France....Here I Come!

Blogging is such a COOL thing!  You "meet" so many nice people and see so many cool and clever things.  But my blogging has taken me even one step farther in the realm of COOL THINGS.  Hold on to your hats ladies....I'm going on my first trip to France.  With..... The fun ladies at the Red Shed in Grapevine. http://redshedantiques.blogspot.com/   You see...when I blogged about Grapevine, TX a few weeks ago, I had made the short trip from Houston to Dallas to meet some of my fellow traveling buddies and learn more about the trip.

Check their fantastic blog out....they put on these trips several times and year and even though I haven't gone yet....I know it will be the trip of a lifetime. 

 We will be visiting all sorts of fun flea markets, antique stores, have a cooking class, visit a chateau, a trip to the Cote D' Azure and much, much more. 

The weather in Aix en Provence in October promises to be some of the best weather they have.  Highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's with lots of sunshine.  I'm envisioning we will be strolling down streets just like this one.  I can't WAIT!!!! 

 We will see hillside views just like this!

 We won't be seeing any fields of lavender because that season is in the early summer.  However, I'm sure there will be plenty of "lavender things" to see.  

 Provence has at its southern edge the famed Cote d’Azur with its wonderful coastline along the Mediterranean Sea.  Generally Provence is consider the area east of the Rhone River with the Alps being the eastern border.  Provence enjoys a southern sun that shines 320 days yearly, giving the region blue skies and mild temperatures year round.  And as a Southern girl, living in Houston with the temperature still hovering in the mid-90's, cool and sunshiney weather sounds like Heaven!

 After 7 days in wonderful Aix en Provence, the Red Shed portion of the trip will end, but my traveling companion, Tyra and I, will continue on to Paris.  We simply COULD NOT be that close to Paris and skip it....so we opted to add a few more days on our itinerary.  LIFE'S SHORT----LIVE A LITTLE!

The few short days will only whet my appetite for more of Paris....but, hey....it's a start. A boulangerie/bakery is one of the first things I want to find.  We will need strength for our busy and fun-filled Paris excursions.

 And of course, we'll have some coffee, giggles and people watch while we plot out our day.

 Montmarte is, of course, on the list.

And then perhaps a crepe, or I've been told to be sure to get a Jambon Sandwich (?)....

And it wouldn't be a "girly trip" without some serious window shopping! 

Where would YOU suggest we go????  All suggestions are much appreciated.  And of course, I'll be blogging when I return home.  On the previous trip "The Red Shed" took they blogged along the way, so be sure and check out their blog! http://redshedantiques.blogspot.com/

Wish me luck!!!

San Antonio is Colorful!

And we are OFF......headed to COLORFUL San Antonio, TX for a girl's weekend!  My friend Rhonda (with the cute Shanty) picked me up in her new ride and we broke it in!

We stayed at a cool, older hotel on the Riverwalk, El Tropicano.  It was built in the early 60's and was full of mid-century charm.  The reception desk had a great wall of masks.

And in the lobby were the cutest, most colorful phones ever! 

Here are some up close pictures of more masks and decorations. 

An angelic, baby/man faced creature..............

This was the view from our room.  It was very tropical and we felt like we were vacationing in "Me-he-co" (aka Mexico).  The reception area and elevators played salsa music that gotcha movin' and groovin'.

Aren't these the coolest couches ever?   Orange Leather!!!!

The rooms were classic and comfortable....

The bathroom, small but functional and chic!

Once settled, we were itching to get to the Riverwalk and check it out.  From a river that once used to be filled with sewage, etc., San Antonio has created an oasis of relaxation and fun.  No wonder Tourism is their biggest industry.

On Saturday, we headed to the "Mexican Market" and shopped.  Aguas Frescas are the delicious, icy, juice drinks sold in the middle of the market.

And a trip to San Antonio is not complete, without a trip to the 24-hour Mexican Restaurant and Panaderia (Bakery)....Mi Tierra.  Here is just a sampling of their wonderful baked goods. 

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)  is a Mexican holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.  It's a three day celebration that sounds somber, but it is not.  It's a happy celebration and Day of the Dead decorations are very big in all the markets. 

And how about some ten gallon hats and sarape's.....just what every cowboy (vaquero) needs.

We ran across this pretty alter while shopping along the Riverwalk, known for its artsy goods and fun shops.

And of course, we had to PARTY AND DANCE!!!!    Hasta la vista...........baby!

I Heard it Through the "GRAPEVINE", TX that is!

Last week I had the chance to go to Grapevine, TX for 24 hours.  Of course, I like to travel with friends, so you are invited to come along (via the photos). Next time maybe we can meet up there! 

Grapevine is just a little north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, but when you are on the main street with all the vintage stores and cute restaurants, you are transported to a simpler place and time.

Can't you just imagine this cute little movie theatre having a line of excited patrons, waiting in line for movies in the 50's and 60's. Young people on first dates, family's waiting to see the newest Disney movie, mature sweethearts slipping out for a fun nite on the town.

Since I'm preparing for an upcoming trip to France (more about THAT exciting news in my next post!) I thought it would be fun to eat somewhere that looked a little "Paris-y". Oh la la!

I ordered the most delicious cranberry/orange scone and a great cup of Italian coffee.  Gotta have some Go-Juice for all the shopping that lay ahead of me. 

C'est Bon is RIGHT!  Maybe I'll find a handsome Frenchman just like this one while in Provence!

All their pastries looked delicious.....but I resisted. (Remember I DID have a scone!)

These little tarts were calling my name  but I resisted, uh....because I saw a cupcake shop that I planned on dropping by after lunch. See....I had a plan!

On the weekends there is a Farmer's Market that had delicious looking produce; including Hatch Chili's and local peaches.  YUMMMM!

I almost passed up this little shop because it was small , but I'm SO glad I didn't.  They had really cute stuff and not too pricey. I even found two cute tops for my France trip. 

I'd heard some good things about this store, Hollyhocks.  The owner is also going on the trip to France and so I was curious to visit her shop.  And I was not disappointed.  http://www.hollyhocksgrapevine.com/
The front porch and lawn are filled with interesting goodies that beckon you in to check it ALL out. 

She has lots of garden and botanical type antiques. There's a fun mix of old and new and the prices are really reasonable.

There are beautiful linens, great shabby chic furniture and fun pillows.

Check out these cute pajamas!  I'm sure they just get softer and softer the more time you wash them.

So.....that's my SUPER quick run through Grapevine.  Be sure and check back soon and I'll tell you all about my exciting, upcoming trip to Provence and Paris! 

A Cute Little "Shanty"

My talented designer friend, Rhonda downsized recently from a swanky downtown Houston loft to a cuter, than cute, duplex in the historic Heights section of town.  She jokingly calls her new place a "SHANTY".

 

So, since I LOVE signs, I created this one for her front porch, using a recycled sign, some letters I bought from a flea market and mirrors that I mosaic-ed.

 As you can tell, Rhonda has a knack for decorating....even her porch.  AND a green thumb! Which is amazing since we're in a huge drought.

 Here's a look a little bit closer.

And here's the other side of the porch......her next door neighbor Brenda really lucked out when a designer moved in next door, didn't she?  Plus, they also ended up being good friends...How Fun!

 Blooming on the back porch is an okra plant with a beautiful flower.  If you look closely you can see the okra on the top right of the blossom.  She ultimately gathered about 10 pieces of okra off the plant.  Pretty good for the first try! 

In Houston it's a necessity to use drought-hardy plants in your yard.  Otherwise, they end up being  "crispy" in no time.

 

This cute little donky is "Pedro".  Rhonda had freshened up his paint but she said he looked like a delicious chocolate donkey. 

 

She asked me to come over and "work some magic" so I brought a tiny bit of paint and dry brushed him to show off his curves, and nooks and crannies. 

And on the backporch stoop stands a pretty, perky strawberry pot with a sweet little angel guarding it from the birds and squirrels. 

Looks like Pepe is sleepy, so I guess the tour is over.  Rhonda promised to let me photograph the inside of her pretty little "shanty". You'll LOVE it!  Check back soon!