Money and Relationships with Capital One

Hi Guys - Happy Friday!

Jonny and I just got back from celebrating our 3 year anniversary last weekend  – can you believe it?! Time certainly flies!! You can read one of my OG posts about our wedding here.  We have really been lucky to celebrate our anniversary back where it all began in Vail every year since our wedding.  It is truly a magical place!

Every year around our anniversary, Jonny and I reflect on all of the stars that aligned to bring us together nine years ago (holy moly!) and to get us to where we are today.  We reminisce about our early years dating, watch our wedding video, and talk about our goals for the future.  Early on in our marriage – and sometimes still – setting financial goals together was/can be tough.  When you get married, bringing two totally different backgrounds and mindsets together can be tricky.  And as similar as Jonny and I are (in pretty much every other way), we couldn’t be more different when it comes to how we value our finances…  I love to get my nails done, splurge on great shoes and never turn down a chance for a date night (obvi!), but Jonny likes to save for big experiences and fun activities that we can do together. 

Especially early on in our marriage we had to learn to adapt our individual spending habits to compliment our new life together.  And today, we know it is important to keep the communication open to make sure that our values are lining up and we are marching down the same (or similar-ish) path towards our financial goals. Jonny will never quite understand why I need someone else to do my eyebrows… and I will never understand his need to eat Chipotle daily?? (Girls, can you relate?) but we have adapted 😂.

When Capital One asked Jonny and me to partner with them on their upcoming Money and Relationship workshops in Denver, I jumped at the opportunity because I think this is such an important topic for new couples! They shared some interesting statistics with me like: three quarters (75%) of Americans who are currently in, or have ever been in, a committed relationship feel that setting financial goals with a partner is more difficult than setting goals as an individual. But, despite this sense of difficulty, nearly two-thirds (63%) would prefer to manage finances with a partner rather than individually. The challenge? More than two- thirds (67%) of those currently in a relationship admit that they don’t manage their expenses equally with their partner.

Jonny and I are so excited to participate in the Money Matched game at the Capital One Café onOctober 4th – a live “dating game” if you will, to see how well we know each other’s money values.  We hope you will join us – feel free to point, laugh, make funny faces, and participate!  And stay for the first Money and Relationships workshop that focuses on how our pasts have influenced our feelings about money. 

• What: Money Matched Game and Money and Relationships Workshop
• When: October 4th
• 5:00-7:00p
• Where: Capital One Café – 1550 Wewatta St. 

Hope to see you there!!

xo

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

Evening at Alamo DraftHouse

Hi Guys!

Last week was an absolute whirlwind! I was playing catch up all week from my travel the prior week on emails, meetings, calls, and events.  Sometimes I feel like going out of town can be so stressful because I have so much to do when I get back.  The house is a disaster, my suitcase has exploded and taken over our bedroom, and I always have to retrain my body to get back on a regular workout routine (thats for a whole other post).  Luckily I had carved out a little time for fun in my schedule - and the grand opening of the Alamo Drafthouse did not disappoint! 

When Jonny and I first started dating we saw a new movie every week.  As our schedules have gotten fuller, we are pretty picky about how we spend our time and until now have not had the option to enjoy dinner AND a movie in the same venue unless we  drive at least 30 minutes from Denver. So I could not be more thrilled that their is now an Alamo Drafthouse (Sloans Lake) so close to us.

I bumped into a familiar face (Lacey from My Boring Closet - you met her here and here), at the grand opening and before exploring the theater, we were greeted by some rapping magicians on a tilt-o-whirl tuk tuk (I think??)... they insisted we take a ride and "raise the roof", which we of course could not pass up!  I doubt they will be at every movie, but they definitely made for a wonderful first impression.

Jonny and I are already planning our next movie date and can't wait to try the full dine in movie experience.  If you saw my instagram post last week, then you know that the weather was INSANE so getting dressed last week was a little interesting.  I went with this new favorite, lightweight top ($16) (also comes in white)! I have worn it with these white jeans ($59) and these navy shorts ($125) too!  And I wore my favorite OLD sailor trousers, so I am sorry to say they are out of stock, but I found a very similar pair here ($35) and here ($40).

What great movies have you seen lately? Would love to hear your recs!

xo

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Alamo Drafthouse. The opinions and text are all mine.

Palm Print in Palm Springs

Happy Friyay, Friends!

I've sure missed you guys! If you follow me on Instagram you may have picked up that I had a packed travel itinerary last week.  I started out in Palm Springs visting my grandparents and it was so nice to spend uninterrupted, quality time with them.  As we all get a little older I do my best to take in and cherish every moment with my loved ones.  And this time with my Nana and Papa was especially important because I rarely get to spend more than a few hours at a time with them.

Photography: Erica Mendenhall // Location: Palm Springs, CA

When I was deciding what to pack for Palm Springs, Scottsdale, and Chicago, honestly I was a little overwhelmed! The idea of squeezing outfits for three cities, multiple events, and very different climates made my head spin a bit.  At the end of the day, I had a few things that worked for me (more on that next week!).  But the one thing I knew was I wanted to find the perfect palm print to wear while I was in Palm Springs.  And I was thrilled when I found these palm print overalls!

Anyone else been resisting the overall trend? Me too. I thought these were a great way for me to ease into it! They are advertised as a romper (or playsuit.. potato/pot-a-to), but they definitely need a little top under (I like this one, this one with ruffles or this one $12), so I think they are definitely in more of the overall category!  I opted to size up so the shorts would be longer, but if you are looking for a tighter/shorter fit I would say it runs true to size.

While I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get ready for my trip(s).  I stopped by a new boutique in Denver, Billie and got these sunnies and this adorable lemon print top!  This clutch is so perfect for vacation and summer and I even wore it dressed up in rainy Chicago.

What are your Cinco de Mayo or Derby plans this weekend?!  

xo

Breaking Down Liketoknow.it and the new app!

Hi Guys!

I hope you had a great weekend!  Jonny and I had a low key-ish weekend at home and if you follow me on instagram you may know that we attended the Heart Ball benefitting the American Heart Association.  I am so impressed by this organization and am so grateful for the wonderful work they are doing to educate people about heart health.  

We also went to dinner with friends from out of town and several asked me to walk them through exactly how and what Liketoknow.it is.  Halfway through the conversation my little sister (who may online shop and use social media more than me!) let me know that she has never fully understood how to access Liketoknow.it.  I realized if my closest friends/ and hippest family members don't understand what I am talking about, then I need to do a better job of educating!  So here goes:

1. I use Liketoknow.it on most of my instagram photos (like this one) to create shoppable links for you guys. Until recently (last week in fact!) you had to register with Liketoknow.it in order to receive these details.  You can still sign up with your email (here) to receive outfit details direct to your inbox within 5-10 minutes of liking a photo of your favorite bloggers who are affiliated with Liketoknow.it.

2. With the launch of the new Liketoknow.it app getting details from your favorite bloggers pictures is even simpler!  Once you have downloaded the app (no email/registration required), you can shop details direct from the app by taking a screen shot or liking a Liketoknow.it enabled image on Instagram, Instagram Stories, or SnapChat.

3. How do you know if a photo is shoppable with Liketoknow.it? Good question! You may have noticed a little heart in the lower right hand corner of my instagram photos this past week (like in the above pic).  That is the new Liketoknow.it logo and will signify a shoppable image (via like or screen shot) on instagram or stories (sorry my snapchat game is the worst!).  Another clue it is Liketoknow.it enabled is, @liketoknow.it and hashtag #liketk is within the caption of the post.

4.  With technology there is never a guarantee, right?  If the app or emails are not working you can always go directly to denverdarling.com/liketoknowit and find all of my Liketoknow.it enabled instagrams and details there!

I am so excited about the new app! And I hope this clarifies any questions that you have had.  If you have any more, don't hesitate for a minute to reach out!.

Dressed in Holiday Style with MAX

Hi Guys!

I hope you had a wonderful week! I am so excited for some festive fun this weekend.  I love that there are so many opportunities to wear extra special dresses durning the holidays and that it is perfectly appropriate to wear sparkle, bows, and lace on just about everything.  

Last week I stopped in MAX Boutique in Cherry Creek (additional locations in Boulder and Aspen), which is at the very top of my list for for high end boutiques in Colorado!  Max, the owner is one of the friendliest people around and has amazing style! I can't wait to show you some other fun things I snagged while I was there.  They carry a ton of beautiful Self Portrait dresses which are perfect for the holidays!!  My dress is sold out online, but available at MAX and found some similar options (here, here, and here).

I wore this dress to Jonny's office holiday party earlier this week.  It was really snowing so I ended up wearing tights and these black pumps.  As for my new over the knee boots, as you know I was a little scared to try this trend, and now I can't get enough!  I always felt they would make me look even shorter than I already am, but it turns out they elongate and are incredibly comfortable.  My coat is one of my favorite hand-me-downs from my mom, but I found a similar coat (on major SALE here $159) and also here $449.  I've linked several similar dresses and the rest of my outfit details below!

What fun holiday plans do you have this weekend?!

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