texas forever

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

you can't go on a west texas road trip without referencing friday night lights, am i right? (if you haven't seen this show, do it! it is so not about the football. well, it is, but it isn't.) i spent a long labor day weekend visiting my friends out in alpine, texas. it was my third trip out to west texas in less than two years and each time, i like it more and more. there's not a whole lot to see and there's not a whole lot to do, but, man, it's beautiful.

of course there were a few trips to marfa, which is just west of alpine. i always make the trek to snap a picture of prada marfa (which isn't actually in marfa) and this time there was a new (controversial) installation just outside the city, playboy marfa.

we also ate at el paisano hotel, where james dean and elizabeth taylor stayed while filming giant in the early 1950s, before standing under the amazing night sky trying to find the marfa mystery lights.

a few of my favorite places to visit in west texas are terlingua and big bend national park. terlingua is a mercury mining ghost town and has an amazing cemetery with graves dating back to 1903. it also has a fantastic view of the chisos mountains in big bend and the sierra del carmens in mexico.

we did a driving tour of big bend this time (there were five of us in the car) and got out to hike to the hot springs. it's crazy how quick the landscape changes from mountain to desert to something almost tropical. it was stupidly hot and we were all glad to be back home after a long day exploring (read: mac & cheese and pajamas).

of course, there was some much needed couch-surfing on the last day. after a late breakfast at buns & roses in marfa, we pretty much devoured the first season of american horror story (why did it take me so long to watch this?!) and grazed on pizza. 

so, all in all, an excellent little break from real life. did you have a good holiday?

little (vintage) house on the prairie

i knew we'd be staying in a pretty great house in fredericksburg just from the photos on the reservation site...



what i didn't anticipate, however, was how i would be driven to the point of giddy shutterbug insanity (has this ever happened to you?) by its cluttered and rustic vintage style.



everything about the exterior of the homestead was charming and relaxing.











you had me at gnome.



the interior of the house, though... it was fantastic. i am determined to have a bright apple green door at one point in my life. 







i think i might be the only person i know who would take pictures of cups and glasses. these are the small things that make me happy ♥









hello, vintage thermoses! i was happy to note that i had similar ones in my own collection (and i bought two more at a thrift store while we were there - my type of souvenir)



i found this exact little clock at an estate sale yesterday! it made my day.







i was most smitten with all the embroidered samplers and linens around the house.







but the thing that made me happiest and that i took at least ten pictures of? this amazing embroidered work. i look at this and think, "that would make an awesome tattoo."

texas hill country

this could easily sum up my vacation weekend, but after taking 466 photos in four days, i can't just leave them to languish on flickr, right? here come the dreaded vacation slides!

we made several stops on the way to fredericksburg...

and laughed so hard and so much i really thought i was going to be sick.

we stayed in an amazing (amazing!) 1905 limestone house...

that was filled to the brim with vintage touches that made me weak in the knees (i think there will have to be a post just on the house. for real.)

the mornings were spent sipping coffee on the porch...

and watching the sun rise.

we observed bugs...

and livestock of all kinds.

we shopped...

and ate (this poblano green chile burger was heaven alongside a pineapple margarita)...

and sampled wine...

and saw a show (there was, admittedly, a lot of older folks at the show, but it's fredericksburg, ya know?)

we played games...

tried new things...

made our own fun...

strengthened lifelong friendships (ha! two of my most favorite people in the world)...

and had a fabulous time celebrating my cute mom.

it was a perfect weekend.

(and the craziest part? i got a sunburn from sunny, 93-degree weather on saturday. when we got home on sunday, it was a rainy, blustery 48 degrees. i love texas)