Day Break: Round Top Antiques Fair

I decided that since today was the first day since we moved in that we wouldn’t have contractors in the house doing punch work and the weather has been PERFECT, I would take advantage and run to Warrenton/Round Top to the Antiques Fair. What made it even better was that my life-long bestie came to meet me with her precious little boy, Jed. Toni and I got to catch up on life and also found some goodies at the same time. We got some great deals since it is towards the end and they wanted to get rid of things.
How cute is he? And he was such a happy camper the entire time!

Some of my goodies I found (except the books):

I snapped up that oil painting with frame for $10 within the first five minutes of being there. It has the perfect colors for our family room and tying everything together.

Read Full Post »

Maui Trip

Scott and I just got back from a week in Maui and it was such a wonderful time! I have to admit it was a little hard leaving the girls behind but we really needed a truly relaxing vacation. It’s such a luxury to be able to do things that we truly want to do without worrying if it will be fun for the girls. We loaded our vacation up with driving around the island taking in the absolute beauty of it all, snorkeling, Parasailing, lots of eating overindulgent meals, spear fishing (Scott), spa time, and reading/sun bathing.

On our first full day, we took a drive down memory lane of the day we got married. We ate breakfast at Longhi’s where I had breakfast with my Mom and sister’s the morning before our wedding, we drove down to the beach where we said our vows, and ate dinner at the restaurant where we had our reception. We didn’t plan it but it was so much fun!

Scott convinced me to go parasailing as well which was quite an adventure. I had never been and I can’t imagine a better place to do it. We also spent a day doing our own thing because I’m not a spearfisher and prefer the spa. Scott loves it and though it wore him out, I know he wishes he could do that all the time.

On our way waiting for our plain in LA at the United Club. We ran into Neil Patrick Harris there as well:

I started using instagram here at the airport for the first time and my phone isn’t so great at taking clear pics:

As soon as we landed, we drove straight to Paia to Paia Fish Market:

And then went to watch the wind surfers:

And took a little drive along the coastline:

One of the pools at our resort…so relaxing:

Headed to Breakfast at Longhi’s:

The view at breakfast:


Outside Longhi’s:

Where we got married in Kapalua:

We said our vows right next to this tree:


One of the little pools full of small fish that are trapped until the tide comes back in:

We went snorkeling here at Honolua Bay:

My chauffer:

The lone surfer:

Dinner at the Plantation House, one of our favorite places and where we had our wedding reception over 6 years ago:

The Amazing Views:


My husband trying to figure out which dish is creating that wonderful aroma we were smelling when we walked in:

Lunch at Kimo’s:

Kimo’s Famous Hula Pie:

Drinking Mai Tai’s and Mojitos with this Kimo’s View:

Kapalua, my favorite place on Maui:

Love, Love, Love the Cook Pines:

Dinner at Sansei (YUM!):

Lahaina:

More Cook Pines…I wish I could take them home with me:

Being silly:

Maybe I had too many Mai Tai’s…just kidding, I was just so happy to be next to all those beautiful trees:



In front of Pineapple Grill:

Headed to Lahaina to go shopping:


Sunset at Mala’s:

Texting Matt telling him we are sitting next to some ESPN correspondent:

I was trying to catch the turtles that were coming up to poke out their heads and playing in the water:

We started our meal at Mala’s with this sashimi dish which makes my mouth water just thinking about it:

We drove half way to Hana and also drove through the Iao Valley which was breathtaking:




Self-portrait at Iao Valley:

A lookout on the way to Hana:

And of course, this post would not be complete without a picture of a chicken. They roam freely everywhere:

Read Full Post »

Frio River 2012

Every year we take a family trip to the Frio River, a beautiful and clear, spring-fed river that is perfect for tubing and kayaking on. We’ve been going for as long as I can remember. I love this tradition and continuing it with our girls. I have so many wonderful memories here!

Is this how you tube?

Hillary and Dad:

Playing Washers:

It’s such a serious game ;):

Practicing Tubing:

Avery found a friend (she tends to that pretty easily):

It’s so peaceful in the morning! Around noon, it gets full of tubers.

Read Full Post »

Cinnamon Shores Family Getaway

A couple of weeks ago, Scott booked us a week at Cinnamon Shores in Port Aransas. Last summer, I noticed the new seaside village and was dying to stay there so he surprised me with the trip. He also managed to slip in some work by visiting his customers down in that area.

The home we rented was amazing! It was a great home away from home. We brought our nanny, Adrienne, so we could get some R&R as well. The girls had the best time and it was nice to just spend quality time together as a family for a week without a ton of work-related distractions. Avery and Olivia are growing way too fast and I really cherish these special times with them where I can just focus on them.

Flying a kite:

Read Full Post »

Cabo Spring 2012

To say that I’m behind on posting would be an understatement. I’ve been so busy living life that I keep forgetting to update this blog. However, I don’t want the girls to forget these memories and nor do I so I’m forcing myself to catch up!

We went to Cabo with Dawn and Matt for Spring Break in early March. Avery came along with us and Nana and Papa offered to keep Lyla and Livy so they stayed behind. We had a very memorable and wonderful trip from start to finish. If Livy was with us, we sure would have loved to stay there a lot longer than a week. We always enjoy it there so much! I certainly look forward to going back soon!

Waiting for our flight (which turned out to be very, very, very delayed due to weather):

Once we finally arrived, it was all about being in the water for this little fish:

That Daddy is always being so silly (those glasses look fabulous on you):

She found lots of friends to play with:

Avery was so worn out she couldn’t even keep her eyes open to eat her “Christmas” treat (Rice Krispy):


Headed to Morgan’s Encore…my favorite restaurant in San Jose:

We have lots of these blurry pictures because we didn’t use a flash 😦



Dancing:

More dancing on the terrace:

Beach time:



Hilarious!




A Night at Nick San’s:

First time for Avery to use chopsticks:

A Day at the Marina:


Tableside Mojitos:

I think we kept her out too long! Can you tell?

Read Full Post »

A Little R&R

I’m looking forward to 1 week of this beautiful place.   I’ll catch up when we get back from this much needed vacation.

Read Full Post »

Staycation Austin

Before we had Livy, traveling was relatively easy. Afterall, we could take Avery along or Nene would keep her. Now that we have two, it’s a little more challenging. Taking a vacation with both of them really isn’t a vacation and Nayely, our nanny, has school in the evenings. With fast-paced and busy careers, Scott and I really need the time to decompress so we decided a staycation was in order for us. We were able to stay close to home to give us peace of mind while getting a mini-break.

Our weekend consisted of some really fun activities including a culinary course (so yummy), the spa for relaxation, and a heart-pounding course taking us high in the sky while we were tethered to a wire (literally) and climbed a very tall rope net, walked across wire and logs and zipped down on a zip line. I started out brave and ended up shaking like a leaf by the end. It was fun but I was glad to be back on the ground 🙂 Travaasa is an “experiential resort” who prides themselves on eco-friendly everything and fresh farm-to-table food that was outstanding! We met some great people, too. Short and sweet!

Read Full Post »

Girls Weekend Getaway

This past year, my parents gave the “boys” a fishing trip and the “girls” got a shopping getaway for birthdays. I think this is the best idea as it makes for a truly memorable experience that can be cherished for a lifetime. Mom, Dawn, Hillary, and I went to San Antonio for a weekend of shopping at La Cantera and eating at the Riverwalk. The weather on Saturday couldn’t have been more perfect for an outdoor shopping day. Being that I’m so over winter (the day after Christmas I’m always dreaming of springtime), I had spring and summer on my mind, but unfortunately, spring collections have only started trickling in.

Saturday evening we went to our hotel to unwind and get ready for dinner. We stayed at the Westin on the Riverwalk and we walked in right after the Phoenix Suns basketball team walked in. I am clueless when it comes to NFL, NBA, NHL, MBA, and who’s who. I only knew that they were extraordinarily tall. My mom on the other hand was like a school girl! Apparently, everyone else knew who they were as well. We rode on the elevator with them and Steve Nash stayed in the adjoining room to ours. My mom proceeded to make us laugh a lot because she was acting quite funny.

It’s so great to spend a quiet weekend away with my mom and sisters. I wish we could do it more often!

Read Full Post »

Scott’s Big Birthday Surprise – NYC

Last Thursday, we celebrated Scott’s birthday! He always does such special, thoughtful things for my birthday so I decided to surprise him with a trip to New York City. He was surprised! Mom and Dad took care of the girls while we were away.

We had so much fun and the weather was awesome, especially considering we have had such warm temperatures and they have had quite rainy weather. We hit the jackpot for cool, sunny days with a touch of rain one afternoon.

We stayed at the Trump Soho hotel and it didn’t disappoint! Everything was perfect and the location ideal for shopping, eating, and walking around. We certainly did our fair share of shopping and eating, too. A few highlights: We stopped in at Vosges Chocolate, one of my favorite chocolate shops (they have a shop in Vegas and a few other places…check out the owner’s story; it’s very inspirational for business women) and sampled a few truffles. We ate at Lupa, Mario Batali’s restaurant in Soho. It was such a cute little restaurant and the food was superb. Oh, and we then saw Jenna Elfman and her husband, probably walking home. That reminds me, even cooler than that, we rode on the plane to NYC with Dan Rather. He lives in Austin and spoke at my graduation from UT so I was excited to see him. We stopped in a million shops but my favorite was Henri Bendel. I found so many cute things. For Scott’s special birthday dinner, I took him to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Season’s and we did a custom tasting menu which was excellent!

We can’t wait to take the girls next time in the winter when Christmas is near. I think they would really enjoy it!

The view from our room was outstanding, especially at night!





He’s embarrassed I’m taking pictures of him:

At FAO Schwartz…this one is for the girls:

Our views from the room…

Happy Birthday, Love!

Read Full Post »

Labor Day Weekend

Only a month behind! We packed up right after moving and went to the beach for a long weekend to enjoy ocean breezes and cool water to beat the heat. Avery and Livy love being outside, especially when it is at the beach. The water was quite clear (not normal for Texas beaches) so we took advantage and spent a lot of time in the water playing around.
Uncle Matt helping A build a sand castle and a moat:


Nana and Papa enjoying the girls:


I adore Lyla’s big smile in the picture:

Check out those chubs!


Avery’s facial expressions crack me up. Her eyes are very sun sensitive but she will not keep sunglasses on.

It was really windy so we had to make adjustments to this setup so our tent wouldn’t blow away!

Read Full Post »