{local love} the denver aquarium

on saturday we were supposed to go skiing with some friends {and by we were supposed to go skiing i mean A was going to ski and i was going to sip cocoa in the lodge of course}...

anyway those plans fell through and so A took me on a surprise date instead - to the aquarium!  if you know me, you know i live for aquariums and other such "kids'" stuff, so this was absolutely the perfect date. and there were FOUR otters. four!!! also, a tiger, seahorses, jellyfish, sharks, and a mermaid show....

{local love} lucile's

last night we celebrated my mister's 31st birthday with friends, and this morning when we finally woke up {thank you, cats, for letting us sleep!} i took him on a surprise brunch date to lucile's in boulder. it's a precious yellow victorian house {with pink hearts!} that just happens to serve incredible chicory coffee, beignets and eggs pontchartrain...

{local love} denver botanic garden

today we went on a surprise date to the denver botanic gardens! lovely lovely lovely: perfect weather, ancient bonsai trees, crazy floating bamboo sculptures, hot cocoa, and even a friendly little garden cat!

{local love} 1940s ball at boulder airport

tonight i took A on a surprise date to a 1940s WWII-era ball at the boulder airport - complete with swing dancers, parachuters and world war II aircraft, roller derby girls, a frank sinatra impersonator, and a casablanca-themed food court! the people-watching was spectacular {check out that adorable couple in the second photo!}...and of course, i like any event where i get an umbrella in my drink!

{p.s. we're famous!}

{local love} gateway fun park

we mini-golfed. we go-karted. we skee-balled and air-hockeyed.

it was a super-cheesy, super-cheap, super-awesome surprise date! 

{local love} fall on the farm

this morning A and i headed out to a farm near hudson, colorado. we played in the pumpkin patch, braved the wild west corn maze, and petted all the cute animals we possibly could!

{local love} thumb-wrestling & 3D movies

once a month we {try to} take each other on a surprise date.
the rules: 
       1. it must be a surprise {duh}
       2. it must cost $40 or less
       3. well, that's pretty much it.


on saturday, A took me on a surprise date:
we walked to our local movie theater {because we can and because it was beautiful outside} to see a showing of the re-release of the lion king in 3D!
we got there early to check out the arcade games and ended up getting some sweet matching thumb-wrestler-heads. i killed him in a couple of thumb wrestling matches {as per usual} and then it was time for the movie! 


i still remember when the lion king came out the first time. i remember seeing the preview standing in the disney store with my mom and i'm pretty sure we both cried {before immediately purchasing a stuffed simba doll of course}. i remember crying in the movie when mufasa died and watching the movie about a zillion times because naturally we bought it the second it came out on tape. not to mention the lion king soundtrack was like the only thing i listened to on my walkman for at least two years. 
so, yes, i have a little bit of an emotional attachment to this movie. which is why i cried like a baby through almost the whole thing. and why i had to exercise some serious self-control in order to not belt out every word of every song in the film. and why it was the most perfect surprise date ever for me.

{local love} boulder outdoor cinema

last night i took A on a surprise date: a movie under the stars at the boulder outdoor cinema! last night's show was o brother where art thou {one of A's favoritest movies of all time}. before the movie we were treated to live bluegrass music from a local band; then, when it got dark, we settled in with our freshly-popped popcorn and agave soda and even saw a couple of shooting stars.

{local love} holidays in highland park

friday night: date night. it was A's turn to plan the surprise date - a christmas-tastic afternoon/evening in dallas.

{galleria!}

first stop: the galleria. shopping, lattes, and the biggest christmas tree this side of rockefeller center. we watched the kids ice skating around the tree and stayed long enough to see the cheesy light show. we talked about our crazy weeks and did a lot of people-watching. one sweet hello kitty hat and one cozy grandpa sweater later we headed south for phase II of our date.


christmas lights in highland park. we're not talking inflatable snowmen here, people. they take their christmas decorating very seriously. a christmas tree in every room, a string of lights on every branch of every tree in every yard {no lazy zig-zagging here}. you can do your own driving or take a carriage ride through the town. either way it's definitely the best christmas light situation in all of dallas.  

{memory lane}

towards the end of our christmas lights tour, we drove by my old elementary school. we got out and peeked into the windows and played at the playground. it was such a perfect winter night - cold and clear, with the brightest moon ever. we played a little basketball and then crossed the street to the soccer field. i vividly remember running laps and playing kickball there, back in the days when my biggest worry was about which keds to wear with my color-blocked tee shirt and christmas was at its most magical. 

{local love} pumpkins at the dallas arboretum

october is my favorite month in texas. the weather is blissful, football season is in full swing {hello, texas-ou!}, the state fair is on, and everything everywhere is pumpkins! yesterday A took me on a surprise date to the pumpkin festival at the dallas arboretum.