An extremely Texas weekend

LOML and I had a fantastic weekend! The weather is gorgeous right now, which always helps, and we drove out to Flatonia, TX, with friends to see their family farm. I love how wide ad golden the Texas landscape is - it reminds me of Zimbabwe. The old farmhouses and colonial structures are just beautiful, as well (one day I will own a house with a wrap-around porch boasting an antique rocking chair ...). The sight of water towers emblazoned with the names of small towns became commonplace along the road. There's nothing better than speeding down wide roads in a pick-up truck while eating a taco and drinking iced tea.

In the evening, we went to the Broken Spoke, a honky-tonk saloon famous for its live music and dancing. LOML sampled his first chicken-fried steak, and, after dinner, we danced the Texas two-step in-between jugs of Lone Star beer. Today we went down South Congress for some vintage and antique shopping and a late brunch in the sun. Can't get much more Austin than that.

Some of the best tacos in Austin; perfect for a road trip!



A beautiful country church.











The old farm.



Brenda's in Flatonia - home of the best burgers in Texas! (I think).




The Broken Spoke!


Hanging out on South 1st Street after a hard day's antique shopping! I was really excited to find this old tin roller-skate case that's sitting beside me in the pictures.

Behind the scenes in the garment factory

LOML and I helping out at a Tess photo shoot.

The Tess sew-in labels.

Just a couple of days now till Tess launches! It has been so much fun to get this glimpse at someone else's creative process. I love seeing the similarities - there are certainly more of them than there are differences.

Anyway, today we posted a round-up of the entire production process on the Tess blog! It's not often you get such a detailed look behind the scenes of a fashion collection, and I find it really interesting. I certainly appreciate my clothing a lot more know that I know how much work goes into each element of it.

"Getting behind the scenes of large-scale garment production is a bit like getting the golden ticket inviting you to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! Many in the rag trade keep their backstage activities hidden, only letting you see the polished finished product. But that’s why we’re here – to share all the mysterious processes and secret recipes that go into creating the Tess dress that will soon be hanging in your wardrobe." (Click to read more)

Asking for directions

"I’m constantly in search of a good metaphor for what writing a first draft of anything long-form is like, but for now, let’s just go with “drowning in a sea of bees.” - Chuck Wendig

First drafts make me anxious. I enjoy them, but they are messy and colourful and complicated and raw and uncensored, spilled paint that keeps on spilling. And they have to be like that - for me, anyway - or they're no good when it comes to the revision and editing stages. And they make me use way too many metaphors, obviously. So we already have 'drowning in a sea of bees' and spilled paint - I might as well add another. When it comes to first drafts, the writing is a bit like driving down the freeway. I don't want to stop and ask for directions. I don't want to stop and eat. I don't even want to stop for a bathroom break, because then I will LOSE MY PLACE (yes, the logic is a little ridiculous) and fall behind. Unfortunately, all of these are necessary at some point. And even more necessary - stopping to fill up on fuel. I forget to do this sometimes.

Spilled paint! Keeps on spilling!

Anyway, this means I am a bit incoherent on the blog front at the moment. Thank you for sticking with me. The mixed metaphors thank you also.