Lone Star State

Let me just say that I haven't always been a fan of Texas. I've only been there twice: both times to Houston, and both times in the dead of summer. Enough said?

But lately I've had a love affair with Texas. Here are five reasons I'm smitten with the lone star state.

1. Joslyn's blog, Simple Lovely. Joslyn hails from Northern California, but she and her family have made their home in Dallas. I'm not a big blog reader, but I have to admit I read Joslyn's blog religiously. As I told her in an email recently, she manages to be down to earth and glamorous at the same time, which in my book is a winning combination :)

2. Paloma's Nest in Austin. We ordered Leo's first Christmas ornament from their Etsy site, and it's destined to be a family heirloom. It's so perfectly simple. Thank you, Caroline! By the way, if I was planning another wedding, I would be all about Caroline's wedding stuff - check it out.

3. F is for Frank in Dallas. My husband gave me this Stingray Chest Plate for Christmas. It's even more stunning in person. Designed and handmade by Dallas designers Shannah Frank and Casey Melton. I want EVERYTHING.

4. Austin. Broad, I know. But it just seems like there's so much happening in the Texas capital. Art, music, ENERGY. Sam Beam of Iron and Wine lives there. There's SXSW. (And did I mention Sam Beam lives there?)

5. Last, and definitely not least, Leah Duncan. I was introduced to Leah's work by my dear friend, Sarah, who gave me a set of her cards for Christmas. We were looking for some art for our living room at the time, and I immediately knew Leah was my gal :) Her work is beautiful, and whimsical, and I'm a huge fan of her color palette. As it turns out she's also a total sweetheart, and she worked tirelessly getting me just the right set of prints for our house. (The wall looks beautiful, Leah :))


p.s. When I finally make it to Austin, I'm staying here :) PERFECTION.

KL