Zebra Rug DIY

I picked up quite a few souvenirs on our trip to South Africa, which is not the norm for me.  I was excited about having a place to decorate (my boyfriend and I signed the lease on our house the week before we left) and I genuinely loved the style of the items we bought.  You can see some of them in this post (wooden masks, original artwork).  One thing I was lusting for but wasn't able to purchase was a zebra hide rug.  I saw quite a few for sale but there was no extra room in my luggage and I didn't want to spend extra money to ship it home.  (I was also unsure how to declare it and didn't want to deal with any trouble from customs.)  When we got back I started shopping on eBay and Craigslist for zebra rugs.  I found some reasonably priced options but decided to save some money and try a DIY version.

South Africa

A few months ago my boyfriend's employer sent him to South Africa for an assignment.  Obvi, that's a pretty big deal so of course I invited myself he invited me to join.  We love tagging on a vacation to the heels of a work trip, and it makes financial sense when you get to expense your flight and/or hotel.  We were thrilled to go to Africa, as neither of us had been before.  My first reaction to Johannesburg was, "Awesome!  Isn't it really dangerous?"  We did some Googling and discovered it used to have a high crime rate but it's decreased as their economy has strengthened in the past decade. 

Home

Three months ago I moved from my tiny apartment room into a proper house with my boyfriend.  My name is now on a lease, something I've been free from for nearly two years (the same time I started this blog).  Since I sold all of my belongings in my epic garage sale, it's taken some time to curate our place. We have a few mementos from our trip to South Africa this summer and we've scored some neat second-hand furniture that accentuates the character of the house.  It was built in the 1940s so there are some upgrades that need to be done but (most days) I find its quirkiness quite charming! Here are some shots from in and around our house.

Finally Fall

Now that our highs this week are in the sevenies, I can confidently say fall has arrived in Texas and I'm ready to bask in all it's golden glory!  For the most part, our seasons are warm, hot, really effing hot, not as hot, chilly, and cold.  Some years it's felt like summer turned into winter without warning.  Since Thanksgiving is nearly two weeks away, I'm reminding myself to slow down my pace and appreciate the little things in life, like going for a run on a beautiful day.  Here are some scenes from my neck of the woods taken from my lunchtime jaunt.

DARTing Around

For a Southern city, Dallas has decent public transportation.  It's not nearly as expansive as the systems of Chicago, San Francisco, or New York City, but it's slowly growing (since its most recent expansion, we have seventy-two miles of light rail service) and it's better than nothing!  As a resident who would like to see more of it, I should do more to support our Dallas Area Rapid Transit, aka "The DART".

This weekend I stepped up my game and participated in my friend's second annual DART Rail Pub Crawl.  Atendees purchased a $4 day pass and could join the fun at any one of the nine stops along the way.  I posted our agenda below in case any of my DFW-are friends want to recreate this epic pub crawl while supporting our public transportation infastructure.  (I like to consider it "crawling for a cause"!)  DARTing is a nice break from driving and the hassles that come with it (I'm talking about you, parallel parking!).



My posse and I joined the group downtown at City Tavern.

Mallorca, Spain

When I visited Barcelona, I squeezed in a quick trip to Mallorca, which is the largest of the Balearic Islands just south of continental Spain.



My friend and I flew into Palma and rented a car to tour the island.  Mallorca is famous for its beaches.  I was there too late in the season to enjoy them, but fortunately the mountain areas proved equally beautiful.

Barcelona, Spain

On my first night in Johannesburg, I had dinner with my boyfriend and his co-worker, who lives in the US but travels to a different country almost weekly.  We were enthralled by his stories of world travel, and curiously we asked him what was his all-time favorite place.  With no hesitation he answered, "Barcelona."  Spain.  Boom.  I could not agree more.  Although my view of the world is comparitavely limited, it's my favorite as well, and since this conversation I've been reminiscing about my trip there in 2006.



The photo above is the best way to describe my visit.  Pure joy.  I love Barca for the culture, food, people, location (beaches!), architecture, history...

Frankfurt, Germany

Greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa!  It took almost two days, but I'm finally here and enjoying their winter weather in August.  On the way, I had a long layover in Frankfurt.  I've never been to Germany before, so I was excited to explore!  (Travel tip: If you're traveling with carry-on bags and you don't want to haul them around during a layover, some airports- like Frankfurt- offer bag drop service for a nominal fee.)



Frankfurt has an excellent public transportation system which I would have used if I was staying longer.  You can get on the S-Bahn at the airport and it will take you to the city center in minutes.  I hailed a taxi at the airport because I didn't want to waste time potentailly getting lost.  My driver was very helpful and told me about the best ways to get around and what to see.

Life in Instagram

Hey fellow nomads!  Just for fun, here are some pics from Instagram taken over the past few weeks.  Follow me @theglamnomad!

Bluebonnet Trails

"The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland." -Jack Maguire, historian

Bluebonnets are the Stetson hats of the flower world.  They are distinctly Texan.  The arrival of bluebonnets announces the coming of spring here, which came a little early this year.  Fine by me!



Yesterday I dragged my bf to the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival.   It's a short drive (about 45 miles) outside of Dallas.  Ennis has been deemed the "Official Bluebonnet City of Texas" and boasts over 40 miles of mapped bluebonnet trails surrounding the city.  These trails are the oldest in the state and attract tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Trip to Minnesota

Spring arrived early here in Texas, so I'm anticipating the heat to follow soon.  Last summer was the hottest I've ever experienced.  Fortunately, I got a little respite from the sweltering Texas heat last August when I visited my brother in International Falls, Minnesota.  It's the northern-most town in the United States. Canada is literally in its backyard.

Easter Weekend Projects

Happy Easter y'all!  I spent this weekend hanging out with family in Oklahoma.  It's pretty low key up here, which is nice for a change!  I hit up a couple of thrift stores near my parents' home and found some great items!  I love buying second-hand.  It keeps old threads out of the landfill and allows me to get creative.  When thrifting, you have to know what you want since there are no advertisements or displays in the store to
controlguide you.

I found a very large yellow, linen skirt that I was able to alter into a little peplum number.  That paired with a Shelli Segal top from 1995 made a cute Easter outfit!



Before

Chicago

Chicago  is a special place to me.  The first time I ever purchased my own plane ticket, it was for a trip to the Windy City to visit my bestie who went to the University of Chicago.  (Smarty pants.)  When I started my stint in the travel industry five years ago, I took advantage of my stand-by airline benefits to visit her often.  She has since moved to London, but now work brings me back a couple of times a year, and it's always a treat!

Granbury, Texas

Howdy, y'all!  I'm feeling very Texan today, as the boyfriend and I just returned from a little road trip to the quaint town of Granbury!  It's a short drive from Dallas (about an hour and twenty minutes) that will tak you back in time.  It toutes itself as a place where "Texas history comes to life." 

Photo from www.texasescapes.com