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Haute Hippie Days of Summer

HauteHippieDaysOn Monday, a few of my good friends and fellow “Houston creatives” got together for a hippie styled shoot, and I had so much fun despite the 100-degree Houston weather. Sasha’s youngest cousin (and now mine too!), Kristina, was the inspiration for the entire shoot. Not only is she stunning, she is the sweetest person ever, and I love her boho style. I’ve been dying to photograph her pretty face for ages, and decided that we could pull together something really fun with flower-power, boho vibes.

Immediately, I thought of my friend, Britt, who owns Butter, to give Kristina the hippie makeup and hair. For florals and styling, I knew that Meredith of Cake & Confetti would knock it out of the park (and she did, obviously!). I adore the floral crown, but also the incredible arrangements – they’re just as I had imagined. Joy (mentioned in the #GIRLBOSS series here) gave us Priya jewelry, which matched the theme perfectly. We got most of the furniture pieces from The Foundry (new rental business in Houston – love them!), and I asked Jenny of A Fine Florish to write one of my favorite phrases on a fringed purse I found at Nordstrom.

We originally found a few hippie dresses online (featured below), which I absolutely loved; however, Kristina found “the one” while shopping in Fayetteville, where she goes to school. It is the most gorgeous dress, and I’m so pleased she discovered it. She looked like a goddess!

 

 

I am so excited about how everything turned out. We found a spot in Memorial Park, got to work and created a little hippie paradise. I had the hardest time narrowing down the photos – I wanted to share them all! So although there are about 40 photos below, know that I did exclude hundreds (ha!). A huge thank you to everyone to helped pull this shoot off! I love y’all.


Florals + styling: Cake & Confetti (Instagram)| Hair + makeup: Britt Lais Williams from Butter (Instagram) | Dress: Line & Co. from Savoir-Faire (Instagram) | Jewelry: Priya (Instagram) | Purse: Nordstrom with calligraphy by Jenny of A Fine Florish (Instagram) | Rug, wicker chair, side table, terracotta pots + dream catchers: The Foundry (Instagram) | Model: Kristina Jovanovic (Instagram) | Photography: Snapshots by Ailee Petrovic – me! (Instagram)

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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!

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Durango City Guide

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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.

Summer Wardrobe Staples

My favorite season for fashion is definitely summer, as I love flowy dresses, colorful shorts and comfy sandals. I am not a big layerer, so the fall and winter cause me anxiety when it comes to getting dressed, but warm weather seems so much easier to dress for.

Isla was born at the beginning of last summer, so I spent almost the entire season wearing workout clothes. I’m much more stringent now about changing out of workout clothes by lunchtime, after I finish working out. My summer uniform normally consists of a light summer dress or colorful shorts and a light, neutral top. I’ve rounded up some items I own, as well as others I’ve been lusting at (ahem, this Mara Hoffman swimsuit). The pieces are all practical, re-wearable, and affordable (for the most part).

What does your summer wardrobe look like? Would you buy any of these summer staples?

 

 

Labor Day Sales

Labor Day weekend comes with bittersweet sentiment, as it marks our second to last weekend in Durango. My parents are here visiting, which is nice, as there are four extra (and very willing!) hands to help. I really do love this holiday, as it marks the transition into fall (perhaps not in Texas!). I love the shifting of seasons – especially this one.
There are some amazing Labor Day sales taking place right now, and I’ve taken advantage of a lot of them, as I’m mentally packing for our trip to Mexico City in two weeks time. Below you’ll find some of the best promotions – my favorites being Anthropologie’s 20% off sale items, J.Crew’s 4o% off final sale items, and LOFT’s 50% off select full price items and all sale styles.

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It’s a holiday – get to shopping!


Anthropologie: Extra 20% off sale items! Over 600 styles added.
Baublebar: Labor Day Sale! Jewelry Styles Starting at 50% Off!
Birchbox: 50 extra Birchbox Points with $35+ purchase form our shop // Code: WEEKEND50
C.Wonder: Get Prepped For Fall with 30% Off Full Price Items
J.Crew: 40% off Final Sale with Free shipping on orders over $100.
French Connection: All SALE dresses are now at $69.99. All orders $150+ receive free US ground shipping. // Code W14SHIP.
Furbish Studio: 15% off everything // runs through Friday Aug. 29 – Monday Sept. 1. // Code: ENDOFSUMMER
Kendra Scott: 15% off sitewide // Code: 2014LDW
LOFT: 50% off Select Full Price Styles and 50% off Sale Styles.
Lord & Taylor: Extra 20% off + 10% off with L&T Credit Card. // Code: LABORDAY.
Lulu and Georgia: 25% off! // Code: laborday25
Old Navy: 40% off entire store!
Sephora: Summer Sendoff Sale! Get up to 75% off hot summer favorites.
Stella & Dot: Extra 25% off all sale items.
Tibi: 20% off a curated edit of fall styles. // Code: hellofall.
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