Author Archives: Ali

V’s Weekend

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A few weeks back I packed up for a trip down South to Texas.  My best friend Vanessa and her fiancé are living there while he finishes up his Ph.D. at Texas A&M.  Vanessa wanted to show all her girls where she’s living so we threw her a good old fashioned bachelorette party in San Antonio.

There were six of us, which if you ask me is a perfect number, and we all slept comfortably in a beautiful condo at the even more beautiful resort which was gifted to us for the weekend by some family/family friends.

We started out the first night in true bachelorette party fashion with exorbitant amounts of wine, lingerie and laughter.

Oh yeah, and corn.She was NOT comfortable handling lingerie.  Love you Gina!

Drunk dialing is ALWAYS wise.

While everyone else was treating Vanessa, I decided to give Andrew a little something.  You’re welcome Andrew!!  You to V : )

Well one thing lead to another, and by ‘thing‘ I mean glasses of wine, and we decided we should probably break into the pool.

That’s all I can show you for the sake of modesty.  We eventually tired of the pool, except we couldn’t figure out how to get out of the pool area.  Security came and we thought ourselves quite convincing when we told him we had gotten there when it was still open, stayed there all along, and then whoever closed up locked us in without telling us.  Brilliant.

The next morning we took full advantage of another awesome feature of the resort (legally this time)…a lazy river situated on a beach. We must’ve floated around that sucker 50 times.

It was perfect weather, a great way to get to know each other, and the catalyst for a fun night out for dinner and drinks on the River Walk.

Sorry for the signed profanity.  The guy behind us was a creeper extraordinaire and wouldn’t leave us alone until we allowed him to buy us a shot and take a photo with us.  He proceeded to give V his e-mail so we could ‘send’ him the photo.  Oh yeah, he had a gray scraggly pony tail that went down to his ass sticking out the back of that hat.  Dreamy.

I then got to spend the next couple of days in College Station with Vanessa, Andrew, their two roommates and 3 dogs.  I was prepared for chaos but it was actually wonderful and I am now the proud goddogmother to Riggins, Tebow and Summer.  While there I got to help nanny V’s little miss Belle, walk the dogs, help V try on her wedding dress and be part of a celebration during which someone became a Doctor.  It was jam packed and really fun.

Link Love

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I’m doing my weekend ‘link love’ post a day early because our weekend starts today!!!  We fly out of Denver tonight for our first trip home to Minnesota in over 6 months.  Too long if you ask me.  I don’t care what the weather at the lake is like…I don’t even care if it snows.  We’re going to enjoy a 4 day weekend surrounded by people we love to hang out with and beer we love to drink at one of our favorite places in the world.  I’m a little too excited though and it’s going to be a long day for me sitting by the door with my suitcases waiting for Jon to come home.

I’ve got a busy week after we get back but I’m going to try and keep up the posting momentum.  I hope you all have a fantastic Memorial Weekend filled with things you love as well.  To kickstart you off, here are some things I found around the web this week that I loved!

100 Tips for a Healthier Summer

My favorite bag website BAGGU has added some adorable new leather key chains in neons!

While researching good gray paint colors I came across my favorite stylists blog with an interesting perspective…Ryan Gosling.

Really beautiful idea for mementos from childhood.

An honest look at the realities of getting a post college job.

These photo’s cause me serious anxiety.  An arm could be gone at any second.  Fun Fact: this is Melanie Griffith as a child.

Apparently people are ‘getting the busiest’ over Christmas and New Years : )

A really great response to the breast feeding TIME magazine cover scandal.  In case you’ve been living under a rock, here is said magazine cover.

This dude has only been taking photo’s for 2 years and creates images like this.

This is a really cool DIY project for a group of girlfriends.

Camera bag that’s on my wish list!

Oh my god make the cuteness stop!

A really beautiful and well done photo essay by the Denver Post that has won a few awards since being published.  It’s a bit of a downer.

And to end the browsing, I’m reposting this website because it just does NOT stop being funny.

 

Five Favorites

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1.) Neutral Palette of Stripes

Perfect grouping of different weights and fabric for all summer weather.  I’m going to live in these.

-left two from Anthropologie -right three from J.CREW

2.) Josie Maran Argan Oil

This little bottle has saved my skin multiple times.  It works in the dry Denver weather as well as post water time when it feels like the combination of water and sun has sucked your skin dry.

Putting oil on your face is admittedly a little terrifying the first time as it goes against anything you’ve ever been told but totally worth it.  I also use it on my cuticles, hair, feet etc.  It’s organic and lasts forever.

3.) Adorable Travel Tissues

I picked these up at Target yesterday because I simply could not resist the packaging.  I’m such a sucker.  I’ve got them stashed bedside, in my car, and in a few bags.

Are you kidding me with that owl.  So cute.

4.) The Best Chocolate in the World

These little nuggets are made in Boulder, CO and are to die for.  I know you can buy them at Whole Foods here, but I’m not sure if they’re a nation wide item.  Regardless…seek them out because they are ridiculous.

You can tell by the fact that it’s mangled and empty that this one is my favorite.  Dark chocolate and sea salt people.  It’s a no-brainer.

5.) Organized Jewelry Drawer

With the arrival of our new bedroom furniture came days and days of rearranging.  One of my favorite things to happen was the space I created for my jewelry.  The organizers are felt lined and stackable and can be found at the wonderful Container Store.

P.S. You got a little snippety sneak peek at our bedroom redecoration today via the sliver of drawer and duvet cover.  I wrote down my goals for June and finishing our bedroom is numero uno!  Hopefully more photo’s to come soon.

Green House

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Spring is in full swing around here and I want to buy every flower/plant I see.  Since that would make me a crazy person, I settled for three (unintentional rhyme).

-from the perfect petal in the highlands-

-tiny terrarium from a french boutique in boulder-

-fake/made with love by crate and barrel-

Things I Don’t Understand…

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That insanity costs $1,500.00 – I understand that somebody might be twisted enough to create something like this, sell it to the 1%, and then laugh all the way to the bank.  What I DON’T understand is exactly what occasion someone’s brain tells them it’s ok to wear this to.  It’s certainly taking the ‘I wear the pants in this family’ saying a bit too far, don’t you think?

Hey It’s Your Birthday…

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Before we begin…a disclaimer.  There are approximately 2 people that will find this post worth reading.  Erin and myself.  I apologize in advance for all inside jokes, stories and events that make absolutely no sense to anybody else.  Ahem.

Happy Birthday Miss Erin!

I know that all the hits I’ve had on my blog today are from you checking to see if I’ve posted this yet ; )

In honor of your birthday I decided to take a long trip down memory lane.  If you’re not sure where memory lane is, you can conveniently find it on Facebook.  According to Facebook (God) we became friends in December of 2006.  December 7th to be exact which I know because the very first thing either of us posted on FB was the morning after by an oh so eloquent me.

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

ummmmm….van?….camera?….wtf.   

It was a post in response to what had happened the night before…the night we fell in love.

I mean who wouldn’t love faces like those.

You can see our friendship developing on our Facebook walls over topics like concerts, television shows, twilight, and random things we and we alone find hilarious, like sandwiches apparantly:

Erin Rose Larsen

“It’s like I just found out my favorite love song is written about a sandwich”

(Ali in response) I like sandwiches…

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

Remember that one time you got stuck in your dress in my car?  Or that other time you sat on a homeless mans lap on a dirty street for a photo-op?  Or that other time your watched me motorboat my sandwich?  Good times.

Our memory lane carried on through me graduating college, you living in Minneapolis, me moving to Denver, you moving to California, you visiting Denver, you hating California, me making you move here.   Here are a couple Facebook wall post highlights from our then obsession with the website texts from last night:

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

“If last night was a website it would be called poordecisions.com OR uncircumcisedspanisweiner.org”

Erin Rose Larsen

“I just went to get groceries.  A cashier said she saw me last night.  I guess I carried a broom back from the party and swept the street the whole walk back…and I claimed to be in the cast of wicked.”

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

“Do you remember how we all fit in that bathtub?”

“Tequila.”

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

There is only one person in the world that this applies to…you.

“We sang ‘a whole new world’ together.  Either he’s my gay best friend or the love of my life.”

We also have many many posts that are 100% supportive, non sarcastic, and really sweet.  By looking at the dates I can remember exactly what they were about each time.

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

E, I saw this and instantly thought of you.  

“You made me lose my sparkle.  I got it back now.”

Erin Rose Larsen

olive juice…just in case you didn’t know.

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

Thank you for being such a loyal and dedicated friend.

Erin Rose Larsen

I am very excited for you today.  Just so you know…and full of calm, positive thoughts for you…and armed with tequila and relaxing vitamins.  I’m here for you is basically what I’m trying to say.

So you finally moved to Colorado.  Boulder first, and then to Denver.  A lot has happened since those early crazy days of living in a big new place.  I left a few times.  I came back.  We grew apart a little, then grew right back together.  Jobs came and went.  Boys came and went.  A boy proposed to me.  You were maid of honor at my wedding.  I motor-boated a sandwich.

Now you’re leaving.  Going back to California for a new job.  I have no doubts it will go better than the last time.  You’re wiser now, you’re happier now, you’re confident, sparkly, and ready for what’s next.  You’re so very brave Erin.  It’s what I’ve always envied about you.  You aren’t fearless, because it’s good to have a few fears, but you are brave.  Remember that.

It was actually beneficial to read through our Facebook history because I was reminded of all the tactics I used to get you to move here in the first place.  Get ready because they’re coming again as soon as you leave.

Just ONE more doozie before I go.

Ali Kinkade Hendrickson

So I innocently put a random CD in this morning before hopping in the shower. Hell broke loose. It started with ‘My Humps’, swiftly moved on to ‘Come to Jesus’ followed by an unknown techno/tribal/yodeling song, which led us right into ‘Air Force One by Nelly followed by Lee-Ann Rimes. Finally all remaining doubt was erased from my mind when ‘Nothing but a Hound-dog’ came on…accapella. This CD belongs to you. It was like my CD player was having a seizure. And I was trapped in the shower soaking wet being traumatized with every passing second.

Oh yeah…and this too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!