A sincere thanks to everyone who came to the First Friday art opening at the Artists' Nook in Fort Collins this past Friday! Just a quick reminder- if you didn't make it on Friday, my entire collection of 75+ charms will be at the Artists' Nook throughout the month of June.

If you've never been there, run- don't walk - to the Artists' Nook Art Boutique, where you'll find a variety of creations by Northern Colorado mixed media artists such as Bev Perina, Hollyn Stegall, Kat Midland-Peters, Kelley Jones, Laurie Zuckerman, Leslie Smith, Lynn Henry, Sandy Vanderpool, Tiffini Elektra X, Tana Mitchell, Tracey Kazimir-Cree, Venita Hawkins-Bird, Lisa Hoffman, Linda Folkerts, Maggie Kunze, Whitney Clifton, Tara Parr & Peggy Houchin.

iPods and Puppies

:denver skyline:


:view from our porch:

Within the past year, I've been walking and/or jogging on a regular basis. It's been such a nice addition to my routine! At first, it was strictly for the sake of our dog, since we live downtown in a one-bedroom apartment. After a while, I started realizing that getting fresh air and exercise was not only good for Koda, but it's beneficial to my well-being, too. I often come back from a walk with a clear head, and if I'm burned out or in a rut, I'll return feeling creatively inspired. I can leave in a bad mood and return with a fresh perspective on things. It's a good thing.

Having grown up in South Dakota, surrounded with the plains and the tallest skyscraper in the state measuring in at 11 stories high, I am fascinated with the fact that our apartment is in the midst of downtown Denver. There is lots of interesting eye-candy on our walks. We have a neat view of the 52-story Wells Fargo Center out our back window. I think part of the reason I dig our walks is that we're winding through that which makes up the lovely Denver skyline you see in the photo above. Even though we've been here over a year now, it's still surreal to me sometimes. I never imagined myself living somewhere like this, and sometimes I feel like I'm in a movie! I spotted a reality TV star the other day, and was so excited I had to call my boyfriend to tell him who I saw at Home Depot. I knew it was entirely silly that I called about this insignificant sighting, but I've always been a big pop-culture junkie and, frankly- we just don't have things like that happen in South Dakota.

:on a walk through downtown:


:dog's eye view of the apartment complex next door from our porch:

The awe-inspiring tall buildings and historic architecture around here certainly help give us interesting visuals while we're on our walks- however, there are two other things that have helped me maintain my motivation this past year. I highly recommend investing in one or both. Although the IPod doesn't show me much love when I get home from work every day, it does come with a handy user's guide.