Almost Forgot

I have to mention the great pair of shoes I picked up while I was in Fort Worth. I know, I know, shallow and atypical of a 'girl named Bill' but I'm still a lady at heart. I really loved them in the store but they were way to expensive. We were about to go to a discount shoe store when we stopped in the quality shoes store (they were having their annual sale) and I tried on a pair of Donald J Pliner sandals. My grandpa's wife, Patsy liked them so much she wouldn't let me leave the store without them. Even though they were half off there was no way I could afford them, I was planning on leaving them and Patsy insisted she buy them for me. I didn't fight to much, but I still feel they are a little extravagant for me. I guess sometimes we fall into luxury. I am very appreciative!Tomorrow, Part II of "Destination Texas" the photos are a hoot!

Destination Texas: Part I

Monday, July 6, my mom and I headed down to Fort Worth to visit my grandpa and his wife, Patsy. We have lots of fun hitting discount stores, thrift stores and Nordstrom and Neimans. It's quite the trip! I always enjoy getting to see my grandparents and it's also neat to see both sides of the economic spectrum.

Fort Worth has always been dear to my heart, I have always thought I would live there at one point in my life. One thing I absolutely love about Fort Worth is all the great food. My town only sustains franchises and chains with only a handful of independent restaurants. We went to a different restaurant every night while we were in Fort Worth and they were all great! Again from yuppie to "good ol' boys." Here are some of my favorites:Kincaid's! We always, always eat a Kincaid's hamburger while we are visiting. It's a tradition.
Next, a "new" place that I'm very surprised they hadn't taken us sooner:
The Lunchbox. We were having a 'girl's day' and we stopped in this darling cafe for lunch. It was delicious!One last name drop...Eddie V's! This restaurant is definitely on the 'high end' of the spectrum but it would be perfect for any special occasion. My mom and I were special enough to warrant such a lavish dinner. Mom and I had 8oz filet's and a giant side of twice baked potatoes. We also had a great bottle of Whitehaven Sauvignon blanc and a flaming, bananas foster cake. It was amazing!

We returned home July 9 with our belts a little looser. The best part, of course, is time with family but there's nothing wrong with being a glutton for three days!

Back to The Grind

Well, vacation is officially over. It's back to work tomorrow. I had a terrific time cruising through Texas all week. I have photos and stories to share. More tomorrow.

Finished!

I finally finished that large stencil I have been raving about. I have to admit I'm pleased with it. It's the first piece the feels like an accomplishment. I have a tendancy to set my expectations to monumental levels, and in the midst of my need for instant gratification I end up hating the finale. I did get ancy near the end, it's been so humid the spray paint ins't drying, and there are some flaws but overall I'm proud to display it:
Visit the Guggenheim.

Cruisin'

Friday I bought a new CD(Regina Spektor). Two in one week, what's wrong with me? I blame it on boredom and emotional distress. My mind has been overclocked this passed week and I feel like I just want to run away. My car has new tires, fresh oil and I detailed it today. I also went overboard and purchased a K&N air filter which will be installed tomorrow before I head down to Fort Worth. I'm set to cruise the country.

Today I decided to take her out for a spin and crank up my new CD. I went up to Western and took pictures of all the pretty signs:The Will Rogers Theater.I'm still not sure what this business was. There was nothing on the building just this great sign. I think it was made from part of a rim and it was beautiful. It has a very rigid, design quality and the weathering... oh the weathering!This is the fence around a little pizza joint on Western called "The Wedge." I absolutely love the pattern and colors. It's also very eye catching, a great way to advertise.This isn't the best picture (I was driving) but at the corner of Britton and Western there is this great, old, rock building that's been there as long as I can remember. As of late, there is a photo place doing business out of it and the loud, cheap red letters really cracked me up. It sort of reminded me of those magnetic refrigerator letters I had as a kid.Last, but not least, and my turning around point...the mothership, Diamond Zorn on Western. It doesn't look like much but there are 3 generations worth of sweat and blood in this outfit. As the Diamonds dwindle to one hand it won't be long until this legacy disappears. I have thought a lot about this especially driving around and noticing all of the old signs and empty buildings. It's sad and inspiring at the same time. It was an interesting ride!

Sufjan Stevens

Today at lunch I went out and purchased Sufjan Steven's album, "Seven Swans." I saw him on Austin City Limits 3 or 4 months ago and I was in awe. Not only is he very talented he is also great to look at!I'm very overwhelmed right at the moment, I wish I could just breath and swoon over Sufjan awhile. I'm taking a vacation next week and work has been super busy. Plus, my HTML class ends tomorrow and I still have so much to do. So what do I do? I cut new stencils while I have one sitting on my desk half finished and I paint them. Priorities? Well, off to work...

I'll take one, please!

One thing I miss about my parent's house is the fireplace. My meager place doesn't have a fireplace which is good and bad. Good because had there been a fireplace it would probably seem clunky and outdated given the era of the house; bad because I could use some ambiance in my living room and how else will Santa get in?

I have decided if I'm going to stay in this house awhile I'm going to invest in a wood burning stove:These are all nice, and if I have to, I will settle on one of them for economical reasons. But, if I were to get exactly what I want it would be this lovely number: