BE

on friday my family… (well, part of it) and i went up to estes park for a day full of nothing.

life is so full.

full of good things, great things, not as great things, work, things to do, you name it. let me tell you… it was SO nice to put away ‘the list’ and just go and DO. we didn’t have an agenda, didn’t really pick a time to leave. just woke up, got ready & drove up to one of the most beautiful places you will visit. my family has been going to estes park for as long as i can remember. we have an annual trip in october that we go on & stay overnight in a cabin on the river. everyone is there & it’s pretty much the best time ever. this was just a quick day trip, but equally fulfilling. we hiked. it rained. we ate at our usual burger place. walked the town. just spent time.

more than anything it got me SO excited for our trip in a few weeks! anyhow. take time this week to do nothing. no phone. no internet. no distractions. just BE. it’s great :)

happy monday!

colorado, my home sweet home...

just a little snapshot of colorado in all it's glory...

oh yea, so in other news...

we are moving back to colorado for the off season this year!

i am already here, and chris will join me in a few weeks when the season ends. 

last sunday, the furry babies and i drove to nashville & stayed a night with my cousin. then monday morning, brianna & i drove a billion hours across the country to get home in time for my little sister's bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, & wedding. 

oh yea, that happened too! it's been busy around here!

needless to say, i am SO happy to be home! truth be told, it doesn't quite feel like home yet without chris being here, but missing him aside, i am loving it. i started working at my mom's vintage shop, the pets are finally settling in, i've seen SO many of my favorite friends already, i started getting unpacked today & ummm colorado summer?? not so bad.

my heart is happy.

i hope you are having a wonderful week so far!

pictures from all this past week's festivities to come!

xoxo

i'm leaving, on a jet plane...

headed to the big apple today friends!
SO excited!
my younger brother has nationals for his dance company and needed a chaperone.... oh.. okay, i guess i'll go. ha! it was kind of a surprise, last minute trip that i am SUPER thrilled about! spending a week in NYC with my older sister & oldest/younger brother is my cup of tea! i only wish husband were coming!! anyhoooo! just wanted to let you in on that little bit of info & wish you a wonderful weekend!! Please pray for the fires in my hometown of Colorado Springs. they are truly devastating. but God is bigger than those fires & will show us His glory, so just keep praying!!

Until next week!
Here's a little gem for you, shown to me by the future mrs. bloom, thanks emma!
enjoy!

sisters.

i am the middle sister, sandwiched between two beautiful & amazing women. it’s hard to describe the love between sisters. it’s a HUGE, messy, drive the get-away car kind of love. we bicker & don’t always agree on things, but we love each other so hard that it’s hard to stay mad for too long… and by too long i mean, an hour, IF. i have LOVED coming from a huge family & even more than that, having two sisters. It is one of my biggest prayers that chris & i have daughters and they have relationships like my sisters and i have. thank You, thank You LORD for my sisters & the love You have shown me through them!

colorado by instagram.

family.

fun.

food.

beverages.

puppies.

boats.

scenery.

bridal showers.

love.

 

happy weekend!

 

i went to colorado.

…and this is what i did.

okay… so it’s not ALL that i did.

it’s just one of my favorite pictures EVER of my littlest brother and i, and i felt it deserved it’s own post. i love him & i loved home. focusing undivided attention on family & fun is the best reason to be M.I.A. from all things internet/social media. that being said, glad to be back! more to come! 

happy thursday!

xoxo

we have to move.

not really.

...but tonight FOUR bugs that i have NEVER seen before in my life, flew into the house when i opened the door to let the dogs out. completely blind-sided me!

ewww.

our house is in the woods, & i don't think that tonight was the end of the bugs... in fact i'm pretty sure it's only the beginning. it's about to get hotter && more humid, which only means MORE bugs.

gross.

i don't mean to sound like a princess, but growing up in colorado really spoiled me to things like NO humidity, clean air, NO bugs, gorgeous views, hiking at your fingertips, hurricanes/earthquakes/tornados... what's that?

these are just a few of the small upsides to colorado. don't get me wrong. i love the carolinas too. the people are great and... well, the people are great! kidding. it's green & we love our church & cupcrazed too. ha!

honestly, i'm so happy with our life right now that i honestly don't care where we are. i would LOVELOVELOVE to be near our family & friends in colorado and AWAY from the bugs, but we have such an amazing family of friends out here as well, and this truly has become our second home.

 

so i guess we'll stay.

the future mr. & mrs. schmeeckle

swoon.

while at home, i got to take pictures of this precious couple.

my little sister ashton & her fiance Grant.

aren't the just adorbs?

gah. in my opinion, their pictures are totally pinterest worthy!

it was so much fun getting to see them interact with eachother & really see their love first hand. i am SO excited for them to be married & officially become mr. & mrs. schmeeckle... NOT to mention, i will no longer be the only sister with a totally un-spellable, mispronounced last name :)

salvaggione // sal- va- joan- knee

schmeeckle // shh- meck- lee

anyways, enjoy!

last weekend.

okay, so i know it's officially 'this weekend' now... i have a little catching up to do! LAST weekend, i went home to colorado! YAY! i was SO happy to be home! my family flew me in to take my little sister's engagement photos & also so I could attend her & her fiance's engagement party! SO sweet of them :)

not to toot my own horn, but their photos turned out... ADORABLE. i am in the process of editing & will post this week! in other news, i was unable to attend the party (insert sad face here). yes, instead of wearing the cute dress i brought home & celebrating my sister & future brother in law, i was (warning: TMI) barfingggggg. yea, ewwww! i haven't gotten sick like that in YEARS, and it clearly added up. I was sick from 6am to 4am the following morning, and i just now today am feeling 100%. NOT FUN. all i can say is, wash your hands, & think about what you are eating... and if you'd like to see it a second time around! ha!

so... due to the lovely turn of events, the amount of pictures i planned to take while home visiting was quickly lessened to like.. 10. But, I'm happy to have these few photos of time spent in colorado, and in the kitchen with my sisters. They are both so special to me, and as we get older & have our own lives, unfortunately these moments will happen less than we'd all like, so I'm cherishing them with all i've got!

i hope y'all had a wonderful weekend & week! xoxo

dear friday.

dear friday,
I am so happy you are here! We met up a little, no... A LOT earlier than I usually try to be awake, but it doesn't change my love for you!
I especially enjoy you this week because you're taking me to my homeland, colorado, where I get to spend sweet time with my family!
thank you for always showing up the day after thursday. it's nice to know you'll never NOT come around :)
friday... please be as good to husband today as you are to me! keep the rain comin' so he can snuggle our puppies & help him to not miss me TOO much, but just enough!
i love you friday. let's get to it...
-hillary

confession.

confession: i have a bad habit of going grunge.

i don't mean rocker chic... i mean, sweats & a t-shirt.

chris and i are both guilty.

i usually wake up in the mornings & either go to yoga or start working on Project Love. By the time I am finished, there is only a short amount of time before I leave for dance. so i have this wonderful closet full of clothes that i love, but feel silly getting all dolled up for an hour or two at the house, before getting back into sweats to teach! weird... i know. i love to be comfy & feel SO blessed that I get to go to work wearing the most comfortable outfit... NOT complaining :)

however, being home in Colorado has been SO nice! No work, so I have been able to play dress up the whole time we've been home! LOV-ING it! Since, this seems to be a more rare occurence, obviously I have been taking pictures! Husband even let me take a few of him too!

jacket, dress, & leg warmers: thrifted

tights: tj maxx

headband: vines vintage

boots: forever 21

winter wonderland.

it snowed here in colorado this past week!

yay! i LOVElovelove the snow :)

it's sooo pretty & made for a great little mini photo shoot.

meet: my favorite outfit of the past week...