Life Lately

Changes. Life lately hasn't exactly been peachy. There's been so many changes in the last few weeks that have made me switch my focus to getting things back on track. I left my job after working there for six years which was pretty sad for me but since then I accepted a new and much more exciting job opportunity to run my own marketing department for a local company. There are sunnier days ahead and I start this new adventure one week from today.

Hurdles. We closed on our new home last week but then some complications arose with selling our current home since the buyers decided to delay another month. After a million phone calls, financial transactions, and tireless signing of documents we were able to successfully close and move in to our new home over the weekend. We spent the entire weekend moving, unpacking, and organizing things. I do believe exciting days are ahead in our new abode while we wait patiently to officially sell our current home.

Escape. In the midst of the chaos, K and I had a trip already booked and planned to visit Denver so we spent Memorial Day long weekend exploring the city and catching a ball game at Coors Field. We were blessed with good weather for the entire trip which allowed us to explore the city on foot and take in all that downtown Denver has to offer.

Sharing. After returning and settling back at home, Kerri and I met up for a happy hour date which was so fun catching up over some delish sushi and wine.

Reality. Other than some leisurely happy hours and lunch dates with friends and previous coworkers, there has been lots of Home Depot trips which probably won't be ending anytime soon.

Adulting. Home Goods also took my wallet for a run over the weekend. That store really has the cutest things for a great price. I was so tempted to buy gifts for everyone. I foresee a few more trips there as I finish up designing and decorating our home.

Celebrate. After moving all day on Friday, we met up with friends at Kobe Steakhouse in the evening to celebrate the birthday of Kate's hubby over some hibachi and sake. It's always a good time with this great group of friends.

Crisis. Within 48 hours of living in our new home (in a brand new gated community), our neighbors house got broken into on Saturday night and then the neighborhood flooded on Sunday because of torrential rains and thunderstorms. Nothing seriously affecting us or our new home but it has us in a serious scurry to get a security system to secure our home.

Release. The bestie and I have been enjoying Yoga in the Park on Sundays when we're not traveling or busy moving.

Bonding. K and I ended the weekend on Sunday with a date evening after a busy weekend consumed with moving and unpacking. We had to go to Home Goods for some final things, then Buffalo Wild Wings for a beer because that's an even trade-off in his books and ending with some barbecue for dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

Recap. Our last Wanderlust Wednesday is happening this week so please help us end with a bang by sharing your favorite travel recaps. I'll be sharing all the details about our trip to Denver.

Joining the lovely Biana for her weekending linkup.

Weekending: Denver Style

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and feels rested and ready to tackle this week. We close on our new house today and move in this weekend so I have some busy but exciting days ahead.

We returned home last night after spending the past few days exploring the Mile-High City which was everything and more than I expected. I plan to do a full travel recap next week for our last Wanderlust Wednesday linkup. In the meantime, I'm linking up with the beautiful Biana to share a quick weekend recap.



We arrived late on Friday night so we just had enough time to check into our hotel and grab a quick bite before heading to bed. The Denver Day of Rock music festival happened to be on Saturday so there was lots of extra entertainment happening with live music, food trucks, and tons of local vendors selling art and produce.

 

The bulldog lover in me couldn't resist purchasing this colorful piece of art and I got a few different prints to give as gifts.

We spent all of Saturday walking around and exploring downtown Denver. It really is a beautiful city and I was amazed by all the pretty street art. Luckily our hotel was in the heart of downtown so we walked everywhere to burn off those vacation calories.

While exploring we stumbled upon our first brewery The Great Divide and went in to sample some local craft beers. K loves craft beer but most of them are too hoppy for me but I still enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and some of the lighter beers they offered.

Other than Brunch at Elway's Steakhouse that morning, I didn't do much planning ahead in terms of restaurants. Several people recommended Elway's to me for a good steak dinner but we didn't manage to find time on this trip. Later in the day we stopped at Earl's Kitchen & Bar to refuel with an early dinner. Earl's is a national chain but the downtown Denver location has a trendy atmosphere with great lunch/dinner options.

We did a lot of browsing through souvenir shops and local stores but I didn't purchase much other than some local Colorado honey and these dream catcher earrings which I'm in love with. I also bought a pair for the bestie but in bronze.

On Sunday we had the most amazing brunch at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox. Definitely a downtown gem for brunch which I found while browsing reviews on Yelp. They have live music, bottomless mimosas, and an eclectic American food menu for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

After brunch we headed over to the Coors Field for a 2pm Rockies vs Giants game and our seats were only 5 rows away from the field so we had the perfect view. The Rockies ended up losing but it was an amazing experience.

After the game more exploring through downtown happened and we stopped at a couple local hot spots and breweries. I'll share more details next week as this "quick recap" is no longer a quick read. LOL

 On Sunday morning, it was unfortunately time to check out of the hotel and grab a quick lunch at Henry's Tavern before heading to the airport. We had walked past Henry's several times on Saturday and Sunday but it was always packed full of people so evidently it's one of the more popular sports bars/restaurants in the area. Yesterday was much quieter so we were able to get in right away and enjoy some delicious dishes for lunch.

Denver treated us very well and I'd love to return in the future to check out Red Rocks Amphitheater and a few other places we didn't manage to fit into this short trip.

Back to reality today but luckily we have a somewhat short week ahead!!

Weekend Whereabouts

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine was very productive doing "house things" with a little bit of relaxing and some fun with friends.

On Friday, K and I had our final walk-through/inspection of the new home which went well despite getting soaked by torrential thunderstorms. After we got that completed it was time for some happy hour and dinner at Graffiti Junktion.

Saturday was spent packing up boxes and organizing things at home before heading out for a quick dinner at Carrabba's with the bestie and her mom. After dinner we went to a friend's 80's themed birthday, although some people didn't dress up (ahem Kate and myself).

 

On Sunday I took the bestie and her mom out and about to do some shopping and errands. We literally spent 6 hours shopping between the mall, Target, Michael's and a few more stops. I'm happy to report I didn't buy one thing despite being tempted by all the cute Betsy Johnson things at Michael's.

We stopped at a Peruvian restaurant and shared some amazing ceviche and seafood for lunch.

It was a nice weekend and I'm already counting down to the long weekend ahead.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Friday started off on an extremely exciting note when our realtor notified us that our was house sold... and at the asking price so no heavy negotiating was needed. That was a huge relief and we were able to cancel any further house showings for the weekend which were starting super early on Saturday morning.

My bestie's husband came in town to visit her while she does the course so we all went out for some amazing Korean BBQ & Sushi and had fun catching up while we cooked our meats over the grill in the middle of the table.

On Saturday the guys washed and detailed both of our cars while I did tons of packing of boxes and cleaning before finally heading out for some dinner at Ale House. The rest of the night was spent packing boxes and getting rid of unneeded things.

On Sunday, K and I went to brunch at Two Chefs Seafood Oyster Bar and then the bestie and her husband came with us to walk through our new house.

 On Sunday evening the four of us did some shopping and then settled at home to hang out and cook up a nice dinner - grilled salmon and burgers along with asparagus, kale salad, and sweet potato fries. It was a nice relaxing yet productive weekend.


Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts

Oh Monday, you come to soon!
Thankfully the past few days were spent relaxing a little and being productive A LOT with deep cleaning the house and staging it to the best of my ability for potential home buyers.



On Friday afternoon after work, K and I met up for a quick happy hour downtown before heading to a little restaurant close to home for some pizza and wings. I don't think we've ever been such fat asses on a Friday night before but it was a nice casual change of pace. I spent the rest of the night at home sorting through and purging all unneeded belongings in anticipation of our move in a few weeks.

On Saturday I probably spent another 5 hours going through drawers, closets and cupboards to get rid of unnecessary things we've collected over the years. Ten or so large trash bags were filled and I was finally able to shower off the dust and venture to Publix to pick up some groceries and dinner.

That afternoon I started researching things to do on our trip to Denver later this month. I have a few things in mind but was underwhelmed by the options in the visitor's guide I ordered online. I guess I'm not so much of a museum and art type of person and like to go where the locals go to explore, hear live music, and just have a good time. Feel free to send suggestions my way!

Sunday was a full day of girl time with the bestie, starting off in the morning with some yoga in the park downtown. After an hour of some serious sweating in the sun, we walked over to the Farmer's Market to cool down with some fresh coconut water and live music while browsing about 50 local vendors.

C and I had lunch at my favorite teahouse and then went to the spa to relax and get pedicures before doing lots of shopping and errands. It was a busy but fun day together working out, getting pampered, and shopping til we drop.




Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts

 

What a nice little break this weekend was.
I indulged in some of my favorite things ~ sleeping in, snuggling with Lola, quality time with my bestie, and some outdoor adventures.

After posting the recipe for Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos last week, I was craving the real deal so it was an easy decision to have our Friday night dinner date at Bonefish Grill.

The rest of the night was spent relaxing and catching up on some shows at home with my favorite snuggle bug.



Saturday was a Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond type of day, except we didn't go to BBB. Instead laundry, grocery shopping, meal prep, and garden shopping at Home Depot happened before we headed out to continue the search for a new home.

We found a house with the perfect floor plan and it happens to have the most gorgeous kitchen! This week we are going to work on confirming all the details and possibly putting an offer on the house.

Hours of house shopping definitely leaves you feeling exhausted and hungry so we went to the new Buffalo Wild Wings in our area for some dinner and a cold beverage.

 On Sunday, the bestie and I spent the day laying out, chit chatting and canoeing on the river at Wekiva Island. We had so much fun and it was the perfect way to end the weekend

Linking up my girl Biana for her Weekending linkup.