6/12.
I truly can’t believe 2025 is halfway over.
To start: I was wholly unprepared for how time-consuming wedding research and planning is. It’s been a little quiet around here lately because so much of my free time has been spent on wedding planning. I’ll eventually start writing more about what the process has been like for us once I get a little further along in it.
Ryan and I toured a few wedding venues this month, including Alcantara in Cottonwood. We didn’t end up booking it, but it came with complimentary wine tasting which was a really sweet touch.
There was (yet another) protest that I (yet again) made it out to. My friend Lindsey and I made signs and went to the No Kings protest held in Flagstaff on June 14.
I always like to surprise Ryan with a little gift when he arrives home from one of his fire assignments, and I picked up a earthy-scented candle from Lanie’s Lights, a candle company based here in Flagstaff that’s owned by a coworker’s wife.
Ochi joined me for a 6 a.m. class at the studio! He had a vet appointment next door right after my class, so he got to spend his morning hanging out in the studio lobby and greeting all the students.
I made it out to Movies on the Square this past weekend for a showing of “The Parent Trap ” with a few friends.
I had a chance to tour the Maker Space here in Flagstaff the other day, which was really cool. I have a friend who’s in the process of building out her van, so I went with her to check out the space. There are textiles, printing and ceramics rooms, a wood shop, a metal shop, project storage, and so much more.
I’ve been really into barefoot shoes lately. I recently ordered a pair of Be Lenka Summer Sandals, and I’ve been wearing them pretty much every day.
I was able to grab dinner with my wonderful friend Rachel at Josephine’s before she left town for the summer. Brunch at Josephine’s is my favorite, but I hadn’t been for dinner before which was an absolute treat.
Ryan’s parents treated us to an engagement dinner earlier this month at Oakmont (another new-to-me spot) which was wonderful. I had a burrata and tomato papardelle, which was delicious.
I always love “just because” gifts, including these beautiful roses Ryan brought home when I was having a rough day.
I’ve been trying new, easy recipes at home. This Trader Joe’s sweet potato gnocchi sheet pan meal was a stand-out this month. I used the Field Roast Smoked Apple and Sage plant-based sausages instead of chicken, and was pleased at how well this easy dinner turned out.
I also experienced (for a brief second)… doula training! One of my friends from the studio, Katie, is taking doula training, and I got to help her out during one of her training sessions. Big big disclaimer here: I am not a doula, nor training to be one. At least, not now. But it was really fun to play the role of birth-giver to support Katie in her training. She’s such a natural and she’s going to be an absolutely amazing doula!
I did (finally) make it out on a fire assignment after a really slow start to the season. I worked with my Incident Management Team on the Basin Fire here northwest of Flagstaff earlier this June before our most recent Bridge Creek Fire assignment.
I’ve been making a greater effort to actually take a break from work during my lunch breaks since our whole return-to-the-office mandate earlier this year. It’s hard to pull myself away from my computer sometimes, especially since there’s a huuuge “lunch and learn” culture in my agency (hot take: “lunch and learn” meetings are bullshit) and I find myself pressured to spend my unpaid lunch breaks working for no pay. However, I forced myself to leave the office and take an actual at Aspen Deli and spend some time outside without my work phone. It was delightful. I wish my office was a little closer to anything other than storage units, gas stations and medical office buildings so I could do this more often.
I went to Hops on Birch for open mic comedy night a few weeks ago with a few friends, which was pretty fun. It was a pleasant surprise to see a few other friends I knew there as well- just Flagstaff things.
I had a chance to hang with one of my favorite, pups: Tilly! Tilly’s humans Jody and Scott were in town for a recent weekend, and I was able to have dinner and give Tilly some love.
I visited Single Speed’s new space the other day and had an iced chai made by my sweet friend Zoe, which was delightful.
