photography | exploring red rocks

A few weeks ago, my mom, sister and I took a trip to see Needtobreathe and Switchfoot 

at Red Rocks Amphitheater (in Morrison, Colorado).

((I posted about that here...)) 

Because we stayed the night after the concert, we decided to spend the next day exploring 

more around Red Rocks. We had a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend seeing a 

concert at Red Rocks or just hiking around, if you ever have the opportunity. It is free to go 

into the park and in the amphitheater (before an event, of course). Warning: It takes climbing 

steep ramps and A LOT of steps to reach the top of the amphitheater BUT it is so worth it 

to see the most stunning views everywhere you look!!

(Denver Cityscape in the distance)

(This was only the beginning of the steps.... Whew!)

(Huge red rocks surround both side of the stage... Such an amazing venue!!)

(I had to take a photo of this photo in the museum, because I thought it was so cool!
The caption explains a bit of the history of Red Rocks!)

(A lot of people come here to get a work out... It's a good place for that!)

(It is amazing to be in the midst of such huge rocks all around... God's creation is so awesome!)

(We spotted a fox.)

Such beauty everywhere... This is why I love where I live and why I took so many photos!

Thank you God for this amazing gift.

tour de compadres... needtobreathe & switchfoot

On Tuesday, my sister, mom and I went to see Needtobreathe and Switchfoot at Red Rocks Amphitheater!!! It was so incredible to see my two favorite bands in such an amazing venue. In order to get up to the amphitheater you have to walk up a couple of steep ramps and several stairs... But it is worth the "work-out" to see the stunning views everywhere you look. There are huge red rocks all around and there are beautiful mountains and the city in the distance. It was amazing to watch the sun set as Switchfoot played. And when Needtobreathe played, after it rained, there was an amazing lightning show right above the stage... SO AMAZING!!

We did some exploring around Red Rocks the next day, so I will share more photos soon...

rockies fan photo day

We love Rockies Baseball and the "fan photo day" is always so much fun!

(Here are photos from last year...)

photography | roses

photography | peonies & cherries

knitting | summer shrug in shades of coral

I bought this yarn from a shop in Denver a year ago... I didn't have a plan for it at the time, but I mostly bought it because I loved the variations of coral and how soft it is. I think the pattern I chose ended up being perfect for it. I have a feeling I will be wearing this shrug often over the summer. It is a cute way to cover up a bit, yet still keep cool enough on those hot summer days. I have some ideas for making more and I want to try some other shrug patterns too!

Pattern found on Ravelry...

recipe | cinnamon shortbread cookies

I always love to have shortbread cookies with hot tea in a pretty little tea cup... I can pretend that I am in England and it's afternoon tea time! I usually like to just buy the Girl Scout shortbread cookies, but this year I decided to make my own! As it turns out, these homemade shortbread cookies taste much better the Girl Scout version. And they are so easy to make, with only 4 ingredients. The cinnamon was the perfect touch to compliment my favorite tea.

Recipe: Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients…

1½ cups Butter, softened
1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon
3 cups All-purpose Flour

Directions…

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Then, gradually mix in the flour, until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you mix.

Sprinkle a clean counter top with flour and roll out the dough to be about ¼ inch thick. Use additional flour, as needed. Use a cookie cutter to create your desired shape or just cut the dough into squares. Place the cookies on to a cookie sheet, covered with parchment paper.

 Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are just barely golden. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool.

Pour a cup of tea and enjoy!