Katie’s Bachelorette Bash

This weekend we got to celebrate the fact that Miss Katie is getting married SO SO SOON! Chels and I had the honor of throwing the bachelorette party and it was a blast. And y’all know I love an excuse to plan anything, especially for someone I love so much.

We kicked off the weekend with brunch at Gratifi. Food was fabulous, per usual, and super affordable. It also may have been the best service I’ve ever had in a large group. When the server carded us, she wrote our names down as well so that splitting the tab up was incredibly easy. A +!! If you have a large party, go here!! And they allow dogs on the patio, which gives any restaurant extra points in my book.

Gift bags for the girls!

Getting pampered at Sweet Desire!! I messed up my toes as soon as I was done, ha. They fixed them… after scolding me for not being more careful. Whoops.

How cute is the bride?!?!?!

Chels came Friday from Austin and we crafted and shopped and ate grocery store sushi. I baked the cutest cookies ever- insanely easy recipe, incredibly tedious put together process. The dough as sticky and making tiny cookies is challenging. While they didn’t turn perfect, I was pretty proud of them. As far as crafting, I had seen an adorable “Cheers” sign for sale on Etsy for $50 and figured it’d be worth it to attempt to make it on our own. It definitely was.

After nails, we rushed to get the room set up at Hotel Icon using all our prep work. We loved the hotel- it’s right off of Market Square, downtown, and the rooms all have a historic feel to them while still be completely updated. I would have loved to spend some time soaking in the tub 😀 Plus, thanks to Priceline we got an amazing deal!



The whole group via selfie stick!

After we settled in, Katie opened lingerie (NO PICS!! Josh, you’ll just have to wait ;)) and we played a couple games. Throughout Katie’s life, she’s been fairly accident prone so we played a true/false game of Katie’s injuries. So fun. And we quizzed her on some questions we had asked Josh beforehand. My favorite question was “If you could get rid of anything of Katie’s, what would it be?” and Josh answered “Barrett”. Which is Katie’s dog. I was laughing out loud when he sent that. AND Erin’s bf brought up their new pup, Laura Bush (true Texans, y’all) and she was beyond precious. Cue 12 girls awing.

Best CUSTOM card by Sara. Katie’s face on a lingerie model. Basically the same body, amiright?

Then it was time for dinner at Hearsay. I really enjoyed my fish tacos, but the highlight of dinner was applying flash tats (I was able to find an off brand on Amazon for much cheaper and they were still great!).



Preface: NONE of us go out like this anymore (as in, bar hopping with tons of drinks and staying up until 3 in the morning). BUT it was party bus time! SO many memories from college on a party bus. It was very appropriate that this was the way we celebrated Katie (our president), with so many AXO’s in town. Lei Low, in the heights, was the first stop. Dan and I loved it when we went so I was excited for everyone to check it out. The only indication on the front is a neon “Rum” sign. The only tiki bar I know of in Houston. Drinks are very detailed and pretty darn good, although sometimes bitter.


Next stop: Local Pour. Super fun band playing. I loved the lighting in these pictures.

And of course, we had to hit up Midtown.


But mostly just wanted to stay on the bus because Erin’s party playlist was killing it.


Then it was the morning and we had all made our way onto the struggle bus.

The yogurt parfaits bar served in mini mason jars was an adorable idea but I’m pretty sure everyone just wanted pure grease after the night we had.

CHEERS to the best weekend with some awesome ladies. Can’t wait to celebrate together again at the wedding!!!

Should’ve Been A Cowboy

The Houston Rodeo is a BIG deal. All my Houston friends in college raved about it. I was a little confused because while rodeos in Ft. Worth can be fun, they aren’t something to be raved about. But now that I live in Houston, I totally get it. The Houston Rodeo is awesome.

Dan’s boss gave him suite tickets at the last minute to the show last night and I was stoked. Being in a suite was pretty darn cool. Lots of food and drinks and your beer is served to you in your seat! And no line for the bathroom! I also loved all the events although I did wonder who originally decided to ride a bull and make it a sport. So dangerous! But some of those guys made it look easy. I can’t even imagine hopping onto a bull for the very first time. Plus, the announcers were hilariously entertaining.

We tried really hard to get a good photo but the lighting in the suite was just terrible and this was the best we could do.

Suite cookie! After the amazing ice cream in a cowboy hat with bailey’s and a cookie on top… sugar overload 😀

Stage set up. Happened so fast!

Oh my, Zac Brown Band. I’ve always listened to them and enjoyed their music, but they totally wowed me last night. Musically, they were spot on. Zac killed it on the guitar. And they covered Enter Sandman AND Bohemian Rhapsody. And just took down the stadium. Those are super tough songs. So basically I love Zac Brown now. They also played a newer song that definitely wasn’t country. Pulling a Taylor Swift? I dug it. And his hat? Adorable. Dan needs one. And I need to visit a haberdashery ASAP.

It was a really fun night, even if I did miss the turkey legs. SO glad we made it to the rodeo this year- it was questionable. Can’t wait for next year 😀 Maybe we’ll get lucky and get suite tickets again…

A Lazy Weekend

So I recovered from my foul mood and we ended up having a really nice weekend here in Houston. We didn’t get out of bed until noon on Saturday OR Sunday. Such bums. We really took advantage of the whole free weekend thing, though in the least productive way possible.

To make up for missing out on NYC, we did a dinner and a movie date night on Friday. Went over to Collina’s near the house (BYOB!! with only a $2 corking fee!!) and ate pizza. Which it seems like we are eating a lot of lately. Our waistlines are surely thanking us. We had it last night too… HA. But we were near Pizza L’Vino and I couldn’t resist because it’s my favorite in Houston, even if Pink’s is my go-to. I clearly need to do a post on pizza. Afterwards, we saw Kingsman at Sundance, which we both really enjoyed. Kind of a more humorous James Bond. Typically, I’m not a huge action movie fan because I feel like the “action” parts are too long/boring. The scenes in Kingsman were just right. After the movie, we walked over to notsuoH (Houston spelled backwards) and met up with Katie & Josh. Really laid back, dive-y, bar with good music and friendly bartenders.

Try Coyam!! It was really, really great.

I feel like we need a bikini lady lamp.

After we finally got up on Saturday, we drove out to Katy to check out No Label Brewing Co. The brewery is in an old rice silo with a huge outdoor area and it was packed! They get down to business in the burbs. Lots of kids running around and people hanging out in lawn chairs. A lot of the beers have clever names- my favorite was the Black Wit-O (no surprise there). Dan chatted up the head brewer and is going to join him for a brew day on Friday! Bright and early at 6 AM 🙂 I’m really excited for him to get the opportunity to see the brew process on a larger system.

This little boy LOVED Bar. He kept telling anyone who passed, “Don’t worry- he’s friendly!” and hugging him a lot. Barley was so great with him 😀

And then… MORE BEER. And some food. We are so predictable. A couple at the brewery had told us about World of Beers (also in Katy… the suburbs have some really good things going on) so we went to check it out. Giant selection! I’m pretty sure I could have gotten anything I wanted. But I picked the Belgian flight because I’m adventurous like that.

We also had our first crawfish of the season with some friends at Woodrow’s Heights. 4 whole pounds of hard work and sticky fingers. Sidenote: Woodrow’s is not the same as Little Woodrow’s.

I swear, Barley got more attention on Saturday than ever before. Which really says something. He is such a doll and I’m so proud of how well behaved he is.

We are all on drugsss, ya! (It’s a song, mom. Didn’t really happen.)

Sunday: Shipley’s donuts & kolaches, house/yard work (Dan wore a floor length heavy duty rain coat to mow because it was pouring all day and mowing was desperately needed), church, and pizza.

I was getting really impatient with this line. Why did it take so long for DONUTS? Also, yes, my sticker is expired. Don’t worry, a new one is in the mail.

Disappointment

So Dan and I were supposed to wake up in New York City today. We were supposed to be enjoying a super fun weekend with Jenni & Seth. We were supposed to be eating pizza and hot dogs and at delicious NYC restaurants. We were going to go to the 9/11 memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge and the Frick. We were going to see a show on Broadway and breathe in the cold, freezing air. And I’m pouting quite a bit because we aren’t going to get to do any of that and even if we go back next month, the Boyles won’t be there 😦

So basically I’m being a big baby and was a terrible grouch to Dan last night (sorry!) after our flight was cancelled (and we weren’t able to get on another one on Friday… or Saturday…). It’s especially bratty of me because we did just get back from the most amazing vacation and whooo gets to do things like that 2 weekends in a row anyway?! So I’m determined to be grateful for a weekend in Houston where we can work on things around the house (Lord knows our yard needs some TLC) and just generally hang around and be lazy.

Photo (taken by Jenny) from NYC in December with our favorite little niece who I miss so much and CAN’T WAIT to see in just 2 weeks!!

And out of the cold…

We are back in Houston and were welcomed with the most lovely, fog/mist/humidity combination. It creeped up to 75 and I’m SO NOT READY for the heat. Dallas just got snow! Not fair Houston. Not. Fair.

Colorado, on the other hand, was just perfection. Even if we did have to drive through a bit of a snow storm from Denver > Steamboat Springs. The boys decided to upgrade us (for safety purposes) to a Tahoe and I’m so relieved they did. And now we all want Tahoes ASAP. For a group that doesn’t particularly care about cars, this says something. After a fairly grueling drive through the snow/ice (thanks Tim!!), we made it in around midnight. We rented a ski in/out condo through airbnb.com that was really comfortable and just the right spot to relax after a day on the slopes.

DAY 1: Learn to ski (again)

We rented our equipment at One Stop Ski Shop in downtown Steamboat and they were great- plus the 2 cute dogs didn’t hurt. Courtney and I made our way to ski school while the boys took on the black slopes. Since I had attempted skiing before and Dan had given me a good base, I wasn’t technically a beginner, so Courtney and I split up into different levels. I spent the day with a super sweet woman from Venezuela (where she has trouble finding milk and toilet paper at the store due to the political climate at the moment) and our instructor, Mike. He really helped me to understand the basics of skiing- especially where to put my weight and how to easily turn the skis. By the end of the day I was feeling confident.

That night we made some quick shopping trips to stock up for the weekend. LOTS of Powerade to prevent altitude sickness. In CO, the grocery store only sells 3.2 beer, so we had to run to the liquor store for REAL beer and wine. After shopping, we were too tired to cook so we went into town to dine at Mahogany Ridge. Man, it was packed! They brew their own beer and have a huge menu with lots of options. Great feel to the place and good food. The beer wasn’t my favorite, but it was refreshing and hit the spot.

The place we stayed (Storm Meadows) had the quickest, most efficient, *free* shuttle service I’ve ever seen and were always only a few minutes away after we placed a call. I would love to have that service here in Houston too 😀 We ended our first day with Battle of the Sexes (which continued on for the next couple of days). Turns out we are fairly evenly matched couples. Also, Dan makes a killer fire.

DAY 2: Practice makes perfect

It took me a while to warm up without the instructor, but eventually I was attempting to tackle some of the easier blues. I only cried twice and only had to be helped by a ski ambassador once. Thanks for being so patient, Dan! Our kids will be so lucky to have you as a teacher. Such an awesome strength that I’m continually striving for (and continually not succeeding).

We were all pretty sore, so we drove out to Strawberry Park Hot Springs that evening. Once again, thank goodness for the Tahoe. It was a pretty drive out there but as we got closer, it turned into a icy dirt road. So, so worth the drive. One of the coolest things ever and something I would highlyyy recommend. It’s so neat to be sitting in steaming hot springs in the middle of the mountains. Though I was pretty nervous about being in a swimsuit when the temperature was in the teens. It was a mad dash to de-cloth and re-cloth before and after. Sidenote: clothing optional at night (but I only saw one butt so I was safe). The boys actually jumped into the freezing part of the springs but there was no way we were joining them.

it was snowing a little bit.

Post springs bathroom selfie in my comfy vintage sweater. And ibuprofen. Lots of ibuprofen.

Chicken enchilada casserole for dinner and more battling of the sexes were the perfect end to a fantastic day.

DAY 3: Mastering Skiing

Double black diamonds for everyone!!

JK. Not sure those are ever in my future. But I was having a blast on the greens and blues. By the end of the ski day I didn’t want to get off the slopes! We were just about the last ones down. We even had ski patrol following us for a bit to make sure we were heading down. I then had the most delicious drink, the “snuggler” at Slopeside, and felt very happy (and relieved) that I had finally learned how to ski. Now the goal is to remember that feeling next year when I’m once again intimidated.

That night we gorged ourselves on Italian food at Mazzola’s (so charming and cozy in a basement-like setting) and lamented the fact that the ski trip was almost over.

DAY 4: Sad to leave

On our final morning, I ate the largest cinnamon roll I’d ever seen (we all shared) and a plate of biscuits and gravy. Thank you Winona’s, you were delicious. We also walked around downtown a bit and spent some time in the cutest bookstore, Off the Beaten Path (a tip from Jessica).

After the drive back to Denver we had a little time to kill before heading to the airport so we ended up at Great Divide Brewery, one of our favorites from our tour of Denver breweries last summer. I loved the seasonal belgian tripel, Orabelle, which we hadn’t gotten to try.

Our only good group picture… and of course it was captured exactly when the guy said cheese so I have a ridiculously goofy grin on my face. Cool.

Then it was back to the real world! This week has been so short. Basically just scrambling to catch on work and laundry before leaving town again! Cheers to Steamboat Springs and Tim & Courtney for putting up with us on the trip!

And apologies for the crazy long post… You now get a cute Barley pic.

Happy face after we got back!

Into the Cold

We are off to Steamboat Springs, CO! Below freezing temps and lots of snow, here we come. Hopefully taking ski school the first day will set me on the right track and I won’t end up crying on top of the mountain. Wish me luck!

 Packing cold weather clothes takes up a lot more space. How do northerners do this??

p.s. I almost cried saying bye to Barley… I become more of a sap every single day. I can only imagine what children will do to me.

Barley Meets Cows

We kicked off our weekend with Mexican food at Teotihuacan over on Airline. Margs were cheap for HH and food was delish. We had tried to eat here a few weeks ago but it was packed! So we came earlier and had no trouble.

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We followed up our dinner with beer. Is anyone surprised?!? 8th Wonder Brewery in EaDo recently re-did their taproom so we had to check it out. Definitely felt less like a brewery since you couldn’t see much of the equipment, but it was nice. Dan chatted up one of the owners and he gave us a little private tour. He’s been researching a lotttt lately about opening up a brewery. According to the 8th Wonder guy, there are about 50 breweries in the process of opening in the Austin area right now… crazy. Anyway, I finally tried Rocketfuel (Vietnamese Coffee Porter) and it was really great. 8th Wonder hasn’t even started canning/bottling yet and they are consistently sold out just selling to bars in the Houston area. Plus they get about 1,000 visitors on one Saturday alone. Booming.

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On Saturday, we got up early for a drive to Waco to see my littlest sister presented as an AXO! While the presentation may have been incredibly boring (sorry Abby), it was neat to see the third of the Box girls as a part of the sisterhood 🙂 Us girls spent the afternoon shopping in Waco. We also stopped by Joanna Gaine’s shop (the host of Fixer Upper on HGTV that I love) called Magnolia. Which was of course adorable, even if minimal.

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While the ladies were out, Dan introduced Barley to some new creatures at his grandparents house. The cutest, oh my. Grandfather let me feed the sheep 🙂 who are incredibly shy. Or should I say sheepish? 🙂 🙂

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We also got to see a bunch of Dan’s cousins and aunt & uncle, which was a nice treat. However, the drive home wasn’t fantastic as I was hit by allergies and Dan is currently throwing up in the bathroom (fortunately we made it home before that started…). SO we are enjoying a lazy Sunday in bed while I pity poor Daniel and his temperamental tummy. At least we have an excuse to stay in and watch the Oscars!! We’ve seen several of the nominees so it should make for a fun show. My favs were The Imitation Game and Wild!

Dan is currently giving me details on the state of his vomit and I’m trying to ignore him. ENJOY THE OSCARS!

Things I’m Loving Lately

King’s cake

Strawberry infused water

This really talented ballet dancer

Our new, giant bed (post to come because Dan is amazing and built it himself)

The crossing guard waving at me with a big smile

The thought of Dan doing this

Skirts with fun prints like this one

Girl Scout cookies

Anthropologie’s and J. Crew’s New Balance sneakers

NOT being in public accounting busy season (shout out to my friends who are- it’s almost over!)

Dutch braid crowns

Giant puppy paws

Justin’s Honey Almond Butter

A Lovely Weekend

Well, we had a very successful first Valentine’s Day as a married couple!! Dan gets an A+ for his nesting doll of Valentine’s cards… and yes it started with one of those super large, cheesy $7 cards. I’m a big fan of the cards portion of any occasion. Who doesn’t enjoy hearing nice things?! He also got me BANJO!!! We are going to be an adorable folk group in no time. ACL here we come.

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We started a little early on Friday trying out a new pizza place… can I say yum? And a great deal? Because it was great. I love Pie Five and I love that it’s so punny. It’s like the Subway/Chipotle of the pizza world and I don’t know how a place like this hasn’t existed before.

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Barley explored a new dog park near our house and made some friends. But was the slowest of the bunch. All legs but no speed.

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Buffalo Bayou released a Valentine’s beer (only at Creek restaurants, with rose petals and honey) so we had to go try that out and it was pretty darn good! We also made the BEST sandwiches ever. I’m not kidding… it was the best I’ve ever had.

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On actual Valentine’s Day, we spent all day outside, walking the heights trail with Barley and just happened to wind up at Onion Creek (again) who just happened to be having a “green” valentine festival and I had the yummiest sno cone ever (lime basil and 100% fresh). We met 3 more people who had met Barley before (he really gets around). We were lazy on our back patio in the beautiful Houston weather (but it’s supposed to drop to the 30’s… I swear, the “seasons” here…).

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Dan surprised me with reservations at Underbelly where we feasted on charcuterie, pork thit ko, braised goat with dumplings, market veggies with caramelized fish sauce, and smoked oysters. I was in heaven. I have a very long list of Houston restaurants I want to try and this one was at the top. The chef, Chris Shepherd, is a James Beard award winner too! Cool stuff.

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After dinner, we went over to Poison Girl and played pinball! Which was a blast. And we now want a pinball machine in our house. Too bad they are a lot of dollars. But they did already steal a lot of our quarters…

Now I’m off to learn the banjo!! Right after I finish off that pan of truffle brownies… a box from Trader Joe’s… I’m not the biggest baker. Still home made, right?

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

A entire weekend of love 🙂 I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day- an excuse to let those you love know you love them (How many times can I use the word love here??). And seeing as I’ve just married the best guy I could have ever imagined for me, let me take a moment to brag on him.

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This cutie with his 2nd most loved thing in the world (hopefully 2nd most)- beer. Photo from Valentines weekend in Fredericksburg 2013.

Hey Daniel, most precious person I know,

I think a husband as a Valentine is the best kind. You truly amaze me. Every day I’m astounding by your patience, kindness, and eager mind. Your desire to learn new things, grow as a person, and lead me as a husband impress me so incredibly much. I often (embarrassingly) get choked up thinking about how lucky I am to have found you as such a great match. Envisioning the future we have together makes me happier than you could know. I’m positive I talk about you much too much in daily conversation and that’s just because I’m completely enthralled by you, with you. Can’t help it. I think you’re pretty cool. Even if you’re the biggest nerd (maybe my favorite side of you and you have many, many great ones).

Love,
Your adoring wife

AND a happy anniversary to my parents- 34 years of marriage!! I’m so lucky to have seen your love for each other growing up.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!