In Search of Cider Mills.

I hate the cold.  Dread its arrival each year with a piece of me so deep in my core I can't believe I've only ever lived in Michigan and Chicago my entire life and not fled to warmer climates sooner.  Surprisingly, this year I'm happily welcoming this cooler fall weather, maybe from homesickness or the love of a good oversized sweater/boot combination.  My only issue now, and it's become a major one, is that no one in this city knows what a cider mill is.  What planet am I on??  I'm having a hard time imagining a fall where I won't get an opportunity to throw on said oversized sweater/boots and crunch across the grounds of a gorgeous apple orchard, slowly sipping on some freshly pressed cider and eating a warm, cinnamon sugar donut.  The search is on to satisfy this need.  Cider mills in Texas:  come out wherever you are!

Scarf:  H&M

Boots:  Clarks

Jacket:  Quinn, Francesca's

Jacket and sweater:  Loft

Leggings:  H&M

Shoes:  Sperry

Sweater:  Forever 21

Vest:  Meijer (A Midwestern staple - I miss Meijer terribly)

Biggby chai latte gone wrong.  

Visit Shelley, the owner at the Biggby location in Allen, TX, to get a little taste of Michigan goodness.  The beverage options are amazing if you love coffee and tea (chai latte all the way!) and Shelley and her family are absolutely lovely.  If I can't find a cider mill, I'll settle for a trip to Biggby for a chaider and some talk of home  :)

Date Night

When I moved into my apartment, my 5-year-old nephew informed me that he would grace me with his presence for "one sleep," as he put it, so last night I finally had a night off for him to do just that.  He had his little wheely suitcase all packed up with a couple of his favorite stuffies (Captain Cuddly the polar bear and Buckey, the tiny beaver in a red sweater), and his backpack all set for school today.  I was excited to have a small house guest for the evening!

Our night's adventuring began at Klyde Warren Park because I saw online that they had a "Children's Park," but I think we went at an off time (Wednesday evening, around 6PM).  I didn't see anything kid-related to really do, besides jump in some sprinklers/fountains, an activity in which we sadly could not partake because we had to go to dinner and didn't bring changes of clothes (good planning, Aunt Amy).  We ended up strolling around and commenting on the lack of fun kids' activities, raced on the grass a bit, then went on our merry way to dinner.  Next time I would bring a ball to kick/throw around on the grass or go when there was a scheduled activity.  The park is definitely lovely and in a fantastic location, nestled between the downtown skyscrapers, but it's a little bit of a letdown for a nephew who likes to climb on things and play with toys.

I resorted to Googling a good place to take Carson to eat and stumbled upon an article from the Dallas Observer, which recommended The LOT in East Dallas as one of Nine of Dallas' Best Places to Eat With Your Kids.  A bit more rundown than the pictures in the article made me think and a little lacking on the service side of things (I had to go to the hostess stand to ask for a server to come by), the sand off the patio was a nice area for Carson to play and meet other kids while we waited for our food.  He loved his grilled cheese, fries, and lemonade and my chicken salad on a croissant was decent, though it could have used a bit more stuffing to even out the salad to croissant ration.  I highly recommend the waffle fries!  I would go back again to sample their beer selection and other food offerings, but I'd make sure to sit far away from the sandbox and crying children if I was sans-nephew.

Continuing our theme of driving all across the city in rush hour traffic, we went to Dish in Preston Hollow for a dessert of vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate chip cookies.  Orange juice was also requested by Carson, which made for a slightly off-putting palate combination, if you were to take his face as an indication of the state of things.  Had we been feeling entirely lazy we could have gotten delivery from the wildly delicious Tiff's Treats, which has amazing cookies and an ice cream cookie sandwiche that I would eat my weight in if given the opportunity.

Our evening ended in pj's and bed, with a few episodes of Curious George to round things out.  We woke up early this morning (hearing, "Aunt Amy, where did Captain Cuddly go?" at 6:30 this morning was a cute way to start the day), got clothes on for picture day, and headed off to Denny's for breakfast.

The apartment seems overly quiet now, after spending such a great afternoon and evening with Carson.  His non-stop chatter about everything we saw and his vivid imagination make me glad to be close enough to spend time with him like this.  I'd consider our first "one sleep" a raving success, and to liven up the apartment, I'll now be playing our evening's theme song on a loop ("Aunt Amy, can you please turn this up??").   :)

Signs of Bravery

I recently watched the documentary Girl Rising, and a line from one of the girl's stories really struck me:

In a breath we can decide between what we wish to be true and what we can make happen. 

I have been struggling a lot lately with working too much, not taking care of myself properly, not seeing my family, and just being generally overwhelmed.  I've been bogged down and slipping into a state of mind that I don't like getting into - I've been working this past year on thinking more positively, stepping back from situations, and looking at the bigger picture.  That's been a challenge for me recently.

I have to remind myself that it took a lot for me to do this.  I've only been in Texas three months.  I immediately began working, and now I'm working two jobs.  But, I'm in my own place.  I am here.  I took that first step.  It's not bravery that will change the world, but this decision will lead to more for me.  Something beautiful and good is going to come from this.

I can sit and wish and hope that my situation here will change.  That I'll get my dream job.  That I'll have more regular hours and can see my family more often.  That I can have time off to explore the city and the money with which to do so.  But wishing and doing are two very different things.  A very dear friend and I had a really great talk the other day, and she reminded me of my strengths.  She also told me, "Great things are going to happen to you and I want to know you when they do."  These are the reminders I need and these are the reasons I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many wonderful people who bring out the best in me.

For me, this is just the beginning.

Front of the Pack

During Tamra's visit, I finally got to do a few things around the city I've been meaning to do for a long time.  First on that list was paying a proper visit to the Front Room Tavern inside Hotel Lumen. My brother-in-law is F&B director for the hotel, so my standards for the trip were high and I was pleasantly surprised when those standards were surpassed.  The restaurant is gorgeous (as evidenced below), cozy and intimate with a real feeling of warmth.  Tamra and I were the first to arrive for breakfast (she had an early flight to catch),  but more guests were soon to join us, which added to a nice ambiance.  Tamra got their large french pressed coffee and I sipped on a delicious green tea from Kai Organics, which was replenished with hot water a few times by our attentive server (my addiction to tea is very real).  The breakfast sandwich was phenomenal, as were the breakfast potatoes it came with.  I was doubly excited when my plate arrived with not one but two English muffins, packed with eggs, cheese, bacon, and tomato, because I had leftovers for the next day. Tamra ordered the biscuits and gravy (when in the south, eat southern!), which was a large portion, served with made-to-order eggs and breakfast potatoes.  She was a big fan.  The gravy wasn't too heavy and the biscuits weren't too plentiful that she felt overwhelmed and couldn't eat it all, leaving her with the issue of feeling guilty at having to leave anything behind (since planes and leftovers don't usually mix well, and Tamra hates wasting food).  Front Room's location on Hillcrest Road right across from SMU's campus also made for good people-watching during our meal, with students walking to and from class and luxury cars (given the neighborhood) whizzing past.  All in all, family connection notwithstanding, I would recommend Front Room for breakfast or brunch to anyone!  Our service was great, the food was delicious, the tea was plentiful, and our surroundings were more than pleasing to look at.  Now, I just need to have some time off again to get some Front Room dinner experience!