&chloe

annual marty family photos

2018-11-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Every year about this time, we do the annual family photo thing. This year we headed to the Fishermans' Terminal and Discovery Park in our very own neighborhood of Magnolia, Seattle.

I have shared a few over on my Instagram too, but of course I am saving my very favorites for holiday cards!

Photos by Jenn Repp.

snapshots of christmas 2016

2016-12-26T22:13:00.001-07:00

A simple Christmas, the best kind; but a special Christmas because it was spent with those we love the very most. Santa delivered to our house but we headed over to Mimi and Papa's for breakfast and stockings. We spent most of the day over there, and all in our jammies, including Christmas Day dinner. And, now the countdown begins: only 364 days til Christmas!

leading up to Christmas

2016-12-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have never done so many festive things leading up to Christmas in my life. Our holiday festiveness started the day after Thanksgiving, and has been full on ever since. For the first time, we put up a tree this year. We read books; we listen to Christmas music. We made gingerbread houses, we did Christmas crafts, visited Santa, visited THE Christmas store, we played in the snow, we made paper snowmen cards.

One activity that was missing was making COOKIES! So finally yesterday we made Christmas cookies. Raffa and I made two kinds of cookies - these AMAZING simple Christmas cookies that have a delicious spice to them. We also made these chocolate peppermint cookies. We also made a huge mess, but it was totally worth it.

Earlier yesterday morning, before cookies, we had gone to one of our favorite breakfast spots: Stowaway Coffee + Kitchen. Their elixir of life, I mean coffee, is so good and their food is wholesome, healthy, and delicious.

Raffa always builds with legos and we share the yogurt with granola and porridge. Both have their own unique twists that make them extra special and delicious.

Today we met some great friends at Union Station. We had coffee and breakfast at Merchantile and then spent some time just hanging out in the main terminal. Union Station is extra magical with their Christmas decorations.

Oh, and we finished up with ice cream before lunch.

We had such a fun morning and the weather was gorgeous as we left around noon. Raffa and I spent the afternoon decorating cookies with my mom, Jonna, and Asher; and then hand-delivered some of the cookies to friends.

We can honestly say, heading in to Christmas Eve tomorrow, we did it all. It has been such a fun time leading up to Christmas this year and I am sure the next two days won't disappoint either. The traditions, big and small, that we are starting and continuing have really taken on a whole new importance now that Raffa really, really, really gets it. The quality time and memories!!!

tintype portraits

2016-12-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Old photo portraits can be so fascinating. Photos from the late 1800s always have a distinct quality about them; the subject's often look severe. Their eyes are piercing with a suprising amount of sharpness and light. I assumed people from that time just looked different, the stern quality of their faces and the intensity of their eyes being a result of the times they lived in.

Several years ago, I heard more about tinytype photography, also known as also known as a melainotype or ferrotype photography. Most widely used in the 1860s and 1870s, the use of this type of photography waned but has made a comeback 150 years as a novelty.

When I first saw these type of portraits taken in modern day, I was captivated. Those same qualities that I had thought were unique to people from that time, were captured in these tintype photographs. I realized it was the particular type of photography and process that was capturing this vivid intensity of its subjects. Even a photo taken today, will end up looking "old fashioned".

The process itself is quite interesting. A metal plate is coated with a solution that has silver halide supsended in it. The metal plate slides in to the camera, and (to overly simplify, read more detail here) this solution reacts to the intensity and duration of it its exposure to light creating an image. A process that surely seemed like magic back then, but honestly still seems like magic today as you watch your portrait come to life - first appearing as a negative image and magically changing to the positive right before your eyes in under a minute.

Well, I had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to have our portraits done this way, and on Tuesday, Huckleberry was having a little pop-up where The Folklorist was taking these portraits with her 100+ year old camera. I booked a spot for Raffa and I without hesitation.

To have your portrait taken you have to sit still for 7 seconds - completely still. You blink quickly but otherwise you must sit completely still. I wasn't sure how that would work for Raffa, but he went first and we got the most perfect portrait of him on our first try. When it was my turn, I was surprised how challenging it was to sit so still ... I mean, it is only 7 seconds, but it was more challenging than I anticipated.

These portraits are all I had hoped they would be. And the whole process - from sitting for the portrait to watching them develop - was magic.

I am having Raffa's framed - I dropped it off at a frame shop yesterday. They will float mount the tin type on a mat. They let me come in and handwrite "Raffa 3 years 7 mos" on the mat once they had cut it; and now it is on to framing. Can't wait to see the finished piece!

raffa + chloe // black eye cap hill

2016-12-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Coffee shop hangs are our jam. I love coffee. Raffa loves coffee (no joke, but he doesn't get to drink it, obviously). But, we just love hanging out at coffee shops too. Sometimes we bring books to read, sometimes we bring some small toys, sometimes we watch them roast coffee, and sometimes we bring a little craft. Last week, we met Rachel of Green Chair Stories at Black Eye Cap Hill, a gorgous art-deco inspired coffee shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of downtown Denver. It isn't one of our usual spots (Port Side in RiNo and Corvus on South Broadway hold those honors), but the gorgeous decor and ridic food menu are always a treat for mixing it up.

On this day, I brought some beads for Raffa and I to work with to make a necklace. We had already a fun morning at the zoo/circus that was the Denver Flea (winter market - SO ridiculously crowded), so we were ready to snuggle up and have a little snack and some quiet time.

Raffa strung up his beads one after the other, ending up with equal number of small beads on either side of the big/main butterfly bead - what a crazy coincidence.

I wish I could take Rachel along with us at least once a month because these photos make my heart ache over how much I adore them (and even more that sweet guy in them!). Such a treasured capsule of a slice of our life right now.

I am wearing: Madewell Stitchmix Pullover Sweater (on sale!), JBrand Carolina Super High Rise jeans in Scout, Vince Blair Slip On Sneakers

Raffa is wearing: Lennon and Wolfe Henley (out of stock everywhere - annoying), Zara Skinny Trousers in Bottle Green, Vans Checkerboard Slip On, Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie

this is us october 2016

2016-12-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Last month we spent some time with Rachel of Green Chair Stories so that she could take some photos of us like she did last December. She met us at our house while I was getting Raffa dressed and then we headed out to grab coffee and snack and then head to the park. Our October was ridiculously warm, so we weren't missing any chance to enjoy the 70 degree weather.

Raffa was so excited to see Rachel again, and couldn't wait to show her ALL his stuff, including his camera and map (from the pumpkin patch we went to in Durango a couple weeks prior - laminated by Mimi to make it last).

We headed to Allegro Coffee on Tennyson ... one of our go to areas. It is less than two miles from our house and over the past three years has blown up with great local spots to eat.

Above is said pumpkin patch map, which remains a favorite. Thank goodness Mimi laminated it so that it lasts! Below, pipes are always a draw ... that decided our spot to sit.

Unfortunately, my gingerbread latte tasted like soy sauce on rice... I kid you not. We all tried it, Rachel included and John insisted on exchanging it for something a little more desirable.

Again, the pipes ... gotta check them out.

Park time!

Once again, Rachel's photos are a priceless treasure - a snapshot of us in this moment in time. This is us in October 2016.

picks for fall 2016

2016-10-13T20:16:00.002-06:00

My shopping carts are filled with the following this fall...
To view the above boutique properly, please view this post in your browser. The boutique may not display properly on mobile devices or in email subscriptions.

Raffa's Third Birthday Party

2016-05-21T21:38:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, we had a cactus themed party to celebrate 3 year old Raffa! Planned from Phoenix, but executed in Denver at a nice, quiet park (YAY! we are home in Denver for the summer!).

The day was overcast and chilly, but luckily it did not rain (see: last year). It was simple get together; a few cactus decorations, lots of balloons, some blueberry cake (made by Mimi!), and some Finklestein mini creature keychains as party favors.

Raffa had a blast playing in the sand with his sand toys, hanging out with Asher, his best bud, Becket, and his friends, and riding his new Wiggle!

It was a great day, most importantly Raffa had a blast!

The invitations were cactus-themed, too ... and I will share those soon!

The Teapot // Phoenix, Arizona

2016-03-28T07:14:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to The Teapot, a new cafe in the Roosevelt neighborhood of downtown Phoenix. It is family-friendly coffee shop, serving a few light food options and kid-friendly snacks as well. They have several corners throughout the beautifully renovated old home with books and toys for little ones. But perhaps the true gem is the backyard, with lovely shaded seating, a grassy area, and sandbox and play structure.

We really enjoyed our afternoon in The Teapot's backyard, and were lucky to go on day where the weather, which is becoming increasingly hot, was a perfect sunny and warm 75 degrees. I have quickly come to fall in love with this neighborhood and its residential architecture, and this little cafe is certainly one spot that will keep us coming back. John made this little video of our time there:

In all honesty, the coffee and food offering aren't much to write home about and could use some improvement, the atmosphere alone makes up for the menu's shortcomings. And, it is worth noting that, The Teapot just recently opened, so we are giving them time to iron our kinks in the menu and make improvements before offering any too harsh judgements.

Phoenix as some real gems, and this little spot is definitely one of them. Add it to your list if you are in Phoenix with kids.

Durango Adventures

2016-03-26T20:54:00.000-06:00

Home away from home, Durango, Colorado. We spent the past ten days there and it remains one of our favorite places to be. The weather was pretty good, we had some good friends meet us there to hang out, and we moseyed around going to our favorite places and seeing some of our favorite people. Already planning our next trip down there!

more picks for spring 2016

2016-03-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, ripped up jeans and holey tees just aren't what I am in the mood for. Did I ever tell you? I can be very fickle when it comes to fashion. I have to try on clothes at home many times, and often wear them around the house to get a feel for them before I can honestly say, "yes! it's a keeper."

I purchase items after a lot of consideration and have gotten much better (quite good) and choosing items I really love and will wear on repeat. It took long enough, but I realized no matter how many clothes I had, I always had "favorite outfits" - those were the outfits I wanted to wear every day. Finally, I made the shift to buying only pieces that are those favorites. It has been working well for me, with the exception of a few items here and there. Funny thing is - those pieces that are the exception ... if I think back to the purchase decision I could have seen it coming. And then I list them on eBay. My goal is always to move anything I don't wear OUT of my closet, and to recoup some of the expense if I can.

And, as a little spring retail therapy continues, I have found a few more pieces I maybe cannot live without. Unfortunately, I am finding a lot of shoes I cannot live without (I usually get one pair of shoes and wear the shit out of them). I say unfortunately because $$$. But, I also have been finding some really great priced pieces. After avoiding Madewell for a while, I am finding a few things there, like the tanks above. I also found this great (GREAT!) priced pair of jeans after seeing them on a friend of mine. Just so happens that all of these items are also on the less distressed side, with fewer rips and holes.

Madewell Cotton Crewneck Muscle Tee This tank lives up to the reviews you will find on Madewell. It is super cute, but best of all has a great price point.

Rag and Bone Siggi Short I sized down one size for these. They are super stretchy and comfortable, but I will admit the price point leaves a little to be desired.

Sol Sana Cameron Sandal So cute, and a much better price point than similar designer styles I have seen.

Madewell Anthem Scoop Tank A great classic tank, and it comes in come great colors. I am digging the heather silver.

Vigoss Skinny Jeans I usually go for super-skinny and these have a slightly looser fit than my typical pick. But I love the length, and it makes the slightly bigger leg opening really work for me.

Vince Blair 5 Slip On Sneaker Investment piece alert! Okay, these are not affordable. That I admit. However, they are beautiful and well made. The similar Vans have a friendlier price point, but I preferred the little softer and refined lines of the Vince.

You can see and shop these as well as some more picks below! Please note, the gallery below is best viewed in a browser on your computer. Some devices that are not able to display Java Script will not display the gallery properly.

Agritopia

2016-03-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

We had planned to be in Durango this weekend, but when we started out on our 7 hour drive from PHX to DRO on Saturday morning, we unexpectedly turned around just under 2 hours in to the drive. On Saturday morning, Raffa had woken up with a low fever, but seemed fine. As we packed up the car and got on the road, his fever worsened a little. By an hour and a half in, poor Raffa was not feeling too hot. He was such a trooper; he wasn't complaining or whining or anything. But it was obvious that he didn't feel to great and so even against his pleas of, "I want to go to Durango!" we turned the car around and headed back to Phoenix.

It was a good decision because he rested quite a bit on Saturday, got good rest Saturday night, and felt surprisingly good yesterday. We had a slow morning and by lunchtime Raffa was definitely feeling good enough to get out. So, we got to check out Agritopia, which I have been meaning to visit since before we lived here.

Agritopia is a unique community, an agricultural neighborhood community, nestled within the urban the Phoenix metro area. Located in Gilbert, Agritopia is all about preserving urban agriculture and integrating it into a community-driven, well-designed community. The design of the community and its lifestyle focuses on simplifying life with easy connections to friends and family. Part of the community is homes, obviously, and farms. But we visited two of the commercial ventures in the community - Joe's Farm Grill and The Coffee Shop.

I have heard rave reviews for Joe's Farm Grill - and everyone else must have too because there was a line out the door, literally. We were too hungry to wait so we hopped over to The Coffee Shop. The food was fine, but the setting is what we enjoyed the most. We hung around for a few hours enjoying the patio and grassy areas between Joe's and The Coffee Shop.

I definitely want to go back to try Joe's Farm Grill. The market was not open, but I hope to visit again to check that out.

The Invisible Change of Growing Up

2016-03-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things. (Kurt Vonnegut)

When I went hunting for a photographer for our family photos in fall 2015, I was looking for something different, authentic, and timeless. I find a lot of the photography I see when I google "Denver family photographer" to be very period appropriate - there is a specific style of posing, shooting, and editing going around right now, and although it looks lovely now, I am fairly certain that in 10-15 years it will have that goofy, laughable quality that photos from the 80s and 90s have.

I think to myself, you know what photos don't have a goofy, cheesy quality to me? The real ones. When I see a neat vintage photo of my family, whether from my chidhood or even farther back from my mom or dad's childhood, I don't see a dated artifact. I see a glimpse in to the past; it is like a looking glass in to life back when. Even when they are family snapshots. So imagine if a professional took some of those photos that will one day become a portal in to real life back when. Honestly, it gives me goose bumps because what a treasure.

So, back when I was searching in September and October 2015, I started adding "lifestyle" to my googling, and I came across a lot more that was closer to what I was looking for. Then I found Rachel Greiman of Green Chair Stories, and hit the proverbial nail on the efing head. Rachel didn't end up taking our holiday card photos, more for my family's own logistical reasons than anything else, but fast forward to December 28, 2015 and she spent the morning with us capturing us. And it is what I hoped for and more; now we have this collection of photos that gives the intimate and authentic feel of who we are right now - our little family of three. John and I were both blown away by how much we love the photos Rachel took. I am like "we are totally doing this once a year" and then to my surprise John is like "twice a year even!"

Turns out, Rachel has this vision for these slice of life sessions and she is sharing this vision for how important this style of photography is to a family's story. Needless to say, I agree. Recently Rachel has been posting a series on her blog, her own posts and guest posts about the value of this type of photography and why it is such a treasure. One particular guest post, particularly resonated with me. Marie Masse guest posted The Invisible Change of Growing Up. Just the title of the post capture the feels I was having and described above - the feeling of capturing something intangible and fleeting ("the days are long, but the years are short" sort of a thing).

Specifically, Marie said:

It’s Saturday.

The kids come into the bedroom, “It’s time to get up mom and dad!” The coffee is poured. Dad makes breakfast and the smell of bacon in the morning is an iconic scent of a day to be spent with family … and the rest of the day is your playground together. I want you to picture it right now: what would you likely do together on a day like this? Some chores and then maybe some TV and togetherness? Get out and go exploring? Attend one of the kids’ sporting events? Take a drive to Grandma and Grandpa’s? Whatever your answer is, there is no right or wrong, however make no mistake: your answer is important.

Monday comes.

You get back to work and a colleague asked, “What did you do this weekend?”
It’s easy for us to shift into “Oh nothing much, just hung out with the family. How about you?” If this sounds familiar, with that simple response, you just unintentionally devalued the time with your family. You see, we put a lot of merit into the big things—such as birthday parties, when our kids begin school, going on vacations, and graduation. And yes, the big events and changes in life are meant to be celebrated. They are the easy way to recognize a big change and new beginnings. I think this happens, because we are spending so much of our lives working towards something. We forget that our lives, very important pieces of our lives, are happening right now each and every day.

Now I want you to think back to your “just one mores” in life. If you could pick any experiences from your life to experience just one more time, what would that be? Would you want “just one more” birthday party? Start of the school year? Vacation to Sea World? Graduation? You may be thinking, “Well sure, Marie, that was all fun! I’d love to do it again!”

Given the choice, my “just one mores” would look different and I’ll bet you can relate.

...

The truth is, when I look back at birthday parties, vacations, beginning a new school year and graduation ... they were outside of the norm. All were certainly positive experiences, but they were new and full of change. When I look back at my life, the experiences that have really stuck with me, vividly for now, are the small bits of time shared with my family. It is in the slow, almost invisible changes we see with a case of the Monday, “We didn’t do much this weekend” that in reality filters our memory with the “just one mores.”

It's pretty powerful stuff. It give you those goosebumps I mentioned. And it puts things in perspective (at least for me). It is a reminder of something I think of often: my priorities. My priorities on a daily basis, to live in the now, to live intentionally. Not to miss a thing.

Read Marie's full post on Green Chair Stories' blog here.

Rachel Greiman is a Denver-based photographer and tells stories with the photos she takes.

The photos in this post are from our December 2015 session with Rachel; see more here.

Marie Masse is a Michigan-based documentary photographer and also helps other photographers learn how to shoot these types of sessions and run them as a business.

Donut Monday: Phoenix edition

2016-02-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, John happened to have a Monday off. Raffa and I were able to share our #phxdonutmonday: Rollover Doughnuts. We had been talking up our little donut Monday spot, and had been wanting to take John for a while. Having him come along on an actual Monday was most appropriate!

I really love the neighborhood this donut place is in and I love their little outdoor/indoor space. But, what I love more is there delicious donuts (brioche-based dough) and coffee. They have some of the best drip coffee (seriously), and I love that I can just get a little 8 ounce cup.

Perhaps the most awesome part of having John along for our donut Monday was that he made me a video of our little Monday tradition.

The funny thing is, we never even used to eat donuts. Never. But Huckleberry Roasters started serving donuts on Monday, we coined it our donut Monday, and the rest is ~~history~~ a part of our story. And, with our move to Phoenix, Raffa and I have kept our Monday tradition. We miss the rest of our donut gang dearly, but making it a point to continue our donut ritual, while also taking the opportunity to get out and explore our new city, is just part of what makes my and Raffa's adventure together so fun. It's what we do and it's how we make even the mundane like Monday something to look forward to.

spring 2016: simple tee and high waisted

2016-02-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Temperatures here in Phoenix are already in the low 80s, so for this Colorado girl it feels like summer is here. Or the earliest, warmest spring imaginable. In either case, it has my spring/summer wardrobe online shopping in full swing. Just as much as usual, I am going for basics. Basics tees or tanks in white, gray or black, high waisted denim (shorts and pants, some distressing), and some slip on shoes and sandals.

Above you will find a sampling of some of my favorites...

TEES: the LNA Bell Crop tee and the LNA Fallon V-Neck tee

DENIM: the Denim X Alexander Wang Bite High Rise Frayed Jean in Grey Aged (I also heart the light blue and medium blue) and the Citizens of Humanity Premium Vintage Rocket in Stage Coach

SLIP ONS: Loeffler Randall Petra slide and the Joie Huxley slip on

Below, I have put together a gallery with more of my favorite tees + tanks and high waisted denim shorts + pants. Note: if you cannot see the gallery below, please view this post on a device that works with Java. Gallery is viewed best on a computer and in a browser versus a mobile device or tablet.

Phoenix favorites

2016-02-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

I thought this post covered all our favorite spots in Phoenix, until someone asked me on Facebook to recommend some Phoenix area restaurants and coffee shops. I responded with a link to the previously mentioned post, but then had more than a dozen more places to recommend in addition to those!

To recap, the favorites from that post are (new notations in italics):

Le Grande Orange (photo above)
• market, cafe, and restaurant
• delicious breakfast + lunch
• don't miss the Daybreaker omelette, the Commuter sandwich, the granola + fruit, or the Birchermeusli for breakfast
• I love the tuna nicoise salad, stacked turkey sandwich, or chicken salad sandwich for lunch
• they have amazing homemade english muffins - perhaps the best you'll ever have
• get the burger on an english muffin; their pizza is good too
• you'll die over all the cute stuff in the market
• love the fun market atmosphere
• still one of our ALL TIME favorite places.

Essence Bakery Cafe
• organic, locally-sourced food make up the menu for this breakfast, bakery, lunch spot
• for breakfast, I love the French scrambled eggs
• for lunch, I love the Greek Caesar salad and their quiche is amazing too
• they have amazing daily specials, usually a sandwich or salad, and a soup
• get there early for the croissants, especially the almond croissants
• their macarons are well-known; I like the vanilla bean the best
• their original location is in Tempe, but they also have a location in Arcadia (38th and Indian School)

Pane Bianco
• a simple menu of just a couple of sandwiches and salads to choose from for lunch
• amazing bread, simple ingredients, but lots of deliciousness
• simple, eclectic, rustic decor
• simple foccaccia pizza for dinner or head over to their main/in-demand pizza + wine bar restaurant, Pizzeria Bianco
• don't miss Lux, the coffee shop next door

Arcadia Farms
• Old Town Scottsdale
• organic and locally-sourced breakfast and lunch
• super-cute cottage decor and nice patio as well

The Parlor
inspired pizzeria with their own tomato + herb garden out front (I talked a little about this place here)

ncounter
fresh, modern cafeteria/counter-style spot on Mill Ave. in Tempe

Pomegranate Cafe
vegan restaurant in Ahwatukee

Culinary Dropout
gastro-pub

The Arrogant Butcher

NoRth
fresh northern Italian; I love the building

True Food Kitchen
organic with great atmosphere, two locations: one at The Bilmore and one at Scottsdale Quarter

In addition to all of those amazing places, I now have the following to add:

Ingo's Tasty Food
Very tasty burgers; I am a meat eater but I actually LOVE their veg burger. The chicken sandwich is also a favorite. This place is across the street from LGO.

Postino's
Locations all over Phoenix including central Phoenix, Arcadia, and North Scottsdale (areas we frequent the most). They actually have a Denver LoHi location, too so it's a Denver favorite too.

Cartel Coffee Lab
The original Tempe location is my favorite, skip the old town Scottsdale location and make the drive to Tempe. Amazing banana bread and ginger spice bread.

The Henry
Go for an upscale brunch, lunch, or dinner, or just hit up the coffee bar (what we do most often - order The Wildflower, thank me accordingly). Great atmosphere. We love the outdoor area, and it has a great view of Camelback (photo above).

Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions
Great for breakfast or lunch. I am not impressed with their coffee, but the food is good and I like the atmosphere. Good patio.

Flower Child
Central Phoenix, Arcadia, or North Scottsdale - healthy food, very tasty, and decent prices. I love the Mother Earth bowl and the Curry bowl.

Rollover Doughnuts
This spot has quickly become our designated Phoenix Donut Monday spot #PHXdonutmonday. Donuts are made with a brioche dough - I love the maple and the apple fritter. The drip coffee is on pointe. Nice outdoor area to hangout, or cute indoor space.

Ocotillo and it's coffee bar O to Go
I have yet to try the restaurant portion of this spot, but we love the coffee bar. They have some great seasonal espresso drinks, including cereal-infused milk lattes (fruity pebble or cinnamon toast crunch). The outdoor hang out space is totally our jam.

Giant Coffee, The Taco Guild, Gadzooks (enchiladas), Southern Rail, and Beckett's Table are all notable mentions too.

For weekend brunch on a farm, The Farm at South Mountain or Singh Farms. The Farm at South Mountain would be my first choice of those two.

There you have it! I did have a considerable number of places to add. And be sure, as I discover more, I will share those too.

phoenix lately

2016-02-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

So, I finally caught you up on our new DEN→PHX / PHX→DEN situation and I have even posted in the past about some of our very favorite places here in Phoenix on account of my sister living here for a decade. That list of favorite places to eat and fun stuff to do with little ones remains largely the same with a couple of new additions; making a new post of favorites, at this point, redundant.

But, I would love to share what we have been up to lately here in the desert. Raffa and I have been having fun during the week, and with John on the weekends, exploring Phoenix. We keep pretty busy, but also love hanging around the house reading and building crazy trains.

Obviously, there was no question that we would continue donut Monday. We played around with location a few times, but I think we have found our Phoenix favorite: Rollover Doughnuts. The donuts are made from a brioche dough. They are tasty, the coffee is good, and they have a great indoor or outdoor space. So far it has been only me and Raffa on our donut Monday dates, but we hope to share with John soon, or take anyone who comes to visit.

I have also been taking time to get our house here organized, which I talked about a little here, specifically our living and dining rooms, but a big part of that was getting Raffa's room comfortable and fun. Mission accomplished, I suppose, because when we are at home that is where we spend the majority of our time playing. We are usually in his room building crazy trains (trains out of Legos), but his coffee shop is in the empty guest room and we are also often at the kitchen table working on projects like our Valentine's or painting.

We have also been exploring new places and special events. Raffa and I checkout Ocotillo which has a restaurant and a coffee bar (O to Go). We went for the coffee bar so I could try their Fruity Pebble latte (latte made with cereal infused milk). Well, I got to try that (delicious) and we discovered they also have some yummy overnight oats and breakfast burritos. They also have an amazing lawn (Lucy's Lawn) and outdoor space. The restaurant menu sounds awesome too, so we have to put that on our list to try.

In addition to all that, we have been enjoying the nice weather in Phoenix and also go to a weekly music class and weekly swim lesson. We are always looking for new friends at the park and we joined a Meet Up group so that we could go to some play groups and meet new people. We know a few people here, as well, so connecting/re-connecting with those people has been fun as well. Most of them have children too, some even right around Raffa's age.

We can't wait for some of our favorite people from Colorado to come visit us, though.

Raffa Coffee Roasters // Phoenix, AZ

2016-02-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

As you can read here, see here, and see here, Raffa's imagination runs wild when he has an empty cardboard box. Both John and I love to see where Raffa's imagination takes us when we turn a cardboard box into something more. We have a coffee shop in Denver made from a carseat box, and a couple of weeks ago we added a Phoenix location when we received a lamp in a large box here in Phoenix. While Raffa was a little low on energy recuperating from a cold, his activity of choice was coloring with his markers on his "coffee shop" (above). Even once he was well, his passion continued, and John and I are more than happy to pick up some colors and get in on the fun. One afternoon while I was out, John and Raffa put on an addition - a second large box in top of the first - to better accommodate me or John being able to sit inside. Our comfort is a consideration because Raffa loves to ~~request~~ demand our presence inside. So, John or I crawl inside and are ~~asked~~ required to close the door behind us. It's no secret that we love it though; we both relish in this time with Raffa and are in awe of watching him use his imagination to play.

John has a recent interest in video, and he keeps compiling videos of our family excursions and Raffa and turning them in to fun keepsakes.

hello from phoenix

2016-02-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a highly belated post but here it is nonetheless. I am going to make a long story short: back in July 2015 John took a job in Phoenix. He moved out to Phoenix and came back to Denver to visit on weekends. In October, Raffa and I came down to Phoenix and stayed through Thanksgiving. We were in Denver for December, through Christmas and New Years, and came back to Phoenix July 12. In essence, John works down here and we live in Phoenix now, but still in Denver, too. We are doing the back and forth thing, going between our little Denver bungalow and a house (classic 1950s Arizona ranch) we are renting here in Phoenix.

We got really lucky, and the place here is just perfect for us. Not our style aesthetically as far as tile, cabinets, etc. goes, but it is a great home, super cute - the perfect place for us to call home in Arizona for now.

It has been fun to have the opportunity to nest here. Since we left all of our furniture in Denver, we had to start fresh here. After one big trip to IKEA (back in July) and then sourcing items here and there (over the past several months), things are coming together. I love starting with a clean slate, and I don't like to fill up rooms. In Denver, our house is so tiny it is impossible not to fill rooms, but my preference is to leave empty space. I have the opportunity to do that here in Phoenix, so although we do have all the essentials, there will be purposefully left blank walls and corners and spaces.

Here is a look at the living and dining space which is completed pending the arrival of the artwork. I am also commissioning a quilt for this space but that is a couple months out.

Silver Floor Lamp // IKEA Ranarp Floor Lamp
Rug to be hung on large open wall as art // Ferm Living Kelim Rug *
Sectional // Gus Modern Atwood Sectional in Urban Ink Tweed
Nesting Side Tables // IKEA Kragsta Nesting Tables
Mirror // CB2 Acacia Wood 40" Mirror *
Rug // Tjareby Rug
Coffee Table // IKEA Stockholm Coffee Table
Ottomans // IKEA Alseda Banana Fiber Stools
Floor Lamp // Brass Tripod Lamps from Target
Media Stand // IKEA Ramsatra TV unit

* not yet purchased, undecided

Pendant Light // West Elm Pendant
Artwork // Snedker Studio Marble Artwork Limited Edition Print “Taking Shape”
Table // IKEA Melltorp Table
Chairs // IKEA, no longer available
High Chair // IKEA Antilop Highchair
Cowhide // IKEA Koldby Cowhide Rug

The dining room table is darn cheap and is already wobbly. We plan to replace it with something inexpensive but durable (and similar in color/style soon). We will likely move the existing Melltorp table to the guest room for use as a desk.

The living room and dining rooms are connected (one large room), so it was important ALL the furniture work together.

Raffa's room here in Phoenix has been a labor or love. I am really pleased with how it has turned out and I will have to share that some time soon.

And, it is worth recognizing, I obviously post very little here on andchloe lately ... our move and back and forth has been a big part of that. I hope to be posting with a slightly more frequent regularity (once a month, at least - ha!) but I am not nailing myself down to sure plans as far as that goes. Hope you have beared with me and that you are up for reading along when I am up for writing.

this is us December 2015 // Green Chair Stories

2016-01-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of spending half a day with Rachel of Green Chair Stories. As she spent a typical morning and outing with us, she snapped photos of us in this season of our lives, in our element, doing our thing. It is what she does and she does it so well. I am so excited to have this collection of photos that captures our dynamic, interaction, and essence better than any posed photo session ever could.

Our mornings start with breakfast at home. Raffa has a limited palate to put it politely, but he has a few "favorites" that I make, and he eats his best and biggest meal at breakfast time. Banana pancakes are one of Raffa's favorite breakfasts. I whip them up several mornings a week.

Banana Almond Butter Pancakes for Raffa

1 ripe banana, smashed
1 large egg
3 heaping tablespoons of almond butter
3/4-1 cup Arrowhead Mills Sprouted Grain Pancake Mix (depending on how thick and fluffy you want your batter; more pancake mix = fluffier)
1/4 cup milk or almond milk or enough to balance out the pancake mix

Mix all together and make some pancakes!

Raffa also likes to have some "coffee" (milk in his brown mug). John and I opt for the real thing and prefer one of Allegro Coffee's organic roasts. Our breakfast eating style has evolved into Raffa and his highchair, me moving around the kitchen cooking, eating, cleaning up, and John sitting up on the counter. We have a breakfast nook, it just isn't used for eating breakfast.

Raffa LOVES blueberries but prefers frozen and by far the tasiest frozen blueberries are Stahlbush Island Farms. Their blueberries are always big and beautiful and flavorful and sweet ... and organic and non-GMO.

The blueberries always stain Raffa's hands and lips purple. And, he loves blueberries so much he could eat a whole bag in one sitting if I let him!

Our home is small, but it's size and layout are so conducive to how we live and how Raffa plays. It is so easy to be connected to one another when our living space is consolidated and multi-functional.

Raffa LOVES his Bruder trucks. He now has a crane (2nd birthday gift from Mimi), trash truck (2nd birthday gift from auntie Jonna), dump truck and fire truck (from Mimi - we keep those two in Phoenix), and an animal transporter seen above (Christmas gift from Granny Jill and Auntie Bev). Mimi also gave him a Playmobil red SUV which he really likes too.

Raffa loves climbing in to my and John's bed. I remember liking to play in my parents' king sized bed when I was little - it felt so BIG! Most often our bed becomes Raffa's car and he drives around; obviously he loves us to come drive with him too.

Raffa is SO ticklish. Once he gets tickled you cannot even touch him without the uncontrollable laughter starting. His neck is especiallly (sweet and) ticklish.

Raffa seems no where near ready to potty train. I keep waiting for his interest to show up but so far nothing! I know it'll happen eventually, and I have no desire or plans to rush things, but it is hard to imagine that time coming when he shows absolutely no interest now.

Raffa's new carseat came in the most enormous big box, and that box is now a fixture in his room, fully decorated and operational as Raffa's Coffee shop. He loves to play in his coffee shop in his room in the dark, so he is always turning off the lights in his room and going the coffee shop and closing the "door".

Raffa likes playing in his room in the dark a lot. And we end up in the dark down there (his bedroom is in the basement) quite a bit. John cut a small round hole in the top of the coffee shop; the hole is just big enough for the flashlight on our iPhones. Placing different objects over the iPhone flashlight or a flashlight and seeing how they glow also provides a lot of entertainment.

Raffa's scooter remains an inside toy and he loves riding it up and down the hallway.

Mimi bought Raffa a subscription to BabyBug and Raffa loves every single issue. We read them cover to cover hundreds of times. He is reading a Babybug in the two images above.

These photos of John dressing Raffa make me chuckle. John doesn't end of dressing Raffa very often and I wasn't in the room when these photos were taken. I see Raffa giving John a run for his money! When I dress Raffa, it's all business - WHAM BAM done.

One of my favorite things to do remains to read with Raffa, but he is less into reading lately than he once was. There was a time, starting when he was about 10 months old all the way until he was two, when he would sit and demand that I read book after book after book to him.

One of our favorite areas to go hang out and walk around in Cherry Creek North. There are lots of great stores to look at and some good coffee spots. Raffa loves just walking around and looking at the stores. And, he loves getting coffee (hot chocolate for him).

The baristas at this coffee spot recognize us now and usually make a bit of a show for Raffa, making his hot chocolate and even putting a design in the milk on top.

One of Raffa's favorite places is Paper Source. He loves looking around at all their little knick knacks and doodads. I love going to Paper Source too, so it is a win-win!

When you are a toddler everything is exciting and even the mundane is an adventure - yellow scaffolding becomes a long tunnel and a jungle gym!

This finger pointing up in the air thing (above) is something that just slays me. It's usually accompanied by some precocious statement or suggestion.

The intimate and authentic feel of these images is more than I could have even hoped for; the value of these photos pales in comparison to any posed images we have. I had been craving (and literally scouring the world wide web) a photographer with an authentic feel - life photos not family portraits. Now, I can see how spectacularly that actually looks like on the three of us!

John and I are both blown away by how much we are in love with these photos; we are literally feeling ALL the feelings over here. I am like "we are totally doing this once a year" and then to my surprise John is like "twice a year even!" (Raffa's 3rd birthday and again right after Christmas 2016?). Rachel's vision for these slice of life sessions are completely realized when that girl puts her eye to her viewfinder. I cannot gush enough about it.

So this is us: December 2015. Making and eating pancakes, playing in just about every room of the house with toys and not toys (boxes and flashlights), and having coffee dates and Paper Source lookie loos.

Thank you, Rachel, for such an incredibly beautiful keepsake of us.

Singh Farms Scottsdale

2016-01-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Singh Farms this past Saturday. It is like part farm, part farmers market, part magical hangout place. The produce selections was pretty good. The food to buy was okay. But the atmosphere was amazing. We will definitely be going back to spend some time under the trees ... and definitely somewhere we will take people who visit us from out of town.

Alpine Modern Cafe in Boulder

2016-01-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

We took the afternoon to check out Alpine Modern Cafe and Alpine Modern. I had been wanting to check out their retail location for quite some time and when googling the location saw they now have a cafe. So we headed to lunch at the cafe first and then on the shop!

Here is a little video John put together of our lunch at the cafe!

A video posted by chloe marty (@chloechristinemarty) on Jan 3, 2016 at 5:01pm PST

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2016-01-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2015

photo taken December 29, 2015 // Denver, Colorado

Tuesday morning art class with Asher.

See all photos in this series here.

Union Station New Year's Day

2016-01-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! We spent New Year's Day hanging around Union Station with some friends.

A video posted by chloe marty (@chloechristinemarty) on Jan 1, 2016 at 5:46pm PST

Take a look at one of our previous excursions at Union Station.

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2015-12-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2015

photo taken December 21, 2015 // Denver, Colorado

Raffa's first visit to Santa at the mall.

See all photos in this series here.