Some (Very Late) Scenes...From The Week

A snippet from our Thrift Studio vignette... more to come soon. Stay tuned.

Millie and Wil hanging out sans mamas

Last week we were all about installing our vignette space for Dwell With Dignity's fantastic Thrift Studio event (so excited to be a part of this amazing organization), which, I'm not gonna lie, was a bit of an epic undertaking. So, by Friday, I was in serious need of a little downtime. Truth be told, I've been in need of a little mama downtime for a while... It's easily been two years since I've gone away on any sort of girlfriend trip -- you know, the kind where you can chat it up with your homies, imbibe a bit, and (essential to the whole operation) not be needed by anyone.

So a two-day excursion with Sam and our friend Sarah to Round Top for the annual spring bacchanal-o-antiques really couldn't have come at a better time. And we were prepared friends -- stacks of magazines, fully charged phones primed for pinning, ample car snacks, tunes -- primed and ready for all the treasures awaiting us in the dusty fields. Watch out.

The trip did not disappoint, as we came home toting some serious collective goodness. The high points of which included: a big stack of Turkish towels (all); brass urns, ink drawings, pottery, and a kilim rug (me); more art, a killer marble sink, and an insanely beautiful slab of petrified wood (Sam); even more art and a snowy white cowhide rug (Sarah).

Never mind that the adventure also included getting trapped inside a small town Wal Mart during a monster hail storm (we made the best of it by giving ourselves manicures at the customer service desk), two massive steak dinners, a stolen piece of art (never fear, it was an accident and we promptly went back and paid for it), and an iPhone being hurled out the car window as we sped down the highway (don't ask).

Worth it? You bet.

Some Scenes from the Weekend (+ a belated winner)

This was the first weekend that truly felt like fall to me. It was sort of a magical trifecta of rainy, leaf-strewn days, cozy meals, and (wait for it)...football.

Specifically there was my alma mater's big rivalry game (in which, sadly, we were handily trounced)... We religiously watch this particular game every year with a crew of dear friends that we've known (in some cases) since childhood. The scene is crazy and bustling and really, really fun. (Picture Thanksgiving but with no family baggage.)

This year there were 13 kiddos at the festivities who, over the course of a very long day (we start early in the morning with bloody marys and breakfast tacos and go late into the evening with a massive smoked brisket and margaritas -- it's pretty major), partook in some impressive merry-making. But by far the littles' finest hour occured at dusk when they decided to have an epic drive-way dance party, barefoot, in the pouring rain. Walking home late that night stuffed with tacos and brisket and margaritas, Millie passed out in my arms, Audrey all raggedy, the soles of her feet black from playing, Bryan and I marveled at how much fun we'd had...how lucky we were to have such lasting, close friendships, how much we'd laughed. It was goodness.

On Sunday, we'd hoped to cap the festive weekend off with a trip to the fair (one of our favorite activities of the year), but the rain thwarted our plans so we piled the girlies in the car and headed to the museum instead. Let's just call it the the cultural counterpoint to our bacchanal the day before...because really it's all about balance, yes?











Last but not least, the winner of last week's Nahla giveaway is Jennie...Congrats!

The lovely folks at Nahla have also kindly offered up a 15% discount on all orders over $75 through October 25th using code “SIMPLELOVELY”. They'll also throw-in lots of great goodies like travel size samples and aromatherapy treats with your order.

Field Trip -- Calypso Home in Dallas

A couple of weeks ago, while Bryan and Audrey were tucked into some pretty noteworthy chips and guacamole at Taco Diner next door, Millie and I snuck over to the new Calypso Home to do a little "sleuthing". Millie's especially good for these types of reconnaissance missions, as she's awfully fond of (in her words) "pretty things"... Sweet girl.

I've long been a fan of Calypso's general sort of romantic/boho aesthetic (+ they can turn out some seriously lovely frocks), so I couldn't wait to check out their home wares up close. They did not disappoint. In fact, the store was so chock-full of awesomeness that it inspired a new semi-regular (not sure how often yet) "field-trip series" here on the blog, highlighting some favorite spots in Dallas -- our city sports so many great places (restaurants, shops, galleries...) that seem to deserve a bit more of a deep dive than I give them on my weekend posts.

Specifically, what I found so compelling about the Calypso Home space was how it felt unlike anything else in town. Everything was beautiful and sort of luxurious but also very unique and crafted and (for lack of a better term) humble. The pottery and textiles and furniture didn't feel overly-manufactured, and the shelves weren't stocked with the same ubiquitous things. Most of this is due to the unerring eye and spot-on taste of their talented (and really kind) home buyer Ann Haagenson. (And, as evident in the shot below, she also possess some serious sartorial prowess).

The shop is having their official Open House tomorrow (Thursday, May 12th) from 10-6, where Ann will be on-hand to answer any questions. And to further sweeten the deal, they'll be serving champagne and Sprinkles cupcakes... Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area!