Garden of the Gods Club Girls Getaway

Hi Friends!

I am so happy to see a little bit of sunshine this week.  Last week was pretty gloomy, I was starting to think I lived somewhere other than Colorado.  The weather here can definitely be unpredictable, but it is typically sunny more often than not, so several gloomy days in a row had me in an unusual funk!

Luckily the weather just missed my girls weekend with Leah from Eat Pray Wear love, and Lacey from My Boring Closet at Garden of the Gods Club and we were blessed with a couple gorgeous days in Colorado Springs.  We were able to enjoy views from the beautiful infinity pool overlooking the Kissing Camels rock formations and could even see Pikes Peak!

Colorado Springs is only about an hour and a half from Denver, but our trip a few weeks ago, was my first time to Garden of the Gods since I was a little girl.  It is absolutely stunning and I can't wait to go back with Jonny.  He is a huge golfer and I can imagine the views from the Kissing Camels course are fantastic.

Obviously no girls weekend would be complete without room service and a trip to the spa.  After filling up on our delicious spread I went to join Leah and Lacey at the Spa at the Garden of the Gods Club.  My back was a little sore for some reason so asked for an extra deep tissue massage and it was amazing!  After my massage, I relaxed in the cozy relation room and sat in the Himalayan Salt Room before heading to my pedicure (also amazing!).  I felt so relaxed and beyond pampered.  I am actually getting sleepy just thinking about it.

The Garden of the Gods Club is a private country club as well as beautiful resort.  Since staying there several friends have told me that they have attended some amazing weddings here as well (I believe it!).  We enjoyed the yummiest tasting dinner at the formal restaurant at the Club.  And I can't say enough about our knowledgable server and each member of the staff that we encountered.

You may remember, I left a little early so I could get home to see a movie with my mom for Mother's Day.  I did miss out on a visit to the BodPod which is a pod that accurately calculates fat vs. lean muscle mass. I definitely hope to try it sometime soon to get an in depth understanding of my caloric needs as well as possible health risks.  Cool, right?!!

I am starting to pack for a fun road trip Jonny and I are headed on with some friends this weekend.  I would love to hear about the summer trips you have planned.  As always let me know if you have any questions or suggestions of things you would like me to cover!  You can shop all of our looks in the scrolling galleries (above or below within this post!).

This post is in collaboration with Garden of the Gods Collection . As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

48 Hour Girls Getaway Vail Itinerary

Hi Guys!

Location: Four Seasons Vail // Photography: Jenny Nelson

It has been a week since I returned from my fantastic girls weekend in Vail with Emily and Victoria.  I shared a little about the first part of our trip (here) - it was such a refreshing and welcomed time with old friends.  

Jonny, and Emily's husband, Tom, go on an annual boy's golf trip so we decided we definitely deserved a retreat of our own.  Emily and I met in college when our husbands (then boyfriends) were roommates.  You can imagine the immediate bonding that takes place when you are the only two females visiting in a mice infested frat house (not kidding!).  9 years later, we live on opposite sides of the country and it never feels like a day has passed when we get together.  Em introduced me to her childhood friend Victoria at her bachelorette and we hit it off and have been planning our reunion ever since.

I am often asked about my favorite places for a girls trip in Denver (check out some of my favs here, here, and here), but it is no secret that I love Vail and with the mountains so accessible I always recommend getting out of town to enjoy the scenery a bit if possible.  

Upon our arrival on Friday at the Four Seasons Vail we were greeted with the most beautiful display of goodies.  I am always so impressed by their attention to even the tiniest detail.  My friends pointed out they even replicated my logo on a piece of chocolate, which made my day!  After getting settled in, we went down to The Remedy Bar for an afternoon drink before heading out for some exploring.

Whenever friends visit for the first time I am always overly cautious about everyone staying hydrated.  Altitude sickness is a real thing, guys so we were sure to drink lots of water on this trip and you should too!  Next we walked around town and stopped at a few of my favorite boutiques (shared them here!).  We obviously worked up an appetite so stopped in the Red Lion for a quick snack.  We were bummed that we had just missed the live music (my favorite!), but the delicious nachos almost made up for it!  We had a light dinner at an adorable local spot - Up The Creek (more about them here) and went to bed early to prepare for a fun filled Saturday!

Emily and I got up early to ski Saturday morning, although the snow left little to be desired, you still can't beat clear blue skies and sunshine on the mountain.  Victoria has never skied and decided she was going to enjoy a relaxing morning at the hotel before meeting up with us.  Since Victoria had never been on a chairlift before we wanted to make sure that she was also able to enjoy the views so we made reservations at the 10th (insider tip: if you are not skiing and purchase a chairlift ticket for $40 they will give you a $20 credit to the restaurant).  It was beautiful and we were able to eat outside on the patio and soak in some sun and scenery before heading down for the afternoon.

I think we would all agree that the highlight of the weekend would definitely be the Remedy Spa.  Emily and I both had the Mona Massage which reminded me of a Lomi Lomi/Hawaiian style massage and Victoria had a deep tissue! We all loved our treatments and then they gave us chocolate dipped pineapple and we saw the make your own hot cocoa bar and we thought we might actually be in heaven.

It was a busy weekend in town so I reserved a large table well in advance at Mountain Standard for the three of us and several other friends in town.  It is always a fun atmosphere and food is so unique and delicious.  

Sunday morning we took our time getting ready and packed up.  I had heard great things about Vintage - the new brunch spot right across the street from our hotel.  We walked over without a reservation and  were lucky that they were able to squeeze us right in - considering, as we were leaving there was a line out the door.  Honestly, they have my ideal brunch and I was sure to make reservations for Easter! It has the perfect mix of sweet and savory options.

As you know, I am a pretty indecisive person, so ordering is always a chore and with their menu, although everything looked yummy - I knew exactly what I wanted!  After brunch we packed up the car and Emily could not leave town without a trip to Garfinkels and comparing the nachos to  Red Lions'.... so we did (yolo? We skied it off??).  It was another gorgeous day so we sat on the patio and enjoyed the sun before heading back down the mountain just in time for Big Little Lies, which was THE BEST!! 

It was obviously a packed weekend with lots of fun and food and I wouldn't change one thing! I always love getting your questions and emails so please let me know if you have any questions or anything you would like me to cover!

xo

This post is in collaboration with Four Seasons Vail . As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

On Mountain Time

Hi Friends!

Jonny and I (and Stanley) are back home and getting reacquainted with "city life" after enjoying the snow in the mountains and being on leisurely mountain time for the last few weeks.  We were really starting to think that we may not ever come home.  We just love being up there and enjoying the fresh air so much - it is incredibly peaceful.  And any place that encourages a cup of cocoa and chocolate chip cookie a day gets bonus points in my book!

I got a lot of questions about this cape when I posted it on Instagram last week.  It is from my favorite Vail boutique, Blitz.  Blitz has been around forever (shared another favorite from them here and here) and always has something that I can't resist (seriously, they are probably the reason I have 97 pom pom hats).  It was too cold to think about dresses, but their dress selection is always spot on! If you have a trip to Vail planned be sure to stop by!

My exact cape can be purchased from their store online here.  I also found several similar options (all under $150!) here, here, here, and here!! I think everyone needs a pair of these liquid leggings and you cant beat the $29 price tag!  Also, I love the height of these boots (also come in a pretty tan)- they hit right at the knee which makes them very versatile.

Aspen Weekend in Secret Season

Morning, Friends!

I have missed you this week! I got back from our little trip last weekend and had a bit of catching up to do... and here we are, Thursday, and well into June already.  My goodness!  I hope you all are having a wonderful start to your summer.  

Last weekend, Jonny and I kicked ours off with a little trip to one of our favorite local getaway spots.  Growing up in Golden, Colorado, Aspen was always just a bit over the hill so we rarely made the extra effort to drive past some of the other mountain towns.  It seems as a couple, Jonny and I welcome the extra drive time and cherish the beautiful sightseeing along the way.  

We stayed at The Little Nell which we has become one of our very favorite hotels.  As you know, a dog friendly hotel is high on our priority list when deciding where we are going to stay, and they treat Mr. Brown like a king.  We also love activities - and they have them all within steps. Seriously!!  

We arrived late Friday night and received check in information including information about skiing (it was 80 degrees).  I was convinced it was a typo.  The next morning we looked out the window and saw skiers riding bikes in minimal clothing up to the gondola.  We didn't properly prepare, but of course, Jonny did not want to miss the opportunity to get a few turns (and rays) in, so The Nell helped us get set up with rentals and lift tickets for the day and Charlie Brown and I sat at the top while Jonny skied in his swim trunks.  

Any time mid April through this coming weekend is considered "secret season" in Aspen because there is still a bit of snow melt and the weather can be a little more unpredictable.  We would argue that it is our favorite time to visit since there are fun surprises like skiing in June and great rates (like this) that you wont find during peak season.

After our morning on the mountain, we went on a walk around town to find a spot for Charlie to cool off, and bumped into our good friends (you've met Nerida and little miss Pippa here and here).  We all decided to head back to Ajax Tavern for happy hour - it was delicious!  I highly recommend the tuna tartare!  We finished the night at White House Tavern, my must stop spot whenever we visit.  It is semi silly because Hillstone and Cherry Creek Grill have very similar menus (since they are all owned by Hillstone), but I just love the quaint ambiance.

On Sunday, Jonny and I hiked, pooled it up, and visited the Maroon Bells.  We stopped by The Butchers Block (around the corner from our hotel) and brought a few little snacks with us and enjoyed a little picnic among the beautiful scenery.  

We packed a lot into just a short weekend, but there was so much to do!  We can't wait to go back to Aspen and The Little Nell.  Also, I am on a serious gingham kick right now, guys so get ready because I just. can't. stop. My top is available here (I am wearing a size 0).  I have also been wearing my sun hat non stop.  Shop the rest of my look below.

Looking forward to a weekend of organizing the garage this weekend... I guess its called balance.  Darn, adulting!

Thank you to the lovely Bianca McCarty for capturing some wonderful snaps while we were in Aspen.  If you are looking for a photographer while you are visiting or doing a mountain wedding I highly recommend her (she is located in Eagle, Vail)!

xo

This post is in collaboration with The Little Nell. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!