Sleep is one of the most important elements to living a healthy life. While there are many external factors to a good night’s rest, sleep is largely predicated upon (in our opinion) how comfortable and customized your bed is. So, let’s talk bedding. Why? Because it’s the most important place to start. There is no greater feeling than slipping into high-quality sheets, complete with the perfect set of pillows and accent throw. To ease the process of choosing the best bedding, we have broken down our favorites for you.

Sourced from the finest raw materials, Boll & Branch takes great pride in both fabrication and how their sheets are made. They have reinvented their supply chain, putting worker’s needs first––something we greatly admire. From linen to chambray and their cloud-weight signature fabric, you can’t go wrong with the set you choose. Our favorite? The ultra-refined Luxe set, made from the finest organic cotton. 

Meet Matteo. This Los Angeles based manufacturer produces apparel, home fabrics and some of the best bedding we have come across. They have spent years refining their fabrics to make them topnotch––something we can get behind. The sheets and blankets come in a variety of neutral tones, which are  ideal for pulling any given bedroom together effortlessly. We recommend all of the sheets, not just one! Top your bed off with our favorite carriage blanket throw.

Luxury bedding with a rich history. Let us introduce you to Peacock Alley bedding. Founded by Mary Ella Gabler,  this luxe bedding and bath company takes pride in sourcing the finest fabrics. With an array of styles, it is hard to go wrong shopping from Peacock Alley. It truly comes down to personal preference. Each sheet set is incredibly luxurious and comfortable. Going to bed at night will be a treat––something to look forward to. With fabrics such as egyptian cotton, sateen and linen, Peacock Alley offers relevant and contemporary designs with the integrity of the traditional. 

Have a bedding question? Email us! 

Seating is everything. It can make or break a room, and your comfort. While the design of any given seat can be crucial to the aesthetic of a space, it is important to strike the delicate balance of design and comfort, with an equal emphasis on both. At Dittmar Design, we get quite the thrill from well designed chairs, and how it can instantly give any room an immediate facelift. From heavily textured to more comfy chairs, to sleek modern and sophisticated, we have selected five chairs we are coveting now.

Leather Chair

One of our favorite pieces, this Baker Mcguire chair makes a statement. This unique design, made up of leather fringe, is an accent chair we love to add to any living space; particularly a warm and open living room to anchor the space.

Oakley Chair

The Modern armchair we can’t live without. This chair is a tribute to the work of Pierre Jeanneret in India. It’s architectural design packs so much punch and personality, a wonderful accent chair we prefer to put in pairs. Buy 2 and make them a part of your open living space, office or library.

Spanish Chair

An exceptional oak and leather chair that is sure to steal the show. It’s sophisticated masculine aesthetic pairs perfectly with a mountain chic theme and acts as the perfect accent chair for an office, library or mountain chalet living room. We love to see this anchor a seating area alongside an oversized coffee table, cloud-like couch and textured rug.

Danishcabinet Maker Wing Chair

The wing chair we want to nap in. This cozy shearling and inviting oversized chair adds warmth to the home. It’s rich in texture and steeped in comfort. It’s design was birthed in Denmark in the 1940’s and has held the test of time.

Oakley Chair

Sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds at Dittmar design, and this sustainably made oakley chair is one of our top favorites. Why? This chair sits on glides and is ultra-comfy. For those looking to add a sophisticated accent chair to a modern space, this is the chair we recommend.

By Brooke Ely Danielson

What does it mean to be an insider, exactly? Well, in Aspen it means you’re a local; or a pseudo local at the very least. Perhaps you live here full time, grew up in the valley or own a  second home here––there are surely more than enough experts and opinion driven itineraries to keep your Aspen schedule packed.

Aspen is magical and culturally dense; there is something for everyone. People come from all parts of the world and you never know who you are going to meet.

Morning Coffee and Tea

Bear Den:

A trendy coffee shop featuring a heart menu and fresh baked pastries, you have to try the cinnamon rolls. Order a latte and cinnamon roll, and enjoy outside in the sun at one of their many outdoor tables. Not feeling the caffeine jolt? Make this your afternoon cocktail spot. They have a full bar and delicious snacks. 

Gorsuch Cafe:

From flat whites to delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate, it’s steps from the Gondola and ideal for people watching. You can always catch the old Stein (Erickson) crew getting coffee in the mornings.

Local Coffee house:

A “local” favorite. Be sure to order a latte and some of their healthy breakfast options, like avocado toast or fresh bread.

Lunch

Meat and Cheese:

Grab a salad or tacos from Meat and Cheese. Insider tip, if you have the day off grab a cocktail to go. The margaritas are divine. 

Dinner

Betula is a favorite. The music is great, the food excellent and the cocktails fun, fresh and full-bodied.
Want to sip craft cocktails and eat next-level food? Check out 7908, designed by me, for a night out. 

Activities

Hike Smuggler:

A steady incline for just a few miles. The view at the outlook is worth the booty burn. Careful in the late winter / early spring months as the road can be muddy or still packed with snow. 

Ski Aspen:

Aspen Mountain, also known as Ajax, has steeper, more fun terrain. Pop by Bonnies for a cocktail and strudel while hanging on the deck in the sun on a Spring Day. You can easily Après from there at Dante or Ajax tavern. 

Bike:

Ride or Walk to Woody Creek is a summer activity favorite. It’s just shy of 8 miles and not too rigorous. Ease your peddling and rent an e-bike from any of the local bike shops. 

Art Hop

The Aspen Art Museum:

The Aspen Art Museum is a must-visit. With rotating shows from world-renowned artists, this small but mighty museum is the perfect stopoff to fuel your creative palette. Pop upstairs to the cafe for their “famous” matcha latte. 

Skye Gallery:

Featuring emerging, and established artists, the Skye Gallery is a contemporary art lover’s dream. 

Pitkin Projects:

The lifestyle store Aspen has long needed. This pop-up shop offers up art, linens, candles, jewelry and sculpture from around the world. It’s a love letter to artisans near and far, as well as a decorators dream. Well curated and smartly executed, this shop should be at the top of your Aspen shopping list.

By Brooke Ely Danielson

“Come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops Sail o'er the canyons and up to the stars And reach for the heavens and hope for the future And all that we can be and not what we are...”  John Denver once wrote, and these words ring very true to mountain living; particularly in the Roaring Fork Valley. 

Mountain life can be a great life. It’s one filled with endless adventure, activity and calm––not to mention the mountains serve as your backyard. When you live amongst nature you have to dance with it. Meaning, take precaution in the activities you do and always respect Mother Nature, don’t defy it. 

So, what exactly is  mountain life? Is it a style? A vibe? An adventure? We think it is all of those things. From the activities you take part in, to how you decorate your home. 

KD: I feel mountain life is all about the outdoors. The reason why I love being in the mountains is for the sports that the mountain provides and the beauty.  The calm I feel after a snowstorm and watching a rainstorm in the summer helps me relax. I am trying to have these eliminates translate into my designs so when my clients come home. I want them to feel relaxed and comfortable and enjoy the beauty of their home and the outdoors.

Some of my favorite outdoor products, below!

The Avera Fire Pit

The Ottoman

Dining Chair

Terrain Pots

Terrain Wreath

RH Lounge Chair

Outdoor Ottoman

Dining Chair

Shelter-in-place has us all spending more time at home. No matter how small or large the space, the environment we create can have a profound impact on our mood and set the tone for our daily lives. If you are feeling stuck in a design rut, or want to improve your home with easy tangible tweaks here are a few things to consider. 

1. A new coat of paint will make everything look good…

A change in wall color can make all the difference and why not have some fun while doing it? Whether solo or a family affair, rolling up your sleeves and rolling out a fresh coat of paint on any given wall in your home is a fairly fun and easy project to undertake, especially in the time of quarantine. 

2. Organizing to declutter…

No matter what your neat and tidy level, there is always room to improve, and spruce up any given space in your home. The pantry, the powder room, the cluttered key (and mail) bowl next to the front door may all require a little TLC. There are a few tips and tricks for an instant facelift for messy spaces, and perhaps now more than ever is just the time to get going on your journey to a neat and tidy life. As Marie Kondo puts it, if it doesn’t spark joy, let it go… Here are some attainable and approachable tidying tips for your home. 

• The Kitchen: try tackling the spice rack. These are often a mess. Start by alphabetizing the spices and using a spice rack organizer. The next time you reach for cinnamon you’ll know that it’s towards the front due to the a-z placement.

• The “junk bowl”--you know the bowl you throw your keys, mail and accoutrements in as you walk in the door? Get rid of all essentials and choose a drawer to add a drawer organizer to. Each necessary item will then have a designated spot. 

• Color Coding: Whether you are organizing a bookshelf or linen closet, try organizing these spaces by color. 

Happy organizing and updating!

Plants: they can make a room feel more complete, but that is not all they are good for. These green wonders can boost our mood and bring many added benefits to our lives through their healing properties and all around aesthetic; think large fiddle leaf trees for anchoring the living room, or an Aloe Vera plant for the master bath. “My favs are Aloe Vera, Gerbera daisy, snake plant,” says Kristin, founder, owner and head designer.  A green home can make for a happier and healthier home, with the greatest benefit being cleaner, more purified, air. Currently, there are fires ravishing the majority of the country and air quality is at an extreme low. While Air purifiers can be expensive, investing in houseplants are an alternate option for cleaning the air, reducing stress, toxins, increasing humidity and creating oxygen. 

For those looking for both house plants and an air purifier, for double duty cleaning, this Molekule air purifier will go beautifully in any room thanks to its sleek and minimal design. 

Happy planting! 

2018 has seen quite a litany of new eateries popping up around town. Left to right above: Clark’s, Plato’s and 7908. But have you been to them all?

7908: Of course, if you didn’t make it into 7908 over the summer, make sure it’s on your list this winter for a late-night dinner or drinks. The caviar nachos are already legendary and the decor is beyond reproach. Website

Plato’s: The reception center at the Aspen Meadows just got a fresh re-do and a new menu by chef Jason Thompson. The decor is still, a bit, cold, but the views are fantastic and the food is really tasty and strikes a nice balance of familiar, but inventive.  Website

Clark’s: Opened last June in the old Annie’s location, Clark’s has become an instant classic. (Sorry Annie’s. We still miss you!) The Nantucket theme should be totally out of place, but it works. Plus the food is great. Don’t believe us? Ask Kevin Costner. We’ve seen him there twice! Website

Public House: There was much fuss over who would become the new tenant at the former Justice Snow’s inside the Wheeler Opera House building. Public House slid in without much fanfare, but for anyone looking for a tasty, easy meal this is a great addition to the Aspen dining scene. Website

Henrietta’s: This “secret” speakeasy is named after Jerome’s wife Henrietta. Underneath the old Aspen Times building, the room is everything you would expect of the Hotel Jerome decor. Make sure and call ahead for a reservation. It’s going to be very popular come winter.

Velvet Buck: This will technically be the second winter for the new-ish restaurant inside the St. Regis. There’s a nice bar menu for locals, and uber-Colorado comfort food for those who have travelled for a proper steak or rack of lamb.  Website

EPM Winter House: There are roughly five restaurants in New York that are often referred to as “the best” and 11 Madison Park is currently at the top of the heap. After a successful summer pop-up in the Hamptons (EMP Summer House), co-owners Daniel Humm (its chef) and Will Guidarais will open a Bavarian / Alpine themed EMP Winter House. FYI, you will probably need to make reservations through your American Express card, or do a walk-in with cash. Guess AMEX is finally taking their revenge on those old Visa ads.

Photos Roll & Hill

An empty box can feel chic if you light it correctly. Here are simple tips and inspirations: 

 1) The Trifecta: Remember the three prongs of lighting: Ambient, task and accent. Start with your ambient and then address accent and task as needed.  

2) Dimmers or Death: Getting the dimmer settings right is essential to a properly lit room. For some reason, people often make this an after thought, but it should be just a regular thought. Sometimes the newer high tech switches can get a little confusing, so make sure you understand them so you don’t have to brush your teeth in the dark. .  

3) Be Shady: High quality lamp shapes and picture lights can get expensive, but nothing makes a room look like a few million bucks than really quality fixtures.

4) Manage Your Bulb Guilt: “I want to go energy efficient … but … nothing glows (or dims) like incandescents.” It’s true, but the new bulbs are just so, so much better for the earth and are looking better all the time. Their soft whites are getting very close. And they have dimmable versions as well. If you can leave the incandescents to just one or two figures, pretty soon you won’t miss them.

5) Lighting Hacks: A fun and easy way to avoid costly electrician bills are to get smart lights that are controlled with a phone app. Phillips Hue makes a nice set that connect to your wifi. No wiring needed. The lighting schemes are infinite and they are really nice transition into the smart home universe.

The Marble Garden (Herbert Bayer 1955) at The Aspen Meadows, home of the Aspen Institute

Before marble became a decorating staple, it was for a century or ten, a stone more often found in temples, museums, office lobbies, and statuary,

In fact, one of America’s most famous statues, The Lincoln Memorial, was carved from marble quarried only a few miles from Aspen in the aptly named Marble, CO. Despite its exceptional quality, the quarry went bust until only a few years ago.

Aspen Institute attendees performing “Antigone'“ in 1955

By 1946, over in Aspen, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke were in full renovation mode, turning Aspen into the elegant, cultural ski community it is today. They hired an Austrian artist named Herbert Bayer to be their in-house artist and creative director. Among many, many other projects, Bayer set out to create a marble sculpture garden. While money was a bit tight, the brilliant Pussy (Elizabeth Paepcke’s nickname) had an idea. Why not just take some left over blocks growing moss over in Marble? 

Anaconda, Herbert Bayer, 1979 at The Aspen Institute

Bayer did just that and created his elegant Marble Garden in 1955. As a lovely coda, some 60 years later, the Aspen Institute purchased another marble sculpture by Herbert Bayer.  Entitled, Anaconda (after the steel company, not the snake) it now sits near Anderson Park with a fabulous view of Highlands Bowl.

Anaconda’s marble comes from Tuscany, just like ours. Check out all our lovely custom marble sinks here.

(To learn more about Herbert Bayer and his Bauhaus influences on Aspen, check out Bauhaus100Aspen.org. There will be events all 2019 celebrating the centennial of the Bauhaus School.)

Located at Number 415 on the Hyman Mall –and 7,908 feet above sea level – is Roger Wilson’s new supper club with food by Chef Charif Souki and design by Kristin Dittmar … that’s us. Big enough to accommodate a restaurant, bar and night club, the supper club opened in July and is resting up for the winter season. 

With almost 6,000 square feet to play with, my challenge was to make the room feel grand, but also create plenty of cozy spots. For example, I made sure the lady-finger banquettes had nice deep corners for friends to snuggle while they enjoy an order of the already famous caviar nachos. 

Some of my other favorite details include:

• A custom “dance box,” sort of a “stage for one” just off the DJ booth.

• Special tables in the night club that can be raised and lowered to accommodate eating, drinking, and late-night dancing. Mind the heels girls!

• Perhaps my favorite detail is in the one room I never get to visit. The men’s room floor is done in black and white marble tiles which I had specially cut to look like a plaid carpet – just something for the boys to appreciate when their glancing down.  

The bathroom sink may not seem all that important in the scheme of things, but they actually say a lot about a home andits owners. Their function is pretty basic: to wash hands, face, teeth, and the occasional bra. But our interaction with these handsome little sinks are also quite intimate. They are the last stop before getting into bed. In the powder room, they are usually our first moment alone in someone else’s home. 

Sort of like glassware, it’s just a simple vessel for water, but the execution makes all the difference. Here are a few things to think about when designing a sink. 

Round Hole, Square Sink

Some people swear by the rectangle. Some prefer a circle or oval. There isn’t really a wrong answer. It’s really just a matter of preference.

UP or Down

There’s something sort of nice about the pedestal sink. They are a bit closer and oddly reminiscent of the old-fashioned pitcher and bowl. They also make more of a visual statement. The flush sink is cleaner, classic … and easier to clean. 

Color

Our selection of marble offers a beautiful array of colors and textures. From the elegant, chic blacks, to subtle shades of pink and gold. It all has to fit into the larger scheme, but nothing feels quite so luxurious as when you tap that razor on the soft, beautiful stone.  

The Faucet

Sometimes the most expensive part of the sink setup, the faucet is perhaps the clutch aesthetic detail.  Nothing can depreciate the feel of home faster than a cheapo faucet. We love Vola faucets because they are clean, modern and you can get creative with placement.  

Check out our full sink selection here.  

Painting from The Tale of Genji (c. 1021) and a 19th Century German living room in the Biedermeier style.  

Vogue editor Diana Vreeland had something of an obsession with Japanese culture. As she put it, “God was fair to the Japanese. He gave them no oil, no diamonds, but he gave them style.”  Indeed, their fondness for clean and harmonious lines dates all the way back to the early 14th century when the original tatami rooms came into style. It only took Europe 500 years to catch on. Well, not exactly ...

Not much has changed by way of Japanese interiors since the 14th-century: The lovely Masuya Yushinan Hotel carries on the tradition.  

Biedermeier furniture on 1st Dibs

There was at least one movement in the early 19th century that valued form over ornament. Called Biedermeier, the furniture style was popular in Germany from 1818 - 1848. A burgeoning middle class started decorating their new and improved homes with a new style that emphasized clean lines and minimal ornamentation. The philosophy was in line with their sensible, utilitarian values, but the results were quite beautiful. To the modern eye, they look traditional, but it really was a radical departure from the incredibly ornate stylings of the time. 

Steve McQueen cuddles with his wife, Ali McGraw in the mid '70s

It’s time to get outside and enjoy that warm air. What makes the out-of-doors even more enjoyable is some great furniture. Whether you're poolside or mountainside, here are a few chaises, loungers and side chairs to inspire your pleine air dreaming. 

The Outdoor Sofas

The Light Woods

The Basket Weave Lounger

The Standard Spa, Miami Beach 

The Adirondacks

Color for When You're Getting Color

Summer is for Sharing

Spagetti Straps

The Floats 

From Victoria Beckham's Instagram to yours, have a great summer! 

Interior Design can learn a lot from the Native American Tipi – Dakota from ti, “to dwell” and pi, “to use.” (talk about all-natural, locally-sourced materials.) The Ute (Aspen’s native peoples) use the word tipi, as do the Lakota, but the older word is tipestola, “she or he lives in a sharp pointed lodge.” Blackfoot people call it niitoyis; the Kiowa, do-heen. 

As the legend goes, after First Man and First Woman were created, the Creator designated a Helper to look after them. When winter blew in and the people were cold, the Helper, inspired by a rustling Cottonwood leaf, gave him the idea for the tipi, which is basically a large leaf wrapped into a cone. The Helper made the tipi not just shelter, but a home, with a facade upon which people would paint their dreams, and a smoke hole to see the stars.  

Left: Did you know that the door of the tipi is always faced towards the East to greet the morning sun?  Bottom right: A more modern-inspired tipi design. 

Tipi: Home of the Nomadic Buffalo Hunters, written and illustrated by Paul Goble is a beautiful archive of traditional tipi designs. With a deep knowledge of archival black and white photos – and a bit of creative license – he has illustrated these magical abodes in vibrant colors, elegant patterns and strikingly modern designs.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. 

Books have long been a staple in home décor. Believe it or not, some people have a lot of them because, well, they read a lot. More often though, one has shelves and they need something to go on them – no judgement here. We’re not exactly sure how far back this dates, but at least since the turn of the last century, booksellers realized they could unload a lot of inventory to newly built home libraries not selling by title, but by distance. 

“By the foot” was born and was as efficient as it was déclassé. Jay Gatsby (America’s most famous icon of “New Money”) bought his books by the foot – easily spotted in the days when you still had to slice the pages. 

More recently, we’ve embraced the fact that books just look cool – literally judging them by their cover. They can be organized by color, stylized or wrapped in the paper of your choosing.  You can go vintage leather, or clean and modern. You can pick your various topics, or just get the classics, a small accent or a whole wall. No matter your style, they add a bit of class and warmth to any room. 

Off Season around Aspen usually means hopping on a plane and seeing what's happening in the big wide world. It’s always fun watching Facebook fill with photos of far-off jungles, unfamiliar mountain tops, and interesting new dishes.  

While there are some very stylish first class cabins and private planes that get you to where you want to go, one often forgets the early days of flying were exercises in design and branding as much as they were in service and safety. 

Before deregulation, they had to be. With subsidized ticket prices, airlines needed to do more than just offer a cheap seat. "Airline: Style at 30,000 Feet" by Keith Lovegrove wrote a wonderful book that goes into the highly designed world of mile-high service. 

It's all about elegance in the '50s and early '60s. Above, dinner is served on a Lufthansa first-class flight to Munich in 1958.  

Hard to believe this is what United Airlines used to look like in 1968 

The orange, the leopard print, the Star War's-esque lighting panels ... yikes ... perhaps things went a little too far.  

And speaking of too far ... those short-shorts. 

From the "bible of all cocktail books" to a rare Prohibition era song book, this month's coffee table book club will get your year off in style.   

Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails

Ask pretty much any mixologist and they will cite Death & Co. as the cocktail bible. Clocking in at over 500 recipes, the book is not only filled with unique and innovative flavor combinations, it also serves as, “the complete education to buying and using spirits.”

The Savoy Cocktail Book

Gentility mixed with prodigious debauchery characterized London's high society in the 1930s. When The Savoy Cocktail Book was first published, it became an emblem of the era.  Also, the illustrations painted throughout are outstanding. 

Chiltern Firehouse: The Cookbook

If you're looking to a more modern zeitgeist, look no further than the Chiltern Firehouse Cookbook – the first half is dedicated to cocktailing. Popular amongst former presidents, royals, Hollywood celebs, and the international jet set, Chiltern Firehouse is hotelier André Balazs’ pièce de résistance in London’s Marylebone neighborhood. The book invites you into this impossibly glamorous world with guides to all the classic cocktails as well as instructions on making crystal clear homemade ice and yummy syrups.  

The Home Bartender’s Guide and Song Book (1930) 

Published at the end of prohibition, this is as legit a cocktail book as you can find. Proving the old adage that every generation thinks they invented sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll, the “songs” (which are more just naughty limericks) and illustrations are racy enough to shock our 21st century sensibilities. The recipes range from delicious to mysterious. For example: 

The Canvas Back: Three parts Whiskey, Two parts Vermouth Cinzano, One part White Satin Gin, Two parts lemon juice, five drops Curacao, Five drops Angostura Bitters, Shake well with ice and serve. 

Before the camera came along, illustrators filled the world's magazines and billboards with their clever and colorful hand-drawn compositions. As the travel industry took off – concurrent to the ski industry's – so to did the advertising for the myriad mountains across the American West and the Alps that were eager to drum up business.  

Today, these posters have become retro-chic  – bordering on retro-cliché. If you're interested in the real thing, the Omnibus Gallery has one of the most impressive collections of lithographs in the world.  

Here's a quick recap of the styles, trends and evolution of the glamorous ski poster, gone but not forgotten. 

THE MONEY SHOTS: Hospital air brah!!

THE BEGINNERS: a.k.a when a skier dates a non-skier

THE ANTHROPOMORPHICS: A polite snowman? A skiing / pipe smoking polar bear? Whaaaaaa?! 

THE DREAMATORIUMS: No gravity on the left and a happy child in-step with his parents ... dare to dream.

THE FUTURE: Have to start 'em young! 

THE MOUNTAIN GAZE: Oh, the longing and love of the great sublime. 

THE MALE GAZE: "It's a bit nippy out here isn't it?"

MORE MALE GAZE: Sex sells, right?  

THE MINIMALISTS: By the late '60s / early '70s geometric design came into fashion. 

 ILLUSTRATION IS DEAD: God save photography.  

They are predicting a slightly colder winter here in Aspen, so you’ll want to have things nice and cozy when the snow finally does come. (And it will come!)  

Blankets: Everyone loves to cozy up after a chilly day on the slopes. Gorsuch's Hudson Throw is classic, colorful wool on one side and snuggly coyote fur on the other.  For the none-fur set, One King's Lane has a large selection of cable knit cashmere throws that will keep even the thinnest blooded human nice and warm.  (Good price too.) 

Bar Carts: A decorator friend once referred to the bar cart as the “Prada bag” of the living room. It does serve as a posh little accent to the well-outfitted room (or office). And when you have guests over for après drinks, you don’t want the booze set out on just any old thing. These mid-century designs elevate cocktailing to an almost religious-like ceremony.  

Boot Warmers: A boot warming rack is money well spent when sliding into a dry, warm boot on a cold morning. And if you really have issues keeping your footsies from freezing, might you consider these heated socks by Lenz. You can adjust their temperature with an app on your phone. They are the talk of the gondola!  

The lives of local Aspenites tend to revolve around three things: events, holidays and snow. While snow has and will always remain a sacred, holy experience, a curious thing has happened to the other two. The events have morphed into holidays (e.g. "And a happy Food and Wine to you, sir!") and the holidays have turned into grand events. Halloween marks that sweet spot where holiday tradition meets prodigious eventing, plus costume prizes. Thanks to its offish-season timing, and the Aspen proclivity to always take things to the next level, Halloween has become the local's holiday, par excellence. 

The quiet, quaint streets fill with costumed revelers from neighboring valleys far and wide. They hop. They dance. They do Halloween like no one else.  

A living work by Roy Lichtenstein 

Day of the Dead and Bull Dogs

Edward Scissorhands trims the Carribou hedges

And a French Kiss!!  

Images courtesy May Selby and the Aspen Times

Party time. Ex-cel-lent! 

Louis XIV, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre ... and a Basic Witch

ya man!

Kiss 

When they open Caribou to everyone ... they mean everyone! Even the vikings.