My Kind of Ski Trip

I think Colorado is one of the best places to live. I know that cities can be appealing when they're near family, if they stir up happy memories or if you have a great job there. But if you take all that away and just look at the city's geographical location and climate, (in my opinion) Colorado cities can't be beat.

Tim and I got to live in Colorado Springs for four years and we fell in love with Colorado. We like to get back to Colorado as often as we can because it's so fantastic and because it is home to two of our favorite people.


My sister, Ashley, and her husband, Ryan.

We had to get in a ski trip this season so we planned a trip to Copper Mountain Resort.

We had a blast. Skiing, eating, hot tubbing and shopping with good friends who are also family makes for a great trip.








While Ashley and I enjoy some moderate physical activity in a beautiful setting, if shopping were a sport we could be serious competitors in the "bang for your buck" event. We took a morning and drove out to the Outlets at Silverthorne. The drive itself made for a worthwhile trip.


Ashley scored big time at Ann Taylor. They had a huge sale section and everything was an additional 50% off.


This might look kind of strange on the hanger, but it was really cute on her. And the price ...


$2.39 after the extra 50% off!

This shirt was very flattering and had interesting colors. It was also machine washable while looking like it would demand special laundry attention. A big plus.




$4.89 is a good deal!

My camera did not capture this cardigan's cuteness.


I know she'll wear this a lot and it was only $7.39. And look at the cute buttons!


Not pictured: a beautiful, deep teal scarf that could be worn year round.

I got one thing. A red coat.




For some reason all the coats were marked even farther down to $59.99. Works for me!

We both tried on this top at Banana.


Let's just say that standing side by side it was a lesson in how to wear a tunic(Ashley) and how NOT to wear a tunic (me). I am ALWAYS drawn to tunics. I'll hold one up and say "aaw, look at this" and Ashley just shakes her head and instructs me to put it back. They do not agree with me. I do buy the least offensive ones just because I can't resist. This particular one was highly offensive.

Ashley bought it. And it looked great on her.


I had my big score at Restoration Hardware at Cherry Creek right before we went to the airport.

This is how the girl wrote up the hold tag.


Is Restoration Hardware in the business of selling orchards now? (And don't get me started on the apostrophe. What could these orchards possibly be possessing? Ugh.)

No, they don't sell orchards, but they do sell exquisite faux orchids! And I am a sucker for a realistic faux orchid.


I bought two of the Trough style for my dining room.


They are still $89 a piece at RH online, but for some reason they were half off.


Plus, all sale items were an extra 10% off and then I noticed some small scratches in the containers (that I don't mind at all) so I asked for another discount and the manager gave me another 5% off. It's not much, but it almost paid for my stuffed chicken pita at Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill. Mmmmm. Love that place.

So these were $38 each! My sister is orchid-sitting until she can hand deliver them to me sometime in the (hopefully) near future. I know they're in good hands.

Ashley picked up a FREE top at Banana because they sent her a gift card for her birthday.


Banana is so thoughtful!

It was a great ski trip and we look forward to our next get together!

My Sister's Steals

I am lucky to have a sister and friend all rolled into one cute little package.

Oh, you probably want to see something more current.

My little sis, Ashley, is my favorite clothes shopping buddy. We like a lot of the same things, but we also understand each other's individual style. I can never have too many tote bags or polos, while she is more likely to sport skinny jeans and boho chic pieces. Ashley's also not afraid to tell it like it is. She gives honest feedback like "don't you already have two shirts that look just like that?" Or my favorite "that makes your butt look big". But she can also give the invaluable "you should get it" or "that is so cute."

Since we now live about 800 miles apart (sad) we only get to shop together a few times a year. (But we really make it count.) I missed Ashley SO MUCH over Thanksgiving and the days that followed. We talked over the phone about our shopping trips and I asked Ashley if she'd email me a quick recap of her shopping trip and some pics of her fabulous finds. She did! Ashley says:

I’m not one of those people that like to get up at 3:00am and wait in line out in the cold to see what deals I can score the morning after Thanksgiving. But this past Friday I slept in, had leftover apple pie for breakfast, and headed out the door to an outlet mall around 10 o’clock with a friend. The deals were still there! Both the Ann Taylor Factory Store and the Banana Republic Outlet were offering an additional 50% off of EVERYTHING in the store. As usual, I made a bee-line to the clearance section in the back of the stores. In the end I walked away having spent a total of $30.50 and saving $142.50! Here are my finds:

Ann Taylor white button down regularly $68 for $10

Ann Taylor skirt regularly $60 for $12.50

Banana Republic shirt regularly $45 for $8

Did she get some good deals or what?! I am especially loving the skirt. And the ruffles on the white shirt. And the detailing of the BR shirt. She'll rock it all.

I got a few deals after Thanksgiving, but since they're all gifts I can't blog about them ... yet. :)