Life List.

Things I've been doing lately that haven't included blogging:

Forgot to blog.
Spent the week with my family in California.
Visited wineries.
Drank wine.
Laughed my arse off.
Tasted wine.
Helped my mom make an epic Thanksgiving meal.
Proceeded to eat leftovers for days after the holiday.
Realized I drank so much wine and indulged on so much food not just over the Thanksgiving holiday but since we've been back from Washington and decided to do my all vegan, no caffeine, no refined sugar and no alcohol cleanse until Christmas.
Contemplated if doing a cleanse during the holiday season is the most ingenius or stoopid thing I've done in a while.
Obsessed over reading the Divergent Series.
Ob. Sess. Ed.
Speaking of obsessive things; Cuties.  Hashtag Can't Stop Won't Stop.
Ignored each and every "Gift Guide" blog post that's popped up on my feed.
Averaged 9+ glasses of tea per day.
Basically glued my tacky Christmas slippers to my feet.
Watched as Hunter cringes seeing my tacky Christmas slippers are BACK IN ACTION.
Enjoyed Carrie Underwood's Sound of Music on NBC.
Promised to start blogging more regularly.

"Beth, I have to ask you..."

"...what piqued your interest about pickles so much that you drove 3 hours to take this pickling class?!"

I'll get to that question AND answer here in a hot minute.  But first I am happy to report that we had successful and safe travels and have been back in Colorado for a week now!  Well, Colorado/Wyoming/ColoradoWyoming but you know what I mean. It has been a really beautiful whirlwind of emotions seeing all these people we've been missing for months.  

When I saw on the calendar that Hunter's last day was just a few days before Jaime's 30th birthday, I just knew that we would be back for her celebrations.  Even before I knew what those celebrations were, before I had talked to her husband or sister about plans...I simply knew we would be in attendance.  Sure enough, Ryan had been scheming a surprise party for Jaime that we were able to crash!  We were faced with the decision of simply going to her birthday party, or SURPRISING HER AT HER SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY.  Even though it forced me to fib once or twice { or five+ times } on the weeks and days leading up to the party, it was absolutely worth it when Hunter and I walked out { of the bathroom - hello hilarious } to surprise the birthday girl.  She just stared at us completely speechless with her eyes very quickly filling up with tears.  It was such a fun moment!

Knowing that in the months you've been gone, you've changed in so many big and little ways and knowing your nearest and dearest have done the same was pretty intimidating to me.  Admittedly, I spent far too much time thinking/obsessing over this little detail and formed so many { too many } different situations in my mind.  I should have spent more time going over all the big and little things I love about the people I was about to see and reminding myself how resilient and beautiful friendship is.  Note to self for next time.  ;)

As I was walking into the wine bar where Jaime's party was held { we were having sliiiight car issues so Hunter worked out the problems while I made sure to get to the wine bar before the surprise } I saw Jaime's husband's brother and his wife walking into the restaurant just a few steps ahead of me.  Something about that moment calmed all of my ohmygoshi'mgoingtoseeallmyfriendsihaven'tseenin7monthswhatiftheydon'tlikemeanymore because seeing Luke and Krista walk in reminded me that these are my people.  It reminded me that behind those doors were a very large man's handful of people that I have hundreds if not thousands of memories with.  People that I love and who I know love me.  And sure enough, it was a beautiful evening.  It was so fun seeing all the people who came together to celebrate Jaime.  I loved seeing all our old friends, and meeting new { Hi, Sara!!! : } and picking up at the exact moment that we had left off.

After 7 months of pure longing to see your nearest and dearest, if you have even a seconds worth of opportunity to see those you haven't seen in anywhere from 2 weeks, to 7 months, to 12 months you just say yes.  You say yes to the plans and figure out the details later.  Even if those details require 13 hour driving days, setting the alarm for 5:30am several mornings in a row, driving 45mph alone through a twisty turny icy cannon while watching someone get pulled from the steep cliff and gripping your steering wheel as tightly as you possibly can.  We've been bouncing around quite a bit since getting back.  Denver, then Laramie the very next morning { Those Godkids of ours you guys.  Those cuddly, smiley and beautiful kids?  They own our hearts through and through. }, Steamboat the day after that then a quick drive through Ft Collins before landing in Denver for a few days.  On Tuesday, Hunter headed up to Snowy to get to work, and I drove from Steamboat to Ft Collins for a few hours, then to Denver.  My very sweet and dear friend Lesli, along with her husband Dustin opened up a beautiful spice and oil/vinegar shop, Crescendo!  They are constantly posting cooking classes that they offer on their Facebook page, and it was so painful to be in WA and watch all these fun classes come and go while being so far away.  When I saw they had a class October 15th, it was another moment of "I know I'm going.  I don't quite know how or where we'll be....but I'm going to this sumbitchin' pickling class come hell or high water!"  And sure enough, I made it { after that clenched steering wheel, icy twisty turny drive I referred to } and it was beyond enjoyable!  I worked with Lesli at my last job.  We both got out of corporate hell { no offense corporate job people reading this! } and really enjoyed sharing a few hugs, laughs and venting about how different that life was compared to what we are living right now.  She cracked me up when she looked at me mid class and says "Beth, I have to ask you.  What piqued your interest about pickles so much that you drove for 3 hours to take a pickling class?!"  I was a little embarrassed and gave her an answer of loving to cook, wanting to live a more self sustainable life blah blah.  Though that answer was part of the truth, the whole truth is what I spoke about above.  After missing these people, and these memories for so many months that when you have that opportunity to make a memory, you jump on it.  I am so proud of the leap Lesli and Dustin took and want to support them in any and every capacity I can!

So all in all, it's been really great being back.  It's been filled with little quirks like listening to the news and actually knowing the areas of the state and interstates they are talking about.  Laughing over 4+ old inside jokes brought up by old friends that you had completely forgotten about.  Pulling out your ID and not hearing "Oh gosh, ok Colorado, ColoradoColoradooooo.  Where is your DOB, whereeeisssyourrrrDOBBBB OH OK THERE IT IS." meanwhile all the ice has melted in your adult beverage and you are kind of wanting to throw it in the sweet WA bartender's face for not being quick on the uptake of finding a CO birthdate.  It's been fun remembering how one simple street in Denver can hold endless memories.  It's been challenging struggling to  navigate through a city you once knew like the back of your hand, but it's fulfilling when you instincts take you down the streets to the very place you are looking to get to.  It's a daily goal of mine to keep Bremerton as alive and close to the surface as I can.  I want it to remain a part of me and not let it fade into a distant memory.  

Cheers, friends!  And TGIF!!

Drive. Read. Ski. Repeat.

Denver Friday-Sunday.  Steamboat Sunday-Monday.  Snowy Monday-Thursday { with day trips to Laramie on each of those days }.  Steamboat Thursday-Saturday.  It's really no wonder I've been reading as many books as I have { I'm on my 3rd in a week! }, but we've been spending a lot of time in the car.  I me and my book worm self don't mind it one bit, however my bum knee is screaming at me to stay still for a bit.  I'll listen...until Tuesday that is when it's back to Denver until Thursday, THEN EAST COAST FOR A WEEK!!!!  Do you hear me, Amie?!  A WEEK!

I was finally able to get into a PT for my knee, and turns out a silly rollerblading accident I had SIX YEARS AGO { so much screaming in this post }, had rattled my hips, tailbone and pelvis, leading them to not heal correctly.  The whole thing came to a head over Thanksgiving when I was doing innocent lunges/jump-roping and the knee was just sick of overcompensating already and gave up on me.  I tried to power through for nearly 2 months, but I just had enough and caved to finally go see someone about it.  A last minute PT appointment lead to a second trip to Steamboat in a week { I'm not complaining! }.  Hunter got to ski the mountain half a day, I had a series of PT appointments, with a side of library time.  Yesterday we had the most relaxing and leisurely morning.  Me drinking coffee, cuddled up reading while icing my knee, him putzing around on the internet with bluegrass music in the background.  We rented some cross country skis, and headed up to the pass for 3 hours of cross country skiing!  I was at a bit of a disadvantage as I couldn't plant my right leg/ski as well as I could my left.  Which possibly lead to a complete meltdown { or 8 } laying in the snow completely and utterly irritated at myself.  Thankfully Hunter has seen that mood before, and knew exactly how to react.  God love his calm and patient soul.  Regardless, it was such a beautiful, calm and relaxing afternoon.  Sadly, I have quite a handful of photos on my phone, but the only ones I'm able to post right now are from my Instagram.  So fellow Instagram followers, forgive the repetition!  Once I get a few minutes in Denver, I'll be sure to post way, way more.  You have my word.  Cheers, friends!

My happy spot in Steamboat!

Listening to random coffee shop advice.

It was the first time we had to use an alarm in about a month and a half, but it was worth it to see the sunrise on the mountains!

Scene: 5pm.  Beth reading.  Hunter relaxing.  Beth to Hunter "Hunter?  I kinda want a martini."  BOOM.  Martini in my face.  And a damn good one at that!

The most fun Friday I've had in ages!  We don't go on the trail.  We?  We make our own trail.

Friday Superduperfunday.

Lasts.

I've been thinking a lot over the weekend how to prepare for the week ahead.  The ending to the 5.5 years I've dedicated to work.  It's no question that I have problems detaching.  Detaching from routines, people, buildings, traditions.  However, what I've realized is I've been spending far too much time and energy focusing on how to detach, and all of the 'lasts' that will come with this week, and not nearly enough time focusing on the 'firsts' that I'll encounter in the weeks and months ahead.  I'm going to give myself one final moment of mourning on the lasts before really opening my week to letting in all of the firsts ahead.

I don't need to post them all, because you people will think I'm a Stage 1 Nut Job with how sentimental I am to the little things that go on during the week, but here are some of really my most favorite things that I will miss about work at CS:

I'll miss walking in to work on Monday mornings and spending a solid 15 { at times 45 } minutes catching up with my department + coworkers on what everyone did over the weekend, Broncos game scores, nights out on the towns, dinners cooked in.  I'll miss the effortless and solid friendships we've created.

I'll miss walking through the Sales Floor to ask Andy a quick question, and returning 45 minutes later to my desk after stopping at Megan, Kristen, Amy, Phil and Jaime's desks with a fist full of sourdough pretzels/Jelly Beans/Mike & Ikes.

I'll miss the one-liners that are shot around our office on a day to day...scratch that hour to hour basis.  My department and coworkers are some of the funniest, most clever and yes, at times stupid yet endlessly entertaining people ever.

I will miss hearing a nickname called out with my back to the walking traffic and know who it was.  I'll miss knowing the footsteps that round the corner and can call out an hello before the person approaches my desk.  I'll miss hearing a "psssst" in my hear, and shooting my fist out behind me to pound it out with Dennis all without turning around.

I will miss the pure genius that is my boss, and being let in on a sliver of his creativity when he will allow it.  I'll miss hearing him talk through campaign ideas, new traditions to occupy our department, and my very most favorite; his own jokes he tries out on us.

After rereading this, it's alarmingly obvious to me that what I will miss most about this job is the people, rather than the work.  But like I said before, I'll be excited to watch my now coworkers, turn into pretty solid  and kick ass friends.

Best of both worlds.

Yes, yes I know.  Yet another blog post dragging out, obsessing over talking about the upcoming move and life changes.  I've done it before where I obsess and post nonstop about one subject, and chances are I'll do it again.  What can I say...I'm a sentimental, over-thinking fool.

SorryI'mnotsorry.

I actually hate that phrase, but it's so fitting so deal wit it.

I had to go into work a little on Sunday which worked out because I could sneak out early on Friday  for Hunter and I to head up to Snowy.  We had great weather in Denver and all during the drive up to about 15 miles from the ski area until we drove through the biggest patch of fog, and on the other side of the fog wall was windy, overcast and snowy.  And guess what??  I loved it.  Loved it!  It felt like we were in a winter wonderland.  I am a sucker for snow days, blankets and watching the snow fall so I really couldn't have been happier. Once we got up to the ski area, and we had the entireeeeeeeee place to ourselves.  We did what any sane person would do; load up a box with beer, chips and salsa find our way to the bar and sit, talking about the upcoming months, enjoying having a quiet lodge to ourselves, and just generally relaxing.  After Hunter's dad made it up to Snowy, that commenced more beer drinking, planning and eventual migration over to the apartment where dinner was made and the men worked to put together some machines.  The entire weekend was a blur of cooking, laughing, picking out paint colors, reading books, "paying dadoo's" { playing tractors }, drinking Hunter's home brew  the men doing manly duties such as installing a door and finishing building a wall, while I worked on a craft project and caught up with Becky, Hunter's sister in law.  The wind and snow continued the entire weekend, and we countered it by eating hot chili and layering up as much as possible.  Even though we were only there for a few nights, it was such a little sneak peek into what our lives will look like once we move up there for the ski season.  I'm sure I've said it before, but these men pour all their talent, effort and heart into this place and I couldn't be more proud to watch it flourish, and our visions become a reality.  I had to leave early Sunday morning to get back for work, and I was in such denial about saying bye to the little munchkins, and even the big munchkins.  Even though it was tough to leave, I was really excited to get home and say hi to my roomie for a few minutes before heading over to our company tailgate before the Broncos game.  I had the best time setting up with Jaime, eating and drinking with all the 700+ people there, randomly running into 2 different groups of friends that I hadn't seen in years, enjoying goofing off with my other coworkers that were there, eating up all the positive Bronco energy at the game.  Going to Jaime's after the tailgate and ordering in delicious chinese food, while drinking wine and watching the game....but really just chatting and catching up while the game was playing in the background.  The entire day was magical.

Yesterday, I had the best of both worlds.  I had my future life of snow, work, babies and relaxation, and I had my current life of friends, food, plan after plan and memories.  I absolutely can not wait to watch the two merge and evolve into my new normal.  Our weekend to Snowy completely solidified that we made the right decision to move up to Snowy.  I am beyond thrilled for more Charlie post nap cuddle sessions, helping the vision the new look of the bar, cooking for 6 + 2 mini's and watching the snow fall from the cozy living room sofa.  Until then, I'm relishing in my friend date nights, working 9-5, 5 days a week and packed and planned work nights.



After rereading this it sounds like a fake chipper plug for life at a ski area, so I'll end it with saying how overwhelmed I am at how many warm clothes I need to buy, internally struggling with adjusting to living somewhere with absolutely no cell phone reception and though that little Charlie boy is cute as all get out, his screaming and running has no limits.  Think 11:30pm and 6:00am.

That concludes this over thought post about a weekend away.

That time I went from blogging everyday to maybe 2 times a week.

#oops.

Somehow my blogging funny bone has gone missing.  Or even my blogging drive.  Can't explain why, and really I don't have to.  BAM.

in the last two weeks I've been busy enjoying:

not making plans on weekend mornings and actually cooking breakfasts at home.

hanging out with my roomie, watching our favorite tv shows and painting our nails.

cooking for my most beaut friend, mary.

running, running and more running.

pho.

sneaking in as many nights with my hunka hunka burning love as possible.

celebrating haime's birthday!

spending an entire weekend with my pops.

crying uncontrollably for 45 minutes after dropping off my pops at the airport.

laughing at the look on the homeless man's on the corner as he is watching me cry uncontrollably alone in my car.

picking back up my crochet obsession with a goal of finishing my current project by december 14th!

eating the most dreamy avocados my dad brought me from ca.

moseying in and out of antique stores finding awesome STEALS for snowy!

texting at fire fast speeds with my east coast lover, cmie.

dreaming big for the months ahead.

wearing my favorite boots for days on end.

trying to get back into the scary movie trend.

reflecting on the past 5 years nearly daily.

drinking hot tea!

crunching as many leaves as possible.

perfecting the ingredients to the most dreamy salad.

not feeling guilty for not posting daily.

wishing my momma a long distance happy birthday.

There you have it.  See you again soon.

Full dance card.

Warning: Whinny bitchy blogger behind the keyboard.  Abandon current internet window and click on the always happy-go-lucky blogger with posts of sunshine and rainbows shooting out of their asses if not up for the task of seeing a not so happy-and-go-lucky Beth.  

Lately it feels like my days has been consumed by events.  Wake up, walk the dog, go to work, go to gym, cook dinner, work on freelance, sleep, repeat.  I feel like I'm constantly asking myself the question of "What am I supposed to be doing now?"  Working?  Working out?  Helping out friends?  Unpacking?  Cleaning?  Catching up on phone calls with friends that have fallen to the wayside?  Walking the dog?  I've become utterly consumed with what I should be doing, and forgetting the things I want to be doing.  Examples: I want to cozy up with a hot cup of tea and watch a chick flick while working on crocheting my blanket, but the should part of my brain takes over, and I spend another 3 hours behind the computer at home after 8 hours behind the computer during the day.  I want to take a walk and explore my neighborhood, but will that be enough exercise?  So, I do what I feel like I should do and go to the gym instead.  I should focus on not spending carelessly so by virtue of that I bypass the cute teeny restaurants surrounding my house that I've been wanting to try for weeks now and spend the night eating at home.

Don't get me wrong.  I love going to the gym.  I love the ability to get creative and work on freelance.  And if you don't know by now that I love cooking, you had best just close this window right meow.  But I don't love feeling like I need to do that all the time.

Also, do you know that there has been 2 weekends since the end of July that I haven't packed up, set off and for at least one day of the weekend?  I love weekend trips, I really, really, reallyreallyreally do.  But what happened to the slow Saturday mornings of coffee and Food Network?  Or going to bed super early to enjoy a good glass of wine and book?  Trying to make plans like a simple Saturday morning brunch with friends has lately gotten my response of "Sorry, I'm out of town this weekend..."  This past Saturday morning, I had a mild anxiety attack while folding my laundry thinking that I didn't have time to fold clothes and I needed to get to work on my computer.  Follow that up with such a packed event evening on Saturday night, that I ended up breaking down, multiple times, to really anyone who would listen - and in this case it was poor Hunter.

What I'm trying to say I miss the simpler days, and I miss the slower days, and if I don't make a change to achieve a slower lifestyle I will continue down this path of breaking down and sobbing while brushing my teeth at Hunter's house.  Do you know how embarrassing that is to look back on the next day?  No bueno peeps.  No.  Bueno.

I was venting bitching to Amie about it all this weekend and her exact advice?

Sounds like you need to cancel all plans for the week and sit home with a blanket, wine and watch reality tv all week.  No lie.

She told me that Sunday morning, and let me show you what my Sunday night looked like:

And allow me to show you what my Monday night looked like:

Not pictured: Blanket, wine + reality tv.

And I can't wait to show you what my night tonight will look like.

I am walking the oh so very thin line of treating life as a business meeting and forgetting how to blow off steam by just having some good old fashioned f{u}cking fun.  My idol Kris Carr posted this on Facebook last week and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Kris Carr

September 14  Amidst the KrisCarr.com website renovation extravaganza (Monday is the BIG reveal!), I've missed out on some precious zzzzs. No more! This weekend, I'm committed to giving my mind and body the eight hours of rest and repair it deserves. 

How will YOU practice some self-care smarts this weekend? xo

Simply put; I'm not practicing self-care smarts and I most certainly am not focusing on rest and repair.  Period, the end, discussion closed.  { I prooooooobably could have just posted that and that alone while skipping the rant, but it felt WAY better getting it all off my chest. }

More posts of sunshine and rainbows tomorrow...I promise.  Until then, I'll be buried under a blanket, with a good book, or good shit reality tv.  I haven't decided which quite yet...

I'm using a blanket as I type this.

And also am not using the middle finger on my right hand as I type because I cut the crap out of it chopping veggies opening wine and it hurts too badly to type with.

But anyway - can I get a whoop whoop for actually feeling a smidge of chill in the evenings which require a blanket vs walking around with a spray bottle and taking 3 showers just to cool off?

Whoop whoop!

I also miiiiiight have my dinner { read: soup } picked up for Thursday night, which won't be just any dinner { soup }.  It will be the dinner {soup } on a day where the forecast is predicted to be in the 60s!  THE SIXTIES   And of course I didn't pick one of the soups from my list because that would be far too expected.  aka I have an obsession for food blogs and found the top dog today.  It's called veganyumyum, guys.  I mean.  Really.  VEGANYUMYUM.  Not only am I infatuated with the blog name....the pictures.  Sweet Pickled Carrots - the pictures!  I need to stop before I get ahead of my rustic bread & eggplant lasagna self.

I'm stopping.

Anyway.

I made a very important To Do list for this evening, and I don't give a shiiiiiii if you want to hear what it  is or not, I'm sharing it:

Email Cody
Email Bob and Aaron
Email Becky pictures
Workout
Go to store
Drink wine
Laundry
Nails

See what I said?  VERY important.  I'll have you know I have successfully chedked off #4, #5, #6 ok FINE it was the wine I cut my finger on.  Busted. and #7.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to complete #1-3 while dreaming up what color of nail polish to use before bed.

Talk about serious life decisions.  Nein!  Nein!  Nein!  Ok fine.?!  Or You Don't Know Jacques????!
I CAN'T DECIDE EITHER.

Also, judge me for putting "Drink wine" on my to do list, and I'll bore you with details on a looooooooong work week { emphasis on ooooooooooooong } mixed with an abundance of freelance work without a ton of extra time to do get'erdone.  Let's just agree to agree it's necessary, mmk?  Mmk.

As you were.

Instagram Dump.

::juice addiction::

::royg salad::

::avacado taost; i can't quit you::

::packing priorities.  eating out of tupperware while using plastic utensils, but saved packing my good glass wine glasses for last::

::bottling h's homebrew!::

::none goes wasted::

::flu and cold godsend::

::cheers to jaime for a wonderful dinner!::

::early bird gets the cherry tomato at the farmer's market::

::phomazing::

::23 minutes early for my happy hour date.  pathetic, or awesome?::

25'ish before 26'ish.

With my day of birth coming up on Monday, I am reflecting overthinking the on the past 365 and going on a week long road trip trip down memory lane.

I remember shortly after I wrote this twenty-six post, I attempted at making a "25 before 26" list.  I had seen them around on a few blogs so I tried my hand at writing my own list.  A list of 25 fun and thrilling things to accomplish before turning 26.  It didn't matter how big or small, they were meant to be things that I felt would help me grow as a person.  Full transparency: I wrote about half of the list, closed the file and forgot about it until about 8 months later.  Oopsie daisy.  BUT!  But.  When I did finally remember it, I opened it up and had myself a mighty fine chuckle.  Why you ask?  Because I managed to accomplish a variation of each and every single thing on the list without even realizing it.  Allow me to share:

1. Buy a new computer.  This deserves half of a check mark.  I was given a new computer through a freelance company I work with, so though I didn't buy it, the idea was accomplished!

2. Take more photos with my camera. I rocked this for a few weeks { see here, here and here }, but reading this encourages me to pick up my point and shoot more often!

3. Mail more homemade cards. Check!  And my mom is the greatest inspiration for this little goal.  She sends homemade cards every few weeks and it makes me happy.

4. Get serious about exploring Etsy. Check!  : >

5. Take a trip solo. Okay, I didn't see this one through.  I still think it would be fun to do a mini solo getaway, but the good news is I have my adventure partner to take weekend trips with now.  : >

7. Become a pro at cooking for 1. I can successfully say I mastered this!  Between Jaime's master chef tips she passed along to me, in addition to purchasing this cookbook, I grew to feel so comfortable in the kitchen.  Though now I'm lucky enough to have graduated from cooking for 1, to cooking for 2 { hi, babe! }, I did manage to master the cooking for 1.

8. Become an expert Yogi, and become a regular at my studio. I had about 3 weeks where I was rising before 6am daily to get into my yoga studio.  Somehow that faded, but again - this is a great reminder to gitty up and get back in those early morning classes!

9. Do more frequent secret Random Acts of Kindness.  : >     Check.

10. Spend significantly less time texting. One of my New Years Resolutions this year was to remain more present and be in the moment.  In order to accomplish that, I really do have to put the phone away more often to focus on who I'm with, and what I'm doing.  It is still a balance I'm learning, but I can say I'm making progress.

11. Build up my savings account.  Weeee - this may be the biggest accomplishment of them all.  I don't need to get into boring details here, but as I sit here and type this, I feel 100% confident the massive strides I made in comparing my 2011 savings account to my 2012 savings account..

12. Send out Christmas cards!  (homemade Christmas cards ;) Great reminder!  I need to get thinking about what I want them to be...

13. Plant a tree. Another half a check mark.  That half a check mark goes to a weekend in early Spring when Hunter and I spent hours fixing up his backyard, and also helping him with his growing and flourishing garden!  Though I didn't actually plant any of the plants, I like to think my efforts count for something.

14. Crotchet a blanket!  Pschhhhh - get outta my face 'crochet a blanket'  How about 1 baby blanket, and about 3/4th's of an adult afghan?!  Thought so.  BAM.

Though I love this idea, and I'm sure it works for most, my accomplished goals were more of a fluke.  I do have an idea in mind, thanks to an inspiration from one of my favorite bloggers, to accomplish more little monthly goals for the big 2-7.  Stay tuned!

Bye bye, Unit #6.

You guys should know by now that I'm oddly weird at talking about changes, updates and all things serious here on this there blog, so instead of me simply not talking about updates and starting to post pix of boxes and packing tape, I'll just get this out of the way now.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

:: who ::     Errh...Me.
:: what ::    I've decided { quite impulsively, yet with much thought put into it } to move out of my cozy studio/efficiency attic apartment and moving in with... 
:: where ::  ...my sweet friend Sara - Highlands baby!
:: when ::   ASAP/out by the month of August.
:: why ::     By virtue of some bigger things going on in my life right now that I'm quite simply glossing over because I just don't have the time to type it all out right now.
:: how ::     My big strong gentleman friend/any gracious friends who offer to help.  I pay in beer, and albeit sweaty, hugs.


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If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you'd know that I have a really difficult time leaving a place, regardless of how many wonderful, or not so wonderful memories I have in that particular space.  This move, without question, is no different.  I'm so thankful my parents were here this past weekend and ripped off the first bandaid of many of moving out of this quirky house I've called home for the past year and a half.  I know that this move is a step to bigger and better, I know that it's time to move on, I know I'll always have the memories with this place.  But that doesn't mean I won't miss my cooking and quiet nights in, this beautiful neighborhood I call mine, hosting girlfriends, 360 degree views, and slow Saturday's any less.  I'll be posting more about this journey and overanalyzing every single thing that's happened in my apartment in the weeks to come { lucky you readersss!!! }, but for now I'll leave you with a photo of my new roomie!  Hai, Sara!

Parental Units.

They've arrived!

Now excuse me while we play too many cards, eat too much food and laugh WAY more than we should!
: >

DJ Jazzy B

I can't say for sure what it is with me and the most random of all random songs that play through my head on any given day...heck any given hour { example 1, example 2 }, but so far today, I've BLASTED { while singing and dancing along } three songs from my computer. 

Needless to say, my coworkers are really really excited to be sitting next to me today.

Don't you love...

...a night full of Olympics, inching closer and closer to your TV with every stroke Missy Franklin takes?
...an overcast night adding coziness to your already cozy night in?
...fresh sheets to crawl under the second you hit Publish on this blog post?

You do?!  Me too!

Currently.

{ there is a crazy amount of posts like these going around this here interweb, so I figured I'd jump on board! }

::WORKING ON:: Freelance, freelance, freelance, and beating this CO heat.  The former is proving to be more enjoyable than the latter.

::THINKING ABOUT:: The future!  And embracing the whirl of emotions attached with leaving my job after 5+ years...

::ANTICIPATING:: Seeing my long distance lover, Amie and Andrew in a few weeks!  Like Amie puts it "Having you, Hunter, Andrew and I all together in MONTANA is like eating cookies for dinner, and cake for dessert."  We are still working out the details, but it's going to be epic.  And also splashed all over this here blog of mine.  You are welcome.

::LISTENING TO:: Honking horns, traffic and pedestrians outside my window.  It's a great calm background soundtrack to this Friday.

::EATING:: Veggies, grains, and fruits!  Green smoothies.  Herbal tea.  Water.    Most recently, I just finished up a lunch of: red cabbage, lettuce, red onion, cauliflower, broccoli and caper salad + corn tortilla, black beans, orange peppers, jalapenos, green onions, salsa and vegan cheese!  Hello, happy tummy.

::THANKFUL FOR:: My cousin and her husband in town this weekend!  H and I head up to my uncles in Longmont to after work for dinner, cards and memories.  Mix that with plans to hit 3 breweries {Hi, my name is Beth, and I'll be your DD for the weekend.} on Saturday, plus a brunch on Sunday and you've got a happy girl!  Weekends with my fam dam are my fa-vorite.  Also thankful for my sweet friend, Jaime!  I went to her yesterday with a question related to the best place to spend my birthday, and this sneaky girl has completely taken over planning it for me!  I have told her time and time again I don't want to impose that on her, but she can't be stopped, that one.  Aren't friends the best?  I think so, too.  

::PLANNING FOR::  Mary's birthday party { Is it August 22nd yet? }, fun Denver things to do when my parents get here next weekend {weeeeeeee!}, starting to go through and clean out my apartment, setting up my yoga schedule for next week, oh - did I mention Mary's birthday party?!

Very Vegan.

12 days down, 9 days to go!  It's madness to think I'm already over halfway done with my cleanse.  There isn't too many updates to give, other than it's actually been a breeze for me.  Like I said before; vegan isn't too far off from my day to day diet to begin with, so it was just a matter of getting committed and serious about my eating habits.

Highs of the cleanse:
I feel ahhhhhmazing!  I had this new kick of energy where I'm not dragging ass in the mornings, or through the afternoons.  I'm waking up earlier than I would to get in a yoga class, run or gym workout.  Before, getting up before 7:45a was unheard of.
My water intake has basically tripled.  Besides the 3L I drink a day, I've discovered my new favorite drinks: Iced chamomile tea, and water + cayenne pepper + lemon juice.  Don't knock it til you try it! It is the perfect morning replacement for my cup{s} of coffee.
I'm saving money.  Fresh produce really doesn't have to be that expensive if you do it right.  I have found myself going to the grocery probably 4-6 times a week, and that doesn't phase me in the slightest.
I get to try so many new recipes!  I'm using new grains, new veggies and new methods of cooking, and that gives me a high no whiskey or wine can.
"Is that why your skin is glowing?" Is what I heard after telling a coworker I went vegan for a few weeks.  His response was so appreciated and much welcomed after all the haters in the work place.


Lows of the cleanse:
Socially, it's incredibly difficult.  And I mean this in a variety of ways.  You can't just go places anymore without tons of planning ahead.  Prepping your host on what you are doing as to not insult them when you don't eat what they have prepared, asking what the host/hostess is planning for a menu to see if you need to eat before going, even making a plethora of salads/sides to bring with you so you know you will be able to eat.  It's not so much that I'm complaining, but this is just really different for me.
People think they can say anything.  I've heard it all.  From implying I'll turn into a b!tch {exact words} on the 5th day of my cleanse, to being vocal about not believing I'll make it through, to knocking what I'll bring to eat for breakfast or lunches, telling me to just call them when the cleanse is over so we can actually hang out.  You guys - people can be mean.  This really was difficult for me the first few days, to where I quit eating at work and would just drive home for lunches.  All I wanted to do was ask "Do you want to talk about how incredibly processed, jam packed with sugar and incredibly unhealthy that little ditty is that you are getting from the candy machine right now?!" Though I didn't, smiled and would take another bite of my lunch.  I was talking to H about it and he reminded me that I'm not doing it for them, or for anyone's approval.  I'm doing it for myself.  So now I drink my green smoothies in clear glasses, in addition to my cayenne water.  Let the haters hate!
I won't lie, I do miss coffee {and the occasional glass of wine}.  Even though I can't believe I lived 26.89 years without knowing of this cayenne water glory, nothing can serve as a replacement to my cup of jo in the mornings.  So I will look forward to that {and also sharing a bottle of wine with friends, family and H when we get together}.  But until then, I'll turn to my BFF, H20.

A lot of people ask if I will continue being a vegan after the 21 days are up.  I have a really hard time answering that, though I can say with confidence that I feel like the vegan lifestyle really fits me.  However, will I have chicken wings from time to time?  Yes. {Have you met my boyfriend?!  I think he'd marry them if he could.} Will I enjoy a burger or steak every now and again?  I'm sure of it.  But this has unquestionably changed the way I view food, grocery stores, menu's and food blogs.  Plus, if I'm feeling this great, why not {Minot}?  Also, I have right around a kabillion vegan recipes pinned and bookmarked that I simply must make.

And now, allow me to photobomb you with some of my latest nibbles!











































































I also have been house-sitting a lot the past 2 weeks, so I hope you enjoyed the variety of plates I used!

May peace, peas and carrots be with you!

L is for...

Lusting for:

::crunchy fall leaves::

::day trips to mountain towns for a quick getaway::

::big cozy sweaters::

::snowwwwwwwwwwwwww!::

::warm homemade soups!::

Loving:

::froyo dates after a hot summer day::

::biking everywhere possible::

::early morning sun rises, and late night sunsets::

::summer necessities::

::no caption needed::

::evening park dates::

What are you lusting after/loving right now?

{ thank you, mary for a few of your above photos! }

Sunday Workday.

I'm not sure when Sunday Funday went from brunches, bottomless mimosas, and pools to iced chamomile tea, coffee shops and design work - but I'm not complaining!

Oh - and if you happen to ask me what I'm listening to, I'd be forced to tell you Justin Bieber.  So let's abide by the don't ask, don't tell rule today, whattdya say!?

My first job as a Graphic Designer was working for Vanity.  I was still in college when I began interning with them and so was very used to the group feedback sessions, constructive criticism and aid of my { amazing } instructors.  I will never, ever forget my first graphic design project with Vanity.  I had to create a coupon!  A coupon to be sent to a specific store to help bump up sales.  I hardly remembered the name of my boss at the time, though I still remember EXACTLY what I was wearing.  My favorite { I still own them } light denim jeans with { admitted, self prompted } holes in the knee and thy.  I was wearing my favorite teal shirt { again, still own } that I wore the day of my sister's 21st birthday.  I was using a coral and teal beautimus purse that my sister made for me { and again, still to this day own }.  I remember the exact layout of the coupon, the color story and the discount.  I was beyond anxious to show it to my boss.  What will her feedback be?  What will her critique be?  Where was Yvonne when I needed her to tell me what I could do to improve this?  I finally muster up my strength, show it to Denise and what does she say?  "It looks great!  Print 300 and we'll get them shipped off."  Wha?  That easy, eh?

What isn't important about this story is what I was wearing, or what I had for lunch that day.  Or even how well I did in Graphic Design school.  What is important, is the name of the mall that was on that coupon.

Town Center of Aurora.

The same mall that is directly across the street from Century 16.
The same mall that was witness to one of the most selfish, bone-chilling and downright hideous disasters to happen to Colorado since Columbine.

I have been thinking all morning how extremely forchinate I am, that the closest I came to this catastrophe was mailing a silly coupon to the mall across the street from the site about 7 years ago.  Not everyone is that lucky.

Go out and hug your sister, hug your mother, hug your father, hug your brother.  Hug anyone who is close to you, because you can and because you ARE that lucky.

If you can't laugh at yourself...

...what can you laugh at?  I had a really great meeting with my boss yesterday.  As our department is slowly migrating, shifting and breaking up we talked about how well we function as a whole.  Being in a creative industry, you just have to accept the fact that deep down, we are all crazy on some level.  14 different levels of crazy can really add up to one big mess if not managed right.  Good thing we have one kick ass manager.  One thing that really stuck with me that Alex said was "The reason we all work so well together is we can all laugh at each other, but most importantly we can laugh at ourselves."  Just like many other groups of friends, family or office - we all have our good moments, our bad moments, and downright embarrassing moments { This would be the time I talk about my 2nd week of work, I was at a company summer party, went down a slide that caught and pulled down my shirt and bra., however, 5 years later and I'm still in total denial that ever happened, so therefore I will not be talking about it. } .  But like Alex said "At the end of the day, we can all break bread together, and that is what is most important."

This is a very old photo, and is missing half of our department, but this was also the day I was most proud to call myself the Production Department!