Hi, friends! As you may know, this past weekend I traveled to Dallas, TX for the Create + Cultivate conference–a one day workshop geared toward women entrepreneurs in the digital space. And while I cannot wait to share with you what I saw, who I met, and all the lessons I learned from the experience, it will have to wait just one more week! I want to have a dedicated post about my experience at the conference, so hang tight!
Today, however, I wanted to share a fun little recap of the other adventures I had while I was visiting. When I found out the conference was being held in Dallas, I just knew it was the perfect opportunity to visit one of my best friends from undergrad, Susan, who lives there! You may have remembered us having a quick brunch while she was in Denver just last month. So without further ado, here are the exciting adventures we went on last weekend!
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I flew into Dallas on Thursday evening late. Friday we decided it was easiest for me to go to work with Susan (<– a type of “bring your Kristin to work day” situation). So I set up camp in an empty office and worked from there for the day. Little did I know her office was attached to the Galleria Mall…yes, you heard me correctly! I didn’t even have to walk outside to get to prime-time shopping. #thestruggle
But I was good… mostly! 😉 But in all seriousness, it was so much fun to work at Susan’s office. Her coworkers were so nice and friendly, and the decor was spot on. Just look at this little corner I found in the kitchen–the brightest, cutest color palette I ever did see.
After working awhile, I decided I needed to get my steps in for the day, so I ventured out to the mall to do some window shopping.
My first stop was none other than Lush. I can never resist the sweet smells and bright colors of that place. You too?! I have been dying to try their bath bombs, but unfortunately I’ve only got a shower in my apartment. So I’ll have to wait for another opportunity to try them. However, I do love their fresh face masks (the Oatifix and Rosy Cheeks are my favorites). I got a little sample of the Oatifix for me and Susan to try over the weekend, as well as a container of their Dream Cream for my insanely dry hands. And if you haven’t tried the Dream Cream…let me just tell you, it works miracles! (and smells incredibly fresh and rosy to boot!)
After Lush, I set out to explore the mall and see what other fun shops I could find.
At Francesca’s I added a few new pieces of jewelry to my collection, including this darling flower necklace. At the Gap I found this scoop neck tee in red on major sale! We’re talking $7 major sale. And I picked up these red skinny jeans as well! Such a cute color for summer, no? At J. Crew I snagged this adorable striped shirt with faux leather details and a sparkly bracelet from the clearance area for $10. I thought both would pair perfectly with white jeans for a casual Friday outfit. For Valentine’s day (coming soon to the blog!), I picked up this perfect blush cami from Nordstrom’s. And finally, I stopped into the cutest little boutique called Altar’d State and picked out a sweet “Love You To The Moon & Back” pillow for my couch.
I’d say it was a pretty successful day of shopping, wouldn’t you? At any rate, after walking around the mall for a bit, I headed back to the office for some more research and school work.
When we finally left the office late (around 6:30pm), Susan and I were starving. So we headed out to dinner at a burger joint called Hopdoddy. And as an indicator of just how hangry we were…we went straight for the appetizers. Truffle fries and chocolate milkshakes for the win!
For my main course, I ordered the Thunderbird, a grilled chicken sandwich with spicy pepper jack cheese, apple-smoked bacon, poblano peppers, and chipotle mayo. It was exactly what my body needed after a long day of work (and shopping).
After dinner, we headed back home to cuddle with Susan’s dog, Max, and girl talk for the first time in so long. I don’t tend to have much opportunity for hanging out with my best girl friends, so the quality time spent with Susan was exactly what I needed.
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Saturday was conference day, and Create + Cultivate did not disappoint. Here’s a cute little detail (teaser) from breakfast when I first arrived! More to come on this next week. And if you just can’t wait, check out my Instagram for a few more pictures I shared from the conference.
The conference ended around 7:30pm at night, and by that time (after a day full of talking and walking and networking) I was exhausted and starving (naturally). So Susan took me to Eatzi’s, a cute little shop with chef-prepared meals for take-out, and we ordered a bunch of food to take home and fix while we watched Pride and Prejudice snuggled up on the couch. The perfect girls night in my book. Feet up, face masks on, and good food in the belly. Nothing better.
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Sunday morning, we woke up early and headed out for a walk on the Katy Trail. It was so rejuvenating to get up and at ’em outside in the perfect 60 degree weather. I forgot just how much I miss Texas weather in the Springtime.
After our morning steps, we went to Deep Ellum for some BBQ at the Pecan Lodge for a friend’s birthday celebration.
It was almost summer-like in Dallas, TX and I couldn’t have been happier about it.
The Pecan Lodge has rave reviews and unsurprisingly we had a bit of a wait to even order our food. But oh!!…the BBQ was so good, and definitely worth the wait. I tried brisket and sausage with homemade bacon mac-and-cheese. Yum.
After lunch, we went home for a quick nap before heading to the Bishop Arts District for some good old fashioned strolling and boutique shopping.
I loved the uniqueness of all the shops and buildings. No two places looked alike. And there was always something new to look at around every corner.
One of my favorite shops was Dirt, the cutest little flower shop with stunning natural displays of cacti and succulents.
Another favorite shop of mine was Society, a local candle shop with a eclectic, vintage vibe. To this day I am still perplexed as to how they fit that many candles into one tiny shop. So many!
And of course…when there is an ice cream mural, you have to strike a pose. Sunday funday!
We stopped by Dude, Sweet Chocolate, known for their unique combinations and all-natural ingredients, to get a sweet little treat for Allen. They had me at “all of our chocolate is dark…” I ended up getting him us the Flower Child Truffles, which are dark chocolate truffles with floral notes of bergamot, jasmine, and orange. To. Die. For!
After walking around all afternoon, Susan and I took a quick break from shopping to try out these super cute chairs at Simply Austin Furniture.
One of my favorite captured moments from the weekend. The afternoon light was stunning.
For our last stop we went to Emporium Pies (of course, right?!). No trip is complete without pie in my book. I got the Merry Berry pie, which was chocked full of plump cherries and blackberries, and topped with two creamy scoops of vanilla ice cream. It was the perfect end to a perfect afternoon.
We left Bishop Arts District with our sweet teeth satisfied and our pocket books a little lighter (oops!). As we traveled back into the city, we were greeted with the most beautiful skyline at sunset.
We went home for a quick outfit change and bite to eat before heading out to the AT&T Theater for the musical If/Then with some of Susan’s girlfriends.
We had such a blast together! It was a beautiful theater and a wonderful musical. I even loved how the chandelier rose up into the ceiling before the performance started, as if by magic. A very Harry Potter moment for me.
After the musical we headed back home and I spent the rest of the evening packing and chit chatting with Susan before my flight back to Denver in the morning. I had such an incredible time while I was in Dallas, and I already can’t wait to visit again! Thanks so much for showing me around town and having me, Susan!
What about you? What did you do last weekend? I’d love to know!
In case you are interested, here is my last weekend recap. As always, feel free to leave comments below! If you’re interested in getting posts sent straight to your inbox, subscribe in the sidebar with your email. Or follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Bloglovin’.
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