Greetings, Friends!
It's a fun occasion we find ourselves upon. As our namesake turns 3, I thought I would take a moment to talk about the team behind June Moon Homescapes and how we came up with our name.
Meet June and The Baldwins
James, June, and Me on Gotcha Day!
Breed: Vizsla (pronounced: Veesh-la), female
Age: 3
Weighing in At: 49lbs
Height: 2'6"
Top Speed: 45mph
Favorite Tricks: Spinnies, Boops, and Bows
Favorite Toy: Winnie the Pooh
Favorite Activity: Ball Hunting (Act like you're throwing a ball one way, then throw it into a nearby patch of weeds/tall grass when they've started running. Then have them sniff out the hidden ball with a "Go Find It!" command.)
June and Her Best Buddy, Winnie the Pooh
If you know anything about Vizslas, you know June. She's quintessential, down to the Velcro butt. If you aren't aware of this magnificent breed, Vizslas are fun-loving, loyal to the core, and HIIIIIIGH energy. This girl runs 6 miles a DAY and still finds energy for antics around the house. (Let us be clear, James does the running, not me.) June is a great partner, always there for an easy laugh or a cuddle. She's been working from home with me for so long now, I couldn't imagine it any other way. That's why we had to name the company after June. Our homes and the things we allow in them should be just as dependable and comforting for our physical selves as dogs are for our souls.
June Celebrating Her 3rd Birthday!
James and I (Courtney) live in the Denver Metro Area, in Arvada, Colorado. It's on the west side of the city and still feels like a small town, but you can be in the city in under 25 minutes (10 if no traffic, which is never). Arvada has beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains, the foothills, and the Flatirons further to the Northwest toward Boulder.
The Colorado Flatirons from the Rooftop Patio of June Moon Homescapes HQ
James and I are fortunate to be located right next to a stop on the Light Rail, too, so it's a great location for commuting. One of my favorite things to do on the train is one stop to the East, Olde Town Arvada. It's the cutest little town square that is really starting to come to life, with new restaurants, boutiques, and galleries filling in the once empty storefronts. The process of watching a community coming together - all of these people choosing this specific place as their home and investing their unique talents right here - is so magical.
Being on the west side of town, we have easy access to different routes into the Mountains. James is an accountant by trade, but he's an old-fashioned sportsman at heart. Any sport, I swear, he can do. The man just "accidentally" did a 14-er (a hike up a mountain over 14,000 feet above sea level - 1/2 the height of Everest). I keep telling him he needs to write a book about the time he and his Eagle Scout partners got dropped off in the wrong spot in the middle of the Canadian woods without their food (yes: to find their way out).
The Colorado Rockies and Foothills from the Rooftop Patio of June Moon Homescapes HQ
But - he loves flyfishing. Talk about a great state for that hobby! Colorado has 158 named rivers and 9 major river basins, many of which offer world-class flyfishing opportunities. James also snowboards just about every weekend of the season. Annnnd, he's been a sailor since he was very young. His father actually learned to sail just to have something to do on the weekends with him, and after 20 years of weekends, it's safe to say James is an expert by now.
James Crewing on a Regatta a Few Years Ago on Granby Lake
I on the other hand, am much more the creative (although a nonprofit operations & systems director by trade). I love being in the mountains because they inspire me and my designs each time I'm out there. I've been fascinated with nature and how it relates to us as humans all my life. Geology, minerals, crystals, and rockhounding are particular interests of mine, and the Rocky Mountains are a playground for someone nerdy like me.
The next time you're out on a walk, pick up a rock and look at it closely. Does it have specks, or bands, or patches? Does it have points, or smooth flat surfaces, or nodules? Billions and billions of years of metamorphic changes below, and erosive and formative changes above the surface of the earth itself made breathtakingly beautiful things that can be found today in old riverbeds, down the sides of slopes, and in mines that still operate and allow those aforementioned nerds to poke around from time to time. It's an incredible thing to think about, while stringing together the most radiant blue turquoise from Lone Mountain or Calico Lake to make a bracelet, or while dreaming up the perfect Art Nouveau pendant to showcase lush carnelian or opal.
Lone Mountain Turquoise Bracelets with Rose Gold End Beads and Gold-Filled Bar Clasp
There's much more to unfold as we continue our June Moon journey. For now, thank you for letting us introduce ourselves!
