looking for something?

Friday, April 30, 2021

61 in 1001 Update


Began: February 14, 2020
Ends: November 11, 2022
16 completed, 45 to go!
In Progress

Catch up on how I've been doing on my 61 in 1001 — xoxo darling, Hayden.

J U S T     F I N I S H E D

35. Go to a wedding — I attended Sophie's wedding this week and it was absolutely magical. Truly cannot believe it had taken me this long to go to a wedding but I'm thrilled her's was my first. 
C U R R E N T L Y     W O R K I N G     O N
1. Read 100 books — I've now read 53 so I'm officially halfway there! I'm back on my audio book kick so I should be getting some knocked out easily.
17. Visit a new national park — My parents are flying out in late-May for a whirlwind trip through Colorado/Utah and we will be going to quite a few national parks that I have yet to cross off my list. 
30. Do something for my career — I completed my leadership program at my job (and did my huge presentation, what a relief!). The idea I pitched is being put into place as is something else I pitched about TikTok. But the biggest project of my career is coming out mid-May, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you!!
49. Go to 20 new coffee shops — Now that I'm fully vaccinated (and things are starting to open back up) I want to get back on this. Also, with the spring/summer months upon us more patios will be opening! 
54. Attend a state fair — This is currently on the docket as a work trip in late-August, so keep your fingers crossed!

55. Buy something big for myself — I've decided what I want to purchase (hint). My plan is to get it for myself this summer. 
57. Keep fresh flowers in the apartment for 3 months — Bought my first bouquet last week so here we go! 
59. Go flower picking — Working on plans for this one...

C U R R E N T L Y     I M P O S S I B L E

2. Travel to a new state
7. Go on a girls trip
8. See 6 plays
10. Take a spontaneous trip
12. Visit a dermatologist
13. Visit a friend (not Hannah)
15. See 3 more live shows
19. Find a financial planner
20. Go to therapy
23. See the Kit Carson Carousel
24. Travel by myself
25. Attend the symphony
29. Travel to a new country
31. Throw 3 more parties
33. See an opera
37. Shoot a gun
39. Go to a basketball or hockey game
41. Go on a fall foliage road trip
45. Attend a caucus
48. Take a cooking class
52. See Beyoncé (if possible)
53. Go to a drag brunch
61. Finish this entire list in the time frame

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Week Re-Cap


Reunited with college friends at Sophie's wedding.

Happy Thursday! Yes, we are off by a day, but ya know what? Life happens. This last week was an absolute dream. I got back to CO and the weather has been lovely and terrible at the same time. I've started walking again, although dang it is hard! But most importantly I went to Dallas for one of my amazing friend's, Sophie, wedding. It was my first wedding (wild, I know) and I got to reunite with my best friend for 24 hours. Obviously, lots of food and drink stops ensued. T'was glorious.

When I got back it was time to finish the final proof of my big work project that will be out mid-May. I cannot believe it's finally here! I went to the office for the first time in forever and loved it. Truly cannot believe it has been so long and how much I missed my desk. 

I don't have any plans for the rest of the week but I'm sure things will pop up. How are you? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Spring is springing in Denver!


Tried Playa Bowls in downtown Littleton.

Gorg tiramisu from Gelato & Co.

Vegetarian sushi from Fujiyama in Highlands Ranch.

Finally saw Blair & Lauren for dinner at Perdida.

The fries were so good!
Sophie's wedding.

The most amazing selection of food at Sophie's wedding.
Sweetest couple.
She got to sit at the head table? Who is she??
My big!

Love this idea for the cocktail hour.

Favorite shop in Dallas — Jade & Clover.

Deep Ellum was looking cute on Sunday.

Sunday brunch at Bread Winners on McKinney.
Reunited and it felt so good!

Midnight Rambler in downtown Dallas is cute.

Drinks at Botanist in Bishop Arts.
Oddfellows for dinner in Bishop Arts.
So good!
Cake Bar goodness.

Babb Brothers BBQ tacos.
Finally visited my office after a year and three months. I missed it so much! 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Can y'all believe Mother's Day is right around the corner? Get her something she'll love (and that's cute) — xoxo darling, Hayden.


1. Woven Basket, 2. Camera Bag, 3. Art, 4. Paris Print, 5. Reusable Sponge Cloths, 6. Vase, 7, Foot Mask, 8. Workout Weights, 9. Sports Bra, 10. Bookends, 11. Mixer, 12. Mama Card, 13. Mask, 14. Body Wash, 15. The Four Winds, 16. Loafers, 17. Mom Hugs Card, 18. Hair Bow, 19. Wick Trimmer, 20. Earrings, 21. Blanket, 22. Phone Case, 23. Bar Soap

Monday, April 26, 2021

Monday Links


Hope your weekend was as lovely as this photo — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Lady Whistledown's purse is full of fun things!

One of my favorite writers is the new 5280 food editor & I'm so happy for her.

A photobook of celebs' airport outfits.

Oh, I desperately want to watch this movie

Alexa Chung does a fun fashion challenge.

Desperate to stream A Discovery of Witches.

This 1930s cabin is adorable.

25 architecture books to read if you love it like I do.

Oh I need this candle.

Meet the first Black woman pit crew member: Brehanna Daniels.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Week Re-Cap


Had a nice flight home. 

I'm officially back in Denver! But I do leave for Dallas on Saturday for one of my favorite people ever's wedding. AND I GET TO SEE HANNAH!!! It has been more than a year since we've seen each other and I am truly shaking I'm so excited. We get 24 hours together and we will be making the most of it. This week I've just been getting back in the swing of things with work, life, etc. How are you? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Finally tried Pizzeria Forte in Lakewood. 
Attended a Delysia chocolate tasting.
Read a Harry Bosch book & really liked it.

Fully vaccinated & very happy!
A very pretty sunset atop the Luminary Hotel.

Jasmine a'blooming.
One of my favorite Fort Myers restaurants is opening a BBQ place!
Met this little guy on a walk.
A pretty day!
Daniels Preserve at Spanish Creek is an underrated hike!
Gonna miss carport beers.
The latest issue of Love, Colorado came out — with three of my articles!
Loved Even As We Breathe so much! 

Came home to this...pretty...sight.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Cute Tees

You know what? I'm having an appreciation for t-shirts at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I will always love a blouse first & foremost, but a cute tee? Yes please. So, I've rounded up some of the best from the web for you. Which is your favorite? — xoxo darling, Hayden 

Monday, April 19, 2021

Monday Links

 
Hope your Monday is off to a good start — xoxo darling, Hayden.

Asian American women discuss where to go from here.

Donate to Daunte Wright's memorial fund

I need to add layers to my skincare (at current my night routine is just this) & I'm going to use this guide.

Do y'all agree with these summer movies? I think 2005's P&P is super spring/summer. 

I just started Bridgerton and now I want to read the books.

Very excited about this online market for native foods brought by Tocabe.

Zara x Barbie???

Enjoyed reading how Grace is doing since her move to Charleston.

Telehealth abortion is making great strides for women.

Have y'all pre-ordered Paula's book yet? 

Summer mocktails here we go! 

Finally tried the matcha + chai from Starbucks & loved it. 

Best romance novels of 2021. I'm currently reading Dream Maker by Kristen Ashley and I'm lovin' it. 

You know what? YES TO THIS. I am sick of feeling like I have to be polite when walking or doing just about anything in my life. 

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Latest TikToks

 
Catch up on the latest TikToks — xoxo darling, Hayden.


Monday, April 12, 2021

Monday Links

 
Happy Monday! Hope you enjoy these links — xoxo darling, Hayden.

YOU CAN BRING FULL SUNSCREEN BOTTLES ON THE PLANE!

The Black American West Museum in Denver is doing a fundraiser where you buy a brick ($25) to help renovate their building (aka Dr. Justina Ford's (the first Black female doctor in CO) house).

Bridget Jones is a feminist.

Love the NPS!

How do we feel about finstas for our outfits

Denver News: Bird Bakery has opened in DTC, Whataburger is coming to CSprings (!!!!), check out this Thornton bakery, Odell has opened a brewery in Sloan's Lake, a new Golden foodhall has opened & the Pikes Peak Cog Railway is coming back soon!

Colorado Residents: Read this about our new redistricting process! And if you don't live there, learn why your state should do this too!

Postmodernist buildings are wild y'all.

Ramona Quimby made a big impact on me!

How being an airline stewardess was liberating. Buy the book.

Have you played this voter game

A funny article on the walks we've taken during the pandemic. 

SO excited for Paula at Hill House Vintage!

If you are a Taylor fan, here is how to hide the old Fearless from playing on your Spotify.

A dermatologist answers the most googled skincare questions.

Like a thriller? These are for you!

My mom and I did this bra calculator & ordered some bras with the new sizes and wow...night and day!

Rose Byrne's house is to die for. 

A book that may or may not be loosely based on The Wing that I'm dying to read.

Claire Saffitz's home kitchen tour is very realistic.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist has always been fascinating to me and this docu is a can't-miss.

Info on the new season of The Crown.

When I visited Brighton back in 2016 I didn't love it, but now I wanted to go back.

Fun video about the stars' crushes and heroes.

A gin and tonic that looks so spring-y.


Fairly desperate to visit Mackinac Island.

Friday, April 9, 2021

Spring Dresses

Spring is really springing and I'm ready to start rockin' some cute dresses. Granted...I have yet to be able to wear a dress anywhere but now that we're all starting to get vaccinated I'm ready! I'm talking rootop drinks with the gals, walks through fields romantic-like (ha!) and maybe some Rockies games if that is getting back to being a thing...what about y'all? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Monthly Inspiration No. 18

 I'm not really sure what I'm feeling for April. Part of me is into 1960s fashion — mini dresses with big collars specifically — but the other part of me wants to be in a bright green, but rainy countryside. So...you see I'm struggling! What are you currently inspired by? — xoxo darling, Hayden

Flowers + Hat, 1960s Outfits, Cards, Vegas, Green Sweater, 1960s Outfits, Church on Hill, Country House

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Week Re-Cap

Williams Academy Museum
Hey y'all! So, last week I missed my usual Week Re-Cap so there are a ton of photos this week! First, we visited the Williams Academy Museum, Fort Myers' Black History information hub. I had never been, which is a problem. And I discovered that the museum had been open the entire time I was in the Lee County School system, so my school district also disappointed me by not taking me there through 10+ years. The museum was phenomenal. I learned things I never knew about my hometown and they were things I should have known! If you live in FM or are visiting, please take the time to see it. 
We went for a few walks/hikes and then headed to Tallahassee for a long weekend. Ate lots of good things, watched some stick-and-ball sports and just hung out together. The days are coming to an end of my time in Fort Myers so we're just trying to spend as much time together as possible. How are y'all? — xoxo darling, Hayden
Waffle from Truly Scrumptious.
Finally visited Mound House on Fort Myers Beach.
Did a little walk on Matanzas Pass.
Oscar Scherer State Park hike.
Filmed a TikTok with the fam...
Walked around Florida Southwestern State's campus (my dad showed me where he took classes).
Had to, ya know? Sun Harvest is life.
Went back to my old Sarasota stomping grounds and had Lucky Pelican's fish tacos. 
Favorite garden center ever — Tallahassee Nurseries.
Adoring these spring blooms!
Kind of in love with the Tallyccino cold brew...
Strawberry Balsamic Galette from The Hawthorne.
Took a stroll in Lafayette Park.
Friday night baseball.
Orange Juice muffin from Coosh's.
Early morning on Lake Ella.
Rambled along Orchard Pond Road.
Watched FSU softball kick butt from a parking garage.
Made my parents take me to The Palace Saloon in Tallahassee — it was their college bar.


Re-organized the shelves in my room in Tallahassee & color-coated the books.

Took a Saturday drive to Bainbridge, Georgia.
Checked out Southern Philosophy Brewing (and their charcuterie board).
The fam took a trip to Silver Springs State Park for a ride on the glass-bottomed boats.

Finished Bringing Down the Duke & I loved it!!

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Current To Be Read

Aside from the books I'm actually reading (this one & this one) I've got a massive doc of all the things on by TBR list. BUT, I thought I would share some of the newest editions I've put on it. Let me know what you're dying to read next — xoxo darling, Hayden.

The Office of Historical Corrections

"Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and X-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters’ lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief—all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history—about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight." — Amazon

All Over The Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love and Petty Theft

"Hilarious, irreverent, and heartfelt, All Over the Place chronicles the years Geraldine spent traveling the world after getting laid off from a job she loved. Those years taught her a great number of things, though the ability to read a map was not one of them. She has only a vague idea of where Russia is, but she now understands her Russian father better than ever before. She learned that what she thought was her mother's functional insanity was actually an equally incurable condition called "being Italian." She learned what it's like to travel the world with someone you already know and love -- how that person can help you make sense of things and make far-off places feel like home. She learned about unemployment and brain tumors, lost luggage and lost opportunities, and just getting lost in countless terminals and cabs and hotel lobbies across the globe. And she learned that sometimes you can find yourself exactly where you need to be -- even if you aren't quite sure where you are." — Amazon

Truly Devious

"Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.” Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history. True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder. The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three." — Amazon

Dial A For Aunties

"When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It's the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—"Don't leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!"—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream flowers. But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?" — Amazon

The Wife Upstairs

"Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name. But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for. Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her? With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?" — Amazon

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

"Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather’s Brooklyn deli, claim it’s an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it’s a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all. Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed—secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse." — Amazon

Sharp: The Women Who Made an Art of Having an Opinion

"The ten brilliant women who are the focus of Sharp came from different backgrounds and had vastly divergent political and artistic opinions. But they all made a significant contribution to the cultural and intellectual history of America and ultimately changed the course of the twentieth century, in spite of the men who often undervalued or dismissed their work. These ten women―Dorothy Parker, Rebecca West, Hannah Arendt, Mary McCarthy, Susan Sontag, Pauline Kael, Joan Didion, Nora Ephron, Renata Adler, and Janet Malcolm―are united by what Dean calls “sharpness,” the ability to cut to the quick with precision of thought and wit. Sharp is a vibrant depiction of the intellectual beau monde of twentieth-century New York, where gossip-filled parties at night gave out to literary slugging-matches in the pages of the Partisan Review or the New York Review of Books. It is also a passionate portrayal of how these women asserted themselves through their writing in a climate where women were treated with extreme condescension by the male-dominated cultural establishment."

Monday, April 5, 2021

Monday Links

 
Some links to get your first-week-of-April off to a good start — xoxo darling, Hayden.

21 inspiring women to learn more about! 

Desperate to spend a summer in the Cotswolds...

So happy to see these two reunited! 

Fran Drescher is one of my favorite style icons.

Very into this house.

I think I want to try this facemask...anyone used it yet?

Syrian journalists on covering a decade-long war.

I've been finding the Chauvin trial incredibly hard to follow because it is so emotional, but this op-ed was really interesting. 

25 books to read this April...and 41 more!

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Holiday Weekend

Hiya! I've decided to take the rest of the week off...even though I'm not actually off for work because, truly, I don't have any blog post ideas at the moment. I will admit hitting a year of COVID has been hitting me hard lately and I'm just feeling uninspired. I've been dealing with intense writers block at work (not a good thing for a writer to have!) and so the blog is suffering too. But it will all be ok in the end, I promise! How are y'all handling everything? Anything on the blog you'd like to see? Lemme know — xoxo darling, Hayden.