Category: Weekend Things

Weekend Things

Lauren7 Comments

Sorry to jump the gun right now, but SUMMER!!!

We had the most gloriously warm weather all weekend and I dove headfirst into full on summer mode.  Plus I walked home from a Friday manicure in the sunshine, hit up Little Man, went to a park party, soaked up the rays during Saturday happy hour, hung our porch swing, ran outside, laid in the hammock, frolicked with my sweet niece and nephew and said yes to everything because summer is the best time and I’m my best self when it finally rolls around.

IMG_2541

IMG_2565

Got a base coat at Base Coat and it’s official — I’m never not going there.  (Except for when I go to Ella Bliss.)  This color is called Adobe and I’m sort of in love with it.  Like I said, I walked myself home afterwards, feeling all pampered and blissed out by sunshine and weekend happiness.  It was truly the best.  And then I got home and helped Joey plot out our garden box placement.  We didn’t actually get to the actual building this weekend, but those little chalk sketches made me excited, nonetheless.

IMG_2566

We met Bobby and Becca for dinner at The Crafty Fox afterwards — our waitress ignored Joey and only brought out three sets of silverware, so that for a minute I wondered if he was maybe a ghost and the three of us were the only ones who could see him — then headed to Little Man.  Actual ice cream-wise, Little Man isn’t my favorite but you cannot beat a warm summer night on the pavilion, surrounded by fellow ice cream lovers.  Plus, if your friends have never experienced “the line,” it’s your duty to introduce them.  Salted Maple Pecan won for best flavor of the night.

IMG_2567

IMG_2568

Saturday morning, we walked to get iced coffee, ate almond butter toast in the backyard and then I hurried off to get a much needed facial.  My skin really needed it and my lovely facialist (that’s not a real word, but it should be!) recommended I really up my healthy fats to speed the healing process.  She listed almond butter, olive oil, coconut oil and I definitely heard her say “make some guacamole and crack a beer.”  Say no more, I’m there!  Afterwards, we headed to a birthday party where, moments after this picture was taken, Jory pushed his nephew’s face into the cake.  Who’s really the adult here, huh?

IMG_2553

We were totally going to be good responsible adults afterwards and go the grocery store/home for dinner but then we dropped by Hannah and Josh’s and they mentioned that they were going to Humboldt for Happy Hour and we were goners.  It felt like 100° in the sun, but I sipped a Mule, ate a slider, trout dip, truffle fries and TEMPURA BROCCOLI and didn’t mind it one bit.  Finally got around to exchanging spring birthday presents and I think we all left happy and full.

Later on, we watched 10 minutes of an awful movie before I vetoed (Slow Learners is a no) then switched to a slightly less horrible movie.  I thought Mark Ruffalo could do no wrong but then I watched Begin Again.  It wasn’t that bad, but it also wasn’t that good.  Then Fred Armisen on SNL!  I feel I never fully appreciated his weird humor until after he left the show so I was so glad to have him back.  To perform a one man show during the monologue, put his foot in a bowl of guac and cause the whole cast to lose it and revive that wacky made up band concept for the last skit of the night.  Also, “Farewell, Mr. Bunting” was the best thing ever.  Go watch!

IMG_2569

IMG_2574

IMG_2573

Sunday started with a run and pancakes, because I’d been complaining about not making any in weeks and weeks.  They hit the spot!  We spent the afternoon with my niece and nephew, who we don’t spend nearly enough time with and that needed to be remedied ASAP.  We took them to see The Angry Birds Movie and look, it wasn’t even the worst movie I watched this weekend.  Ice cream afterwards, naturally.  My niece is really into her rock collection right now, so her yellow rock accompanied us on our outing.  Love those two crazy kids!

IMG_2572

IMG_2570

IMG_2571

I ate that summer salad for dinner, but who even cares because HODOR!  Still processing last night’s episode of GoT but how momentous, heartbreaking and delightfully Ramsay-free it was.  In other news, the hammock is hung, our porch swing is back in place, I have a “Summer Bucket List” out and everything feels pretty good right now.

Happy Monday!

Weekend Things

Lauren1 Comment

Last week, man!  Joey and I both felt so out of it.  We were doing things like accidentally leaving our phone at home (me!), forgetting our water bottles in the dishwasher, buying birthday presents and Mother’s Day gifts a week late, attempting to sprout mung beans but forgetting to rinse them (me again…) and just remembering all sorts of things at the last minute.  We were not on top of our game.

But, get this.  I kinda liked it.  I’m usually week-ahead-organized and it was kind of refreshing and exciting to “live like a normal person” (Joey’s words, not mine).  Sometimes it’s okay, good even, to be unprepared and just take things as they come.  So even though I had this feeling our weekend was going to be busy, I just brushed it off and it all worked out just the same.  Laid back living is fun.

IMG_2481

IMG_2514

IMG_2477

Right after work on Friday, I took to the grocery store to get that out of the way.  Kinda forgot about Rockies traffic, but I lived through it and made it home just in time to unload our bags, change and head out to our NINE YEAR dating anniversary dinner!  I’ve been dying to take Joey to D Bar ever since my mom and I went back in March.  After talking it up for so long, I was scared it wouldn’t live up, but NOPE.  It was phenomenal.

It may be known for its desserts, but D Bar can make some seriously good food too.  Between the two of us we had the Brussels sprouts (can’t even with that glaze!), roasted chicken with cheesy grit cakes, ribeye with smashed potatoes and… CAKE AND SHAKE!!!  The menu makes this stuff all sound really simple and straight-forward but gah, is this stuff well-executed!  Not a single disappointing bite in the bunch.

I guess this dinner could have been a post in itself, but before this turns into a short novel, I’ll just mention that I saw Chef Keegan in the kitchen and my immediate reaction was just to shout “KEEGAN!”  My Food Network Challenge watchers know what’s up.

IMG_2508

IMG_2486

IMG_2510

IMG_2509

Saturday was all doom and gloom (though the sun did peek out a few times), which isn’t ideal when you have a Cystic Fibrosis Walk to participate in and a graduation party to attend, but what can you do but walk quickly and eat fondant to distract yourself from the cold?  We did this same walk last year but now that I actually know what Cystic Fibrosis is, the event felt a lot more powerful.  Afterwards, there was a BBQ where we got to chat with our friends Brett and Ashley about all things Denver dining and gosh is it energizing to talk to someone who just gets you on a food-level 🙂

Hannah is officially a nursing school graduate!  I’m so proud in a way that’s probably the closest I’ll get before I have actual children to be proud of.  She took everyone’s blood pressure, as any good nursing school graduate would and how amazing is that cake?  Just please tell me you noticed that the cake bakers made a clock instead of a stop watch.  That cake’s blood pressure looks to be about 6:36.  Too funny!

IMG_2500

IMG_2492

IMG_2491

IMG_2512

IMG_2513

Up and at em on Sunday to make donuts!  We rescheduled Mother’s Day Brunch with my mom and do you even know how hard it is to find a Mother’s Day card a week later?  All card struggles aside, our donuts came out perfect, the fruit bowl was plentiful, the Bellinis were flowing (or was that just me drinking them all?) and I think everyone had fun.  This was our first hosting event since we got a Chemex and man is it hard to brew enough coffee in that thing.  Gonna need to invest in an insulated carafe, stat!  And because my wonderful mother cannot help herself, she brought ME a gift.  New flowers for my pots.  Joey planted that first beautifully perfect one and mine is the sad second one, that I had to re-do with Joey’s help.  Oy!

We spent the rest of the day at the Rockies game (sweep, sweep, sweep!), then relaxed at home and finally got our act together in preparation for this week.  Laundry, food prep, dishes.  I even got into bed and finished my book (LOVED The Red Tent!).  All signs point to a good week.  Let’s do it!