Posts Tagged ‘weekend’

weekend : portland so far

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Looking at the photos I took this weekend, apparently my first weekend living in Portland was all about the food. While food was high on the list, other things happened too. Only I don’t have a single photo to show for it. Maybe I’m feeling a little too shy to take photos of people just yet. Non food related things of the weekend included the official celebration of Sam and Meg’s marriage. There was a gorgeous reception at the Overlook house followed by hours of dancing (and mini ramp skating for those brave enough to drop in) to DJ Hostile Tapeover. He DJ’s 80′s and 90′s tape singles. And to be completely honest, I was a little sore on Saturday. This must mean I’m not dancing often enough.

wood fired pizza oven

That was Friday night. Then came Saturday and the food. After Saturday brunch we hopped on our bikes and explored most of the day. We stopped for an oyster shooter and a beer at EaT. We talked about pizza too. After our oyster cocktail (Nick’s first!) and without much of an agenda we headed east, with pizza still on the brain. We heard Ken’s Artisan Pizza opened at 5 and thought it would be perfect for a late lunch/early dinner.

caesar salad

We arrived at Ken’s a few minutes before 5. There was a line of 20+ standing outside before the doors even opened. We opted to wait and ended up with a great spot at a communal table near the large, open windows. Four of us split two Caesars, a Margarita & Arugula Pizza and the Amatriciana Pizza. There was just enough room for dessert. Of course we went for it. Dessert included a blackberry crisp with peach gelato and blackberry sauce. And my favorite, a brownie with salted caramel gelato and toffee crumbled on top. The pizza at Ken’s is well worth the wait (as is the dessert). It’s what I look for in pizza; simple, quality ingredients and a good crust that’s bubbly and even a little charred in places. It’s unpretentious, my kind of food.

Sunday morning after some coffee and a chat with my mom, I walked to Cartola, the coffee shop a few doors down from my house. A few doors down is almost too convenient. I can see myself walking over to pick up a buttery croissant and latte more often than I should. This time, I picked up a mushroom manchego biscuit and an almond apricot muffin for breakfast back at the house, split with Jevan, of course. I don’t want to jump the gun, but I’m in love.

The rest of the day was spent unpacking and errand running. I picked up new sneakers from the Adidas employee store (thanks Meghan!) and went for a run. We played tennis later that afternoon and it really feels like fall around here. For a late lunch, we split a Chickpea sandwich from the Garden State food cart on Mississippi and enjoyed it outside. For dinner and the first one in our new home, we made an End of Summer Salad complete with peaches, arugula, blue cheese and candied walnuts and Jevan made bread. It was a perfect first weekend in Portland. And now it’s drizzling outside and 60 something. Goodbye summer, hello fall. What was your weekend like?

weekend : thankful

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Happy Monday. How was your weekend? Anything fun to report? I have zero photos for you from my weekend, unless you want to see a stack of boxes and a dismantled house? I didn’t think so. Instead, how about a few photos from a trip Jevan and I took this exact time last year in Croatia and Turkey with a couple of days in Paris? I agree, a much better choice.

We planned almost three weeks for the trip so we could spend a week in each country. Croatia was high on our list. Jevan’s grandfather is Croatian. And, timing was right to meet Meggan and Beau in Istanbul about half way through their world tour. Flights from Istanbul to Denver included a layover so we opted for a 3 day layover in Paris.

fishermen

The trip was incredible and eye opening. To take that much time off is truly rejuvenating. After the first week, I really started to relax and enjoy the slower pace. The last time I had that much time off was winter break in 2000. I had the vacation time, and my boss’ were seemingly OK with me taking extended time off from work.

Jevan in Croatia

I went from an incredible vacation and experience to reading an unsettling email from my employers while waiting in the customs line in New York. The email said there would be five layoffs and it would happen the following Monday. It was Tuesday afternoon and I was due back at work on Thursday. That would give me about 2 days to gather my things, I immediately thought. The firm had a staff of 16, and I was the only interior designer, the chances were pretty good I would get cut. But it didn’t matter, I was on a vacation high and secretly hoped it would be me.

Monday came and I was called in the conference room. My free spirit attitude from a few days before quickly dwindled. A rush of emotion came over me. All of the sudden, I didn’t want it to be me. I was sad, overwhelmed, angry and too proud to be laid-off. This was the first time in 15 years of working that someone didn’t want me. I always left a job on my terms, when I was ready. Not the other way around. I had devoted over four years to this firm, how could they not want me.

Work was a major part of my life. I spent more time doing my job than doing anything else. Nothing I did could prepare me for that moment. It was one of my most humbling experiences and the first time I’ve actually talked about it here. A year later, now that I have a clearer vision, that lay-off is quite possibly the best thing that could have ever happened to my career. It didn’t seem so at the time but looking back, I’m thankful. Very thankful.

Had it not happened there’s a chance we wouldn’t be moving to Portland. I wouldn’t be spending time on this blog five days a week. I wouldn’t be developing my own design business. I wouldn’t have finished a handful of interiors projects on my own in the past year. And I definitely wouldn’t be as happy as I am today. I’m a big believer in all things happen for a reason.

A year ago it was hard to imagine good would come out of losing my job. At the time, there were very few opportunities in the industry. And now, there aren’t many more. But because of it, both Jevan and I have adjusted. We’ve reevaluated what is important, paired back considerably and now I feel like we are moving forward with more steam than ever before. Losing my job has made me feel bold.

It has also made me thankful. Thankful for my friends and family and all the support they have given me over the past year. I’m thankful for the advice when I first lost my job to the advice when we first talked about moving and everything in between. I’m thankful for the little bits of wisdom you have given me. The helping hand, the let’s go get a cocktail and blow off some steam kind of thankful. I’m thankful for this blog and having the chance to know a lot of you. I’m thankful for all the supportive comments you have left over the past year.

And more than anything, I’m thankful for Jevan. I don’t discuss our relationship much on here but the past six weeks with him living in Portland and me tying up loose ends has been tough. I have a greater appreciation for what he does in my little world. From pushing me to start my business to supporting me when things get crazy. He’s always there. And that’s the best feeling.

So we’re moving this weekend. And I get to share the process with you. There will be ups and downs but it’s a new adventure. And I love adventure. Did I tell you Jevan left a comfy job working with an incredible company and cast of characters to start up a brand new snowboarding outerwear company based in Portland? There’s so much newness in our life. It’s so exciting.

Photos: the K.I.D Collective

weekend : moving along

Monday, August 9th, 2010

interior design

Happy Monday my friends. How was your weekend? I did a lot of packing because I’m moving in less than 2 weeks. Two entire weeks left, I can’t believe it myself. We finally have a date set. The moving truck is reserved and I have a deadline. This time, I’m actually making some headway. Not sure how you work, but it’s the deadlines that always get me moving. This weekend, I took some photos of my favorite things about my house. It’s been such a great little place the past four and half years. The good thing is, I know I’ll be back, at least for a visit.

interior design

interior design

winston

interior design

weekend : hello august

Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Photos: Clockwise from top left. Easy E showing off his soon to be famous smirk. Our blackberries are almost ready to pick. Bottomless blood orange mimosas at Root Down. My sidekick, Winston.

Can you believe it’s already August? Where did July go? This weekend was pretty incredible despite the lack of photos (all from my phone). Jevan got in town Wednesday night and we’ve been celebrating since he arrived. We saw Inception and wow, it is really that good. We even smuggled in homemade popcorn that I topped with Parmesan and Tabasco. Also good.

Friday was making the rounds with friends. Starting with coffee with Tracy and Elliott (see cute kid above), lunch with Jevan’s old coworkers and then dinner at D’Corazon (a favorite Mexican spot in Denver) with a handful of friends and the Rockies v. Cubs game. Saturday AM our friends Adam and Jenna made a breakfast reservation on the patio at Root Down. To cure our Friday night fun we drank bottomless blood orange mimosas and wasted away the afternoon poolside. An inflatable pool counts, right?

Saturday night, I had a bunch of girls over for BYOS. Bring Your Own Skewer. We cooked food outdoors and enjoyed the evening. And yesterday we actually got some work done AND some packing. The weekend ended with Supper Club Hawaiian style. We feasted on li hing mui mango, Paige’s incredible ribs, Meggan’s mai tais complete with umbrellas, mac salad, kalua pig and Jess’ light coconut custard sprinkled with toasted coconut and macadamia nuts. I still have a food baby this morning.

I’m off to drop Jevan at the airport and then an afternoon of meetings but I’ll catch back up with you tomorrow.  This is the first week of my spending hiatus. While I’m not cutting out sugar and wine, as evident above, because I’m pretty sure I’ll need both for packing and moving, I am planning to cut back. Or at least give it a good ol’ try. How was your weekend?

weekend : bacon cures everything

Monday, July 26th, 2010

bacon

I can’t say this weekend was one for the books, or this blog. And be forewarned, if you aren’t into complaints, you should skip to the second paragraph, because I had a string of bad luck. I won’t go into detail but it includes Winston the pup, and Monte, my car. And with Jevan now living in Oregon and me without a car or a husband, I was a little overwhelmed. Add in house showing (and not selling) madness, ridiculous comments like, baby grand won’t fit, um duh, and I just wanted to crawl in a hole. So Saturday night, Winston and I sat on the sofa, and I ate coconut ice cream with blueberries and watched 4 hours of DVR’ed Gossip Girl and felt sorry for myself. Pitiful, I know and yes, dramatic too now that I look back on the chain of events.

So Sunday I started over. I went to yoga, came home and made bacon. Bacon cures everything, right? And Alice Q has taught me how to perfect my bacon cooking. Thanks Alice! Then I rode my bike with Winston (you can’t keep us locked up for long) to my friend Cody’s house for a BBQ where I was able to show off the first tomatoes from my garden. Soon after, we took the party to City Park Jazz. A perfect way to end a weekend.

Despite the drama, the weekend ended well and I also had time to update my portfolio. It’s still a work in progress, but a start. If you are interested, you can click on the links to the top right under Projects to see some of my work. I’m trying to add more photos for each project but I’m not as savvy as a lot of you. So if anyone knows WordPress and is familiar with adding pages, I would love a couple of tips. Essentially, I want to click on an image within each category and go to a new page where thumbnails of additional project photos are available. Drop me a line if you have some tips. casey@thekidcollective.com

And, since the house selling isn’t going exactly as planned, I’ve put the house up for rent. If you know of anyone interested in a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1908 Denver Square near City Park, email me. I know just the place. casey@thekidcollective.com

Photos: Alice Q. Foodie


weekend : beating the heat

Monday, July 19th, 2010

leadville 50

leadville 50Wells finishing the Leadville 50.

mountain bikes

emily and paulAverie Grace – 2 weeks

The weekend was pretty spectacular despite the heat. While I can’t legitimately complain because Colorado’s temperatures never compare to the heat and the humidity in the South, I think it’s all in what you are accustomed too. And let me tell you, I’m not comfortable with this heat. Let me rephrase. I’m not good in the heat. It drains me and has a tendency to make me slow and, dare I say crabby? So to beat the heat, I tried to keep myself entertained in the shade and out of the city as much as possible. Friday night, I feasted on Mexican and giant margs with a bunch of girlfriends and then moved to the Forest Room 5 for iced beverages on their patio.

Saturday AM I headed up to Leadville (2 mile high city) with my girlfriend Karlin and our pups, Winston and Max. We tried our best to be the sag wagon for Wells, Kar’s husband, during his grueling 50 mile mountain bike race in Leadville. Yes, you heard that right, 50 miles on a mountain bike. Wells did stellar and finished quicker than his previous times, Karlin packed a fun little picnic for us and I escaped 98 degree heat in the city. Plus we got to stare at guys, and girls, in impeccable shape. Now that’s inspiring. It was a win win kind of day.

Sunday morning, I joined my girlfriend Jenna for a hike. I don’t know about you, but I’m not much of a hiker. I get bored and would rather just go for a run to get some exercise. With that in mind, Jenna convinced me to hike Chautauqua with her. She said it’s fast, shady and an intense workout. She was right, it was a one hour climb up stone steps to the top and then back down again. I won’t lie, I’m a little stiff this morning.

After the hike, I stopped by to meet the newest addition to the world, little Averie Grace. Check out that blond fuzzy hair. So cute. Last night ended with a BBQ over at Beau and Meggan’s place. BBQ was complete with Bacon Blue Cheese Sliders and Curry Turkey Sliders with Granny Smith apple chunks, sprouts, cream cheese and jalapeno jam and roasted potatoes. Yum. I made this Gingered Carrot Chilled Soup with Avocado and Karlin made a delish chopped salad. It was the perfect way to end a weekend.

weekend : a whirlwind denver to portland roadtrip

Monday, July 12th, 2010

It was a whirlwind trip but I’m back in Colorado. Portland was amazing, as always. Can the summers there get any better? Seriously? There was a BBQ at this amazing joint, meeting up with Colorado friends at Mt. Hood, World Cup watching and a bike ride that started in the morning and lasted until dark. Unfortunately I took all of 7 photos once I got to Portland. And as usual I’m doing a little catch up early this week but should be settled back into a routine in a day or two. How was your weekend? Was it blazing hot or cold and rainy? It seems like the weather has been a little off everywhere.

PS. If you’re liking these snapshots, you can always see more like this over on twitter. Just sayin’.

sometimes you need to get away

Friday, June 4th, 2010

mountains

In my book, getting away is completely under rated. You don’t realize you need or even like getting away until you do it. Then you wonder why you don’t do it more often. Jevan and I try to get away as often as possible and often forget the best medicine is just a few hours drive from home.

For Memorial weekend Jevan and I along with 7 other friends and 5 dogs went to Crested Butte. We mountain biked, trail ran, hiked, ate, drank and stared at this view for three straight days. It was pretty incredible. What are you up to this weekend? Me? After being out of town for 3 straight weekends, we’re having a yard sale and painting a wall in the living room, maybe I’ll play some tennis too. It’s finally nice around here.

Photos: the K.I.D Collective

how could i forget…

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Tonight we are heading to the Larimer Lounge to see Local Natives. Getting up early for my super secret mission tomorrow AM is going to be hard but totally worth it. I can’t wait to share. In the mean time, you can see some more Local Native business here. Or watch/listen below.

Photo: Local Natives

weekend : big love – part 2

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

I don’t really know where to begin. I actually started and erased three times because whatever I typed wasn’t appropriately summing up this incredible weekend. Texas was incredible this past weekend, did I say that already? It deserves saying twice. There was BBQ, tacos, dancing into the wee hours on roof top patios, toasting, laughing, torrential downpours, and the best pool party I’ve been to in ages. It was topped off with a sunny and warm wedding day, a stunning bride and handsome groom. Congrats Jess and Cody, I wish you a lifetime of happiness.

Photos: the K.I.D Collective. You can see more photos over on my flickr page.