{weekender} fall in fredericksburg: day two

frigid weather and a noisy old windmill prevented us from getting much sleep that night, but we woke up with the sun {and the local rooster}. we drank our morning coffee and then we got all bundled up in some borrowed hunting clothes for a walk.

we explored the barns behind the house {i found some treasures to take home!}, visited the cows and turtles at the pond, and saw the various broken-down tractors and trucks that live on the property. we hiked through a huge overgrown field where A claims he used to find arrowheads and elephant bones as a kid, saw some giant ant piles, and then came upon a group of trees where three deer were grazing and playing.

after our walk, we freshened up a bit and went back into town. we ate brunch on the patio at mahaley's - sadly, we'd missed their famous breakfast tacos by about an hour, but A's burger and my sandwich were yummy and satisfying. we soaked up some sunshine and gathered our strength for an afternoon of shopping...

first stop: red. quite possibly the best store i've ever been to in my entire life. no joke. modern and vintage home furnishings, fabrics, and accessories, all merchandised so perfectly that i wanted to move in and/or cry tears of joy.

next we hit der kuchen laden to get a cup of coffee and look at all the kitchen toys we never knew we needed. we drank our coffee outside and listened to some local texas folk music.

after coffee we stepped into homestead and friends, another incredible antiques store with fantastic displays. the store goes on forever - there's an upstairs, a basement library, a courtyard and side rooms all filled with amazing treasures {and more than a few creepy ones}.

we visited some other great shops, like house.wine {wine bar + home decor? yes please!} and something different II {eclectic home furnishings and accessories}. but my all time favorite may be dooley's five and dime. it's pure junk, all of it, but it's the most fun ever!

worn out from our day of shopping, we picked the closest pizza place and ordered a pie to go. we sat at the bar in the charming courtyard and drank a glass of fredericksburg wine while we waited. of course we also checked out the game room and wrote on the chalkboard before it was time to go home.

back at the house, we scared all the deer in the yard again. we ate our pizza and watched the most recent harry potter dvd {i know, we're such party animals}. after dinner we went out into the back yard to look at the stars and listen to the sounds of the texas hill country.