"Be Always Blooming"

I don't know about you but I am a quote girl! I can read a quote from Pinterest and well up with tears or burst into laughter... They touch my soul and feed my spirit. 

If I could decorate every wall in our apartment with quotes, I totally would! But that could become a little over the edge obsessive. Here are a few, of the many millions, of quotes that hold a special place in my heart; they speak the words that sometimes my mouth can't say. So, my heart speaks...

What can I say? I couldn't pick just a couple! I love all these quotes for different reasons and some for very much the same reason. Several have seen me through heartache & confusion, others to encourage & uplift me, and every one of them is a little part of me; an extension of my being.
Words: "a unit of language consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representations, that function as a principal carrier of meaning."

Gabrielle <3

Philippians Friday's and an americano please

This morning I found myself thankful... 

Sometimes thankfulness is a choice, and other times I feel it in my soul. I'm reading a lot about thankfulness these days. I'm learning how to choose it by verbalizing the things i"m thankful for in prayer and by writing down things I recognize I should be thankful for as a daily discipline,  but its the most wonderful thing when you choose it and you feel it all together. 

Just over a month ago, the girls and I decided to study through the book of Philippians together. We did it as a way to connect during the week and make sure to see one another amidst the craziness of our schedules, we did it because we were so excited to all be in the same city for the first time since college, but mostly we did it for the purpose of setting aside time to talk about things that really really matter. We did it to challenge one another to growth in the Lord. We did it so we could sit around the table and pray for one another. 

"Philippians Friday" starts at 6:00 a.m. We just finished the book, but I'm still going to call it "Philippians Fridays" I think. The original plan was to meet at a new coffee spot each week, but we happened upon the best americanos in the most quaint and adorable coffee shop in the heart of one of my favorite Denver neighborhoods and it stuck. The tables are often off balance and the chairs and seating change so we pick a new spot inside or outside every time. We sit outside on the patio and watch runners go by as we sip our hot coffees from giant mugs on warmer mornings and we watch commuters and moms and dog walkers flow in and out for their morning cups. We unload our bibles and journals and breakfasts of think thin bars and yogurts and overnight oats and bananas and we  call it fellowship. It's good. So good! 

I love being a part of this fellowship. I love coming with questions to discuss. I love the authenticity and vulnerability of this fellowship. I love the different histories and backgrounds and memories that come together around this table. I love the wounds and the joys that each of us bring and the stories of the ways we've seen God move and work in those wounds and joys. I learn a lot from these women. I feel comfortable and uncomfortable all at once. Comfortable for who I am and uncomfortable as they push me to who they see God making me to be. 

Sometimes its hard to choose to be thankful and sometimes when you're sitting and staring into the 4 faces of beautiful people that love you no matter what you're going through and where you are, thankfulness smacks you in the face and knocks you to your knees to thank God for loving and caring for you so well. 

Today I'm thankful. 

Workout Playlist # 2

I love switching up my music and finding new jams to motivate me during my workouts. Download these ASAP and get out there and kill it! Here are some of my recent faves...and some re-discoveries of old favorites!

Oath- Cher Lloyd

Play Hard- David Guetta ft. Akon

Wings- Little Mix

We Can’t Stop- Miley Cyrus

All of the Above- Maino ft. T-Pain

Pretty Girl Rock – Keri Wilson

Haven’t Had Enough- marianastrench

Hold Yuh- Gyptian ft. Nicki Minaj

And a few latin ones for kicks:

Haste Que Salgo El Sol- Don Omar

Danza Kuduro- Don Omar

Don’t knock em til you try em! Maybe it’s the Spanish student/zumba lover in me, but I find pop latin music to be crazy motiviating!!

~Lauren



Flavors of Denver

My absolute favorite way to explore a new area, vacation or have an adventure is through food. I like to experience life by tasting and sipping my way down the city streets of San Diego. Savoring the flavors of a chi latte on the California shores with my best friend by my side was memorable - because of the flavors and the company.  Naturally, when moving to Denver, I was most excited to try new restaurants and coffee shops. There are so many amazing places in this incredible city that my mind gets overwhelmed and my tastes buds quiver just thinking about it. For those of you that live close to the Denver area- here’s the 4-1-1 on the places I have tried so far. And for those reading from a distance, be jealous, move here and be prepared to be hungry after reading this post. 

Steam: Coffee shop

This super trendy, urban coffee shop on South Pearl St is the perfect balance of simplicity and uniqueness. I loved the airy feel because of all the windows and the garage door that was raised to allow a floor to ceiling opening for the Colorado breezes to come through. My pour over coffee was dark, bold and flavorful. 

Sassafras: Breakfast and Lunch

Located in the Highlands of Denver, this beautiful home turned restaurant serves up the most delicious, decadent Southern Creole breakfasts. It is extremely popular so my sister and I sipped on the complementary coffee outside, bouncing Halle on our laps until we were seated. The staff was friendly, helpful and made the experience memorable. I had Truffle Mushroom grits with peas, goat cheese, and a fried egg sunny side up. It was savory, rich and I finished every last bite. My sister had the fried green tomato Benedict and she raved about the uniqueness of the dish. The coffee was above average, which is huge for this coffee loving girl.

The Populist: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

 If you’re looking for a cool energy spot The Populist is it. This hipster restaurant located in LoDo has an amazing atmosphere and funky family style seating on their patio. Our server recommended sharing everything you order and getting about 5-6 items between the two of us. This seemed excessive so we stuck with 3 but were not totally satisfied afterwards. The menu was difficult to understand because there were no descriptions of the food, so it’s a great place for the foodie adventurer. The portions were small but the flavor was big. I would recommend the Populist as an appetizer and drink stop on your way to your dinner destination. 

True Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 At the moment, this might be my favorite eatery in Denver. It’s healthy, fresh dishes are appealing to me and I have yet to try something that I don’t love! It has clean, retro vibe that goes along with their clean eating menu. This is the Core Four’s favorite restaurant so it made sense that we choose to eat here as one of first meals together all in the same city again. If you’re in the Cherry Creek area looking for the perfect lunch spot, True Food will be sure to deliver a meal that will not disappoint any healthy eating pallet. 

  *(Did you know, it’s been over 2 years since the Core has all lived in the same city?) 

This only scratches the surface of amazing places in Denver. I am excited to keep exploring the city through flavors, food and of coffee. If any of you have recommendations I would love some new suggestions. 

-Er

My Top 5 Current Joys

1) "Love and Affection"- Matt White I love love love love this song. I had it on repeat the entire morning yesterday. I listened to it upwards of 50 times i'm sure and I'm still not sick of it. "love and affection"

2) Orange Theory Fitness with my best. Er and I decided to try a week trial at Orange Theory and I'm officially hooked. Its like a feminine cross-fit. Sorry cross fit people. The workout incorporates treadmill interval training, rowing, and weight training in a series of three blocks. Its the perfect combo of all that I love in a workout, small "group" fitness feel and an intense one hour workout.

3) Yesterday after dinner, Lee and I wanted to bike ride over to our favorite frozen yogurt spot. We checked the weather and headed out thinking we were free of rain until 11:00. We enjoyed a delicious cup of yogurt on the outdoor patio of Nova. After yogurt, we saddled up just as a giant thunderstorm decided to accompany us home. We stopped off under a parking garage to see if it would let up, but after 15 minutes of waiting we realized we were in a giant monsoon and had no choice. We blasted home in water so deep I could barley see my feet. It was just about as romantic as they say dancing in the rain is. It was so fun. Ill risk a bike ride to yogurt in the rain with Lee any day.

4) Brady, the little boy I'm nannying is my co- adventurer. The only way to stay sane watching a 2 year old is to get out and explore. If I had to play with blocks and Thomas trains for 9.5 hours a day I would go insane. We already have quite the routine... Monday: Children's Museum, Tuesday: Little Gym, Wednesday: Story time, Friday: Zoo so I try to adventure with Brady on Thursday's and do something fun and different outside of our weekly routine. The really wonderful thing about Brady is that when you get excited about something, he gets excited about it too.  Last week, I took Brady to an indoor water park. You can see the entire pool area when you walk in the front doors. The second Brady saw what we were going to be doing that morning he squealed with excitement and blasted ahead of me as fast as his little two year old legs could carry him. I love when he can't contain his joy. Those are some of the moments I really love my job.

5) Lately, if I have a terrible sweet tooth I blend up one frozen banana with some dark chocolate almond milk. Just two ingredients and it makes a cold little milk shake post dinner treat.

Its the little things.... have a great week seeking joys along the way!

- Mekenzie