global dance: let the countdown begin!

In a little less than a month, I get to do something I've literally been waiting years for. Global Dance Festival 2014 is happening at Red Rocks, and I'll be there with one of my best friends for the entire weekend. I've been dying to get to a concert Red Rocks - it looks gorgeous, and there's even Yoga on the Rocks (cool, right?!) Oh, and it's on my 101 in 1001 list!

Now that plane tickets are officially booked, it's finally time to let the excitement sink in and start mentally preparing: packing and trip planning!

Packing.

Apart from the obviously amazing sold-out weekend of awesome music and BFF quality time, this wouldn't be a true Emily-concert-experience without some major outfit planning. The key: super fun but also comfy.

Here are some highlights, and my three rules of festival packing:

Shop this scoop:
1. Coconut & Pear Lip Balm 2. Floral Print Sneakers 3. Flash Tattoos 4. Crystal & Leather Wrap Bracelet 5. JustLikeNeon Headbands 6. Off-the-Shoulder Dress 7. Pullover Hoodie 8. Eye Pencil 9. Sequin Mini Skirt 10. Nail Polish 11. Metal Aviators

Rule No. 1 - Sparkle.

The more sparkle the better, especially with a fun skirt, bright nail polish, or temporary, metallic tattoos. Major upgrade from the lick-and-stick ones from childhood. And I'm always looking for an excuse to buy another shade of my favorite eyeliner.

Speaking of sparkle... I may try my hand at one or all of these (you can find them on my Pinterest!):

Rule No. 2 - Cozy and cute.

Plane ride and post-concert cozy sweatshirt, because nothing beats getting back to the car after tons of dancing and having a change of clothes. Also, patterned sneaks and a casual dress are the best for concerts... as long as you're not planning to crowd surf!

Rule No. 3 - Accessorize.

But keep them minimal and functional. Bright lenses to keep the setting sun out of your eyes and a super pretty headband are essentials.

Also, Ryan... I'm getting you these bad boys.

And now for part two...


Planning.

One of my awesome fellow barre instructors-in-training sent me the best list of must-hit places. Super handy that she has lived in Denver and knows the inside scoop! Here's the list that she shared with me... thank you Hannah!

I decided to start my day (and possibly yours) with some Denver recommendations. It's seriously such a cool & fun place, that I love looking back over the places to check out! Best happy hour: Linger - http://lingerdenver.com/
Best tacos: Pinche - http://tacostequilawhiskey.com/
Best Mexican: Margs - http://www.margstacobistro.com/ or 
Mezcal - http://www.mezcalcolorado.com/ (depending on where you are)
Best veg fare: City O City - http://www.cityocitydenver.com/
Best recovery breakfast: Snooze - http://www.snoozeeatery.com/ Best recovery breakfast outside of Denver: The Buff in Boulder - http://www.buffrestaurant.com/ Best coffee: Stella's Coffee Haus - http://www.stellascoffee.com/ Best farmer's market: Sundays @ Old South Pearl Street are awesome - http://southpearlstreet.com/ Best food truck: Quiero Arepas - http://quieroarepas.com/ Best brew list: Freshcraft - http://www.yelp.com/biz/freshcraft-denver Best place to be ridiculous: Cowboy Lounge - http://www.tavernhg.com/cowboy-lounge Best place to chill: Ace - http://www.acedenver.com/ Best late night pizza: Fat Sully's Pizza - http://www.fatsullys.com/ Best workout: Tease - http://www.teasestudio.com/ This may have gotten out of control because I miss it a lot. You really can't go wrong with any places you wind up eating and enjoying yourself at! These places are all over the city, so they'll give you a good look at the various neighborhoods if you visit any of them. Enjoy!

Is she amazing or what?
I'm also definitely going to try to squeeze in a trip to the Denver Art Museum. One of my favorite pics from my last adventure there:

Aaaand I just realized that this is happening at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Absolutely adding to the list.

If you have any Denver or dance festival recommendations, send them my way!

xo Emily

P.S. I've been dancing to the official Global Dance 2014 Spotify Playlist all week (at my standing desk). It's pretty great.

awesome art inspiration.

One of the best things about my new place is the excitement of decorating - making it my own and not having to worry about nail holes or painting the walls back to white when my lease is up. When I lived in North Carolina, I furnished my apartment at lightening speed (with help from my parents) so my tiny space would instantly feel like home. This time around, I'm taking the time to find pieces that I'm completely in love with... even if that means going without a couch for a while.

Starting, or rather expanding my very small art collection is probably what I'm looking forward to the most. I'm so excited to find things that are beautiful but also have meaning, and I know searching for the best pieces is going to be a ton of fun. The plan is to visit some local New England galleries and also find something from North Carolina, having spent my first three years after college there. I'm also going to try to convince some of my creative friends into making me something!

Details from the collage above:

City in Cerulean Blue // Multicolor Abstract // Ski Vermont 2008 // Aurora Borealis in Malletts Bay // Awakening // Solid Kiss // Falling Rich Petals // World Map Print

You can also print your most snazzy Instagram photos, and it's super affordable! So many options, from paper to canvas to books.

Ok, I can't resist. Here are a few more. Obviously I'm having a major thing for bright color right now.

man // hearts // pink // abstract // london // mountain

Some of these are a bit pricy, but shop around and you can score some great deals. Here are some of my favorite places to art shop:

One Kings Lane

Fab

Etsy

Art.com

Frog Hollow

Do you have an art collection? Which artists and pieces are your favorite? Let me know (and link!) in the comments below!

xo Emily

color scoop three: radiant orchid.

While moving the first of my things to my new place this weekend, I came across the shoes that were this week's color scoop inspiration. I got them last year from White House Black Market but haven't had a chance to wear them yet. And lucky me, they happen to be 2014's Pantone Color of the Year!

shop this scoop:
1. Dip Dye Scarf // 2. Zoya Nail Polish in Stevie  3. Purple Bling iPhone Case // 4. Keurig Mini Brewer // 5. Lace Slip // 6. Assorted Throw Pillows // 7. Alexis Bittar Deco Arrowhead Earrings // 8. Hand Woven Rug // 9. Dot Glasses (set of 6)

I think an orchid plant for the condo is in order! Head over to your local florist or garden center to grab one for yourself. They're not as hard to take care of as everyone thinks, and they're so worth the wait.

xo Emily

decor scoop: swoon-worthy lighting.

I've seen some amazing light fixtures lately, so I thought I'd put together a little eye candy for you all on this early-March hump day. Prepare yourself and grab a napkin... you'll be drooling.

xo Emily

color scoop two.

I couldn't help but use my recent vaca as inspiration for my next color scoop. Below are some beautifully bright favorites, including the best eyeliner ever (that comes in tons of other colors), fun things for the home and one splurge item: those flats with the blue bottom!

Shop this scoop:
1. Flora glass charger plates (set of 4). // 2. Turquoise Coral Necklace from the Design Darling botique. // 3. Urban Decay eye pencil. // 4. Hugger Mugger sticky yoga mat. // 5. Aqua bowl by Björn Nilsson. // 6. Amrita Singh Nello earrings. // 7. dream big. inspire others. print by Tessyla. // 8. Mariposa Pillar Holder from Z Gallerie. // 9. tieks ballet flat. 


Also, per a reader's suggestion, I'm going to include a DIY in these posts as much as possible. Until I get more of my own posted, here's a great one I found on a cute little blog: DIY Tinted Blue Mason Jars from oh so very pretty.


Which items do you love? Let me know in the comments below!


xo Emily

color scoop one.

I love color. And design. And shopping. So when I was brainstorming about what kind of weekly blog post I wanted to start, of course it made sense to try and include all of these things. Mission accomplished. 

It's February 1st, and red is just the pick-me-up needed to add a little vibrancy to the middle of winter. Plus, Valentine's Day is coming! 

Shop this scoop:
1. lattice serving tray from target. // 2. bkr water bottle. // 3. stolen sunday infinity scarf. // 4. moroccan pomegranate red tea from celestial seasonings. // 5. le creuset heart casserole. // 6. kate spade new york "be dazzling" candle. // 7. dishtowels from Crate & Barrel. // 8. sequin red and gold enamel bangle. 
inspiration: the scallop and bandage details on this dress are everything. 

What's your favorite pick? Let me know in the comments below!

And make sure you get in on the giveaway action on Facebook!

Post by The Scoop.

the after-christmas gift guide.

Because we all have gift cards to spend!

I came across these great finds when I was doing my Christmas shopping, but they'd make perfect presents any time of year.

1. Slate Mobile Air Desk // iSkelter $129.99
Nerdy yet sleek.

2. End Grain Board // Crate&Barrel $139.95
This may be the prettiest cutting board I've ever seen.

3. Elephant Mouse Pad // Fab $45
So cute.

4. bkr Glass Water Bottle // Black Label Boutique $28 (Usually $38!)
More color options here.

5. Monthly Gift Subscription // Birchbox ($30 - $200)
Samples of the latest beauty products, right to your door.

6. Huge Future Map // The Future Mapping Company ($98.75+)
The perfect art for above a desk - smart and fun.

7. Faux Fur Throw // west elm $119
Chic and cozy.

8. Feather Ring // Pandora $70
One of my friends has this ring and it's so pretty.

9. Michael Kors Chevron Oversized Infinity Scarf // Piperlime $68
Extra long for tall girls (or any girl!)

10. Haus Doormat // Fab  $29
For lovers of the German language or electronic dance music.

11. Vegan Weekend Bag // Sole Society $69.95
Simple and classy, and is carry-on approved!

12. Colorful Romantic Vintage Floral Pattern iPhone5 Case // Zazzle $53.95
I have this phone case and it has received so many compliments!

13. Illuminaria Vase Candle Jar // Carlyle Avenue $24 - $112.50 (Usually $32 - $150!)
Pricey for a candle alone, but it ends up being a beautiful vase once the candle is gone.

14. Mugs (Set of 6) // PANTONE $96
All the colors!


I actually made most of my Christmas gifts this year, like these colorful alcohol ink-dyed coasters I found on Pinterest. They're super easy to make and so bright and pretty.

I hope everyone had the best of holidays full of friends, family and laughs. What were your favorite gifts to get and receive this year? Share in the comments section below!

xo Emily