My big fat Texas Thanksgiving

Traveling to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday was such a fun experience!

Brought Maddie along for the trip and she had a great time being one of the "big dogs."

Why did I go to Texas? My sister's fiance's family lives there. The moms  conspired  planned to have both families together for the weekend, so everyone could spend it together. They opened their home for us, to stay with them (which is amazing and I will share some of my favorite decor) and we just felt right at home. With two sets of parents, one sister, one brother, one engaged couple and three dogs. The term full house, was an understatement. 

sunrise as we took off 

They live in a town named McKinney, which is about 45 minutes outside of Dallas. On Friday we went downtown to see it, what a cute place. Great restaurants and shopping, I was so in love with all of the home stores. I could have redecorated my apartment twice with all the decor I fell in love with. You really did feel like you took a trip through time. 

One of the vintage shops we went in, was actually converted from the old bank location. Three full size vaults were still in tact, at the back of the store. 

The town was hosting a Christmas market when we went. They had everything blocked off with vendors and food stands and rides. I actually went on the ferris wheel, I normally sit it out because my mom doesn't like to ride them.. and I don't want her to get lonely. 

Sister looking cute and matching the leaves.

So much charm, everywhere you turned. 

We ate at Rick's Chophouse which was very good. I can't say I ate any chops (I'm a vegetarian) but I did enjoy my delicious salad and extra spicy bloody mary. ;) It was very dark and masculine when you walked in, but I appreciated all the old brink and cool art. Even the bathroom was neat!

On the last day, we visited the best grocery store in the entire world. No.. the actual name is the Central Market.. but it was the coolest one I have visited. They had samples throughout the store including wine  what??

And they had a huge variety of local products and produce. Tons or organic and holistic things and the best nut butter bar. I tried to get a sample, but then my Dad brought me a paper cup. 

"taste testing" 

This was a cool bar where we stopped to get a drink after visiting the Christmas market. The catch is that they had no liquor license.. so you had to "become a member" in order to have a drink. 

my sister enjoying a refreshing root beer float

Kendal and Anthony being adorable.

NINE2five chic

top: Who What Wear collection from target; pants: H&M; shoes: Target 

Black and white never goes out of style. I was at Target the other night and saw this blouse from the 'Who What Wear' collection. 

Hounds-tooth - duh

B + W - timeless

So I have this friend Giovanna... but she's only friend with me because I take her photos. haha. 

IG baby. 

Well she took these and I think she did amazing! Lately I've been wanting a bit more prep in my wardrobe. So I've been drawn to classic pieces, with a good cut.

The shoes are also from Target :) I got them on clearance for $8.

Devon's Dish: [[THE BUCHER'S SON.]] restaurant review

As soon as I turned the corner, I saw the line. It was good sized, but I wasn't about to turn back. I watched a few videos and then checked out the menu. After finding "The Butcher's {vegan} Son" on Instagram, I decided to check them out a couple Saturdays ago. 

They had so many dishes to offer, some of my favorites were; the fried mozzarella meatball and the Chili garlic chicken B.L.A.T. I decided on one savory and one sweet. I wanted to get a better opinion and more importantly.. I was starving. It was definitely filled with foodies, and hipsters, but also families and large groups of friends and couples, everyone seemed stoked to be there. 

I knew it was going to be good. 

What can I say about the decor. I felt like I was in a place that was originally a flower shop, then 1950's diner and now had a mid century modern twist. The staff was super friendly, let me carry Maddie as I waited in line. The space behind the counter was microscopic but the staff moved around like a perfectly choreographed dance routine. 

The donuts were out of this world. I didn't eat one since I knew I'd already be in trouble with what I was planning to order.. They were perfect little pillow of friend dough, eclectically decorated using various toppings. 

Since I had Maddie with me, I had to sit outside.. which was fine. Like I said earlier, the day was perfect. Luckily, right after I put in my order of pancakes and Level 8 vegan sandwich and left the restaurant, I spotted a sunny table open up. 

My food was really delicious. On a scale of 1-10 I would say the sandwich was an 8 and the pancakes were a 9.5. I enjoyed the sandwich, but would skip the bacon and the cream cheese next time. The flavors were good, but combined they were too strong for my taste. The "chicken" was great, texture and flavor were on point. The bacon on it's own was good, but I was prefer it more crispy. The pancakes were perfect, The only thing that could have made them a 10, would be a side of blackberry jam. Of course I offered samples and Maddie liked the bacon most. 

Gallivanting around Berkeley

it was a perfect day.

packed up the car and drove to Berkeley to search of vegan deliciousness.

I found it. 

Read more about that here.

The restaurant that I was adventuring to was in a neighborhood I had never been to. I thought it would be fun to park a bit further, so I could walk around and see the area. It was pretty calm, not crowded. I found a small park where Maddie and I played around in. 

shoes: Sperry x Jcrew; jeans: old from Macys; top: target; glasses: Celine 

Devon's Dish [[ Church Creek Cellars ]]

Wow Wow Wow. 

I don't have enough room, for all the wonderful things I could say about 

Church Creek Cellars.

How cute are the horses that greet you as you pull in?? 

The newest winery to open in Santa Clara county, with the best views and hospitality, imaginable! When you are surrounded by 21 acres of gorgeous grape vines and panoramic views, you don't want to be stuck indoors. So they have built a beautiful open air Ramada, complete with a long bar and delightfully large, outdoor heaters.

With numerous award winning releases, you can't go wrong in picking any. Whether you choose to buy a few bottles to take home or stay awhile and sip under the oak tree, your experience will keep you coming back. 

Plus they have a wine club (join here) and don't let your glass go empty.

Church Creek Cellars prides themselves and their work, on the individual attention given to each plant. They believe that when you grow, nurture and hand pick a plant for production, you have the ability to select at the peak of ripeness for the overall style of wine they are trying to achieve.

They believe in the "vine-to-bottle" approach, something we in California know very well.. as "farm-to-table" has become increasingly popular in the last few years. The idea behind it, in it's most honest form, is that all parties involved in the process complete production in the most raw and natural way possible. No middlemen, no marketers, no distributors. You will meet the wine making team, and they are happy to walk you through their journey with each and every plant.

Me sitting with my parents enjoying the cabernet sauvignon. 

CHEERSSS 

Estate varietals include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Malbec, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Noir. (read more here) 

Diana look cute on the left talking with visitors || A packed tasting room on the right. 

Cooper has been working around the clock. Start ups often require you to wear multiple hats and multitask quite a bit.

Here he is shown as lead sommelier, earlier he was working as the official greeter and toast maker, and before that he was regulating the crowds as head of security.

So how do I know so much about this fabulous new winery??!

I actually had the honor of babysitting this (not so little) nugget of cuteness when she was a year old through age 12. Here she is working with her Dad (above) and standing taller than me (below) 

Now, that's a reality check, let me go have a cry. 

A little OOTD inspiration

 KG basic leggings

Ralph Lauren striped shirt (similar here)

Denim jacket (old, similar here) 

Celine glasses

Vans 

pins have been collected over the years. 

Me and Cooper taking a selfie.. what is everyone looking at?