[GET READY TEXAS...]

So I said last week that life might be getting pretty eventful soon, but I didn't know just how right I was, or how quickly things were about to change for us. Maurice and I have talked about moving back to Texas for a while, and he got a job offer in Austin a month or so ago, but it wasn't the right opportunity, so we decided to stick around Colorado a little longer. But then last week, not one but two job offers came in from San Antonio, and one was an opportunity that we just couldn't pass up. Sooo.....

We're moving back to Texas! This past week has just been a blur of telling family, apartment/house hunting, and moving arrangements, but we are just thrilled to be moving back to what is truly home for us, and to be close to our family and dearest friends again. It's definitely a bittersweet feeling, we truly love Colorado and are so grateful for the few years that we've spent here. I'm sure I'll shed a few tears as we pack up and drive away, but I am a Texas girl through and through, and I can't tell you how excited I am to be going home. So now we have 3 weeks to get everything in place, and get to San Antonio! It will be great.

By the way, can I also just say, I hate moving... I literally despise it. I just wanted to get that off my chest.

[image via]

[JULY SNAPSHOTS]

Here's a brief look into our summer so far, via pictures from my phone. It hasn't been a terribly eventful summer, but there's a chance that could be changing soon, and once things get really busy, I will probably be glad that I had time to enjoy things like this.

1 :: Sometimes a date night with red lipstick is all I need to feel fancy again at the end of a long week.

2 :: Me and the rest of the world seem to love peonies, they'll always be my favorite, but I must say, hydrangeas are quickly climbing the list. How lovely are these?

3 :: The first of what I am now calling "Gelato and Manicure Sundays".

4 :: I recently learned that a great new pair of summer wedges can turn even the worst day around.

5 :: Not to brag, but sometimes I kind of knock dinner out of the park. This was one of those occasions.

6 :: Cupcakes. I mean...

Hope you're all having a great summer and are enjoying the little things.

[the perfect summer tan]

Took a brief break from blogging last week to work on a re-design of the blog, so I hope you like it! Still have some small changes to make, but you get the idea.

I love summer, and I love a great summer tan as much as the next person, but to say that I am fair-skinned is putting it lightly. But protecting my skin is also of the utmost importance to me, so a lifestyle of sunbathing is out of the question. So that pretty much leaves me in search of the perfect faux-tan. A brief online search and any amount of experimenting will tell you that this method can go awry all too easily, leaving you orange, streaked, and uneven. So I thought I'd share a few of my tried and true favorites and hopefully spare some of you the horrors of a tan gone wrong.

St. Tropez is my absolute favorite. I use their gradual tanning mousse, and I love that it moisturizes my skin and leaves it with the perfect golden hue for my fair skin. You can use it every day to build up color, or just a few times a week to keep a nice glow, which is what I do. It's a little pricey, but it lasts a long time, and I think it's worth it.

I used St. Tropez almost exclusively until just recently, when I received a sample of Comodyne's tanning towelettes in my monthly Birchbox. I thought it was worth a try, and they actually turned out to be a pretty great little find. It's a little trickier to make sure coverage is even with the towelettes vs. the mousse, but they smell great, give a really natural color, and they're quickly becoming a go-to for me.

Hope that everyone is having a great summer! If any of you have a summer tan favorite, I'd love to hear.

(image via Pinterest)

[scribbles... a denver favorite]

I love a good stationery shop. I don't think we write enough letters anymore, and every time I walk into one and see all of the lovely cards, personalized stationery, ribbon, wrapping paper, and invitations, it just makes me want to send someone something just to make them happy. Scribbles has long been one of my favorite stationery shops in Denver. It's located in Denver's trendy Lodo area, and they have the loveliest shop. It just brightens my day.

Scribbles carries popular brands like Whitney English, Paper and Ink Design, Rag and Bone, and Evy Jacobs, and if you're in Denver, you should stop by. I think the feeling you get when you open the mailbox and see something that's been hand-addressed to you is just pure happiness.

(images mine)

[lovely maxi skirts]

Maxi skirts are kind of my summer uniform. Pair it with a tank and a light summer scarf, and well, I can't actually think of anything better. And now, as if a life of maxi skirts couldn't be any happier, they're making them even better. I've been noticing this gorgeous new trend of more formal and sophisticated skirts. I've seen them in silks, prints and pleats, and they're so feminine and dramatic. And wearing it with a leather jacket? Genius.

( 1.2.3.4 )

It's just one of those little things that makes me happy. I love summer time.