Thirteen Things About 2013

Well, it’s the end of another year and I feel the need to write an obligatory New Year’s post. First, though, I realized that I never shared our holiday card like I have in the past (you can see previous ones here: 2009, 2011, 2012). This year’s card wasn’t very Christmasy because, frankly, I got a late start and wasn’t confident that I’d be able to design, print and send them out before New Year’s. So it’s more of a year in review, really. I’m not dedicated enough to write an annual holiday letter but, looking back, we had a pretty big year so it felt appropriate to include some of the milestones from 2013.

2013 Year in Review Christmas Card

Thirteen Highlights of 2013

  1. January: Celebrated Jason’s 30th birthday with a staycation at the Viceroy in Snowmass.
  2. February: Learned to cross-country skate ski.
  3. April: Survived our first hut trip.
  4. May: Traveled back to Tulsa for Jason’s law school graduation.
  5. June: Traveled to San Francisco for a design conference.
  6. July: Traveled to Austin and Malibu for beautiful weddings.
  7. July: Jason took (and passed!) the Colorado Bar exam.
  8. August: Celebrated Bar exam completion with a staycation at the St. Regis.
  9. September: Our precious niece Wimberley was born.
  10. October: Purchased a new home.
  11. November: Jason was sworn-in to the Colorado Bar.
  12. November: Spent Thanksgiving in Aggieland with family.
  13. December: Celebrated Christmas with family by snowshoeing at Ashcroft.

My new year’s resolution for 2013 was to explore and I feel like we did a pretty good job of that.


Fourteen Goals for 2014

  1. Work smarter, not harder.
  2. Turn the computer off and just walk away.
  3. Write the outline for that children’s book that I’ve had in my head for 3 years.
  4. Make space for spontaneity.
  5. Break ground on our home remodel so, you know, we can actually move in someday.
  6. Step outside each day, get some fresh air and remind myself of who I am and who I want to be.
  7. Spend less time cooking and cleaning.
  8. Spend more time creating.
  9. Replace negative self-talk with encouraging words.
  10. Replace complaining with gratitude.
  11. Replace screen time with face time.
  12. Remember that happiness is the journey, not the destination.
  13. Trust my heart.
  14. Breathe.

Happy 2014! May the coming year unveil the deepest desires of your heart.

Published:
December 31, 2013 – 10:30 pm
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By Shayla
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Our Pick: The Central Location

Congrats to Liz who was the first to correctly guess “Central Location“! Yep, this little beauty is our new abode:


Exterior – BeforeAfter perusing countless real estate listings, I can believe that the house we purchased was right under our noses the entire time. I walked by this house almost daily on my way to take the dogs to play in the park and never really gave it a second look. I mean, just look at it….it doesn’t exactly jump out and scream “curb appeal”.

Let me back up a little bit and recap our house hunting journey. The first house we pounced on was The Foreclosure. It was on a beautiful piece of property in a quiet but somewhat rural neighborhood. That house had loads of potential, but went for much higher at auction than we were comfortable spending given the amount of work it needed.

Next, we put an offer in on The Corner Lot. We liked the newer-ish neighborhood, but the seller needed to get more out of the house than we felt it was worth in today’s market. At the end of negotiations, we couldn’t come to an agreement and had to walk away. I’m still a little heartbroken over that one.

Then, we went really crazy! Although we hadn’t originally considered a condo, we loved the location of The Downtown Condo and began to fantasize about living in the historic district above our favorite little coffee shop. We submitted an offer and things happened quickly – our offer was accepted, we went under contract and passed the inspection period. But, two weeks before closing, the appraisal brought up some concerns that made us feel like a condo might not be the wisest investment. We listened to our gut instinct and walked away again.

One afternoon in late August, I was walking the dogs to the park and noticed a for sale sign in front of The Central Location. The house didn’t appeal to me at all, but I immediately realized that the lot was pretty incredible. It backs right up to the park and city swimming pool. The public schools, historic downtown and Jason’s office are less than a five minute walk along the bike trail. Plus, there are nice views of Mt. Sopris from the backyard. Sold! I didn’t even need to see the inside.

As you can tell from the MLS photos, we have our work cut out for us…..


Entry – Before

Living Area – Before

Kitchen – Before

Guest Bedroom – Before

Guest Bath – Before

Master Bedroom – Before

Backyard – Before

Park – Summer

We actually have some pretty big dreams for this house! We’re already working with an architect to draw up plans for an addition and to reconfigure some of the existing spaces to make the floor plan more functional. Hopefully we can take better advantage of the mountain views, too. Once construction begins, it will likely be 6-9 months before we can move in and, you know, actually live here. In the meantime, I’m excited about making this house our home and documenting the design and construction process along the way. I fully expect that Lucky #7 will be our nuttiest adventure in homeownership yet!


Homeowners...again!

 

Published:
November 17, 2013 – 9:25 pm
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By Shayla
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House Hunting

We started perusing real estate ads back when moving to Colorado was still a pipe dream and quickly learned that the market here is crazy with a capital C! We knew that we’d probably have to adjust our expectations and standard of living if we eventually wanted to purchase a home in the Roaring Fork Valley. Last April, once we made the decision that Basalt was the place we wanted to called home for the long-term, we seriously started hunting for houses. Honestly, we didn’t have much to choose from – there is very little on the market in Basalt proper (especially in our price range!) and the homes that pop up tend to go under contract very fast, usually for full market value and often even higher.

Our realtor was so patient with us, despite that fact that we were all over the map. One week we were bidding on a 5 bedroom house on 1.35 acres in a foreclosure auction and the next we were putting in an offer on a 2 bedroom condo in historic downtown. Bless his heart for sticking with us! Here’s a peek at a handful of the houses we looked at over the last 7+ months. Some we put offers in on, others we were actually under contract on before finally finding “the one”.

 

House Hunting – 1The Foreclosure
Year Built: 1995
Size: 3,445 sf – 5 beds and 4 baths
Loved: 1.35 acre lot with its own creek and the
quiet neighborhood with a private pond and tennis courts
Quirks: bizarre interior color scheme and needs at least $100K of work


House Hunting – 2The Handyman Special
Year Built: 1998
Size: 1,798 sf – 3 beds and 3 baths
Loved: view of Mt. Sopris
Quirks: strange layout of interior spaces and needs lots of work


House Hunting – 3The Corner Lot
Year Built: 2001
Size: 2,537 sf – 3 beds and 2.5 baths
Loved: bonus room above garage and location near the park and Whole Foods
Quirks: cramped galley kitchen


House Hunting – 4The Downtown Condo
Year Built: 2006
Size: 1,247 sf w/ 2 beds and 2 baths
Loved: mountain views and awesome location above our
favorite coffee shop in downtown Basalt
Quirks: issues with the mixed use development


House Hunting – 5The Treehouse
Year Built: 1998
Size: 1,607 sf w/ 3 beds and 3 baths
Loved: expansive views of the valley from every window
Quirks: choppy layout and lots of road noise from the highway


House Hunting – 6The Rambling Ranch
Year Built: 2004
Size: 2,433 sf w/ 3 beds and 2.5 baths
Loved: the open ranch layout
Quirks: cramped lot and tiny backyard with no privacy


House Hunting – 7The Central Location
Year Built: 1986
Size: 1,145 sf w/ 2 beds and 2 baths
Loved: walking distance to downtown, the park, schools and city pool
Quirks: original, dated finishes and tiny bathrooms


So, yeah, literally all over the map! Can you guess which home we actually purchased? I’ll leave the answer in the comments later this week. There will be a prize for the first person who guesses correctly (unless you’re my husband, mother, realtor or dear friend – you people have the inside scoop and are disqualified from this contest!).

Prize is winner’s choice of a custom daily planner or custom holiday card! Enter to win by leaving your guess in the comments section.

Update: The answer is here. 

Published:
November 10, 2013 – 12:39 pm
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By Shayla
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The Houses We’ve Called Home

I recently realized that in the eight years we’ve been married, Jason and I have lived in six different houses. Apparently we like to move a lot. Or we’re gluttons for punishment, I’m not sure. Let’s take a little tour of the places we’ve called home, shall we?

 

Our First HouseHome #1
City: Austin, TX
House Number: 3708
Lived Here: 1 year
Life Phase: newlyweds
Loved: the novelty of living under one roof….in Tarrytown, no less!
Quirks: the washer and dryer was in a funky shed in the backyard
Favorite Space: the retro kitchen
Favorite Memories: regularly walking to Mozart’s for coffee/dessert
and taking Denver for swims in Lake Austin
Lesson Learned: sharing closet space should have been it’s own chapter
during premarital counseling


Our Second House

Home #2
City: Austin, TX
House Number: 5919
Lived Here: 4 years
Life Phase: first time homeowners
Loved: the backyard and deck
Quirks: we never got around to putting up curtains the entire 4 years we lived here
Favorite Space: master bedroom
Favorite Memories: remodeling almost every square inch
(see before and afters here)
Lesson Learned: one trip to Lowe’s or Home Depot inevitably leads to ten more


Our Third HouseHome #3
City: Keystone Lake, OK
House Number: 2957
Lived Here: 2 years
Life Phase: law school
Loved: the lake view
Quirks: earthquakes!!!
Favorite Space: the gourmet kitchen
Favorite Memories: happy hours on the back porch overlooking the lake
Lesson Learned: maintaining a big lake house leaves little time or money
to actually enjoy the lake


Our Fourth HouseHome #4
City: Billings, MT
House Number: B-21
Lived Here: 1 summer
Life Phase: law school internship
Loved: the convenience of downtown loft living (see more loft pics here)
Quirks: a busy train track that ran mere feet from our bedroom window
Favorite Space: modern bathroom
Favorite Memories: home base for weekend road trips throughout Montana
Lesson Learned: sharing a washer and dryer with strangers is awkward,
especially when said strangers fold your “delicates”


Our Fifth House

Home #5
City: Tulsa, OK
House Number: 4119
Lived Here: 1 semester
Life Phase: last. semester. of. law school.
Loved: short commute to work and school
Quirks: no shower, only a funky little bathtub that was
apparently made for little people
Favorite Space: the dog room
Favorite Memories: walking to restaurants in Brookside
Lesson Learned: scalding hot showers are underrated


Our Sixth House

Home #6
City: Basalt, CO
Lived Here: 10 months and counting
Life Phase: mountain goats
Love: living right on the river
Quirks: living in what is apparently a black hole as far as
mail delivery is concerned
Favorite Space: the great outdoors
Favorite Memories: falling asleep to the sound of the river
Lesson Learned: 700 sf condo + 2 rambunctious labrador retrievers = insanity

 

In summary, we’ve lived in a duplex, three single family houses, one loft and a condo. We’ve lived in a big city, in the suburbs, in a small town, on a lake, and on a river in the mountains. We’ve lived in spaces as small as 700 sf and as large as 4,500 sf. Some have had yards, others haven’t. We’ve lived without modern conveniences like dishwashers and ample closet space…..and somehow lived to tell the tales. I guess that you could say we’re flexible and up for a challenge.

Our next home will be just that….a challenge. Stay tuned for our latest and perhaps craziest adventure in homeownership. Home #7 deserves a blog post of it’s very own…..

 

Published:
November 3, 2013 – 9:35 pm
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By Shayla
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Sweet Little Pumpkin

October is my favorite month of the entire year. I just want to slow down and savor everything about it – the changing colors of the leaves, the chill in the air, shorter days, cozy fires in the fireplace, fall festivals, Halloween candy, layered outfits with riding boots, and pumpkin-flavored everything. In my opinion, good months like October should have more than 31 days. This month has flown by way too fast and I’m not quite ready to turn the calendar to November.


Fall Pumpkin Baby Shower Invitation
Work has been all-consuming lately, but fortunately I’ve had a few fun projects sprinkled in between the less creative stuff. This baby shower invitation was one of them. Not only is the new mama a precious friend and colleague, but she’s also a fellow graphic designer. No pressure, right?

The baby’s gender is a surprise, so the hostesses chose a fall theme and neutral color palette for the shower. I must say, designing for another designer is quite intimidating, but Emma was so appreciative and excited about the invitation I created for her sweet little pumpkin. Maybe it was just the hormones, but I think she even shed a tear or two…

 

Yes, I can create custom invitations for your next event! Contact me for a quote.

Published:
October 27, 2013 – 9:18 pm
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By Shayla
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Five Good Reads

Ever since I discovered GoodReads I’ve become slightly obsessed with finding new book recommendations based on old favorites. Over the past few months I’ve probably read more books than I’ve read in the last two years combined. Judging by the length of my “to-read” list, I won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Out of the last 15 or so books that I’ve finished, these are my top five picks:


Design Finch Good Read – Kitchen House

Title: The Kitchen House
Author: Kathleen Grissom
Genre: Historical Fiction
One Sentence Synopsis: When a white servant girl violates
the order of plantation society, she finds herself perilously
straddling two very different worlds.
Read If: You loved The Help.


Design Finch Good Read – Quiet

Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Author: Susan Cain
Genre: Non Fiction
One Sentence Synopsis: Although often labeled as “quiet” or “shy”,
introverts have natural superpowers – of persistence, concentration, insight,
and sensitivity – to do creative work, solve complex problems,
and make invaluable contributions to society.
Read If: Your idea of a perfect Saturday night is curling up
in your PJs with a good book.


Design Finch Good Read – 7

Title: 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
Author: Jen Hatmaker
Genre: Christian Non Fiction
One Sentence Synopsis: A funny and thought-provoking look into
the Hatmaker family’s experiment to purge seven areas of excess
(food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending and stress)
in order to simplify their lives with the goal of creating
more space for God’s kingdom.
Read If: You have more than 2 varieties of jelly in your fridge.


Design Finch Good Read – Unbroken

Title: Unbroken
Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Genre: Biography
One Sentence Synopsis: A captivating, eye-opening, true story
about the resilience of an Olympic hopeful turned POW during WWII.
Read If: You’ve ever taken your next meal for granted.


Design Finch Good Read – Sparkly Green Earrings

Title: Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn
Author: Melanie Shankle
Genre: Christian Memoir
One Sentence Synopsis: A witty yet insightful memoir of Melanie’s
experiences with marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and the first year
of motherhood – all told with an honest hilarity that makes you feel
like you’re having a chat with your best friend.
Read If: You were once a child, have ever had a child, or even
kinda sorta thought about maybe having one.


What good books have you read lately?

Published:
October 6, 2013 – 10:26 pm
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By Shayla
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A Baby Shower Fit for a Cowgirl

My newest niece is due to make her grand debut later this month and I am over-the-moon excited about meeting her! Earlier this summer I had the honor of designing the invitations and stationery for her baby shower. The hostesses decided on a cowgirl theme, which is appropriate given the fact that my brother and sister-in-law live on a ranch with cows and horses and drive big ol’ pickup trucks. They are legit Texans! If those genes (or jeans!) get passed down, Baby Girl will likely be a cowgirl, too.

Or maybe she’ll rebel against country life and grow up to be a city girl. Or move to the mountains to live with her favorite aunt. Who knows!


Cowgirl Baby Shower – Custom Invitations

I designed the shower invitations to look like a sassier version of an old Western playbill, using a mix of vintage and modern typefaces. The color palette for the shower was obviously pink, turquoise and brown. In keeping with the sweet and feminine (not overly kitschy) cowgirl theme, a mix of polka dot and paisley patterns were used throughout the stationery and decor.


Cowgirl Baby Shower – Custom Prints

I love the verse from James 1:17 that says “Every good and perfect gift is from above”. We believe this little one is certainly a gift sent straight from heaven! I had the verse printed on a square canvas to decorate the guest book table. During the shower, guests wrote notes, blessings and wishes for baby on notecards and dropped them inside a cowboy boot. I hope someday Baby Girl reads them and knows how much she is loved, even before she was born.


Cowgirl Baby Shower

Here are a few photos from the shower in July. I can’t take credit for any of the amazing food or beautiful table decorations – that is not my area of expertise. Being the out-of-state aunt, I got the easy job! It was such a fun afternoon celebrating my sweet sister-in-law and the little cowgirl that is on her way! Yipee ki yi yay!

Published:
September 7, 2013 – 8:00 am
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By Shayla
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Pack Like a Pro

One of my claims to fame is that I’m a notoriously light packer for trips. Case in point, I once traveled to Europe for the summer and took only what I could fit in a backpack. On another trip abroad, I packed everything in a carry-on suitcase for our two week honeymoon to Italy. (The trip home was a different story since I had to buy another bag to tote back all of the souvenirs we purchased.)


Pack Light in a Carry-On for 2 Weeks of Travel

Anytime I travel, especially when flying somewhere, I prefer to keep my luggage to one carry-on bag so that I’m not loaded down with extra stuff. Packing light is an art form that I’m still working to master, but I’ll go ahead and share my current strategy with you. These pictures were taken earlier this summer when I packed everything for a two week trip in a small rollaboard suitcase. My travels took me from Colorado to Texas for a wedding and baby shower (not for the same couple, just to clarify!), then to California for another wedding, followed by a week in Oklahoma on a business trip. Needless to say, it was slightly tricky to plan for this trip considering the various attire that was required for these different events.


Carry-On Suitcase – Layer 1

This is the first layer of my suitcase when opened. The top section has pockets where I hide my “unmentionables” from the nosy TSA agents. I like to keep my makeup on the top so that I can easily reach in and grab it for touch ups without having to dig through the entire bag in the middle of the airport. I keep a clear quart-sized baggie for liquids inside my purse so that I can pull it out quickly to breeze through security.


Carry-On Suitcase – Layer 2

The second layer is folded stacks of clothing, mostly dresses, tees and scarves that don’t take up much space at all. In fact, here is the complete list of everything inside this carry-on for my two week trip:

Clothing

  • 1 Cocktail Dress
  • 3 Sundresses
  • 3 Business Dresses
  • 1 Pair Skinny Jeans
  • 1 Pair Capri Leggings
  • 2 Knit Tees
  • 2 Tank Tops (1 for working out, 1 for layering)
  • 1 Swimsuit Cover Up
  • Swim Suit
  • Pajamas

Shoes

  • Nude Heels
  • Metallic Sandals
  • Flip Flops

Accessories

  • Pearl Earrings
  • Chandelier Earrings
  • 2 Scarves
  • 1 Slip
  • Lingerie

Other

  • Toiletries
  • Flat Iron
  • Cell Phone Charger
  • Book
  • Camera
  • Sunglasses
  • Small Evening Handbag

My biggest space-saving tip is to pack only versatile, mix-and-match pieces that can be layered and worn several different ways to create as many outfit options as possible. I especially love dresses that can be worn alone (for a dressier occassion) or as a long top over jeans or leggings (for casual events and travel days). Here are 7 items, all of which I actually own and took on this particular trip, combined to create 12 different outfits.

Travel Light: 7 items = 12 outfits

Green Wrap Dress | Pink Swimsuit Cover-Up | Teal Tee Dress
Gray Tee | Skinny Jeans | Capri Leggings | Ombre Scarf


Coincidentally, these pieces all came from Old Navy on sale….what can I say, I’m a light packer and a bargain shopper! As far as I know, no one has ever accused me of being high-maintenance.

What kind of packer are you? Do you have any space-saving tips to share?

Published:
August 24, 2013 – 7:00 am
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By Shayla
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Celebration Staycation

Jason and I took a much-needed week off to celebrate his completion of the Colorado Bar exam. Although I didn’t spend the past several months years studying the way he did, I was still mentally exhausted just by the very thought of it. So, clearly, it was a hard-earned vacation for the both of us. We decided to stay home and take advantage of some of the mountainy things that we haven’t been able to make time for lately. After all, there are much shabbier places to spend a staycation.


Hanging Lake HikeHanging Lake is a popular hike near Glenwood Springs that we’ve been wanting to do for a while. In addition to the beautiful scenery, it also makes for some great people-watching along the way. It’s comical to watch the tourists who clearly just followed the signs off the highway not realizing what they were getting themselves into, thinking that they could manage this steep, rocky climb wearing crocs and socks. I feel like I’m pretty well acclimated to the altitude now, but this hike was a lung-buster. The incredible views from the top made it worth the pain, though.


Bike RidesWe spent one full day just riding our bikes around Aspen. We pedaled to the farmer’s market, grabbed lunch at Spring Cafe, rode through North Star Nature Preserve, and explored the historic Ute Cemetery (I realize it may seem morbid to visit cemeteries on vacation, but we’re weird like that!).


Fly FishingAnother day we went fly fishing in the Frying Pan River near Basalt and caught brown trout (don’t worry, we threw them back!). Fishing may be my new favorite hobby – it’s so fascinating to see the river ecosystem up close and personal. We are fortunate to live at the confluence of two gold medal streams where the water is crystal clear and the trout are fat and happy.


The St. Regis AspenWe spent two luxurious nights at The St. Regis living the good life. We indulged in room service and treated ourselves to massages in the spa. The staff found out we were there celebrating Jason’s bar exam and sent up a congratulatory bottle of champagne. I could easily get used to that kind of pampering!


Aspen TouristsThe weather was cool and rainy throughout our entire stay at the St. Regis, so we spent a lot of time curled up with hot tea and good books, although we ventured out of the hotel a few times to visit places like the art museum and John Denver Sanctuary. We also enjoyed a couple of memorable dinners at element 47 and Matsuhisa. If I ever find myself on death row, I will request element 47 for my last meal and savor every single bite without an ounce of regret….it’s really that good.


Smuggler Mountain HikeWe did another popular hike up Smuggler Mountain. The panoramic views from the observation deck at the top of the trail are simply breathtaking (or maybe I was already out of breath from the hike?).


Golfing at Roaring Fork ClubOne afternoon we played 18 holes of golf at the Roaring Fork Club. We stopped keeping score when we lost count of our strokes, but it was still a really fun course to play despite our rusty swings.

Needless to say, we’ve enjoyed being tourists in our own backyard this week. Only two more days left of staycation before it’s time to return to our daily routines. At least we don’t have to leave behind the fresh mountain air this time!

 

 

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Published:
August 10, 2013 – 12:38 pm
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By Shayla
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