Girls Trip to Waco

On April 14th before it got blistering hot I planned a little mothers and daughter/ girls trip to Waco for a Saturday.  Jo's cookbook was coming out, my mom, Roelie (mother in-law), and myself all LOVE all things Gaines and the Magnolia Table restaurant had recently opened.  There was no better time to head to Waco early one Saturday morning to have brunch at Magnolia Table, enjoy the other projects the Gaines have around Waco and just do a little exploring. We left around 5 am and made it to Waco around 8.  The wait at Magnolia Table was already lengthy.  We ended up waiting right at 2 1/2 hours but enjoyed the outdoor waiting/sitting area and had a coffee.  The weather was still pretty chilly in those morning hours but it was ssooooo worth it!

There were people all the way from Ohio there just waiting to do all things Fixer Upper.  It was incredible, everything about the experience from the landscaping, the decor in the restaurant, the history, and the FOOD!  

We got the much talked about homemade biscuits and strawberry butter for the table and wow!!! Melt in your mouth is an understatement!  Just enough salt, just enough sweet, just couldn't get enough but we had to save room for all our other yummy plates coming up.  

I was a glutton and got a little bit of everything because I had to try a few things since we wouldn't be coming back all the time plus we needed to see if those biscuits and butter were a fluke LOL!  I also got a breakfast plate with sausage patties, medium eggs, and the most dense, moist, but heavenly hash brown nuggets EVER!  I had never had "hash browns" made this way and OMG I have no clue what they were made up of but it was so good almost like dough.  And the topper to me was the avocado toast.  If you were a Fixer Upper fan then you know there was one episode where the avocado toast was Jo's idea and Chip wasn't sold well let me tell you....I'm so glad I got this and I still have dreams of it today.  I would go back to the restaurant and wait 3 hours just for this toast.  The toast was a blend of grains with a half way chunky but creamy avocado spread topped with micro greens in basil olive oil and a side of red pepper flakes and sea salt to add as you would like..... wow my mouth is watering just reliving this experience. SO Good!  Just go and try it for yourself you will not be disappointed.  

After our brunch we left happy and with full bellies to hit up the little shop on Bosque, which was Jo's first baby.  It just so happened that the Saturday we were there was the last day the shop was going to be open for that season.  The shop there is only open a few days a season from what I understand and it has mostly past season's leftovers that are marked down.  We were glad we stopped and saw the little shop but we didn't find any must haves.  

After the first shop visit we headed downtown to visit the silo complex.  We walked around and there were TONS of people. I got a tea from one of the truck vendors that was so good and we loved the seed shop.  The gardens are so well thought out and put together I wish I could make my backyard like that it is such a little piece of Heaven on Earth!  The seed shop was quaint.  I got a hat and a plant lady tee.  We stopped all around and took pictures of everything and our last stop before heading over to the bakery was the Magnolia store that had all the housewares and such inside.  I came out with a sweatshirt and a cookbook about cooking things directly from your garden that also has some recipes and growing tips.  

After the store Mom and Roelie took all our merchandise to the car while I got in line for the bakery.  It took about an hour to get through the line and get our cupcakes.  We ended up getting a solid dozen with 4 different flavors 3 of each so we could also try a few and take some home to the men who missed out.  The bakery is really the only thing that I wasn't completely in love with.  It was really cute but the cupcakes weren't worth the wait in my opinion.  The white cake with chocolate icing was my favorite and I am glad we gave them a try but if I go back the bakery won't be a must stop especially if there is a line.  

After we enjoyed a cupcake we headed out to work our way back to the car and stopped at a few of the downtown shops along the way and also saw some really cool street art.  

It was early afternoon when we left the downtown Waco area so we decided to stroll over to Harp Design who is also a fixture on the Fixer Upper show.  It was so cool seeing one of the actual houses that Chip and Jo essentially rebuilt from the ground up and the Harp store/ workshop right next door.  We browsed the shop but that's all we did.  It was EXPENSIVE and that is an understatement LOL!  Really neat things though.  

Before we headed out on our 3 hour journey back home we stopped at Root Burger for an early supper.  None of us had ever ate there and it was really good and had a really cool vibe.

It was a long day but it was really rewarding and such a great experience that I got to share with my Mom and mother in-law.  Hopefully it won't be too long until we can take a short trip to another coveted town in Texas....maybe down South?? 

Book Review: Close to Home

I was so surprised when I noticed the fifth installment of Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series was on Amazon while I was on my European vacation. I started reading it while I was gone but didn't get far and it took me a a bit longer to finish once I got home.  This book was interesting to me because I just could never figure out ANY of the pieces.  The mystery was there but I had no idea where the author was going with the story but he kept me reading the entire time.  The ending was so sweet and that is a piece I did pick up on early on but it wasn't actually said until the the last few pages.  I'm so excited where the author is going to take these characters in the next book which is on my list and the last book that is actually published from this series.  I hope he keeps them coming!!!

Amazon Synopsis

While investigating the hit-and-run death of a young boy, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite makes a startling discovery: the suspect is an active-duty serviceman at a local naval base. After a key piece of case evidence goes missing, he is cleared of charges in a military court. But Tracy knows she can’t turn her back on this kind of injustice.

When she uncovers the driver’s ties to a rash of recent heroin overdoses in the city, she realizes that this isn’t just a case of the military protecting its own. It runs much deeper than that, and the accused wasn’t acting alone. For Tracy, it’s all hitting very close to home.

As Tracy moves closer to uncovering the truth behind this insidious conspiracy, she’s putting herself in harm’s way. And the only people she can rely on to make it out alive might be those she can no longer trust. 

Book Review: The Trapped Girl

Another Robert Dugoni novel from the Tracy Crosswhite series (#4 this time) and again just can't love these books anymore than I already do.  I'm now almost all the way caught up with the author so as soon as he releases the next I'm ON IT!!  All of the books in this series has a twist but I really never saw this one and really kept me guessing about the trapped girl and who she was???  Check out the synopsis below and then check it out!

Amazon Synopsis

In this #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, Tracy Crosswhite must first identify the victim to catch the killer.

When a woman’s body is discovered submerged in a crab pot in the chilly waters of Puget Sound, Detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself with a tough case to untangle. Before they can identify the killer, Tracy and her colleagues on the Seattle PD’s Violent Crimes Section must figure out who the victim is. Her autopsy, however, reveals she may have gone to great lengths to conceal her identity. So who was she running from?

After evidence surfaces that their Jane Doe may be a woman who suspiciously disappeared months earlier, Tracy is once again haunted by the memory of her sister’s unsolved murder. Dredging up details from the woman’s past leads to conflicting clues that only seem to muddy the investigation. As Tracy begins to uncover a twisted tale of brutal betrayal and desperate greed, she’ll find herself risking everything to confront a killer who won’t go down without a deadly fight. Once again, New York Timesbestselling author Robert Dugoni delivers a taut, riveting thriller in the fourth installment of his acclaimed Tracy Crosswhite series.

New Finds & Purchases I'm Loving

Since the beginning of the Summer I've been on a bit of a spree....I got sucked into shopping for a few things for my Summer travels and for me once I start I really get on a roll.  Luckily I'm not too much of a shopper unless I have a good reason and most of the things I came across or purchased are things I've looked at over and over for the past year or so and finally broke down and got them.  

New Fossil bags- I hadn't received as a gift or purchased for myself a new purse in for sure 2 years and I don't have a cute small cross body bag so I splurged and got a cross body, a small wallet, and a new everyday bag.  I got my initials embossed on the wallet and cross body for free and so many people have noticed it even though it's small.  I love Fossil bags because they are genuine leather, they  last, and they are always stylish.  

A while back I was listening to the Young House Love podcast and Sherry was digging Third Love bras.  I had also been seeing ads on Instagram and I was in desperate need of a couple new bras so I looked them up.  I ordered two different bras in the same color and LOVE them.  I will never buy another bra from any other company as long as Third Love is around.  The price is comparable to Victoria Secret and the quality WAY surpasses.  My straps aren't always falling off my shoulders, the cups cover great but aren't thick and bulky.  I feel perfectly covered but the most comfortable with this light, perfect fitting bra!  The process is an in-depth questionnaire that helps you get a true fit and match and if it isn't working for you they offer free returns and shipping!

Right up there with comfort and things on your body can we talk about Birkenstock sandals!  I'm not new to this train but I was in need of a couple new pairs of sandals and got these two Birkenstock styles and LOVE them.  They are high quality and LONG lasting shoes.  They are expensive but to me so worth the money especially since I don't shop and buy that sort of thing very often at all.

Back in March we got new furniture delivered.  We had been needing a new mattress for a while and I had been wanting to buy new couches.  We decided to give Nebraska Furniture Mart a shot and they sold it!  We had the best experience from the sales people being so knowledgeable on all the products to the easy delivery process.  We got a new mattress with an adjustable base that is so comfortable and the adjustable base is such a nice help and relief on our back while watching TV before settling in for the night.  I got REAL leather couches that look a lot like the ones I purchases 8 years ago.  They have a bit more structure to them and cleaner lines but I know they will last and stay pretty even as they get worn in.  We were also really happy with the pricing of things.  Overall our Nebraska Furniture Mart experience was an amazing one and I will go back and let them help me with as many as my furniture needs as they can.  I highly recommend them to anyone in the market for new ANYTHING for the home.  Their store is huge and really should be classified more as a complex not a store! LOL

Emeals! I was on Pinterest hunting for new recipes for my monthly meal planning and stumbled upon an ad for emeals.  I looked up the app and immediately purchases the yearly subscription for like $30 to me it has already paid for itself.  You get a choice of tons of different types of menus and once you select that style of menu be it healthy meals, 30 minute meals, family friends....etc each week you get a 7 day meal list with the full recipe.  At any time you can change your plan if your needs have changed or if you just haven't gotten any good results.  I believe you can pay to have more than one menu option available at a time but I just pay for one.  I make my monthly meal plan still but each week I go and check my app for new menus.  I review the two weeks that I usually have available on there and save the recipes that look good to me.  Each week I find AT LEAST one meal that looks good for Hendrik and I.  To me the $30 is worth it because it give me new meal options and I have used it several times. I know every woman alive who cooks regularly has said the dreaded sentence...."I hate cooking the same stuff all the time!"  With emeals now you don't have too!


These are just a few of the things that over the past several months have purchased that have been great additions to my closet, my kitchen, and my bedroom!  If you haven't given one or all these things a try you should at least look into them.  You won't regret it.

Mother's Day Brunch

For several years I have wanted to host a brunch type event for the women in my life but it has never panned out.  Either there is other activities going on or just not enough time to plan.  This year I jumped on it early and planned way in advance.  I had plenty of time to let everyone know so they wouldn't make plans and then I set out to make a legendary and hopefully a yearly event.  

invitation I made on picMonkey

I decided to host a Mother's Day brunch at my house and invite my Mom, mother in-law, sister in-law and my best mom friend, Lauren. I loved planning this girly event and it went off without a hitch.  Everyone loved the entire morning and we all really enjoyed ourselves.  I can't wait to do this again.  

Now for ALL the details of the day!

glasses, cute plates, napkins, and table runner all from Ikea

reused my wedding mason jars and picked wildflowers from the side of the road

added a touch of Paris with macaroons from the Sweet Shoppe in Mt. Pleasant. 

champagne for our mimosas 

table before all the yummy food was put out

mimosas and quiche

I used a silicone flower shaped mold to freeze the orange juice into cute little cubes to look fancy and stay cold longer once it was ready to serve! The quiche recipe I used came from my Magnolia Table cookbook. It was so good and everyone raved about it.  My mother in-law has since made it several times.  Get your cookbook HERE! 

To go along with the quiche which was our breakfast item on the menu I also made a Greek pasta salad for our lunch menu item and a fabulous berry bruschetta for the dessert portion of the menu.  I found both these recipes on Pinterest.  I knew I wanted the menu to be classy, have variety, and also items that we don't have everyday.  I can't rave about the food enough and neither could my guests.  I prepped most all the food the night before except the quiche I made fresh that morning and served while it was still warm.  I will definitely be making these things again.  (Hendrik popped in and even liked all the items so that is a double win)

You can make the Greek pasta salad by finding the recipe HERE and the berry bruschetta HERE!

The full spread before we dug in!

I hosted the brunch outdoors.  It was at 10 am so the heat wasn't too bad yet and had sort of a garden party theme.  Lauren got us all hats to wear while we chatted and the kids played with water balloons and the kiddie pool I had fixed up for them.  

The day was such a great success and I really think that all the moms felt appreciated and special!

Book Review: 17th Suspect

Every time James Patterson cranks out another book and adds it to the Women's Murder Club series I'm terrified it might be the last one.  I love all these books they are just so homey with the friendship of the women, the problem they face, and then the new mystery and cases of the characters.  They will never get old and I just keep waiting and watching the next!

Amazon Synopsis:

The newest Women's Murder Club thriller--and instant #1 New York Times bestseller 

A series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a methodical yet unpredictable killer, and a reluctant woman decides to put her trust in Sergeant Lindsay Boxer. The confidential informant's tip leads Lindsay to disturbing conclusions, including that something has gone horribly wrong inside the police department itself. 

The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction, and gets inside Lindsay in dangerous ways. She suffers unsettling medical symptoms, and her friends and confidantes in the Women's Murder Club warn Lindsay against taking the crimes too much to heart. With lives at stake, the detective can't help but follow the case into ever more terrifying terrain. 

A decorated officer, loving wife, devoted mother, and loyal friend, Lindsay's unwavering integrity has never failed her. But now she is confronting a killer who is determined to undermine it all.

Currenty up on deck for reading is another Tracy Crosswhite novel (Close to Home) and James Patterson's book with President Bill Clinton (The President is Missing)

Book Review: Treachorous

Treacherous by Sara Rosett is the 6th in the On the Run series and like always it was a really fun read while on vacation in Europe.  All the On the Run novels take place in a far off land and Treacherous is set in Madrid.  While I was on Amazon I happened to see that Sara Rosett had released yet another book and I had to double check to make sure I hadn't read this one.  It was really fun and had some surprising twists that never disappoint.  If you love travel, mystery, and a bit of art history then you will love this series, check them out!  

Also I love using Good Reads to keep up with all the books I have, am and want to read.  It is a great way to review and search favorite authors and make sure I haven't missed anything new they might have put out.  

Amazon Synopsis:

A mysterious package, a rumor of a masterpiece, and a dangerous game of hide and seek…

Zoe loves working as a consultant for a company that specializes in art theft recovery. Her only complaint is that the jobs are few and far between, so when she meets an eccentric collector who is on the hunt for a painting of a blue butterfly that might—or might not—exist, she jumps at the chance to look for it. She comes across shady dealers and a confusion of clues as her search for the elusive painting takes her from tropical destinations to the cobblestone streets of Madrid.

Treacherous is the sixth installment of the lighthearted On The Run series from USA Todaybest-selling author Sara Rosett, which features globetrotting art heists and international intrigue.