The Carriage House : A Love Story

It's been a year. One that brought more hours in the dentist chair (ultimately ending in one less tooth), a dream come true (involving Mickey Mouse), a car accident (totaling my car) and then the one thing that I was least expecting - the purchase of my first home.

We'll get to the rest of it later this year but this post is completely dedicated to the newest member of my little family, a true love - the Carriage House.

Back in July, during a visit with Chloe, I was at the Squire (per usual on a Friday night) when Dustin said to me, "Did you get my email earlier today? I found your house." Now keep in mind, I was not looking for a house. I was getting emails about properties in the city but mostly because my rent had gone up 20 percent in 2014 and I was expecting that to happen again in 2015. Problem was, everything in my price range was a condo, with an HOA attached, and I knew that if I was paying that much $$ for a place, I wanted to be able to let my dog outside without putting pants on. So I figured I would just stay put in my beautiful apartment in the sky until it was yanked from my loving little hands and I was forced to move outside of the city.

Then, the Carriage House answered all of my (unknown) house dreams. Three whiskeys deep, I opened the email and OMG YOU ARE RIGHT IT IS MY HOUSE, as I frantically sent a message to our friend Jill with just the words "UH OH." She answered the next morning asking if I wanted to go see it "just for fun" (genius) so Chloe and I took a walk, about seven blocks up from SummerHouse, and wandered down the pathway to the "secret garden" door of this little house in the middle of Denver's Congress Park neighborhood.

When we walked in, my first thought was "this is a tiny brick house" (given, I was living in 1100 square feet in the sky at the time). But just then, Jill opened up the double french doors and it was what I can only describe as a moment I will never forget, I fell in love. The private patio doubled the living space and created an airy, sun-filled house filled with character and charm. We wandered up the stairs to find a French cottage-type room complete with a claw-foot tub in the middle of the room, an antique clothing rack and Apartment Therapy-approved turquoise barn doors. I thought to myself "this is the most unique space I have ever seen, fit for.....ME."

Thanks to the Denver market and a rockin' realtor (Jill Smith at PorchLight for any of you in the market!) - it was mine in 30 short days. Making this the year that I became a homeowner.

I never thought I could love a house the way that I do the Carriage House, I was never one who felt the need to own property (though I always believed it to be a smart move as I was writing my $1225 rent checks every month) but it has been the best decision I ever made.

Over the past two months that I've been it's smitten little owner, it has been a true labor of love. From cracking a bottle of Veuve the day my offer was accepted (and I totaled my car) to moving my bed and pets in on the day I closed to unpacking with two of my very best friends in the world to hours spent hunting for the couch, the rug, the table to crying in Crate & Barrel with my mother when we found the perfect kitchen island (we're like that) to painting with her a few weeks ago to learning how to use my pellet stove to then truly having a house warmed thanks to 30 wonderful, beautiful, supportive friends (and a few bottles of champagne) on a perfect fall day.

This is home. This is Carriage House.

Q1 2014

January marked my first month of not blogging since this baby was born back in 2008. Then February marked the first time I had gone two months without blogging. And then came March, my first time not posting for three months.

So, let this post mark my very first QUARTER POST! This isn't to say that I'm going to start posting only four times a year, I miss writing, but I was in need of a break. As my last post shared, 2013 was one helluva beating and I just needed to find my footing in 2014.

In January, I got to seal off the nightmare formally known as #19, now known as my gold tooth. I skied, embraced yoga, cheered on the Broncos in the playoffs, drank wine and celebrated Juanuary (before we knew better). I crafted with Pengs. And I told a man that I loved him and said goodbye to a friend of ten years, all in the same conversation.

February forced me to close my eyes during the Super Bowl. Dancing to Lord Huron, brunching, attending the Banff Film Fest in Boulder and shopping at Colorado's first Trader Joe's (cause, snacks) made up for what the Broncos could not. I traveled to NYC for more than 24 hours for the first time and checked something off this list (post to come, told you I wasn't giving up). In NYC I enjoyed a lovely Valentine's Day with my one and only PY and worked some PR magic at Toy Fair. For the day that I spent to myself in the city, I shopped, sat in an Italian cafe where I ate pizza, sipped on wine and read a book as the snow fell outside the cafe window (hello, perfect life moment) then got lost in the Met. It was a perfect afternoon. Two weeks later I was lucky enough to reunite with the Knochs for a weekend filled with laughs, skis, wine and games in Steamboat.

Finally, in March, I was able to catch my breath. I celebrated all the March babies (Andy, Suzy and Linz), experienced Monkey Town 4 with LJ, danced my ass off at our new favorite Friday night in Denver, ate my weights worth at Work + Class, went on some dates, learned that two Scorpion Bowls is two too many, drank Veuve (always worth mentioning), sang-a-long with Beyonce and skied.

April brings happy with a trip from Pep and Sam, Easter (a long-time HSCOOC favorite) and some neon nights with Suzy.

...and more blog posts :D

2013: Year in Review

I started this year in hot water.

It was 3 a.m., we’d all gotten back from a night spent closing out 2012 with the Lumineers and a bottle of champagne in our hands. Excited to be in my new apartment, we hurried downstairs, dipping in to the tub in our best dressed. It was an absolute blast and everything a NYE should be.

                           

But had I only known the foreshadowing that night was holding…

I’d love to find the silver lining in the year that was but in the words of Jay Z, numbers don’t lie, check the scoreboard.

January – Move into the most amazing apartment I will ever live in. I’ve learned over the past twelve months that some views never get old (you’ve probably realized that, too, given all of my sunset over the Denver skyline photos on Instagram). +100. Ski in Steamboat with friends I’ve had for 20 years, family I’ve had for 30 and others that I am still loving getting to know. +50. Get broken up with in a bathroom stall at the Squire Lounge (prior to the remodel). Great story now, and definitely a blessing in disguise, but at the time -100. (Though getting a new drill out of the deal? +10).

February – Ski. Ski. More ski. +30. Getting snowed out of my housewarming brunch. -20. Turning it into an Oscar Brunch. +20.

March – Iceland. Anytime I ever get to spend with Chloe is an auto-plus. Hiked a glacier. Discovered the WORLD’S best coffee. Met Ed. Saw the Northern Lights. +200. Ate some horse. -20. Skied Steamboat with Dad. +50. Got a text from an Old Friend. +100. Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience. +20. Suzy’s 30^th. Peng’s 30^th. +20. 2^nd Annual Easter Brunch at Table 6. +10.

April – Vegas, a chance to celebrate 10 years of Studio 21 and show Suzy my home sweet neon. +100.

May – Estesrogen. 4 girls, one haunted hotel and a whole lotta laughs. +100. Winning the Instagram City Scavenger Hunt. +50 (winning a year of Smashburger? -20). Vampire Weekend at Red Rocks to kick off the summer concert schedule. +20. SLC Memorial Day weekend, because sometimes, you have to top crazy with crazy. +100. Josh Wickler’s birthday brew crawl. +20. Postal Service with Andy, beepbeepweepbeepneeep and memories of 2003. +20.

June – June 3/the xx at the Fillmore, it was one of those nights that I wish I could relive again and again. +100. The 30/30 Experience. Best party I’ve ever thrown, hands down. And couldn’t have done it without these guys. +100.  Yeezus drops. +20. The annual return of Jazz in the Park Sundays. +20. Hawaii. Simply put - a week in paradise. +200.

At this point, you must think…hey, we’re at +1300! but this is where things started to go south….

July – Independence Eve. +20. First viewing of Point Break at Film on the Rocks. +20. I Got Crabs at Andy’s, Second Annual. +50. Camping with the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen. +50. Crack tooth as a result of grinding. -100. San Francisco including Muir Woods and a bub reunion, The Legends of Summer, a night dancing in Castro, brunch before Dolores Park. +100. Almost missing our flight home. -20. Dental procedure to fix broken tooth. -20. Swollen face from jaw muscles being in spasm. -20. Landing in NY to find that your jaw has locked. -300. Having to go to a speed pitching event with national media with a locked jaw. -100. Still not breaking the “over 24 hrs in NYC” mark. -20. Trying to find a dentist for emergency root canal in SLC. -20. Missing media appointments at tradeshow due to lockjaw and copious amounts of drugs. -100. A night to forget all that’s happening with dinner at a speakeasy and a walk through a park? +100.

August – Phoenix cancels at Red Rocks. -20. Visit from Pep and Sam. +50. Jaw still locked after three weeks. -300 (-100 for each week). Chipotle Cultivate. +20. 3^rd Annual Cousin Day at Waterworld. +20. Find out the jaw work I need is going to come in at about 10k. -1,000. Summer Scream at Lakeside. +75. Park City, a weekend that changed everything slowly, and then all at once. +200.

Shitember – The flight home on September 1. -100. Bite Splint, complete with a new shiny lisp. -200. Tour de Fat. +50. Losing my voice for the first time. -100. Watching my boss’ puppy while it happened. -50. Eardrum rupture. -200. Ticket for expired registration. -50. The Colorado floods. -100. Andy’s Fun Field Games, team SAD AND ALONE FTW (although we didn’t). +50. Missing the National at Red Rocks. -20. Seeing Dave Chappelle. +50. Corn Maze. +10. Breaking Bad Finale after binge watching 62 episodes in 8 weeks. +40. More JT. +10.

October – Dad and Anne visit. +50. Phantogram/Future Islands. +30. California, a weekend with Lisa, complete with 22^nd Annual trip to Disneyland. +50.  Root canal. -50. Halloween weekend. +50.

November – Craftapooloza. +10. Great date. +20. Lauren and Scott visit. +50. The earring. -10. Root canal (again). -50. Cookie & Tiger Anniversary. +20. Polica. +20. SamSam sitting. +10. Friendsgiving. +50.

December – The night of Scream’s holiday party. +10 then -10. The next day/hungover/breaking a heart. -100. Pinnacle’s holiday party. +50. R.I.P. Darby. -500. Equilibration (part of the jaw nightmare, the reshaping of my teeth so they fit together in new jaw position and the most unpleasant experience of my life…). -300. Not having to wear my bite splint 24/7 anymore. +100. A Neon Christmas. +100.

So that puts us at….-530.

Now, Suzy and I are throwing a party tonight in celebration of laying 2013 to rest (in my case, to celebrate the year that was in her case), coined Champagne Spongebath which could totally reach over the +500 mark, but even then, the year would still be a wash.

So, 2014, I look forward to all that you have in store. Because even if it takes this reminder around my neck every day…you’ve got to a happy one.

Friendsgiving 2013

So thankful to have family who are friends and friends who are family. 

Hope you and yours are enjoying the leftovers, the football, the thanks and most importantly, one another.

Octobetter/Octobummer

I got this question a lot this month "So, has October been any better?"

Depending on the day, I'd tell you yeah, definitely, it's Octobetter. And then there were a few that made me think it was Octobummer. This entire year has been a rollercoaster ride of high highs and low lows, and month ten was no different.

But let's just focus on the good, shall we?

Visit from Dad and Anne with a Fall Drive:

Phantogram/Future Islands:

Disneyland and an entire weekend of California sunshine with Lisa:

Halloween 2013:

So those are the wins. The rest can just suck it.

Esmeralda's Prophecies

Keeping up with tradition...I got some #realtalk from the lady in black this year. And I didn't like it one bit.

You have been living every day, eating, drinking, sleeping, a little work and a little leisure, day in and day out, month in and month out, year in and year out. Where do you expect it all will end? You have never adopted any plan without shortly afterward discarding it. Because your plans do not immediately mature, instead of striving harder to succeed with them, you let them go and live on and on, with no thought to the future whatsoever. Start right now, plan out your future and work for it. Work, economize, save, and you will win great success.

One of your luck numbers is 8.

Drop another coin in slot and I will tell you more. 

WELL GUESS WHAT I DID. I dropped another coin in the slot because I thought maybe she was just being a bitch.

It didn't get much better...

While you are not satisfied with your present condition you must put up with it for a time. A change will surely come but not in the manner you expect. Your will (her grammer mistake, not mine, she's not so perfect either) join a club or society and will meet a member who will change your entire life, for by the influence of this friend you will meet others who will aid you to wealth and happiness. Your disposition is too romantic (true), but it will change and you will be able to retain and enjoy a high position in society. Your love of dress will make you some enemies, but they will not be able to harm you. Avoid riding on boats. You are fond of flowers, jewelry and music and will find your life partner one who is fond of them also (I always knew I'd end up with a gay man). A garnet is your lucky stone and blue your lucky color.

One of your lucky numbers is 2.

Drop another coin in slot and I will tell you more.

But I decided we'd had enough for this year.

Shitember.

I woke up on September 1 knowing it wasn't going to end well. I specifically remember rolling over in bed, looking out the window, seeing the gray of the sky and feeling the weight of the day sink in. There was something that needed to be done, a goodbye that needed to be said. While I had had the time to mentally prepare myself for this moment, the heart does not always follow suit, doesn't always understand the reasoning of "for the greater good."

Although I may have been prepared, as much as I could have been, for September 1 - what I wasn't prepared for was that gray day on the first being only the beginning of what was to span over the next twenty nine...

On September 4, I went to have my bite splint fitted - which began the three month period of "Katie now speaks with a lisp." The splint, although definitely helping my jaw move back into it's functional place, is incredibly intrusive. I would explain it as a giant retainer with a skate ramp in the front, making it incredibly difficult to push my tongue forward when speaking - hence the lisp. It's also incredibly sexy to take in and out before and after meals - while having to constantly check myself that I don't accidentally toss $2,600 of medical equipment into the trash.

Also on September 4, I walked out to a $75 ticket on my car. EXPIRED TAGS. Oh. Crap. I totally spaced telling the DMV that I moved and apparently they won't forward those friendly little reminders about registration time. And, of course, my grace period ended on August 31 so juuuuust missed it, late fees required as well as a trip to the DMV. So on September 6, once at the DMV, I was told that it was actually my year to get emissions done so I'd need to do that and come back. Would you like temporary tags?

On September 5, I woke up knowing the summer cold had hit me. September 6, enjoyed a Photastic dinner with Lindsey that was sure to cure it but on September 7, I went to Tour de Fat which led to the loss of my voice until the 12th - and even just a week ago when I no longer sounded like your old Aunt Edna who smoked Pall Malls for the past seventy years. On September 8, my ear drum ruptured, which hadn't happened since I was a wee little thing and YUP JUST AS PAINFUL AS I REMEMBER. I was holding my ear, running to Urgent Care with tears running down my face. I sat, shaking, in the waiting room for 45 minutes before hearing that sure enough, there wasn't much to be done but to go home. So home I went, where I holed up for the entire week. Working from inside my beautiful but dark apartment as rain poured outside the window and a constant ringing stung in my ear as silence actually became deafening. On September 11,  I ventured out to get that emissions test done since my temporary tag only lasted until the 16th. That's when they told me I failed emissions. I needed to get a new gas cap and come back.

Then, my state flooded.

On September 13, I went back to emissions with my shiny, new gas cap and had to wait in the car with Gordon for 1.25 hours because they decided to not open until 10a that Friday. On September 17, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed The National at Red Rocks. On September 19, I got a yeast infection SORRY TMI PEOPLE BUT I AM REALLY TRYING TO GET YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE FORCE THAT WAS SHITEMBER from all the antibiotics I'd been on for everything from my jaw to my ear. On September 20, I drank one too many vodka tonics leading to a crippling hangover on September 21. Ok, maybe that one was self inflicted but I was only drinking to FORGET SHITEMBER.

Then just yesterday on September 29 - SO CLOSE TO THE END and just when I thought the storm had calmed - I got stung by a bee. 

I did consider staying in bed today and just sleeping through the rest of Shitember, awaking in October which has GOT to be better (in fact, I know it will be thanks to a trip from my east coast parents this weekend and then DISNEYLAND! shortly after that).

Don't get me totally wrong - there have been highlights - like getting through 40+ episodes of Breaking Bad in order to catch up with the rest of the world before last night's (SO WELL DONE) finale. I got to catch up with one of my favorite people who was not only a boss and mentor to me in my PR career, but a great friend with adorable kids. Andy's Fun Field Games and Team Sad & Alone. Seeing Dave Chappelle. Lots of new music. The loss of six pounds. Rooftop mimosas followed by the tradition of Corn Maze. The Broncos 4/0 start to the season (Double or nothing, Andy?!?).

But THANK YEEZUS that today is the last day of Shitember. October, I welcome you with open arms - and a positive outlook.