aspen dispatch

I did a fairly quick stint in aspen last week – things are busy in raleigh, with the kondo and the work, but it was overwhelming lovely to get away for a few days. the leaves on the aspens trees are bright marigold, the air is crisp enough at night to wear a big sweater and there’s a spark in town as everyone transitions from the languid summer into a bustling fall season.  hur, lemme show you.

I typically take the 6am flight out of raleigh and can land in aspen by 10:15 – we head straight to basalt, for breakfast at two rivers, and we’d time this Saturday am just right so that the downtown basalt farmer’s market was in full swing.  we ambled  after eating down the street, checking out the vendors, the pups in their weekend hats (literally, dogs wear hats), a lady who makes fresh pastries and cookies that live in a paper bag on your counter for a week of nibbles, the little 3 piece band that sets up by a collective of permanent adirondack chairs tabbed “geezer’s corner”.  I spotted Susan Carrolan‘s hats when we rounded a corner and let out an audible ohhhhh, which tad picked up every part of what I was putting down.  I was so engrossed with her good-looking hats that I failed to notice how hot we came in (can we go to your studio!?!), so we slowed our roll, chatted with her a bit, learned how she was an assistant to one of the foremost theatrical milliners in the theatre world today in New York for over 10 years, and finally decided to become a Milner, and take her craft to aspen – so she could ski and live life at that covetable alpine pace so many people seem to crave.  point being here: her hats are rad.  i got one.  I love it.  I want to make hats happen in raleigh.  let’s get the aspen hat lady here.

 

clearly I’m just tickled to be here.  one of our fave pre-dinner spots – the Jerome hotel lobby.  their bar snack game is on par with the umstead’s.  grab a quick cocktail and voila – spicy nut and cheese straw bits appear and you are fancy, and snacky, all at once.

 

right across the street to sushi at matsuhisa.  this is our Jam (with capital, bolded increased font J).  we sit at the bar, let the chefs freestyle a couple of handrolls and a little bit of sashimi, I have one green gardener, two if I’m living my absolute best life.

 

back at that amazing habitat for humanity store. I picked up dusty mauve because her body was appealing to me, and I think she can live in the new kondo bedroom.  schnuazies prefer to sleep on leather – well, I think this is true.  it’s cooler, and I can wipe the schnuaziness off of it, rather than cloth upholstery that rowdy just rubs his beard all over and then we’re done.  she’s a little pinker in person, so I’m looking forward to bringing her into the fold.

 

just another bit I think you should see – this glass topped dining table.  look at that scalloped glass, resting on two marble lions.  what a time.

 

I also brainstormed a little value-engineering with these vct tiles I found in the back of the thrift store.  piles and piles of them, like $0 each.

 

see what I’m saying?  I dunno, just ideas.  they were super cheap.

we also found a butcher block island for the kitchen.  we looked it up, and it retails for like $2000 and we got it for the price of 234 vct tiles.

 

on to Walmart where we always find the finds.

 

find found.

there’s a very talented silversmith we found in glenwood springs, Jessica bates – tad had a keychain made for me last year, an aspen leaf that I just love, so we went back to visit her.  I got a lovely pair of small little dangly aspen leaf earrings, and tad picked up some cuff links

 

and one of my very favorite new spots – my friend Audrey introduced me to over the summer: true nature healing arts in carbondale.  their website says it best, so I’m going to quote them: ‘is an intentional sanctuary providing an inspirational setting for connection and transformation.  Our facilities include elegant spaces for daily classes in yoga, movement, and meditation, a luxury spa for nourishing treatments, a socially conscious gift boutique and an organic café, providing sustenance for the community to gather around. Sitting at the spiritual center of the one-acre Peace Garden is the Kiva, a state-of-the-art events center for up to 100 guests. Every facet of True Nature has been created with great attention to detail and the intention of supporting each guest’s journey toward inspiration, connection, and self-discovery.’  it’s amazing – if you have an opportunity, you gotta go.  just for a tea and some curry, pick up a pink crystal, an evil eye notebook, get some good vibes, just go.

one of our favorite spots down valley, in basalt, for dinner is Tempranillo.  serving Spanish-style tapas, they have the most lovely front yard for dining, and if it’s cold, fireplaces burning inside and a really thoughtful, well-executed vibe that’s totally on point with the menu.  the owners are always milling about, eager to say hi and recommend what’s fresh from the kitchen.  if you make it there, don’t miss the perfectly-pink bathroom.

 

my latest raid of tad’s mom’s closets.  she was a damn size 24 so the pickings, however amazing, are very slim.  I am going to try and have those wool pants let it so I could at least take every other breathe.  they’re so good, high-waisted and cropped.  the blouses are for my friend bryan Costello who loves a floral blouse moment, the sweater is just fine, and the pink shams are gigantic euros I’m bringing home to try and make work in kondo bedroom.

 

I’d also like to try and make this work for a wedding I’m going to in Orange County in November.

 

this could work really well in a multitude of ways – don’t you think?  a raccoon bench.  totally practical

 

but not as practical as this bear chair.  for $10K it feels right, don’t you think?

 

I wanted these bear stools to be right, but no one is backing me on that either.  from the thrift store.

 

and are you kidding me with this weather?  fall in aspen is really something to behold.

 

and I’ll leave you with my new favorite breakfast situation.  from breakfast in America, a little diner in el jebel, with the very best fried rice with an egg on top + homemade strawberry jam and toast.