Eve's Garden Bed & Breakfast {Marathon, TX}

Adam and I made a trip out to West Texas a while back, and stopped for a quick but restful retreat in the 430 person town Marathon, TX. Seriously, 430 people in the whole town! I wish I could explain how much we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this quirky little desert town, and how we were blown away by the kind nature and simple lives of the people who live there.

We stayed at the most magical little dwelling I have ever seen: Eve's Garden Organic Bed and Breakfast. The entire rainbow abode is made from recycled materials, including scrapped paper sourced from businesses in nearby towns. The family who owns it builds the structure themselves, and are constantly incorporating on fun new additions. I know that the likelihood of a reader traveling to this little desert town is remote, but at the very least, the pictures provide some fun and colorful eye candy.

The cutest pink entrance to our room's courtyard

So much turquoise, all for us. My heaven!

The owner's super cute truck

The front entrance to the B&B

The front garden

My favorite part: one of the main indoor/outdoor courtyards, complete with a greenhouse

Communal courtyard for enjoying a cup of coffee or a cocktail

Summer Melon and Mint Salad

This post is really less of a recipe and more of an idea, but only because the recipe itself is so simple. I straight up stole the idea from The Everygirl and tweaked it only slightly... by adding liquor. OK, it was only a small dash of liqueur, but still more fun than no booze, no? This recipe is so tasty and refreshing in the summer heat. Also, it's healthy enough that I could call it breakfast and feel pretty good about that.

Summer Melon and Mint Salad

Ingredients

1/2 watermelon
1/2 large cantaloupe
1/2 large honeydew
3 T fresh mint leaves, diced
2 T honey
1 T Domaine de Canton, or other ginger liqueur (optional)

Directions

1. Combine mint, honey and liqueur in a small bowl. 
2. Using melon baller, scoop out insides of fruit into large bowl.
3. Drizzle honey mixture over fruit and toss to coat.

**Side Note:  This melon ball scoop is the best example of the power of Amazon I have ever seen. One day, I decided I randomly wanted one, signed on to Amazon, bought one for $1.19 with free shipping, and it arrived 2 days later. Unbelievable.

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens has been on my bucket list since I first learned of its existence. After spending countless afternoons walking two young boys through the gardens, Adam's mom is certain that this is her favorite place on earth. Because enjoyment of a place is so inextricably linked to the memories there, I wasn't expecting to love this place as much as Jan was sure I would... but I did. I could have spent days covering every inch of the place, and lying in the grass enjoying the perfect temperature and sunshine (a rare treat).

Located just an easy tube ride away from downtown London, and one stop shy from Adam's childhood home, the gardens provided an amazing solo retreat from the city. My favorite part was unquestionably the Palm House, with Kew's charming, iconic spiral staircases. It was certainly a bonus that my visit just happened to coincide with the most picturesque day imaginable, but I'm so happy I made the quick trip, and would return in a heartbeat.

The Temperate House

The Pagoda

Outside of the Palm House

Inside the gorgeous Palm House - the light! the colors!

The cutest staircase, maybe ever

A hodge podge of iPhone pics

I mean... seriously

Kew Palace

Big Bend: Lost Mine Trail

Even though Big Bend was months ago, I can't not post some photos of the most impressive and beautiful part of the park that we were fortunate enough to see. Adam and I wanted to do one "bigger" hike during our weekend, but admittedly not a 10+ mile one.  After some research about trails in the park, we learned that the Lost Mine Trail offered some of the best views in all of Big Bend, while climbing a moderate 1,000 feet over 5 miles. This trail was a perfect length for a fun morning hike, and provided absolutely stunning views both at its summit and throughout the roundtrip. Adam was very brave given his fear of heights, and even crept toward the edge with me to take it all in, which is itself a real testament to the trail's beauty.

Anniversary Tradition

Kensington Palace

Sometime around our wedding (already a year ago June 15th - where does the time go?!), Adam and I decided that we would start a tradition to celebrate each anniversary in a different location somewhere in the world. This goal sounds lofty, and expensive, at first; but we both acknowledge that somewhere "different" could be as simple as somewhere in Texas, or as grandiose as halfway around the world. We rang in year one in London, which was a great way to get things started, as it's where Adam is from originally. I'm not sure yet where June 15, 2015 will take us, but I'm excited to start obsessively planning already.

We ate dinner at Adam's favorite childhood restaurant: Geales

Something fancy for the hubby... (not exactly paper).

Big Bend: Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

At first, taking a scenic drive through a national park seemed like a bit of a copout to me. You're surrounded by breathtaking hiking trails through nearly untouched landscapes, and you go for a drive on a paved road instead? Weak. However, after I really got a grasp on the sheer size of Big Bend, I realized that the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive really was the best way to see as much of the park as possible in just a few days.

Starting from the Chisos Mountain Lodge (the only place other than campsites to stay inside the park), the drive is about an hour long, but with many overlooks, short trails, and things to see along the way. After beautiful sights like the Sotol Vista overlook and Tuff Canyon, the drive ends at the Santa Elena Canyon on the border of the US and Mexico. We had so much fun seeing as much of Big Bend as possible and will remember this day forever. The car's air conditioning didn't hurt either.

Our New Apartment

Some may wonder why I would open a post about a new apartment with a picture of Oliver. On the other hand, most will realize that this is only appropriate, as he is basically the center of my universe, and all life decisions revolve around his happiness. Anyways... Adam and I moved into a new apartment this weekend! We are really excited about the place, and about starting a new adventure together.

We are definitely city people, and cringe at the idea of living far from downtown, so we thought we'd take a stab at living in the real heart of downtown Austin. The location is truly unbeatable, and the apartments are cool and unique. Most importantly, they have finished concrete floors that are always cool for Oliver to sleep on (his favorite thing), and a balcony that faces a lively part of the city where he can spend time outside and people watch (two of his other favorite things). We also didn't want to be in a high rise, again for Oliver's ease and enjoyment, which is tough to find downtown. Oliver, Adam and I all love the new spot, and I can't wait until I have some "after" pics to share.

I forgot to take pictures first thing, then remembered to quickly snap some early on in the move!

That's us right above that corner courtyard!

The scene of  Adam's welcome to America party next weekend!

Seriously, have you ever seen a more handsome face?!