This Weekend // September 24-27

The last weekend in September sure is packed with all kinds of fun events and parties here in DFW. Besides watching lots of football, I'm thinking about lying low and spending the cool-ish evenings outside with friends at the Woodshed but chances are I'll pop in to Rahr or Panther Island Oktoberfest to join in the German-influenced festivities. Happy weekend, everyone!

Panther Island Oktoberfest // Sept. 24-26
If you missed out on Addison's Oktoberfest last weekend, don't worry! Fort Worth has you covered. Starting this Thursday, you can partake in German shenanigans including barrel rolling, stein hoisting, and 5k and much more at Fort Worth's Oktoberfest. Of course, don't forget about the food and BEER. Giant soft pretzels, crepes, and sausage are the fare of choice this weekend. The weather looks to be pretty decent this weekend, too!

Rahr Oktoberfest // Sept. 26
Another Oktoberfest celebration not to be missed takes place this Saturday at Rahr & Sons Brewing! The day's events include a 5K, stein hoisting (I guess this is a thing?), costume contest, and of course beer drinking and lots of fine German cuisine.

State Fair of Texas // Sept. 25-Oct. 18
It's here, it's here! The State Fair of Texas officially opens this Friday. I didn't go last year so I am hoping to squeeze in a visit this fall, if only to check out the new list of fried fair foods (Deep Fried Tailgate Party? Pumpkin Spice Donut Chips? S'More Beer??), take a ride on the gigantic ferris wheel, and, oh, I can't forget about seeing Big Tex himself!

Day in the District // Sept. 26
On this day only, 10 museums in Fort Worth's Cultural Museum District waive admission fees and open their doors to the public for free! Wander the halls of The Modern or the Kimbell and see some amazing art pieces or take the kiddos to the Science and History Museum and see the planetarium!

Party on the Porch at the Amon Carter Museum // Sept. 26
This free event takes place from 5pm-10pm at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. Enjoy live music, a photo bus, t-shirt screen printing, and food from Taco Heads, Gypsy Scoops and more! This sounds like a pretty fun time in my book!

Lunar Eclipse Viewing at the Museum of Science and History // Sept. 27
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is hosting a viewing party for the Total Lunar Eclipse. The event starts at 7:30pm and runs until a little after midnight. I think this would be so cool to see and witness with other star (er--moon) gazers.

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this weekend // sept 18-20

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Three cheers for the weekend! If you're hanging around town like I am and want to enjoy this "cool" fall weather (read: low 90s) the next few days, check out these events going on in the DFW area. Have a fabulous weekend!

Brewfest // September 19
On Saturday, Crockett Street in the West 7th District will be taken over by live music, food and beer vendors. This year is also its inaugural Brewfest Games, composing of giant beer pong, a flip cup tournament, giant Jenga, and more. Sounds like a pretty awesome block party!

Beer, Bourbon & Brisket Festival // September 19
The Trinity River and downtown Fort Worth skyline will be the gorgeous backdrop for Panther Island's third annual Beer, Bourbon & Brisket Festival.  Sample sips from local breweries and distilleries, listen to some live music and chow on some awesome BBQ. Tickets can be purchased here.

GrapeFest // September 17-20
Grapevine's 29th annual GrapeFest is going on all weekend, and I'm stoked to finally go on Saturday! This festival features tons of great wineries, breweries, food vendors plus a solid live music line-up. Among the many events is a GRAPE STOMP. Channel your inner Lucille Ball and crush some grapes like it's your job. As for me, I'll just be drinking them at the People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic.

Addison Oktoberfest // September 17-20
If you've never been to Addison's Oktoberfest, I highly suggest you put it on your agenda this weekend. If you like beer, German food, and/or weinie dogs (dachshunds if you want to get technical), this is where you should be. Barrel rolling and a yodeling competition are among the list of activities you'll find. Trust me, it's an entertaining way to spend a few hours with some friends.

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weekend scenes

Friday

Delicious meal with friends at Paco & John, a cozy Mexican-French restaurant in the Near Southside district. Hubs got enchiladas and I got pork. Excellent!

We had to follow dinner with ice cream from Melt. The Blushing Pear flavor is not to be missed!

Saturday

Weekend routine: A&H donuts + homemade latte.

A few of our friends came up from Houston for the TCU-Kansas State game over the weekend. The hubs and I had a great time at our first TCU game! We definitely plan to go to more often.

Sunday

Woke up and had coffee by the fire before heading to our favorite brunch spot--Pour House --with our friends before they left town!

Hubs and I went home for football (and nap time for me) and managed to squeeze in a run for our half-marathon training. We have skipped our "long runs" the past couple of weeks so I was not exactly looking forward to it. The cool, breezy weather and sunset helped make the run much more enjoyable, though. Only a few weeks until the big race!

Hope you had a great weekend! xo.

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about town

I haven't posted about places I love around Fort Worth lately and thought it was due time for one of those posts! Last weekend started off with wine tasting and an out-of-this-world dinner at one of my favorite local spots: Nonna Tata. After deliberating over the menu for quite a while, I eventually ordered the same dish I got last time because it is that good. Can't go wrong with a cream sauce, amiright?

I also popped in The Usual for the first time ever and thought it was super cool. I didn't try a drink because I had enough wine for the night, but definitely plan to return and try one of their unique concoctions! 

Saturday, I made a quick run down to A&H Donuts, my absolute favorite weekend indulgence. Not only are the people that work there the sweetest ever, but their donut selection is amazing. I am a sucker for anything with sprinkles and so they never disappoint. The hubs usually sticks with a cinnamon roll. I got myself a smaller version to try--isn't it adorable? They also sell minis that are even tinier!

Sunday was dedicated to a lazy morning reading on the front porch and brunch at the Pour House. Seriously one of my favorite brunch spots in Fort Worth--everything I've tried so far has been delicious, and you really can't beat $2 "Manmosas" (aka, mimosas in a pint glass). This time around, I ordered the chicken and biscuits. So unlike me, yet I did not regret it for a second. It was exactly what I wanted! After brunch, it was time for football, football, and more football.

I'm already so looking forward to this upcoming weekend! I'll be busy with a Friday night wedding, Hallowine in Grapevine (yay!) with girl friends, and hopefully lots of lounging and football! xo.

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friday faves

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TGIF! It's Friday am I'm on a roll with this whole favorites thing. I'm linking up with Erika, Andrea, and Narci for Friday Favorites and listing my top SIX favorite  things to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this upcoming weekend.

 For those of you that live in DFW, check out what's going on:

1) State Fair of Texas

Big Tex. Fried food. Ferris wheel. Live music. The State Fair of Texas is back, y'all! You KNOW it's officially fall when the fair returns, and this year looks to be better than ever. I can't lie, my favorite part about this event is the food. Every year, a new selection of fried foods are judged and the winners make it to the prestigious State Fair menu. I mean... Deep Fried Breakfast for Dinner? Deep Fried Funnel Cake Ale? I'm intrigued!

2) Fort Worth Oktoberfest

The weather this weekend will be perfect for this event. Check out the website for Friday and Saturday's schedules, which include a 5K, dachshund races, and a barrel rolling competition! (Not to mention tons of German food and beer!)

3) Day in the District

On Saturday, September 27th, 9 of the museums in the Fort Worth Museum District will be participating in Day in the District. That means admission will be FREE from the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I went last year and it was a really neat experience!

4) Rahr Oktoberfest 5K

I can't express enough how much I love Rahr! Especially in the spring and fall months when the temperatures are mild enough to truly enjoy the outdoor areas, it's such a great way to spend an afternoon with friends. This Saturday, Rahr is holding their annual Oktoberfest 5K. For $40, you get race entry, a shirt, food, beer, plus an Oktoberfest 5K pint glass to keep! Registration closes at noon today (Friday), so hurry and sign up before it's too late!

5) Southwest Classic

Are you a Texas A&M fan (whoop!), an Arkansas fan, a college football fan, or a Jerry World fan?? This weekend, the Southwest Classic is taking place in the good ol' AT&T Stadium (aka Jerry World).  Last I checked, tickets are still available if you want to really get in on the action. But if you're like me, you can easily catch the match-up at a bar or in the comfort of your own home. 

6) The Trailhead

Love trying new ways to be physically active? Look no further than the Trailhead! Located right on the Trinity River, this secluded spot offers a full schedule every Saturday in the fall with FREE classes like yoga, barre, and boot camp! I tried the barre class for the first time on opening weekend and it was a killer--yet invigorating--workout. 

No matter where you are or what you end up doing, I hope you have a fabulous weekend! See ya Monday. xo.

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adventures in dallas & fort worth

As I mentioned in my last post, my sister came to visit me this past weekend. Besides shopping, her visits are always a good excuse to take her to new restaurants I've been wanting to try. I thought it'd be fun to hit the highlights of the weekend (with pictures!)

Friday night, we went to Friday on the Green in the Near Southside district of Fort Worth. I've been to this event a few times and it's always such a great way to unwind after a long week of work! We noshed on tacos from Taco Heads food truck and followed that with a trip to Melt for ice cream.

On Saturday, we were up bright and early and headed to Dallas for coffee and breakfast at Ascension. We each got lattes (a vanilla for me, caramel for my sister) and the yogurt granola bowls. The lattes were so delicious and we could not stop talking about how much we loved our granola! The service was also really great.

After coffee, we hopped over to Klyde Warren Park to check it out. Neither of us had been before. It is a beautifully landscaped park with stunning views of downtown and uptown Dallas. We walked around the arts district to kill some time and made our way over to Northpark Mall for some shopping.

After a few hours of shopping, we were starving and ready for lunch! We went to True Food Kitchen to have some yummy healthy brunch and dined al fresco. In the shade, it was quite nice! Plus, we both agreed we wanted to "thaw" out after being at the FREEZING cold mall. I guess they really wanted people to start buying their fall/winter boots and sweaters! Sister ordered the huevos rancheros (no picture--woops!) and I got the turkey sausage with sweet potato hash and eggs. We enjoyed the food and really liked not feeling heavy/gross/too full like we would if we'd eaten elsewhere.

After a little more shopping, we made a little pit stop on the way home to Fort Worth in the new(ish) Trinity Groves area just west of downtown Dallas. I was so surprised at how cute it was! There were several restaurants that smelled devine, but our purpose was to stop in the Kate Weiser chocolate shop. We each got a gorgeous truffle and a macaron to try. The shop also sells homemade candy bars, caramels, and ice cream. The chocolates were almost too pretty to eat! Almost. (PS: I highly recommend the Red Wine and Berries flavor!)

We got home mid-afternoon and watched our Texas Aggies BTHO SMU and refueled with more coffee. Then later, after a little more shopping, we ended the evening with wraps at Spiral Diner--a delicious little gem in the Near Southside district that specializes in vegan and gluten free food--and some J. Rae's cupcakes. HEAVEN.  The "Ate Layer Burrito" wrap at Spiral Diner is amazing, just sayin'.

Sunday morning, we hit up Trader Joe's--my sister's must-go place when she visits--and did a little more shopping. We also stopped by Park Hill Cafe for brunch and both ordered the fresh fruit plates (we weren't super hungry). The plates were surprisingly large and filling, with an assortment of fruit and yogurt dipping sauce. We also enjoyed the complimentary pastry/bread basket and tried a few different breads, muffins, and scones.

Overall--I'd say I had a pretty successful weekend and enjoyed the time with my sister and also finally getting to try out some places I'd been wanting to go! I'm always open for new recommendations in Dallas and Fort Worth, so feel free to comment below with suggestions. xo.

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friday faves // september 19, 2014

Happy Friday! We made it!

Friday means the weekend is almost here. It also means it's time for Friday Faves! Once again, I'm linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci. I really looked forward to doing this post because it is not only fun to share my favorites and get introduced to others' favorites, but it also helps me to focus on the "little things" in life that make me happy. Life can get busy, hectic, overwhelming, etc etc. so it's good to take a moment to recognize the things that get me through the day!

With that said, here's a few things I've been L-O-V-I-N-G this week:

1) Pumpkin Bagels

Now that it is mid-September (wait, what??), I'm happy to report that grocery stores are finally fully stocked with all things fall and pumpkin. My sister actually introduced these Pumpkin Spice Bagels to me and swore up and down that they were as delicious as they sounded. I requested that the hubs get some at the store the other day while I was in class and was so excited to finally try one for myself. Verdict: They are delicious. They are yummy by themselves, but would be just as great with a smidge of cream cheese.

2) Brooks "Ghost" Sneakers

I'm currently in full swing of half-marathon training. My hubs and I ran the Thanksgiving Half in Fort Worth last year and decided it would be a new tradition. I only gave myself about 1 month to train last year (I know, I know...) so this year we started much sooner. I purchased a good pair of running shoes that the salesman at Luke's Locker recommended for long distances (Brooks "Ghost"). So far I've run in them three times (alternating with another "minimalist" pair for shorter distances) and really love the extra cushion and stability they give me. 

3) Afternoon Dog Walks

Lately, since the temps have started creeping down a bit, I've been walking my two rambunctious dogs about 2-3 times per week around the neighborhood. I used to only do this on weekends when my hubs could help out and we could each be responsible for one dog, but have gotten much more comfortable handling them both on my own. It's so fun to see neighbors outside doing yard work, running, and walking their dogs. I live in a pretty quirky neighborhood where everyone not only takes care of their yards and each house has its own unique personality.  Besides exercise, I get some great gardening and porch decor ideas just by walking around the block!

4) Green Tea with Lemon

Green tea with lemon, I've decided, is way more delicious than plain ol' green tea! The Bigelow brand is the one I've been drinking lately, and it's become a welcome part of my afternoon routine at work (and a healthier replacement for my usual Diet Cokes).  Drinking from a hand painted teacup makes the tea taste all the better, right??

5) J. Rae's Carrot Cake Cupcake

If you live in Fort Worth and haven't been to J. Rae's, take this as a sign that you need to go asap. It's one of my absolute favorite bakeries. Not only do they have delicious cupcakes, but the cheese cake is out of this world and the sugar cookies (that come in a multitude of colors, shapes, and themes) are devine. I don't think it's possible for me to oversell this place. The carrot cake cupcake is one of my faves, and I only get it during the fall for some reason. I treated myself to my first one of the season after a long day at work this week. The best.

As you can tell, these favorites are kind of all over the place, but hey, I'm just being real.

One thing I am really looking forward to this weekend is my sister coming to town! She is staying the whole weekend and we've pretty much got our entire Friday, Saturday, and Sunday planned out. Shopping, food, and traipsing around Dallas and Fort Worth are in my near, near future. I cannot WAIT.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! xo.

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del frisco's grille & magnolia cheese co. // foodie post pt. two

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband and I kicked off his birthday weekend at the fabulous A F + B. The food (and drink) shenanigans did not stop there, though! For his birthday brunch on Saturday, we went to Del Frisco's Grille in Sundance Square with a bunch of our friends. I had tried lunch there a few times and heard rave reviews about the brunch. Let me say it did not disappoint! Everyone loved what they ordered and repeatedly told me what a great choice it was for brunch.

I am usually on the fence when it comes to eating something savory (i.e. bacon, omelette, toast, etc) or sweet for brunch, but on that day I decided I wanted to give the mascarpone stuffed French toast a whirl. Whoa baby it was good.

The rest of our afternoon was spent at Rahr with some cold ones and awesome live music, Put a Cork In It for wine tasting, patio drinks with neighbors, and a Rangers baseball game (we won). Quite a busy, whirlwind of a day but we enjoyed every minute!

For Easter brunch the next day, the hubs and I rode our bikes over to Magnolia to meet my Mother-In-Law at Magnolia Cheese Company. Again, this is another place I'd heard only good things about and still hadn't been! I knew the quaint, eclectic atmosphere would be the perfect setting for a casual Easter brunch. I'm absolutely obsessed with the whole farm-to-table concept.

We started off with a cheese tray before our main dishes arrived.

I loved the variety and uniqueness of the cheeses, jams, nuts, etc. included in the tray. Most, if not all, of the items are sourced locally, which I think is pretty cool! Our favorite cheese had mustard seeds and something kind of spicy (I think it may have been called the Red Dragon??), such an unexpected flavor!

For my meal, I picked out the French toast cakes. Yes--French toast again! I usually don't like to repeat meals but the server convinced me that they would be a good choice since they were an Easter special and not on the normal menu.

I was so excited when my plate came out and I saw the fun spin they put on their French toast. The cakes were spongy and bursting with lemon flavor. The berries and berry drizzle on top complemented the lemon flavor well while also adding some pretty color to the dish! The hubs got a grilled cheese option called "The Classic" (I know he was quietly wishing I picked a restaurant with more substantial "man food"--oops!) and my MIL ordered the frittata (no pictures, sorry!).

So if you're on the market for some good brunch spots in Fort Worth--definitely check out Del Frisco's Grille and Magnolia Cheese Company for some yummy options! Del Frisco's is best for larger groups since the restaurant is roomy enough to seat a lot of people. On the flip side, Magnolia is great for couples or small groups due to its small, quaint interior. 

What are your favorite Fort Worth brunch spots? xo.

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A F + B Fort Worth // foodie post

The time finally arrived last Thursday when I got to try one of the newer restaurants on the Fort Worth foodie scene: A F + B. This hip spot on West 7th is brimming with character owing to its unique Prohibition-esque atmosphere. From the corrugated ceiling and patterned tile floor to the industrial-style exposed brick walls and utilitarian pendant lights, it was love at first sight!

I chose to take my hubs here to kick off his birthday weekend extravaganza, thinking it would be fun to go somewhere neither of us had been to before! We started with drinks at the bar--a beer for him and a delicious pomegranate flavored cocktail called the Jack Rose for me.

For the main dish, I chose gnocchi and the hubs ordered the duck pot pie. Our meals were excellent. The ingredient quality was obviously top notch, and the flavors were both unique yet familiar. Needless to say we both cleaned our plates and were left wanting maybe just a bit more? (Small-ish portion sizes, contrary to my preconceived notions).

Overall, A F + B is the perfect spot for date nights, celebrations, and special occasions.

We finished off the night by splitting a yummy mini cheesecake from J. Rae's. If you haven't tried these yet, you must. I'm not even a "cheesecake" person but I can't resist the fluffy texture of this cake and its sugar cookie crust. Heavenly.

  PS: I'm still drooling dreaming about that melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi!

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spring bucket list

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I recently started up a spring bucket list in my iPhone Notes app so that when I'm looking for something fun to do on the weekend, my ideas are literally at my fingertips. Some of these activities are things I've done before, while most are things that I "have always wanted to do" but tend to forget about once I get some free time. I'm looking forward to trying new things and going new places in the upcoming warm weather months. xo.

In no particular order...

1. Kayaking at Panther Island Pavilion // already been once this year. Will be returning on the reg. Such a fun way to soak up some sun and take in the beautiful Fort Worth skyline views in a peaceful environment!

2. Go to a Fort Worth Cats game // went once last year and looking forward to attending more this season!

3. Check out the Fort Worth Vaqueros (new minor league soccer team)

4. Segway tour // might see and learn things about the city I didn't know!

5. Host a Cowtown Cycle Party pub crawl

6. Try my hand at the driving range // it's been a while...

7. Go to at least one Rangers game // fulfilled this item on Opening Day (3/31)! Some sweet friends had extra tickets and invited the hubs and I to join. So much fun!

8. Fort Worth Zoo // Check! I went a few weeks ago for my mom's birthday. So fun seeing all the baby animals!

9. Host a wine and cheese party // obviously this involves staying home rather than going out, but I'd love to make it an al fresco get-together to at least enjoy a warm evening on the patio with candles, music, and yard games!

10. Find a new place to hike // I've already researched a few local gems to try out, namely the Fort Worth Nature Center and Eagle Mountain Park.

11. Run at least one 5k and/or half marathon // already signed up for a 5k in April and looking into possibly doing the Chisholm Trail Parkway half in May!

12. Spend an evening under the stars at the Coyote Drive In // the hubs and I went once last year when it first opened and have been planning to return now that the weather is just right!

13. Concert in the Gardens // nothing says "warm weather is here!" more than a picnic, best friends, and live music

14. Friday on the Green // a free version of the above. food, drinks, friends, music... perfection

15. Central Market weekend concerts // love these! such a good spur of the moment activity to do with the hubs and/or friends. I usually buy a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers inside and then enjoy them while listening to the free performances!

16. Go on a picnic // dying to sprawl out under Trinity Park's massive oak trees with a picnic basket and the possibility of a siesta in the afternoon sunshine

17. Get a bike and take it on a spin // I want to make more of an effort to get from point A to point B on two wheels instead of four--step one, get a bike!

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fort worth weekend // 3.15.14

This past weekend, my family came up to visit to celebrate my mom's birthday! It's the first time they have seen the new house since moving day when they helped us haul and unpack boxes. It was good to see them and spend some time visiting and taking them around Fort Worth.

On Friday, my mom's birthday, we ventured to the Montgomery Street Antique Mall. It was my first time to go and boy was it overwhelming! The place is absolutely enormous, with thousands of items ranging from charming to creepy tucked into every nook and cranny you could imagine. I walked away with a black and white photo of West 7th Street that looks to be at least 50 or 60 years old, but I'm not an expert on antiques. Since I frequent that street quite often, I thought it would be a great addition to my new wall gallery as homage to old Fort Worth. (Stay tuned for an upcoming post on my guest room wall gallery--I'm pretty proud of it!)

Saturday I made a yummy sausage egg breakfast casserole using this recipe (sorry, no picture.)  Everyone went back for seconds, so I think I might keep this one in my repertoire! After breakfast, we headed to the Fort Worth Zoo. I hadn't been since I was very little, so it was fun to go as an adult and actually appreciate all the sights. I brought my camera along and took several pictures on that, in addition to the trusty iPhone. Here are some of my faves:

One of the newborn elephants! There are two, and I think this is the boy... Bowie.

Huge croc!

Lone gorilla... sticking out its tongue in the righthand picture!

My parents headed back home that afternoon, right as a thunderstorm rolled in. I spent the rainy afternoon relaxing and watching Netflix. Sunday was also a day of rest, beginning with a much-needed sweat sesh at LA Fitness and ending with, yep, more Netflix! #can'tgetenough

I had such a fun weekend exploring Fort Worth and celebrating my mom's birthday! Hope you had a great weekend, too! xo.

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my weekend

Midterms and finals are done and I can't put into words how relieved I am that I have the next week off! I hope my weekend includes lots of sleeping, lattes, sunshine, and a little bit of revelry. Cheers to the weekend, y'all. xo.

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an organized closet

Do you ever have so many ideas, thoughts, and ambitions buzzing around your head at once that it just gets plain overwhelming?  I've been struggling with this a lot lately, and instead of acting on my ideas and making things happen, I end up plopping in front of the TV to catch up on How I Met Your Mother episodes on Netflix. Hey, it's a pretty funny show, but still... I don't feel accomplished or productive after a bout of TV-watching.

So here I am, back on the blog that I pretty much left abandoned for the past month. I know that living life is more important than sitting behind a screen and writing about it, but at the same time I know I personally really enjoy reading posts by some of my favorite bloggers (both near and far) and get inspired to contribute to the blogging community myself! I love discovering more about my own city, which is growing rapidly by the day, and sharing my adventures and finds with whoever stumbles across my little blog. Seriously, I've got blog post ideas dedicated purely to all the new things popping up in Fort Worth--I can hardly keep up so I have to write them down!

Anyway, I came up with a sort of metaphor (I wasn't an English major, so I may be slightly off on this term, but you get the idea) for this overwhelming feeling of disorganized thoughts I've had over the past few weeks: my closet! As you may have read in one of my previous posts, I moved to a new house the day after Christmas. My decorating efforts have mostly concentrated on the living room and office, but man oh man my bedroom and closet could use some TLC! While my bedroom is sparse and minimal at the moment--which I can tolerate for a little while longer--my closet is quite the opposite. This got me thinking that maybe I could use some better organization/storage options for my shoes, jeans, etc. that typically end up in random piles on the floor.

Below are a few items I have my eye on that will help me tackle this project of organizing my closet. And I'm thinking maybe once that space gets decluttered, it might just be the thing I need to spark my motivation to accomplish other life goals, dreams, and plans.

one / two / three / four / five / six

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happy 2014

2014 is here! The past year was pretty much taken over by the home building process but I'm excited to start the new year off in the new house. We had a busy week last week which entailed some frantic packing, moving out of the condo (ugh, stairs...), storing our stuff in scattered places, traveling home for Christmas, and returning to Fort Worth to close on the 26th. I was thankful that my parents and siblings followed us up to watch the pups during closing and then help us gather our belongings from my mother-in-law's house and storage unit. We got settled into the house fairly quickly with their help and spent the past few days decorating, organizing, and watching lots of Netflix! Though we were two months past our originally quoted close date, it was worth the long wait. We just love our new neighborhood--almost as much as our dogs do!

Now that my vacation is ending and I have to finally return to the working world, I've started to reflect on adventures and goals I look forward to in 2014. Some things I foresee in my future: much more traveling, reading more books, entertaining friends in our new backyard, painting, and cooking in my new kitchen. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all the best in 2014!

xo.

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friday snow day

Well it's the first Snow (i.e. Ice) Day of the season here in DFW. The bad weather eluded us last year so I guess we were due for one of these days! Roads are covered in ice and an inch or so of snow, meaning many restaurants, workplaces (including mine), and schools have closed. Not going to lie--it's kind of nice having this day off to just relax and listen to Christmas music! My dogs are in heaven having me home with them today. I'm using this day to catch up on some blogging and Christmas movie-watching. And pancake eating. (Recipe to follow on another post. It's definitely good enough to share!!)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

xo.

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thanksgiving

I took a little break from my blog yesterday to focus on family and counting my blessings. I'm back today to share a little of how the day went--namely my first ever half marathon!

Wednesday evening, I saw the 10:30 showing of Hunger Games: Catching Fire with the hubs. Not quite sure why we thought that was a good idea, given that our race was early the next morning. Nevertheless, we had a great time and thought the movie was awesome.

We set out our race clothes when we got home and finally went to bed at nearly 2 a.m. The 6:30 wake up call came all too soon, but adrenaline helped us wake up quickly and we set out for Trinity Trails Park. Yesterday morning was VERY very very very cold. Somehow, my energy levels stayed up almost the entire time, and the only things bothering me were that a) I drank too much water before the race and really had to go to the bathroom around mile 3; and b) my hands were so cold they hurt for the first 8 miles--I couldn't warm up, even with gloves! I pushed through it, though, and felt so accomplished and relieved to finish!

Left: Tired after the race! Right: Sinking into our Thanksgiving food comas.

My 4 week training program was totally doable, and although it's always recommended to train for a longer amount of time, it is definitely possible to prepare for a half in one month. My schedule basically consisted of one or two rest days a week, with alternating 4-6 mile runs during the week and longer runs on the weekends (8-10 miles). The weekend of the race I took it easy and didn't go over 6 miles. I set milestones for each weekend to increase distance, running a 4, 6, and 10, tapering off again before the race. 

After the race, we went home to clean up and I immediately set to work on some mini apple galettes to bring over to Thanksgiving lunch with my mother-in-law and her friends. I had only made a large galette before and was unsure how the minis would turn out. I used gluten free Pillsbury pie crust dough and prepared the filling using this recipe via Heaps of Henri, making sure to prepare the filling the night before to reduce my work (read: stress) the day of. The hubs and I tested one to make sure it turned out, which I was happy to find it did! We then headed out for lunch and some Cowboys game viewing.

At half time, we returned home with major food comas to hang out with our lonely pups and watched a few Netflix movies. We had an awesome second Thanksgiving dinner that we picked up from Central Market after the race that morning to replenish all the calories we'd burned earlier. Perfect way to end the night!

Hope you and yours had the best Thanksgiving!

xo.

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it's the little things

Is anyone else having just the slowest week ever? I know it's already Thursday (or as I like to call it: Friday Eve), but I'm already exhausted! I think the impending Thanksgiving holiday next week plus the stress and frustration of wanting to get started on house closing/moving is just a lot to handle at the moment.

However, when I focus on all the good going on in my life right now, it's hard to complain! The absolute highlight of my week thus far was the opening of Starbucks in our newly completed Sundance Square on Tuesday.

Sundance Square underwent a huge renovation over the past year or so and was unveiled earlier in the month. I am in love with the space already, especially now that all the Christmas decorations are going up! New restaurants are popping up one by one in each of the two new buildings that flank the east and west perimeter of the square.

Starbucks actually only made a move across the street from its old location, but the new set up is wayyy better. On Monday night, my Twitter newsfeed was sprinkled with several tweets about how the first 100 customers in line for Tuesday morning's opening would get free Starbucks drinks for a year. I immediately set my alarm extra early and surprisingly was able to get up and going! I waited in line an hour before the store opened and sure enough received my coupon card for my free drinks. For someone who works downtown and frequents that store a lot, I was pretty excited about it!

So you know, life can get pretty stressful at times. But I'm learning the importance of slowing down, getting outside my comfort zone, and appreciating the little things like: waiting in line for coffee before the sun comes up and making friends with strangers waiting with you; listening to Christmas music a week earlier than what is socially acceptable (and not caring); and generally feeling small in a big, wonderful world! 

xo.

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