Waco, Texas! A few years ago I would have driven straight through and not give a second thought about stopping. Now, thanks to this visit and the Magnolia Market at the Silos, I can’t wait to go back.

It was a Tuesday, during the last week of March, that we were heading back to Austin from our camping trip in Glen Rose. A few days of exploring dino tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park had us still eager to explore around Central Texas. I mentioned to Kyle I was interested in checking out the Magnolia Market at the Silos some day. Well, he surprised me and mapped it out for our drive back. 

From Glen Rose to Waco it was only about an hour and a half drive. Kyle actually went to Baylor and his brother lives there, so we had a full day ahead of us. I didn’t think it would be too busy since it was a Tuesday and we arrived around noon. I sure was wrong! It was so crowded. So many out-of-state spring breakers everywhere. I think I waited about half an hour just to use the bathroom. But the entire staff was super friendly, with warm Texas Hospitality.

The crowd was a bit overwhelming in the market but nothing a little walk around the gorgeous outdoor space couldn’t cure. I ventured into the beautiful garden. Found myself a cute little succulent for my work desk in the Magnolia Seed and Supply shop. I thought I was doing good job with keeping it alive until recently. (Just last week I finally attempted to repot it but now my poor little plant is starting to wilt over.)

 
Now that I had my little succulent, I went back into the market to find something to put it in. So many pretty vases and jars to pick from. Can you guess what I ended up with? A giant coffee mug! I loved that it had Magnolia Market +Garden| Waco TX on it. Perfect souvenir and holder for my attempt at being a Plant Lady. The checkout process was well organized and went pretty quickly. 

It had been at least two hours since my last snack, so I was starting to get hungry again. This trip was still during Lent and I had given up pastries. No pastries, meant skipping the bakery. All the delicious scents from the food trucks were calling my name. My mouth watered and I knew exactly what my snack would be as soon as I read it. Truffle Shuffle Fries from Milo Biscuit Company. “Hand cut fries, parmasen, truffle, fresh herbs.” Lick the bowl and your finger (if they were clean) good! 

Fries in hand, I was ready to tour around Baylor and see this band nerd’s old stomping grounds. Did you know they actually have bears at Baylor? I knew bears are their mascot, but I had no idea there is actually a habit for them on campus. Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. From what I learned, there has been a lot of renovation and expansions the few years. It’s a beautiful campus and I can’t wait to go back for the UTSA vs Baylor football game in September. 

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Our last stop was Shorty’s Pizza Shack. 

Less than a mile from campus, this scrumptious place definitely has their Baylor Bears pride on point. Hardly a surface without green and yellow Baylor memorabilia hung and framed every where. But enough about the scenery, let’s get to the good stuff. The pizza! They have daily specials and happy hour. (We happened to be just in time for both.) “Tuesday: All specialty 18″ pies for 14″ prices.” “2$ Margaritas & Sangrias,” one of each please and thank you. We ended picking the Hawaiian: “Aloha! Canadian bacon and juicy pineapple.” Oh my, it sure was tasty. Delicious crust, perfect balance of sauce and cheese. We devoured that pizza! 

Now that I’ve binge watched a few seasons of Fixer Upper, and follow all their Magnolia social media, and started exploring Waco, I am so excited to go back. I want to try all of the food trucks, (maybe not all in one trip) the bakery, and pick up some home decorations. A lot more to discover than I thought. Can’t wait for my next Waco, Texas road trip.

XOXO,
Sydney Charming 

Summer is officially here and I’ve got a fun Texas camping road trip for you. On an early spring Sunday morning after church, we loaded the truck up with camping gear and headed out to Dinosaur Valley State Park!

From North Austin, we took a beautiful Texas scenic drive on 183 to 281 to Hico. Oh my yummy goodness! During the holidays, Kyle brought me the most delicious mocha crunch from his favorite chocolate shop, Wiseman House Chocolates. Since it was on the was to Glen Rose we had to make a stop.

It’s the quaintest chocolate house shop I’ve ever seen. As their website says, “Welcome to Chocolate Heaven.” Every room filled with different chocolate treats and gifts. Toffees, truffles, melts, crunches, and a variety of chocolate covered goodness. They have it all and there’s samples of everything. Since I’ve had their mocha crunch before, I decided to try some other treats. I left with the peanut butter meltaways, dark chocolate and pecan fudge, and toffee trio of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and almond toffee. All handmade, rich flavor chocolate, I can’t wait to go back.

Now that our tummies were happily filled with chocolate, we got back on the road. Actually, it was only a 30 minute drive from Hico to Glen Rose. And queue Jurassic Park theme music because we had arrived at Dinosaur Valley State Park. I literally started playing the theme music as we entered the park.
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Checked in and got to pick out our camping spot, between the bathrooms and a hiking trail. We started unloading the truck and pitched our tent. There was dark clouds and rumbles of thunder in the far distance but we checked the weather before we left and it was only supposed to rain for about an hour.

Just as we finished setting up the tent, a park ranger came by and asked if we were packing up and head out. He told us there was a tornado warning for the area, and  that it might pass us with 60 miles per hour winds. So Kyle quickly took down most of the tent and put these weights in top, while I loaded everything non-waterproof back in the truck.

On the drive there Kyle said he was excited to be able to unplug and not have to use his phone. I said I wanted to just use mine to take pictures. Well, I had absolutely no signal and he had one bar of service in roaming. We managed to call his parents and have them check a weather radar and it looked like we were just going to have some rain for about 30 more minutes and that would be all of the storm we’d get.
A couple of hours had passed since our chocolate binge and hunger started to kick-in but the cooler with all our food was repacked in the back of the truck. I thought it was so funny that Kyle wanted to bring some of his MREs but they actually came in handy since we couldn’t start a fire in the rain. We sat in the truck, waited out the storm, and snacked on the MREs.

About an hour later, the storm seemed to have passed and we still had some time before the sun went completely down. We took a look at the map, and decided to try out the trail along the river, just behind our campsite. Wow! As we hiked down to walk along the river, we were both in awe of the beautiful scenery and we even saw a rainbow. What was literally a stormy start ended with a spectacular sunset.

Now sleeping was a different story. We thought we places the tent in a flat area but we definitely didn’t. I tried sleeping with my yoga mat under my sleeping bag, laying on top of my zipped up sleeping bag with another blanket and nope. Princess and the pea moment, the ground under the tent was sand and there way huge mound directly underneath me. Just as I started to fall asleep bright lights came through the tent from the campsite next to us.

It was 1 AM and they had just arrived and started setting up their tents. Eventually they finished and I fell back to sleep. A little bit later we had a visitor smack into our tent. It was an armadillo that ran into the side of our tent! Oh goodness that poor critter was more startled than us. I could hear it frantically scuffling around trying to get away.

Morning came and we woke up very sore from the uneven ground and cold. We made a fire and I had pre-made some breakfast egg muffins. Super simple and easy. I baked them in foil muffin cups and the cooler was so cold that they actually froze. All we had to do was heat them up over the campfire.

Breakfast egg muffin ingredients:
•scrambled eggs

•bacon

•hashbrowns

•cheese
After breakfast, we took a look at the map picked out a trail and set out to us some dinosaur tracks.

First, we attempted to start on the Blue Hole Trail. We got down to the limestone ledge the map mentions, but we must have passed a beehive on the way. The sweet coco butter scented Sunblock and highlighter pink t-shirt I had on must have attracted the bees. We couldn’t move without a bee trying land on both of us. So we ended up running towards the Horseshoe Equestrian Trail, and passing the Ballroom Track Site.

Eventually we back tracked to the Ballroom Track site and I’m so glad we did. There really are so many dino tracks in that area! As we looked around we started to see more, a lot of the tracks were covered with sediment that washed down the river bank from the rain. So much fun kicking around water and uncover tracks.

Lunch hangeries started kicking in and we headed back to our campsite. Lunch was quick and lite, sandwiches and pita chips and hummus. Now we both were a little sun drenched and decided to rest in the hammock. The campsite had plenty of great trees around to hang it up and relax.

After lounging around for a while we took a look at the trail map and decided to head on another hike. This time we crossed the river and hiked up the Cedar Ridge Trail to the Scenic Outlook. Along the trail there little spots you could catch a glimpse of the view, but the higher you hiked the greater the view. We took a moment to admire it but we had to get back on the trail to get back to our campsite before sunset.

Dinner was pretty quick to make since I pre-marinated and froze the chicken. All we had to do we start a camp fire, chop up some veggies and add them in the foil packet. Since we had rain the first night, I decided to also make the chicken pineapple skewers. Mhmm, what a delicious feast, but the best was still to come. S’mores of course! I like my marshmallows slightly burnt all around so the center is slightly gooey. Followed by some beautiful star gazing and a slightly cool night.

Our early bird friends had us awake before sunrise. One last campfire to heat up breakfast while packing up our campsites. Quick showers and we were ready to check out. It was a soggy Tuesday morning but all the empty campsites around us started filling up with new campers. The weather forecast showed that it would be a rainy day in that area. So we got on the road and headed to Waco to visit Kyle’s brother, Baylor, and of course Mangolia Silos! (But that’ll be in next week’s blog post)

So Dinosaur Valley State Park is a great place for tent camping even in the rain. Plenty of trails and dinosaur tracks to explore. Beautiful sights and relatively easy river access. I hope y’all enjoy it as much as we did.

XOXO,

Sydney Charming

Fiesta is my absolute favorite time of year in San Antonio, Texas! It’s a big tradition for the city, I’m 29 years old and I’ve been going to Fiesta for 29 years. I’ve had so many people ask me about Fiesta this year. I know it can be a bit overwhelming for a first timer. So I’ve complied a list of tips and tricks for having a blast!

1. Fiesta origins: started in 1891 with the Battle of Flowers Parade to honor the fallen heroes of the Battle the Alamo and Battle of San Jacinto! Has grown bigger, into a party with a purpose every year since, with fundraisers for varies organizations for the city.

2. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! Pace yourself! You can find a calendar of events on the Fiesta website or even download the app to plan out the events you want to attend. Remember, Fiesta last 10 straight days in a row, just slightly shy of two week long with way too many events to attend all. Pick your favorites and maybe even one you’ve never been to before.

3. Collecting Fiesta medals is a thing!! Just about every participating organization and events has a unique Fiesta medal to sell and raise extra money for various scholarships, charities 

4. Fried chicken on a stick is also a fiesta food must. Yes, there’s a vast variety of food options, but chicken on a stick is a Fiesta food staple and the most sought out delicious item.

5. Hydrating with water is a must! (it’s a marathon, not a sprint) 

6. Fiesta tiaras will be everywhere! (…flower crowns are similar, but this isn’t Coachella, tiaras usually have tissue paper flowers and long curly ribbons on the back)

7. When a attending a parade and a float with Fiesta Royalty member, in a gown passes by, it’s customs to yell, “show us your shoes!”

8. Cascarones, or colored confetti eggs with a tissue paper seal are for celebrating and cracking on your friends and family…not for eating.(I didn’t know people outside of Texas only used egg dyeing kits just for boiled eggs until we got new neighbors from Colorado when I was about 12 yrs old)

9. Drinking adult beverages is a great way to relax and enjoy Fiesta, just don’t drink and drive. It’s no refusal, and with Uber, Lyft, and Viva Park & Ride options there’s no excuses! Viva Park & Ride is what I usually take.

10. My mom’s tip is to always wear comfortable shoes. Don’t go barefoot if shoes are uncomfortable. 

11. Take cash, nowadays most ticket booths can take a credit card, but it’s usually quicker with cash!

My top pick of events in no particular order 

 • Taste of New Orleans: amazing food, not too crowded, amazing live music, and decently priced 

• Fiesta Fiesta: opening ceremony and kick-off celebration with Pin -pandemonium: the one event where you have the chance to buy just about every New Fiesta medal and trade with collectors. 

• Texas Cavaliers River Parade: one of my favorite parades to attend! Seating is along The Riverwalk. The floats actually float because they are on the river barges 

• NIOSA: Night in Old San Antonio: known as the drinking drunk fest of Fiesta, but there’s so much food! Thursday and any day after that it’ll be packed shoulder to should, so if you’re wanting to be able to walk around with ease and enjoy all the different cultures and foods available, go before Thursday!

• King William Fair: in the gorgeous King William District, this is a big family friendly Fiesta event. Free entry for kids 12 and under. There’s a parade, crafts, food, and live music. 

• Fiesta Flambeau Parade: The night parade is the biggest Fiesta parade. Beautifully lighted floats, people, and bands. You’ll definitely have the chance to yell “show us your shoes!”

Viva Fiesta,

Sydney Charming

2016 is over. There’s a lot social media buzz that it was the worst year ever for a lot of people. For me, it wasn’t really different from any other year. Started out 2016 with “golden birthday” 28 years old on the 28th and snowboarding in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Not too shabby of a start to 2016!

Immediately upon returning to Austin, I had to rush to San Antonio to help with a family emergency. I had been debating between renewing my studio lease in Austin, or moving back to San Antonio. After taking a week off work and what felt like an extremely devastating loss of my youngest sister moving with her dad, I decided moving back to San Antonio would be best. I’ve written about some of the trouble my family has faced with my brother and sister’s dad, and even now 10 years later it continues.

I also fainted this year, collapsed almost completely to the concrete ground below me. Thankfully one of my friends was close enough to catch and ease me down. T.M.I (well kind of, but if you’ve been following me for a while, not really) I’ve struggled with PMDD and anemia for years. After a lot of talking with my doctors, family and some of my Catholic friends, I decided to finally give hormone therapy a try. (Oh nooooooo, it’s birth control! I’m going to hell) As long as I’m using it as just a hormone therapy, I’m good. I’m so happy to report that it’s actually helped me immensely! Some ladies can probably relate at the great joy in not feeling like your insides are continually being ripped with a knife when your cycle comes around. Such a great relief and no more fainting!

Seeing how much my sister has changed with her outlook on life was probably the saddest part of last year. So I lead by example, right? 

Family and faith has always come first for me. The rest of the year, as I traveled all around Central Texas, blogging about a different treasures deep in the heart of Texas has to offer, I also prepared to move back to San Antonio.

• Rodeos

• kite festivals 

• South by Southwest 

• Fiesta 

• Thai New Year

• Fashion Week Austin

• Fashion Week San Antonio 

• and even Fashion WeekNew Orleans

•  an adventurous New Orleans girl’s trip

• Music and Wine festivals

• Weddings

• State Fair of Texas

• Wurstfest

• Luminaria 

• Corn Mazes

• Art Walks 

• First Fridays 

• Pub Runs

• Christmas Lights

• Trail of Lights

• hiking various State Parks

• countless blogger fashion and food events

There’s no way anyone in Central Texas could possibly be bored. 

Through all these events and moving, I’ve realized I also have an amazing community of friends I’ve surrounded myself with. They are my second family. Friends that will grab a bite to eat with me brings me so much joy. Friends that have stayed sitting for hours and talked about different things going on, gave advice, found a way to help me with moving or car troubles without hesitating, listen to me cry, gave me hugs or maybe even lead me to bible scriptures and prayers I really needed to hear, you folks, truly warm my heart.

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So yeah, there was some pretty crummy things in 2016 for me, if only they were delicious cookie crumbs, but there was mostly amazing moments and experiences with genuinely good-hearted, caring, and amazing people. As I’ve said before, no reason to dwell and give yourself excess unnecessary stress. 

Recently, I was able to attend a Keynote by Fr. Mike Schmitz and he referenced Romans chapter 12 from the Bible, that helped me reset my goals for 2017.  

 “And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind. 

And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect. 

For I say, through the grace that has been given to me, to all who are among you: Taste no more than it is necessary to taste, but taste unto sobriety and just as God has distributed a share of the faith to each one. 

For just as, within one body, we have many parts, though all the parts do not have the same role, 

so also we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one is a part, the one of the other. 

And we each have different gifts, according to the grace that has been given to us: whether prophecy, in agreement with the reasonableness of faith; 

or ministry, in ministering; or he who teaches, in doctrine; he who exhorts, in exhortation; 

he who gives, in simplicity; he who governs, in solicitude; he who shows mercy, in cheerfulness. 

Let love be without falseness: hating evil, clinging to what is good, 

loving one another with fraternal charity, surpassing one another in honor: 

in solicitude, not lazy; in spirit, fervent; serving the Lord; 

in hope, rejoicing; in tribulation, enduring; in prayer, ever-willing; 

in the difficulties of the saints, sharing; in hospitality, attentive. 

Bless those who are persecuting you: bless, and do not curse. 

Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Weep with those who are weeping. 

Be of the same mind toward one another: not savoring what is exalted, but consenting in humility. Do not choose to seem wise to yourself. 

Render to no one harm for harm. Provide good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. 

If it is possible, in so far as you are able, be at peace with all men. 

Do not defend yourselves, dearest ones. Instead, step aside from wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is mine. I shall give retribution, says the Lord.” 

So if an enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap burning coals upon his head. 

Do not allow evil to prevail, instead prevail over evil by means of goodness.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-21‬ ‭

For 2017 I’ve chosen “Happy” as my word and goal. Just to simply be sure to celebrate all the goodness in life. #BeHappy 

XO, 

Sydney Charming 

The holiday season is here! 

Thanksgivings is nearly here already and for San Antonio, that means tourism kicks into high gear. Since this is “military city,” a lot of families have their out-of-town relatives visiting. What is there to do besides see the Alamo and Riverwalk? Well, you don’t have to go too far. Take a stroll through La Villita Historic Arts Village and discover some of Open Downtown Pop Up Shops!

Last month, I got to join a champagne stroll and scavenger hunt through some of the shops, for some San Antonio Bloggers. I fell in love with all the shops I visited! Now there are some shops outside of La Villita, but they are all pretty much walking distance from each other.

We started at Zelle Boutique, which is a ladies fashion boutique. I’ve already gone back to their shop and purchased a few things from their beautiful selections. Of course, since purple is my favorite color, the purple lenses and gold metal sunglasses are my favorite accessory! Oh this dress, has been my favorite fall dress. 



Capistrano Soap Company was the next stop on the list and they are amazing! Soaps, lotions, candles, and bath everything. Their Acequia Nourishment Lotion has made my skin so soft. I got the Granada fragrance: Citrus, Herbs & Tobacco which they say, “made for men, loved by women.” Oops! Oh well I really do love the scent. My favorite product is their Coffee Bar Scrubs! As some of y’all may have read in my previous posts, I have very sensitive skin. No more breakout inflammation fear for me thanks to these goodies! Actually Capistrano Soap Company was a pop up shop now turned permanent shop. Hip-hip-hooray! 

Most of y’all also know how much I love fiesta! So much so that my Austin going away party was fiesta themed. Well, Bird and Pear has become my home inspiration! Jewelry, cosies, pillows, chairs in vibrant Mexican dress embroidery. Looking around the shop they seem to have it all and they even do custom orders. I can’t wait to fill my next place with their decor. 

B.Link! I was so excited to see all the Texas jewelry. Brandy is the designer of all the fabulous trinkets in her shop. Since my logo has an actual Texas charm on it, I was happy to hear she can make custom pieces. I picked up this turquoise bracelet with my initial. She also has the prettiest cozy scarfs too.

Indigo Makers Collective was our last stop and they house local designers/makers beautiful pieces and collections. How pretty are these jewelry pieces? 

So these are the shops that are currently in the Open Downtown Pop Ups Shops. If you’re playing tour guide during the holidays and want to show your loved ones something other than the typical tourists shops, support our local small businesses and go check them out. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is Shop Small Business Saturday, what a perfect way to spend the day. 

It’s here! State Fair of Texas. Last year I was my first year going to the State Fair and I was excited and stressed. Woke up super early to go for a run. Found a breakfast place in Frisco and started my adventure. Here’s my guide to getting to, in and through the State Fair of Texas with ease. We just want to chow down and have a good time right? 





1. Tickets: buy your tickets online ahead of time! If you’re planning on going more at least 2 days the season passes packages are so worth it!

2. Accommodation: where to stay? Last year we had 2 options stay somewhere super pricey that’s close by or stay far and save money. We chose the second option and we saved more.

3. Transportation: take the DART train!!!! We stayed in Frisco so it was a 15 minute drive to the closest train station but parking way free and it was $5 for a day pass. An hour ride straight to the fair. No paying for parking or traffic troubles and we got to plan our first rounds while on the train.

4. Plan: maps and vendors can be found online! So we glanced at the mouth watering eats we wanted to try and mapped out a game plan. The Fried Carrot Cake was first on our list.

5. Have fun: some lines are long somethings get pricey so don’t stress. Savory your bites and sips and be flexible. Not everything you do has to follow your game plan. Think of them as guidelines. I stresses out and got hAngry when we weren’t leaving on time or if lines were long. Thankfully, Quang, was quick to find food or an alternate route or show to calm my snapchats. 
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6. Layer: Dallas is Northern Texas so the weather starts cooling down pretty fast, but it’s still Texas. Last year I got sunburned and a cold in the same weekend.

 

7. Hydrate:- you will do a lot of walking so be sure to keep hydrated with plenty of water. 

8. Cash: take cash! It makes buying coupons so much simpler and faster. 

9. Shoes: wear comfy shoes! You’re going to do so much walking and you’ll want to have your comfiest shoes. I wore my boots the first day and squishy blue boat shoes the next. 

10. Watch: sit down and watch the shows or listen to the music at night. Last year we saw a fun piggy race, Kevin Fowler, and The Beach Boys! 

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It’s NBA playoffs time, so that means I’m usually reppin the Spurs pretty much every day. How can I do that every day you ask? By getting creative and mixing and matching all the tops and bottoms below! A big thanks to R.G. TZ & Tanks for creating my favorite fiesta colored Spurs shirts with the San Antonio city Skyline!

mix & match

twinkies with your pals

Southtown run around

glam it up for brunch at The Historic Pearl

a little something extra

office Spurs fun

Texas Forever

Championshion Riverwalk run

shopping and errands