HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STONEY!

I love you and I miss you so much. I wish you a very happy birthday.
Love, love, love,
Ali

A Wonderful Weekend

This past weekend my three best friends (since kindergarden!) came into Colorado Springs for the weekend. This was our annual get together that I talked about in the post below. After a couple flight delays, I picked Amy and Annie up from the Denver Airport and we met Corrie in downtown Denver at Osteria Marco. I highly recommend this restaurant, by the way.

We had such a great time this weekend catching up, eating great food, shopping....

On friday afternoon we got dressed up (Annie was our stylist), did our hair (thank you Amy) and makeup (Annie rocked out our makeup too), and then went to downtown Colorado Springs for a photo shoot. I got some great shots of my bff's and they got some of me too....yay! We ended our weekend with a delicious meal of bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes, roasted veggies from the farmers market, and mushroom lasagna . For desert we had peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with ice cream. While everything was in the oven, the girls were dying my hair. Yup...they decided I needed to go a little darker. I have gotten my hair dyed before, but it was IN A SALON! I was pretty nervous, but it went OK except for the part where Amy almost broke my neck rinsing my hair out. (All of the photos of me below are pre-darker hair...I'll have to get a post-darker hair photo up soon.)

I love these girls so much. Words can't describe how much it means to me to have such wonderful girlfriends; knowing that we will always there for each other...it's priceless.

Fall!

So the last couple of days here in the Springs has been very Fall-like. I LOVE it! I love when you can feel the seasons changing. There's a different feel in the air, different smells, different sounds, and if you look closely, you can see those few leaves starting to change colors.

I love fall.
I love when I get to start wearing my fuzzy moccasin slippers again.
I love that feeling when you first get into your bed at night and the sheets are cold.
I love getting to wear cozy sweatshirts.
I love going to the farmers market on saturdays and seeing all the fall squash.
I love when Starbucks begins selling their Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
I love knowing that the holidays are right around the corner (and therefore, so is Stoney's R&R!).
I love seeing all the mums for sale at the store.
I love that fall brings back so many great memories.

I miss Kentucky and our time there. Stoney and I had a fantastic Fall in Kentucky...
going to Octoberfest in Louisville,
picking out a pumpkin at Hueber Farms,
walks in Otter Creek Park,
handing out candy at Fort Knox on Halloween,
Thanksgiving with our great friends the Dolan's and the Whitten's...

I will always cherish our memories there.

Last Fall I also took a trip to DC to be with my girls. Annie, Corrie, Amy and I have been best friends since kindergarden (or before). We all know each other better than we might know ourselves. So, since we have all gone our separate ways since college, we have made a silent agreement to get together every year...no matter what. Last year we met in DC where Annie was at the time. This year, we're meeting here in Colorado Springs this coming weekend! I'm really looking forward to a great time.

These are a few photos from last years trip to DC, and our outing to my favorite farmers market - Eastern Market. I LOVE that place! If you've never been there...GO! There's always so much going on; so many great local artists, farmers, and other vendors to see. And, if your ever do go, you must check out Bread and Chocolate. It's a restaurant on the corner by Eastern Market. How could a restaurant with my two favorite items in the name not be amazing?!










And one more.... Stoney and I at Octoberfest drinking Pumpkin Ale. Yum!



HAPPY FALL!