were lucky enough to have a few weeks straight of sunshine, green grass and sun-kissed afternoons.  I know we aren't too far away from having that weather here to stay!

We've been enjoying/suffering through mud season here in Steamboat for a few weeks now.  It's lovely because we finally can go to dinner without having to drive around for 10 minutes looking for a parking spot and can actually get a table at your favorite restaurant, but it's a little crummy when your job thrives off tourists and mud season leaves you twiddling your thumbs waiting for the phone to ring for a reservation!  Thankfully, I've been repainting the entire interior of the bed and breakfast, so I have been busy as a bee with that but I will be anxious to get some guests filling up those rooms again!

I really want to learn calligraphy.  Really, really want to.  That is all.

This past Monday, Hunter and I along with his entire family had plans to fly to Red Lodge for a two day, one night trip.  The morning of the flight, we had to have a change of plans due to weather.  Hunter and I were already up at the Steamboat airport with our bags packed, and did not want to have our 5:15am wake up call be entirely in vain.  We decided to fly to Grand Junction for the morning!  We had an absolutely stunning flight there - Hunter took the long way and we had quite the scenic flight.  He took us over the canyon where the Green River + Yampa River meet up.  It was incredibly breathtaking, though I'll admit flying in the canyon spooked me quite a bit!  After we landed in GJ, we took the crew car to grab breakfast and had hoped the trip would be a quick 2-3 hour trip. Welll, it turned into about a 6 hour trip due to some small (pretty big) plane malfunctions.  We were fortunate enough to be able to take the crew car out on the town again while the mechanics were working on the plane.  I was in the middle of reading Girl on the Train, so I didn't mind the slow and relaxed day one bit!  It was a really wonderful day of adventure with Hunter.  Trips like that with my love really make my world go round.

Speaking of Girl on the Train, did any of you read it?  What did you think?  I wanted to like it, I loved that it was a thriller and kept you reading more and more and more, but the plot line.  The plot line!  It reminded me so much of Gone Girl, which is another book I read within 48 hours.  At the after finishing of both of those books, I realized that I didn't really like either all too much.  Ha!  The plot line of both of them are rather grotesque and kinda foul.  I need to spend more time picking uplifting and inspiring rather than gruesome and foul murder stories.

Speaking of books!  Since painting the bed and breakfast, I've turned to audiobooks and podcasts to keep me company during my 6-8 hour long painting days.  I've so far listened to All the Light we Cannot See and I'm 80% of the way through Me Before You.  I've listened to probably a dozen This American Life podcasts.  I also want to dive into Undisclosed, Startup and The Moth podcasts.  I have 2 more bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a sitting area, a sunroom, the kitchen and potentially the living room + front entry left to paint so needless to say....I've got a lot of time on my hands for listening to books/podcasts!  Recommendations are welcomed and needed.

Did I mention on my blog that Hunter accepted a new job, too?  Hunter accepted a new job!  He's still working in the ER at the hospital here in Steamboat, but he is also working for Classic Air Ambulance as a flight for life nurse!  Say whaaaaat?!  I'm crazy stupid proud of him and how much work he's put into growing his career path.  As of right now, he's been working on the road almost as much as he's been working at home.  We are growing into our new routines day by day, week by week!

I've been working on social media for the bed and breakfast. Both the Instagram account and Facebook page aren't exactly where I want them to be with content quiteeee yet but they are getting there!  If you felt so inclined to follow our Instagram account and like our Facebook page, I would be so grateful!  Everything is a work in progress, right?  ; >

I could go on with more.  And on and on but I will hit pause on Ketchup for the time being.  I'm sure in the next few days more pointless facts will come to me and I'll feel compelled to post about here.  Plus, since I've sat down to write this post the snowfall has disappeared and the sun is peeking out!  It's about time to head out for a run and enjoy some fresh air.  Thanks for making it through this post....if you made it through the post that is.  ; >

Self belief.

Every New Years Eve/New Years Day that Hunter and I have been together { save for the first NYE we were together.  We were too busy taping pop culture to our foreheads and drinking bottle after bottle of champagne. } we write out our new years resolutions and close them up in a mason jar without showing the other person.  Then, the following New Years Eve/Day we open up the jar and read each other's goals for that year and talk about how we succeeded in these goals and applied them to our daily life.  It's one of my favorite things ever.  This year I wrote down two goals.  I won't tell you the main one, but the 2nd resolution written in small writing under my big one was "…and quit my day job."  I wrote it with the sole intention of putting it out in the universe and seeing where it would take me in the months ahead.  Never ever when I wrote it did I think it would manifest within 30 days of writing it down!  January proved to be a big month for me.  I was pursued by a local business here in town and received a job offer.  I was tempted to accept this position but there were too many "ehh, this isn't ideal" moments than there were "omg this would be so fun!" moments.   But, it lit the fire and finally motivated me to do something about my current work situation.  Which again, wasn't a bad situation.  It was just fine.  

Ahh, that lovely word.  Fine.  The biggest eye opener that I needed a change in my day to day pretty much boiled down to the word fine.  Day after day { afterdayafterday } when I would get home from the office, Hunter and I would have this exact same conversation

him: How was your day today?!

her: It was fine.

him: Just fine?

her: Yea…just fine.

After 5 days in a row of that - it gets pretty old.  I realize that not every day will be fireworks, or challenging, or omg today was greatgoodfantastic!, but I wanted it to be better than fine.  Good gravy for my sanity I needed it to be better than fine!  

So what is next?  This Friday, March 20th will be my last day working as a Multimedia AdRep with the Steamboat Pilot and Today.  Ahh!  I will have { some much needed } time off before I start my new gig.  The new gig being taking over as manager for a local bed and breakfast here in town!  I am giddy with excitement for the challenges and opportunity that lies ahead of me.  I'm looking forward to more flexibility in my days, the thrill that comes with being responsible for running a fully functioning business and the chance to express creativity in a whole brand new spankin' way.  

You guys, I'm so excited.

I have received such incredibly sweet comments on my departure from the newspaper and the most unexpected and heartfelt encouragement for this next chapter in my life.  I keep saying that I wasn't necessarily looking for a new job, this new job found me.  Which makes leaving my crazy kewl co-workers and clients that much more difficult.  But with every change that I've been through in the past 2.5 years since leaving my comfort zone of Denver, I have great confidence that these friendships and routines that I've built up over the past year+ will take on a whole new beautiful spin of their own. 

I had jotted the above quote down several weeks ago while watching a Perennial Plate video.  It was another one of those quotes and ahhh'ha! moments that hit me square in the face.  A moment that was heavy with encouragement and potential.