Sundance :: Days 6 thru 10

The second half of my trip to Utah started with a really long day. I woke up early to head back to Main Street in Park City to visit the Pure Barre Pop Up Shop where the two owners of my studio were working for the weekend. I was able to get into the 7:00AM class and we had a blast working out with some Sundance VIPs.

I went back to my hotel for a quick nap and then headed back to Park City for my long shift. To be honest, I was dreading this 13 hour shift, but it ended up being so much fun. In the afternoon, I was scheduled to work crowd liaison, which means I was stationed outside. I ended up getting put on the main entrance to the theater for pass holders and because of my awesome location, I got to see so many famous people! We were screening Partisan, starring Vincent Cassell, and Unexpected, starring Cobie Smulders and Anders Holm. I saw Cobie Smulders walk by before heading into the press tent and I have to say she is even more stunning in person. I got a glimpse of Anders Holm as he went into the theater. I saw Jake Johnson and spoke to him briefly as he arrived for the movie and then I saw Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt and made them laugh!

For the second half of my shift, I was back inside with my usual crew. We were screening I Smile Back starring Sarah Silverman and Hellions starring Robert Patrick. I saw Edgar Wright, director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, and Winona Ryder who were both serving as jurors for I Smile Back. Sarah Silverman was absolutely gorgeous in real life and we got to see James Franco again for both screenings. While the second screening was loading, I spotted Robert Patrick too. Before we left, Gina, Cassandra, and I sneaked into the press tent to take some pictures in front of the step and repeat. So cool!

I had every intention to return to the Pure Barre Pop Up that morning, but after such a long day on Sunday, I had to sleep in. Instead, I went to see The Imitation Game in Salt Lake City and it did not disappoint.

For dinner before my shift, I went to In-N-Out because I cannot go to Salt Lake without hitting up In-N-Out. I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of the fries, but their burgers and shakes are to die for. I truly believe 2/3 of the meal is more than worth the hype. While I was there, I'm 99% sure I saw Jef Holm of The Bachelorette fame. (Emily Maynard's former fiance.)

On the way into Park City, I had to stop and take a picture of this very festive bus stop. It's my personal belief that all mountain towns should have Christmas lights up all year round. 

That night, we screened Take Me to the River and The Nightmare and I was able to see Take Me to the River. Advantageous was screening before my shift and I was taking ballots outside of the entourage door, so I was able to see and talk to Ken Jeong. He was so charming and shy and it was just wonderful chatting with him for a hot second.

I hung out in Salt Lake again on Tuesday and decided to hit up Sushi Burrito on 8th for dinner. There's a place like that in Boulder, so I was really hopeful. It was good, but Motomaki in Boulder is WAY better.

Tuesday was my last shift at the festival and I was working crowd liaison again. I was stationed at the same entrance, where I saw Forest Whitaker and his crew leave. That was pretty cool, I have to admit. He was awesome and signed autographs for fans waiting for him.

We were screening 99 Homes starring Andrew Garfield, Laura Dern, and Michael Shannon as a local screening where Park City residents could see it. Of course James Franco showed up too. The midnight movie that evening was Reversal. During 99 Homes, I started chatting with James Franco's driver and it was pretty cool to get an inside look into another completely different role at the festival.

One of the best parts of working the late shift is the concession stand gives us all of their left over popcorn when they close.

We had another photo shoot before we left that night, this time in the green room. It was pretty cool hanging out in there too.

I had a full free day on Wednesday and I had every intention to see at least two movies, but I didn't wake up early enough to get to Eccles early enough for a volunteer ticket to see Dope. I really dropped the ball there. Instead, I just saw The D Train. It was pretty cool to get out and about at the festival. It pains me to admit that it wast the first time I used one of my volunteer vouchers or the first time I saw a movie at a different theater. Next year, I'm going to do this more! I've really been missing out. I saw Richard Kind from Spin City at The D Train, but it took me a while to figure out who he was.

After the movie, I hung out at Starbucks to kill about an hour, then I headed to Main Street. I happened to walk through an alley that happened to have a Banksy painting on it, which was pretty cool. I wish I had spent more time on Main Street during the festival because it was cool.

 

I met Cassandra and Gina at Davanza's, which was amazing. The pizza was so good and even though I'm not usually one for crinkle cut fries, they were delicious.

It was a pretty cool place other than having delicious food. I would absolutely go back next time in Park City!

After dinner, we went to the Music Cafe for the volunteer appreciation day party. I think last year I missed this by one day, so it was fun to go to that. It was a lot smaller than the party at the beginning of the festival, but it was fun nonetheless. Plus they had the best sugar cookies and Red Vines. You can't beat Red Vines!

The next morning I woke up relatively early to hit the road. I packed up my hotel room and sadly said goodbye, then made the 8 hour drive back home. I stopped in Laramie for lunch, where I stopped for dinner last year, but I ended up eating at Subway because I couldn't find anything local that looked good and I was starving and really had to pee. Next time, I'm finding a restaurant beforehand because last year I ate at Applebee's and I'm thinking there has to be something good and local there! I drove straight to Pure Barre Boulder to take class (I needed some exercise after sitting in the car all day), and then went to church after that for Merge, as per my usual Thursday night. It made for a long day, and honestly, I was a little bummed when I got home to my own bed. I missed my awesome hotel room and Utah!

Sundance :: Days 1 thru 5

I attended the Sundance Film Festival for the second time this year and it was an aboslute blast.

 
On Tuesday morning, my mom and I headed to Utah for the relatively short road trip and we were blessed with exceptional weather the whole way. Last year it was a little dicey (and icy) in Wyoming, but we couldn't have asked for a better drive. 

We stopped at the same gas station as last year and, I have to say, it's my favorite gas station. Everyone has a favorite gas station, right? I just love this old building facade that's right by it, complete with a saloon, bank, and seed & feed store.

When we got to Park City, the first thing we did was stop by the festival headquarters to pick up my volunteer credentials and jacket. I have to say, I love the silver/red combination a lot more than last year's light blue/black.

We walked up and down Main Street to see some of the venues and shops before stopping in No Name Saloon for an extra dirty martini.

It was an amazing day in the mountains and there was even some left over snow on the ground and the roofs! We went to Red Rock Brewery in Kimball Junction for dinner, like we did last year. We even sat at the same table and I was able to rectify my mistake of not ordering the steak salad last time and it was just as delicious as I hoped it would be for the last year.

We started the day at Eggs in the City in Salt Lake. After a delicious breakfast, we visited the capital building and walked around inside and out.

They were setting up for a memorial service inside, but we were able to see most of the building and it was obviously gorgeous.

I especially loved the ceiling in the basement. After our self-guided tour, we went to lunch at Red Iguana (where I had the best shrimp quesadilla ever) and then I dropped my mom off at the airport.

I stopped by my favorite bakery in Salt Lake, Sweet Tooth Fairy. Before I knew it, I was ordering a dozen cupcakes--red velvet, salted caramel, chocolate chip cookie dough, and samoa.

I went to Park City for my first training and then hung out at Starbucks to kill time between training and the volunteer party. I ended up chatting with some fellow volunteers and they invited me to the lodge where the party was to hang out until 8:30. In a weird coincidence, I had actually talked to one of them via Facebook a few weeks before the festival in regards to housing. So crazy! We went downstairs for the party, which was a blast. I ran into two of my favorite volunteers from last year, who were sadly working at a different venue this year, and I also saw my management team again.

On Thursday morning, I got up early to go back to Park City for my theater training. I recognized some familiar faces from last year and got to see the new renovations to the Park City Library.

That afternoon, I visited my favorite movie theater in Salt Lake to see American Sniper, the second movie in my quest to see the eight Best Picture nominees for this year. It was great and I had a wonderful cocktail called Pineapple Express, which ended up being aptly named for who I ran into half a dozen times later in the week.

The days were beautiful and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Instead of being outside, though, I opted to see The Theory of Everything and it did not disappoint.

I decided to try Yoshi, a fast food sushi place, near my hotel. I was not impressed. The miso soup was delicious, but everything else just seemed to be covered in this orange sauce and it was just too much. I wouldn't recommend it.

So I had one of my chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes for dessert to make up for the lousy dinner.

I got ready for my first shift at the library, where we would be screening The D Train and Knock Knock. While I was walking to the library, I saw Henry Zebrowski (of A to Z fame) walking down the street. He was in The D Train, explaining his presence.  Around the theater and during the Q&A, I saw Jarrad Paul (who played Monk's obnoxious neighbor on Monk and directed The D Train), James Marsden (who is even hotter in real life), Jack Black (who is just as wonderful as you would imagine him to be), Kathryn Hahn, and Jeffrey Tambor (who dresses just like George Senior). At the next screening, I saw the director, Eli Roth, and the star, Keanu Reeves (who just has a movie star aura about him).

Before heading home, I drove up Main Street and it was insane. There were people everywhere trying to get into the pop up clubs and spot celebrities. What a party!

On Saturday morning, I got up early to take class at Pure Barre Park City. In my year and a half doing Pure Barre, I had never taken a class anywhere but Boulder, but I was pleasantly surprised. The studio was beautiful and charming and the class was great!

I had plans to meet my friend Julie for lunch, so I had to pull out my faux fur vest, which is so Sundance. I'm kicking myself for not remembering my wool hat!

We went to The Annex for lunch and it was so good! I got the lamb burger and it was the best burger I've ever had!

After lunch, we went across town to RubySnap for cookies. If you're in the area, you have to check them out! All their cookies are named after women and they have unique flavors and homemade charm. Plus, if you want to try one, they'll give you a pretty good chunk!

I settled on the vanilla bean cookie with beet buttercream. I'm so glad I tasted it because it was amazing and I never would have thought!

That night at the library, I saw A$AP Rocky and Zoe Kravitz who starred in Dope, which finished screening just as my shift began. We screened Z for Zachariah, which I saw and was amazing. I also spotted Chris Pine, Margot Robbie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor who were stars of the film. I sat behind James Franco in the theater and later saw Tobey Maguire in the hallway since he was a producer on the film. Both of whom smiled at me. Our next screening was Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon. I got to be stationed right outside the theater lounge where the entourage hangs out, so I spotted Kevin Bacon (who also smiled at me) and laughed with Kyra Sedgwick as she waited for her husband before heading upstairs to the theater. Two days later, I watched the latest episode of Brooklyn 99 and it was so crazy to have just seen her in person and then see her on the show!

Ten on Ten :: January 2015

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month!

Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day!

My (creepy) wake up call. I'm cat sitting for my friend! Meet Calvin!

Nothing like this view!

Lunch and Gilmore Girls.

Love this sweater.

Took an awesome class today on oils in the Bible. It was so incredible!

Inspiring words from my friend's bathroom.

 Preparing for tomorrow when I can break in my new copper mugs.

Colorado sunsets never disappoint.

Went to the double header against my old high school rival. We crushed 'em and my sister even got to play a little!

 Kind of a weird snack from the concession stand, but delicious!

January 2011 | January 2012 | January 2013 | January 2014

Farewell 2014

After a very low key New Years Eve, I had a low key first day of January. I also decided to capture 2014 with a photo a day. The next day, I had to return Holmes and Watson back to the Humane Society to find their forever home. Later that week, Christian and I met Rachel and Travis down in Cabo San Lucas and had a great, relaxing week. When we got back, I did a three day cleanse and loved it. I had an incredible opportunity to volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in January, so my mom and I took a little road trip to Salt Lake City. I was able to stay with my friend Julie and I volunteered at the Park City Library and had a great experience! I can't wait for next year! I met Christian in the mountains after my time in Utah for a weekend getaway that included date "night" at Devil's Thumb. We had a great time cross country skiing and Christian did great for his first time. At the end of the month, I bought a juicer and started making lots of yummy juice.

Favorite post of the month: Cabo San Lucas in Pictures

February started off with my aunt's surprise party. I just love surprise parties! The next day was Superbowl Sunday and of course that was a huge bummer for us Coloradans. Christian and I didn't have a typical Valentine's Day, but instead celebrated over a couple of days. We went to the couple's class at Pure Barre the day before then out to dinner for February Date Night. I had participated in another Cara Box Exchange and got a great box! I started selling some clothes on an second Instagram account and it was a decent success. (You can still shop my closet.) I got back into babysitting after a long break and offered up some advice for parents and babysitters. February wasn't the most exciting month and I didn't have a lot of events or notable experiences, but I did use my juicer a lot and tried to eat healthy and worked out a lot, especially toward the end of the month.

Favorite post of the month: Pickwick & Weller

I was looking forward to March because that meant my second challenge at Pure Barre, this time it was 21 classes in 31 days. (And yes, it snowed like crazy on March 1st.)  We kicked off March with our second annual Oscar's party and it was a huge success! The food was great and we had like triple the turnout from the year before. I spent a lot of the month exercising (spinning or walking when I wasn't at Pure Barre) and hanging out with friends. I celebrated four years of blogging (although I originally for got my blogiversary on the 9th).  On the 14th, exactly 8 months after my first class at Pure Barre Boulder, I took my 100th class. It was such an accomplishment! Christian and I had our monthly date night and hung out on Pearl Street, eating at a great restaurant and making a few more fun stops. Of course no March is complete without Irish Carbomb Cupcakes for St. Patricks Day.  March Madness kicked off and of course I filled out a few brackets--okay, four.  While most people tossed theirs when Dayton and Mercer pulled major upsets, I was actually on roll getting 15/16 correct picks (thanks a lot CU) on the first day. Of course it was all downhill from there.  We celebrated my mom's birthday toward the end of the month and the beginning of baseball season, as well.

Favorite post of the month: 100 Classes Later

 April kicked off with a bought of spring snow on a day I went to Denver for a seminar for work. Fun times. I made homemade macarons twice in April, once for fun and once for Easter. Christian and I hosted a viewing party for the return of our favorite show, Game of Thrones and it was a blast! Everyone brought themed food and it was delicious and the premiere did not disappoint. Compared to last April, it truly felt like spring. It was warm enough to sit outside and watch Rachel play soccer and made me want to buy fresh flowers, although that's not a something I can afford to make into a habit. April's date "night" turned out to be low key: breakfast and a hike not too far from home. (That's what I love about Colorado.) Easter Sunday was spent at church and having lunch with my family, just how Easter Sunday should be spent. Before the month was over, I picked up a litter of four kittens to foster and I was offered a position working the front desk at Pure Barre! On the last day of the month, after more than a year and a half of being together, Christian and I mutually decided to call it quits on our relationship and work on our friendship instead.
  
Favorite post of the month: Game of Thrones Season 4 Premiere Party

I started May by visiting an old friend in Fort Collins for dinner and celebrating my cousin's baby on board. Nothing like dinner on a patio or mimosas in the morning! I got my spring Cara Box from Ali and loved all the Pasadena/LA goodies! For once, I celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style with some margaritas at the famous Rio in Boulder. We did Mother's Day a day early by going to high tea with my mom and sisters. It was so much fun getting all dressed up for tea! The following day, we got a huge cold front that lasted a few days and it even snowed. Yes, on May 11th. My sweet kittens were doing so well and all of Hawthorne's eating paid off when he weighed in just 1/2 an ounce short of 2 pounds. They were all able to get fixed and get on the adoption floor just in time for the Humane Society's "kitten shower". My friend Stephy's son turned one and the party was a success. She asked me to make the smash cake, so I got to use my Kitchen Aid mixer for the first time. Over Memorial Day Weekend, I picked up two new foster kittens, Argon and Neon. Argon was born with a clubbed foot, but it's like he doesn't even notice. On Memorial Day, I went to Folsom Field to watch the 36th Annual Bolder Boulder. I ended up not running, but it was fun sitting in the stands and watching everyone finish and the ceremony afterward. We spent the rest of the day at the Boulder Creek Festival. I spent the rest of the week enjoying perfect weather and setting some goals for the summer. I also decided to create a budget for the first time in my life and to give it a trial run in June.

Favorite post of the month: Ten on Ten :: May 2014 

June was the first full month of my budget, even though I started May 29th. It actually went really well and I spent a fraction of what I had been spending previous months. Stephy convinced me to take a personal day at work (okay, I didn't need much convincing) and spend the day in Estes Park. We went for a short walk around Bear Lake, had a picnic lunch, and stopped for the most amazing cookies in the world on the way home. I spent time doing typical summer activities: the farmer's market on Saturday, brunching on Sunday. What's better than that? I also decided to purchase Tiny Tea and do a 28-day teatox. I noticed a difference almost immediately! My friend took me to visit her horse out in Johnstown and I rode a horse for the first time in YEARS. Sadly, there was no big Game of Thrones finale party like the premiere a few months earlier, but I did get nearly 500 likes on one picture on Instagram about it. Sorry, I had to just throw that in there! I was in shock! Toward the end of the month, I took my 150th class at Pure Barre Boulder. I got hit with FIFA Fever with the USA's success (with an asterisk, I guess) and I named my newest litter of foster kittens after the guys who scored for USA in the first three games: Brooks, Dempsey, and Jones. They were the smallest kittens I've ever had and even though Jones was a bit standoffish at the beginning, he came around. I was invited to my first-ever gender reveal party and found out my friend and coworker is having a baby boy come November. I also did a three day juice cleanse on the last weekend of the month, this time with Suja.

Favorite post of the month: Bear Lake Adventures

July seemed to come a little early this year. I couldn't believe how quickly the year was going! Casey and I went on our first date and it was enough to do the trick. I probably had one of the best 4th's of my life. I made an American flag cake for the second year in a row (after one failed attempt on the 3rd). I went to the Rockies game with some friends and even though the Dodgers won 9-0, the fireworks were amazing and I want to make it a 4th of July tradition! On the 10th, I celebrated four years of participating in Ten on Ten! (Boy, have I come a long way!) I also went with my mom, sister, and nephew to see Peter Sagal and Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me live at Red Rocks. It was amazing. The show was great, the weather was perfect, and the venue was--of course--breathtaking. I got my little sister to try Pure Barre for the first time and she loved it. (Though I have yet to take someone to class that didn't at least like it a little bit!) A few days later, I celebrated my one year anniversary at Pure Barre Boulder with my 159th class and then a Pure Barre BBQ later that weekend. For the last week in July, I went to New York City to visit my friend Krista. I did all the necessary tourist things (30 Rock, Central Park, the Met, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and more!) and had a blast on my trip! She had to work a lot while I was there, but I actually really enjoyed exploring on my own!

Favorite post of the month: 4th of July

August started with my readjustment back to work, MST, and the mountains. (I missed the big city!) I took my kittens back to the humane society a few days after I got back, but I later got an email that after 10 days on the adoption floor, Brooks and Jones had been adopted and Dempsey had come down with a cold. I ended up taking Dempsey back for a short-term foster so he could get better at a home. I spent my 24th birthday in the mountains with my friend Stephy. It was the perfect little getaway and just what I needed! I had a family dinner to celebrate the next day. A few days later, news of Robin Williams' death spread and I actually took it pretty hard. The next day, I visited the house used for exterior shots in Mork & Mindy, located in Boulder. It was incredible to see the outpouring of mourners and how they were choosing to heal after the loss of a great entertainer. That weekend, I got the haircut I had been looking forward to for at least a month. I went a few inches shorter and even got bangs for the first time in about six years! I finally got back into a routine with going to church and it was just what I needed. I went to Nederland to hike and enjoy beautiful Colorado, then tried Cherry Cricket for the first time ever (and it did not disappoint). I went to my second Rockies game of the summer and they actually won this time. I also visited the brand new rooftop and had a Rio margarita, which is not to be missed. Dempsey went back to the humane society after two weeks and quickly found his new family. College football returned with a disappointing loss to Colorado State at the Rocky Mountain Showdown. My little sister and I went down to Colorado Springs the next day to see an Air Force game.

Favorite post of the month: Live in Peace 

My September started with a very low key Labor Day and the beginning of Pure Barre Bingo (which I ultimately did not black out). I decided to bite the bullet and finally play fantasy football, which was exciting and all-consuming. I ended the month with a 3-1 record, so not too shabby! We celebrated my brother-in-law's 30th birthday and later watched my little brother get sworn into the Army. I returned to Folsom Field for the home opener against ASU, which was actually a heartbreaking loss since we didn't play too bad. Unfortunately, that tapped me out for CU games that month though. I enjoyed another blate with some ladies in Denver and helped some Pure Barre besties celebrate their birthdays in Boulder. I took my 200th class at Pure Barre Boulder and tried Beat Cycle for the first time, which was so similar to Soul Cycle, I instantly fell in love! I had another blate when Caitlin came to Denver for Pure Barre training. I also started going to Merge at my church, a sort of youth group for young adults. It's become a part of my weekly routine and I'm loving it. Summer turned to fall and I got to visit Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Lake (my favorite place in the world--so far) and see the beautiful yellow and orange aspen trees. It was the best day. We ended the month with family photos for the first time in years and Colorado's temperatures finally dropped to feel a bit more like the new season.

Favorite post of the month: Four Months of Budgeting

October started with yet another trip to the mountains for a wonderful girls' day with my friend Stephy and her kiddos. By the end of the week, my little sister turned 17. I still remember the day she was born! How was that 17 years ago? Rachel and I headed to our church's newest campus for a women's retreat for the weekend. It was such an awesome two days and I even got to see Vanilla Ice in concert in between (which was anything but awesome). It seemed like Colorado forgot that it was fall since it was in the 70's or 80's the majority of the month, but I still celebrated the change of seasons with pumpkin everything from Trader Joe's. (Thank God it came to Colorado in February!) I tried on some new glasses from Warby Parker and picked out my newest frames since I was long due for a change. I added to my flannel collection and tried a new sushi burrito place in Boulder. Yes, that's a thing now. Casey and I had an awesome date night in Denver and the following night, I saw Anberlin live for the fourth and final time when their farewell tour came through the Mile High City. I got another litter of foster kittens: Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin and I got accepted to volunteer at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. We had a great Pink Week at Pure Barre Boulder and we took family pictures with my mom's side of the family for the first time since I was probably five. I had the opportunity to go to Thursday Night Football and see the Broncos play the Chargers and it was the most fun! With the weather as nice as it was (80* at the end of October!), I went back to Rocky Mountain National Park for the day when Casey had two friends visiting. Later that night, I went to a Humans vs. Zombies lock-in at the CU Engineering Center and had the most fun! The next day, I went to my second game at Folsom Field of the season and it was a heartbreaking double overtime loss to UCLA for homecoming, but it was fun nevertheless. My new glasses came and I instantly fell it love. It was time for an upgrade. I also decided to upgrade my phone and go from a Galaxy S3 to an iPhone 6, which arrived on the 31st. Casey and some other Pure Barre boyfriends were coerced into taking class the last Tuesday of the month and it turns out they didn't hate it as much as they thought they would. It's always nice to share something important with an important person, though. I celebrated Halloween with breakfast for dinner and going trick-or-treating with Stephy and her family. It was a lot of fun to see Halloween through a 3 year old's eyes.

Favorite post of the month: Retreat to RMNP

I kicked off November with yet another CU game and yet another heartbreaking defeat. After the game, my mom, my sister, Casey, and I went to Denver to see Frankenstein with Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch. It was amazing! Although I didn't actually vote on the 4th (thanks, mail in ballots!) I followed Election Day closely. Knowing and caring about politics is kinda fun and it's absolutely empowering. It didn't take long (actually, like 30 minutes) for the weather to go from abnormally warm to bitterly cold and we got our first snow of the season. My Premium Starter Kit from Young Living arrived and I was absolutely thrilled to start using essential oils in my every day life! My family went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Pepsi Center for an early Christmas concert. They rocked it! A few days later, Casey and I realized that we just had too many differences to overcome and called it quits. My brother-in-law Travis graduated from fire academy and I couldn't have been happier or more proud for him! He's been chasing this dream for years now! I beat my first sore throat of the season with my new essential oils, solidifying what a great decision to invest it was. My high school won their semi-final play-off game at home and headed to the State Championship for the first time in five years. (I graduated high school seven football seasons ago.) I got the sad news that my dad and step mom decided to put their dog Toby down. He was 13 years old and lived a good life, but it was time. The Sunday before Thanksgiving, my mom hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for her side of the family since we weren't eating together on Thursday. I paid off my car in November, which was extremely exciting! I also sat 2nd row at a Nuggets game against the Bulls which was the most incredible experience. On the way out, we saw Demaryius Thomas and Andre Caldwell of the Denver Broncos. It was awesome. For Thanksgiving, I attempted my first-ever apple pie and we ate at my aunt and uncle's house. It was a lot of fun, as usual! That Saturday, my high school got embarrassed at the State Championship and CU couldn't hold on to beat Utah, meaning they went winless in their conference for the first time since 1898. What a bummer!

Favorite post of the month: 30 Day Spending Freeze - A Budget Update

December was hands down the busiest month of the year for me! I kicked it off with a craft night with my dear friend Stephy (where I made deer heads!) and of course we watched Love Actually. December also brought on a new Pure Barre challenge, this time nationwide (take 15 classes in 31 days), which was just the motivation I needed to get back into it.  I went to the choir and orchestra holiday concert at CU, which was incredible. I want to make it a new yearly tradition! The next night, I headed downtown with some girls from church to watch the Denver Parade of Lights. It was so much fun and we got to watch from a sixth story window so we could stay warm and sip champagne! (Again, a new yearly tradition, please!) We got our Christmas tree on the 7th and I slowly started to decorate over the next week. It was fun being totally in charge of the Christmas decorations this year! I went to Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo for the first time and we had a blast. We were lucky that it was fairly warm for December, so it was actually enjoyable. The next night, the young adult ministries at my church threw an ugly sweater party and I got to make my melting snowman cookies for the third year in a row. We had our Christmas party at Pure Barre, which consisted of manicures, sushi, champagne, and a classy white elephant exchange. It was a lot of fun and I'm lucky to be a part of such an amazing team. The next day, Pure Barre Boulder celebrated its four year anniversary! My family did a Thanksgiving do-over since my aunt had been sick on Thanksgiving, so for the third time this year, I got to eat turkey and potatoes and bread! Yum! The following Wednesday, I picked up a new litter of foster kittens: Buddy, Jovie, and Susie (name for Elf). They are so tiny and so sweet! I got some time to wrap gifts and almost avoided malls and shopping areas altogether, but not completely. My church did the Christmas Eve service the weekend before Christmas, but it was as magical as always. For my other work Christmas party, my dad and I went out to sushi and it was delicious! Some family friends were in town for the holidays, so we had a chili dinner and game night. It was a blast, as always. The next night, on Christmas Eve, we got together at my dad's house for our traditional appetizer spread and Ivory Elephant gift exchange. Christmas was low-key, but quite enoyable with my mom's side of the family. And we got a White Christmas! The next day, my mom and I went to see Into the Woods and then spent the rest of the day hanging out at home with the kittens (with Star Wars and lots of snow). The year closed out with lots of snow and frigid temperatures below 0.

Favorite post of the month: Ten on Ten :: December 2014