Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Is This Thing On...?

Well a year and a half later...I'm thinking I'll revisit my quick tete-a-tete with blogging. I have lots of fun projects going on with my new job with Tracy Hardenburg Desgins (check us out! Tracyhardenburgdesigns.com) that include two fabulous lakehouses and a University Park home re-do project we are working on as well, along with several other one off room projects!

My hope is to share my fun finds from when I'm out shopping for furniture and fixtures and fabrics as well as sharing new recipe's I find that are worth a try. I still love having quiet moments to myself to cook or better yet, cooking for my friends and family!! Right now I'm perfecting a recipe for Chipotle Honey Glazed Tilapia with Peach Mango Salsa served with Coconut Rice for a cooking class Ashley Boone and I are teaching in a month or so.  I hope to get it nailed down this Easter weekend while unwinding with the family.

Here is phase one of Lakehouse 2, begins with gathering materials and choosing our color scheme. There are 4 guest rooms, the master bedroom, a bunk room, kitchen and two living areas so we need lots to choose from!!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Creatively Inspired

I have recently started doing some part time work for a textile designer, Megan Adams Brooks, and I wanted to share with y'all a little bit about her business! She is a newly-wed so her company is called Megan Adams Designs, she designs her own fabrics and then sells her fabric by the yard as well as sell pillows, table linens, and cute clutches lined with vintage scarves! Her designs are so clever, and she even has had some of them printed onto iPhone and iPad hard cases.

I love, love, love all her stuff and am so impressed with her creativity! I hope y'all will check out her website, http://www.meganadamsdesigns.com/ and think about using some of her stuff. She is having a trunk show at Dive on September 24th that I will unfortunately be unable to make, but please stop by and check it out! You will be glad you did!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Back in the Saddle

Well, things got pretty hectic for a while with traveling, starting my new job, and working on my new business venture! I've just gotten back from a week in Chicago visiting my brother for his 21st birthday and helping him move dorm rooms. While I was gone, Molly moved out and Claudia moved in thus beginning a new adventure.

Molly is getting married this October and Claudia's roommate got married last weekend so it could have worked out more perfectly! Wedding season is starting to ramp up for me, which has also been keeping me (happily) busy with all the fun showers and bachelorette parties!!

I'm now babysitting three days a week for an adorable two year old, working part time for an incredible textile designer (Megan Adams, look her up!), and starting a little business with Blair Culwell and Ashley Boone. Beginning as soon as next month we will be teaching novice cooking classes to the Dallas Metroplex out of Ashley's home. In the next couple of weeks we should have our website up and running--more to come on that front later!

Other persuits right now include the never ending cycle of decorating my house, working on my reading list, cooking, and trying to keep my plants alive. Unfortunately this August has been rough on the garden, so come this fall I'll be doing lots of new planting projects!

For those of you who subscibed and never got emails, we found an error in the url link, so if you'll resubscribe, it should fix the issue!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

England

It's my last morning abroad today, and I'm ending my excursion in London. Yesterday I was in Bath, I stayed in a cute little B&B the night prior, and after resting up headed into London!

Last night I saw Phantom of the Opera, and this morning I'm enjoying a cup of tea at Starbucks on Green Park! 

I am going to keep wandering for the rest of the morning and then I'll be packing up and heading back to America! I land in Dallas this evening, then it's back to the airport in the morning to Pagosa Springs, Colorado! 

I have had a great time, but I'm ready to be back in America!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Last Day in Edinburgh!

The sun finally came out today, and as my last day in Edinburgh I wanted to make the most of it, so I headed back over to Holyrood Park and hiked up Arthur's Seat to spend some time basking in the sunshine! I forgot how I am sometimes scared of heights until I was almost to the top and took the wrong path and ended up scaling up rocks on the side of a cliff, I would have taken a picture, but I was too busy scurrying to the top where it was less steep! 

Then I went back to town to run some errands for myself and Callie and check my emails at a Starbucks, before heading back to Callie's campus at Queen Margarets to meet back up with her, which is where I am now, the first time on an actuall computer in about a week! We are both very tired now, we have been wearing ourselves out the last couple of days, so we are going to grab a quick bite to eat and go to bed early tonight.

I am getting up very early and heading off to Bath, England in the morning so I am off now for a quick early dinner and to bed!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Edinburgh Part Two!

Good morning from Edinburgh! The rain is just beginning to subside as I sip on my second cup  of tea today in a warm Starbucks on George Street in the heart of New Town. 

Its already been an adventurous morning, Callie stayed with me at my hotel last night, so after an early breakfast I walked with her to catch her bus then started out on my exploring more in New Town aimlessly ambling down neighborhood streets. I tried to run in Queen's Park but couldn't find the gate entrance and gave up pretty easily and headed over to Starbucks to get out of the cold drizzle for a bit and check my emails!

Yesterday Callie had organized events with her class so I continued my exploring solo around the town, getting acclimated with the various areas, then met up with her and her group back over at the Holyrood Palace for lunch and shopping along the Royal Mile before their tour of Edinburgh Castle. 

Then I joined their group for dinner and a guided "Saints and Sinners" tour of Edinburgh. 

Today I think I'll explore the various shops of New Town, and if it warms up I'll go to the Royal Botanical Gardens, and if not I'll go to the Art Gallery! 

I can't believe how quickly this trip is going by, I leave Friday for Bath, England and will be back in the states by Sunday, albeit in Colorado! I love Edinburgh despite the constant drizzle and still feel like there is so much more to do and places to eat! This city is teeming with cute cafe's and delicious seafood!  I'll be sad to leave!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Edinburgh, Scotland

Wi-fi is hard to come by I've discovered! Well, if you're too cheap to pay for it like I am. Needless to say it's caused a holdup on my blogging, but I've found a pocket of wifi I can access if I stand on the curb outside of my hotel.

Callie and I got into Edinburgh last night just in time for dinner.   We spent a good twelve hours traveling, but it was well worth it. I fell in love with Edinburgh the moment I stepped out of the train station!

We stopped to eat at an Italian restaurant right on the Royal Mile and sat out on the patio to enjoy the beautiful night and people watching. Then she went to check into Queen Margaret's University, and I went to check into my hotel!

I ventured out to the Grassmarket area right down the street from my hotel after I got settled to begin my exploring! It has a great casual vibe and it was fun just to walk around and take it all in.

This morning I got up and walked  back down to that same area and found myself some coffee before heading out to see the rest of Edinburgh. I ran down to Holyrood Park and walked all the way around Arthurs Peak. I made the mistake of not wearing a rain jacket though, and it starting drizzling about half way through. 

I decided to check out the Holyrood Palace while I was down there in hopes that the rain would stop while I toured inside. Unfortunately it got worse so after grabbing some lunch and arguably the worst cup of coffee I've ever had, I braved the rain back to the hotel to get my rain coat. Naturally it stopped raining about the time I got back to the hotel drenched.

Then I headed back out and over to the Edinburgh Castle in an attempt to get most of my touring out of the way today. As much as I enjoyed the tours and seeing the architecture up close, I have a hard time in crowded places! But, the view of the city from way up in the castle was awesome!

Afterwards I walked down to Prince's Street to explore the area they call New Town, though it is anything but! Truly the architecture in this city is phenomenal! Everywhere you turn there's a spire or turret or cute little stone breezeway. 

I think I managed to cover about  sixty percent of Edinburgh on foot today. I love that it is such a small big city! My favorite part of traveling is the exploring, I love getting to know a new place and all it's quirks!

Callie had orientation and group tours planned through her school for the day so we met up for dinner, which was an adventure in itself since neither of us have cell service or consistent access to wi fi! We found this cute restaurant called Creelers with delicious seafood and enjoyed some wonderful salmon. Now we are enjoying the wifi and trying to get caught up on our emails!

Despite the dreary weather it has still managed to be a great day, and I'm ready to do some more exploring in Edinburgh tonight (it doesn't get dark til 10) and throughout the week!