We went to a cave once before in Slovenia, and I have to say the difference was striking. In America everything feels very safe; the pathways are wide and well-paved and have handrails. In Slovenia we crossed a rickety wooden bridge 50 feet above a fast-moving river.

I’m proud of myself for not having a panic attack as we walked in. I was very, very close. Joseph actually bought the picture they took right as we go into the cave, and I look hilariously uncomfortable. He has it sitting on his desk because he apparently enjoys my misery.

Even though it was not an overwhelmingly fun experience for me, I can’t deny the caves were beautiful.

The above photo was from the last top of the tour. It was actually very beautiful with the water reflecting the cave (but not photographing well). When we turned around and made our quick hike back out and the air became more clear, however, I was reassured of my place above the earth.

Joseph enjoyed being in the cave, and I enjoyed surviving the experience (honestly, I was pretty proud of myself for not crying… though I cried a bit in the parking lot when I realized I was actually about to go in a cave).

If you can, support Leah’s designs via the Anthropologie link above or her Etsy, which includes many beautiful items!

This shirt was incredibly easy to make! You will need: A shirt or other clothing of your choice, fabric paint, a craft or kitchen sponge, scissors, a paintbrush, and a pen or marker.

First, draw a cat outline. When I drew my template, Joseph said it didn’t look enough like a cat. He drew the “better” silhouette to the left… There’s a reason I do the crafts around here.

Make sure the fits the sponge (I used a regular [new and unused!] kitchen sponge because my Hobby Lobby had no craft sponges). Outline the shape onto the sponge and cut.

I was a bit worried about how to place the cats, so I used clear tape as a kind of marker. I ended up nearly ignoring the pieces, but it was a good way to get started. Remember to remove the tape before stamping! Be sure to place pieces of paper or some other blocker under the layer you are working on to prevent bleeding onto the other side.

Next, place a generous amount of paint onto the sponge and transfer onto the fabric. With a small paintbrush, fill in larger holes or outline as necessary to make the shape more clear. Repeat, let dry, and do the same on the reverse side.
I really should not have done this on the carpet but thankfully walked away without any damage. Make sure you put down paper or do this on a different surface. Usually whenever paint is involved, I work in the garage or outside on concrete–disastrous spills are way too easy to come by.

This is what I like most of mine to look like.

Seriously, how easy was that?

I’m starting the blog post with desserts because I’m an adult and it’s allowed. Joseph and I had the Nuts for Kentucky and Vanilla Echo cupcakes from Red Jett Sweets. The Nuts for Kentucky was heavenly–bourbon cake, caramel buttercream, and candied pecans. I don’t know how I lived so long without it.

We went at a good time–Sahm BBQ happened to be there. Joseph had their famous “gourmet Korean tacos” as well as kimchee french fries. All delicious!

My tomato and mozzarella grilled cheese from Lee’s Grilled Cheese.

We stayed at Hotel Valencia on the Riverwalk. It is an absolutely beautiful hotel, decorated with raw stones and woods! Above is the view from our window.

My friend Aly lives in the city, and our friend Lauren happened to be visiting that weekend. It was good timing!

Breakfast at Schilo’s. I also feel I should mention the great meal we had for dinner (no pictures) at Boudro’s. It’s rated #1 on the Riverwalk for a reason!

The morning before we left we ate at the Guenther House Restaurant and then walked around looking at the Victorian homes in the area and toured the Edward Steves Homestead.

My ankle length dress, a side pony, Texas State Capitol dome, shoes!, beautiful new forever stamps.

Joseph at Hubbell & Hudson in The Woodlands, a snarky text message from Joseph, homemade strawberry shortcake, the same lace blouse as seen above, and a cinnamon roll (I regret the day I discovered gas station donuts and pastries…)

We ordered the dining table and chairs from West Elm four months ago. The chairs came on time, but the table only arrived last week. There was a tornado that halted our delivery. Then there was warehouse damage from the tornado. Then they had to re-order a new table. Then the table was backordered. Then the backorder was extended another month. But it is finally, finally here!

To the left is the Verona Bar from World Market. The refrigerator is just on the other side of that wall, which is very handy! Here is an Instagram photo taken from the kitchen that gives more context.

Joseph has always wanted a well-stocked bar, and we finally have one! It’s filled to the brim, so we have to keep our wine in a stand in the living room.

All the credit goes to Joseph here! I picked out the vase centerpiece, and he chose everything else!

Let me just say that hiking in the middle of the day during a Texan summer is not a good idea. We were slightly miserable at points but overall had fun.

I went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and high school and wanted to take Joseph, so that was the first stop on our drive into Austin. Because we got there an hour before closing, they let us in for free! (We actually hardly paid for anything in Austin besides food)

These last two photos are from Zilker Park (near Barton Springs, but we decided not to swim). The trail was mainly uncovered, and it was noon. I’m telling you, it was a bad idea. I’d planned on taking breaks to wade in the water a bit, but the creek was running pretty dry.

In the first photo I was dying from heat exhaustion.

When Geneveive visited on Wednesday (see the digital portraits I took of her here) we went to lunch at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant. She loves pho and talked me into giving it a second try. I’d only had beef pho and really disliked it, but this seafood pho was delicious! I’ve been craving it since that day!

Genevieve is a talented photographer and took wonderful photos of me and Joseph. I love them! You can see those at Genevieve’s blog.

In January I met up with my friend Catherine of See Creatures. I finished one roll of film in that time and began another, which is why it took me so long to post these here. I waited six months to get the second to last photo!

We went out for lunch at a Thai restaurant, and I got to meet her adorable Japanese Chin, Bunny.

Yes, she is absolutely, incredibly beautiful. She is also a very talented photographer–you can see her work here. It’s not worth trying to hate her, either. She’s also impossibly sweet. I am going to miss having her in the metroplex but look forward to a trip to Washington!

Our first dinner was, of course, at a food truck on South Congress. We both got wraps at The Mighty Cone (Joseph’s a venison “cone dog” and mine breaded avocado). They were fantastic!

Sunday morning we did the ultimate tourist activity–we visited the state capitol.

This was my favorite feature: gigantic Texas Capitol door hinges! So over-the-top and very Texan.



We also visited the LBJ Library & Museum. Last time I was in Austin while I was in high school there was an exhibit about the 1960s, and I stood in front of a video of The Beatles for as long as I could. This time, though, the museum was undergoing a change, so there wasn’t much to see.

My favorite stop in Austin was the Elisabet Ney Museum. This beautiful house and studio is surrounded by wildflowers in the middle of a neighborhood. Inside, you walk on creaky hardwood floors to make your way between Ney’s incredible marble sculptures. It’s free and a very unique experience, so I recommend you make a quick stop if you’re in the city.

One last photo of food–Joseph’s carnitas at Curra’s Grill.