By the morning light.

A few more snow shots for you

from my walk this morning.

You can find the rest right here!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quaidie/

How was your day?

Two days ago Z & I were out riding our bicycles 

on a sunny, 75 degree afternoon.

Today we awoke to snow, snow, and more snow.

We both had to work

(I can't complain too much about having to work, though), 

but I snapped a few photos when I got home this afternoon.

Mr. W really loves snow...he just leaps right into it!

The tree right by our deck.

Some of the major tree damage on our block.

Our deck.

And as a little contrast, 

some gorgeous flowers leftover from

Z's installation on Sunday.

And finally, getting mail always brightens my day.

So I was thrilled to find a little package

from my friend Kerri...

It was a teensy-tiny Kleenex box!

So there's my day.

What did your day look like?

When did we get old?

Ok, so I know that we are not really old, 

but on Thursday night Z & I went

to see the Blue Scholars, 

a hip hop group out of Seattle, 

and I realized just how different

my late 20s are from the early 20s.

We've been fans for a few years, 

so when we saw they were coming to Boulder, 

we really wanted to go see them.

Then we realized that the show didn't start until 9pm.

And it made us hesitate to buy tickets.

And that made us feel really old.

Ultimately we decided it would be worth it to stay up late

for the show, so Z got the tickets.

As we where getting ready that night, 

I discovered (via Twitter) that there were two

opening bands instead of just the one we expected, 

so the Blue Scholars wouldn't even start playing until 11:15.

We are usually in bed by 10:30pm, 

so...yeah.

Once we got there, though, 

the show was awesome, 

and I remembered how much I love dancing, 

especially to live music.

It's three days later, 

and I'm still feeling that lack of sleep, 

but it was worth it. :)

Window shopping...

Have you seen Boden's Winter 2011 collection?

 I just got the catalog in the mail this week, 

and it is gorgeous.

I love all the rich jewel tones & textures.

It's hard to choose favorites, but below are some 

pieces that really caught my eye.

Dots in two ways

Colorful skirts

I've been looking for some new cords, 

but I can't decide if I like the wide-leg or skinny cords better.

Of course for now I can only window shop,

 but I've had some luck with Boden's sales in the past, 

so I'll be keeping an eye out for sure!

What are your favorites?

All images via www.bodenusa.com

A perfect morning.

A few nights ago, Z & I went up to 

Chautauqua Park. 

He stayed on a lower-elevation trail to run, 

and I ventured up the trail towards the

1st Flatiron.

It was a blustery day, 

but the late afternoon sun

made the fall colors just pop.

Unfortunately, I was thisclose to the end 

of the trail when I realized that I only 

had 15 minutes until I was supposed to 

meet Z back at the car.

Whoops!

As I hurried down the mountain,
I passed tons of spots I wanted to photograph, 

but I didn't want Z to worry, 

so I vowed to return as soon as I could.

Yesterday morning I set out again

with my camera, 

only this time without a deadline.

The trail wends its way back behind the 1st Flatiron

to reveal the snow-covered back range. 

I started getting hungry, so on the way back down the trail

I spotted a perfect little place for a snack.

There was a small outcropping shaped just like

a small bench, so I scrambled over some

rocks and enjoyed my apple

while overlooking Boulder.

Perfect.

I had a really hard time choosing which photos

to put on the blog, because there were so many good ones.

Be sure to go see them here!

Airborne

Sometimes in life you find yourself

inexplicably filled with joy

over something completely surprising.

For me, I have found that something to be

early morning hot air balloons.

I have never been particularly interested 

in hot air balloons, 

and to be honest, the thought of 

flying through the air in just a basket

rather terrifies me.

So I was completely caught off-guard

by how enamored I've become

with my morning sightings.

From our tiny kitchen table we don't have much

of a view; we look east and face a busy road 

and a hospital across the street.

But over my daily bowl of cereal

I began to see balloons, 

sometimes just a couple,

but other times five, ten...

today nearly 15.

And with each sighting, I grow 

more enchanted.

I'm still not sure what it is about them

that strikes me: the rainbow of colors, 

the way they can sneak up, drifting & soaring, 

imagining the view their occupants

are experiencing.

No, I'm not sure what it is about them, 

but I know I will continue

to search for them, 

seeking the joy they bring.

I hope that you all find your own

 hot air balloons in life, 

surprising as they may be.

I'm a winner.

While living in Chicago, I really got 

into contesting & sweeping.

I would look for online contests, 

mostly through local radio stations, 

and enter to win prizes that I actually wanted.

Right away I started winning movie & concert tickets, 

and I loved it!

So I entered some more contests, 

and won some more, 

including tickets to the Sweet Sixteen

& Chicago Bulls tickets.

It was fun, free 

(don't enter a contest if it makes you pay), 

it makes you feel good to win something, 

and it makes you feel good when you get 

a prize in the mail!

I don't do much contesting anymore, 

mostly because it takes up time

that I'd rather spend

doing other things,

but I still enter a contest now & then 

(although I prefer to find them

hosted on blogs rather than radio stations

these days).

Anyway, right before we moved to CO, 

I won a contest sponsored by Mary Kay

& Blogher, and today my surprise prize package arrived!

Since I had no idea what they would be sending

I was pretty excited to open the box, 

and I was not disappointed.

The pack included lipstick, mascara, face wash, 

eye makeup remover, lip exfoliant & lip balm, 

but I think I'm most excited for the multiple moisturizers

because living in Colorado = dry skin.

Yay for the little things that help brighten a day.

Brrr...

On Saturday we went down to Denver.

Z wanted to run in a 5k put on by a 

local Lutheran camp, raising money

to fight hunger.

The week before, Z had run in a cross-country

race in Boulder, and it was hot.

This week, though, things were a little different.

As in, really cold and really wet.

Not far from us it was snowing,

but at the race, it was just pouring down rain.

Z was wearing his shortest shorts.

I was wearing 4 layers of shirts plus a jacket

and was still freezing.

So I told Z to just finish as fast as possible

and I would be waiting with a towel

and warm(er) clothes at the finish.

Evidently that was motivation enough, 

because he. was. fast.

And he won.

Here he is looking miserable waiting to start.

And here he is looking only slightly

less miserable, but with considerably

more clothes on, displaying his medal.

After the race we tried to go watch 

the Clemson game with the 

Clemson Club that meets in Denver, 

but we got the time wrong

(hey, adjusting for time zones can be tricky)

so we ending up hanging out with some

Wake Forest folks for part of their game

before heading home to thaw out.

Even though it was really cold, 

I have to say that the snow-covered

back range is amazing.

I'll try to post a photo soon!

Until then, don't forget to see all my Colorado Fall Color

photos on Flickr.

File under things I'm grateful for...

A few photos from last night's walk

on a nearby path.

I know, I know...it's a hard life. ;)

A Rocky Mountain Drive

Fall is my very favorite season.

Growing up in North Carolina meant

being treated to a gorgeous showing of 

Fall colors each year, especially

during drives in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

There, the leaves burst into a multitude of 

warm hues that highlighted the peaks & valleys

of those rolling hills.

Here in Colorado, we'd started hearing

tales of spectacular Autumn foliage

making it's debut in the mountains,

and it immediately pushed to the top 

of my to-do list.

So on Z's day off, we took a leisurely morning

drive along the Peak to Peak Highway, 

and we were not disappointed.

Rather than the multicolored Fall palette

found in NC, however, we discovered

the surprising, yet breathtaking gold

of the Aspen trees. These gems seem to 

crop up unexpectedly among the evergreens,

 making them all the more amazing to behold.

Don't forget you can find the rest of the photos here!