Obviously phone selfies with me in sunglasses is on its way to being a trend with this year’s self portrait series. Couldn’t be bothered to pull out the big camera and put on makeup to capture a good hair day straight from the salon! Six inches gone too, my hair hasn’t been this short in almost six years …

So, what have I been up to? 

reading … several books in progress right now. I’m thinking I might need to dedicate a post sometime in July to many of the books I’ve read so far this summer rather than summarizing them here.

visiting … Waco mid-month to visit Texas’s newest NPS site — Waco Mammoth National Monument — plus popped back over to Magnolia Silos to snag a metal print I saw online recently & to grab lunch. Photos/recap to come soonish for those that missed out on the Snapchat videos/images I posted …

planning … my October trip to New Mexico and west Texas. Reservations have been made for all the places we’re staying (a Route 66 motel + an AirBNB studio loft + a couple hotels via hotels.com (that’ll wrap up the 10 nights I need to earn another free night) + a historic CCC built lodge in the middle of a mountainous state park). Now I just need to survive the next few months at work so I can escape to the Land of Enchantment! Oh, and get in shape to be able to make a multi-hour hike into a canyon …

looking forward to … the upcoming long holiday weekend off work. Absolutely no plans other than to sleep in, take some naps, and maybe drive out to the local lake to see the fireworks show. Maybe. If I can be bothered to slather myself in OFF to ward off the mosquitoes that love me way too much.

bookmarking … Yosemite, Through John Muir’s Words — The Atlantic

How has your June been? Any plans for the month ahead?

PS … Happy Independence Day my fellow Americans!

Since Mariposa Grove closed days before we reached Yosemite last July — a depressing fact I discovered a few weeks out during some late planning — it meant we had time to venture out to Glacier Point instead. Near the end of the route is a trailhead that heads to both Taft Point and Sentinel Dome. When we reached the fork in the path, we headed right, towards Sentinel. While we didn’t hike all the way to the see the dome itself (mom’s knee wasn’t up to it), I think we saw quite a bit of beauty (and some rude tourists) on the part we did explore …

Just before the fork in the trail …

Upward we go …

The bro taking one of many panoramic photos captured on the trip …

Nature’s way of saying ‘peace’?

… and this cute critter ventured onto the path. We, along with a couple other tourists stopped, knelt down, and left this little guy to his food searching for several minutes before a family (with late teen aged children) appeared, walking on the edge of the trail stepping on the tiny purple blooms, and then decided to scare off the deer because “its a deer, haven’t you seen one before?”

My response, “Yes, but we’re visiting the DEER’s home. Show some respect.”

We (my family + the other tourists that were watching the deer) decided that family lacked some serious respect for nature …

Say hello to my parents. This is where they stopped and headed back after a brief rest; me and the bro ventured on a bit further since we could catch up to them quickly.

Check out that view … someday I’ll make it back to Yosemite and hopefully finish the hike to see Sentinel Dome unobstructed!

Next up later this month: detail shots from this hike.

Meanwhile, Happy (belated) Independence Day and Canada Day!

Summertime in the South is hot AND humid. Summertime in the Southwest is just hot. Dry heat. Not exactly my ideal destination in July or August, but come late fall or winter, I’m totally game to adventuring desert climates when ice storms shut down roads around here …

… and while I can’t seem to keep any plant alive, succulents included, cacti are one of my favorite plants to admire and photograph when I spot them. Around where I live, prickly pear cactus is fairly common (my dad has one that randomly came up along a fence line in his pasture) … but the rest of these are not.

I’m hoping to spy a great many cacti during my October trip to New Mexico, if only in local landscaping in ABQ!

Note to self: pack the macro lens just in case …

What is your favorite landscape to explore? 

Personally, I love mountains and forests the most, but desert landscapes are right behind them on the list

If you’ve been following along since my July 2015 roadtrip via Instagram or here on the blog, the number of cameras I took with me made me stand out as THAT tourist.

The one with all the cameras always taking a photo.

Granted, I wasn’t the other kind of THAT tourist, the one taking photos with a ginormous iPad that I spotted everywhere I went (soapbox moment: people, use your phone or buy a real camera of some sort that is ONLY a camera. Holding up an iPad that the rest of us have to duck around or zoom past even more is far more annoying while traveling than it is at a wedding).

But … here’s the thing, and I’m not the only photographer who has said this (or something similar)…

The fact that I’m always taking photos means I’m also noticing far more details than the average person is while viewing a destination/sight in front of them.

Why?

Because, in my years of photographing anything and everything, I’ve learned that noticing all the details is key, especially when someone is paying you to make sure there’s not a bad detail standing out in their portraits!

These photos were taken on our partial hike to Sentinel Dome that I blogged a couple weeks ago … I fell behind a bit because I kept stopping every time I’d see a detail that was as photo worthy as the scenic vistas that Yosemite is known for. And, I want to remember these details just as much as the 180° vistas at Glacier Point and Tunnel View.

Tiny purple blooms as small in size (if not more) as my thumb. The ‘carvings’ created by an insect in the bark of the branch on the left. Pine bark all over the ground at the edge of the trail where it fell from nearby trees.

Weathered sun bleached wood. Tiny puffs of grass and other ‘weed’ like plants. Scattered pieces of bark.

Pine needles. Moss growing on dried branches. Tiny pinecones. More insect ‘carvings’ …

Baby pinecones.

Yellow puffs growing next to a random rock a few feet from the trail edge.

A tiny tree growing out of the mostly stone landscape.

The start of life on a somewhat bigger tree (than the one in the previous photo).

Blooms lying on a tree branch (presumably placed there by another tourist).

So the next time you see THAT tourist who appears to never pull the camera away from their face or that never stops snapping photos with their phone (or the dreaded iPad), grant them a little grace and stay silent (even if you’re only mentally grumbling). See if you can figure out what details they’ve picked up on that haven’t jumped out at you just yet …

Another month flown by, another cell phone self portrait. With a Snapchat filter for flare …

Currently …

Reading … a bit of everything as usual. My favorite book of the past month was Jimmy Wayne’s Walk to Beautiful, which is about the singer’s life. I work with individuals who struggle to overcome obstacles (and some who are not at the point to want to overcome their obstacles) … I wish I could make them all read this book to realize what is possible no matter where you are in life. Jimmy Wayne faced poverty, abuse, neglect, the foster care system, and homelessness before his angels on earth stepped him to provide him the stability to become the person he is today.

Listening … JT’s Can’t Stop The Feeling … the perfect song as a pick me up on the commute home from work every day if you ask me

In progress … the 21 Day Fix meal plan.

Doing pretty well … had a couple of cheats in the 17 days that have passed so far. No sweet tea or ice cream though, and with this typical humid Texas summer, that’s what I want so badly right now. I got the containers on Amazon (this set). I’ve been posting some of my meals on Snapchat (routebliss) and will post an update on my other blog in a few weeks that’ll include the meals I came up with to fit the number of containers I can have a day.

I bought the dvds for the regular plan (which came with a meal plan guide) + a bonus dvd and one of the 21DF extreme discs via eBay for way less than the BB pricing but haven’t done many of the workouts yet since I’m also working out at a local rec center after work.

Upcoming #1 … birthdays! Saturday is my dad’s birthday and next Saturday is mine. No plans for celebrating mine at this point other than taking a long weekend off work (#adultingperks).

Upcoming #2 … changes. Big changes. Sorry to be elusive for now … will share in a month or two depending on what happens …

How has your July been? Any plans for the month ahead? 

So … its been a little quiet around here the last few weeks. With the last month filled with a few major things, I lacked the time and motivation to pull up this blog and work on it for the most part.

Lately I’ve been …

Celebrating … the National Park Service turning 100 years old today! I wish I could be at a national park today, but it just wasn’t in the cards … but I’ll visit a few this fall to make up for it!

Watching … the Rio Olympic Games. I missed watching the opening ceremonies for the first time in 20 years (was on vacation in 1996 that weekend) because of something listed further below. But I caught most of the rest of the coverage of what I wanted to see in swimming, track and field, and gymnastics — my tv didn’t change channels for two weeks. Would have been great if some of the not so popular sports would have been on NBC, especially since an area girl was competing and I never saw anything about here except the local news channel (I don’t have/never had cable or satellite to see the other networks the Games air on). Now I’m back to watching other stations and exploring Hulu & Amazon Prime Video. Any recommendations on shows to binge watch on those two now that I have oodles of bandwidth at my disposal?

Reading … just finished reading Everything We Keep* by Kerry Lonsdale. I can’t remember if this was an Amazon First Reads choice or if it is one of the books I got through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. Loved this story from start to finish.

*affiliate link btw

Seriously contemplating … resuming my portrait business. I’m kinda close to pulling the trigger on making an announcement — since its been awhile since I’ve shot any portraits of any kind (my best friend’s engagement and bridal portraits in 2014 were the last ‘major’ things I’ve shot), I have a quick session lined up soon with a friend’s son to see if its going to happen. Meanwhile I’ve been busy updating my old portrait site information to be ready to go live when I do decide what I’m going to do.

Cardio workout by default … moving and unpacking. I moved a bit closer to work earlier this month. Long story short, I’m never moving in August again if I can help it. 100+ degrees on the two major moving days. Sunburned clearing stuff out of storage the weekend before. A part on my AC went out within the first week. But … I’m close enough to run home at lunch most days and could watch some daytime Olympics coverage too!

How was your August? Any plans for the month ahead? 

After most of the last month’s worth of a summer break from ye ole blog, I’m back. I’ll be posting on Thursdays for awhile … as well as resuming my long drawn out recaps of last summer’s roadtrip out west.

Along the road to Glacier Point, not all that far from the end, is Washburn Point. It contains a small partially shaded parking area as well as a couple terraces to view the gorgeous panoramic view. We pulled off for several minutes to soak in the view and, after heading down to Glacier Point itself, came back to sit in the shade to eat in a much less tourist crowded spot.

Sidenote: I miss #chipxterra. My new car may have some fancy tech features, but she doesn’t begin to compare to this big guy …

The bro shot some panoramic images and video with my phone while I was juggling all of my other cameras.

… spotted a couple entertaining members of the local wildlife …

Waterfalls … while the ones in the Valley we saw later on were barely flowing in mid-July, the ones out in this area of the park were still going strong.

… spied a partially concealed waterfall as well … thank goodness for telephoto lenses!

Seriously, that view.  

Shifting to the left, the views keep getting better and better. Can I go back now, please???

Back in the parking lot, these ravens were trying to steal the tourists food … it was quite entertaining! Well until we came back to eat and they kept harassing us … and wouldn’t shut up.

To get here: Take Glacier Point Road from Wawona Road — parking area is on the right side of the road approximately a mile or so prior to Glacier Point.

Later this month I’ll share our stop at Glacier Point … until then, if you’ve missed a post from the 2015 roadtrip, catch up here.

Meanwhile, where did you travel to this summer (or winter if in the southern hemisphere)? Share in the comments below!

I think most of the lifestyle blog genre and Instagram world has heard of Magnolia Market or Fixer Upper or Chip and Joanna Gaines by now. If not, click over, get sucked in, then pop back over here for the rest of the post (or finish the post, then click over ;))

Back at the end of April, the plan was to spend a long weekend in New Braunfels. Well, my former vehicle, the beloved #chipxterra, decided otherwise. Instead I spent most of that weekend car shopping. In an attempt to salvage my two vacation days off work, we made the hour and a half-ish drive to Waco (with a quick detour 20 minutes north to West for more kolaches. Because. Kolaches.) the day before I returned to work.

I ended up back in Waco again in mid June when I needed to stay a night somewhere in order to keep my Hotels.com rewards account active, so I’ve actually made not one, but two trips to Magnolia Market this spring/summer. Today I’m sharing a few photos from my first trip + a few tips if you’re planning a visit to the area and want to see what the rage is all about …

Where is it located: Near downtown Waco at 601 Webster — in the recently dubbed “Silo District”

When to go: Any day but Sunday. The shops and grounds are closed on Sundays. Probably just as well because most of the closest lots to park in are those of churches.

My first visit was mid afternoon on a Monday, the second right at lunchtime on a Saturday. It was crowded both times. I’m hoping that its less busy midweek and first thing in the morning.

Where to park: Both times I’ve gone, I parked in a lot adjacent to the new bakery building. Costs $10.00 but the churches surrounding the grounds benefit from it. There is very limited street parking that is next to impossible to luck into, thus why I paid rather than circling nearby streets for forever and a day.

That said, sometime since my last visit, the Silo District Trolley has been started. Apparently you can park in the Silo District and ride the trolley for free. More details & a map of the district/parking available here.

Aside from the store, there are several other ‘features’ of Magnolia Market at the Silos to explore … the gardens are my favorite so far.

The Garden Shop opened after my first visit and was so crowded on my second visit I didn’t manage to snag any photos of the interior (I managed a few phone photos of the market interior, no camera images either time). Let’s just say its quaint and provides inspiration for DIYs. If you’re on a budget, collect ideas and snag the items elsewhere.

But, if you’re in the mood to splurge, items like the two mini gardens below are available for purchase.

The Gardens also had two goats added as residents after my first visit. Sadly, they were killed the night before my second visit. I had no idea they’d been harmed until it made the DFW area newscasts a couple days later … I took photos of the pen area (wondering where the goats were!) and noticed nothing out of the ordinary beyond the empty pen

Ready to eat?

Several food trucks are on the grounds, including the popular Common Grounds (their shop is close to the Baylor University campus). I’m not a coffee person, so I passed on a beverage, but did stop at the Cheddar Box food truck for a gourmet grilled cheese (gouda with basil) + a peach sweet tea on my second visit.

Plenty of picnic tables are on the grounds to sit, eat, and relax … including the area above + the covered barn area that’s now complete and next to lawn area.

Several lawn games are available for little ones to burn off energy …

Note regarding the market … items and displays in the shop rotate/change regularly, so if you see something seasonal you feel you can’t live without, get it. Some items appear to be there all the time, but the non-magnolia faux flowers are not one of them.

Oh, and their awesome shopping bags — they’re now for sale. Anyone want to gift me one?

I’ll share some updated Magnolia photos from visit #2 sometime soon that’ll include some changes to the grounds, including the bakery below.

Have you been to Magnolia Market? If not, would you make the stop if passing through Waco?

Leaving Washburn Point, we headed on to the end of the road that leads out to Glacier Point. If you’ve followed some of the more popular travelers/photographers on IG, you’ve seen variations of the first two images below …

Zigzagging along the road, you come around a curve to this beautiful sight …

At the end of the road, we parked in the crowded lot and made our way down to the viewpoint.

The sign …

(the bottom says “Don’t follow the crowd”)

So … in not following the crowd, I snapped a few photos from up above, then we headed back to the car to the less crowded and equally beautiful Washburn Point to eat lunch before heading out.

Up next in the 2015 Roadtrip series in October … we’ll be heading down into Yosemite Valley.

Ummm, I failed to take a self portrait that contained my face this month. This particular photo that was taken while waiting for a portrait test session to start will have to suffice for now. I’ll make up for it on vacation …

Currently …

Reading … this was the month mostly filled with fluff — a couple Nicholas Sparks books (good as always) + Eligible (a disappointment), and slowly working my way through The Big Burn (very good).

Listening … this song/video

Watching … The Mindy Project + Superstore on Hulu. Thank goodness for Hulu.

Wrapping up … editing two test sessions I photographed recently. I’ll announce my final decision regarding whether or not the portrait business will be resuming once I’m back from vacation.

Getting ready for … the above mentioned and very much needed vacation (woot woot!!). Mountains and hot air balloons are calling my name … and its possible I might get to host a Snapchat or Instagram takeover for a few stops. More details to come on my Instagram and Snapchat (username: routebliss) accounts as soon as I have the okay and details!

Searching … for a church home. Its been years since I’ve entered a church that felt like home/a family to me. Since I’m in a new town (residence wise, not work wise) and finally settled in, I just started the search after asking for some recommendations. Visited church #1 this past Sunday and will attend at least a few more times to get a feel for all the pastors/groups once I get back from vacation.

How has your September been? Any plans for the month ahead? 

Where to start …

Its been about 11 months since I last posted here.

Lots of life changes in the last 11 months. Lots …

I had intentions of posting a mid-year update a few months back, but life got in the way of doing so. In fact, it has taken me several days to get this post written and prepped to share. So here’s a month by month summary of what I’ve been up to …

L-R: Balloons at ABQ Balloon Fiesta, ABQ from 10k+ feet up, Milky Way from the Marfa Lights Viewing Center

October 2016 …

Traveled to New Mexico and southwestern Texas with my brother for a week (ABQ, White Sands, Guadalupe Mountains NP, the Davis Mountains, the Marfa Lights Viewing Center, and Balmorhea State Park were a few of our major stops). Started talking to and went out on a few dates with this really cute guy …

Putt Putt date, a hike around a local lake

November 2016 …

Busy with work. Went out on more dates with this really cute guy. Ate way too much pizza. Thanksgiving — spent most of my long weekend off work with the parentals and brother.

My travel themed holiday decor, Downtown Square lit up at night, one of many Pie Dates at Oxbow Pies in Palestine, me and one of my favorite little people!

December 2016 …

Tried to get healthy again — fyi, December is not the month to cut out the good stuff, it is a major pain explaining to everyone that, no, you don’t want a particular item. Even more dates with the really cute guy – who was one of two supportive people during the few weeks leading up to Christmas (he tried to eat healthy with me — for the most part). By the second week of the month, he was spending most evenings at my place for dinner and tv/movie binge watching before heading to his place for the night. He introduced me to a work acquaintance as his girlfriend for the first time the second week of December. He met my parents for the first time the third week. Spent Christmas apart —  he went home to his parents, me to mine. Then I spent a few days in Little Rock with the BFF and her family. Returned home to spend New Year’s weekend in DFW with the really cute guy.

NYE in Downtown Dallas – the first photo of me and the mister, the mister on his first visit to Arkansas, me in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, seeing Pat Green at Billy Bob’s 

January 2017 …

Finally shared a photo of the two of us on IG/FB on New Year’s Day. Met his middle brother and sister in law. First full weekend we made a day trip to Little Rock for the BFF’s daughter’s first birthday party (nothing like 12+ hours in a car in one day to test a relationship, we survived). Following weekend (MLK weekend) we went to Beavers Bend area in Oklahoma. Next weekend we went to Fort Worth to see a concert in the FW Stockyards, then I met his parents the next day. Dad ended up in the hospital that same weekend.

Me with the Dallas Cowboys mascot at Walmart, river view from Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, the mister on a lunch date

February 2017 …

We decided to move in together (things were very serious by then). President’s Day weekend trip to Little Rock (to see the BFF) and Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. Turned in my keys to my place at month’s end.

Trotting along in a local 5k (not my photo), Tulips from Pilot Point, me and a Don’s Bug Barn VW Bus at the Dallas Arboretum during Dallas Blooms

March 2017 …

Finished a 5k the first Saturday of the month, then drove three hours to a Dutch family owned tulip place north of DFW. Spent a weekend later in the month in DFW visiting the Bush Library and the Dallas Arboretum, met up with his family that weekend (including his youngest brother). Got sick, he took (very good) care of me.

Sundance Square alleyway, I said YES!, the mister at Heritage Creamery in Waco, a magnolia bloom at Magnolia Silos in Waco

April 2017 …

Split Easter weekend between our families. He proposed – I said YES! Weekend trip to Waco. Received 10 year service award at work.

The Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Bricktown at night in OKC

May 2017 …

Began wedding planning. Split Mother’s Day weekend between our families. Engagement portraits. Spent Memorial Day weekend in OKC with a day trip to Pawhuska to the Pioneer Woman Mercantile + the Drummond Ranch.

Me and the mister – a cellphone snap by the engagement photographer at the end of the session, one of many pie dates at Oxbow

June 2017 …

The Mister’s birthday. Introduced our parents to each other. Trip planning for our upcoming big trip. Started house shopping. Wedding planning throughout the month.

Met one of the Navajo Codetalkers in ABQ, Taos Pueblo, Balloon above Pagosa Springs, Colorado

July 2017 …

10 day trip to northern New Mexico and southern Colorado (we survived without a single fight!). Met his aunt and uncle while in ABQ. Gave serious thought to eloping atop a mountain while in Colorado. Celebrated his youngest brother’s birthday with his family. Work got crazy. More house shopping. Put an offer in on a house after a week of debate — long story short, the sellers wouldn’t budge enough to get below our (self imposed) max limit. Indulged in froyo to console not getting the house. House shopped some more, found another one that we loved enough that we decided to put an offer in while standing in the front yard before we left. Seller countered a few days later and we accepted — we kinda got a house! Celebrated dad’s birthday. More wedding planning. Gave notice to the apartment complex.

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto, Texas (an impromptu daytrip), house shopping research, me working on refinishing a dresser to put the mister’s fishtank on

August 2017 …

House passed inspection and we proceeded with the house buying process. More wedding planning. My birthday. Added another project to my already too long list. Work became crazier (no end in sight still).

We bought a house!

September 2017 (so far) …

House closing. Moving. Painting a couple rooms in the new house.

What’s to come in the next few months …

Finishing wedding planning

The wedding

Mini honeymoon — we’ll take a much bigger “honeymoon” trip next year

House projects (aside from painting)

Family birthdays and the holidays

Begin planning next year’s vacation/honeymoon

…

I’d like to say I’m back, but life is so busy right now that I’m hoping that I can resume blogging regularly sometime early next year. This blog will still remain a travel blog, and hopefully, the Mister will be making some appearances on here and/or helping me with behind the scenes stuff. While we have some home improvement projects — nothing super major, we lucked into a great house that we’re making minor cosmetic changes + a few additional things to come (mainly adding extra electrical outlets inside and out in places we realize they’re necessary, redesigning the patio area for now), I don’t know that I’ll blog about that here. I might share them on IG …

Meanwhile, to answer what seems to be the popular questions I’m getting IRL and through FB: No, we’re not moving that fast. Yes, I’m excited about it all, but stop asking me already (and so often). Asking me makes me think about all the to-do’s on my multiple lists plus all my work stuff going on and then I start stressing. Then I want froyo. And because I have a dress to fit into that I don’t want to pay to alter since it fit perfectly off the rack, I’m trying really hard to avoid anything that’s not a real food item to start with (which means no froyo, other sweets, or processed carbs). No, I’m not pregnant. Yes, we want kids, no they won’t be the first thing we’ll start on after the wedding (besides the fact I have PCOS and that may cause some issues).

Happy Fall Y’all (or Spring for those in the southern hemisphere)!