How was your Valentines Day everyone? Ours was veryyyyy relaxed. Take out pizza, sweats, homemade cake. It was perfect for us, but nothing fancy.  I hope regardless of relationship status it was a day celebrating people you love, yourself or just eating all the chocolate. If you didn't get enough chocolate yesterday, I have the best recipe for you today.

In the spirit of all things love, I'm sharing the things I'm especially loving this month. From the best blow-dyer (hint, Adam!) to my favorite clothes, I've got it all covered for ya.

Let's talk all the good things.

PALEO CHOCOLATE CAKE // I made this cake yesterday for valentines day and it was amazing! Everything from the cake to the frosting is paleo and everything was so dang delicious. Plus, Adam looked at me like I was a queen baker when I told him I was making a three-layer cake. You can find the recipe here!



NEW DENIM // I'm obsessed with denim. I made a goal to throw out ten pairs of jeans last weekend and I threw out two. I can't get rid of denim. I keep telling myself it will come back in trend or I'll get skinny enough again to wear my 25's from highschool. I don't discriminate jeans. I love my Old Navy jeans, my J Brands, my old school Rock n Republics. Nordstrom just debuted their new trends for denim and I'm in love. These are my favorites.
BOOKS // If you've been following on Instagram, you know I've been reading towards my goal of 24 books in one year. Tomorrow on the blog, I'm recapping the first three plus a few extras for ya. So far, my favorite, The Wife Between Us. I'm pumped to tell you all about it!


SUPERGOOP SERUM // My gf recently turned me on to this and I cannot talk about it enough. It has sunscreen in it which I love and is the best moisturizer ever. This Denver winter is kicking my butt but this stuff is saving my life. The best part, it's super moisturizing but not sticky. I hate that feeling of goop (which is surprising i love this stuff so much) but it's incredible. Get yo'self some.
THAYERS ALCOHOL-FREE ROSE PETAL WITCH HAZEL // This stuff is my lifesaver. When I was pregnant last year I had this weird rash on my face and I tried everything. I tried stuff with chemicals in it, weird creams, nothing worked until my SIL told me about this. Now, I can't stop. The best part. I love that it helps with my breakups but doesn't dry my skin. The best stuff ever.
Happy Thursday friends! What are you loving? Tell me! I hope you found some new stuff to add to your life that you'll love too!

Tune in tomorrow for the ultimate book review. I promise you won't want to miss it.

Is it just me, or does summer feel like its end is coming quick. Today on the news, our weather lady said it was gonna be 65 degrees tomorrow. That is not acceptable summer happy hour weather.

Lately, Pinterest is full of thanksgiving recipes, Michaels is full of christmas decor and I am not ready. My jackets are still shaking off the snow from last season and I just want to stay in my sundress forever. Call it the Arizona girl in me, but I am not ready for boots and snow.

To banish the "Winter is Coming" blues (that was a game of thrones reference people, don't even get me started on last weekends episode) let's chat about all the good stuff.


NORDSTROM SALE ITEMS

If you don't know, now you know. The Nordstrom sale is still going strong! It ends August 6, so you've got a few more days to grab some essential fall items. This sale is one more reason summer is ending quicker than usual. Guys, these rag & bone jeans are everything. They fit like a glove, but with the right amount of stretch that you don't have to undue the button after a big dinner (that's not just me right?). This Free People sweater, ahh, all the fall dreams. And those Vince booties. Guys, I'm in clothes heaven. Get to shopping before you miss all the deals!

Last night as I was laying in bed writing this post, I showed Adam the picture I was putting on my Instagram and asked him if he thought it was cute. His response, "...super cute." I asked why he paused and he said, "You usually don't wear any color, so it's nice to see you in bright yellow." Welp, there ya have it people, even my husband recognizes how much I love black, and how much I need to branch out.



And, per my new years resolution, I was trying to wear more color this year, but apparently I'm failing. Resolutions start over every day right? I'll try again tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday! Today, I walked in the office and said Happy Wednesday to my co-worker and she looked at me like I was nuts and said, "Uh, Kristen, it's only Tuesday." Damn! Isn't that the worst feeling? I seriously thought it was Wednesday, which now means, my trip to Omaha and the weekend is one day further away than I thought this am.

When I was first approached by Ellie Kai, I was pumped! I love their stuff and I was so honored they wanted me to model their shirt! PS. Disclosure: I got this shirt for free, but my love for it is 100% authentic.

I love a good tank that doubles as a work shirt and a going out shirt. Today, I'm showing you some of my favorite ways to style this shirt. Please remember, 1) I am an attorney, so pencil skirts are my go-to and 2) black is my favorite color. When I wore this to work the other day, my boss said, "yellow uh?" This all black thing seems to be a problem.


I heard something on the radio the other day and the guy talking said, "Why is is so easy to degrade people, diminish accomplishments or be rude, when it's so much better to be good?" Whoa. Right? Like, why is it easier for me to complain that the barista messed up my americano, than to grab a manager and compliment the barista when it's super delicious? Why do I follow girls on Instagram that drive me nuts, when there are tons of others to follow that will inspire.

Maybe it's our self-degrading nature. Maybe it's sin. Maybe it's us. Today, I'm focusing on the super good and the super important things in life. I'm making it my goal to pick out the good, not bad. Remember, we are in control our of own happiness. Let's start acting like it. Let's check out all the good stuff going on in the world. Maybe, if just for a minute, we can forget the bad.

4. Bloopers are the best. This weekend my dear friend Ryann took hours out of her Saturday to take pictures with me. Ryann is a mama to a 6 month old, wife, lover of Jesus and a great friend. I am so grateful for her and her picture taking skills. I'm lucky for Ryann and all my best girls.

5. The cutest little lady named Winnie, living in England was celebrating her 100th birthday with no family. However, thousands of strangers sent her birthday cards, 16,000 to be exact. A radio station sponsored a surprise birthday party for her, complete with gifts refreshments and cards. What a jem. PS What do we think about Winnie for a baby name? Too Wonder Years?

6. Three years ago today I passed the Iowa Bar Exam. Thanks to Facebook I get to remember some amazing memories. THAT is a great memory. I remember, it was three days before we moved to Colorado and I was in my in-laws home with my mother in law. I was using her ipad, watching GMA and I kept refreshing the page. When it clicked, I totally skipped my name and assumed I failed. Then I got the text from B that all three of us (my best friends and I) had passed. My mother-in-law poured the champs and that was the first of many glasses that day. Oh, what a day.

7. A North Caroline Sheriff's deputy was challenged by a young boy to a dance off. It was a running man dance off and is the cutest thing you'll see all day. You can watch the video here. In the same spectrum as cops, a little 7 year old boy with an incurable brain tumor got initiated at the Dallas Police Department as a detective. He was greeted at the station with the full royal treatment. He received a uniform and a badge. Be still my heart.

8. My brother-in-law is getting married this weekend. Is there anything happier than watch two people commit their lives to each other? I am so excited to be a party to their day. PS. Follow me on Instagram Stories to see all the behind the scenes and some of my favorite Omaha spots.



Dear friends, happy Tuedsay. I hope this post made you smile and made you remember all the good things. What are some of the good things in your life?

There are a few things I cannot get enough of lately. You might call them a bit of an obsession, but I call it good old infatuation.

• Henry James. Today is his 7th birthday! Seven. Some people would say I'm too young to have a seven year old dog, but I just laugh and say thanks. He's my little gentleman and today he's taking a trip to Petsmart to pick out all the toys. Happy Birthday Henry!

• The People v. OJ Simpson. Back before the Kardashes were anyone more than four little kids with a non-famous/non-practicing attorney father. Adam and I are only two episodes in, but we're pretty enthralled. I love it because I was only 6 when this happened. I vaguely remember sitting in my kitchen watching this white Blazer drive on busy freeways. So, as realistic or non-realistic as this is, I love it. 
• Chicken and White wine. I asked Adam what I can't get enough of lately and this is his response. He said chicken because every meal I've made this week was chicken something and white wine because duh. I can't totally disagree, but I plan Pinterest. When I was meal planning Sunday everything I looked for that looked good was chicken. Sooooo sue me. 
• Blogging. I've kind of been lacking on this, due entirely to lack of motivation. But in the last couple days I've had some random spurt of motivation and am pumped for some future posts. Get excited people. 
• Home Projects. I want to spend all my time at either home, Home Depot or The Container Store. I have no many ideas for different places in our house, furniture ideas, ect. I want to start planting everything pretty in my backyard. I want to buy some new furniture. I'm so proud of this house of ours. 
• Babies. Baby Caroline and Baby Blakely. Plus everyone else in my life that is having babies. I'm obsessed with being an aunt. Don't worry this isn't a baby announcement. I'm just obsessed with everyone elses kid. 
• Not listening to my alarm. This is another Adam suggestion. Guys, I agree with this. I've had the hardest time getting out of bed this week. The alarm goes off and I completely ignore it. What is happening, I'm usually such a morning person. 
• Snapchat. No shame, I love it. I watch it all the time. I watch it before bed, when I wake up, when I'm at work I love it. Follow me --- kgrace01. Whats your snap name?!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a fun weekend, can you believe it's fall! That just seems crazy to me, it feels like just yesterday we were celebrating New Years and here we are, the end of September!

Life gets busy. Life is busy. Sometimes life moves so fast that it's hard to stop and look around and enjoy it. For example, it's 75 degrees and sunny in Denver. It's time I stop, take a walk outside and enjoy a little bit of the day. Because lets be real, before you know it, it's gonna be 20 degrees and snowing. Today I'm taking my cue from Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. 

Today I am all about celebrating life and the things I love. I've written posts like this before and I love them, because when I'm having a bad day or just need some loving, I look back an am instantly reminded of how good life is and how #blessed I am.

20 Things I am loving right now:

1. Being able to walk around for 7 hours yesterday and my knee still feels great. Granted I had to ice my knee like 7 times today, but it's the little things. 
2. Birthdays, see below! 
3. Henry, so fresh and clean after a bath. 
4. This device that will help me take selfies with Henry. Except Henry doesn't fetch...or take selfies. 
5. Productive Sundays that prepare you for Mondays. 
6. The glass of red wine I'm enjoying right now while watching the Broncos and writing this post. 
7. Skyping with my nephew this morning. 
8. Taylor Swift making this little boys dream come true. 
9. My hubby getting us Starbucks this am so that we can both be #basic with our fall lattes.
10. All my upcoming trips! Omaha (I'm coming for you Taylor Swift), Michigan, to celebrate love and then a Denver holiday with some of my best girls (& their husbands!) 
11. My new office!
12. The chicken casserole I'm sharing on the blog tomorrow, get pumped, it's delicious. 
13. The Pope saying this about 9/11 during his visit to the States. How incredible it was to have such an incredible man in our county. "Here, amid pain and grief, we also have a palpable sense of the heroic goodness which people are capable of, those hidden reserves of strength from which we can draw. ... This place of death became a place of life too, a place of saved lives, a hymn to the triumph of life over the prophets of destruction and death, to goodness over evil, to reconciliation and unity over hatred and division."
14. That fall is technically here, but Denver is still giving us some taste of summer. 
15. Pentatonix's cover of Where are U Now. 
16. Blog friends! I recently met Carly via the blog world and I guest posted with her and she guest posted with me. I love the relationships I'm building through this amazing blogger community. 
17. Football - this is a suggestion from my husband. But I agree, I am loving football weekends. 
18. Tori Kelly. If you have not heard Tori Kelly, stop everything you are doing and go listen to her. Here, I'll give you some suggestions, listen to this, this and this. Oh and this... and this. 
19. The Great American Beer Festival. I went this weekend and will be sharing all about it on the blog on Thursday! 
20. That all my shows are back on TV. Cue a huge date with my DVR in the near future. Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Law and Order SVU, Big Bang Theory... I could list more, but it's start to sound a bit pathetic. 

Last Saturday was more continuation of my recent bad luck. I tore my ACL. Bleh. Please save your condolences, because I've already thrown myself a pretty big pity party. I'm happy to report, the pity party is over. The sun is shining, it's 70 degrees in Denver and there are so many amazing things going on.

I find my inspiration in other people's joys. So, please instead of condolences, please leave things you're currently loving.  Like I've said (blogged) before, sometimes life is hard, but it takes looking at the bigger picture to realize all the incredible things around us. Here are 8 things I'm loving right now.