On the plus side I had a wonderful trip, I’m feeling more like myself and much more ready to tackle the madness of work, and have a litany of sketches and notes for things to make – a change of scenery can be wonderfully inspiring!

Blog posts and photos for the latter half of my trip will be coming over the next few days – I have hurriedly scribbled notes in my trusty Moleskine, but we were so busy I didn’t get much chance to blog after we left Texas.

I hope you’re all well and happy, and the last two days of the working week pass speedily!

Been too busy to blog much and I’m doing lots of driving, but i will update with pics on Sunday, we’re in Nashville for two days so a bit more time to do things

Also did a Walmart trip for essentials like another card reader, and dinner at Pappadeaux where i had the most gorgeous tilapia, followed by the biggest slice of chocolate cake I’ve ever seen. And I’m a chocolate cake expert :p

Yesterday we dropped Dad at the train station and headed for the mall. Despite me doing lots of driving, neither parent has yet had a heart attack.

Found a Michael’s and spent ages drooling over all the gorgeous craft stuff, and then TJ Maxx as it is over here, then the mall proper. Which is so enormous you practically have to drive round it, and all the security guys use Segways to get around.

I mainly wanted to do Sephora and Macys, which we did, and i have a few beauty goodies to blog later on And a rubber duck in a cowboy hat, because I failed to bring one with me. (failed to take one on R2R too, come to that – I’m slacking).

Picked up Dad and went to the stock yards for antique shopping, dinner and business discussions, then home for drinks and bed!

Today we’re heading for Cabelas, which is a hunting, fishing and camping store with a zoo of stuffed animals, then lunch somewhere in Fort Worth with a friend of Dad’s and dinner out this evening with all our Texan friends

Sharpies, icing mold, puzzle keeper Mod Podge, Hard Candy mascara, craft magazine and a helicopter cookie cutter;

Crochet headband, horse brooch/pendant, live laugh love pendant, sparkly brooch, boot mug, Rolls Royce thermal cup, boot decoration destined for my Christmas tree; 

Pretty scarves! Mum and I may have got a teensy bit carried away…

Today was the first day of the conference, where we met lots of people and saw the launch of the new Bell 525 Relentless helicopter. Bell put on a reception last night which we attended, and which turned out to be held on field level at the Dallas Cowboys stadium. So drinks, dinner, a band, a bar and two helicopters all on the actual pitch – was amazing! Photos coming…

This eve we went for dinner and witnessed happy birthday texan style – you get to sit on a western saddle while they sing at you (but bit the normal happy birthday!

Now absolutely exhausted so having an earlyish night! But still having a fab time

Love how wrangler advertise with a western saddle, a cowboy’s bum and that ‘fits over boots’ is a key selling point:

The tab won’t let me rotate this one, but top ten chat up lines for cowboys… Made me smile!

And last but by no means least, my gorgeous boots – was massively indulgent and bought two pairs, but as they’re my birthday present I didn’t feel too guilty!

This afternoon and evening we met Gary, an old friend of my dad’s, who gave us a guided tour of the stock yards and surrounding area. I have managed to leave my card reader at home so can’t put pics up till I get a new one, but it was glorious… Saw longhorn cattle being herded up the street, found the candy store with barrels and barrels of sweets, drank and signed the walls in the White Elephant Saloon, had dinner at the Texas Pit Barbecue and came back to Billy Bob’s – the world’s biggest honky tonk and somewhere legendary to me, as dad has often talked about it when he’s been here before.

So all in all a fab day – keep half-thinking I could live here. Four separate people told me they loved my boots, which was nice!

Signs spotted today: We Buy Ugly Houses.com * Strip Club for sale * Speak your mind but ride a fast horse * Someday I’m going to marry a cowboy but first I want to be one * Live well, laugh much, love horses.

Up at daft o clock and in trying not to fall over on the ice outside, I forgot to take a photo of our suitcases I did however make it in one piece to mum and dad’s in poppy last night (it was a bit hairy and involved a lot of sliding sideways, mind you…)

Arrived at the airport (Heathrow – no idea why autocorrect just turned that into Athens :s), sorted out some niggles with the car parking, and went airside for breakfast. I was massively impressed by Wetherspoons’ pretty plates…

Then some speed-shopping round the duty free for chocolate and perfume – all the essentials :p I could happily have bankrupted myself on cosmetics but had already decided to ignore them and save myself for America’s beauty emporia and drugstores. And hell, Walmart too – I’m after stuff I can’t buy (or buy easily) at home.

Mum and Dad rather wonderfully distracted me from my sudden nerves at take-off, Mum by modelling the headphones and giving us the giggles!

And now I’m ensconced in my seat, Manic Street Preachers and some rather good country music on my in-flight entertainment playlist (I must get myself an mp3 player…) writing this post and about to settle into reading the Peach Keeper.

And yes, that is brandy and coke. It might be 11.30am here but it’s five o clock somewhere….