merry christmas

Time does fly when you're busy living life and spending it with dear friends and family.

Much to catch up on, much to post and plenty of photos to share.

But before anything else, here's wishing everyone a very, merry Christmas!

 

music to my ears

I'm a sucker for acoustic sets - violins, guitars, pianos - paired with soft, melancholy and stark vocals; written with heartfelt intimate lyrics that tug at your heartstrings.  Which is why I'm glad I got an invite from D to check out one of her favorite Denver-based musician, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel. He's got a distinct, infectious, somber voice full of emotion that conveys both joy and sadness.  She got me hooked. 

:: via Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel ::

Check out some of his songs courtesy of the Day Trotter's review.  The video below is of his piece "Early Spring Till" accompanied by Julie Davis' (of Bela Karoli) harmony, who is also incredible all by herself.  She possesses a powerful voice; smooth, smoky and jazzy, which was a nice addition to Nathaniel's set. 

 

:: Julie Davis via Bela Karoli ::

Another local musician I discovered that night was Ian Cooke.  I arrived at the Bluebird Theater to find him, center stage under a dimly lit spotlight, and his cello.  He uses a loop pedal during his solo performances to layer his cello, like in his video below.  His compositions are pulled from Classical influences mixed with Folk and Jazz... all recipes for a truly original and eccentric type of music.  I dig it.

Julie Davis, on the bass, also joined him on stage for a few songs that made for a perfect combination of classical and jazzy acoustic compositions.

:: via Ian Cooke ::

We also loved Houses' performance and I especially loved their song, "We'll See the Sun."

Other Denver-brewed bands also threw a lively, entertaining show.  Especially the one who we thought was just the "tamborine girl" but to our very pleasant surprise, was the lead vocalist of Snake Rattle Rattle Snake. She's talented and her voice seductively soared over dance rock rhythms. The hottest tamborine girl ever. She made me wish I were in a band.

introducing SammyT

A very talented and sweet, dear friend of mine linked me to his blog with his most recent work. 

Meet SammyT - a talented musician with an infectious energy, amazing voice, a heart made of gold and a smile that can light up a room.  Not to mention, he's got the moves for you ladies that can make your hips swing.  Always a good time when he's around which makes me wonder.... why have I not hung out with him in a while?  Sammy pie, let's get together soon!

Take a listen...


Hopless n Love from Samuel Taggett on Vimeo.

Street Etiquette :: "Cookie" Boots

Once again, these boots from Ronnie Fieg in collaboration with Ralph Lauren in action.  Compliments of the Street Etiquette.  Love the leather jacket.  Love the zippers on the jacket.  Love the plaid button-up.  Love the hat, scarf and fingerless gloves combo.  In my opinion, this is a great look for that hip, urban guy.

grey is still the new black

If I were a man, I would totally rock these...

 

:: Supra Muska Skytop TUF : via Freshness ::

And these...

:: Ronnie Fieg x Polo Ralph Lauren : via Sneaker Obsession ::

And these too...

:: Chuck Shepard : via ALIFE ::

Kinda like these too...

 

:: Martin Margiela / Rubber Effect Trainer : via Freshness ::

. . . 

gobble, gobble

I am crazy about food and admittedly have a shameful/less love affair with anything sweet. If it has sugar, you name it, I eat it. And the holidays, in particular, bring out that monster in my belly that wants to gobble up anything I see.  It doesn't help that my family's appetite for exceptional cooking always brings out an impressive feast on the dining table.  And when I say exceptional, by that I mean my mother.  Without a doubt, it's her tasteful creations that takes up the centerpiece and makes everyone's mouths water and yearn for more.  This year, she has once again decided to tackle her infamous Turducken - a complex and time-consuming process that involves a delicate preparation of 3 different kinds of poultry.  A de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck which itself is stuffed with a de-boned chicken... and the gaps are then filled with her own concoction of a sweet, sticky wild rice with portobello mushrooms, sausage and cranberries stuffing.  Quite an undertaking, to say the least.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

My contribution is, of course, something sweet.  I'm pretty set on making an Apple Crumble Crisp pie, in which I'm going to take elements from different recipes and bring them all into one.  Let's see how that one works...

I also want to make a second dessert item and luckily, I came across TasteSpotting's website via Shannon Eileen's blog.  It's tagline is, "a community driven visual potluck."  The site offers a plethora of recipes in various categories from different contributors, with delectable images to go along with it.  As a visual person, that is a plus for me as I like to know how it should look when I'm done.  It's a one-stop shop for recipe and entertaining needs. Out of the many recipes I perused through, I found these tasty delights so hopefully I can pick one by tomorrow...

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Pumpkin Tart

Chocolate Peppermint Bars

Steamed Caramel Cake

Glutten-free Coconut Macaroons

Strawberry Tart with Dark Chocolate Creme Patiserrie

Chocolate Toffee Cinnamon Chips (cookies... always a crowd pleaser)

 :: via TasteSpotting ::

. . .

 

pump it up

I'm sure many of you remember or maybe even owned a pair of the old school Reebok Pumps.  Well Reebok's 20th Anniversary of an iconic shoe is soon approaching and to help celebrate that is the debut of their Pump 20 Project.  They have collaborated with 20 sneaker shops from around the world to bring back an old school classic to a new school style with their own take and vision using colors, materials and textures.  They're set to release on Nov 20th at their corresponding shoe shops with limited availability.

Check out Sneaker Freaker's article with images of the complete collection of collaborating stores and what they were able to whip up.

I think one of my favorites from the collection has got to be this Bodega collab, Pump20 "Outback" with a military inspired look. 

 :: Bodega x Reebok PUMP 20 : via Freshness ::

:: atmos Tokyo x Reebok PUMP 20 : via Freshness ::

:: Kasina x Reebok PUMP 20 : via Freshness ::

:: Espionage x Reebok PUMP 20 : via Kicks On Fire::

:: KICKS/HI x Reebok PUMP 20 : via Freshness ::

 

:: HUF x Reebok PUMP 20 : via HB ::

:: Sneakersnstuff x Reebok PUMP 20 : via Nice Kicks ::

:: Hanon x Reebok PUMP 20 : via HB ::

:: Stolen Riches x Reebok PUMP 20 : via HB ::

  

:: colette x Reebok PUMP 20 : via HB ::

: St. Alfred x Reebok PUMP 20 : via HB ::

 

:: Reebok PUMP 20 "Bringback" Pack : via Nice Kicks ::

..................

Some more funky cool shoes I found from their "Bringback" Collection...

:: via Sneakerfreaker ::

 

:: via My Air Shoes ::

:: via Hypebeast ::

And on a related note, I wish these colors were out back when I used to rock the original Freestyles.

:: Reebok Freestyle : image via Kicks On Fire ::

. . .

eye candy :: mango's spring/summer 2010 collection

I am a big fan of Mango's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection showcased in this fashion show.  I am all about this whole timeless Safari look and a military-inspired twist with a soft, sophisticated sense of comfort and functionality.  Love how they also added sequins and floral patterns to play up neutral colors and loose-fitting pieces.  Love it.  And the opening song in the fashion show just makes me want to strut down the halls at work.

Also another thing to love is the new face for their ad campaigns: the beautiful, sultry Scarlett Johansson.  Hotness.

:: via Magxone.com ::

easy like sunday morning

I love Sundays.  Lazy Sundays, especially.  This is the one day out of the week that I allow myself to sleep in and not feel guilty about it.  Or even if I wake up early only to take a mid-morning nap.  And out of all the days in the week, Sunday breakfast or brunch is something that I look forward to... whether it's just me, a veggie omelette and the Sunday paper or if it's with friends at one of our favorite brunch spot.


Last weekend, C and I spent a lovely Sunday at Larimer Square in Downtown Denver.  There are so many restaurants in Denver that I've yet to discover so  I've made it a mission to try new restaurants and find new or hidden gems around town.  This time, we chose Bistro Vendome, a charming French bistro tucked in a courtyard off of Larimer Square.  Luckily, the weather was pleasant enough to grab a cozy table out on their patio.  Definitely a restaurant I'd recommend and would love to soon go back for dinner. 

 My ideal Sunday, in photos...

Patio seating... perfect for people watching

:: Bistro Vendome : Larimer Square ::

 

 

 

  

Quiche with egg custard, black truffles, smoked ham and wild mushrooms with Spinach salad tossed in a bacon vinaigrette.

C's Croque Madame was also amazing but I have to say that their pommes frites were to die for.

Like a kid in a candy store... Wouldn't be complete without a little bit of shopping.  

 

:: South Platte River ::

:: a beautiful Sunday in Denver ::

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