My Favorite Burnt Orange Clothes *UT Austin

Football season starts tomorrow for my Longhorns! And y'all, this is my favorite time of the year. I cannot wait to put on my favorite color and scream for my team both at DKR and in Chopper's. Since football season is here, I thought I'd compile my favorite burnt orange items of clothing that are in the shops right now. You don't have to be a Longhorn to love these, they are perfect for fall too. I know we all shop at the Co-Op but these come from other places (like Target and boutiques) so you'll have the chance of being a little more unique. What do y'all think? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Short Sleeved Orange Top, Orange Dress, Orange Jacket, Orange Top with White Embroidering, Orange Heels, Orange Longsleeve Top, Orange Dress with Embroidery, Off the Shoulder Orange Top, Sleeveless Orange Top, Striped 3/4 Sleeves Top, Orange Tank Top, Orange Short Sleeved Stripe Top, Orange Skirt, Sam + Golden Cowboy Hat Button, Baby Sam Button, Beat Everyone Hat, Matthew Button, UT T-Shirt, Orange V-Neck Tee, Orange & White Stripe V-Neck Tee, Orange Scoop Neck Tee, Spirit Animal Sweatshirt, Orange & White Dot Dress, Orange 3/4 Sleeve Blouse, Orange Blazer, Come and Take It Tee, Don't Mess With Texas Tee, Listicle Tee, Orange Floral Tee, Shortsleeve Flow Peplum Tee, Orange Embroidered Tee, Sleeveless Orange Dress, Orange Sweater, Orange Scallop Dress

New Football Top

When I saw this top on sale at Details Boutique in downtown Littleton I knew I was destined to buy it. First, it's my kind of top, I love a flowy, comfy top and second, it's close enough to burnt orange. And this outfit, when worn to work and around friends gets me compliments almost every time. I don't know why, it's incredibly simple. A top, jeans and slides, but there's something about the colors that people are drawn to. I titled this "new football top" but I have no real idea what I'll be wearing when we play LSU next week. I have a few ideas, but I'll probably wait until 7am on Friday when I need to leave for the airport to decide. Do y'all do that? - xoxo darling, Hayden

P.S. These photos were taken at Ready Foods, Inc. near the Broncos Stadium.

Week Re-Cap

Obsessed with the sunflowers

Happy hump day! A question at trivia last night was about the Geico camel, so here we are. In that vain, we didn't win at trivia but we did get free beer...so? This week has been a good one. I attended the Fall Leadership Conference for AAUW Colorado and had such a great experience. I'm so excited for what this year has in store for us and equality. I also went on a mini roadtrip with two girlfriends to the sunflower fields out by the airport. Somehow it felt like the end of summer and maybe that has something to do with the 50 temps we've been having in the morning and the lack of humidity in general. Also, football season is starting so, while it will be incredibly hot in Austin, Colorado seems to be gearing up for fall. 

This week I celebrated my one year anniversary of moving to Denver. It was such a scary journey, I cried a lot, had a few panic attacks, never want to see snow again but I'm so happy I did it. I believe the only real way to grow is to throw yourself out of your comfort zone, what's the thing about swimming? Dive into the deep end. I'm proud of myself and my journey, it was a year of ups and downs. I dated someone, broke up with someone, made a bunch of girlfriends, made some friendship mistakes, got close with my roommate, dealt with real work problems for the first time and started adulting. It was a lot, but here we are, ready to conquer another year. What about y'all? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Loving this book where she creates recipes for her favorite childhood books.

Public Policy meeting at AAUW Colorado's Fall Leadership Conference

A meeting of the minds about communications, I'm the 

Communications Director for AAUW Littleton-South Metro.

They lovingly gave me a scholarship to attend the conference!

Brunched at HashTAG on Sunday and loved their little details.

Everywhere should have Fro-J.

Breakfast nachos, eggs benedict, a cinnamon roll and a breakfast burrito.

I made Frances Quinn's tiffin recipe (coming to the blog soon) and she re-grammed me! 

Hannah sent me this sweet card.

I got a cake for the one year anniversary (because we have to celebrate the small things) 

from Happy Bakeshop and it is so good!

Croatian Dress

I got this dress while at the big market in Split, Croatia (so I couldn't find the exact version online) and I'm obsessed with it. I've been wearing it a lot this summer because it's great for brunches, outdoor bbqs, summer conferences, etc. The color is one of my favorites, — check that pineapple logo — it has pockets and the little flower details are cute. Plus, the neckline is flattering. The bag is also from Croatia but I've seen so many of them in the U.S. so go forth and buy the "it" bag of the summer. What do y'all think? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Quotes of the Week

So it was 58 degrees when I woke up this morning and I don't know how to feel about it. 45-65 is my ideal temperature range, if I could live somwhere in that range all the itme I would be happy. But, I feel this signals the downhill slope of the year, meaning that snow is iminent and I hate that. But I'm really excited to be able to live in my LL Bean pullover and drink hot drinks without thinking I'll expire. Fall is my favorite season and these early morning temps are making me excited for all I have planned - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Images here.

Casual Summer Nights

So, this has been my summer uniform. I've worn this outfit more than any other because it's comfortable, it's flattering and it fits in perfectly for basically any event in Denver. I bought the t-shirt on clearance for $4 in Target but the top, which changes colors seasonally, is usually $8 (so a steal!). Basically, I'm obsessed...and I wish I had bought more of the tops - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Sail to Sable Knock-Off

Happy Thursday! It's almost the weekend and this week has gone by so quickly for me...what about y'all? Anyway, I kind of love this outfit. I bought the top — which I can't find anywhere online — at a consignment shop near my apartment. It's from Talbots and it's just like the Sail to Sable clothes I've always wanted but cannot justify purchasing. The top itself is really flattering, which is something I've found to be true with tunics from every brand. Also, the clutch is something my mom got me for Christmas and it's just so cute. I imagine this outfit (maybe with white jeans instead) would go over real well on Nantucket. What do y'all think? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Photoshoot Location

 

Week Re-Cap

A Pigott family vacation.

Oooo it was such a good week! My friend and I went on another "vacation" to the northern Denver towns (they're adorable and a blog post is coming soon) and then my parents came to visit for a long weekend. We went to cute mountain towns, visited Estes Park, went down south to Paint Mines/Elizabeth, drank at our favorite breweries, went to a Rockies game and just had a blast in general. Below are some shots from the weekend. 

The rest of the week seems pretty chill, I have a conference Friday/Saturday and some ladies and I might go to the Denver sunflower fields on Sunday. Football season also starts this weekend so I know Saturday night I will be on the couch with a beer watching the games. Can y'all believe August is almost over?! - xoxo darling, Hayden

 A Sunday game of Scrabble.

Obsessed with houses in Wash Park & Platt Park.

 Cookie dough ice cream sandwich at Sweet Cow.

 One of the fam's favorite breweries.

 Love these two.

 Friday breakfast at Main Street Restaurant in Idaho Springs.

 Some shots from our drive to Rocky Mountain National Park.

 Chimney Cake with vanilla soft serve from Rollin' Street Bakery.

 Some shots from Trail Ridge Road.

 Smokin' Daves BBQ in Estes Park.

 An alt beer at Avant Garde.

Rockcut Brewing in Estes Park.

A very Bojangles biscuit at Rise 'n Shine.

 Iron Mule Brewery in Castle Rock.

A cute lil shop in Castle Rock.

Our favorite brewery on the east side of Denver, Comrade.

The cutest building at Denver Botanic Garden.

Obsessed with the glasses at Tupelo Honey.

 A Sunday afternoon Rockies game.

Southwestern nachos at New Image Brewing.

Iced latte at Allegro Coffee on Tennyson.

A vanilla cupcake pick-me-up from Happy Bakeshop in the Highlands.

Post Oak BBQ, which was so good!

Seven Years, Part Two

Most Popular:

Ultimate Austin Restaurant Guide (578) — One of my proudest creations to date, this guide took so much time to write. I'm thrilled it took the number one spot this year because, y'all, I ate at so many Austin restaurants in order to write it. And it's also nice to know that the thing I have the most passion writing about (aka restaurants/food) is what you readers enjoy reading the most. 
Current Inspiration (548) — This post was one where I knew I wanted to challenge my Illustrator/graphic design skills. If you hadn't noticed, I've been trying to up my graphics and not just paste text on a photo in a special font and call it a day. I combined the mediums of photography (the photo is torn out magazine pages on my bedroom wall) with Illustrator graphics and I'm really proud of it. Plus, as the months go on my wall of inspo just keeps filling up, which makes me happy. 
A Too Early Swim Suit Post (474) — I have no idea why y'all loved this so much? Like...I like the graphic but it was just a round-up post of swim suits. However, they are all cute and I'm happy you got use out of it! 
My Current Denver Dining Guide (286) — Another dining guide made the top six! And this one isn't even the "ultimate," it's just where I've been eating as of late. Don't worry though, I've got another one coming for you soon. 
The New Year with Paperless Post (142) — Paperless Post is one of my favorite companies to work with so I'm happy their #sponsored post was one of my most viewed. If you don't use them already, their e-cards are truly the cutest. 
Hvar, Croatia Guide (105) — I'm glad one of my Croatia guides topped the charts. I was so proud of each of 'em and they all took forever for me to write. But I truly love making guides for y'all — aside from outfits it's my favorite thing to do on the blog so I'm glad you enjoy reading them and I hope you use them when you travel. 

My Favorites:

Introducing the Denver Diaries: Lakeside Amusement Park — This is a post that I'm just excited about. I've always loved "off-the-beaten-path" things and I want to use the blog as a resource for people in Denver and those that visit to find things to do. Lakeside was always going to be the first post because I'd been obsessed with it since the week I moved to Colorado and saw it peaking out behind some trees. It didn't disappoint and now I'm excited to do more Denver Diaries with even more interesting topics. 
Red Pendleton — Debz came to visit and I needed outfit photos so I kind of forced her into it...but she did such a wonderful job and these photos became some of my favorites I've ever done on HT. Seriously, I love the pink background with the red coat, I love the lighting, I love the outfit and I even love the way I look in the photos (that's not usually how I feel). There's something about these pictures that are magical to me and remind me why I've been doing the blog for so long. Sometimes things just come together. 
Green Blue Pumpkin — Probably my second favorite outfit shoot of the year (see above for #1). I made Julia drive down to a tiny town south of Colorado Springs to go to this apple orchard with a pumpkin patch to take these photos but I'm so happy I did. I love them and will always want to use them for #fallcontent. 
Summer Drink Week: Frozen Prickly Pear Margarita — Since I graduated from college I've been trying to get the "table" back in Haute Table. When the blog first started it was my intention to blend fashion with food because those were the things I was most passionate about. Some of that has changed over the years but I do love to cook, bake and blend. Denver has given me the opportunity to bake again and to be creative. I've never really written recipes before but the summer drink week series is where I started doing it. I would just combine the ingredients I thought worked until it tasted as good as I wanted it to. And I'm so happy with the turnout. Going into the fall there will be more of stuff like this! 
The FOMO Factory and My Thoughts on Instagram Experiences — First, I adore the photos from Marcus and I's trip to the FOMO Factory, so that alone is why it is one of my favorites for the year. But second, I knew I wanted to go more in depth about Instagram experiences and I'm proud of how this post was received. Even the founders of FOMO read it and agreed with me. Going somewhere and taking photos doesn't make you less of a person, just because you enjoy a photoshoot doesn't make you less of a person. You have one life to live so if you have fun paying to see the way cool rooms are decorated. laughing with your friends and taking goofy photos — go for it! 
Denver Womxn's March — If you've been following HT for a while you'll know I've always been a feminist but you'll have seen me grow into the feminist I am today. I'm much more...militant seems like the wrong word, maybe forceful? about how I feel and I'm proud of that. I love attending the Women's March every year and this was no different. People's signs are so creative and the whole experience is magical. 
Croatia Travel Vlog — This is more of a personal one. I love making travel vlogs and my trip to Croatia with the fam bam was one of our favorite trips ever. And I think that comes across in the vlog itself. We had an absolute blast and even though it ended kind of horribly for me, it all worked out in the end and I got to see parts of the world that so few do and I feel so fortunate to have been able to share that here. 

Haute Table Turns Seven!

Usually when Haute Table's birthday is coming up, I'm ready. I know months in advance where I'm going to shoot the photos and what I'm going to say. But this year, it truly snuck up on me. I had to make my parents shoot these photos this past weekend when they came to visit and I wracked my brain for what to do. Seven years is a long time to do anything. And to be perfectly honest, I cannot believe I'm still doing this. There have been so many times over the last two–three years that I've wanted to call it quits because being inspired after so long is really hard. But...somehow, we've made it. We've spent 2,555 days together...isn't that nuts? Like who has time for that? Apparently me? 
Anyway, this isn't meant to be negative, but joyous. I'm so freaking proud I've made it seven years in the blogging world. While HT might not be a "successful" blog, it's my corner of the internet. It's where I call home and feel I can express myself be that through outfits, drink recipes or a guide to where I've been traveling lately. Haute Table is part of who I am and I would never want to change that. 
So, let's cheers to another year of www.hautetableblog.com. Let's get excited for all of the fall and holiday content I've got coming for you and just be happy we've made it this far. It's cool to have been committed to something for so long and I hope you will stay committed with me another year. I love reading your comments, seeing your page views and talking with y'all. You make the brain power I put into this site totally worth it. Thank you. 
See y'all tomorrow for the beginning of yet another year — xoxo darling, Hayden. 

Photo Location: Denver Botanic Garden

Dress is old from River Rose Boutique, Shoes are custom Jack Rogers

Quotes of the Week

Hope y'all have a great Monday - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Images here.

Casual Market Look

A while back I went to the Mile High Flea Market to look for some tops like this one. They are perfect for summer because they are breezy, easy to wash, etc. I liked 'em so much I bought three...this one, one in black and one in pink. I wore them to Croatia and they worked perfectly. They don't wrinkle easily and they air dry great. Y'all have seen the jeans and shoes before; I bought the hat for $5 at Target (remember when they used to be so expensive?). As August comes to a close I plan on rocking this outfit to the farmers' market, on vacation days with Jess and to work. What do y'all think? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Bar Tray

A while back I was looking at some blogs and they all had bar carts...and I was like, oh, I'm a functioning adult I should have one too. But I just didn't feel a cart would go with our apartment — it would make it seem too cluttered and I like the way we have the space now. However, we do have a large bookshelf that acts as a sideboard to our dining room table that would be perfect for a bar tray and that was how the idea was born. I shopped at Home Goods for most of the supplies, the tray is from Tahari Home that I got for a steal but I can't find on the internet. The rest of the items are below.
The roomie and I love the tray, it makes making drinks easier and our apartment seem that much more "grown-up." What do we have on it you ask? Aperol for spritzes, Hornitos Tequila for margaritas, Kirkland Vodka for screwdrivers, Makers Mark for mint juleps, Fireball for holiday drinks and triple sec for whatever else we make.
What do y'all think? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Week Re-Cap

After this picnic I kinda want to throw more...

Hump Day!!! It has been such a nice couple of weeks — last week was summer drink week (here, here, here, here, here) so we're recapping quite a bit. There's lots of food in this post, as always, and all of it was great. The roomie and I went to a male strip show and that was...hilarious. They were such good performers and I think I laughed the entire time at the absurdity of it but still, it was such a great night. In other things, I've been doing a lot of exploring by myself and with my friend Jessica. And I've been reading a ton, which I love! Jess and I went to Georgetown and some of northern Denver on what we call "Vacation" days (aka Sundays where we have free time). They've been so nice to just get out of town and explore things that are close to home but that I don't normally have time for. What have y'all been up to? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Ugh, this is making me hungry.

 A rainy afternoon spent at Devil's Food Bakery.

 Got to try the Denver staple, Bonnie Brae Tavern. 

 Dinner in downtown Littleton at Adelitas Cocina y Cantina. 

 The roomie and I were VIP for the Hunks male strip show.

 Discovered my new favorite breakfast near my apartment, Rosie's Wild Flour. 

 A stroll through downtown Littleton...

 ...to the Littleton Market, which supplies local goodies. 

 My book haul...I've already read three of 'em. 

 Back at Rosie's for their cinnamon roll. 

 Spent a Sunday in Georgetown with Jessica, blog post coming soon. 

 A hike at Van Bibber Open Space.

 It's sunflower season in Denver!

 The Kolsch at Resolute Brewing in south Denver.

 Trivia night with Lindsey & Jessica — Alternative Facts (our team name) 

won the last and hardest round!

 Friday night at Sweet Tomatoes...because why not?

 Early morning hike at Hildebrand Ranch.

 Bean Fosters is a cute lil coffee shop in south Littleton. 

 Obsessing over this sweater...I think I might need it. 

 Bath & Bodyworks was having a sale on three-wick candles so

 I had to pick up my favorite scent.

 Finished this book & I loved it. Made me cry a few times...

 Some really good pulled pork from Brothers BBQ at the Jeffco Rodeo.

Bronc Riding 

 It was a beautiful night in Colorado.

 Barrel Racing

I don't know what this event is called...roping of some kind?

Summer Favorites

Find out what I've been loving this summer...and one fall forward piece I got for a steal - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Quotes of the Week

Happy Monday y'all! And what a happy Monday it is...this week is short for me, my parents fly in on Thursday and we are doing a long weekend of fun. This past weekend was so nice, I read a few books, went on another "vacation day" with Jessica and just enjoyed being alone for a bit. What about y'all? - xoxo darling, Hayden

Images here.

Articles I'm Reading

1. I want to go to there // Town & Country
2. These skewers look amaze // How Sweet Eats
3. All of this is true // BuzzFeed
4. Cannot wait for Sept. 14 // Vogue
5. Obsessing over this look // This Time Tomorrow
6. Safiya is one of my favorites & a cheese theme park sounds awesome // Safiya Nygaard

Summer Drink Week: Frozen Prickly Pear Margarita

The first time I had a prickly pear marg was the week before my college graduation. We were trying a restaurant I had been wanting to visit since before I got to campus...but you know, life. So, we sat down, got chips & I immediately ordered the pink beverage. I was not disapointed and now I love re-creating it for myself when I'm having a taco salad night. It's the perfect way to end the summer, with this vibrant pink in hand - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Frozen Prickly Pear Margarita Recipe: 

You'll Need:

(makes 1 full pitcher)

 -1 1/2 lime, squeezed for juice
-1/2 lime for garnish and juice

-8 oz tequila

-1/4 cup triple sec

-1 1/4 cup prickly pear syrup

-5 cups ice

-1/2 cup water

-1-2 tablespoons of salt water (put 1 spoonful of salt in a 1/2 cup of water and stir until dissolved)
-salt
-blender
-plate

Instructions:

1. Put all liquid in the blender and blend it until mixed well.
2. Add all ice and blend for about two minutes, or until you have a frothy, icy beverage.
3. Pour salt, add a little bit of lime juice on a plate, then coat the rim of your glass in lime juice and salt.
4. Pour your drink and enjoy!

Troubleshooting:

You don't have to add the salt water if you like a sweet margarita. I prefer mine to be balanced, so the salt water adds a balance to the triple sec and syrup. 

Summer Drink Week: Mint Julep

Is this not the most summer drink? It starts off the season with the Kentucky Derby and it's so refreshing - xoxo darling, Hayden.

 Mint Julep: 

You'll Need:

- 3 cups ice

- 3 oz bourbon

- 1 oz simple syrup 

- 10 sprigs of mint, 7 sprigs leaves for julep, 2 sprigs for decoration

- blender

- ball jar

(makes ~ one glass)

Instructions:

1. Put your glass in the freezer so it gets nice and frosty. 

2. Pre-make your simple syrup. You'll put 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a saucepan, boil it then let it cool. 

3. Meanwhile, put three cups of ice into a blender to crush it.

4. Put simple syrup and mint leaves in bottom of glass, the muddle the mint. To muddle, simply press down on leaves with a wooden spoon.

5. Add bourbon.

6. Add your ice, stick a straw in and garnish with mint sprigs. 

Troubleshooting:

Depending on how sweet you like a drink, you might want to add more simple syrup. The first one I made, I added too much simple syrup and it was too sweet to drink, so just be aware. Also, the more mint you add, the better! 

 

Summer Drink Week: Frozen Aperol Spritz

The Aperol Spritz is basically the drink of the summer, right? So, why not make it frozen and put it in some cute glasses? 

 Frozen Aperol Spritz Recipe: 

You'll Need:

- 3 cups ice

- 1 cup orange juice

- 1 cup champagne

- 1/2 cup Aperol

- blender

(makes ~ two glasses)

Instructions:

1. Pre-blend/crush ice going between the blender settings until it's a sno-cone consistency. 

2. Add all your liquid ingredients and blend until combined. It should be a nice, light orange color. 

3. Pour into two glasses & enjoy!

Troubleshooting:

Depending on how you like your Aperol Spritz you can add or subtract the amount of liquids you put in. I liked that I could taste everything in this version. 

Summer Drink Week: Boozy Orange Julius

When I was little, my dad and grandad would mow our lawns on a Saturday. My mom and I would wait until they were finishing up, then race into the kitchen and whip up these Orange Julius' for them. It's one of my favorite memories with my mom and after watching the latest season of Stranger Things I was reminded of those good times. If you haven't seen the show, the Orange Julius logo appears a bunch in the background at the local mall. So, here is a boozy version of a childhood favorite - xoxo darling, Hayden.

 Boozy Orange Julius Recipe: 

You'll Need:

- 1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate

-1/2 cup water

- 1 cup milk

- 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup vodka 

- 15 ice cubes 

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients into the blender.

2. Blend until you're content with the consistency, it should be more liquid-y than a smoothie.

3. Pour into glasses (makes about 2.5 glasses) and add some fun straws. 

Troubleshooting:

I don't add more sugar when I add more of the other ingredients because I don't like an overly sweet drink. But if you want it to taste more like the mall versions, you'll need to do more like a 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Summer Drink Week: Frosé

Frosé was one of my favorite summer drinks in Austin. Irene's, the Instagram heaven of Austin, did a really good one and if you went during happy hour you could get a glass and an ice cream cone for a really good deal. So, I thought I'd try my hand at the basic-girl-drink-of-the-summer - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Frosé Recipe 

You'll Need: 

-7 frozen strawberries

-2 cups of rosé

-1 cup strawberry lemonade

-2 cereal bowls of ice

-blender

-paper straws

Instructions:

1. Crush up your ice in the blender — go between the smoothie setting and ice crushing.

2. Add rosé, lemonade and frozen strawberries.

3. Blend on the frozen drink, smoothie and milkshake setting until you're happy with the consistency.

4. Pour into a cute pitcher & bam, you've got yourself frosé!

Troubleshooting:

If you like your frosé on the sweet side, make sure to buy a sweet rosé. You can also add some sugar water or honey to this recipe to make it sweeter. 

Introducing the Denver Diaries: Lakeside Amusement Park

Welcome to the Denver Diaries, a series of posts about all of the cool places and things to do in Denver. I figured it would be cool to highlight the spots I've been and go more in depth than just making a list. Plus, I love the more off-the-beaten-path activities, so while you will see a post about the Denver Museum of Art in the future, you'll also get places like today's gem — Lakeside Amusement Park. 

The Wild Chipmunk sign is hidden behind a tree on the far side of the park.

When you walk into Lakeside you would expect it to be loud — children's screams, popping popcorn, that god awful carnival music blaring — but it's not. On a summer Monday evening around 7 o'clock it's relatively quiet. As the night goes on those sounds gear up, but even still there is a type of peace that the park provides. Tucked behind rides and colorful buildings are little parks with benches and beautiful views of the Front Range. It's not all puke-inducing rides, but a more wholesome adventure park meant for you to bring your own picnic, plop down and watch the sunset at before hightailing it over to the bumper cars. It's kind of an enigma. 

Lakeside Amusement Park opened in 1908, under a different name, as a trolley park, and today it is one of the oldest amusement parks in the U.S. and is the oldest in Colorado. It's not a theme park; it's not Busch Gardens, it's downhome fun for pretty cheap. And yeah, some of the rides are a little terrifying and everything could stand with a coat of paint, but it is fun and a look back to an era that no longer exists — but that we need a reminder of. Sometimes it's fun to throw, a bit, of caution to the wind and act like your ten again. It's okay to be a kid at heart in an adult's body. We all love $2 creamy ice cream cones and $4 admission. 

I will not lie; the main reason this place had been on my list of Denver spots to visit was because of the aesthetic of the park. I mean, scroll through the photos, it is a retro dream just meant for Instagram. Architecture is one of my passions — I'm horrible at geometry so I know I could never do it professionally, but I love the design of buildings — and this park caters to that. Aside from the pretty factor, the rides are so old school that they are fun. I had never done bumper boats but got to go on 'em here, and it has a classic bumper car house, plus, a carousel, ferris wheel mind-bending house of glass and all of those classic spiny rides that make you want to lose your lunch. There's also a kiddie land with much smaller rides meant for the tiny tots and tikes in your life. 

I took my best friend so we could take photos and ride on a few rides, but Lakeside would be such a great first date spot or a place for a group of girlfriends to go. While there we saw some 20-somethings celebrating a guys birthday — they were in over-the-top hats and had clearly pre-gamed pretty heavily...which I am here for. 

They do have food in the park and, in my opinion, it's cheap. From what I saw, there's: pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, soda, ice cream and more. And that ice cream was amazing, Hannah and I had it twice because we were so surprised by just how creamy and decadent it was. 

Overall, Lakeside is a fun place. But don't go in expecting to not be a little fearful of some of the rides, but don't let yourself judge it either. It's a forgotten spot that every person living in Denver should check out at least once in their life, at the very least, for the photos. 

Lakeside Amusement Park is located at 4601 Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, CO 80212. It's open most days, but check the calendar to be sure. Child rides are open by about 6pm daily, adult rides are open by about 7pm. Admission is $4 for entrance and ride coupons are 0.50 cents each; rides are typically 1–6 coupons.

Looking for more Denver content? Check out my current dining guide.

The famous ice cream cone I've been talking about — both swirl and plain vanilla were delicious.

A, now, defunt ticket booth for a ride toward the back of the park.  

The train station's tour is visible from most points in the 

park — the kid's train slowly chugs along the lake's edge.

The College Inn serves up a majority of the park's food, including pizza. 

You can see, the park is good during golden hour and at night for photography. 

This ride was, by far, the most packed at the park. It's a roller coaster that the teens seemed to love. 

The house of glass is a classic amusement park spot, in my mind, 

and I loved getting confused and turned around. 

I loved all the little details, like a rainbow fence and the top bit of the carousel. Someone really put thought into the design of the park and it's sad that people dont' appreciate it.

I think I took about 300 photos of the pink and turquoise Ferris Wheel.

The Merry Go-Round is kind of hard to get a photo of, but that pink neon is great. 

 Just more little details, like the original tower of the park and the "Scrambler" logo.

The Auto Skooter is the old-school bumper car hall, but that font at golden hour killed me.

Probably my favorite thing, the bumper boats, also had one of the most aesthetic designs. 

 

 

Watermelon Splash Cookies

I was laying in bed a few weeks ago, planning the picnic I hosted (here) and thought about these cookies. My grandmother and I had baked them when I was really little out of my favorite cookbook ever — The Rainbow Bakery by Gold Medal Flour. These little cookies are super easy to make and they are kind of the perfect summer recipe. Good for a bbq, picnic or just to snack on — plus, they make a TON. What do y'all think? - xoxo darling, Hayden.

Watermelon Splash Cookies

You'll Need: 

-Recipe for cookies at the bottom fo the post + green sugar:

- 7 drops green food coloring

- 1 plastic baggie

- 6 tablespoons of sugar

Instructions:

1. Put sugar and food coloring in your plastic baggie.
2. Shake it all around until it's the right color.
3. Make & bake your cookies! 

Troubleshooting:

-Here's the thing, these cookies are basically impossible to mess up. I truly thought I had screwed them up but I didn't! You can put them close together on the baking sheet, they don't grow a ton but they do make a ton, so you'll probably have to do multiple loads. But they cook real fast!