When I first looked at moving to Germany from Texas, I was dazzled by the idea of Freiburg, Germany, being just an hour-and-change drive to the Alsace region of Southern France. This part of Europe is the best of Germany and France combined, in my opinion, with half-timber old towns filled with French luxuries like pastries,…
Tag: vintage
Handmade Christmas Decorations for our First Forest Christmas
We were at the pool this summer, and while we loafed around in the sun, Heidi turned to me and said “I want to wake up on Christmas in my own bed.” And, after moving from Texas to Germany last Christmas, I knew exactly why she felt that way. After traveling through four countries worth…
Fall Hygge from Etsy
As someone who has spent most of my life in Texas, there’s almost a thrill in the Wild West’s distaste for following seasonal weather. I’ve gone swimming on Thanksgiving and Easter, worn a t-shirt and watched it snow on Christmas Day. Be ready for anything and you’ll be fine is really how it’s done there,…
TWA Hotel with Kids (and Dogs)
As we were moving from the USA to Germany, everything was its own big step: list the house, sell the things inside, narrow down the bags. A very ominous one for me was getting everyone in the air. Traveling with an eight-year-old and two dogs internationally, I am so glad we decided to break up…
How to Make Grocery Store Flowers Look Nice
On Fridays in Dallas, my favorite thing was Markus walking in the door from the grocery store with two drinks for us from the coffee bar, a paper bag filled with supplies for his amazing nachos and a cello wrapped bouquet of flowers poking out of the top. They mean everything and brighten up the…
A Summer Garden Party
Our flat has access to a private garden for tenants. It has a keyed entry and is a pet-free area, which keeps it quiet and the perfect spot for picnics. Ironically, a family of foxes now lives in the garden, but they don’t seem to be as comfortable taking over a picnic. We were so…
The Best Dresses for European Travel
I’ve had so much luck lately finding the best dresses for European travel, and thanks to lots of after school errands to run, plenty of time to test a few on the cobblestone streets here. The sun is out for spring, town is exploding with blooming vines and color and its time for shoulders and…
Estate Sale Shopping Tips
A friend of mine recently started shopping for a home renovation and wanted to know if I would share my estate sale shopping tips. Would I ever! It’s the perfect time of year for a beautiful morning driving around and rummaging for great estate sale finds! For me, there’s nothing quite as exciting as a…
Amsterdam Craft Classes, Vintage Shopping and Gluten Free Finds
Have you been to Amsterdam lately? (I mean, as a 30-something “grown up?”) There’s some of the general reasons we all flocked to Amsterdam on college study abroad trips, but beyond the obvious connotations with the city, I was amazed at the culture and beauty of this gorgeous European town on the water. I had…
The Best Leather Travel Backpacks
Around 13 years ago, I was 2009 recession college graduate. As a side income project, I helped one of my Mom’s friends with an amazing design and fashion closet clean out sale. Going through her closet, we came by a beautifully worn brown leather backpack. With some great stories of its travels around the world,…