Cozy Vibes In Amarillo
Sweater: Aerie // Pants: Express (also love this blush pair)
Location: Amarillo, TX
I’ll be honest. I’ve been in mostly knits for the past 10 days. Ever since I made it back from my trip to Colorado, I’ve been a complete hermit. Yep, snuggled up on the couch with my dog and journal morning and night. It’s been incredible and much-needed. I’ve been working all year so far out of my house. Each evening doing little projects around the house and during the daytime working with clients. My uniform looks the equivalent of what I wore when I was in Amarillo which includes this incredible sweater that is the softest material ever and these snuggly pants. If there is one outfit you need in your life right now it’s this one. I’ve been wearing several pairs of sweater pants like these joggers, this pair of wide-legged and I’ve featured these several times on the blog over the years. They are a great alternative to sweat pants and you can lounge, walk or run errands in them.
I spent a few days in Amarillo at the end of 2021. It was such a perfect time to go. The sunsets in the Texas Panhandle are incredible. I recommend making it a point to go on a drive at dawn and/or dusk. I stayed at the Big Texan Motel which has been around since the 1960s and serves as a landmark for travelers. I started with my first night staying in this room and later moved to an upgraded one. What I love the most about the hotel is the keyless entry. You receive a code prior to check-in. So simple and convenient. Another perk is that they are pet-friendly!
Shop the Post:
If you like this post, then check these out:
Last weekend we met in Salado, Texas at Greenfield Coffee to catch up and shoot these incredible dresses from friends at Wneedu on Amazon. They sent us each a dress to share with you! We both picked out our colors to fit our own personalities. I chose a bold leopard colorway and Tiffany went with a beautiful shade of deep mauve. Great style is available for everyone. No matter what your age or body type you have when you walk with confidence in your own skin a new sense of style seems to follow. That’s one of the things I love about our conversations!
Here is the new “Keep Going” tank top. It comes in white, vintage blue, and vintage shocking pink (shown here)). It’s the perfect layering piece to wear under a sweater or sweatshirt or over a swimsuit as we head into the warmer months.
I believe the world is a giant playground filled with magical corners. I believe heaven lies in running through a sunflower field at sunset, floating on the river with people you love, and being able to take long sunset drives with someone special.
It’s no secret around here that I’m an earth lover. As much as I am kinda girly I have this adventurous side that loves to get outdoors no matter what. I feel the happiest laying in the sunshine and feeling the soft breeze blow across my face. I was so excited to partner with Sarah Flint - a woman-owned company that specializes in Italian shoes because of the company’s mission to provide products made in facilities with sustainable materials. The Sustainable Steps Collection from Sarah Flint breeds the best of luxury fashion with sustainability. You don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort anymore! Each pair is hand crafted in Italy by artisans using the most eco-friendly materials.
Wow! I cannot believe it’s been almost two weeks since I wrote the last post on here. It’s been kind of a blur. Something really life-changing took place last week and created a positive shift in my life. I’ll be sharing more about the experience in the coming weeks, but one thing I’ve learned is to take some time to the first process. That’s exactly what I did yesterday. I took a few hours and went a few miles to clear my head and combat the stress I was feeling. Stress is stress even if it’s positive. When big things in life hit, give yourself a little breathing room. It’s okay. You don’t have to have all the answers. You’ll be able to work things out, but for now just process. I loaded up my backpack with water and snacks, grabbed my boots, and set off with my Mojo coffee in hand for an afternoon of getting lost in nature. It was so healing! Every time I do this, I come back as a better human being.
It’s that time of year! Finally, Texas bluebonnet season. If you’ve never been to Texas during this time of year then it’s time for you to plan your next trip! In late March and early Spring, the entire state becomes alive with wildflowers. Specifically, the Texas Bluebonnet which is our state flower. For years, my family flocked to find the best fields for photographs. It’s perfect for bridal pictures, senior college or high school pictures, family portraits, and of course, blog photos! I decided to round up a list of some of the top locations to find these bluebonnet fields!
I’m on a yellow kick lately. There’s something so bright and cheerful about daffodil and marigold shades of yellow I’ve had it on constant rotation. I recently share this yellow maxi dress and this adorable top with you guys! Today’s it’s all about the gorgeous cabana stripes on this Caroline Constas top. Statement tops are perfect for resort wear styles and vacation. This same top would look adorable with a midi or maxi skirt, a pair of skinny jeans or linen pants. Dressed up or dressed down it’s dramatic and flattering. I decided to wear it with a pair of cropped pants I picked up from Amazon the Drop and pops of white accessories. Although this top is more of an investment piece, I rounded up a few under $100 below for you to shop! To top things off I added a little gold jewelry and a bright yellow satchel I’ve had for years!
If you are looking for your next Texas vacation then you need to check out Port Aransas! Nestled on the Texas Gulf Coast between Galveston and N Padre Island is the charming island and beach town called Port Aransas. Filled with pastel shops, stores, and restaurants this makes the perfect family vacation! I spent a couple of days here and put together a weekend guide for you guys! From Instagram spots to a restaurant that has presidential history, here is a guide to spending the weekend in Port Aransas and the neighboring city Corpus Christi.
I shared a little last week in this post about my trip to South Padre Island. This is the perfect Spring Break location if you are looking for a tropical paradise in Texas. The water is incredible, the beaches are soft with rolling sand dunes and the island is filled with turtles, birds, dolphins, and other wildlife. It’s a welcomed oasis in South Texas. While I was on the island I drove over the bridge to Port Isabel where one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the gulf coast resides. The lighthouse sits in the middle of Port Isabel’s town square with a multitude of shops and restaurants. The lighthouse is open to tour so make sure you check their website for hours and cost for admission. Since I knew I’d be walking a lot that day I pulled out my favorite pair of flats!
I am so happy that Spring is just a few weeks away! After the past week of temperature drops each night, Texas is finally looking up! Today it’s a full 77 degrees and sunny. I’m going through my closet this weekend to push my Winter items towards the back and rotate all of my spring dresses to the front. Florals, solids, and ginghams all take center stage in wardrobe over the next few months. Today I’m sharing a gorgeous wrap dress that would be perfect for a wedding or formal event. Look for pieces with special touches like this asymmetrical ruffle hemline! I rounded up almost 100 dresses for you below to shop! As low as $17 and ranging up to luxury fashion. You can shop all of them at the bottom of this post!
The week in Abilene and Amarillo flew by! I decided to do a quick round-up post of all of the outfits I wore in both cities. Keep it mind it was either sunny and 70 or below freezing and windy. I did my best to pull together looks to inspire but were also somewhat practical. I spent so much time outdoors so you’ll see a few options for activity-related outfits. I also spent a good amount of time catching up with friends and having amazing meals. I wore a few nicer outfits and then a few cozy things as well. You can check out my prior posts on Caprock Canyons, Abilene, Palo Duro Canyon, my stay at the Big Texan Motel, and finally the cutest dress for date night or girl’s night out!
I cannot believe Spring Break will be here in just a few weeks! One of the top destinations in Texas this time of year is the same location featured in today’s post: South Padre Island! The whole area will be covered in young adults, parties, and tourists. I opted for quieter adventures and drove down last month for MLK weekend. Although it was a little chilly at times, it was the perfect getaway for a long weekend. I brought a bunch of dresses to shoot while I was there, but made it over to the sand dunes on the northside of the island. I wore the cutest swimsuit from Target! It comes in several colors and I’ve been loving this lilac shade. I paired it with a sweatshirt bought one of the local souvenir shops and a pair of sweater shorts. I went ahead and rounded up five swimsuits under $50 from Target for you to shop!
I’m going to be sharing more content around how to start a blog! A few weeks ago, I created the first post in this series and share five ways to make money blogging. Today’s topic is going to build on the next step in creating your blog. You’ll need to do some basics like choosing a platform, registering a domain name, and setting up social accounts. Don’t worry, all bloggers got started doing the same thing you are doing right now. Use this blog post as a checklist and schedule time in your calendar to complete each task. Before you know it, you’ll be posting in no time!
On this trip, I layered a cream-colored turtleneck under a chunky knit color block sweater. Being able to layer and remove pieces as needed is always a key when hiking. I also sported a pair of sweater joggers and brought both my hiking shoes and a pair of sneakers. A must-have on a hiking trip is a good backpack and a pair of sunglasses. My recommendation is to get a pair that’s polarized to keep the glare down. For your backpack, lots of pockets help you stay organized and padding on the straps is a must-have. I always carry a few meal bars and a backup battery for my cell phone. If you can grab or print a paper map that’s a good idea. Most state and national parks have minimal cell phone services.
The past few months I’ve traveled back and forth to Dallas often. It’s an area I haven’t spent a ton of time in the past and I’ve really enjoyed getting to see the different parts of the city. Recently I decided to make it a point to stop by the Dallas Arboretum. The day I chose to go it actually snowed on me a while I was walking around. This garden is known for being one of the most photographic spots in the city. Each year the grounds are covered in flowers and blooms all Spring long. You will need to purchase a ticket online in advance and make sure you also purchase parking. You’ll pick an arrival time and you are encouraged to bring a picnic and spend a few hours there. I cannot wait to make a second trip over the Spring and share more about it with you guys!
Here we are smack dab in the middle of February and it’s always a challenge to decide what to wear. For some, it’s still ridiculously cold. Not quite Spring, but definitely time to get out of the holiday glitz of the past few months. I find that having a few classic pieces to mix in and transition my wardrobe from Winter to Spring makes getting dressed so much easier. A lightweight turtleneck in soft gray, punchy yellow pieces, a black shirtdress, and straw bags are all perfect pieces for this time of year. I recently picked up a cotton black shirt dress from Amazon the Drop. It will be perfect with tights and a trench coat now then with wedges during the Spring. I put together a list of some of my favorite things to stock up on right now.
It’s approaching that time of year in Texas when the thunderstorms will be rolling in regularly. Late Winter and Early Spring include weather that fluctuates on an hourly basis sometimes. Having a raincoat and boots handy for those drizzly mornings or evenings makes leaving the house that much more enjoyable. I find that rain gear is something I don’t think about needing until the moment I really need it. And then it’s like I needed it yesterday. This is your sign to do a quick inventory in your household and make sure you have working umbrellas, rain jackets, and boots ready for those March, April, and May showers. Open each umbrella to make sure it’s operable and then discard or donate items that no longer fit or have been damaged. Trust me on this, you’re much more likely to be productive if you don’t have to fight the weather while doing so. A few other things I like to have on hand for rainy days include extra hair ties or a headband, mousse to keep frizzies at bay, and a setting spray for my makeup. It’s the little things in life that can help increase the quality of every day.
Gosh, I love the ocean. I have to say out of all of the places I lived and visited in my lifetime, I feel most at home when I’m near the ocean. There’s something so soothing and powerful about the water. The waves hold so much force as they push and pull against the grains of sand on the shore. Soft powdery sand that feels like you walking on powdered sugar makes for the best walks. The sunsets are unbelievable and when a storm rolls in…well, as frightening as they are - they also carry so much strength. Today I’m going to share a whole bunch of date ideas, but if you are single… I want you to know it’s okay to do any (or all of these) activities by yourself and show yourself some love. I say that because some of my best memories of my happy place were spent in times of solitude. Valentine’s Day whether you’re in a relationship or not is a day to celebrate love. A day to bring forth self-love and care if you are single. Here’s a word for all the single ladies on valentine’s day if you are looking for some ideas on how to spend your time! Highly recommend some of the tips here! If you are in a couple, I challenge you to take time over the next week to figure out a way to show your partner that you adore them. Brainstorm a few ideas and make the event special. The effort will be worth it!
Mental health. I’m so glad this topic has been on the rise especially since the pandemic hit. Now more than ever more and more people need resources. My anxiety journey began about 10 years ago. Through a series of trials, errors, and lots of therapy I am now able to manage panic attacks and anxiety without medication. This post is in no way meant to replace medical advice. If you are struggling I absolutely recommend seeking professional help. Today I’d like to share a resource I use in my own mental health toolkit called a “Coping Checklist.” I’m going to share with you guys a few benefits of having one and the science behind it, how to create one, and when to use it. The biggest key in your coping checklist is to use it as soon as you feel anxiety come on. The more you go through the sequence the easier the panic becomes to manage.
Wow! What a weekend! I had an incredible time on South Padre Island and will be sharing tons of fun content over the next few weeks for Spring Break ideas (both snow and sea) but this morning I wanted to talk more about the overarching theme I’ve chosen for 2022. For the past five years, I’ve chosen a word every single year as a focus for my life throughout the year. First, it was the word “health” after getting pneumonia at the end of 2017. Then, it was “simplify” in 2019 where I share my struggles with feeling a lack of purpose in my life. In 2020 I chose the word “explode” where my entire life took a huge leap forward. I ended a relationship, moved cities and my business doubled that year in followers, website traffic, and income. This past year I chose the word “abundance” and let me tell you, I had no idea what was in store. My life took another large leap forward and I experienced success in professional and personal areas of growth. Moving into a home after living in apartments and cottages for years was huge. I started traveling a lot on my own and experienced an increase in peace in my life. Here we are at the beginning of 2022 and I’m choosing the word - “soar” to rise above anything I’ve ever done before in my life. I’ve set some pretty remarkable goals this year and will be working on hitting them one by one.
I arrived in Amarillo, Texas less than two weeks ago to spend a few days working. I’ve never been to the Texas panhandle, so I decided to make it a key location in my Winter Road trip this year. If you missed my first post on the road trip I stopped in Abilene. You can check out that post here. After I left Abilene I made it to Caprock Canyons (which I wrote about here) and then headed into Amarillo to stay at the Big Texan Motel (which you can read about in this post). It was pretty liberating to drive to this part of the state. There are so many beautiful sites to see involving nature. I’ll be posting more about the trip as I headed to Palo Duro Canyon! But for now, let’s chat about food in Amarillo.
I’ll be honest. I’ve been in mostly knits for the past 10 days. Ever since I made it back from my trip to Colorado, I’ve been a complete hermit. Yep, snuggled up on the couch with my dog and journal morning and night. It’s been incredible and much-needed. I’ve been working all year so far out of my house. Each evening doing little projects around the house and during the daytime working with clients. My uniform looks the equivalent of what I wore when I was in Amarillo which includes this incredible sweater that is the softest material ever and these snuggly pants. If there is one outfit you need in your life right now it’s this one. I’ve been wearing several pairs of sweater pants like these joggers, this pair of wide-legged and I’ve featured these several times on the blog over the years. They are a great alternative to sweat pants and you can lounge, walk or run errands in them.
I love drawing inspiration from nature, and this includes the shades of snow that fall this time of year. Although Texas only gets snow on occasion, I still find myself drawn to the beautiful shades of cream and winter white. It’s been on rotation in the closet these past few weeks. For this look, I paired a cream-colored cardigan (that has the sweetest collar) and a fluffy white jacket (similar one here) to create a neutral but not boring look. I paired it with my favorite pair of jeans (that I have in multiple washes) and knee-high tan boots that are under $50!! You could top this look with a camel-colored coat and scarf if you live in a colder environment! I rounded up a ton of my favorite winter white options below!
The week between Christmas and NYE is one of the weirdest weeks of the year. Days seem to blur together and there’s an overarching tone of “let’s put it off till next year” happening in business. I took this as an opportunity to travel to some of the places I’ve had on my bucket list for a while. I drove from College Station to Abilene on Sunday stopping to catch the sunset before grabbing dinner and retiring for the evening. You can check out that post and I’m wearing one show-stopping dress in this post. After leaving Abilene I made my way up through Caprock Canyons and then onto Amarillo, Texas for a few days. This whole area of the Texas Panhandle is like nothing I’ve seen before. I don’t recall ever making it through Amarillo in the past but it’s definitely a world of its own. Surrounded by so much nature! Great place for spending time on Lake Meredith, or hiking one of the toughest trails in Texas on Palo Duro Canyon. Either way, if you are an outdoors person this place is for you!
For the past few days I’ve really kicked my outfits up a notch. It’s the last week of the year and around the 20th I decided to wear my best. I found this dress the other day when I was finishing some Christmas shopping and thought it was the perfect holiday staple for my closet. I can see it being equally cute if I swapped out pumps for the boots. I love the soft champagne color and the whole thing was on sale for under $20. What a steal.
Over Thanksgiving break, I took a quick trip to Dallas for a few days. While I was there I made sure to stop by the Royal 38 Christmas pop up restaurant which is decked out in everything Christmas-related. I thought it would make a fun evening to merrily kick off the holiday season. When you walk in you are immediately greeted with a leg lamp like the one found in Christmas Story. The exterior is has a beautiful canopy of lights over the patio and each table is individually wrapped like a present. Even the cocktails carried the theme by being served in Santa mugs. If you are in the area and are looking for a fun spot, check them out. I recommend making reservations before going since it’s a pretty small venue. Also, the menu is done by scanning a QR code and ordering yourself so when you sit down you can immediately get things moving for your table. It was such a fun place to be for the evening and the food was incredible.
Sometimes I have to do a little reality check on myself. This week was one of those times. After a whirlwind of ten days of non-stop travel and then the joys of Thanksgiving I rolled right into this last week with fatigue. Not only fatigue, but my sister spent Friday getting a metal rod out of her leg in surgery. She had an injury five years ago and decided to get the hardware taken out this past week. I didn’t realize just how much all of these blessings would also add extra stressors into my life. I drove into Houston on Friday and let me tell you my anxiety was at an all-time high. Once I returned home I made a decision to do everything I could to clear my calendar for Saturday and just decompress. Anxiety never goes completely away, but I have managed these past few years to get it in a manageable state. I thought it would be wildly appropriate to share what I experience and how I cope with amounting pressure in hopes that it helps you, too.
Last weekend I made a trip to East Texas to check out the last of the beautiful Fall foliage that we have here in Texas before the gray of Winter sets in. I stopped at the sweetest little city in Sulphur Springs where I found the prettiest building which is their courthouse. It immediately made me feel like I was standing in front of a castle! Small town Texas is known for it’s beautiful architecture like this. So much European influence from Germany, France and Spain! Sulphur sits between East Texas and Dallas. If you get a chance to stop through there, I highly recommend it! So much boutique shopping and places to eat. There’s a beautiful park in the center of the town square you can stroll!
A long walk is just what I need at the end of stressful days. I believe walks at sunset are one of the easiest and quickest ways to connect with your inner self and admire the beauty of the world we live in. After hours of being connected to my phone and computer - getting the chance to disconnect from techonology and reconnnect with nature helps soothe anxiety. Fall is my favorite season for sunset walks. The air is crisper, the breeze is cooler and the earth lights up with strands of gold grass and leaves. It’s truly a magical season and evening walks light up my soul.
Yesterday I took a little road trip to Waco, TX to visit the incredibly elegant newly renovated boutique Hotel 1928. Designed by Chip and Joanna Gaines! The project was to restore a cornerstone building in downtown Waco, TX, and preserve the turn of the century hospitality. There are so many corners, nooks, and details to awe over as you explore this incredible masterpiece. There’s a library downstairs, lounges on the ground floor, a coffee bar, and a Brasserie where I had the most delicious baked cheese! There’s also 33 rooms and a rooftop terrace. Whether you are looking to stay overnight, spend the afternoon working out of the lounge, or just grab some food with friends you must stop by!