29.

Last night I plopped into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Although I love this week of celebration in September, there is always a small part of me that is glad it's over. I had a lovely time with friends this weekend-- sipping fancy cocktails at The Cruise Room and then shooting pool later at Wynkoop on Saturday night. For my actual birthday, which was yesterday, I requested a 'chill day' which involved brunch, naps, an afternoon at home petting the cat and chatting with friends and an early bedtime. Dang, I am getting old! Let me tell you I enjoyed every minute of that 8 1/2 hour sleep. Thank you to all my friends who helped me ring in my 29th year just right...you really are just too thoughtful and sweet! x.

Deep thought thursday + Rob turns 30!

It's September-- which in this house means it's the month of a thousand birthdays. But seriously, more than half our family members plus Rob and I have birthdays in September. Rob's was yesterday and he turned 30, which feels pretty huge. People keep saying that your thirties are much better than your twenties because the pressure is off, but I can't help feeling that the pressure is on. I'm not quite there yet-- I'll turn 29 on Sunday, but this quote helps me stay positive about growing older. It reminds me that there is still so much life ahead-- doesn't that somehow make you feel better?

Wandering Wednesday: Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market Summer 2013.

What seems like forever ago, I was completely caught off guard when I was contacted via this very blog to take pictures for the summer Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market. I thought this was pretty awesome because not only is the Horseshoe Market one of my favorite summer events, but helping out the Denver craft community is something I'm all about! Also, it's likely that I was already going with my camera in hand :) so this was just an added little bonus. As you can see, there was so much to look at-- beautifully embroidered wall hangings, homemade soaps, terrariums, sweet vintage dresses. This place has the good stuff guys. I noticed this time around that there were tons of refurbished airstreams and trailers that had been retrofitted into fun mobile boutiques. It was so fascinating to walk around and peek inside each one-- they were all really uniquely styled and had their own story to go along with them. I got curious afterwards and looked a few up, so here is a list of my favs, if you care to take a look...

Small Room Collective

Texas based

1963 Airstream Globetrotter

Follow their journey here.

Brick & Mortar General Store

Denver, CO

1964 Aristocrat Trailer

Follow them on Facebook to see where they show up next

Coast to Coast

West Coast

1970s Serro Scotty camper

Follow along the adventure here.

Denver Fashion Truck

Denver, CO

check out their next local event here

Deep thought thursday...

Today's deep thought has many sentiments all wrapped up in one adorable video...

The Greetings Project via Vimeo.

you can purchase the physical postcards on Etsy here.

MAKE: Watermelon, Mint, Cucumber Pops

According to my thermometer....summer is still kicking. So here I am to present to you a very summer oriented recipe in September. These are super refreshing and might....just might....be my favorite popsicles I've experimented with so far. You see, this whole summer my popsicle maker has been my go-to tool when I'm feeling bored or uninspired in the kitchen. I love trying new flavor combinations-- they are seriously endless. Have some juice in the fridge, leftover ginger, or herbs? Invent a popsicle! Some have been not-so-tasty....but it is always fun. These, however, are awesome. Also, simple syrup is a very handy tool for making cocktails and sodas if that's your sorta thing. It's a nice recipe to have up your sleeve, so you might as well learn now!

Ingredients:

1/2 a med. size cucumber (peeled and chopped)

1/2 cup of mint infused simple syrup (see recipe below)

2 fresh mint leaves

4 large slices of watermelon, or about 2 cups (seeded, and cut off the rind)

MAKE:

For mint infused simple syrup:

1/2 cup of sugar (I like to use turbinado)

1/2 cup of water

1 sprig of mint

In a medium sauce pan combine sugar, water and sprig of mint. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Remove mint sprig before blending.

For popsicles:

Blend mint simple syrup, watermelon, cucumber and 2 mint leaves in a food processor or blender  until smooth.

Taste and add additional sweetness if desired.

pour into your popsicle molds or popsicle making device.

Let freeze for appropriate amount of time.

Enjoy!

Note: I used my Zoku Quick Pop maker for these pops, but you can use any popsicle mold you may have at home. Since mine only makes 3 pops at a time, I saved the leftover mixture in the fridge for up to two days and made new ones whenever I craved another sweet treat! The recipe made around 10 total pops for me, but this may vary depending on the size and shape of your molds!