don't mess with texas!

Last week we got to spend some good ol' quality time with our amazing friends in Texas! Kellan and Shelby (or Shellan and Kelby if you've had a few drinks) moved out to Dallas last year and we were pretty bummed about it, but at least they live in a cool city that we can come visit and have a blast in.

First stop, the Stockyards in Fort Worth, to see the Cattle Drive. I loved the speckled ones!

Texas is all about the food, right? So we HAD to get a Whataburger. It was mandatory, and we were not let down. Damn, these things are good! 

One day, we ventured over to the Bishop Arts District and I was in love. Quaint little stores mixed in with local restaurants = heaven. I could have spent all 4 days here and been a happy camper!

Society was definitely my favorite shop. It was so tiny, but packed with so many goodies! I wanted everything. 

Back to more food! Kellan's favorite bbq restaurant in Grapevine was a hit. Their mac 'n' cheese wasn't even fair. Everything was perfect. And they had Cheerwine, in a glass bottle, so Bradley was happy! 

On Friday we drove to Austin. It's a great city to visit regardless, (my mom and I went in 2013 for Quiltcon!) but my brother just moved there 3 weeks ago, so I especially wanted to go! And this weekend happened to be SXSW, so it was perfect timing!

First Stop in Austin was Home Slice Pizza. So good! I need another bite of Shelby's eggplant pizza!

And then we got cupcakes, because they're my favorite, and who turns down a cupcake? We came across the cupcake truck that mom and I visited in 2013, Hey Cupcake. They were even better than I remember. I got lemon with strawberry frosting. Amazing.

And we crammed in some time at Room Service Vintage to see if we could find anything that we just had to have! Unfortunately all the stuff I loved was huge, and wouldn't fit in my carryon- like this couch! I was obsessed. 

Making this post showed me how much stuff I don't have pictures of! Shelby and Kellan kept us so busy the entire time! I guess it's good that I actually enjoyed the time there instead of worrying about a certain shot. We had so much fun and definitely want to come back. Thanks so much to my best friend for having us!!

what a weekend!

You know that feeling when you are so glad to be home? Yep, I had that this weekend. I had a great time weekend visiting my dad and then my best friend in Raleigh, but coming home Sunday ended up being such a long day.

An hour into my 6 hour drive home I got a flat tire. This lead to a very creepy old man hitting on me while he changed my tire. AAA should really screen these people. No female, driving alone, wants to feel like she is going to be raped. And then I couldn't drive home on the spare tire (or over 50 mph,) so that lead me to buying a new tire at walmart. Thankfully, this all happened about 30 min from my cousins, so they joined me at walmart and then fed me some good ol' chicken and pastry. Also nice was cooper keeping me occupied with his adorable sleeping positions.

Before Sunday's unforseen adventure, I did have a great weekend in Raleigh with my bestie. Of course the first night we had Cheesecake Factory. It's one of my favorites, solely on the fact that they have free bread. That's pretty much how I rate restaurants. 1. Do they have bread. 2. How good is the bread. And 3. Do you have to pay for the bread. It's safe to say that Cheesecake Factory is at the top of that list. Saturday was jammed packed with shopping, first hitting the sale section at Anthro, where we snagged some good markdowns and volcano candles for each of our birthdays. Then for dinner she took me to this yummy local Italian restaurant, Bella Monica.

Their bread is out of this world. We inhaled it so fast that I didn't get a picture, but trust me on this. It comes cut like a piece of cake, slathered with olive oil and topped with herbs and sauteed onion, and you eat it with a fork. Oh my god. Probably the best bread ever. Then we split their calamari, but it wasn't what you usually get. It had no breading and wasn't fried. It was seared in basil. Sounds kind of odd, but so. good. For my entree, I stuck to what I knew would be perfect, and got a margherita pizza. All in all, Bella Monica was such a win. I'll definitely be begging Mal to go back the next time I visit!

almost home

In just a few days, I will be on a plane heading home. It's been two months and I can't wait for that flight, but still I will miss it here. It's quaint, rustic, quiet and has views to die for. And I've come to know this little village pretty well. Like when you're walking down the cobblestone road, avoid the smooth rocks. You're just asking for it. And don't leave your windows open at night or you will have some animals cuddle with you in your bed. Yes, that happened. I honestly don't know who was more scared, me or the cat.

But, it's been a long journey here. Lots of smiles and laughs with a few screams and tears along the way. It's my last quarter of college, so there has been extra stress, but I made it through. There were people that thought that I couldn't do this. People that thought I couldn't be away from home for 2 months. Including me. I cried every night for a week before I left. I didn't think that I could do it. This was a huge step for me and I'm so proud of myself. Who knows what else I can do.

two weeks

That's how long I have until I leave this sweet village. Two weeks. I will be on a plane home to my family and I will have finished college. It's hard to wrap my head around that last part. Some days, I feel like these 4 years have completely passed me by, and others they couldn't go fast enough. But, I am so excited that they are almost over. 

It's been a stressful four years. Art school may seem like a cake walk, but it's really hard to put your work out there for people to so easily knock down. I put so much of my heart in each piece, and I want everyone to love it and respond to it like I do. When they don't feel the same, it's hard to swallow. Clearly I'm very excited that after these two weeks, I won't be graded anymore. I can make a quilt and not obsess over all the seams lining up. Although, knowing me, I will.

Wish me luck in my final days. We both know I'll need it.

lauris

Today we visited Lauris, another small town in Provence. We came to see the Jardin Conservatoire de Plantes Tinctoriales. It was such a beautiful trip. The garden is absolutely stunning and this isn't even in full bloom. We got an early tour since we are leaving before it opens, officially. Can you imagine how amazing it will be in a few weeks? This conservatory grows plants and flowers and then uses them to make natural dyes. Can I work here?

in a week

 Chef Fabrice held a cooking class so we could learn how to make some traditonal Provençal dishes.

::::::::saturday::::::::

 I came across this hunting store, and it obviously made me miss Bradley. He would have loved this.

::::::::sunday::::::::

 I pass by these beautiful pansies multiple times, everyday. They always cheer me up.

::::::::monday::::::::

 Today, I slept in. It was wonderful.

::::::::tuesday::::::::

 Today, we dyed with woad. And then the rain started.

::::::::wednesday::::::::

 We found this poppy field on the way to a fabric store. A great little moment.

::::::::thursday::::::::

Today, we went to Nîmes, and then to the Pont Du Gard.

::::::::friday::::::::

lyon

Last week we went to Lyon for one day. We left Lacoste at 5:30 am- so excited about that. By 8:30 we were in Lyon and ready to see Prelle! I could have taken four times the photos that I did and I still would have missed stuff. Everything here was gorgeous. Prelle is a family run company that has been in business for over 200 years. They specialize in handwoven fabrics. They have made fabrics for Versailles and the Biltmore Estate that cost about $4000 per meter. And Marie Antoinette looked through those swatch books below to decide what she was going to wear. No big deal.