Hello, Fall.

Hello, fall. What a pleasure to be greeted by you. Your mustard yellow ignites the hillsides and steep mountain slopes that meet the bluest sky. Your breezy air, campfire smell, and glistening gold take my breathe away. And truly, truly, in Colorado, you do it best of all. Fall, I'm glad you're here. I think I'll keep you for as long snowy days stay far away and your aspen leaves glisten in the sun.

Three weeks ago we ventured through Western Colorado. Each night we camped, each day we explored. It was wonderful. And now, life is busy again in the very best way, with a trip to California this past weekend, house projects crammed in on days off and between rain, and quality down time when swimming, or cooking, or working doesn't take up the majority. So, here's just a snapshot from our trip, with a promise (to myself, really) to share my favorites from Salida, the brewery's in Ouray and Durango, and the hikes to waterfalls and ghost-homes that filled those days out west. 

Oh, and in case you've ever wondered if I can do a cartwheel. I can't. But, this picture might make you believe I darn well tried.

To Being Adventurers

I feel like an adventurer. Maybe being in New York for a week changed my inner clockwork and made me dance to a rhythm with each new day. A transformed ticking where I hear, see, and smell, brighter, deeper and richer. And this week in New York has felt like months. Months of adventure and seeking out new and exciting, simple yet delightful, wide awake and exhausted, contrasting details that make life so alive--with a sleep hard way of being, a taste every bite way of eating, and a walk-like-your-life-and-catching-the-subway-depends-on-it type of travel. The days feel like a collection of a million moments. Like a net being held up, chasing the wind and filling up with monarchs as they head south. If my life where to sit in an old photo booth, and flash!, moments had and chances missed would fill the rectangles staring back with the question of "what do you see?", would I like it, would I like what I see? Would I feel like my life, a mere twenty eight years of living, was really like centuries or a full net of moments deliberately caught and saved? Would the photo strip in my hands reflect purposeful living, adventuring through the simple, and taking delight in the often unnoticed? I hope so. I want that for myself. Because really, these moments, this life, these things we consume ourselves with--they could be gone at any time. Like me, leaving New York, we could be on a plane at any moment and how we would hate to say "I wish I had done more, seen more, paid more attention--lived better." So here is to being an adventurer. An adventurer of the simple and quiet to an explorer of the big and unknown.

Summer Frolicking | A Wish List

What I love most about summer is the freedom that a weekend brings. I love that you can walk out your front door with plans to head off to the park and then hours later land at the lake, find yourself hiking up in the mountains, or people watching on a roof top patio. The days are long, the sun shines endlessly, and one day can feel like many. Even after work, there are still hours of light--just enough time to squeeze in a bike ride, a walk to a local eatery, or a drive with no destination ahead yet spontaneity at the wheel. 

My summer tote is a must these days, especially for the fun that summer brings. Hanging at our front door, I have a bag filled with a few essentials for things like spontaneous picnicking and time in the sun. Right now, this bag is pretty basic--just a few rolled up turkish towels, sunscreen, flip flops, and a hat. But if I were to fill it with a few more things, just in case I need to whisk out the door with the freedom of a summer day, and the unknown of where we might end up and venture along the way, these are those items I would fill it with (practical, yes, but with an emphasis on summer frolicking) :

1 // Madewell | Blanca Jacquard Dress

In case a reason to get dressed up presents itself, white for summer always work. Always.

2 // Anthropologie | Bocce Ball Set 

You never know when a lawn and shade will entice some bocce ball competition.

3 // Anthropologie | The World Is Your Oyster Card 

I often want to write a friend when I'm out enjoying a quite moment, describe the scene, and share a part of that moment as if they were right there with me.

4 // Madewell | Espadrille Mini Wedge

These are just adorable. And they would be so cute with that white dress if a sudden wardrobe change is needed. (Or if a summer photo shoot presents itself.)

5 // Sephora | Hair Tie 

Because pony tails and piled in a bun hair is always where it ends up at the end of a summer's day. And these soft elastic ties don't leave kink marks--the best!

6 // Darling Magazine | Summer Issue No. 4

Summer tote must because coffee shop reading, beachside page flipping, and words to inspire more sunny day adventuring are all satisfied with this print magazine.

7 // Madewell | Brass Bicycle Bell

Needed, for obvious bicycling reasons.

8 // Tarte | Lip Surgence Lip Tint

If eating out or museum going pops up, a hint of color on the lips can dress up any adventurer.

9 // Anthropologie | Travel Journal

To make notes of places seen, places to go, and things to remember.

10 // Paper Source | Green Seven Year Pen

Journaling and letter writing, well, a pen is necessary! And this swiss pen, it claims to stay alive for seven years.

11 // J.Crew | Polkadot Rash Guard

With this handy, paired with swim bottoms, paddle boarding, tubing, and all water sports are ready to be conquered.

12 // Anthropologie | Jetty Compact Mirror

To check cheeks for sunburn, this nautical compact mirror is just too cute to not want in my summer tote. 

And the summer tote? This is the tote I'd carry it all in. MidiQueen Handbags The Weekender bag. My everything bag. My fill it to the brim bag. My summer frolicking bag. What would be on your wish list for your tote for summer adventuring?

Oh, and stay tuned for a giveaway coming up! Hint: it's related to this wish list! Happy Thursday!

Denver Adventures | Summer Lately

You may have noticed that I have definitely been lagging on the DIY front, but you guys, I'm not to blame. Denver is. It has been too gorgeous out lately to not spend our free time in and around the city. And so many places to go! Having lived in four cities our first four years of marriage, my perspective has changed a bit. I took those towns for granted, and looking back, I wish we would have explored more, deepened our roots further, and known the ins and outs of our towns when we lived in them so darn well that we could have written a book about them. I don't know how long we will be in Denver --city proper-- and there are so many things on my to do list. Still, after a year, adventures in this city linger while nooks wait to be yet experienced. So lately, this summer, we have been doing just that--taking the opportunity to explore and get out!

Follow Via Bloglovin' & Summer Adventures

You may have seen stamped all over your favorite blogs that Google Reader is going away this Monday. So let's have this be an official au revoir to the reader that has kept us in the loop with our must-reads. I have opted to stick with Bloglovin' to organize my own blog lists, and I'd love for you to follow me over there! Follow me on Bloglovin' here >>

--end housekeeping. onto summer dreaming.--

One of my all time favorite memories in our first year here in Denver, is from a Saturday last summer when we went tubing down the Boulder Creek river with our neighbors. Matt ran to Wal Mart the morning of this impromptu tubing adventure, to find only one tube left of the shelves. He bought a tube for me, and a little inflatable boat for himself (see here). This is where things started to get pretty funny. As you can probably imagine, a 6 foot 3 man in a child size boat floating down a rocky creek was a sight to behold. That, and my friend Lauren braved the rapids with her dog in tow, the little cattle dog pup sitting on her lap the entire way down the creek.

{Darling Magazine} Thou Art in Rome!

As I continue to take a step back from writing and DIYing everyday here at pearls poppies pinkies up, you can still find me writing over at Darling Magazine. Lately, I have been contributing pieces for The Explorer, relating to travel and adventure. I have been so blessed to be able to experience a few cities very different from my own--and am so thankful to get to write about them! The latest on Rome was posted yesterday at Darling Magazine online. You can read the article in full over here. 

 "Rome brought life to my taste buds, showed me how to dine for hours, and proved that gelato really is a food group. Rome opened my eyes to a beauty I had never seen, made from dirt, fire, and dust. This entrancing city was my first travel romance and my first true love in Europe. And even after weeks of prepping for this trip, brushing up on history, studying the hand of Michelangelo, marking my map with must see Piazzas and cafes before arriving, nothing could have prepared me for Rome..."

Discovering Machu Pichu

Remember how we traveled to South America this past December? I've been writing about our experiences, and one is up at Darling Magazine. It is through the adventuring heart of the explorer, past and present, that the rest of the world is able to know what lies beyond our grasp, just waiting to be revealed. Read more on exploring and Machu Pichu at Darling Magazine--over here.