A Denver Home Companion | dinosaurs

the summer weather in denver has been unseasonably cool: grey skies, chilly mornings, wet evenings, brisk breezes, sweatshirt weather. we are loving it. our walks have been longer. our a/c has been running less. favorite blankets are getting lots of use. our grass is greener and we are watering less. the house feels fresher and less stagnant than this little brick house tends to feel in the usual sweltering summer heat. we are filled w more energy for exploring.

there was a recent article in the huffington post about a mother who stopped saying “hurry up” to her daughter. i’m not one to rush ramona herself, but i don’t always take the time for leisurely moments of discovery. these past couple weeks though, as i’ve mentioned in past posts, have been filled with slowness, intentional or otherwise. and our little family has embraced this new pace.

taking different routes to the coffee shop on our morning walk has introduced us to new streets, new gardens, new neighborhood vibes. ramona rides in the wagon on the way there but insists on walking the whole way home. we are thankful for this as we get to meander and mosey too. while she’s scouring the sidewalks for rocks and coins to pocket, jp and i get to peek at the new modern homes being built and admire the sturdiness of the old ones as well. as a family we’ve discovered old murals (the dinosaur one pictured above) and progress on a new walking path near our home. i hope this pace continues even if the heat should return. and most likely it will.

how do you slow down?

 

this sunday, from 2 until 7 at ace, ollie’s vintage will be setting up shop alongside brick & mortar for some pop-up madness! stop on by! there’ll be clothes for little ones and i just know you’ve got someone in your life having a baby soon. or perhaps a favorite niece or nephew? and i know you want them to be the snazziest dress babe around. so get on it! come say hello! see you there.

A Denver Home Companion | ollie's vintageA Denver Home Companion | brick & mortar

 

A Denver Home Companion | things lately

we’ve been moving fast this last month. multiple airplane trips, late nights, lots of babysitters, lots of out and about. this past week we’ve decided to take it slow, stay home more, play on the floor more. ramona has discovered duplos and water colors and rediscovered some old board books. she’s having me read them over and over again and has even tried her hand at “reading” aloud herself. i’ve rediscovered the beauty of slow days and the comfort of home. it’s reminding me of when ramona was a wee one and getting out of the house was a feat (especially with max man full time). i’m enjoying this view from the floor, playing w ramona, a whole lot. being a homebody isn’t so bad. now i’m off to do some laundry before we take a dip in the backyard kiddie pool.

are you a homebody or a busybody? what do you like to do during whole days spent at home? what do you like to do for a change of scenery?

p.s. if you watch only one TED talk this month, make it this one: andrew solomon talking about love, no matter what.

 

A Denver Home Companion | finding myself

i realize now it’s been a while since i’ve actually written anything of personal note on here. there are the gushes to ramona and the link’s i’ve collected throughout the week. i’ve had fabulous contributions from inspiring and thoughtful guest writers. and i’ve gotten to know and be able to showcase hardworking local small businesses.

but i’ve slowly been letting myself go mute, a little confused and off course w this space. and after finally getting around to reading the blogs in my feedly that i love so much and which give me a lot of mental and emotional sustenance –coupled w the feeling that i have offered you, reader, little to chew on– i have been convinced again, that this space needs to remain very much mine. i had toyed w the idea of completely refocusing it with a denver lilt. and i love denver and love to explore and write about it and the people that are a part of it. but i am, first and foremost, a journaler, and that is what this space has always been: a place to document the going ons of my life w my family in our little home and among our community. and that is what this space needs to continue to remain.

i am looking forward to continue partnering w local companies (or like-minded small businesses out there) in uplifting the entrepreneur and giving love to people who work so hard at their passions and pursuits. i will still open up this space for other voices who have stories to share and insights to impart. there will, yes, still be toiletry tuesday. but, moving forward, you’re gonna get a lot more of what’s going on w my family and me and our home and life. i so do hope you’ll stick around for that.

all my love to you, dear reader.

emily

 

A Denver Home Companion | swinging babies

her joy. her delight. her giggle and her belly laugh. that quick little moment when she goes from being fearful to having the time of her life. i LOVE that moment. this girl is just so much more than i could have planned or asked for.

it’s been just too hot to do much of anything. we’ve been taking it easy, spending time in water, and wishing for cooler days. rain would also be very nice for the forest fires down south. this photo, taken by my friend, is from one of our last cool days that i am kicking myself now for wishing away. this weekend we’ll be doing some yard work and going on a hike in evergreen. what are you up to this weekend?

in case you missed it

elsewhere on the interwebs

  • i’ve got lots of fun ideas for you and your little one over at mom.me
  • there’s a new sponsor on A Denver Home Companion! please welcome Tentiko, a company specializing in amazing experiences, specifically in denver. look out next week for more about them as well as a giveaway!
  • jp and i have our five year wedding anniversary coming up. though we always celebrate it, i don’t think we’ve ever given each other a proper gift. i like the idea of choosing a gift based on the year and what traditional anniversary gift goes with it. this year is wood for us so i plan on snagging some wooden bowl from friend christian, of fecht design, when we’re in nashville in july.
  • married? have children? please consider how you want to die. this is something jp and i are pretty open with each other about (end of life care, health directives, guardians for ramona, what happens to our moola, life insurance, etc) but we need to get our act together and put it down on legal and legit paper.
  • my mother sent me this article on a woman who decided to have an abortion at 23 weeks. her point and different perspective about the importance of abortion rights is most certainly worth reading.

pardon the heavy stuff. life just is that way sometimes!