Monday, August 31, 2015

Virginia

Here's the last group of photos taken by Ellusions Photography.
Vaughan and I finally made it to Virginia Saturday. We spent all day Sunday unpacking our box truck.  There was so much work to do!  Soon, we will be heading back to California to close our house sale.  It has been a little surreal being back home in Virginia after several years away.  I'm really looking forward to finding the perfect new place to live!


 








Friday, August 28, 2015

Cactus Inn, Mclean TX

Our third hotel stay of our journey east was at the Cactus Inn in Mclean, Texas.  I have always loved the Saguaro Cactus, so when we saw the giant one in the parking lot I knew I wanted to stay the night.  Our room was decorated in a western/cowboy theme.  I find this kind of thing fun and charming, so I am willing to miss out on a few perks I may get at a chain motel.  The wifi didn't work in our room, and the AC was a little loud, but I still thought the place was fun and I'm glad we stopped there.  Also, the price for both Vaughan and I to stay was under $50, so who can really complain?!

After we settled in, we decided to check out the restaurant that is very close by, the Red River Steakhouse.  As I mentioned in my last post about the Denny's near the Travel Lodge in Grants, NM, this restaurant also had no sidewalk leading from the motel.  That's one thing that would be nice to see in the future so that if you're staying at the Cactus Inn, you would not have to walk in the street to get there. Unfortunately, Vaughan and I had already filled up on burgers only a few hours before in Amarillo, so we skipped the steak and had desert, instead.  I chose the Plum Cobbler.  I had never had Plum Cobbler before, and I was pleasantly surprised.  The decor inside the restaurant was also very cute, western and fun.   There were lots of funny signs, including one that said "Many have eaten here, few have died".  If you like that kind if humor, this is the place for you!


Dress Sofia by Sofia Vergara
Shoes Bandolino

Cactus Inn, Mclean TX
Outside the Cactus Inn

Cactus Inn, Mclean TX

Cactus Inn, Mclean TX

Cactus Inn, Mclean TX

Cactus Inn, Mclean TX
Inside out motel room
Cactus Inn, Mclean TX
A slightly scary motorcycle in the parking lot

red river steakhouse
My Plum Cobbler

red river steakhouse
Outside the Red River Steakhouse

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Grants, New Mexico

Our second night on the road, we stayed at the Travel Lodge in Grants, New Mexico.  I wish we'd had the time to see Roswell, but it's too far off our path for this trip. 
A wind storm came up just as we pulled into town, so we decided it was safer to stay the night.  There was a Walmart and a Dollar Tree within walking distance so I was able to pick up some things I needed.  One thing I don't like to travel without are my onw towels.  The idea of using hotel towels grosses me out, so I bought my own and now I'm a lot more comfortable staying in hotels.  Right beside the Travel Lodge was a Denny's.  Very convenient, but we had to walk through the dirt and shrubs to get to their lot.  I really don't understand why businesses so close often do not have connecting parking lots. Is this some insurance/liability thing?  It seems pretty unfriendly, anyway.  Regardless, we were able to get to Denny's and had a nice late dinner.  The Travel Lodge had an indoor pool, but we were too tired to go for a swim that night, and we didn't take the time the next morning, either.

Top Derek Heart
Shoes Bandolino


Grants, New Mexico

Grants, New Mexico

Grants, New Mexico

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Historic Route 66 Motel

On the first night of our journey to the east coast, Vaughan and I stayed at the Historic Route 66 Motel in Seligman, Arizona.  Our room was decorated in cute, Route 66 decor.  I especially liked the red accent wall.  It was nice to stay at a non-chain hotel for a change.  It's more unique and interesting that way, I think.  There were several places within walking distance to eat and shop.  We ended up going to the Route 66 General Store for soda and snakes.  The cashier there was very friendly and we had a pleasant exchange about trip to the east coast.  I wish I had been able to take even more photos and explore more of the area, but we were very exhausted from our first day on the road.  

Onward to the next state we go!

Top Raviya
Pants Raviya
Shoes Walmart

Historic Route 66 Motel

Historic Route 66 Motel

Historic Route 66 Motel

Monday, August 24, 2015

Ruched Mini Dress

Here's the second set of shots in a purple mini dress that were taken by Ellusions Photography in Pasadena.  I have one more set coming later.  Today, Vaughan and I finally left California.  This is the first time I've been out of the state in a long time, it feels good! I'm going to be very busy the next week, but I hope to post at least every other day, if not more.
Stay tuned!

Shoes Speed Limit 98










Sunday, August 23, 2015

Speechless Dress

We've still been super busy with packing for our move.  Yesterday, we finally brought our box truck home and started packing!  It's huge, so there's plenty of space for everything we really want.  I don't remember the last time I worked so hard.  I'm very tired and will probably be very sore tomorrow from lifting and moving so many things!  There hasn't been much time to dress up or do anything but pack, but hopefully I'll be able to take some cute OOTD photos on our trip across America.

Dress Speechless
Shoes Maine Woods

Speechless Dress

Speechless Dress

Speechless Dress

Speechless Dress

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Beata Studio Dress

We are still very busy packing and getting ready for our move.  I had the genius idea to not rent, but buy our own box truck.  Well...that turned out to be a bit of a hassle, but hopefully it will all work out in the end.  Who knew it would take hours just to find a company that would provide insurance for a box truck?! Tomorrow we will be picking up the truck, and then we can start loading!  We're that much closer to leaving, which is great!

Dress Beata Studio
Shoes Madeline Stuart




Wednesday, August 19, 2015

BJ's Brewhouse

 These photos were taken Monday evening in Brea, California at the BJ's Brewhouse Beer Dinner.  My husband has been wanting to go to one of their beer dinners for a long time now.  The Brea BJ's was beautiful! I'm not a beer drinker, so I opted for my favorite, (Pepsi) instead.  We had four courses which included Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts, which sounded bad but was actually very good.  Next, we had Hickory Brisket and Bacon Burger, which was even better.  Our 3rd course was Fire-Roasted Barbacoa Chicken, which was my least favorite, and for dessert, we had the PB&J Pizookie.  I am not a fan of peanut butter and jelly together, in fact, I don't think I've ever had a PB&J sandwich.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised.  Though is would not have been my first Pizookie choice, it was still pretty good.

Dress Musette
Shoes Qupid


Monday, August 17, 2015

Black Mini Dress

I found this amazing tassel bag at American Way Thrift.  It has the largest tassels I've ever seen!
I've has the ruched dress for a while, and I love how it can be dressed up or down. The tag has been removed, so unfortunately I don't know who made the dress. The necklace was a gift from my mother, and the belt is another thrift find.  My shoes are my favorites, because they have low heels and are pretty comfortable to wear. I actually have at least two pair in the same style. 

My family and I have still been very busy getting ready to move, so I haven't been wearing much other than casual clothes to work in lately.  It's amazing how many things we gather over time!  Ugh, it would be a lot simpler to just get rid of everything! 

Bag American Way Thrift Store
Shoes Bandolino

Black Mini Dress

Black Mini Dress

Black Mini Dress

Black Mini Dress

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Pasadena City Hall

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of working with Ellusions Photography again.  I have worked with Gilbert Echeverria in the past and he's a great guy and fun to be around.  For this shoot, we were at the Pasadena City Hall, which is such a beautiful place.  There were so many people there taking photos and doing their own shoots.  If you ever have the chance to go to Pasadena, California, you should definitely check out city hall.  This may be one of the last professional shoots I do in California before moving sometime next month.  I am glad it was with you, Gilbert! 

In these shots, I am wearing a mini dress provided by Gilbert.

Pasadena City Hall

Pasadena City Hall

Pasadena City Hall

Pasadena City Hall

Pasadena City Hall

Pasadena City Hall

Pasadena City Hall