The simple joys in life bring me the most happiness. Christmas tree hunting with Beau is one of the best things we do all year.
This was Beau’s third year Christmas tree hunting. She doesn’t contribute anything but cuteness to the adventure. Actually, it’s a total hassle bringing a dog. Trying to find the perfect tree to fit in the home I have and not the massive living room I wish you had and cutting down a tree with a saw while juggling an enthusiastic people greeter on black Friday at a Christmas tree farm is a hand full. Worth it! But a handful.
Last year, we took our Christmas picture at the Christmas tree farm. Beau was cooperative for picture last year. This year… a whole different story. We weren’t planning on taking the Christmas picture… but a nice picture would have been grand. There is ONE picture where she’s looking at the camera. The rest, she’s straining trying to go say ‘hi’ to all the people cooing at her. Suffice to say, we gave up on the family photo this year. *Insert our efforts here.*
Beau was more comfortable on the tractor this year. She even laid down. A cute little boy, named Leo, gave her a sticker. She didn’t love it, but she managed to keep it on until we got to the car. A five year olds feelings were not hurt on our search.
We’re working on decorating the tree today. It’s been up and decorated with lights since Friday, but we’ve been busy [read as: lazy], so it hasn’t been done yet. My office is decorated, and most of the house is decorated. Just the tree and a few garland strings need to be put up to finish the look!
Now it’s time to start baking because I have fun recipes coming your way for Christmas/winter inspired goodies!!!
Fun Fact: I am allergic to Christmas trees. I can’t touch them because they make me itchy. If they poke me hard enough, which is not hard at all, I break out in cute little pustules. Merry Christmas, I look like I have the plague.
bisous und обьятий, Beau + RaeAnna
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I actually met and fell in platonic love with my Houston bestie because of Instagram. She’s a local florist and reached out to me about a collaboration. Over a year ago, Amanda walked into my living room with an arm full of flowers, told me we should be friends, and now, she can’t get rid of me. There are a few perks to having a florist for a bestie…. There are more than a few perks, but here are eleven I can think of.
By the way, she’s Amanda owner and creative genius behind Amanda Bee’s Floral Design. Click here to find her website. Or give her a follow on Instagram or Twitter or Pinterest or Facebook too. She’s the best. I’m not just saying that because I’m staring at a gorgeous and underpriced bouquet; she really is completely talented.
Flowers For some odd reason, florists have flowers lying around, and Amanda’s house smells like a greenhouse on steroids.
CreativityTo be a floral designer takes a lot of creativity. It’s such an interesting perspective, and she brings it into every part of her life and now mine.
KnowledgeI like to know things. Plants and flowers are everywhere, and I don’t know very much about them. I can always text Amanda a picture of a plant or flower, and she’ll have the answer. It’s like having my own personal plant dictionary at my disposal.
WholesaleIf you’ve never been to a wholesale flowers, you should. It’s magical.
DirtyPeople think florists are soft and fragile, but they’re willing to get their hands dirty. Taking care of flowers, making them pretty, dethorning them, and all that crap is hard work, and it’s dirty. Amanda is never afraid to get her hands dirty and get to work doing stuff.
BeautyFlowers are dirty and a pain, but they’re pretty. Amanda always brings small and beautiful elements to just about everything in her life.
TeacherAmanda is full of knowledge, and she’s always teaching me new things, like how to know if a flower is healthy, when to dry them, pressing techniques, and so much more.
FlowersSometimes when there are leftovers, I get some fun flowers. It’s a solid perk. I also get a genius arranging flowers I buy because I am genuinely not good at creating interesting arrangements.
FirmI always functioned under the idea: flowers are fragile. They are, but they’re not. You can use a firm hand to get them to do what you want them to do sometimes.
IngenuityI’m not saying she forages, but I’m not saying she doesn’t. Floral design isn’t just flowers; it’s about creating beautiful floral arrangements for spaces and people. Branches and fruit and feathers and more can go into arrangements to create depth, movement, and texture. Watching a truly creative designer do what they’re good at is fascinating.
FlowersHave a mentioned being surrounded by flowers and a literal flower girl is just plain good for the soul?
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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Last month, I surprised Dylan with a day trip to Dallas to experience the Texas State Fair because it had been on our list of things we need to do as Texans. We had such a blast, we decided to incorporate it into our monthly routines. Not a trip to Dallas or the State Fair, but a fun day for the two of us to enjoy each other. Tuesdays are the easiest for us to both get away because he doesn’t have class or work, and I can plan my work schedule to make that day empty.
The first Tuesday of every month is henceforth blocked off for couple time. We rotate planning. The State Fair was my surprise. Last Tuesday was Dylan’s day to plan for me. I was a little anxious because he hasn’t planned anything for me since the first…. week we dated over three years ago. He did well, though. It might be a new chapter in our coupledom.
I woke up and started working because that’s who I am. He told me I needed to be ready to go by noon.
By ready, he meant: put on comfy clothes and don’t do your makeup. I was a little nervous; he might be taking me to workout… which would have been the opposite of a happy surprise. We ended up at Cryo Recovery in Vintage Park. I had never done cryo nor had Dylan, so it was a really fun first time experience. They’re great! I would absolutely do it again. Dylan broke his back in the Marines, so we try a lot of things to help ease his pain. This worked so well for him. I have aches and pains from past injuries, and boy did I feel bouncy and ready for the day! We also did compression and freeze facials. My skin felt so good!
We bopped home after Cryo to let Beau out and put on pretty people clothes before heading to the next activity. Obviously food. Most of our activities involve or revolve around food. Indianola was a great place to load up with yummy food. Try the brussel sprouts; they’re great!
Getting ready to watch Casablanca at the Rooftop Cinema Club. | Sweatshirt | Jeans | Boots | PurseBeing our cute, loving selves.
I’m not a drinker, but Dylan loves beer, and I’m always up for a good root beer. I do love brew tours and wine tours; I just can’t participate. We headed over to Saint Arnold’s Brewery and enjoyed a tour of the brewery and some drinks. Dylan would like you all to know he beat me at Jenga. It was a very good game, but I did lose.
North Italia has great desserts, so we enjoyed a coffee and dessert there before heading to Rooftop Cinema Club to watch Casablanca. I LOVE old movies. They’re gorgeous and wonderful, but I’m ashamed to say, I’d never seen Casablanca. Now I have!!! We had so much fun cuddled under warm blankets watching a great movie.
It was such a fun day. I absolutely loved it. Next month, I have to plan something for him. I’ll keep you updated on what we do! After the fact because sometimes he reads this, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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Enjoying a leisurely stroll around a pond. | Shirt | Jeans | Sandals | Purse | Watch | SunglassesPosing with some of the art around the Texas State Fair Grounds.Even the pavers on in the shape of Texas.
I grew up going to the Iowa State Fair. There are very few years I didn’t make it. Even when I moved out of state, I tried to head to Des Moines for the fair. Sadly, I didn’t make it this year, but it lives on in my heart.
Dylan and I have been wanting to go to the Texas State Fair pretty much since we moved to Houston. We assumed it would be spectacular because everything’s bigger in Texas, right? Wrong. The Iowa State Fair set my expectations high for all fairs over the past three decades. There was quite the emotional fall when I went to the Texas State Fair…
The fair grounds are beautiful, but there isn’t much substance.
Why can’t I pet the damn animals??? Seriously fairs are for farm animal petting, and they kept the animals far away from me.
Also where were all the animals?!? Fairs are supposed to be full of cows and sheep and pigs and horses and goats and all other farm things. Nope. The barns were all but empty.
Speaking of farm stuff, where were the tractors and farm equipment… I mean Texas is a hugely agricultural dependent. Where’s the goods? The fair sure didn’t have any.
Farm equipment was lacking, but boy could you find any kind of car you wanted.
The African American Museum of Dallas is an amazing museum. It brought me to tears. Absolutely worth the trip.
I did not find a single washable tattoo. What kind of fuckery is that?
No one seemed terribly excited to be at the fair. There wasn’t a hum of anticipation.
The fried food was not in the kind of abundance I have come to expect from fairs.
Overall there was a complete lack of entertainment, music, and halls filled with food/flowers/pies/photography/4H/quilts lined up with blue ribbons and all the other colored ribbons.
No big slide.
I don’t know if it’s because Iowa’s State Fair is just that incredible (I mean, it is listed in a lot of lists of things you need to do in the U.S. and the world before you die.) or Texas has to epically fail at something or the Texas stock show culture is so prevalent. I’m glad I went to the Texas State Fair, but honestly, I never need to go again. It was kind of a bummer.
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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Having a gourd time at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas. | Skirt | Bralette | Blanket |
These photos were taken at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas, where there were lots and lots of cute pumpkins, so I took some pumpkin pictures.
I love autumn. It’s my favorite season. Pumpkin spice isn’t my jam, but apple cider sure is. After moving to Houston, fall is one of the things I miss about my Northern life. Fall here in humid Houston regularly visits the 90s. Yay.
I keep it real. My Instagram is a reflection of my real life, and my real life takes place in Houston. Instagrammable fall doesn’t exist here, so unless I’m traveling, I would be lying to you if I posted all the autumnal vibes.
Beach photos almost never end up looking anything but warm and tropical.
Other Houston bloggers, mostly of the fashion variety, are posting fall outfit inspo pictures, and I feel like I’m going to die for them. It’s hot. I’m not putting on a sweater for a picture. Nope.
Changing of the leaves is beautiful, but non-existent here. If I find myself somewhere it’s occurring, you’ll see it. Until then, you’re gonna see skirts, green grass, tank tops, pools, and bright blue skies.
I hate pumpkin spice. I took a taste of the Starbucks drink when they first came out with it or I first became aware of it, and I hate it.
Pumpkins are amazing. I have nothing against them; other than the spice capitalism and consumers have forced upon it. The pie is delicious. Roasted, soup, puree, and stuffed is all up my alley. I just don’t post them because everyone else is, and I’m here to be different.
Mood often sways the way my pictures turn out, and it’s hard to be in the autumnal, sweater, scarf, and cozy socks kinda mood when it’s 90 degrees and as humid as Satan’s crotch after hot yoga.
Houston winter feels like a casual fall to me, and it doesn’t come until after the new year, so you’ll see cozy from me for three weeks in mid-January or February, then it’s back to your regularly scheduled shorts and tees.
Being uncomfortable in a sweater or scarf in Texas is not worth a cute picture. I’ll do a lot for pretty photos but not that.
Houston
Houston
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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Taking a bow after being after being a weirdo.Stopping to smell the flowers at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas.Queen of the mountain… rock… batholith!
Early in the summer, I was telling my bestie, Amanda from Amanda Bee’s Floral Design, how I’ve lived in Houston for almost three years and haven’t seen or done much in Texas outside of the city and Galveston. She decided to fulfill my lifelong dream of planning a weekend trip to Fredericksburg for me. Did I mention she’s amazing?
A few weeks ago, we loaded into the car and picked up our friend, Judd, in Austin on our way for a three day galavant to Texas wine country, I mean hill country. Fredericksburg has become a destination for girls’ weekends, bachelorette trips, and couples’ getaways. It’s a picturesque little town an hour outside of Austin full of shops, wineries, restaurants, history, and outdoor activities.
Watching the bats go out to hunt.
Where I Stayed Peach Tree Inn & Suites is cute and within walking distance of downtown. It’s not like a hotel, it’s more like a bunch of teeny apartments with bathrooms, kitchenettes, and seating areas. The three of us stayed there very comfortably. It’s also pet friendly, but we didn’t bring Beau.
Getting into the fall spirit surrounded by pumpkins at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas.
What To Do Enchanted Rock is pretty awesome. It’s a granite, dome batholith. It’s definitely worth the $7 entrance fee and the climb. The view is terrific. I mean, it’s amazing. You can see for miles. You’re also in Texas hill country, so the hike is a little bit of an adventure. Old Tunnel State Park is home to bats. Twenty minutes outside of Fredericksburg is an old railway tunnel inhabited by a gazillion bats. At sunset, they fly out to go hunting. You can watch this amazing, natural spectacle from a high platform for free or from a closer perspective for $5 admission fee. The bats are worth the trip, but the view is also worth it. You can also hike and enjoy the outdoor activities. Shopping abundance will greet you in downtown. From pet stores, candy shops, restaurants, kitchen stores, home decor, jewelry, artisans, and more. You can find just about anything. Wildseed Farms is great if you love plants or you’re looking for a really cute and unique Instagram spot. This nursery is huge and has tons of flowers, seeds, decor, and a butterfly garden. There’s even a vineyard on site. I was traveling with florists, so we spent a good amount of time here. Not that I minded. Wineries I’m not a drinker, and we didn’t hit any up this trip. But most people don’t visit Fredericksburg without getting their wine on. Vineyards are truly everywhere. You can find one without trying. Promise.
Practicing my jumping skills on top of Enchanted Rock.
Where To Eat Fredericksburg Brewing Company has all the brews you could want and a menu full of authentic German food. It’s pretty delicious and has huge portions. Pasta Bella makes their own pasta, and I loved it. We all got different things, and I definitely had a fork full of each. The back room is decorated with old bicycles, which was cute and unique. Old German Bakery & Restaurant will definitely have a waiting list for breakfast, so I suggest getting there early. They don’t have a ton of authentic German breakfast options, but you can find German pancakes. Sunset Grill has a great American brunch menu. We went there right after climbing Enchanted Rock, and we were starving. The inside is cute, but we comfortably sat on the shaded outdoor patio without dying of heat. Java Ranch Espresso Bar & Cafe carries their ranch theme throughout their decor. They have decent coffee and a relaxing atmosphere if you need to put your feet up after a hard day of shopping….
So many gorgeous nooks to Fredericksburg.
Known For German Heritage Fredericksburg was settled by Germans, and their influence is noticeable from the architecture to the names to the German bakeries. Pecans You can find pecans and pecan paraphernalia all over the place. I honestly have no idea why other than they’re a Southern and Texas thing. But I’m not complaining because I am obsessed with pecans and always have been. Peaches I’m not a peach person. I love the way they smell, but I don’t like eating them. If you’re into more than just the emoji, this is the place to be during peach season. They’re everywhere. Dedicated peach stores line the roads, no joke. Wine There are a ridiculous amount of wineries and vineyards here. You can find automotive, German, Tuscany, horse, and more themed vineyards. I don’t drink, but I wish I did.
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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