Closed out our first month in TX!

The weather in Texas the last few days had been a total switch from what our family is experiencing in the North East. 60-70's is something we aren't used to in January but we've been embracing the sunshine and getting out to explore. 

A trip north into the Denton Area brought us some amazing views of the Big Texas Sky, 

and a chance to see Lewisville Lake. 

This weekend we also celebrated the close of our first month in Texas. After some searching I found an Awesome Yoga Studio, Yoga on Main in downtown Frisco (www.yogaonmainst.com) and hit them up Saturday morning for an intense flow class using muscles I haven't felt in an awfully long time. Meanwhile Michael got a chance to sleep in extra late.
We took a trip into Dallas in the afternoon to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the American Airlines Arena,

We might have been one of the only couples there who didn't have children with them but none the less we had a great time!

Sundays are now a day of new routine. A time for us to grow into this new place and enjoy our newlywed-ness (which I know is not a real word... more like a feeling... you know- like this is truly OUR adventure)   Church and a trip to the grocery store (a new one this week!), and some kitchen related adventures in the afternoon. We are really enjoying the community we've discovered at St. Phillips Episcopal (http://www.stphilipsfrisco.org). A congregation averaging 700 people between the two morning services that feels more like a big family than the mega church of the south.

This weeks kitchen adventure was more backyard related. Garlic and Dill dip with sugar snap peas, beers and Southern living magazine while NY strip steaks from Market Street seasoned with Mesquite rub, slow grill over the Charcoal- with flip flop feet :-) 

I picked up Southern Living so to investigate some new recipes for our April visitors. Cooking Easter dinner for the first time ever! 

First Family Visit!

This past week we had our first family visitors! Katie & Justin came down for a few days. Originally they were going to drive down our second car for us and fly home after a little visit, but since we sold the car just before we moved they ended up just visiting.
Our sleeper sofa arrived just in time, and based on their feedback it was a good purchase :-)! They took an overnight jaunt to Austin to visit another friend before coming back up to Frisco. We had a fantastic time showing them around our new hometown. A trip to Forth Worth to see the Stock Yards and an afternoon at Cowboys stadium rounded out their trip.
It was great to get to spend some quality time with them, chatting and playing games on the couch and being out and about at our new stomping grounds.

We're really glad you came! cant wait for the next visit!
<3 us

The feeling of Finally Arriving

 A long time ago I lived in a place where I had felt like I settled in, like I was really an adult with my own space and my own decorations etc. Until my sister walked in and bluntly advised (with love of course), "Laur... someday you'll realize that real adult decorations don't consist of hippie tapestries and Christmas lights hung inside" it stuck with me. No matter where I've lived since I've tried to continue to evolve my decorating style, and now "our"style, but was never really able to answer the oft asked questions like "what color is your kitchen, or does your bathroom have a theme?" my bathroom was a mismash of towels from college or ones I'd "borrowed" from mom. The kitchen.. well lets not go there. :-)

In the few years that Michael and I have been together we've inherited a lot of furniture and decorations, but had never bought any of our own. When we were packing to move we made a decision not to take most of the furniture we had. Our kitchen table was an antique borrowed from his parents and neither one of us wanted anything bad to happen to it. Our couch was a hand-me-down from Suzanne's parents well loved but looking very used, our coffee table had been left in our apartment by a previous tenant.  And our bedroom furniture was inherited by me from my grandparents.
We brought the bedroom furniture to Texas... but that's it.

We've been here now just over 2 weeks... I look around this place and finally feel like we've arrived. There are no Christmas lights inside...no tapestries from college.. but real furniture, a washer and dryer we own, a color scheme in the bathroom and pictures on the walls. Pictures of the people we love the family and friends who helped us get to where we are now, who both nurtured and ribbed us along the way.

It's an amazing feeling...this adulthood thing.

First Week Conquered!

So we've been here a little over a week now.. here is a little recap for those of you actually interested... (its totally ok if you aren't and some of you may have heard it already)

• We got our Washer and Dryer!!! I have to say I love them so far! (if that makes me an old lady I'm totally fine with it.
• We got a sweet Jordan's-esque deal on living room furniture! sleeper sofa, love seat, chair, coffee table, end table, entertainment center and 50 inch plasma tv- oh and one really hideous lamp. I can deal with the hideous lamp for the great deal we got. 
• In Texas you cant get a registration for a vehicle and a drivers license in the same place. Registrations are done at the county tax office and drivers license with the department of public safety. 2 trips to both places, $250, and we now have a truck with Texas plates, and two Texas state drivers licenses.
• Within 4.5 miles of our apartment is damn near every store or restaurant you can imagine. 
• There are TWO- count'em TWO Super Target's in our town! 
• They sell beer and wine everywhere down here grocery stores, convenience stores, The Walmart, and Super Target- but they only sell bottled liquor is wet counties... of which ours is not one. 
• You can see for over a 100 miles in any direction and at night when the sun sets it looks like something out of an old western painting- beautiful sky.

For the most part thats what's been happening.
More to come later but its late and we're tired. :-)
<3 us