Today I turn 28.

Yesterday my parents came into town and they, my brother, my best friend, my boyfriend and I all went out for a pre-birthday lunch at Central Market (my choice so we could sit on the lovely deck!) and then came back to my apartment to hang out and have cake. A successful birthday celebration.

Lunch at Central Market..

My dad likes snazzy hats.

Birthday cake for Josh and me at home! We were joined by my sis, her husband and my baby niece.

Way out in West Texas there lives a town. It’s a small town, that doesn’t seem to have anything in it until you take a closer look.

Josh and I passed through Marathon on our way back to Austin after spending a couple of days in Marfa. We could have just driven through, but we stopped. We parked. We walked around.

We went into this gorgeous old coffee shop/cafe. The food looked delicious, the coffee was excellent and the setting was perfect. Indoors it was cute and bright, filled with sunlight. Outdoors on the patio, it was great. We sat out there with Sydney and had the best time relaxing and chatting with the owners.

Then a walk down the main road took us by the Gage Hotel, which really does look like an oasis in the middle of the desert, cute shops that I wanted to go into if we had more time (including one showcasing AMAZING photography), unique grocery stores, and another cafe on the end of the block I want to check out if we are ever in the area again.

We only got to spend an hour there. And maybe we saw it all. But maybe there is more there to discover. I guess we won’t know unless we go back.

Peaceful, a walk on the Hike and Bike Trail, letting the puppy play at Auditorium Shores.

This past weekend I got to help out with a fun photo shoot for a talented and creative designer, Lauren Blazic. Not only did she make the dresses in the photos below, but she made the hair accessories too! Pretty amazing. I’m lucky enough to own one of her headbands and I love it. Perfect for my new, short hairdo!

The photo shoot took us around a few places in Hyde Park on a gorgeous Austin afternoon. So fun, I want her to need more photos soon so we can all do it again!

Yum Yum Yum. Cupcakes from Quack’s Bakery in Hyde Park. This is such a cool little coffee shop, and I love their tables outside, especially on a warm Austin day.