Durango – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

Personal July 27, 2015

Week in Review

Happy Monday, y’all! The last four-or-so days have been a complete whirlwind, with us packing up and traveling back to Houston from Durango after being gone for a month (Isla and I, flying and Sasha, driving) and then hitting the ground running with photo shoots on Saturday night (just hours after landing) and again on Sunday (for Jessica’s blog – Feather Thread). I’m doing a sneak peek of some of Jess’ photos below, as they are absolutely my favorite we’ve done so far. I have a hippie-inspired styled shoot tonight with five other talented ladies/friends’ involvement, and I am anxious for 7:15pm to roll around for us to get started.

Some of the highlights from the past week (other than taking a much needed ‘blogcation’) include:

Seeing my parents and Sasha’s mom after being gone for a long time! I know they were all way more enthused about seeing Isla, but I’ll pretend it was equal love for all! Ha.
Getting picked up at the airport by my very best friend, McKenzie. She met us in the baggage claim area and I could have hugged her all day long. She also made my favorite vegan dessert and had it in a cooler in the car. Yup, she’s perfect.
Making multiple trips to the Durango Rec Center, sliding down the slides at least 50 times with Isla and hearing Sasha brag about being the “fastest person ever to go down the big slide” (which is clearly made for 13 year olds).
Going on multiple bike rides with Isla along the Animas River – we even stopped one day and let Isla wade around. She is a champ, because it was so cold I couldn’t even last ten seconds. I adore the photos of her holding onto her Tata’s hands. They melt my heart!
Eating at every single one of our favorite restaurants in Durango before heading back to Texas – Himalayan Kitchen, Cyprus Cafe, Fired Up, Carver’s, Cream Bean Berry and Eolus. Best meals and drinks! I am going to miss each place a lot.
Lots and lots of swinging at the park. Isla is addicted, and I’m obsessed with her squeals of joy, so it’s a win-win activity!
Trying the Animas Brewing Company and having my first glass of wine from a can. And y’all, it was so good. The company is called The Infinite Monkey Theorem, and if you can get your hands on a can, I recommend it.
Getting a package in the mail from Bookroo – I cannot wait to share details about this cool company/concept this week!

How was your week?? Get up to anything fun?

Personal July 20, 2015

Week in Review

Alas, our trip in Durango has almost come to an end! We are embarking on our last week here, and although I’m so ready to see family and friends at home in Houston, I’m going to miss the gorgeous weather here in Colorado. We have a “punch list” (as Sasha calls it) of things to do before we leave on Saturday – most of which includes doing certain hikes and eating at our favorite restaurants. We made the most of the past week and plan to do the same for the next five days. I’m even taking a “blogcation” from Wednesday onwards so that I can spend every single second with my sweet family!

Speaking of family – yesterday was our second year anniversary, and we are so engulfed in the laid back mountain lifestyle that we had no idea what the date was! We figured it out when a friend posted an anniversary picture on Instagram in the evening, and I checked the date right after. We had a good laugh about it, then I walked two streets over and bought a bottle of Chandon Rose and we celebrated 730 days of marriage. I love that man to pieces.

Some of this week’s highlights included:

Making two trips to Maria’s bookshop – I finished The Girl on the Train and We Are Called to Rise – instead of having a second reading list post, I decided that I will just update this post as I read new books! But in short: you must read both. The latter is one of my favorites ever. Sasha also read Into the Void and loved it. We read every evening on the front porch with a glass of wine (i.e. I was in heaven).
Joining the Durango Recreation Center and spent three days playing in the splash pad and sliding down the fun slides – watch two short videos of her sliding here and here.
Eating meals at Himalayan Kitchen, Fired Up Pizzeria and Grassburger – our top three favorite restaurants in Durango (you can read my full guide here).
Taking morning hikes up to Fort Lewis College – the view is so gorgeous (photo here), and I will miss it so much!
Shopping at the Durango Farmer’s Market and getting some delicious treats from local farms and restaurants. There are some great markets in Houston, but this one is definitely my favorite.
Perfecting the “Neiiiigggghh.”
Riding our bikes to the numerous nearby parks where we did lots and lots of swinging – Isla loves it! The Yepp bike seat is a hit around here.
Playing soccer with a beach ball at Buckley Park – Isla was getting so into it! Belle loved it too, but she burst one of the balls we bought, which was a slight inconvenience!
Drinking oodles of flavored water – even tried Codi of Creative Wife, Joyful Worker’s kiwi mint recipe here. You can read my healthy basil lemonade recipe here.
Getting featured on Annie’s blog for her #theprettypursuit roundup. MontgomeryFest is one of my favorite blogs out there and you should definitely be reading!
Updating my website – Snapshots by Ailee Petrovic – with some new photos and cannot wait to add even more after the 8 shoots I’ve got lined up when we get home. So excited about them all! Incredibly appreciative of this journey so far. I also spent time working on a client relationship management database, which is so dorky, but makes me so pleased to have things become more organized!

How was your week? I’d love to hear your highlights in the comments below!

Personal July 13, 2015

Week in Review

My three cousins, aunt and uncle from Scotland were all in Durango with us for the past week, so we had a lot of quality family time. In other words, we did a lot of jigsaw puzzles and played ample amounts of Taboo (favorite game ever). I hadn’t seen them since our wedding in 2013, and it was really, really nice to catch up with everyone individually. Oh, and to introduce them to Sonic, of course. We walked two miles to get a diet strawberry limeade one day, then drove-through after ziplining so everyone could try milkshakes, tater tots, teas, etc. It is America’s Drive-In after all! Nothing like some good USA culture.

Other highlights of the week included:

Taking Isla on her first bike ride. We bought a Giro baby helmet, but it was a little too bit and kept falling forward and blocking Isla’s vision, so she hated it. We also had the new baby seat (Yepp Maxi Back Seat) installed at the store we bought it, and they put it very, very close to the saddle. It felt a little suffocating, so we moved it back and bought a new helmet (the Bontrager Little Dipper). Ride #2 was so much better – smiles all around! You can see a video of Isla’s first ride here (I almost fell off my bike at the beginning and had to cut that!).
Playing in the wading pool almost every single day. My favorite day was when Isla grabbed the hose and kept spraying Belle (our dog), who would bite frantically at the water. Isla was dying laughing – short video here. We spend most of our days outside, running around the garden or going on short hikes.
Walking to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and getting fresh juice from Durango Juice Bar. We normally don’t eat out when we’re in Houston, and have been doing take-outs for many of our meals (since there was 10 of us!) – we are in desperate need of a cleanse! We’re doing juices plus no chemical/preservative foods right now. I’m going to share a recipe for my favorite refreshing fruit water this week.
Going zip-lining for the second time at Full Blast Adventure Center. It is so much fun. Last time I went, they allowed us to do backflips off the ledge, but this time, it was banned because apparently that isn’t safe (greatttt, thanks for the warning the first time). I went with my three cousins and my aunt, and we all had a great time.
Reading The Little Lady Agency, which I’m loving so far. I’m almost done, and I’ll be sharing my 2015 summer reading list on Wednesday or Thursday. I did two last summer (here and here), and want to hear your suggestions on what to read next!
Isla learned that horses say “Neighhhh” this week (a horse and carriage passes our house every evening), and so we’ve obviously prompted her at least 350 times in the last 7 days. Another ‘trick’ she loves to do is put the sole of her foot up against ours (shown below). Every day is such an adventure!

How was your week? What were your highlights?

BBG Jump Rope (1 of 1)-11 Isla Strolling Ailee and Isla

City Guide July 9, 2015

Durango City Guide

In 2012, my parents bought a home in Durango, much to our dismay, as we were rooting for a lake house in Austin. We are now so glad they ignored our pleas, as this old-timey city has definitely won over our hearts (and the lack of Texas humidity is a huge bonus). Durango has everything you could possibly need in a getaway city – great food and drinks, amazing views, fun activities, good shopping (well, not high fashion), and perfect weather (ahem, except perhaps the freezing cold winters). We’re fortunate enough to live just two streets over from Main Avenue, which is where most of the restaurants and shops are found. Given that most things in Texas are driving distance, it’s nice to be able to walk to dinner. We also take advantage of the proximity to the mountains and Animas river, and spend the days outside hiking, biking, rafting, running, etc.

If you’re looking for a fun Colorado vacation spot, I highly recommend making a trip to Durango. And if you come, I suggest trying some of the following restaurants, juice bars, ice cream shops, parks and adventure centers. If you have already been to Durango, am I missing anything?

Food and Drinks

Carver’s Brewing Co.: This brewery is a favorite in our family, as it’s just two streets over from my parent’s house and the food is delicious. I typically order the Sesame Seared Ahi Stir Fry (substitute tofu for Ahi) or the veggie burger without the bun and a salad versus fries. Both options are delicious. Sasha normally gets the Tatanka (buffalo) burger and also loves it. They have big to-go beers called “Growlers” (discounted refills), so naturally Sasha and Dad have to drink one or two of those to prove their Colorado manliness.

Personal June 29, 2015

Week in Review

Hello from my parent’s house in Durango, Colorado! I arrived here yesterday afternoon after spending the weekend in Vail, celebrating one of my oldest friend’s weddings. Brittany was one of the first people I befriended when I moved to Texas from Scotland in 3rd grade. I adore her and her new husband, Aaron, and had the best time showering them with love over the last few days. Sasha flew home to Houston after the wedding, and I met my parents and Isla in Durango, where we spent over two months last summer (I have missed it so much). We’re going to spend a few weeks here, which I’m looking forward to (Texas summers are something else!).

Prior to flying to Vail on Friday, we had a very busy week in Houston. I was fortunate enough to have photo shoots every single day (two on Monday!) – more photos to come later this week (also shared a few last week). It did, however, make for many late nights, as I’m OCD about a quick turnaround for editing. I am currently editing photographs from Brittany and Aaron’s rehearsal, and I’ll post those soon. You’ll see a few below – and will likely fall in love with her black and white Oscar de la Renta dress (recently worn by T. Swift – nbd, right?).

Some of the week’s highlights included:

Photographing two baby boys, David and Brooks, on Monday – I shared their photos here last week. They are both insanely cute, and their mamas are sweet to boot.
Celebrating Cake & Confetti‘s second “birthday” with Meredith and other incredibly talented Houston ladies – I cannot wait to share photos later on! More details here.
Shooting more looks for my gorgeous friend’s new fashion blog – Feather Thread. We found some cool spots at City Centre, and I’m anxious to photograph more outfits when we get back home.
Meeting and photographing the cutest baby girl, Murphey Grace, whose parents we have about ten connections to. The world is so small! I’m going to share her photos tomorrow.
Chatting with Leah of The Monogram Shop (she’s the sweetest) and picking up Isla’s adorable monogrammed dress, which I shared on Friday.
Relaxing at the Sonnenalp hotel – our room was one of the coolest I’ve ever stayed in, as I loved the decor and the fact it was a two-story room. I highly recommend staying there if you are ever visiting Vail!

How was your week? Please tell me some of your highlights in the comments below! xo