Colorado Adventures Part III: Granby*

*A fair warning: this post is picture-laden. There were just too many beautiful moments from this part of the trip! 

On the last full day of our trip, husband and I headed out to Granby for a more serene outdoor adventure at Snow Mountain Ranch. We arrived at the park around 9am to rent our gear, then headed out on snow shoes to explore the seemingly endless trails, ridges and peaks. A mere few minutes into our trek, the buildings were small in the distance and not a sound could be heard. No cars, no people. Just a little bit of wind... and then we happened upon two moose! 

After winding around some of the flat trails we decided to make the climb to the top of Coyote Tooth and get a view from the ridge. The trail narrowed and steepened, and it felt like we walked into another world. The trees were so still and perfectly laden with snow. The sky was a brilliant blue that allowed the sun to cast perfect shadows on the untouched snow. It was magical.

The view from the top of the ridge was worth the short climb. We decided to brave the slightly chilling breeze and eat lunch atop the ridge. Once we were almost frozen, we decided to head back to the camp and try our luck with cross-country skis. I'll have to say that cross country skiing was not my forte. We only attempted it for about 45 minutes or so, definitely not enough time to figure out the right technique, so it's on our list for the next winter trip we take.

As much as I love downhill skiing, I have to say that this adventure was my favorite. There was something so special about being atop a ridge with untouched snow and feeling a million miles away from anything and anyone. There is a part of my soul that longs for solitude and a closeness with God, and I truly believe that I find that most in His vast creation, in nature.

xoxo

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Colorado Adventures Part II: Winter Park

After our brief time in Boulder, husband and I and our buddies headed over to Winter Park for a few days of skiing. The drive from Boulder to Winter Park was really quite lovely. I enjoyed watching the landscape change as the snow started to cover more of the mountains, the rocks began to fade and the trees began to grow in tall clusters.

Downhill skiing is one of my favorite things to do with K because we are well matched in our skill level {except I may be just a little bit better, ha.} so we always have a ton of fun. Winter Park was gorgeous, with plenty of good tree skiing, my favorite. I love finding skinny little trails off the sides of the runs that wind through the trees. A few times husband was behind me so I knocked some snow off the branches onto his head. Ha! Mary Jane was our favorite mountain with Edelweiss being our favorite run. It was long and winding with lots of trees and hideaways. We skied at Winter Park two days in a row and spent the entire second day skiing over at Mary Jane.

And although Winter Park was lovely and lots of fun, I didn't think it was necessarily better than the other places we have been. Wolf Creek, our honeymoon spot, was a great, smaller scale local place. And Breckenridge is probably my favorite ski destination in Colorado. We didn't eat out in Winter Park, mostly because nothing really grabbed our attention. Instead we spent our evenings in our condo, making dinner, playing cards and watching movies.

You know the night life is just not for me, 'cause all you really need are a few good friends.

xoxo

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Kale & Wild Rice Soup

When the weather turns colder, my sights usually turn towards warm comfort foods such as chili and soups. While this recipe is definitely one of my favorites, I am always on the look out for an unusual soup recipe. This kale and wild rice soup combines some of my favorite flavors, and the Gruyere adds a subtle layer of smokiness to the ham and wild rice. I have made it twice, once with ham and once with chicken, and both are equally delicious. I adapted the recipe below from a soup that mother makes, and it's the perfect blend of creamy and savory, not to mention oh-so comforting on a cold November evening.

{The recipe below includes my adaptations. The original ingredients are included in parentheses}

You will need:

1-2 tbl spoon good quality olive oil

2 ounces of ham, chopped OR cooked chicken breast, chopped
{NOTE: I used three chicken breasts to make the soup a bit more hearty.}

1 onion, chopped

3 small carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cup uncooked gluten-free wild rice

3 cups organic vegetable broth {or chicken broth}

3 cups water {or 4 cups water & 2 cups broth. I wanted a richer flavor, so I used more broth than water.}

3 cups unsweetened almond milk {or regular whole milk}

2 ounces (1/4 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese

2 ounces shredded parmigiano-rregiano cheese {I omitted this and only used about 1/2 cup Gruyere}

1/2 tsp salt {I omitted when I used the ham}

Black pepper to taste

3-4 cups chopped kale {depending on your taste}

Combine the first 6 ingredients and sauté for ten minutes. Add the uncooked rice and sauté for five min, just until the rice starts to brown {warning: the smell is incredibly warm and delicious}. Add the broth, chopped kale and water, and simmer for approximately 40 minutes until the rice is cooked. Add milk and cook fifteen minutes or until desired consistency. {I simmered mine for almost 45 minutes as we like a thicker consistency, more like a stew.} Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and cook for about five more minutes, just until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy.

xoxo

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winter slight

january and february are typically the dreary months here in the south. it's cold, windy, and rainy, and all i can think about are sunny spring days filled with floral skirts, sailor-inspired dresses, picnics, camping trips, and sandals. this year my winter slight is especially bad. mr. groundhog did not see his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter, and let me tell you, mother nature is serious about this extended winter. just last weekend we got six inches of snow, and it never snows in ga.

all that being said, i have absolutely fallen into a winter fashion slight. i spend my days bundled up in sweaters & scarves, with my skinny jeans tucked into boots so as to keep my feet warm. that's why the outfit posts have been lacking lately. {one can only post so many outfits of this sort} i have managed to pick up a couple spring/summer pieces {on sale!} that i am slowly bringing out into these cold winter days hoping to speed up spring's arrival.

tank, f21; cardi, target; cigarettes, urban; heels, h&m; neckalce, anthro

this past weekend, however, the temperatures reached a glorious 60 degrees, and the sun shone for hours on end {not just a peek out from the clouds here and there that has been the recent trend}. i know that the cold weather will be back before spring actually arrives. nonetheless, i have made it a personal goal to wear at least one article of bright color each day to officially end this winter slight of greys, blacks, scarves, and sweaters. what are you doing these days to combat the winter blues?
xoxo


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vancouver or bust

i love the winter olympics, {snowboarding, ice hockey, alpine skiing, downhill races, and figure skating? yes, please} so i have been in heaven lately with all the olympic coverage on the news.

some of my favorite moments thus far:

{shaun white winning gold in men's halfpipe}
i really enjoy watching men's halfpipe snowboarding because it is something that i would never be able to do. the thought of doing three or four flips over six feet in the air with a snowboard attached to my feet sounds like absolute fear to me, but it's just another day at work for shaun white.
image credit

{lindsey vonn winning gold in women's alpine skiing}
because hers is just a really good story {overcoming an injury and being thought of as a "pin up girl"} & because she is a girly girl who is also outdoorsy. {she fits right in here at hiking in stilettos.}
image credit

{shani davis winning gold & apolo ohno winning silver in speed skating}
because i really like speed skating for some reason & because shani davis supports an organization to bring speed skating to inner city kids in dc.
image credit davis
image credit ohno

 

{the tango by russian ice dancers oksana domnina & maxin shabalin}
as a dancer myself, {although not of ice}, i really appreciated their grace and poise. one of my pet peeves with dancers of all types is closing in of the upper body {ports de bras for you dancer types}. the reason that this team displays such ease on the ice has a lot to do with their open & lifted upper torso. in short, it was a beautiful tango.
image credit


it would take too long to list all of my favorite moments from this year's winter olympics. perhaps i will make it out to see some of the events in 2014....

what are some of your favorite events or olympic moments?



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snow day in the south

it rarely snows in my corner of the country, so when we got 6 inches of snow this weekend, the city basically shut down. husband and i played a bit, made a snowman, took some pictures, and then holed up inside with a warm fire and a good movie.


hope you had a happy winter weekend.
xoxo


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outerwear outings

living in the south i really don't have need of a winter coat.

we do experience some pretty cold days during january and february,

but it is nothing compared to the snowy north.

since i would need to spend quite a bit
to find a nice wool coat that actually fits me well,
i often settle for more trendy versions at lower price points.


i found this lovely guy on sale at h&m earlier this year.
he made his fashion debut this past week
for husband's office christmas party and for church on sunday.

it's a great piece at a great price,
definitely warm and snug, and pretty versatile.
the over sized collar is my favorite part.
it looks best buttoned all the way up like a cowl neck
{which isn't shown in either of these pictures}
and the belt helps to hide the fact that it's a little too big.


since our snowfall may consist of six inches on a good year,
and the really cold weather only lasts a few months,
it is completely unjustifiable to spend a lot on a winter coat.
as much as i absolutely love the one from anthropologie,
it's just not practical to spend that much when i live in the south.

one day when we move north or west,
i am sure i will invest in a more durable winter coat,
but for now i will stick with h&m, f21, and the bp department at nordstrom


where do you go to find affordable winter coats?


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bright tights

one of my favorite things about cold weather

is the chance to break out some of my brightly colored tights.

with colors ranging from cobalt to mustard to emerald to bulldog red,

there is a pair for every skirt or dress in my closet.

sometimes it's difficult to incorporate colored tights into ones wardrobe

without looking like a box of crayola crayons.

here are some of my favorite inspiration looks:

from magazines:

images: the little bit

from other bloggers:

image credit: nicole hill gerulat via rockstar diaries

image credit: lookbook.nu

image credit: taghrid

from anthropologie {of course}:

image credit: breakfast at anthropologie

my best advice for wearing colored tights is to do one of two things:

1. stick with one color and play with varying shades

{ie, pink & red in the first photo; yellow in the fourth photo}

2. pair two colors that compliment each other

{ie, purple and yellow, blue and white, gold and green}

what is your advice for bright winter tights, my lovelies?

xoxo

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