Tag Archives: lifestyle

FIRST FRIDAY in Denver and Fun Abounds! Lots of Free Goodness to be had this Weekend.

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At Pattern Shop Gallery,  John Fudge – Hello Rusty (Existential Pain #1) – Oil On Canvas, 17 x 19 inches, From the Collection of Karen Holen Lyda
There’s a lot of Free Goodness to get out and enjoy as this fine Summer starts to wind down…
Of Course this Friday is FIRST FRIDAY! All the Art Districts are sure to be in full force. (September is one of the busiest First Fridays of the year) Get out and see some art! See the Denverarts.org listing at the end of this post for all the art openings this weekend (and beyond)
You may want to add to your usual First Friday gallivanting: the South Broadway First Friday Block Party: Galleries, restaurants, bars and shops on Broadway between First and Alameda avenues host receptions, fashion/trunk shows, live music and special promotions monthly.
Saturday is FREE DAY at the DAM (Denver Art Museum) I highly recommend getting there when they open at 10am.
Saturday is the yearly Day of Bicycle Debauchery known as Tour De Fat. Hundreds of people dressed weird on wacky bikes. And Live Music. And good Food. And Beer. Can’t beat that! The event is free (though there may be a fee to do the actual ride, and obviously the food and beer is NOT free) https://www.facebook.com/events/461504710589142/
Saturday The Valverde Market returns for it’s second go-round in full force. Seriously, there is some cool sh%t here. The event is free, but bring some cash because you will find something great to take home. https://www.facebook.com/events/529334020466568/
Sunday September 8 is FREE Day at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. http://www.dmns.org
And now, with out further ado, here is the famous denverarts.org events calender for the next week:

[Upcoming Events from the DenverArts.org Calendar]

September 05, 2013
September 06, 2013
September 07, 2013
September 11, 2013

Find of the Week – August 6, 2013…Designer Finds, Cynthia Rowley & Sigrid Olsen

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Another great week at the thrift store…Cynthia Rowley & Sigrid Olsen!

I did my weekly foray at my favorite Goodwill yesterday. After an hour+ of shopping, I hadn’t found anything. I was about to give up for the day when they started rolling racks of women’s clothes out of the back room. I LOVE it when that happens! There’s nothing better than getting first dibs on the new stuff. (Running to the new racks is one of my big Thrifting Tips). What did I find? A pretty 100% silk two-piece embellished tank and skirt from Sigrid Olsen, I love the pattern! (cost $10.99, retail about $250), and my favorite find so far this Summer, a Cynthia Rowley designer dress that will be perfect for fall! (cost $9.99, retail $350+) Can’t wait to sport this one with some cute ankle boots come September…both items are in perfect condition. I had a $10 gift card (thank you Goodwill Club Blue!) so my total was only $11! Viva la Thrifting!

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What are your great thrift store finds? I want to hear ! Tell me in the Leave a Reply/Comment section.

Find of the Week – July 30, 2013…Marc Jacobs & Tadashi

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Find of the Week – Tuesday, July 30, 2013

OK, I confess. I have not been listing a “find” every single week. Sometimes there are no finds, or they are just not worthy of being listed. ( I DO go to the thrift store every week) Perhaps I should change the name. Hmmmm…anyway, here is the “Find of the (almost every) Week”

Yesterday at my favorite Goodwill I found: a very nice Marc by Marc Jacobs leather bag (new retail around $450), and a gorgeous black silk crepe Tadashi Collection dress (new retail around $350) both in excellent, near new condition. Grand Total? $14. Starting to understand why thrifting is so friggin’ awesome? Here they are on my mannequin Tallulah.

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I love the Marc Jacobs bag, but green is not my color, so I have listed it for sale on Ebay. Here it is if you’d like to see it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=121152321944  I’m definitely keeping the dress, it fits great 😉

What awesome thrift store finds have you made recently? I’d love to hear about them! Tell me in the “Leave a Reply” section.

Big Showy Glamorous Orchid Arrangement for only $30! (Retail over $100)

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It was one of those emails I live for…Orchids Half Off!…

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Star-Spangled Toes! A Patriotic 4th of July Nail Art Pedicure with Polish and Paint

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Star-Spangled Toes for the Fourth!

I’d been wanted to play with some fun nail designs, so I got all Patriotic on my toes. I did not however have blue nail polish, so I got creative with acrylic paint. I started with a base coat and two coats of red nail polish. After the polish was completely dry, I gave it a light “sanding” with a fine nail file pad. Just like you do when painting, I roughed up the surface of the red to get it ready for the acrylic paint. Then came the wide stripe of blue acrylic paint. After that dried, I painted on the white stars and dots with white acrylic paint. When it was all thoroughly dry, I finished with a coat of clear polish. This is the tricky part. The top coat has be done with a thick layer, slowly and smoothly applied in a single long stroke. If you try and go over it again while wet, the paint underneath can come up. This technique worked great! I did up my toes almost a week ago and they still look great.

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Painting on the Blue Stripe

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On go the White Stars

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All finished, polish drying

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Star-Spangled Toes with Navy Blue Sandals

Have a Fantastic Fourth of July everyone!

Have you been sporting some great Nail Designs? I’d love to see them! Tell me about it in the “Leave a Reply” section.

A How-To DIY Stunning Star-Spangled 4th of July Fresh Flower Arrangement from Grocery Store Flowers, Cheap! ($16 Bucks)

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A Fabulous Star-Spangled Flower Arrangement for your Fourth of July Festivities…

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I love flowers. I was a floral designer for over a decade, and I think a home should never be without them. They just make you happy. I’ll use any excuse to bring them home…this week’s excuse is the Fourth of July!…

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Find of the Week – Giuseppi Zanotti & Ann Taylor

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It’s time for another installment of FIND OF THE WEEK!

This week’s finds come from Goodwill. Of course the biggy is the gorgeous pair of Guiseppi Zanotti red jeweled heels (only $6.39! These are a size 7, alas, too small for me, so I have listed them on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/121134146969?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 ) and a near-new pair of navy patent leather Ann Taylor heels ($8.79. I know, the Zanotti’s are far more valuable, but the prices all depend on who is doing the pricing of the items. I find the variations interesting!) The Ann Taylor heels are perfect for my Fourth of July Festivities!

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 Find of the Week – June 29, 2013…Giuseppi Zanotti & Ann Taylor

So get out there and hunt for some treasures! I’d love to hear about your finds in the Leave a Reply section. Have a great weekend!

Easiest. Bread. Ever. Part 2. Rustico Olive Bread Recipe. So good, even you won’t believe you baked it…

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Rustico Olive Bread – Baked, Sliced, and Ready to Devour

 

(adapted from the New York Times No-Knead Bread Recipe)

I’ve been making the Simple Bread Recipe for months now, and wanted to try some new versions. I made this Rustic Olive Bread last weekend, and it came out fantastic! Here’s the recipe:

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Easiest. Bread. Ever…A Simple Bread Recipe that will make you look like a Hero. Or at least, a baker.

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Easiest. Bread. Ever.
(adapted from New York Times No-Knead Bread Recipe)
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When I first saw this recipe, I was skeptical. No kneading? Seriously? But it’s true. It’s simple, easy, and delicious. Not to mention, costs about .50 a loaf* The same loaf at Whole Foods would cost you about $4.50. Make it, and you’ll look like a hero…

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Found (Free!) Vintage Folding Chair Fast Restyle Make-over

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Vintage Folding Chairs RESTYLED

I’m always amazed at what people throw out. I found these cute vintage wooden folding chairs next to a dumpster on one of our daily walks a few weeks ago. They still function great, and considering they were made in 1964, look great too. There was a little wear on the finish, what looked like water stains on the bottom of a couple legs, and ugly fabric covering the seats…

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