Exploring Texas | girl & grey

With summer just about over for us and because projects are moving super slow at the new house (think painting ALL the beige ceilings white and then painting ALL the beige walls after you’re done with the beige ceilings), I thought I would take this opportunity to recap our summer and provide some house eye candy. Sound good? I thought so. Let’s go!

So if you have been following along, you already know that we sold our Texas house last spring and were busy making plans to move back to the PNW, where we are originally from, to be close to our families again.

In June, my mom and dad flew down to Texas as we were packing the house and were nice enough to drive a car home for us back to Oregon. It was a bit of a whirlwind but we managed to leave the house for good the day after the kids were let out of school for summer break. We had a few Texas tourist attractions to check off our bucket list before we left and then we headed for the Grand Canyon.

After the Grand Canyon, we headed to Arches National Park and although it was crowded, the sights did not disappoint. Whoa, this place is beautiful. The trails within the park are not stroller friendly and I was so smart (NOT) and packed my baby carrier in a box somewhere in the moving truck so we had to stick to easy trails but if we were going again, I would wear the baby (put that cute little guy in his carrier) and try for some of the more advanced trails.

We also stopped off in Flagstaff and Salt Lake City. We kept our schedule flexible because of the kids and baby and would stop whenever a little person needed a break. We had a great time and are already scheming on some road-trip ideas for next summer.

When we arrived back in the Northwest, we knew we wouldn’t be able to close on our new house for almost four weeks. The sellers of our house needed some extra time since it had been their vacation home and wouldn’t be able to move their stuff out right away. But lucky for us, my parents’ were happy to let us invade their house until we closed. After being gone in Texas for three years, spending a few weeks with family sounded like a vacation to us! We had the best time. So many yummy meals (that we didn’t have to make!), and lots of late nights up laughing and talking.

Right around the same time we were moving to Texas, my mom and dad sold their house because they were retiring. They had lived in that house for thirty years and me and my four siblings had all grown up there. Sniffle… Anyways, they needed a smaller place and my mom was craving change, so off they went!

I am completely OBSESSED with their new house. It’s smaller with little maintenance which gives them the freedom to hit the road whenever the mood strikes. Perfect for them!

Cute, right? When they bought the place, the exterior was painted a salmon color. Yikes. The new color is such an improvement. Originally, the house didn’t have a garage so they built one to match the house.

The house was built in 2006 on twenty acres of forested land that has a nice stretch of river frontage. When you are there, it feels like you’re on vacation with all the quiet and peace. During our few weeks there, the kids had so much fun spotting deer and wild turkeys that wander the area.

Ok — are you guys ready for a tour of the inside?

Cozy. Check. Comfortable. Check. With all the windows, there is no shortage of natural light. The house was definitely designed with the views in mind. With the kitchen, living and dining room all in the same space, it really keeps the spacious and airy vibe going strong.

My mom ditched a lot of her old decor and furniture when they bought the place and she started over. I am such a fan of how she introduces a nice mix of objects both old and new. It’s such a talent. Her stuff isn’t too matchy-matchy but it all feels layered and inviting.

Every nook and cranny of the house is cute. Even the little laundry room…just LOOK.

There are two bedrooms in the house; one upstairs and the master on the lower level. How great is the master bedroom with that planked ceiling?

The loft has a second living space, the second bedroom and a bathroom. I’m having a serious moment over that coffee table. My mom found it at a local antique shop that also carried a few pieces of locally made furniture.

Before the house was ever built, the property had a small hunting cabin on it. My parents kept the structure and converted it into a bunk house for grand kids or overflow from the house since we have such a big family. My dad lined the walls with fresh pine planks, built the deck, and my mom got busy furnishing/decorating with a cabin theme in mind.

I don’t think our kids slept in the house for our entire stay. They love it.

So there you have it! Our summer recap and a bonus house tour! I will update the blog soon with some new pics of our house. I have been painting like a maniac. It’s starting to take shape! Happy Back to School!

We were kicked out of our house over the weekend. There was a good reason though; our floors were being installed! This meant that we had to make ourselves scarce and stay out of the way while the crew made fast work of tile demo, taking out carpet, leveling the subfloor and installing our new wood floors. Because we knew we had to stay out of the house for much of the weekend, we planned a busy list of things to do. So, first thing Saturday morning, we got up early and headed to Grey’s football game in Bastrop, TX. Our guy had a couple of good runs, pulled a few flags and our team came out on top and won the game 25-18. After the game, we were off to Round Top to check out the antique fair that is held twice a year.

roundtop

We weren’t sure what to expect but have been told lots of good things from people who have been. I assumed that it was just a few tents where vendors gather to sell antiques but there was so much more! When we arrived in Round Top, we were greeted by the sweetest little town EVER. The shops were cute. Like, postcard cute. We kept saying that Round Top reminded us of the movie, Pleasantville. Let’s just talk about the food for a second, the food that seemed to be around every turn. Good food too. Everything from Texas style BBQ to fair style food with staples like corn dogs and burgers. Food and antique hunting…ummm yeah.

These are just a few of the cute shops that make up Round Top. We talked to some of the owners who explained to us that they keep these spaces year around but are only open during certain times like the fair in the spring and fall. We visited as many shops as the kids could stand before we had to break for snacks and water. I am thankful it is cooling off here but it is still quite warm for October and the temps were in the mid 80’s. Our family can’t ever seem to adjust to the humidity. I don’t know if we are more sensitive to it being from the Northwest or if it’s a problem for everyone. This Northwest girl was hot. Maybe it has something to do with this very large baby boy that I am carrying around?

There were so many treasures to be found that I didn’t even know where to start. Many people we saw came prepared with carts and wagons that they were filling up. Look at those beautiful cow hides. It felt really inspiring to see all of the random pieces and imagine all of the ways to re-purpose these items. It really got my wheels turning. Especially this next picture…
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Haha. Not really. But this is a good example of the quirkiness that we saw all over the antique fair. The shirt says, “Raised on Willie.” We decided that we would pick just one treasure to come home with us and it was an easy decision. I spotted an antique rug and Nate was able to barter with the shop owner until they agreed on a price.

I was so excited to bring this little guy home with us and am thinking that a bathroom or kitchen could be the perfect spot for him to live. Oh, notice those wood floors?? Those are our new floors!!!!!! I will write a post really soon with all the dirty details just as soon as it doesn’t look like a hurricane went through the middle of our house.

Overall, Round Top was loads of fun. I would love to go again with cooler temps and without a giant pregnant belly. On the way out, we were charmed by some Texas style houses and beautiful scenery.

I will leave you with this image. Because, who doesn’t love a good baby pic?

summer recap: moving, sightseeing and a lovely house

we went to round top y’all