weekend things

Busy but fun.

That is going to be the theme of the summer.  Our weekends are packed!

Friday.

Equinox.  Favorite brewery in Ft. Collins.

The Honey Gitters playing at Equinox.

Saturday.

Babysat Tate!!

Laura + Travis had a wedding to shoot, so I swooped in and stole watched their baby!

Tate ate, I ate…

Tate napped, I napped…

I heard you’re supposed to nap when the baby naps…or is that just for new moms? heh

Cutest ever, right?  Look at those eyes!

I had the best day watching this little guy! 

After a long nap, we headed to Crate + Barrel.  I had a gift card to use and there is no C+B in Ft. Collins. 

Crate + Barrel = baby snooze fest

He slept the whole time!

Then we headed to Heather’s house, and I finally got to meet Weston!  It’s hard enough to handle ONE adorable baby, let alone TWO.

Walk time.

Tate and I went for a few loops around this little lake by Laura’s house.

Great way to end the evening.

Mojito bar Sunday. 

Sunday, Chris + I headed to Denver for Ann’s [yellow sweater] bridal shower!  Chris and the boys hung out with Kurtz, while the girls celebrated the upcoming wedding.

Ann + Kurtz are our good friends who are getting married in Costa Rica in September, and I’m super excited to be photographing their wedding!

Ali [purple dress] hosted the amazing party.

We are so happy for these two and cannot wait for their wedding.  It’s our first real vacation since our honeymoon four years ago.

 

 

Ali + Hovan are actually getting married in TWO weeks in Ohio.  They are from right around where my parents live so I’ll be making a trip home very soon. 

Garden envy!

Ali + Hovan did an amazing job with their garden.

The boys crashed the party at the end and played a little cornhole.

My beautiful new basil plant thanks to Ali and her green thumb!

Ann’s rehearsal bouquet that I made!

Not to end on a sad note but one other major thing that happened this weekend was the start of the High Park Fire, about 15 miles west of Ft. Collins.  Close to 37,000 acres have burned in just two days and the fire is still 0% contained.  The weather was 90+ on Sunday and extremely dry.  The winds increased + shifted Sunday night as a cold front came through, which caused the fire to grow substantially. 

The first 3 photos are from Kelsey taken in town.I took the top photo on our way back to Denver last night and the bottom photo was on our way to Denver.    The smoke was very thick in Ft. Collins last night, smelling like an intense camp fire.  The fire was reportedly started from lightening strike. 

This photo was taken as we were heading back into town from I-25.

Evacuation orders are growing rapidly and the town is doing all they can to accommodate people + animals.  We know a number of families that have had to pack up and leave their homes already.  Hoping for a storm to come this week to help get things under control.  This has been all consuming.  I’m constantly checking for updates and hoping to see even just 5% containment.

Hopefully I’ll have a better update tomorrow.

Ashley

roasted chickpeas, dressing, + cuteness

I had a lunch date yesterday.

And now you’re going to relive it with me.

Salad buffet – So fun, so easy, so delicious.  Unless of course your guest hates vegetables.  Luckily, both of my guests love their veggies.

Maple Roasted Chickpeas – Make them riiight now.  Or tomorrow.  But soon.  These are my favorite roasted chickpeas to date! 

Print this!

Maple Roasted Chickpeas

vegan // gluten-free

• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne [opt]

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients on a baking sheet and mix around until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
3. Bake for 20-25min until golden brown [or darker if preferred].

notes: You can sub any high heat oil instead of coconut, but the coconut does add a little nuttiness to the flavor.

Sweet + Spicy.  Just how I like it.

Katie + her adorable daughter were my lovely guests.  Katie was trying out my little photography spot and couldn’t believe that’s where I take all my photos.  It’s literally crammed in between our kitchen table, a window, and a huge vertical bike rack.

Kombucha Frostie – Come again?  Uh yah, you heard me right.  The amazingly creative Gena, came up with this winner of a recipe.  You take a Kombucha [homemade or store bought] and blend it with banana, frozen fruit, and a little lime juice and then you have the most delicious smoothie-frostie-slushy drink you’ve ever tasted.

I could not get over how refreshing + flavorful these were.  Definitely going to be on repeat all summer long. 

[gingerberry kombucha, banana, blackberries, and lime juice]

The youngest foodie I’ve ever met – This girl has good taste.  She munched on everything in her mom’s salad bowl while we talked non-stop. 

Can’t handle the cuteness.  The dogs were a fan of Adrienne as well, as she left them quite a few tasty surprises on the floor.

Salad dressing!  Another to add to the recipe collection. 

Print this!

Maple Vinaigrette

vegan // gluten-free

• 6 Tablespoons sunflower oil
• 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Blend on high until well combined.
2. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

notes: Sub extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, etc. for the sunflower oil if needed.

Blueberry Pecan Cornbread – I have a feeling this is going to be made weekly.

Foodie face!

Dakota is like static cling to babies.  It’s quite adorable.  Luckily, neither Baby A or Katie minded.

Walks around the neighborhood.  Always more fun with friends.

Peek-a-boo!  The cutest thing I ever did see.

A glowing mama + her happy little girl.  Truly a joy to be around them both.  You can see the love instantly.  Just take a look for yourself!

What did I tell ya??  So much love!

A sunset bike ride with Chris was the icing on the cake to this already fabulous day.

Now go make those chickpeas + dressing and have a relaxing weekend.

Ashley