{party animals} owl birthday party

a year ago this month, my ridiculously adorable niece lila was born! now it's time to celebrate her first birthday {and i'm the lucky lady who got to design her owl-themed party invitations}!

{p.s. how cute are those owl cupcakes her mommy made?}

{party animals} nola-bama wedding road trip

this weekend A and i took a road trip to go to our friend's 10-10-10 wedding in gulf shores, alabama! 


we left friday afternoon and carpooled with our good friend C. since it's a long drive to alabama, we decided to break it up with a little detour to our favorite city in the us: new orleans. we met up with two of our other friends and had the craziest awesomest twelve hours of our lives - we ate dinner at the gumbo shop, invented an epic drinking game, got our cards read in jackson square, danced our faces off, and who knows what else!

the next morning we had craw fish omelets in jackson square before the four-hour drive to gulf shores. we got there just in time to check in to our sweet beach side condos {thank you, C!} and head over to the ginormous beach house where the bridal party and families were staying. the wedding-eve celebration involved delicious home cooking {by the groom's grandma}, beer and tequila shots {poured by grandma}, and more dancing {also by grandma}. at one point i got kidnapped by the groom's eight-year-old daughter and we went on a secret mission of some sort. then we ate cake.

i'm not sure how we even woke up the next morning, but we did. and C and the girls had prepared an amazing champagne-and-seafood brunch!

after brunch we all got dressed and headed back to the beach house for the big show! the ceremony was beautiful - all of the guests stood on the sand, facing the water and watching the bride and groom say their i dos. the sun was shining, the bride looked gorgeous, and it was time to party! i would've expected nothing less than the most fabulous party ever from our dear friend K, and she delivered. i laughed, i cried, i danced like a crazy person, i even had to take a nap in the middle of it all. then i danced some more. we left right around the time that everyone started passing out on couches. but the thing that sticks with me is the sense of overwhelming love and joy that we all shared with each other this weekend. we were all family, whether we knew each other or not, celebrating the happy couple on 10-10-10.

{local love} state fair of texas

{howdy folks}

i don't want to hyperbolize this, but the state fair may be hands down the very best thing about texas. big tex, corny dogs, car show, baby animals, people watching, carnival rides, fried everything, pig races, weird exhibits...the list goes on and on. A and i have gone to the fair together every single year since we started dating. the foundation of our relationship was built upon our mutual love of the state fair and fletcher's corny dogs {okay that may be an exaggeration. but one year we each ate three!}. somehow we make it work, even though we will never be able to agree on which condiment is appropriate {ketchup, obviously}.

{the eternal battle}

at this point we have it down to a science:
1.  show up early
2.  fletcher's corny dogs for breakfast
3.  car show
4.  more car show
5.  baby animals
6.  shopping pavilions & midway walk
7.  petting zoo
8.  tater swirls

9.  maybe a show {frisbee dogs or pig races}
10. maybe a ride or two {if A is feeling brave}
11. exhibit hall {butter sculpture + children's art}
12. turtle pond
13. more shopping
14. funnel cake

{local love} pumpkins at the dallas arboretum

october is my favorite month in texas. the weather is blissful, football season is in full swing {hello, texas-ou!}, the state fair is on, and everything everywhere is pumpkins! yesterday A took me on a surprise date to the pumpkin festival at the dallas arboretum.