Covet: Versatile Summer Tops

I consider myself very lucky to be able to wear jeans most days to work. It makes a huge difference in dry cleaning bills and overall ease/comfort throughout the week.

But every spring, as the temperatures start to climb, I find myself having the same issue in the morning…I stand in front of my closet and aside from my trusted cardigans, am at a total loss for spring/summer tops that are work appropriate. I purchase one or two every year, but I have to donate one or two each year too because they are so worn out–and the cycle of having only two or three warm-weather work tops perpetuates.

Denver has been unseasonably warm since early March so I am really feeling the pinch. On Sunday I allowed myself a few minutes with the new Anthropologie catalog (I try to throw it away immediately to avoid temptation) and fell in love with several items, including the blouse below.

At $78 it isn’t an outrageous purchase. and I am sure that it would get a ton of wear on weekdays and the weekend.

Source: Anthropologie.com

Thoughts? And, where else do you suggest I hunt for spring/summer tops that will not break the bank?

Friday’s Pin of the Week: Fashion

This summer we have two weddings to attend and I am already starting to think about what I am going to wear. One is in Santa Barbara and the other is here in Colorado. I hope to buy a dress that will suit both and am head-over-heels with this simple yet bold design. I am a sucker for one shoulder dresses and this color is stunning.

Better start saving!

Source: shopbop.com via Alexis on Pinterest

A Little Sprucing Up

The changes are oh-so-small, but I am really excited about the mini design face lift Lex & Learn got this week thanks to a small add-on order I made with Designer Blogs.

You’ll notice a spruced up navigation bar with page buttons that fit better into the overall design theme. I also treated myself to a favicon (the cute little L that should show up at the top of your browser when you are on my blog) and a custom post signature. We also got rid of the busy patterned paper design on the left and right of the blog and replaced it with a simple beige HEX color. Eventually I may go for more white space with a banner that spans the entire page, but for now I am really happy with how it turned out.

Designer Blogs may not be the cheapest online digital blog design shop out there, but I cannot sing their praises more loudly. If your blog is your baby and design/HTML coding is not in your areas of expertise, I think they are 100% worth the investment.

So, what do you think of the small design changes I made? Any recommendations or ideas for how I should continue to evolve and improve my blog design are appreciated!

Flower Power

On Saturday we visited the Denver Botanic Gardens with my aunt and uncle who were visiting from Los Angeles. It was a picture perfect spring day here in Denver and the gardens were vibrant thanks to the early spring weather we have been enjoying.

If you are ever in Denver during the spring or summer months, these gardens are a must. The space is a quiet oasis just on the opposite side of downtown. In the summer they offer a concert series, gardening classes and plant sales. One day down the line I wouldn’t mind getting an annual membership there. What a great spot to picnic, work on photography skills, get landscaping ideas, and so on.

Hope you enjoy some of my favorite iPhone shots! We, of course, forgot the good camera.I think it is because I need a cute camera bag that is disguised as a purse! (July birthday hint)

Friday’s Pin of the Week: Derby Flair

Our friends have finally convinced us to buy tickets to the Denver Derby Party. It is supposed to pretty rowdy, but we need to do it once right?

So now the hunt begins for a fabulous Derby hat!I love the color scheme of the one below, which I found on Etsy.

Although, the most economical choice may be a trip to Michaels for a hat, some flair and a hot glue gun.

Source: etsy.com via Alexis on Pinterest

Secret Home Alone Habits

Mike and I haven’t had much evening time together in the past two years because of his masters program, summers aside. The good news is that he graduates in about three weeks, and I cannot wait!

But on a typical Wednesday evening with him at class until close to 10pm, I found myself thinking about all the “home alone” guilty pleasures I enjoy and realized a change is on the way. Sure, trashy Bravo TV and eating cereal standing up in the kitchen for dinner are two things I’ll kind of miss…but it’s the wacky and slightly embarrassing habits that really keep my spirits up night after night.

Like what you ask?

 

Dancing unabashedly in my PJs to hip hop and “performing” Adele (and lately Fiona Apple) songs like I am on The Voice or American Idol. Yep, I am throwing it out there. Our living room looks like a regular Broadway review Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The blinds are always down and Kona tends to go hide in the basement. Apparently I am not the next American Idol.

Mike being home at night won’t stop my silliness–not one bit. But come on, there are just certain ridiculous habits that are best enjoyed when home alone. Am I right?

What do you do at home when no one is watching?! (Keep it clean people).

Salmon, a New Love

If you asked me three months ago what I thought about salmon, I would shudder, say “bleh” and declare that it tasted like the bottom of a boat. Mind you, I’ve never actually licked the bottom of a boat but I was convinced it would taste like salmon.

I must have had a really fishy bite of it years ago and have never been able to move past that experience, until now. I am on a pretty major salmon kick after trying it again out of necessity (living in Colorado and giving up meat means a lot of salmon is in my future on restaurant menus). I started slow by buying the panko crusted version in the frozen section of Sunflower Market. Two weeks ago I worked up the courage to add salmon to a salad for lunch because I was starving, and it was delicious.

So on this past Sunday I went all out. I talked to the fish guy at Safeway (for a really long time. I think he was bored) and purchased a nice piece of Alaskan farm raised salmon. Is that the sustainable one or do I have it all wrong? Anyway, I followed the super simple recipe from my aunt Karen, who is a phenomenal cook, and nearly licked my plate clean. There was not a remaining morsel to be found.

Aunt Karen’s Salmon

  • Salmon fillets – Lay skin side down on tin foil (use HD foil or double up reg foil – spray foil with pam if you have) and leave open
  • Brush fillets with olive oil (both sides)
  • Season (I used the Fox Point seasoning by Penzy’s Spices)
  • Top with brown sugar to coat (top only)
  • Heat BBQ to 425 (or really really hot, if you do not have temp gauge)
  • Put salmon on BBQ (remember to leave that foil open) – close top and cook for 11-12 minutes

Whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE GRILL LID. Resist all urges to peek until the 11 minutes have passed. Just leave it be, I promise.

Alright, hit me with another salmon recipe I should try!

Friday’s Pin of the Week: Crafty

For our wedding I wanted anything but a traditional guest book. At some point in the planning process I stumbled across the idea of having guests sign postcards, which in turn, get mailed to you throughout the year. I never needed a guest book idea after reading that. For the year leading up to the wedding Mike and I collected postcards on all of our trips, and enlisted friends and family to do the same, eventually collecting postcards from nearly every place we have ever been together.

Today, about a month shy of our first wedding anniversary, we are still receiving postcards, which my mom sends sporadically every few weeks. It has been so much fun to read everyone’s well wishes, jokes and lovely advice for keeping the love and respect forever nurtured in a marriage. The postcards can put a smile on my face even after the toughest of days.

But our cards aren’t displayed in any creative way, which is a total waste in my opinion! So when I saw the picture below I thought, that could work for us! Maybe it is something I’ll tackle this summer…

Do you have any other idea for how we can display our guest book postcards?

Source: google.com via Alexis on Pinterest

The Travel Itch

I have a major travel itch, but things just aren’t falling in line to scratch it. We do have a few weekend trips planned here and there for friends’ weddings and the like, but spider webs are forming on my passport and I am craving true international travel. It has been FAR too long.

2012 doesn’t seem promising, given the house (not complaining in the least, it is just a fact) and Mike’s new job (also, definitely not a complaint. I am 200% giddy for him).

So I’ve set my sights, goals and financial planning on early 2013. I want to go somewhere warm when it is cold here. I like to dream big, tossing out Africa to Mike the other day while driving, but am content to stick closer to home given budgets and vacation time. I would love to go to Argentina, or finally make our Peru dreams a reality. New Zealand? Don’t mind if I do.

I don’t need fancy hotels or five star restaurants. As long as we’re on reputable airlines, I am ready to survive with a backpack, supermarket snacks and local fare, and basic hotels/upscale hostels. I will not let my love of Four Seasons poolside cocktails stand in the way of what we can make happen!

Until we have a firmer grasp on 2013 time off and finances, I am content to fill my Pinterest “If I Had a Plane” board with jet setting inspiration like the eye candy below.

What stamp is your passport screaming for on its empty pages?

Argentina…

Source: google.com via April on Pinterest

Africa…

Source: nashua.edu via Edna on Pinterest

 

Down Under…

 

Brazil…

Source: pbase.com via Julie on Pinterest

Wordless Wednesday: Mad Men

Clearly I didn’t have the privilege of taking this photo. A very lucky photographer for Rolling Stone by the name of James Minchin III did. James, I tip my hat to you.

And to Vmac + Cheese for blogging about this gorgeous Mad Men photo shoot.

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