We’re Back from Italy!

Sadly.

We’ve been home for a couple of days, and it looks like we beat jet lag this time (woo!).  This helped us to be super productive as we got back in to the swing of things.  Our first full day we did all the laundry, unpacked, went grocery shopping, gave the dogs a bath, ran a few errands, and even managed to catch up on all of our missed TV shows 🙂  It’s nice to be surrounded again by the comforts of home, but I still find myself thinking of the amazing trip we just took…

As we traveled, Scott took note of a few moments that happened–small things that we may not remember in years (or even months) but still felt really funny/special at the time. I wanted to record some of my own as well:

• Translating for a taxi cab driver in Siena, and successfully setting up a future pick-up for some English-only travelers 🙂
• The third pasta dish on our Italian Days food tour… And having three full portions of it.  THEN HAVING MORE COURSES.
  

  You guys. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

• That time that literally NO ONE CARED that we didn’t have actual tickets for ANY of our train rides.  (We had reservations, just no hard tickets).
• Making everyone around us laugh as we held up a stuffed pear to cover the David’s private parts.And having the best picture EVER to show for it.

#fernandothepear

• The Bologna Ride gelato.  Scott’s “one-that-got-away” orange gelato.  Amarena gelato.  Gelato every day. Sometimes twice.

• Being overwhelmed with happiness when we rounded the corner of Ugo Bassi and saw the two towers of Bologna.  Even if the street was under massive construction.  Even if it was raining.

• Having the coolest looking room key to our super Italian place in Florence.

• Getting a free pizza with our Prosecco (for real) when we were already so stuffed with pasta.

We still ate most of it because… free pizza.

• The time that Manarola refused to let us leave. LONGEST TRAIN WAIT EVERRRRR.

• Scott ordering all our breakfasts in Italian 🙂  Due Brioche-cioccolata e marmelata!  (Every.single.morning).

• Birra Cerqua being SO CONFUSED when Scott called Loverbeer “Beer Lover”.  🙂 🙂
• The time I accidentally grabbed & drank out of the carafe in Monterosso.  Which would’ve been fine if I had owned it, but instead I spit it out in shame, on the table…. whoops!

I quickly cleaned up much of the evidence.

• Listening to Rick Steves as we cruised down the Grand Canal at night. ❤
• The worst risotto EVER on the streets of Florence.  Then the world’s largest Florentine steak in Siena.

• “Sono Gufus.”  “Ciao Bella!”
• Scott spilling red wine all over his shorts at the Parmesan factory 🙂

Luckily it was easily wiped up!

• Scott breaking off the key to the front door in Bologna with his brute strength.
• That one time I got scolded by an Italian woman at the Vodaphone store.  And the other time that Scott got scolded by an Italian old man for not wearing a coat 🙂

Her instructions were pretttttty clear…

• Learning that apparently, I don’t share ketchup very well with others…
• Getting the WORLD’S LARGEST APPERTIVO BUFFET at Cafe Zamboni.  Seriously, it was amazing.

We got a glass of champagne and all you can eat deliciousness for 8 euro. LONG LIVE APPERTIVO!

And so, so, SO MANY MORE that I couldn’t possibly write all of it down.  This was one of the best adventures we’ve taken yet, and while I’m sad that it’s gone, I’m happy that we’ll have these memories to hold on to forever.  Ciao Ciao Italia–we’ll most certainly be back!

2015 Goals

I really love making new years goals!  I’m not entirely sure what the difference is between “goals” and “resolutions” but goals seem more attainable 🙂  Even if I don’t reach them, give up on them in two weeks, etc., it’s still fun to take some time to reflect on the areas I want to focus on and grow in the upcoming year.

Yesterday was full of friends and quality time with my hubby (the electricity went out for a few hours so we passed the time with mimosas, board games, and a fire to keep us warm), and since Scott’s away at work today, it seems like as good a time as any to think about what I want to be true in 2015.

I want to go back to Italy.  it’s crazy to think that it has been 9 YEARS since I left Italy.  Studying abroad there was a life changing experience for so many reasons, and after some prodding from Scott, it’s time to go back!  We’ve decided this will be our next big international trip, and we’re shooting for late spring/early summer.  I want to go back to (almost) all of my favorite places, and even explore a few new ones.  But beyond that, I want to brush up on my Italian again (I was never fluent but could certainly hold my own).  It would break my heart to feel like a tourist in Bologna, and speaking Italian would go a long way towards making me feel like I was “back”!

What this tangibly means: take an “Italian for Travelers” class at the Italian institute, then plan, purchase, and enjoy our trip in the spring!

The Bologna crew. Gosh I miss those porticos!!

I want to continue renovating our house.  It hasn’t even been a year of living here and already we’ve made some incredible progress!  We’ve got no plans to slow down in 2015–in fact, we hope to be as ambitious as ever!  Most of this projects focus on functionality and comfort, but of course there are a few “decor” updates in the mix 🙂  Nothing feels as urgent as the big projects we tackled last year, but we’re excited to kick off some “phase 2” projects while finishing up the smaller updates we’ve already got in the works.

What this tangibly means: Complete the big projects (laundry room and guest bathroom renovations, installing heat in the man cave/sun room); tackle a few wood-working projects (built-ins and console tables); finish all paint-based projects (upstairs doors and trim-I’m coming for ya!)

So… remember when my kitchen used to look like this?

Progress!

I want to get healthy.  Now I know I make some kind of goal like this every year.  And while I always seem to fall short, I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons about what works for me each year.  This year I want to focus on healthy habits rather than simply diet and exercise.  It’s important to me to be HEALTHY-not skinny–and in order for that to be true, it’s got to be a balance.  I will never give up beer or champagne or french fries, but i can figure out how to enjoy them in moderation.  I will never consistently count calories, but I can learn how to make my calories count.  I will never be a marathoner or body builder, but i can focus on making my body as strong as possible.  I’m eager to see what lessons 2015 brings in this area.

What this tangibly means: Lose some lbs (there is a specific number but that’s my little secret); train to run a half marathon (finally!); develop healthier eating habits (like consistent meal planning, potion control, and learning how to indulge/treat myself in moderation).

I see MANY more hikes with this fella in my future

I want to focus on my friends.  Yesterday morning we had a full house of friends, kicking off the new year with good food and good company.  It was one of the happiest days in recent history and made me realize how hard I worked in 2014 to build that circle of friends.  I don’t mean the friendships were hard-the best ones come easy and feel like you’ve been friends for decades-I mean the focus and attention we placed on them.  I was intentional in making plans, checking in, following up/through and being thoughtful in how I spent my time with others this year.  The result was an amazing year with strengthened bonds–I’m in such a different place than I was in January 2014!  Even though I’m pretty satisfied here, I know this was no accident–it was the result of my intentional focus on friendship.  And so my goal is to continue this into the new year!

What this tangibly means: Make a goal to see Jen at least twice this year; have at least one lunch date with Abby and a night on the town with Ryan each month; plan out our winter cabin weekend with the crew (yeah Steamboat!) and start up game nights again; watch my favorite Bachelor in YEARS with the girls night group; plan one weekend trip to visit friends who live elsewhere (Phoenix? Baltimore? Anchorage? Tri-Cities? Atlanta? Madison? Virginia? NYC? We’ve got a lot of options…!)

Travelling to see friends is THE BEST! (Esp. when you match outfits)

But it’s just as fun when they travel to see you!

2015.  Let’s do this thing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It’s been a good week.

I’ve been real productive at work.  Home cooked, low-carb meals have been super yummy and satisfying.  I’ve made it to the gym every day (and am feeling stronger by the workout).  The weather is gorgeous and I’m enjoying it in my new clothes/fall outfits.  I’ve met up with 4 wonderful friends throughout the week and have plans to see more tonight.  The jeans I wanted went on super sale.  Fall TV shows are off the CHAIN this week.  I’m killing it in the fitbit steps department. And we leave for vacation in <5 days.

I’m so genuinely content and happy with all that’s going on right now.  I can’t totally put my finger on what has changed but I’m just gonna roll with it.  HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

What We’ve Been Up To

It’s been about a month since I’ve done a “what we’re doing!” post, so it’s probably time!  Here’s what we’ve been up to lately:

Oktoberfest: I don’t know why we got so excited for Oktoberfest this year.  Sure it’s fun, but it’s not like GABF or anything…. Still, this year we decided to get pumped up, and the day didn’t disappoint!  Ryan and John joined us for an afternoon/early evening full of beer, stein holding competitions, and German food!  While this probably won’t be an annual tradition, we’ll definitely plan on going every other year or so.

Don’t ask questions, it was the end of the night…

GABF: The main event.  We’ve been waiting for this day since, well, GABF 2013!  This year was quite a bit more low key for me since I stuck with the boys the whole time (instead of going off on my own and drinking ever IPA in sight!).  We had a blast, got to meet the founder of Sam Adams, drank some tasty and rare beer, etc. etc.  Scott even got to go TWICE!  On a whim he decided to buy a ticket to the member’s only session on Saturday afternoon and he and John went for round 2.  I think in future years we may actually shoot for this session since it’s when they announce the medal winners and people are in an exceptionally good mood 🙂

Front of the line and pretzel-ready!

The GABF crew

Cabin Weekend: Back in March, Scott found a groupon for a cabin getaway in the mountains.  We invited the Game-Night crew (well, 3/4 of them), picked a date, then headed up to Silverthorne for a couple of days/nights of escape with the Gilbertsons & Edwards!  Our cabin had a beautiful view of Lake Dillon (with a hot tub on the balcony!) and Scott and I even got up one morning to watch the sun rise over the lake.  We all brought snacks and took turns making meals–and of course, played a few heated games (who knew banangrams could get so intense??).

Girls cook, boys clean. We were sitting around drinking mimosas while this happened 🙂

On Saturday we hiked, then split up as the girls went outlet shopping and the boys watched football/drank beer.  Sunday was almost a disaster as they closed the road to get back to Denver–but luckily Loveland pass was mostly dry, so we were instead treated to a gorgeous view of the Rockies.  A perfect weekend–sure to be an annual tradition!

Yeah Gopro!

Of course I brought the chicken suit. And of course Abby put it on.

Loveland Pass

Final preparations for Thailand: We received our last Amazon shipment (a mini-tripod and bag for gopro accessories) this weekend.  We got our vaccinations and Vietnam visas on Thursday (2 more typhoid pills to go!).  All tours, lodging, and flights are booked. The only left to do now is…go!  We are T-9 days but honestly time is flying by.  So excited!

Cooking More Meals:  Since mid-September, Scott and I have made a huge effort to cut back on our biggest area of wasteful spending: eating out.  Our new rule is that we can only pay for a meal if it’s spent with others (or if we’re travelling).  This hard stance has led to a lot more home-cooked meals, and neither one of us feel the least bit deprived.  Will it be like this forever? of course not.  But we need to break the habit of “I’m tired/we didn’t go grocery shopping/I’m stressed and want____” that results in us spending money on unhealthy food  The best part is we actually have no desire to change yet so we’ve challenged ourselves to go until Christmas.

That’s about it!  We don’t have any big or exciting plans between now and Thailand (perhaps a visit to the pumpkin patch and/or some carving action?) so until then I’ll just enjoy the quiet and eagerly await our trip to a land far far away.

Fall Fashion: My 5 Picks

Last week I shared that I was changing my approach to fall fashion, and this week I’ll share the 5 items I decided on purchasing.  Of course there were WAY more than 5 things I wanted, so I made an initial list of the things that had caught my eye lately:

• Scarf (Plaid OR grey with lace trim)
• Sweaters: Camel or Gray
• Light-Colored Puffy Vest
• Mustard Cardigan
• Brown Leather Purse
• Ankle Boots
• Snow Boots (Think Sorel or LL Bean “Bean” Boots)
• Leopard Flats
• Blue & White Striped 3/4 Shirt
• Gold Watch

Then, I prioritized which ones I really wanted to get this fall (vs. in the winter or next year), and wound up with:

Camel Sweater:

This is my dream fall outfit…

I’m obsessed with this outfit, and while I historically haven’t liked sweaters, I think that with a puffy vest over top it’ll be a look I wear over and over.  UPDATE: I have yet to find a camel sweater I really like, so this may get tossed into the “winter” pile.

Mustard Cardigan:

Update: I purchased this last week!  Since I love the versatility but am still not sure it’s the right color for me, I went inexpensive and bought this at Target.  So far, so good!

Blue & White Striped 3/4 Shirt:

Can you see a theme? I LOVE my black vest and imagine wearing it with everything.

I really love the nautical look of this top, and when paired with a vest it’s the perfect fall look!  Update: I found a cute version of this at Ann Taylor Factory Outlet for only $16!  Because it was so inexpensive I’m breaking the rules slightly and buying it’s reverse (blue with small white stripes) as well.  I’m back on the hunt…

Leopard Flats:

Apparently leopard (when worn correctly) is a neutral. Who knew?!?

I’m starting to LOVE the look of leopard print when used minimally–it’s both elegant AND fun!  After some extensive research, I think I’m going to pull the trigger on these.  Like “mustard”, I’ve never owned ANYTHING leopard so I don’t want to spend a ton of money, yet still want something that’ll last more than one year.

Gold Watch:

A girl can dream, right?

(Technically I just bought a watch.  BUT that was before I made this list so it doesn’t count!) 🙂  

I want to save up for a nicer watch, but since I currently don’t wear ANY, I figured buying a less-expensive version first (to see how much use it gets) would be wise. Update: I found a cute one at Ann Taylor Factory outlet, marked down from $50 to $20, so that ‘ll work jussssst fine for now!

What about the rest of my list?

• The vest and snow boots got moves to the “winter” list
• The leather purse and scarf got moved to “maybe next year”
• Ankle boots got kicked off entirely–they require skinny jeans, which DON’T look good on me.

I’m happy to say that even after a trip to the outlets, this list is still in tact (with one minor exception… sometimes a deal is just too good to pass up!).  Scott’s super supportive and I’m already itching to wear my new threads.  I’ve got a JL meeting this Wednesday and can’t wait to try my hand at a real fall outfit 🙂

Bring on the piles of leaves, pumpkin EVERYTHING, and colder temps!