Being really hot

via this shop

The weather has been the talk of the town lately.  The East Coast in particular has been experiencing a real scorcher of a heat wave and I can imagine hordes of people, huddled indoors around a television or standing in front of an open fridge with sweat dripping off their brows and shirts stained through.  Welcome to the life of a Texan for a glorious half of the year.  In the spirit of one-upsmanship, I've put together a compilation of TRUE tales of really being hot.

You don't know hot until...

• You've cooked fried eggs on the sidewalk.  Literally laid down foil on the sidewalk and cracked eggs on it

• Your younger sister accidentally left a red crayon in the car and ruined the leather forever.  Heaven forbid you try to wear white pants and ride in the backseat

• Your legs and butt have been burned by the rivets in your jeans.  One evil September evening.

• You change outfits twice a day.  Not to look cute but because you sweat through all your clothes.  This is when you resort to wearing dri-fit constantly

• You've built an entire underground tunnel system that snakes through downtown so people can avoid going outside during the day to get lunch.  Yes, City of Houston, I'm talking about you

• You've skipped out on graduations, birthdays, weddings, festivals, barbecues all because they're held outside from the months of May through September

• You know of animals that have died because they stopped sweating

• You've slept on a bamboo mat on the concrete floor because anything that is fabric is just too darn hot

Stay hydrated, slathered in sunscreen and find yourself a good fan and book.  Happy Friday!

Supermarket Sarah

via here

I know I've probably been living under a rock somewhere but have you all heard of Supermarket Sarah?  London stylist Sarah Bagner owns a webshop that defies convention - instead of displaying each of the shop's products individually on her website, she showcases her sale items as if they were part of a display in a physical store.  Within each "display", online shoppers can click on the individual items that they want to examine more closely or purchase.  Sarah's discerning and unique eye for products makes me do a double take on items that I wouldn't normally glance at twice on a regular webshop and pushes me outside of my normal online shopping comfort zone (if there is such a thing).  Her nonthreatening and whimsical walls draw you in and make you wonder how you would incorporate each of those items amongst your own posessions.  Below, I've included some of my favourite displays.  If you click on the links, you can peruse her webshop but I would act quickly as her stuff sells out fast.  I, for one, could definitely get down with some of those BEACH prints.

via here

via here

via here

Lion King remix

Have you seen this Lion King-esque music video of The Veldt by deadmau5 featuring Chris James?  I'm incredibly impressed by the animation and the slightly macabre story line.  I laughed out loud when the girl tripped and landed face first in the ditch.  The awesome electronic music doesn't hurt either - a recent obsession of mine.  Ever since my friend went to EDC and reported back on it, I've been listening to mainly electronic house and trance.  Enjoy!

Some gross things

via here

Hold on to your lunches boys and girls!  Those who are easily squeamish and have a weak gag reflex need not apply here.

Bloody foot
Let this be a lesson to you sandal-lovers out there to please take caution when wearing open toed shoes to the bar or the club.  Pretty much any place where there may be drunk, wobbly women (or cross-dressing men) wandering about.  Some elephant woman at the bar decided to trample on my foot with her stiletto and now my beautiful, leather Madrileno sandals are soaked with blood.  And when I say the sandals are blood stained, I mean that they used to be a dark caramel colour and now more resemble a glass of Cabernet.  Because of my blood.  A flap of extricated skin on my foot, held in place by a tightly wrapped bandage, threatens to remove itself every morning I go running.

But more importantly, are my shoes ruined?  Does anyone know how to remove blood soaked into leather?  I promise I won't ask too many questions about how you know how to do that either.

Flea bottom
I'm a little mortified, embarrassed and just slightly tickled that I'm going to share this with the blogosphere because of where this story could end up.  During my last Transatlantic flight this spring, I was attacked by fleas.  More specifically, they attacked the rear part of me, which acted as their feeding grounds.  And they must have been voracious.  I didn't notice until after deplaning and arriving home but then came the incessant itching, irritation and inevitable red bumps on a part of your body that you do not want to scratch in public.  I took Benadryl to help with the itching but scratching the 17 (!!!) flea bites on my behind was almost impossible.  Thank goodness this all happened before shorts / swimsuit season or else no one would be seeing much of me.  Worst European souvenir ever.

And now this story is going to show up somewhere and haunt me 20 years later.

I ate healthy this weekend

Wait a second.  Nope, nope I didn't.  Unless mini beer brat corn dogs, pitchers of mimosas, petite confectionery and cakes, rainbow sherbet and Trader Joe's cookie butter count as healthy.  But boy were they delicious.  Houston just got its first Trader Joe's and someone was kind enough to make me a gift of a solid jar of Cookie Butter, which I've never tasted before.  It's almost like a foodie miracle - taking two incredibly delicious things and mashing them together.  I never thought that I would be able to find something that could replace Nutella in my heart but this really does.  You can drizzle, smear and smother anything with this goodness and it'll taste like gingerbread cookies and Christmas.  And that is alright by me.  Excuse me while I dunk my entire hand.

On Sunday, I picked up some spam from the grocery store in preparation for my spamerific creation.  Did you know that one jar of the stuff costs $2.50?!  That is pretty expensive, considering it is meat in a can and the expiration date is three years away - why did no one warn me?

Bonus round: The nonprofit organization that I'm involved with is looking for charities with an annual budget between $5 and 50 million to evaluate.  Readers, are there any specific charities or causes that you find interesting or would like to see covered? 

Hello yellow!

For some reason, it has been quite difficult for me to find an unstaged home lately.  I tend to like the muss and mess of every day life and being able to peek into someone's life very briefly through their home.  Of course, pictures of houses for sale typically only show the cleaned up version of someone's life but I can let my imagination run pretty rampant.  This house is very well staged but I had to share it for it's daffodil yellow  front door and bright and clean interior.  Little touches like the front walk, porch swing and pocket doors to the kitchen make me oooh and ahhh.  I want that mudroom / office combo someday too please.  Hopefully, after a weekend full of grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning and running errands, it's just the type of house that will motivate you on a Monday.

A view from the office

I've mentioned before that I work from home and just last week, my business partner arrived in Texas to spend the summer working on our project.  We make our own hours, set our own goals and generally have a grand old time doing it.  It's stressful at times, a different type of stress than my previous finance job, particularly knowing that the entire organization hinges on our efforts - including the possibility of getting paid some day.  However, one of the perks is the ability to shut it down at 3:30 pm and take a break by the pool.  Just a quick dip (for him, a quick nap in the sun) and we're energized and ready to go again but this is unfathomable in a corporate environment.  So is continuing to work after the break in your swimsuit.

It has been fairly difficult for me to adjust to this new schedule and making my own time around work, something that I didn't anticipate would be a problem.  When you work from home, you can't ever really get away from your project - it's lying wait in the next room and a big cloud of grey guilt follows you wherever you go.  But I've learned more about my work habits and preferences in the last three months than I did in the last three years and I'm looking forward to what else I'm going to learn from this endeavour.

Happy Friday and I hope you all get to enjoy a similar view as the one I have from my office!

Battle Sriracha

via here

Nell poked at her noodles and snow peas, chased them around the edge of her bowl and then sighed.  She looked up and caught the disapproving gaze of mother and father, their stern mouths set in a line.  No dessert or leaving the table until I finish, she thought, again.  She slumped back into her chair.  After the table was cleared and dishes were done, the parents retired to the living room for raucous reality television time and Nell was left alone in the kitchen.

Her grey, grizzled grandfather padded in slowly and softly, holding his empty bowl.  He lifted his eyebrow as he glanced at Nell, moping in her seat.  Nell shrugged and simply explained, "It's boring."  Grandpa nodded, thoughtfully, and then went to the pantry.  He rummaged around until he came up with a bright red bottle with a rooster label and plonked it on the table.

Nell turned the bottle over in her hands and tentatively squeezed a bright red line of its contents into her bowl.  Mashing it up with her chopsticks, she tentatively took a bite.  And her food bit her back!  Prickles of sweat started rising on her forehead and nose and her mouth felt as if it was swarmed by a colony of fire ants.  Here was a real challenge.  She took another bite and another and felt the ball of fire roll down into her stomach as she swallowed.  Determined to win this battle, Nell attacked her bowl, concentrating on the heat and feeling her way through the sudden mist of red that seemed to obscure her vision.  Minutes later, Nell looked up for the second time that dinner.  Her grandfather took her empty, red-almost-blood stained bowl and shuffled over to the sink.  He winked at her and she, panting, sweating and thirsty, winked back.

It's "aww" not "awe"

via here

Attention: public service announcement.  Oh and if you're easily offended by the grammar police, please don't read any further.  

For those of you who are trying to express sympathy or communicate how moved you are by the cuteness of something, it's "aww" and not "awe."  Unless that new puppy / kitten / baby inspires respect mixed in with a healthy dosage of fear, it's "aww."  And it's most certainly not "awl*," unless you want me to use one on your face.  K, thanks!


*Awl - A small pointed object used for piercing holes, esp. in leather

Recent reads: Summer 2012 Part Two

So I may have a slight obsession with Peter Mayle right now and Provence.  His books make me want to speak with a French accent, eat copious amounts of bread with olive oil and drink some hearty red wines.  Seriously, if you ever lose your appetite for whatever reason, pick up A Year in Provence or Toujours Provence.  You'll be dying for some Provencal sun and food within five minutes.  That is exactly the type of retirement life that I want - spitting out best sellers in Southern France.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and Daughter of Smoke & Bone were recommended to me by two different bloggers - Hila and Hilarity in Shoes.  One is a murder mystery novel and the other is a YA fantasy-esque book but what they both share in common are extremely strong female characters.  The sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone is coming out this November and I won't deny that I haven't already placed it on my Amazon wishlist.  Come on, Laini Taylor (the author) has PINK HAIR!  I won't ruin either novel but why is love such a strong focus in YA novels?  That soul consuming, body burning, can't sleep can't think reach for the stars type of love?  Do you remember love being all consuming when you were a teenager and feeling like it was life ending / affirming?  Do you feel silly now for feeling that way?  I do.

Again, if any of you would like to talk about the merits of these individual novels, including the ones I didn't discuss above, message me in the comments or send me an email and we can discuss away!

Parental advice

via here

I've been visiting my parents' home for, oh I don't know, half a week now and already reached my limit of parental advice.  These nuggets of wisdom come across at the most unexpected moments and when I least expect them but I thought I'd share them with you all.  Maybe you will be much more appreciative of these gems than I have been.

1. Do not buy / wear thong underwear.  It's uncomfortable and doesn't allow freedom of motion - Relayed to me by my mother in the mall amongst a herd of tweens.  I'll let you guess what shade of red my face turned
2. You should wear brighter, vibrant, neon colours in the summertime - Before I went out to lunch with friends on the weekend from MY DAD.  Someone has clearly been watching too much What Not to Wear with my mom
3. Do not cut your hair.  It's way too long and the longest that I've ever seen it but don't you dare cut it - Okay, so I honestly don't know what this one is all about but I've been forbidden to cut my hair.  So when I start sitting on it, getting it caught in the car door and break my neck because of it, I'm blaming you, Mom
4. Dry your hair immediately after you wash it or else you'll get headaches when you're older - Does anyone know if there is any merit to this?
5. Do not sleep with the ceiling fan on because it'll make you sick / give you cancer - Air circulation is not allowed in my parents' house while you're sleeping.  For the other 18 hours, it's fine.  Just not while you're sleeping
6. Don't eat too many sweets or cold things (same health / cancer argument) - Whilst plopping down a homemade tiramisu and bowl of cappuccino ice cream in front of me.  This is hypocrisy at its best and worst.  I can't figure out which it is yet...

Okay so the more I read these over, the more they sound like rules that my parents just made up and not necessarily advice.  They end every piece of advice on health by quoting Dr. Oz because that gives it immediate legitimacy in their eyes.  I can understand parts and pieces of their rules.  But they really need to work on the packaging.

On yard work

via here

I did something today that I haven't done in ages.  I mowed a lawn.  In our teenage years, my sister and I dreaded having to mow.  Our parents live in a cul-de-sac and our backyard seemed boundless.  Couple that with the blazing Texas heat and voracious fire ants and we would reluctantly drag our feet out to cut the ever-growing grass.  Since I've moved out of my parents' house, I've only lived in apartment complexes and counted myself lucky to not have a lawn to mow.  But today is Father's Day and should be dad's day off.  And surprisingly, mowing the lawn was actually quite relaxing, if you can ignore the whirring of the motor and the smell of exhaust.  There's something almost Zen-like about carving straight lines into the lawn, plodding along methodically and steadily.  Marching up and down the yard, trailed by the smell of grass clippings, this is definitely one thing that I associate with summertime.

Happy Dad's Day!

I still can't do H&M

With much fanfare last fall, an H&M store opened in NorthPark Center in Dallas.  As a more frequent traveler, I have never NOT been able to find an H&M store but apparently, this opening was a big deal for Texans.  So big that they invited the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to entertain the lines of people waiting outside the store for the opening.

via here

Yesterday was my first foray into the Dallas H&M store, and I'm sorry and not surprised to say it's not an improvement on the H&M stores in any other cities.  I was excited at first.  Crop tops on sale for $5 and blouses for $6.99!  Surely I would be able to pick up a few summery bargains.  I quickly realized that although the price point is ridiculously low, you can't actually find anything in that store.  It's as if some Swedish fashionista decided to take the contents of her entire monster closet, dump it in a big box retail location and strew the clothes wildly on random racks and walls.  I was browsing through some plain white tank tops and the other white tanks on the same rack were not even the same shade of white.  How is someone supposed to shop with those conditions?  I felt like a spinning top, whirling around with trying to find my way through the clothing sections.  Basics and athletic apparel here, accessories there, sale section on the other side and men's upstairs.  I finally threw my hands up in frustration and left.

Apparently, to shop at H&M, one needs to have the Zen-like patience of a monk, laser focus of a rocket scientist and endurance of a marathoner.  And those are too many good qualities to waste on just shopping alone.

Vegan food isn't gross!

Well who would have thunk it.  Not only have I turned into a foodie blogger, with my last two posts on spam and my crap eating habits, but vegan food doesn't taste disgusting anymore!  I am generally opposed to "fake" versions of meat.  My parents became vegetarian in the early nineties and I can recall several bad experiences with fake bacon, fake ham and fake sausage.  Salty, crumbly and dry fake meat does not a vegetarian child make.  I'm not certain when this vegan revolution occurred but I took my mom to a vegan diner today on a whim and the food was good.  Delicious even.

My mom kept repeating over and over again while she noshed on her vegan burrito, "this tastes really healthy, " which is I took to mean "this doesn't taste that great."  I should have expected it, given she had asked the waiter if they served "real cheese" on their burritos and he responded in the negative.  But my faux egg and bacon sandwich was quite yummy.  The tofu scramble and soy bacon both tasted realistic enough to pass my palate and I washed it all down with a non-dairy cookies and cream milkshake.  It tasted exactly like a dairy version - quite impressive!  I am pretty certain that I couldn't do a vegan diet all the time but if I could eat food like this, maybe it would be a more regular occurrence in my food repertoire.

Have you tried vegan food lately and did you find it to be acceptable or disgusting?

The Slytherin foodie

If you can guess what this food I ate recently is, you win a prize*!

I'm a terrible eater.  In March, I ate breakfast every morning for two weeks straight and then gave it up entirely.  I don't eat consistent meals, eat random things at random times of the day and will call dessert an entire meal.  As an example, this morning I woke up and ate Whole Food's Zoo Gummies, had a doubleshot of espresso on the drive to Dallas, snacked on almond thins, blackberries and kimchi once I arrived at home and then chewed about five gobs of gum.  Who knows what havoc I am yet to wreak on my mom's kitchen today?

I'm a parent's worst nightmare.  Or to be more specific, my mom's worst nightmare.  As I'm sure I've mentioned before, one summer when I was home from college, I ate only strawberries.  By July, I reeked of of strawberries (it could be a lot worse - I could have eaten only onions).  I argued that I saved her a lot of hassle when it came to cooking or grocery shopping.  She retorted that I smelled like a Yum Yum.

I also have a snake-like mentality when it comes to food.  When I'm hungry, I'll eat until almost bursting and then not eat again until I'm hungry, whenever that next time or date is.  Is this only a "me" thing?  I know the interwebs can be a sensitive place when it comes to peculiar or abnormal eating habits so I'm hoping that you all will refrain from calling me dirty names and let me know your honest-to-goodness eating habits, however unhealthy or strange they are.  I promise I won't judge.

*The prize is a big HIGH FIVE from me

Prada's pretty woman

By Jay B Sauceda via here

Shaking the road dust from her matted hair, she stumbled across the threshold into the little beige box that she spied from the highway.  When she saw it, she had clutched at the truck driver's shoulder with such urgency and suddenness that he almost swerved into oncoming traffic.  After executing a quick turn, he had flipped her off, yelling "Goddamn hitchhikers!" into the wind and was gone.

The polished, porcelain clerk behind the counter looked at her through her impossibly long eyelashes.

"May I help you?"

"The entire fall collection," she murmured.

"Excuse me?"

Heaving her weather stained backpack up onto the glass counter, she rummaged around the interior until she found a thin, black card and placed it precisely on the counter.

"I'd like the entire fall collection.  I'm not sure what I'm going to like so I'd like to just buy it all - to save time," she tapped out impatiently.

The clerk examined the card suspiciously and then snapped to attention.  She didn't dare ask any further questions but snapped her fingers.  Immediately, a miniature army of women surrounded the dust caked figure, taking measurements, scurrying to the backroom and returning with boxes upon boxes.  Promptly, a black limousine slid up to the front of the store, further spattering the store windows with Texas dirt.  An impeccably groomed chauffeur stepped out of the car and entered the store.

"Robinson, right on time," she greeted him.

He nodded, "Yes miss," and immediately began loading up the flurry of boxes and bags.  And then like a Texas tornado, they were gone. 

At least that's how I like to imagine it.  What in the world is a Prada store doing outside of a little town like Marfa, Texas?  Well, a real Prada store it is not.  This is actually an installation by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset (love his name), and the store is a sculpture.  The NYTimes did a piece on it in 2005 that you can check out here.  I still like to pretend that it's a little slice of Italian heaven for all of us big haired Texas women out there, who can't go ten miles without stopping and buying something.

Never been spammed

If summer 2012 is going to be about experimentation, I might as well start with the deadliest thing I can think of ingesting - spam.  AKA potted meat.  Sounds simply delicious and delightful, doesn't it?  If you can believe it, I've actually never had spam before.  Meat from a can has just never had the opportunity to pop up on my radar.  And when I announced this to a casual gathering of my peers, they were aghast.

"Never tried spam before?!  But you're missing out!"

What I want to know is how and when they've actually tried spam.  We were born in the 80's - I didn't even know spam was something that was acceptable to eat back then.  I consider myself a pretty experimental eater as well, maybe not a foodie, but I've eaten a lot of strange things.

However, nowadays spam is gaining in popularity.  A good number of quite popular food trucks actually offer it up and people pay real money for it.  And I want to know why.  I have heard it is uber salty and like an extreme, denser version of bologna, which I happen to love.  There are also a variety of diverse manners in which you can prepare it.  The most popular that I've come across is spam musubi - a la Hawaii.  I've listed out some of the tasty recipes that I've unearthed on the interwebs in the order that I would try these.  Which one of these have you had before?  And which one do you think I should try first?

As an aside, I've left out spam fried rice from the collection of photographs and recipes.  Because I won't bastardize my fried rice recipe anymore than I already have.  My relatives, I'm sure, are rolling over in their graves.

Spam Musubi, with recipe from here

Spam Burger with an egg (how can you deny anything topped with an egg?) via here

Spam kimchi ramen via here.  Sodium overload anyone?

Spam pb&j via here - super salty and sweet treat?

Spam pizza bake via here

You make me smile

This candyland-inspired home makes me smile.  I don't know if it's the bluebird shutters or yellow stucco exterior but I can't help grinning.  Bright colours and an eclectic mish-mash of furniture aren't at all my style but it really works well for this house.  The current owners have avoided cluttering up the home and everything actually looks like it belongs together.  And who can deny a kitchen that looks like that?  It feels so warm, homey and cozy, what with the beams and the casual den off to the side.  And check out the claw foot tub in the master bath.  So decadent.

What do you guys think?  Too much colour or just what you need to brighten up your day?

Recent reads: Summer 2012 Part One

I blame all the travel and airplane/port time for my bank account's sudden depletion toward Amazon.com.  And Amazon.com, I am very disappointed in you.  <Gives stern look>  Charging tax for goods sold in Texas now?  For shame!

All of these books have been incredibly entertaining to read - in fact, I picked up the very tippy top one, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, at the airport today on my way back from Phoenix and finished it this evening.  Fire Season by Philip Connors is actually dogeared and underlined to death because of the dry humor by Mr. Connors and the tips I'm picking up from him for dealing with solitude, gracefully or not.  I'm pretty pumped because I ordered a whole slew of books last week and will be getting them tomorrow.  I'll need to hang a Do Not Disturb sign on my door and just wile away the summer days.  Or maybe until I crave human contact again.

If you want to discuss any of these books or hear more about them, please feel free to message me!  I love to share my thoughts and feelings about my recent reads.

Clearing the cobwebs from my mind

I wasn't built for activities, apparently.  Or handling mosquitoes.  The only thing that I had forgot to pack for this trip to Phoenix was bug spray.  Because silly me for assuming that there wouldn't be any mosquitoes in the middle of the desert.  Those f-ers are everywhere.  Twenty bites later and after our kayaking adventure this morning, I dosed myself with Benadryl and fell asleep for an uneasy afternoon nap.  And I'm terrible at napping.  I always wake up feeling discombobulated and with a serious case of cotton mouth.  So I'm spending this afternoon clearing my mind of the cobwebby effects of allergy medicine and the nap and avoiding the heat.  And tonight, we'll be attending a dinner gala, the last event here in Phoenix before jumping on a plane back home tomorrow morning.

Isn't that snap of the Salt River so serene and calming?  Our guide let us get to the front of the pack where I was able to take that photo without other boats and people in the way.  We drifted and paddled downstream for four miles this morning, getting adequately in touch with the Arizona desert and wildlife.

Day of leisure

It is not to say that I do not typically lead a leisurely life, relatively speaking, but today was a serious day of leisure.  Leisurely waking up on Pacific time, strolling to the gym and following up my leisurely workout with a few glorious hours poolside with an original Tequila Sunrise (and maybe a few other alcohol drinks).  There was also leisurely afternoon window shopping with misters and fans constantly blown in my general direction.  Tonight I will be working and tomorrow morning, we'll be going on a kayaking excursion.  But right now, I'm enjoying catching up on everyone's blogs and contemplating what a gentlewoman of leisure does.  Here it goes...

I suppose after a late breakfast, a short stroll through the park, such a gentlewoman would wander down to her club and play some pool or bridge.  Then she would take a late show or opera and attend the after party with the cast members until the wee hours of the morning.  Do I ever belong in a late 1800's England novel or what?  Oh and there should be a delicious murder and the gentlewoman will then turn into a detective and puzzle it out.  See, I don't think I'm made for a life of leisure.

Rising from the ashes

Just when you think, this girl has finally settled down for the summer, I end up here.  The Arizona Biltmore in the middle of summer - yes it's as hot as you think.  It's also a lot more pleasant than you think.  This hotel was built in 1929 and designed by Albert Chase McArthur, a protege under Frank Lloyd Wright.  As a result, this hotel is unique, to say the least, with its architectural influences and it rises out of the Arizona desert like a Phoenix (haha - catch that?).  I wasn't able to explore the hotel grounds much, as we arrived and had a dinner event, but I hope to do so to a greater extent tomorrow.  And squeeze some quality pool time in there as well.  I hear there is an over 90-foot pool slide.  Stay warm or cool, wherever you are, and I look forward to sharing more pictures with you soon!

Orange body paint

Thought that would get your attention.  I don't have pictures but that's what I ended up smeared in from Summerfest on Saturday.  Too bad it wasn't ICE because it was so freaking hot.  Whoever thought an outdoor music festival in Texas in the summertime was a good idea should be shot.  Or at least made to sit out there on the lawn with the rest of us.  Personally, I would have chosen to be shot.  I wussed out after three hours and my friend and I escaped to air conditioning and a sushi dinner.  We didn't (read: I didn't) have enough patience or stamina to wait for the night shows.  But it was still a really fun time.  Next year, spring for the fancy pants tickets.  Sure, they're almost double the price but you can sit inside an air conditioned tent that has a BAR inside.

Oh yeah, and I rocked that new ear piercing.  I found a really good, professional and sterile piercing / tattoo parlour in Houston that I will gladly go to again (oh brother) or recommend.  Thanks guys.  :)

A piece of cake

This home is a beautiful, creamy white layer cake - the kind that could be a wedding cake.  As you slice in, fluffy bits of white cake and cream cheese icing come cascading out onto your plate.  I've only included pictures of the common areas as the bedrooms were pretty bare bones (I imagine this house has been staged).  But even with the scant furniture, you can still appreciate the lovely dark floors, ceiling to floor windows and flow of the living room, family room, kitchen and dining room.  This house was originally built in the 1930s and has been beautifully renovated.  I particularly like the open concept kitchen to the family room as well as the dining room.  It's separated just enough from both areas to have a proper division of space but not so much that it would be impossible to entertain large parties.

And as always, the pool in the backyard is a nice touch for those hot Texas summers.