Texas

Red Bud Isle: where dogs (and people) roam free

Over the weekend, Nate & I spent the day in Austin. After getting some lunch and meeting up for a short shopping stint with my Aunt & cousin, we wanted to kill a couple of hours… but didn’t have any clue of what we wanted to do. So we drove. I pulled out my phone and was like “let’s go here” and pointed to some random island near Lake Austin. So it was completely by chance that we stumbled upon Red Bud Isle.

As soon as we parked (which FYI, parking is limited), we soon figured out this place was devoted to man’s best friend. Basically it’s an island where dogs can roam free, off leash. (Unfortunately, we didn’t have our little furball with us, but we plan on bringing her sometime soon.)

There’s lots of random paths and trails. Totally not uncommon to just see dogs chasing each other through the woods.

So serene.

This was my favorite spot. At the very tip of the island, there is a tree and all of it’s roots are exposed.

My favorite picture. Sigh.

Of course I had to add some pictures of our furry friends we met.

This dog below is Sidney. She’s 14. What a doll. I can only wish I look that good at 98.

So if you and your pup are looking for a fun time in Austin, I suggest you go check it out. Because of the terrain, don’t be surprised if your pooch gets wet and/or muddy.

(All of the pictures belong to me. If you would like to use, just ask – and share my blog with your friends too of course!)

happenings

So here’s some life updates:

Back in September, I posted about taking the first 2 sections of the NCIDQ Interior Design Licensing Exam…and guess what? I PASSED!! So excited – and to be completely honest – sooooo relieved. Now I can take my time to relearn hand drafting and prepare for the last day of testing. Not sure if I’ll take it this Spring… we’ll see.

Today marks 9 years since my hubby & I first started dating. We were 19 then – but feels like just yesterday! Literally, we’ve spent almost a 1/3 of our lives together! Haha so weird to think of it like that. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been worth it. I love him more each day.

I’m still waiting for fall to come. I think we had one cool week so far…but then it warmed back up into the low 80’s last weekend. Even for Texas that is unseasonably warm in December! But we have been blessed with such a beautiful, warm fall this year.

This past weekend we attempted our first Christmas family photo shoot. We found this cool walking bridge near our house recently and decided it would be a great spot. It’s called the Faust Street Bridge and its original structure dates back to 1887! I love it. Most of the shots were pretty silly, but we did get a few keepers. Camera tripod = best $30 I’ve spent. Here’s a sneak peek …

PS. I’m not anywhere near ready for Christmas. I think I have a grand total of one present off my list, and no tree up yet. How about ya’ll?

Texas bunkhouse

As featured in Dwell Magazine, this 1400 square foot Bastrop bunkhouse is used as a recreation home for a film writer and director. Built into the natural environment, the house expands vertically to give the illusion of more space.

The home was designed by Austin architect Henry Panton.

Cedar and steel make up most of the structure of the home.

Love this door design!

Outdoor shower. *sigh*

The director wanted his home to be a place to entertain family and friends, so as you can see it sleeps about a dozen people! The best part is that the bunks are on casters and can be wheeled out through the french doors onto the porch so guests can sleep out there if they prefer!

This 90ft foot bridge leads to an outdoor bathhouse and swimming pool.

All photos courtesy of Dwell Magazine. You can see the article and all the photos here.

Happy Friday!

life in texas

Well since we’ve moved and gotten settled, I thought I’d take the chance to show ya’ll some of highlights of life in Texas so far:

We discovered Naegelin’s Bakery, which is located about 3 minutes from our house in downtown New Braunfels. Texas’ oldest bakery!

cherry donut = amazingness.

My first try at homemade cheesecake for Nate’s birthday…..and was it delicious. Not that I’m a pro or anything, but we both thought it was the BEST cheesecake we’ve ever had. He credits the cook, I credit the recipe and my ability to follow directions.

Also for Nate’s birthday we drove up to Dallas for the Lions/Cowboys game.

The size of Cowboys Stadium is almost as big as the ego of their fans…… let’s just say the better team won! 🙂 (a little sports trash talk never killed anybody)

This is how my 2 loves spend most of their free time. 🙂