Finally back in the saddle after a few days' interruption in the name of one hurricane Ike. ..

My Mom, Avery and I skeeted on up to the Hill Country when it looked like Ike was going to hit somewhere in the middle of the Texas Coast. As it was, the hurricane moved further north, devastating Galveston, and my old hometown of Houston.
I've been watching local Houston coverage, and am so touched by the sense of community H-town residents have shown. There seems to be a real sense of "we'll get this done, together," and it makes me even more proud of being a Native Texan.
Not meaning to trivialize what people are going through with this post. I figure, even in the midst of chaos, people like to see positive things, so I'm sharing pics from our little getaway...

Friday, we took a day trip into Fredericksburg. I haven't been there in years, so it was a treat to see all the precious little shops. My fave was probably Lauren Bade. This place is a perfect template for the kind of shop I'd love to have one day. It's chock-full of cool home accessories, unique clothing and jewelry - even a fabulous line of Italian leather shoes. To top it all off, the owner/designer lives above the boutique, and has an oh-so-charming garden patio out back. I'm tellin' ya, she looks to be livin' the life!