Denver Darling is Growing!

Happy Friday Guys!

I feel like I have been dropping a lot of big news on you lately... but I have more! It's all been a lot for me to take in too, but every bit of it is incredibly exciting.  I knew 2018 was going to be a year of wonderful things and big change, but I had no idea how much so!

Our little Miller family is growing this summer, and before then, Denver Darling is making some big time changes too! We are opening our first storefront in just a few short weeks!! For local friends it is in Cherry Creek North (on 3rd between Columbine and Josephine) and non local friends we will also be online soon! 

Around the time I first started blogging (almost 3 years ago... yikes!), my dear friend (now business partner!!) Molly Fortune, mentioned that we should someday open a store.  It would focus on classic, feminine clothing like we both love, at an accessible price point and unique gifts... a one stop shop, if you will! We developed the concept over countless brunches and happy hours and always saw it as kind of a farfetched idea.  After 14 weddings and countless events last summer that left me rummaging through my closet and online dress binges at 12:00am only for them to arrive and the quality to be poor - color wrong - and fit off; which would lead to a busy day of last minute shopping that I just didn't have time for only to go home and settle on an old LBD from 8 years ago.  I started thinking that we were really in need of a store that catered more to the young woman with a busy and fun loving lifestyle in Denver.

Molly and I started hearing similar stories from a lot of our friends and began thinking more seriously that we may be in need of a shop that carries more classic clothing and occasion dresses for every event that may pop up (brunch - black tie and everything in between) and an assortment of unique and fine gifts for the bride, baby or hostess to make life easier on us gals with limited time.

We still had sort of a 5 year plan in mind when we stumbled on the perfect place.  A little house in the middle of Cherry Creek, and we knew it was the perfect place to take the leap and call it Denver Darling's first home.  In addition to a space to house apparel and gifts, the outdoor space and upstairs area provides a unique venue that we hope to share with friends and nonprofits that we love for special events.

We are not sure what we we were thinking, but neither Molly or I got before photos of our little house #badblogger, but here is a photo of my dad taking snap chats (he crushes snapchat) of the original and our new paint job.  We are thrilled with how it is coming along!  We obviously still have some work, like signage and new awning, but it has come a long way in a short time.  We have a few more updates before we open in just a few short weeks and now that the secret is out I will definitely be sharing all of them with you as they come along!

I shared a few sneak peeks of things we will be carrying in the store over the past few days (below too!)... I would have loved to preview a cocktail dress or two, but things just don't fit the way they used to right now ;).  I am wearing a gown that we just got in assuming I don't grow too much between now and then.  We would love to hear what brands you love and things that you would love us to carry as we get started!

Wish us luck!! We will be sure to keep you posted these next few weeks with all of the details!! Can't wait to see you all in the store soon!

xo

Abby & Molly

My favorite Denver neighborhoods

By far, the question I get most frequently is, "What is the best neighborhood for young women to live in Denver?"  And it seems recently, I have been getting more emails, comments, and messages that a lot of you are making a move here from out of state (or even just looking for a change of scenery within the city).  First of all, YAY!! You will love it! We can't wait to have you!  And next, the mission for my blog has always been to be a resource for friends new and old to share my love for all things Denver/Colorado.  That being said, I get giddy when I see your emails asking for neighborhood, restaurant, or shopping recommendations because you are taking a trip or moving here.  You may have noticed the new "Denver Guide" tab at the top of the blog which I will be adding all my local recommendations and favorites going forward.

Lohi

A few of you have been pointing out that you are hoping to live in a place that is fun, but have outgrown the party scene.  I'm with you!  Jonny and I live in Lohi and it is hands down my favorite neighborhood, but obviously I am a little biased.  Lohi is nestled between the Highlands and the edge of Downtown, where the rejuvenated Union Station area is.  We love that there are at least 10 great restaurants within a few blocks and a new one popping up seemingly every day (I say this all the time, but we love Linger, Postino, Avanti, Lola, and Recess to name a few).  We rarely leave our little Lohi bubble because there is so much going on: a fun place for happy hour, great brunch spots, and it is a 15 minute walk (via pedestrian bridge) to the Union Station area to enjoy the beautiful farmers market in the summer.  And because I am a visual person and maybe you are too, here are a few of my favorite looks I have shot around the hood (look 1, look 2, look 3, look 4, look 5).  

Apartment recs: Commons Park West, The Station, The Manhattan (Riverfront), Line 28, Studio Lohi, Glass House (for rent by owner)

Wash Park

When it is nice out I am at Wash Park at least once a week.  Because Colorado is landlocked people flock to big parks to hang out when it is warm and Wash Park is the perfect location.  It is right between Downtown Denver and Cherry Creek (which we will cover next).  Cherry Creek Shopping Center is the closest mall to me and I must admit, that I am there far too much, but I do love stopping at Wash Park before or after for a quick jog with Stanley.  The neighborhood around the Park is just as charming as the park.  Just south of the park is the best sushi in town and a couple of my favorite boutiques on Pearl Street and a few blocks east is an adorable gift shop and bakery.  A couple of my favorite looks from Wash Park (here, here, here, and here).

Apartments: Country Club Towers

Cherry Creek North

Cherry Creek North is another neighborhood I find myself in often.  Jonny works in the area and my mom lives in the neighborhood as well (it doesn't hurt that the mall is there as well).  My mom loves living there.  She walks to dinner with her friends, and is able to walk to the mall or boutiques.  The salon I have been going to since I was 18 is a stones throw from her condo and several of my favorite restaurants (Hillstone, Cucina Colore, and Quality Italian are all within blocks of each other. I shot a few of my very favorite looks in CC North! Like this one and this one from our holiday card!

Apartments: The Seasons of Cherry Creek and Steele Creek

Cap Hill

Some of our best friends live in Capitol Hill and love it! It is in walking distance to Trader Joes (which was a big deal for us CO peeps btw), several other grocery stores, and Cheeseman Park, another gorgeous park for jogs and picnics.  

Apartments: Acoma

Other favorites:

• Highlands: West of Lohi, great restaurants and a lovely farmers market in the Summer.
• Riverfront: Connects Lohi and Union Station, affordable apartments, great restaurants like Colt and Gray, and Sushi Sasa.
• Uptown: East of Downtown (gosh we were creative with the names here...?) affordable apartments, great restaurants! We like Coperta and Beast and Bottle!
• Congress Park: Just discovered this adorable neighborhood, but shot these photos at Sweet Cooies here and can't wait to go back! The main street could not be cuter.. packed with families and young people.

Making Decisions with Minted

Happy Thursday, Friends!

I hope you have had a wonderful week and are getting excited for some Halloween festivities this weekend.  Any fun plans?  I am not the biggest Halloween - er (you know what I mean, right?).  I don't plan my costume months, weeks, or even days in advance.... usually it is hours, but Jonny and I have the worlds worst FOMO (fear of missing out) so I am sure we will end up dressing up when all I really want to do is lie on the couch and watch Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown, either way I am looking forward to something festive this weekend.

So on top of having serious FOMO Jonny and I have another huge problem.  We are both incredibly indecisive.  It is funny how similar we are.  Usually opposites attract for a reason;  Well, lucky for us, we found each other because I am not quite sure that anyone else could put up with our indicisiveness.  

Real talk, I just hung pictures from our wedding (just celebrated our 2 year anniversary).  I always have these wonderful ideas about interior design, but never really follow through with them because I hate making the final decision.  This is something we are both working on.  

About a month ago I realized this and mentioned it to my friend Nerida and she said, you know it is really easy to overcome?  Just start deciding.  So that is exactly what I did.  I started small with our entryway and am so excited with how it has turned out and, much to Jonny's dismay, will be making decisions all over the house now (hehehe)... soon I will take over the world jk!

I mentioned here last year how much I love Minted for holiday cards, and how easy they are to work with.  And the same holds true with their beautiful artwork.  I am so impressed by their beautiful selection from independent artists.  I also love the option to choose a unique frame and everything is incredibly priced.  Each of these prints was under $90 (without frame).

You can imagine that selecting art, for me, can be a little overwhelming.  Especially when there are so many gorgeous options!  So I narrowed my selection down to the colors that I know I love and want people to be greeted with when they walk through our door (of course I snuck in some pink!).  After making my selections it was easy to find the rest of the decor compliment the paintings.  I found this bench for a steal!  And I have had a few questions about our Colorado pillow - I found it here.  

Hope the rest of your week is wonderful, would love to hear what you have planned! 

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

Pumpkin Pickin

Happy Wednesday Friends,

I hope you are having a wonderful week...  if you are here in CO, seriously, can you believe this weather?  And if you are not, hope it is just as beautiful where you are!!

Jonny and I spent the better part of this past weekend enjoying the sunshine and our new puppy, Stanley.  He is an absolute riot and super smart... I sound like such a crazy dog lady, but I am convinced he is a puppy angel sent by Charlie Brown (why not, right?).  

It is rare that we have a free day that neither Jonny or I have work, a birthday, wedding, or other beautiful commitment so we decided to take a little daycation to Boulder and stop at the Cottonwood Farms Pumpkin Patch along the way.  We searched all over for a place that would also allow Stanley and it seems this is the only pumpkin patch that is also dog friendly.  Well, we were so glad we stopped here because it was incredibly charming.  Entry is free, wagons provided for your pumpkin picking pleasure, and possibly the highlight for me.... they have a mini horse!! One day I am going to get one and my poor husband is just going to come home to a small zoo in our townhouse.  

Jonny and I were so excited enjoy the beautiful fall day at the pumpkin patch.  And, my flannel that I just snagged from Madewell is super comfy! Definitely cozy, so will be perfect for chillier temperatures later this fall and winter.  I love how versatile this skirt is too - I have also worn it with a white tee and booties and will be great with black tights and boots in cooler temps too!  My boots and purse are both tried and true favorites.  Jonny actually got me both for Christmas two years ago and they have stayed in such wonderful condition!  Shop all outfit details below.

Would love to hear your favorite pumpkin picking spots!  Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!

This sweet life

Hi Friends,

Hope you have had a beautiful week!  For me, this week has been so special and nothing less than inspiring.  Tuesday was Jonny and my anniversary so started out on a lovely note.  I have to admit, we didn't have a typical fancy date night and we were both more than ok with that - we went car shopping and hung pictures, but it was a perfect night for us and a great way to start our week.  

Yesterday, I attended the Women's Foundation Luncheon - the Foundation raises money so that every girl and woman in Colorado can achieve her full potential.  I loved sitting amidst 2,300 women supporting other women in Colorado.   The highlight was seeing Misty Copeland share her inspiring story of becoming a principal ballerina.  She was so incredibly humble and poised.  I have never wanted to be a ballerina so badly - haha!  One can dream, right?  

Following the event I sat at a table to enjoy the beautiful weather and work outside and saw a young man sprint and yell after a man in military attire.  I thought he had forgotten his wallet or something, when the young man yelled "Sir" and as the man turned around he stood there and saluted him in the middle of the restaurant with the proudest look on his face, then turned around and walked back to the table with his young friends and continued eating his ice cream.  It was one of the most touching things that I have ever seen.

I am headed to another event for a wonderful cause tonight. The Mode fashion event benefitting Denver Health.  I feel so lucky and proud to live in a wonderful place that supports and cares about the community.  If you are interested in going, you can get ticket information here.

I just snagged this dress from Loft (30% off with code shopsmart) when I was in a pinch for some new work dresses last week.  It is perfect for a luncheon with navy heels (like these) or a casual day at work with tan lace up booties (like mine).  I actually wore this look to work then to meet some friends for happy hour.  The weight is great for this early fall weather and will be perfect with tights and boots once snow starts falling.  And this Sole Society clutch is my favorite for fall and an absolute steal ($39.95).

Jonny and I are hoping to get to the mountains this weekend to see the fall colors!  What fun plans do you have?

xo