Seven Hours of Sleep and a Few Succulents

Bryan and I celebrated our anniversary with an overnight trip to Austin. We’re a bit of a cliché, as we were most excited about the prospect of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep. But we found ourselves equally pleased with a drive free of mitigating any backseat crises and a couple of very leisurely meals (chicken tacos at Güero´s) sans wrangling highchairs, crayons and sippy cups. We almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves.

Once past the thrill of being full-on grown-ups for 24 hours, we just meandered around town. Bryan and I met in Austin when we were at UT, and we’ve seen it change pretty dramatically. While we definitely lament how its authentic grooviness seems to have succumbed to a more highly polished, self-aware brand of hip, there’s definitely no shortage of design inspiration.

For us, no visit to Austin is complete without a stay at the Hotel San José. I’ve mentioned my love for the San José before, but every time we stay there, I come home with a slew of new ideas for the house. We snapped tons of pictures and spent lots of time ogling the outdoor spaces, which lead us to visit one of our favorite shops, Gardens, twice to stock up on succulents for the back patio.

We were also pretty enamored of the built-in daybed/sofa in our room that we’re planning to somehow integrate into a playroom for the girls when they get a bit older….and we’re all hopefully getting seven hours of sleep on a regular basis. One can dream.