A Saturday Stroll

Who doesn't love a good, lazy Saturday? Sometimes it's just nice to wake up on a Saturday morning and drink a cup of coffee then decide you just want to soak in the day. On one Saturday, Sterling and I decided we wanted to do just that- enjoy the day with no plans.

We decided to spend this day in Downtown McKinney looking at all the adorable shops {my words not his} and grab some lunch. We also looked at some fun things we could put in our future home!

As good Baylor bears should, Sterling and I popped into The Bear Market to see what fun things we could find!

After the going into a couple stores, we decided it was time to look for a lunch location. Churchill's was one of the closer places to us, and we thought it could be fun to be British for a few minutes, so we ate here. Sterling had a shepherd's pie, and I had a chicken sandwich. {I know I kinda failed on the British thing.}

We had a fun day just walking around the square and enjoying the beautiful weather that day! Where are some places you like to go for a lazy Saturday?

One place Sterling and I are planning on going to soon is White Rock Lake for a fun, Saturday outing. We went there this past weekend with our wedding photographer, Lauren Guy for our engagement pictures, which are up on her blog! We were ecstatic with the outcome of them! Not only was the scenery just gorgeous, but Lauren is so talented and makes you feel extremely comfortable. It was a wonderful experience. You have to look at her blog for the beauty of White Rock Lake, because we will be going back! 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Panda

Most people go to Fair Park for the Texas State Fair and the Dallas Summer Musicals, but this past weekend, Sterling and I went to another event held at Fair Park--The Chinese Lantern Festival.

We were amazed at all the gorgeous lighted lanterns from the dragon boat on the lake to the precious pandas. There were so many things to look at. It was sensory overload. But pictures are worth a thousand words! 

Normally you wouldn't find the festival open at this time of year, but it is now open until February 17. And even better news...there is a LivingSocial so you can go on a date for two for the cost of one! {You can thank us later} 

After the festival, we went to one of our favorite restaurants in the Oak Cliff area, Bolsa. We love the freshness of the food and the ambiance. These are the kind of meals you think about months afterward. Sterling had a black drum fish in a cilantro-coconut sauce. It was delish! 

Are there any fun festivals you have attended? Let us know, and you might find it on our blog! 

Meddlesome Museum

Well like I said before, Sterling and I are going to go on dates that are out of comfort zone, because we know other people might enjoy them. Part of this date was one where we branched out.

Sterling picked me up and in the passenger seat was this surprise. {Guys take note. Nothing says more than a single flower and a sweet note}

Dinner was at The Meddlesome Moth in the Dallas design district. We have been here before and loved it. If you go when it's nice outside, the patio is awesome! But since it was foggy and dreary on the night we went, we sat inside. Lucky for us, we got a booth right next to the kitchen where we could watch the cooks make our dinner.

We shared a plate of deviled eggs and toasted mushroom farro. We also ordered two types of mussels. The food was amazing, and we might have cheated a little on our pre-wedding diet. {oops!} But it was worth it for one of D Magazine's Best Restaurants in 2013.

The next part of our date was out of our comfort zone-The Dallas Museum of Art. On Thursdays, the museum stays open until 9 pm, and it's relatively empty.  Sterling and I don't have anything against art. In fact, we constantly talked about how we wish we could be more knowledgeable about art. When we went, there was jazz music and a little cafe where people gathered to talk. But we had a mission to accomplish in the museum-- a photo scavenger hunt.

Here are some of my findings from our scavenger hunt:

I did realize that I loved the European art section, and I would like to go back when I have more time to read about all the paintings. Sterling also enjoyed the Biblical art in the museum. Another reason The Dallas Museum of Art was appealing was because it was free! If you want to go look at the special exhibits, you need to pay a little extra, but general admission doesn't cost you anything.

No matter what you do, we have found that it is more fun if you add a personal, creative twist to it, and that date becomes your own. We didn't just look at art, we made it more interactive. As you approach intentional time, think about what would make that date meaningful to you as a couple. What are some creative approaches to dates you have done?

Happy Trails to You

Sterling and I love to give each other dates as gifts. It's more personal than a shirt or watch. Since we love experiencing different things together, I thought it would be a fun adventure to go horseback riding together. I'm not a very gifted secret keeper, so Sterling figured out where we were going when I kept talking about how horseback riding together would be fun.

I found an adorable place about an hour north of DFW called Black Mustang Ranch. Black Mustang Ranch is right next to a precious resort overlooking a lake. It is rustic and peaceful. I had purchased a picnic ride, which was an hour and half of riding and a 30 minute picnic while on the ride. There are a lot of different packages you can purchase at different price points, but this seemed to fit us well.

As we approached the stable, our guide met us out front and assessed our experience level, giving us horses that met that level. Sterling rode Bailey, and they became quick friends. I had the pleasure of riding Snowball.

Both horses knew the trail well, and we never felt nervous that we were inexperienced. Our guide strapped our brown bag lunch we brought onto the back of the horses, and we started on the trail. When it came time for the picnic, our guide brought us to this open area in the woods, tied up our horses and walked down the trail so that Sterling and I could have some time to ourselves. It was so peaceful just sitting in the woods and eating lunch together.

Our favorite part of the date was the simple fact that we got to take a couple of hours of our day to just enjoy each other and look at the beauty in North Texas. We went riding the week after the huge ice storm in Dallas, so remnants of snow were still left on the ground. We loved getting out of the city, and just enjoying the beauty of the woods.

We would love to go back and ride again sometime and would highly recommend using Black Mustang Ranch for a fun afternoon date. Happy trails to you!