Chautauqua Park- Boulder

Last weekend, we took a long weekend trip to Colorado!  Bryan & I both have lofty travel goals! I want to visit all 50 states (this was my 38th) and Bryan wants to visit all 30 MLB stadiums (this was his 15th).  Since we have companion pass this year (thanks southwest!) and a ton of Marriott points, we decided this was the perfect time to go. If you are a planner like me, you want to make sure you are hitting all of the best spots and making the most out of your time in a new place without totally exhausting yourself!  We visited four main areas in Colorado: Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, & Fort Collins.  I am rounding up our favorite places we went, ate & drank below.  Locations are next to the spots!

stay

The Crawford Hotel: This hotel is in the heart of Denver and unfortunately was NOT covered by Marriott points so we did not stay here…but we did go into this hotel because it is connected to Union Station and let me just tell you that it was gorgeous.  Check out the photos below!

If you are trying to stay on Marriott points, check out these below:  Both options were clean & affordable and the TownePlace Suites in Denver had a free breakfast- cha ching!

TownePlace Suites Denver

Courtyard Fort Collins

We were in Colorado for three nights.  We stayed in Fort Collins one night and in Denver two nights so we could cut down travel time between areas and maximize our time. *Travel tip- definitely rent a car! There are so many great day trips you can do and so many cute cities and areas to see!

eat

Zeal- Food for Enthusiasts – Boulder – Oh my goodness this place was amazing! Not only is it in a great spot on the cutest street in Boulder, the food is wonderful.  It is fresh, organic and so yummy.  Because we spent so much time hiking in Boulder, it felt great to fuel our bodies with some healthy food and some home made kombucha.

Comida at The Source – Denver – I don’t know about y’all but I LOVE food truck food. It just seems to taste better, so the best part of Comida is that it originated from a food truck and now has sit-down restaurants as well.  We went to the Denver location of Comida which is in a building called The Source. It’s a big, open warehouse with vendors, a bar, marketplace, and other dining options.  The atmosphere was open, friendly, and edgy. Not to mention, I highly recommend the nachos! YUM

Ola Juice Bar- Colorado Springs- Another great spot for Acai bowls, juices, smoothies, and kombucha! Yum!

Coopersmith Brewery– Fort Collins- Great beer & pub food! This is located in old town fort collins- the downtown area ever!

drink

Odell Brewing Company– Fort Collins – Who doesn’t want to drink microbrews in Colorado? Watch out for the altitude though- these high percentage beers will hit you fast.  Odell was the first place we went when we arrived in Colorado (straight to the breweries! lol).  I wish we would have had time to visit more but our flight was delayed coming in so we got a late start. I am definitely happy with our choice though because Odell not only had a great selection of beer, it also had a beautiful outdoor patio.

Viewhouse – Denver-  Colorado definitely has an obsession with string lights and rooftop bars.  This works out really well for me because I also have this same obsession.  We were headed to the Rockies game and wanted to grab a drink and Viewhouse caught our eye.  Although there were corn hole boards and tailgate games galore on the lower level, we went straight to the rooftop.  The fact that you could see the stadium added to the atmosphere.

Tom’s Urban -Denver Larimer Square – Larmier Square is a charming area of restaurants and bars in downtown Denver.  We stopped there for happy hour and had a great time at Tom’s Urban.  We ordered brussel sprouts, chicken pot stickers, and a few craft brews and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I would recommend this place for great happy hour specials and atmosphere!

do

Chautauqua Park- Boulder  – Of course you can’t go to Colorado without seeing the great outdoors & doing some hiking.  This park in Boulder is seriously so stunning and has tons of trails with a nice range of difficulty level.

Garden of the Gods- Colorado Springs – Another gorgeous hiking spot and I think this was my favorite experience by far! The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. My advice- get there early. Parking is extremely limited at each pull off spot and trust me, you are going to want to stop at every one!

Red Rocks Amphitheatre –  This concert venue is absolutely incredible! I wish we could have seen a show there and would definitely recommend trying to plan your trip around that.  However, it is still a great sight to see.  We went on a Saturday morning and it was absolutely packed with people working out on the steps.  We decided we would join in and whoa…I thought I was in pretty good shape until people were doing burpee lunges past me on the steps lol.  It’s definitely an experience!

Rockies Game -Denver-  Baseball was one of the main reasons we took this trip and the stadium did not disappoint.  Make sure you check out “The Rooftop” a bar area at the top of the stadium!

We had such a great time on our long weekend getaway! Let me know in the comments if I missed any of your favorite spots!

Thanks for stopping by!

Xoxo,

Carly

jeans: old navy
jacket: old navy
booties: forever 21 (similar)

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and I’ve seen a lot of really adorable gift guides on my fellow blogger’s instagrams and websites.  I’ve been loving their picks and was going to make a post of my own with cute accessories, jewelry, tech gadgets, ect. but then I stopped.  As much as I love all of those things and picking out gifts for all occasions, my favorite gifts of all are experience gifts.  There’s nothing better than spending time with someone you love, doing something you both enjoy.  These are my favorite gifts to give and receive.  This year for the actual day of Mother’s Day, Bryan and I are going to be out of town so we celebrated a week early.  It just so happens that there was a wine & art fest in our town, so we thought it would be the perfect gift.  First, we invited our parents to brunch at our house and fed them lots of yummy carbs, coffee, an mimosas (the essentials) and paid for our moms tickets in to the festival (unlimited tastings—what could be better?)  The dads were DD but I’m sure they’ll get their turn on Father’s day…lol We had such a great day with lots of laughs and quality time together.  So in light of this occasion, I’m rounding up some experience gift ideas for mother’s day below:

Start with groupon…

If you are unsure how to begin looking up experience gifts, start with groupon.  You can search by location and  “things to do.”  This will help narrow down things going on in your area….plus tickets are discounted!

For the Mom who needs relaxation….

Spa day anyone? Moms tend to take care of others before themselves. Check out local spas and see what specials they have going on!  Services could range from a pedi & mani to a facial and message.  You could even spend some time in the sauna relaxing and catching up.

For the sports fanatic Mom…

Take her out to the ballgame!  May is baseball season and hopefully the weather is warming up wherever you are.  Baseball is a great family friendly atmosphere where you can still have great conversation and be into the game at the same time!

For the Mom who loves to wine…

I got lucky that a wine festival happened to be so close to Mother’s day! If you can’t find an entire festival to attend, check out local wineries near you (don’t forget to check those groupon tasting prices).  A lot of wineries and vineyards have great outdoor seating where you can bring your own snack and enjoy your favorite bottle!

For the active Mom…

Nothing says bonding like an outdoor activity!  Check out your local parks for hiking trails, canoe or kayak rentals. You could even end your outdoor activity with a picnic or a healthy dinner out.

I hope this post gave you some inspiration for an experiential mother’s day gift! Let me know your other ideas in the comments below!

Carly

Dress:  Target
Shoes: Charlotte Russe (40% off!!)
Sunglasses: Target

 

I can’t get enough of shirt dresses this season! They are so easy to wear and can be worn for so many different occasions. This time, I styled this dress for work but in the future, I am planning on wearing it for a daytime picnic or running errands with flat sandals or maybe even a pair of cute tennis shoes.  This dress comes in black too but I just can’t help myself with a crisp white dress even though I’m horribly messy and say a prayer every time I eat or drink while wearing white ……lol.  Anyone else have that problem?

I also have to give a shout out to these wedges from Charlotte Russe. They are SO comfy and I think they resemble the Jeffrey Campbell wedges.  As much as I love those designer shoes, I can’t bring myself to pay over $100 for wedges. If you are looking for a dupe, I highly suggest these and they are on sale for less than $20!

I hope everyone has a great day!  Thanks for stopping by!

Xoxo,

Carly

blush faux leather jacket: Tj Maxx (similar (on sale for less than $26!!) , similar)
tailored dress: TJ Maxx (similar) (similar)
open toe booties: Sole Society

 

Does anyone else get really tired of professional clothes? Sometimes if I could wear jeans, my life would be way easier.  Don’t get me wrong, I love dressing up but sometimes I just feel so limited with professional dress.  That’s why I decided to trade in my blazer for a moto jacket! It still gets the job done and checks the professional box but definitely adds a little flavor!  How do you switch up your professional outfits? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Carly

Nothing screams summer to me more than a blue and white striped dress! I can’t help to notice my closet filling with blue and white seer sucker patterns and shirt dresses.  I specifically love these dresses with a touch of embroidery.  When I saw this one at Target in the Who What Wear Collection, I knew I had to snatch it up.  This is definitely going to be a dress I wear on repeat during the summer. It is not only light and airy but could be dressed up or down depending on shoes and accessories.  I loved pairing it with a summer hat for a more beachy, nautical look. What is your go to summer dress?

Shop some more of my favorites below!!

off the shoulder/ shirt dress/ shift dress     

Top: Who What Wear Target
Pants: Who What Wear Target
Shoes: TJ Maxx- old (similar)

 

I love tops that I can wear to work yet can easily transition to happy hour or casual daytime with jeans!  I’ve linked a few of my favorites from Target including the one I am wearing below! They are all under $30!

Who What Wear Top /  Keyhole Top / Striped Top

Ever since I got married 3 years ago, I have been searching for some affordable stackable bands in rose gold and white gold to pair with my engagement ring and wedding band. I absolutely love the thin, dainty band on my engagement ring and I wanted my wedding band to stand out and have a different more vintage feel to it. I chose the last ring pictured in the photos above and I love it!  I wanted to take the risk and order it in rose gold, but at the store where we purchased our wedding bands, they didn’t have rose gold in stock and once you ordered it, there was no exchanging.  At the time, I didn’t want to take the risk and the white gold was in stock for me to try on.  As soon as I saw everly rings on instagram a few months ago, I fell in love!!  I love the dainty and elegant styles of the rings and that you have the option of getting different metal colors. Not only are the beautiful, they are very affordable!  One band will cost $99, three bands for $150, and five for $250.  I plan on pairing these with my engagement ring an wedding band mostly, but I will also stack them on my other hand too for a different look.

You can shop the bands I am wearing here:

(From top to bottom)

Engagement Ring
Pisa Band
Anaca Band
Monte Carlo Band
Personal Wedding Band

I have also pictured them below in order:

Pisa Band/ Anaca Band/Monte Carlo

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Carly

pink drop waist dress

If you grew up belting out the spice girl’s songs, you know the significance of a Victoria Beckham collection at Target.  Posh spice was every girl’s fashion icon.  This is my first pick from the collection! I am surprised at how colorful the collection is but don’t get me wrong that is not a complaint! It makes my heart happy to know that I can rock this dress to work all summer and channel my inner Elle Woods.

This dress is pretty true to size, maybe slightly bigger than regular Target sizes. I am wearing a medium, and although it’s a little loose, I like the fit.  If you’re ordering online, just take note of the return policy.  It is different than the standard Target return (90 days) which seems like a lifetime.  You only have 14 days to get your money back if you don’t like the fit!

I also snagged the blue and white striped dress and I can’t wait to show y’all how I styled it!  What is your favorite piece in the collection?

Thanks for stopping by!

Carly

There is something so effortless about a denim dress! You can dress it down with some white keds or dress it up with open toe booties as pictured.  The one I am wearing is from TJ Maxx and unfortunately I can’t link it for you here but I am rounding up some of my favorite denim dresses from ASOS.  They have so many cute picks! Do you all love denim dresses as much as I do? Where did you find your favorite?

 

dress 1/ dress 2/ dress 3/ dress 4

Thanks for stopping by!

Carly

top: TJ Maxx (similar)
jeans: Old Navy 
wedges: Sole Society

 

Maybe it’s because I was born and raised a country girl, but I have a serious love for camo print. I think it can be really sophisticated yet sporty….country yet urban..all of the contradictory  amazing styles at the same time!  I especially love a camo top paired with white shorts or jeans.  It can be dressed up or down with cute wedges as pictured or with some cute keds.   I have a ton of camo tops and hats but next on my list a cute pair of camo pants! Below I have listed some of my favorite camo items available right now! Happy shopping!

pants/ tee / long sleeve / bomber

Thanks for stopping by!!

Carly