I am several years behind on posting my Halloween costumes, but seeing as Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, it seems as good a time as any to share the backlog (and tbh if you are a faithful reader, you should be used to shameless catching-up by now)!
Two years ago, I dressed up as Kathleen Kelly (of Meg Ryan's character of 'You've Got Mail' fame). "You've Got Mail" is my favorite movie and seeing as I can quote it in its entirety, as soon as the thought (of this Halloween costume) crossed my mind, I realized it was perfect. Even more so, seeing as "You've Got Mail" is as enduringly relevant to my life as "The Godfather" is to Joe Fox's.
I sourced a black jumper and white pointy-collared shirt from DI, as well as the tote bag that I later emblazoned with painted bookstore branding: THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. This $1 tote bag + paint was an easy project (I tried to replicate with hand-lettering the font from the storefront) that I completed while re-watching the movie for the zillionth time. I still use this tote bag regularly and ALWAYS get comments/compliments on it. It is a subtle way to weed out fellow aficionados from the rest and a fitting fashion statement no matter the occasion (but preferably an occasion in which one is toting books).
This photo is to showcase Melissa's genius Bob Ross costume. Her fake mustache and beard were so terrible and hilarious. My Kathleen Kelly-bob was also terrible and hilarious, and required approximately one million bobby pins to pull off. An even greater feat when I remember how LONG my hair was two years ago! (below: my hair after removing all the bobby pins, as a concrete before-and-after).
The best part of this Halloween costume? The ongoing utility that I get out of this dress, which I wear approximately weekly as a wardrobe staple. DI for the win. Happy Halloween!
When Outdoor Voices opens a summer pop-up in a hip mountain town you've always wanted to visit, and it's within roadtripping range, you take the roadtrip. Alyanna, Yuki, and I spent a few days in Aspen, Colorado in summer 2017, camping just outside Aspen on
BLM land (ever and always so very grateful for dispersed camping when all the fully serviced campgrounds are full at the height of camping season!). We loved exploring Aspen, trying great food, browsing the farmers market (those dahlias!), and exploring the outdoors. And it was fun to see the OV pop-up. I'm a fan of several years of their great activewear—as someone with a lot of opinions about textiles and clothing, I have so many good things to say about their clothes. Most of all, I love the ethos behind the brand—that of #DoingThings and using your outdoor voices (as opposed to indoor voices). Recreation and living an active lifestyle don't have to be glamorous, impressive things—it can be as simple as jumping rope, riding a beach cruiser, or walking a dog. Or roadtripping to Colorado. I have no regrets.
Things we ate/loved/did in Aspen:
• farmers market eye candy
• water-wise features and fixtures dotted across downtown
• the most darling bookstore in a charming house on the main street—Explore Booksellers
• a yoga class at a yoga studio we spotted on our drive in
• the DAHLIAS at the farmers market
• Annette's Bake Shop's pecan coconut butterscotch cookie (that combination!!)
• Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop - we ate dinner here upon arrival and had for dessert the cookie board with dark chocolate chip cookies, smoked sea salt, and vanilla milk (which was unequivocally incredible)
• We had a good balance of culinary exploration in Aspen and food cooked at camp. We really upped our tinfoil dinner game with these contents: potatoes, onion, carrots, red pepper, brussels sprouts; and roasted corn on the cob.
We camped a little ways out of Aspen and the mountains on all sides were glorious. We spent a couple nights in Aspen, and our last night drove a couple hours towards home and camped at Ruedi Reservoir in the White River National Forest. The photos above are from our (dispersed camping, BLM) Aspen campsite, and those which follow are from Ruedi Reservoir. It was a beautiful area and we spent the evening out hiking and sitting by the water. Back at our campsite that night, we sat out and watched a meteor shower, including the single most incredible shooting star I have ever seen—it lasted so long and the dazzling trail lingered in the sky a moment before fully fading. I am also amazed, comparing the photos immediately below and the effect of the daylight and general sunniness on the color of the water and the general atmosphere of the reservoir. I'm glad we witnessed both states, as both were equally lovely.
Revisiting these photos and this trip from two summers ago has me very much at the ready for many more camping adventures yet to be had in the coming months. There is something I love so much about sleeping out of doors, surrounded wholly and completely by beautiful natural scenes.
