Earlier in September Kenny and I celebrated 20 years of marriage together. I know.. we’re so old. But happy. ;) (You can read my post on 10 ways we keep our marriage strong here.) Last year he asked me where I wanted to go to celebrate and said he’d take me anywhere. Spain? Ireland? Bora Bora? I chose Colorado. Ha. :) Two reasons why: 1) We are in such a busy stage of life with our kids right now that I really wanted a relaxing vacation vs. a go go go and see all you can type of vacation. I love exploring new places, but usually come home from trips like that craving a vacation after the vacation! 2) My only complaint about living in San Diego is that we don’t have a Fall. I love cool weather and Fall leaves and miss this beloved season so much! Because the trip would be at the end of September I wanted to be one with the leaves. :) Colorado sounded perfect. Then not long after I decided Colorado was my destination of choice I was chosen as a Better Homes and Gardens Style Maker for 2017 and invited to an event in New York during our vacation week. Very exciting and such an honor! So we decided our trip would start in Colorado and end in New York City.
As the trip grew near, that week we had planned to be gone was looking busier and busier for the kids. Then Kenny broke his ankle and had to have surgery. (Seriously!?) We thought about bagging it all together and then decided we were crazy. When is it a good time to go on vacation when you have three kids? There isn’t a good time! We just had to do it! RUN while we could and never look back! ;) My parents came to watch the kids (bless them!) and after 7 pages of notes and many discussions about who needed to be where when each day and ALL the things that go into daily life with kids we took off. With me yelling out the window as we pulled out.. “and don’t forget Kole has chess Tuesday.. and make sure you take this freeway to get the girls to school, but the other freeway on your way home to avoid traffic.. and Wed. El has to go to dance early… and Ad needs her inhaler for her class trip.. !!!” It’s hard to break away! But we did it. And we had a great trip. Here is a re-cap along with what I wore. Lots of pics so grab a snack!
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I couldn’t go to Colorado without visiting my sweet friend Shauna. Who is building a house right now and was in need of a major therapy session. ;) So we went straight from the airport to her beautiful home! Stunning kitchen right!? I loved seeing both homes and loved catching up with her. She teased me about bringing my winter coat but it felt freezing to me! I hardly took it off. :) I had lots of people asking on IG stories for a link to this coat. It was from last year and isn’t in stock anymore, but here are some coats that are similar! And so cute. Love the way this coat cinches in the back! (Necklace)
We also thought it was about time our husbands met. They were destined to be besties and just didn’t know it. ;) My sweater has cute ruffle sleeves you can’t see in this pic and I had on Shauna’s red Hunters because we had been at her lot before dinner. I felt like Christmas in my red and green which made me instantly happy. I think it’s time to buy my own red boots. :)
Similar ruffle sleeve sweaters:
After visiting Shauna we headed to our destination which was a darling town called Steamboat Springs. I snapped this picture out of my window while we were driving there. SO beautiful! Nothing like being in the mountains.
My close friend Gina and her husband also had their wedding anniversary in September so they met us there. Loved spending time with them! I have missed her so much since she moved from San Diego to Nebraska. I also loved wearing this favorite sweater. Perfect for this chilly but charming town!
Reunited and it feels so good. :)
Colorado didn’t disappoint! It was absolutely beautiful and we took full advantage by spending as much time outdoors as possible.
We took long walks in the mornings. Well.. three of us walked. (Favorite Zella leggings)
One of us scooted. :)
I had to text my dad pics of all the fly fishermen we saw along the rivers. He would have fit right in.
Love the mountains. Love him.
We also went on long drives through the most gorgeous scenery. Drives took the place of hikes because of my husbands foot situation. We improvised. :)
The day we took these pics it started snowing! So cold. But absolutely breathtaking! Gina and I didn’t plan on matching in stripes and pink.. but we didn’t complain either. :)
Steamboat honestly had some of the best restaurants! Or maybe everything just tastes better in the mountains. Probably a little of both. :)
Another picture I snapped with my phone out my window while we were driving. Isn’t it gorgeous!? I want to move to Steamboat Springs! And then move back to San Diego in November when this place is buried in 8 feet of snow. :)
Teeth were chattering in this pic!
We spent time all together, time alone as couples, and then Gina and I had a couple of afternoons of shopping and girl time. We soaked in all things Fall and laughed so hard every day. It was one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on and we all loved it so much we decided it needs to be a yearly tradition. I’m so glad we made this trip a priority even though it was hard to pull off. Parents need time to take a break from parenting every once in a while. :)
Grateful for the past 20 years. I can’t imagine growing up and growing old with anyone else. I tell him that all the time. Because it’s true. :)
We said good-bye to beautiful Colorado and our sweet friends and headed to NYC! The Stylemaker Event was held in Brooklyn and I think I tried on at least 15 dresses before I found the two I bought for the event! It’s always a little stressful figuring out what to wear to these things – dresses are hard for me! A lot of my blog friends love dressing up – I’d rather be in jeans and a cute sweater any day. :) But everyone always looks so amazing at events like this so I knew I needed to step it up. :) I loved this green dress the second I tried it on. The stretch fabric is so comfortable and the waist line is so flattering! It comes in 5 colors and I adore the green.
(Jen @ Decor Gold/Haneen @ Haneens Haven/Brittany @ Addison’s Wonderland/me :)/Kris @ Driven by Decor/Bree @ ZDesign/Tamara @ Citrineliving)
So fun meeting some of my blogging besties at this event! Love them so much and we always have the best time together.
Me and Bree with Sarah @ Life on Virginia Street.
I was able to catch up with so many fun blogging friends and wasn’t able to get pics with everyone. The event flew by so quickly!
We had some great classes. One was on food styling which just made me laugh. Right up my alley. ;)
Now I’ll be able to style my kids’ peanut butter sandwiches and chicken nuggets like no one’s business. Ha. :) We were able to listen to some great speakers and then had an hour break to change for the evening part of the event.
Kenny caught up on work in our hotel room while I was at the event all day and enjoyed this beautiful view out of our room window. Made me not feel too bad for him! ;)
Evening wear! I seriously splurged on this dress. Like I spent more on this dress than I’ve ever spent on a dress before! I kept debating it back and forth because of the price but it was just hands down my favorite. Kenny told me to go ahead and splurge for our 20th.. and wondered what my issue was since I seem to have no problem dropping serious cash on a console table or rug.. ha. :) So I bought the dress! And will now wear it every other day.. to the grocery store and the park. ;) I really will wear this dress a lot because it’s an all time favorite. I love the fit, the colors, the flattering way it cinches high above the waist. It’s a keeper!
And these shoes! With the frayed fringe at the top! Love them. Beautiful neutrals that will go with any and everything.
A special dress for a special night. Loved being the pop of color between these two black and white beauties. They are my usual roomies at events like this so since I was rooming with Kenny this trip I stayed up all hours of the night talking and laughing with them in their room to stick with our usual blog event routine. :)
More late night fun with friends! It was such a treat to attend the Better Homes and Gardens Style Maker event.
The night time view from our hotel room. Stunning!
The hotel itself (1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge) was so modern and cool!
I loved this Fall table display in the hallway that looks an awful lot like the console table and baskets in my family room! Maybe I need to add some fruit. :)
The day after the Better Homes and Gardens Event Kenny and I explored the city and walked the Brooklyn Bridge. Well.. I walked.
He scooted. :) He was seriously such a trooper this trip! I couldn’t believe how well he got around the city with that boot on. I was wishing I had my own scooter half of the time. :) We had a fun lunch in the city and then went back to the room to clean up for the last night of our trip.
This maroon pleated skirt is one of my favorite finds this season! I wore it with this bell sleeve tee and these comfortable over the knee boots that carried me all over the streets of NYC. :)
Dinner with four of my friends and their husbands! We had the best time getting our husbands together this trip! They were all so much fun. Jen’s cute husband made a toast at dinner “to our blogging wives and our blogging lives…” Made us laugh. These guys definitely put up with a lot! Keepers for sure. :)
Kenny and I hugged our friends good-bye after dinner and headed straight to the show.. seeing Hamilton was our 20th anniversary gift to each other! We have both been dying to see it and it was as amazing as everyone says it is! We took this pic after the show and you can tell I had been crying, It was just SO good!
We came home Saturday to my two cute parents who were barely standing! My mom was cracking me up! Telling me over and over that I’m amazing and how do I do it because she and my dad tag teamed all week and could barely keep up and that I HAVE to stay alive because she could raise my kids if she had to but she really doesn’t have the energy and desire to be anything more than grandma and how do I keep my kitchen so clean all the time… Ha ha.. :) Needless to say they had a great week with lots of special bonding time with my kids but were worn out and ready to pass the baton back over to mom and dad. We were ready to take it back. :) So grateful that they were able to watch the kids! (Can’t thank you enough mom and dad!) We definitely needed the break.
Later the next day when they were back home in Utah my mom called to tell me that my dad wandered into their kitchen and said “I just keep feeling like I need to be picking someone up from somewhere..”
I know the feeling dad. I know it well.
:)
{CLOTHES SOURCES}
LOVED reliving our Colorado trip through your pictures! It was the BEST! And I loved seeing all your NYC pics, too! Can’t wait for next year’s annual trip! XOXO
It really was the best trip ever Gina! So proud of us for making it happen! :) Love you! xo
I love this! I’m leaving today to NYC in a girls trip. It is so hard getting gone that I’ve wondered if I should even go. But I think it’s so important to take time for ourselves and our marriages. I guess it’s not the end of the world if somebody misses scouts or has cereal three meals a day. Can’t wait to see Hamilton! PS my mom has said that same thing about us dying before and last night because of the shooting, she gave me a lecture about “knowing where the exits were” and “being aware of my surroundings.”
So true Ashley! The kids get by and are just fine and it really is so important to prioritize time for yourself and your marriage. Makes a huge difference! I’m so happy you are getting away! Be safe and have FUN! :) xo
Happy 20th!! You two are so cute! Looks like you had an amazing trip! Colorado is beautiful in fall. Our leaves are just starting to change around here and I love it!
That green dress is stunning on you. I adore green and that one is a keeper. So glad you and Kenny got to spend some special time together. You are so right…as parents we need a break now and again. xxoo
Thank you so much Pam! I was sad to leave all of the beautiful Fall leaves! Soak them in for me too this season! :) xo
I loved this whole post! So glad you had fun and that your parents survived!
Yea! So glad you liked it Kathy! Thank you! Happy my parents survived too.. ;) xo
Ha ha ha!!!! Your dad’s comment at the end!!! What a hoot. I know that feeling well, too. Your trip looked amazing!!! Glad you were able to get away. Happy belated Anniversary!!! Many many more!!!!! Sara
Ha ha.. right!? Right!? Made me laugh so hard. It’s so true though! I felt that way on our trip! It’s hard to shake. ;) Thanks cutie! xo
Loved this post Erin! I have to tell you that green dress on you was simply breathtaking! You rocked it :) And your parents funny comments at the end totally cracked me up! Kudos to your parents! Have a great day!
What a sweet thing to say Lisa! Thank you so much! Kudos to my parents for sure! I owe them big time after this one. ;) xo
I loved this! I’ve read your blog forever but I don’t think I’ve commented… just a little note to say you are awesome! I’m a new-ish mom to three little kids and you are such an inspiration. On the mom, blogger and just generally a cool person-front! Ha! Have a great day!
Emily! Your sweet comment made my day! Wow. Thank you! I’m holding my head up a little higher today. Ha! ;) So kind of you and it means a lot to me that you’ve been reading for so long! :) xo
Wow Erin!!! This was one of my all-time favorite posts of yours! You are just the best blogger ever! The green dress you wore is just gorgeous on you, and I think you should get it in all 5 colors because of the flattering fit. I bet your parents did a wonderful job with the kids and had such a great time, but were probably glad to see you & Kenny return. Haha!! Thank you for sharing your life with me!! You are one of the most interesting people I’ve ever known!
Oh my word Jane! I’m so happy you liked this post so much! Your comment made me so happy! Thank you! So sweet of you to say that about the green dress! It was fun to wear. And my parents were definitely happy to see us come home! Ha! They did a great job. I think it’s just so hard to step back into the crazy world of raising kids when you’ve had a nice long break from it! :) You always make my day Jane!! So grateful for your kind words. They mean so much to me! xo
AHH!! Erin Colorado looks so beautiful!! I live in Eastern North Carolina so we go to the beach often but never go to the mountains, I definitely need to even if it’s only to take pics lol. Kenny is such a trooper scooting around :-) And I laughed so hard at what your dad said about feeling like he needed to pick someone up from somewhere haha I’m glad ya’ll were able to have a great anniversary trip! Friday is our 10 year wedding anniversary, it’s crazy cus where did the time go? lol
Yea! Happy 10 year Anniversary Aria! It just sort of sneaks up on you doesn’t it!? You definitely need to take a trip to CO sometime. It’s such a beautiful state! I’ve always loved it there. Kenny was a serious trooper in his boot.. ha! We laughed so hard at him scooting around everywhere and by the end of the trip I was wanting my own scooter! :) Thanks cutie! Enjoy Friday! xo
How fun!! Sounds like quite the trip for your anniversary and congratulations on 20 wonderful years! :)
Thank you so much Genelle! :)xo
Looks like a wonderful trip!!! That is too funny what your Dad said!
He cracks me up! :) Thanks April! xo
Well now Colorado is on my bucket list! .. my husband would love it. ..especially the fly fishing lol
I loved all your outfits but the ‘ must have ‘ dress was STUNNING..I’m glad you got it!
Bless your parents.. lol..that comment by your dad made me laugh
Thank you Heidi! Does your husband fly fish!? It’s my dad’s favorite thing ever! He even ties his own flies. Ha! Thank you so much for your sweet words about my dress! It was fun to wear for sure. :) xo
Erin, I just adore your writing! Im sitting at dance class just laughing away in a corner. Lol! I can relate to so much. The styling of the nuggets, the pages of notes left behind for the grandparent, the crying at a show. And I got such a kick out of hubby “scooting” and Tony’s toast! Too cute! Love you, friend! Until next time!!
That’s why we are friends Haneen! So many similarities! ;) I had such a blast seeing you! Hope it’s not long until we can all get together again. Thanks cutie. Love you too! xo
Looks like a wonderful vacation!We celebrated our 20th this year too! Our dream vacation is San Diego(because I want to go where it’s sunny and warm😀).Didnt work out for us this year, (7 kids put a damper on the vacation fund..lol)Hopefully another time!I thought your special dress was gorgeous, and honestly the price wasn’t that bad for something so lovely!I hope your hubby heals up soon!Thanks for all you do!
Kelly! Happy 20th to you too!! Oh my word.. 7 kids!? Seriously you are instantly my hero! Oh my word.. that would definitely put a damper on the vacation fund.. every aspect of taking a vacation really. But no doubt you need one! If you ever do make it my way be sure to let me know! I’d love to meet you and buy you lunch! Thanks for your sweet comment! It made my day. :) xo
Happy 20th anniversary! So amazing that you got to grow up and get to grow old together :)
I would love a post on how you seem to maintain close ties with your family when they are long-distance! It’s something my husband and I really are struggling with as we debate about moving further afield for work, but can’t imagine leaving our families!
Thank you so much Janet! I totally understand your struggle with that one. It’s hard to not be close to family! But one thing we always say is that when we are all together.. we are REALLY together. Like living together.. ha! When we go to Utah we always stay at my moms and a lot of times the best talks and time spent together is late at night before bed or in the morning over breakfast in our pj’s. The time we do spend together is quality time vs. quick daily interactions. Not that one is better than the other! Just a positive spin on living further apart. We all talk/text daily too so we stay close and involved in each other’s lives that way too. :) xo
Happy Anniversary! Your last paragraph cracked me up. We went to Europe a few years ago for our 10th anniversary, leaving our kids with our parents each for 1/2 a week. But it was summer, and the kids were in different camps that each required packing different things (some needed a bathing suit, some a snack and lunch, some two snacks, etc.). When we came home, my in-laws looked so tired they could hardly talk to us. And when their cab came to pick them up for the train station, they almost left without saying good-bye!
That cracks me up Kerry! My parents left pretty quick too after this trip. I tried to get them to stay one more day and they were like “I think we better get home to check on the yard.. ” Ha ha.. right. :) So funny! Good for you for getting away regardless! ;) xo
Great post! Loved the travelogue and the fashions. Our son is in Denver so we get there regularly but never been to Steamboat–looks gorgeous.
Thanks Maureen! Steamboat is so beautiful! So fun you get to visit Denver often! My husband is trying to get my girls to go to college there so we can visit more often.. (ha! we’ll see how that turns out ;).. but we do love it there! xo
That one pic of you and Kenny in Colorado with the golden leaves and the grey skies? You need to frame it – gorgeous!
And this line
my dad wandered into their kitchen and said “I just keep feeling like I need to be picking someone up from somewhere..”
is my favourite ever!
HAHAHA :)
Ha ha.. one of my favorite lines ever too Marcia! My dad cracks me up. ;) Thanks cutie!
Wow, Erin, what a fantastic post! Happy Anniversary belated. Twenty years is a feat these days (sadly enough) but you two seem to have what it takes to really go the long haul. How fun that you were able to take this epic trip with your hubby in a boot and using a scooter. Where there’s a will there’s a way, right?! I’m so glad that even if it was a bit chilly for you that the skies were essentially clear for you. Oh my we’ve had so much smoke and haze from all the fires around our state, there were days we couldn’t even see the mountains! . Looks like they finally cleared out while you were here.. Gorgeous pictures! And the second half of your trip was just as fantastic. I remember seeing that picture of you in the floral dress on instagram and commenting to myself how beautiful it looked on you. Great call! Thanks so much for sharing(I know this had to take long time to pull together). I’m happy for you that the entire trip was wonderful.! :)
Hi Erin! Another great post and it looks like you all had a great anniversary trip. My husband is from SD and we are considering moving back. I love the style of homes here in Maryland more than SD until I saw your house! I love your style. We have 2 boys with a 3rd baby on the way. Looking for a good location — your blog has brought me such happiness — wondering if I can pick your brain on good areas to live in:)
All my best!
Awesome trip recap! The Colorado pictures are amazing!! And the view from your hotel room in NYC!!!
We stayed at 1 Hotel Central park at Easter this year and it was lovely! One of my favorites!
Hi Erin! I don’t know if you remember me or not, but my cute husband and I met you and your cute mom at TJ Maxx in St. George this past summer. You both were DARLING!! I took your cute mom’s advice and checked out your blog!! I have so enjoyed it and love your style! I’m in the process of revamping my laundry room. If you have a chance, I would love to know more about the sorting drawers in your laundry room. How does your system work? Do you have your family members sort their own laundry in them, do you have bins that you take from rooms and place in them? I’m just trying to figure out the functionality and make laundry more fun!! I wish I would’ve saw your blog BEFORE we built our home a year ago!! It would’ve saved me!! :) Thanks so much for your time!! :)
I love, love, love your blog! I found you initially while browsing my instagram explorer page probably close to a year ago (maybe even over a year, wow where does the time go?!) and have enjoyed following you ever since.
Your blog is such a breath of fresh, positive air that is SO needed in our world.. Just wanted to drop by and let you know how much I look forward to your posts and appreciate that you (like me!) didn’t waste a second decorating for fall and lighting your pumpkin candles :)
Oh, and your splurge dress was totally worth it! Great closet staple piece that you look fantastic in!
MKD
Happy anniversary! I’ve been following your blog for awhile now and finally decided to comment. Just too many similarities! Celebrated our 20th last year, built a house around the same time you did, have 2 daughters and a son (in that order) live in Cali, and saw Hamilton in August. It was amazing, wasn’t it?!? Anyway, thanks for all your great blogging inspiration. Love it! :)
Here’s another special Happy Anniversary wish!!! All of your pictures of Colorado made me homesick for my growing up years! Thanks for sharing your trip with us! Between your travelogue, your fashions and your beautiful photos I thoroughly enjoyed this post! I wish you the best for the next 20 years!!!
So sweet of you Paula! Thank you so much! Your kind comment made my day! xo
Sorry I didn’t have a chance to comment sooner, but sometimes life as retirees is rather busy and hectic….lol! I’m so glad that you and your hubby decided to go on your anniversary trip. Congratulations on 20 years! Marriage takes a lot of effort and even more so when there are children. We have been managing this married life for 48+ years, and while we’ve always remained in love, it hasn’t been without challenges. Love, friendship and respect for each other helps pave the way.
I truly miss the beauty of Fall here in the AZ desert, but we plan to do a little in-state touring up to Flagstaff and Prescott where we can feast our eyes on some of that Fall color beauty. We will definitely need warm and cozy clothes for that trip! We have had many fun trips to Colorado when our children were young….we did lots of road trips, and it is a beautiful state. But neither of us would enjoy their cold winters.
Congrats on your BH&G trip to NYC! You girls all looked so fantastic! I’ve been reading your blog long enough to know how you feel about cooking (even though you have just about the most gorgeous kitchen I’ve ever seen), so I did kind of chuckle over the “Food Staging” class!
Anyway, sweet girl, I am so happy for you in all things! My kudos to your parents for trying to fill your shoes for the week and managing without a complete meltdown!
Warm hugs,
Carol
Carol! You are such a sweetheart. This comment was so incredibly kind and I loved reading every single word! You always make me SO happy. :) Congrats to you on 48 years of marriage and retirement! My parents are in the same boat and loving life! Wish we lived closer and I could come over and give you a big hug! :) xo