To be - or not to be- a planner

So what does it mean when you're "not a planner"? I have a hard time with the concept because I love to plan things. It's essential! It's fun!It's so much a part of me I don't understand what it would be like NOT to plan things. It brings joy to my lil heart!!!

I planned my wedding but that seemed easy; I had a year and a half to complete the task(s). I plan all of our vacations. I have methods for researching and squeezing what I need to know out of the Internet. Trip Advisor is a valuable tool but I feel it is somewhat underused. I don't make an iternerary usually, just have handfuls of ideas on things to do, places to find, and where to eat. A tool box for our travels, if you will. :) I heart planning things, and I do feel sad for people who hate to plan or at least don't know how to go about it.

Geoffrey is not a planner. The funny thing is, he knows this about himself yet is still surprised when things don't go "as he planned". Yes, most rooms/campsites/cabins will be rented three weeks before hand. No, you can't just pick up the phone with credit card in hand and expect the exact room with the perfect view in the perfect place on your dates to be available! In his defense, you really have two options in Colorado as far as activities go (assuming you don't have family who own houses in Colorado Springs & Breckenridge & Golden ----> Mark Simon <----). Those options are 1) book things in advance. Way in advance. Want a cabin for next summer? Rent it now. Want to go on a camp trip? Maybe a few months from now you'll be able to book a site. Option 2) Pack your bags and go. Plan on sleeping in your car if you don't find a site, but have faith and an adventurous spirit and set out to find a camp site, you'll probably get lucky and fine something cool.

My 29th birthday is around the corner so I've been watching the hubs search for THE perfect place to no avail. When he asked me what I wanted the accommodations to be I said: cabin or something secluded'ish, fireplace/fire pit, red wine/hot cocoa/blanket, near Aspen. Unfortunately, cabins have been rented out for months because apparently, my idea of  a perfect Colorado weekend in the mountains belongs to many! I told you it was an enchanting time of year...

This morning begins our 3 day weekend and we are in bed still. Geof is watching tv, I'm watching my empty coffee cup and sending mental messages to the hubs >>> you WANT to get up in the 62 degree house ((fall is here)) and make us some more coffee with soy milk - yes you want tooooo-<<<< . We were just thinking what we could do today and I remembered its the first Saturday and the art museum is free. Free? Yes please!

September! The Golden month & time to celebrate MEEEE!

Holy Moly do I love this month! I feel like September is enchanted, especially in Colorado when the summer suddenly slams itself into full blown fall and then by the end of September it honestly could turn into winter with just one cold front! In fact, last year, we had a big snow storm in the middle of October - snow for 3 days straight and we even had snow days off from work! But that is nothing enchanting, not like when the Aspen trees change colors within a weeks time; when you drive into the mountains and see one thing, then drive out the next day and see something completely different.

The air gets crisp and cool but not cold and the sun still shines, shines, shines. Everything is golden in September. Leaves on the ground, the plains of grass, the aspen trees, pumpkins growing, September 29th I turn 28. I'm pretty excited about it and even though September is golden, its not my "golden" birthday yet; I turn 29 on the 29th in 2011.

This year the birthday plan is to go to Aspen to see the aspens! I've been to Steamboat, Glenwood, and Vail for my birthday before but not all the way to Aspen, Colorado. We're looking into little cabins or maybe a condo near town. It's going to be enchanting and oh-so-September!!! Just take a look at this place, yes, we're going to see the Maroon Bells :) Click it for a larger view. AHmazing!

Here's a photo of our house in the fall. Just look at all those leaves! Yikes.

Replacements & reflections (drafted last Saturday)

Without having to get into too much detail, we are finally at the point where we can buy new things after the break in. Replacements. One BIG expense will be my new laptop and the design software I need. I used to "share" any type of software in college and I always felt partially guilty for doing that. Also, you cannot upgrade your software if needed. For instance, looking at getting Adobe Creative Suite CS5 it is only $500 to upgrade but the full price is $1,300. If you every "share" software, you aren't eligible for a mere $500 upgrade. You must pay full price, like your a design virgin being christened for the first time. Maybe I am :) We are ever changing, aren't we?

I'm really looking forward to some replacements because I'm bored with board games! UGH. Enough already. Lets paint or something :)

The creativity and energy in my life is very high right now. Pretty awesome. I do feel some type of shift, I think it mirrors the changes in the seasons. All of the sudden I feel a shift in energy, a much welcomed one at that.

I like my sentences long, and cut in half with a comma. Ha ha.

Today we hiked up to Maxwell Falls, which is a trail near Evergreen/Conifer/Aspen Park. It was a lovely hike where we gained a bit of elevation and made it up to a treeline where we were exposed to the sun, surrounded by little trees. I love little things <3 It was a 2 1/2 hour round trip hike (without breaks). At the top of the falls we sat and I put my feet in the could mountain water, always a Colorado-hike-bonus! I had some fresh dark cherries, almonds, and walnuts packed. Oh, and Geof filled our camelbacks with ICE water. That was a pleasant surprise! It's all about the little things isn't it? Yessss.

For a post hike reward we had lunch at an outdoor patio place (patio comes first, food second) and had Mr. Collins with us. He was being chased by a King Soopers bag (think American Beauty) and was beyond spooked! He gets nervous sometimes. So do I, so I feel for the lil guy. On I-70 there was a grated section of road under construction and Collins scrambled (literally) into my lap in the front seat. He could not handle the sounds and bumps of the grated road.

Speaking of rewards, we were saying how cliche it is to say "the reward for the uphill is the downhill". Seems like a small reward for a big commitment to me. Using your core and agility to avoid blowing our your knee as you practically jog downhill for an hour on lose rocks and roots is not exactly a reward. Lets talk food, drinks, foot rubs, hot showers, and the like. That's my kind of reward!

One of many things I've learned from yoga these past few weeks has been to "enjoy the journey" not just the destination/reward. Reflect upon reflecting as you hike through nature is far more a reward than having say, a margarita and fish tacos. All the time you've taken to think, play, work, reflect, rest, push, praise is THE ultimate reward.

So lets enjoy the journey!

Yoga tomorrow at Sloans Lake.
Wine and candles and guitar for now.
Sweet dreams!

Tomorrow I'm catching up!

I promise. Also, I promise to update this blog at least three times per week for the month of September... and hopefully longer. Baby steps.

~N~

Thurs mornin is yoga mornin

Today we started the day with some yoga in the park. I loooove doing yoga in the park in the early morning. It is my favorite time of day, when the sun is rising still, making long dark shadows across the grass which is wet and squishy and happy. Everything smells fresh and full of possibility.

One of my favorite things about doing yoga out in the park is the view. Yes, the grass and the trees and the pups running around are all part of the revolving scene. But what I'm talking about is this:

Its a total change of perspective, looking at the world in a new way and it makes me smile EVERY TIME! This isn't the actual view from the park downtown but you get the idea. Upside down is right side up in downward dog. It's fun to play with things during your practice. Like maybe a little bit of this:

No, this is not me and no, this is not my baby but is is happy, isn't it baby? :) This pose used to annoy me... like really, what is the point of this, I'm not feeling anything going on here, what am I missing? But today I realized the full expression, rolling around on my mat with the clouds above and the moon above and the upside down trees and the upside down cars making me smile into my hips.

Yoga in the park is a yummy breakfast and I don't feel guilty if (mostly) every time I set my intention: it is for ME. All for me like a big yummy breakfast for me to gobble up. And I do, believe me.

Projects!!!

HELP! I'm dying from an overwhelming need to do projects! This means everything from painting the window trim on our house to designing to making necklaces to other paper crafts to... Ok, this is where you come in, give me ideas of things I should start. Here's the big idea, I want to start an Etsy shop plus website that I can promote 1) myself and 2) my creations (which don't exist yet so this is going to be a process)...

I need help making my plan.

Here's my brainstorm list (and please don't steal my ideas... that would not be very nice, and is my number 1 pet peeve). Funny thing is there are thousands of people with my same idea. But we're all unique. And thats what makes it work.

• Etsy Shop
• Personal Website
  
  Things to sell:
• Aprons
• Jewelry
• Magnets
• Little things
• Prints
• Paper stuff (my secret)
• Design services
• Bath and Body - organic, essential oil
• Books
• Ideas... (tricky tricky)

So what do you think? What should I focus on? Where should I begin? What would you like to buy? I hope some of you comment and lend me some guidance!

Weekends with love

Saturday was full of so much SUMMER, it was perfect! We woke and had a cup of coffee with soy milk in bed while we talked with Geof's family about the upcoming trip to Richmond in two weeks. Geof's sister gave us the idea to go to Virginia Beach for a family beach day. WATER! There are many little ones so we'll see how and if that pans out.

Finally up (9:00am) I talked Geof into walking with me to the farmers market. That's 2.3 miles, about 45 minute walk each way. I love to walk, he thinks its inefficient like paddle boating, which I also happen to love. LOVE. Collins on the line, we started out and made it there in good time. Its such a lovely little area, with the Little Man Ice Cream shop and the flowers and old metal slide and patio there.

There are also Lola (tequilla and mexican food), and Vita, a wine bar/bistro with a nice rooftop patio. Nestled between them all was the farmers market where immediately bought a Peach White iced tea. Then some organic salsa, 3 huge beets w/greens, zucchini and squash, and some homemade puppy treat trail mix for Mr. Buddy. Then we came across a little wine tasting  and learned there is a little "wine row" of wineries on 46th and Pecos, just a few blocks from our house! Joy! We started our treck home but stopped at Gallop Cafe here at 32nd and Zuni where I ordered a mimosa and a slice of quiche and Geoffrey ordered a French hen with potatoes (butter croissant with bacon, egg, cheese). Collins had his trail mix and some water and some rest.

On our walk it turned BLAZING hot at (12:30pm) and the last 15 minutes of the walk were no fun at all. Without any AC our house is not very comfortable so we put on bathing suits, grabbed the essentials (frizbee, paddle ball, water, towels, sunblock, chairs, water bowl), and headed to Golden where Geof wanted to swim in Clear Creek.

It's a Colorado thing. I understand the ocean but I do not understand rapids and the uncertaintiy of flash flooding and rivers that flow from 14,000 feet above sea level. They scare me, I should say. BUT, I too splash around in the rivers and creeks here (while keeping a respectful safety distance from anything considred deep or fast). We witnessed the offbeat wedding of Liz and Larry, a country/rock couple who had guitar shaped fans for programs, played a Metalica version of "here comes the bride" on an electric guiater, a wiener dog for a ring bearer, all positioned right in front of Cleer Creek where dozens of people were floating down on big colorful plastic tubes or Alligator shaped boats... After our swim/dip/splash/play/cool off we went to the Golden Hotel at the Bridgewater Grill and had an appetizer plus libation. Crabby cake, small cheese plate with fruit, and a forest mushroom spread, as the evening approached and we sipped it all up. ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Sunday consisted of yoga and hammock time. Enough said?