Wow, the last Friday of September already? Hopefully I can hang on to some warm temps a bit longer even as we start losing daylight...

1. Soon, Sean and I will be headed on vacation to Key West with some friends. It's my first time there and while we've done plenty of reading on TripAdvisor, etc., I'd love to hear suggestions of your favorite things to do in the Keys if you've been!

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2. Essential oil lovers: Ads keep popping up in my feed for Organica's sleep cream which is supposed to be miraculous stuff. I can't bring myself to spend $35 on lotion, but a little reading quickly revealed that it boasts a blend of lavender, cedarwood, and bergamot—all oils I have in my arsenal! I've been putting all 3 in my diffuser at night, and so far I've definitely felt more rested when I wake up in the morning.

3. As I transition to cooler weather clothes, I've decided to give another subscription box a try: Dia & Co! Keep an eye out for my first unboxing, and check them out in the meantime (if you want to snag a box now, use ebates  for a $10 rebate. I actually got paid $10 for my first box!)

4. Many of my family members have birthdays that fall close to Christmastime, which means I start my gift shopping especially early. I started using Zulily earlier this year to find deals and new brands and it's been a cool new way to shop for gifts; I've already got two checked off my list! It's fun to check in every day to see what is new. (Pro tip: allow plenty of time for shipping!)

5. This weekend, I'm dropping off our fourth foster pup to a potential fur-ever home! We're going to miss this silly cutie:

I met Aleshea my first year of blogging via a Cara Box exchange (any other old school bloggers here remember those?) and we became fast friends, from commenting on every blog post to frequently exchanging texts.

In 2016, she traveled from Dallas to Baltimore where we conquered 4 cities in 4 days. This year, it was my turn to return the favor (note: the area is huge, so while we again had 4 days, only 2 cities were covered!) with a trip to Texas!

My American Airlines flight to DFW was delayed 2 hours because the airline can't keep essential supplies in stock and had to hustle (yes, really). Instead of arriving in Dallas around 6 PM, I landed at 8 in a state of hangry. We grabbed some tacos and set a start time for the next day before I checked into my hotel and crashed for the night.

This was the one day we didn't have solid plans for, so we opted to sleep in before exploring parts of the city. While I always knew Texas was big, I didn't realize their definition of "city" was so different from that of east coast cities. We drove past many large suburbs, and went to an upscale shopping mall (and brunched), all of which were within proper city boundaries. Also, while I dealt with the 95 degree temps by wearing shorts like (what I thought was) a normal person, all the locals were wearing long pants. What's up with that? I felt like I had a big "tourist" sign on myself just for that!



Finally, we made it to Bishop Arts, a cute up and coming neighborhood more closely resembling what I think of as a "city." We enjoyed exploring different shops before hopping on public transit to sneak a peak at the downtown area. I spotted a few famous landmarks including the location of JFK's assasination, before exploring the West End area and returning to Bishop Arts to meet up with another friend at Bishop Cider Co., a local hard cidery. We split a flight of eight ciders ranging from traditional apple to blood orange to bananas foster! My favorite was called "crack berry", and a six pack may or may not have found it's way into my luggage for the trip home.

Just north of the city, we stopped at famed Round Rock Donuts on our way down before catching up with friends at Black's BBQ for a late lunch.

We then parted ways to experience one of the city's natural pools: Barton Springs at Zilker park! It's every bit as gorgeous as the photos, but way colder than I expected anything in Texas could be!



While we'd hoped to do more, time flew way too quickly and it was time for the 3+ hour drive back to Dallas. My next Texas trip will definitely be further south so I can explore more!

I won't count this as another city since it was technically still in the DFW area. We headed to church service first thing in the morning before hopping on the road to find some local craft beers for Sean and check an item off of Aleshea's Travelin'  Texan list: Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.


Guests can pay to either drive their own vehicles through the park, or join a guided safari tour. We opted for the latter (thank goodness, the animals will absolutely walk in the middle of the street), and enjoyed 2 hours of feeding giraffes, emus, ostriches, deer, wildebeests, and more!



We'd worked up an appetite at this point and drove back to Dallas for some home cookin' at South Dallas cafe, where I readily admit the tea was much sweeter than I'd ever need.

Day 4: Dallas

The hot, sunny streak we'd had was interrupted by a rainy day, but we were determined to make the most of it. Before heading into town, we headed to Whataburger for breakfast (brunch? I got a burger and a chicken biscuit per Aleshea's recommendation) so I could see what the fuss was about.


Then we parked uptown and headed for the M street trolley to further explore the city. Between rainy spurts, we enjoyed Thanks-giving Square (we tried to visit the underground tunnels, but they were closed as was half the city. It was Labor Day and Dallas was a ghost town), the Dallas Farmer's Market, and the Deep Ellum neighborhood where I ate a slice of pizza the size of my head.



Finishing up with a quick visit through Aleshea's home neighborhood, it was already time to go back to the airport. While they say everything is bigger in Texas, Love Field airport is a significant exception - it's the tiniest airport I've ever seen. Even more surprising, the TSA agents actually do their job and manage to be friendly about it.

The time wasn't nearly enough, but hopefully we can keep up with this every-other-year momentum for some more travelin' fun!

Sorry guys, I failed. I did a live unboxing of fix #7, but was in a bit of a hurry and sent the other items off quickly without photos. I did keep 3 items: a knit blazer for work, some amazing white shorts that are super stretchy and not see-thru, and a gorgeous ivory tank top. I'm sure they will all be making Instagram appearances.

But, fix 8 has arrived. I loved the white shorts so much, I scheduled an ASAP fix for more of the same so I could enjoy them in what's left of summer. They (somewhat) obliged. So, here's the last of my summer fixes before I start receiving more long pants and layering pieces for fall (I know it seems strange to post at this time, but summer temps in the mid-Atlantic last well into September, and I have two upcoming trips to warmer destinations):

Alexander Jordan, Eldon One Pocket Detail Chambray Shirt, $44

I love chambray and have been begging for it, but this....wasn't quite what i meant. It was comfortable, but the fit was frumpy, the hem messy (intentionally unfinished), and I avoid boob pockets as much as possible. Returned.

Papermoon, Jimena Embroidered Top, $54

This was pretty, but was a sheer, scratchy material that would require layering which is not my thing in summer, and the neck notch was a tad too low to make it work friendly. Returned.

Liverpool, Lester Linen trouser short, $68

I loved these so, so much! The fabric was so light and cool and I love wearing olive green..but I couldn't justify $68 for a pair of shorts. Returned.

Dear John, Lillie Cuffed Denim Short, $58

These don't look as pictured - I guess the cuff isn't permanent like in most pairs? It's a good denim short and the slightly longer inseam is helpful on days when I walk more. Kept.

Dear John, Finnegan Roll Cuff Short, $58

Womp Womp. These are the exact same shorts as a white pair I adored from my last fix. I kept them without trying them on. When I put them on before going out, I realized the fit was way off from the other pair. Thankfully, customer service was incredible and let me return these.

This post is sponsored by Montchevre but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

As the attendant announced that our delayed flight would be further delayed, I texted Aleshea:

"Sorry, but I will be hangry when I land! 4 hours in the airport and 3 more in the air."

"No worries," she replied, "we will get you some food."

Of course, she delivered. I landed in Dallas around 8 PM where she was waiting for our girls' weekend to commence. She drove past all the usual chains before exclaiming "ooh! I didn't know they had one of these over here!", referring to one of the many local street taco joints lining the streets of Dallas.

Tacos had never tasted so good. In Texas, they're all about authenticity. In Maryland, they're all about creativity (either way, your mouth wins!). Take this recipe which pairs an easy crock pot chicken base with fresh mango salsa and a surprising topping: Montchevre goat cheese! The protein, nutrient-rich cheese is made with fresh, high quality goat’s milk collected from local, independent family farms. Pair that with a fresh mango salsa and some chicken on your choice of tortilla, and you've got yourself a healthy, tasty taco!


I picked my Montchevre goat cheese up at Target - super convenient (you can also use the store locator if you aren't blessed with a local Target)! One of you will walk away with $15 to score some for yourself. Enter after the recipe!

Montchevre $15 Target Giveaway

Who: My friend Katherine and I

What: Dave, a world premiere musical based on the 1993 Kevin Kline film of the same name

When: August 2018

Where: Arena Stage, Washington, DC

Why: It looked like a fun story and Show-Score is awesome!

Thoughts: As mentioned, this musical is one of many new musicals based on an existing film. Despite being a 90's kid, I have no memories of the movie Dave. Still, the musical was generating a lot of buzz (original Waitress cast member Drew Gehling plays the titular role), and when I googled the film synopsis, I could see 1. why the film was chosen for the stage treatment and 2. why it was premiering in DC.

Super short version: Dave is a broke teacher who looks like the scummy president. The government asks Dave to serve as a body double for the president. Things get a little out of hand.

The show is fun. Despite having a seemingly political premise, it didn't feel preachy, heavy handed, of overly biased. It's ultimately a guy who has a moment to experience that "I'd do X if I were president" fantasy I'm sure many an American has conjured up.

The cast is incredibly talented (I was only familiar with two cast members prior to seeing Dave) and the ensemble gets some serious mileage in. The opening number rivals my favorite show, Come From Away, in super fast costume/character changes.

Of course, Dave is hoping to make it to Broadway...I wouldn't mind that at all as it's certainly a fun show Americans of different political leanings can all enjoy!