Nashville skyline at night from the General Jackson paddle boat.

It was fab to see everyone at work – not so great to be actually working, but holiday is always going to be more fun than work I guess Was a really nice day, although it took me most of the morning to catch up and get back into the swing of things. I’m sure the usual madness will kick in soon, it’s permanently busy, but I have a much better sense of perspective for the break, so hopefully it won’t be so stressful for the rest of this year!

Me on the world’s biggest spur in Fort Worth’s stock yards. Working the pin up cowgirl look with the boots and the red lipstick.

Have been really good from a healthful (is that even a word?) slant too – cereal on the train, no snacks or caffeine till after 12, then I cracked and had a kitkat. With hot squash, because I’m so super-sophisticated.

Have also managed (accidentally) to avoid carbs all day, this is not something I usually do but I think the lack of veg on holiday has kicked in, I’ve eaten almost my own body weight in peas this evening, lol!

Oh man, I might have been healthy today but I’d kill for this cake again!

Things that are making me happy today (cos it’s Thursday, after all) –

• Reading a fab book I bought for the plane called the Happiness Project, which so far I can highly recommend
• Giggling with the girls at work
• Western boots (and Mum’s utterly genius suggestion that I buy more online when I want to add to my collection, now I know my size in a couple of brands I like)
• Getting to grips with my new phone (still sad about the old one, but the more I use this one the more ok it is)
• Discovering that Ocado will deliver a full shop tomorrow evening (uh oh, I’m in danger of being old and/or boring – but this saves me so much hassle it’s unreal!)
• Val & Matt telling me they’re coming to the zoo on Saturday so I can see them after, squeee
• My new sense of calm and relaxation – let’s hope it lasts]
• American Milky Ways (like our Mars Bars, but less intensely sweet)
• Realising I have 12 potentially workable business ideas. (Really should narrow that list down soon and stop planning them all simultaneously, but they do make me happy even if at least two are financially impossible without a windfall of several million)
• Making healthy choices about what I eat and drink – I think this is the first time in my life I’ve done this without a sense of loss/resentment
• Watching St Trinians & St Trinians 2 in succession yesterday while recovering from the flight
• Driving abroad and driving at home – abroad was fun, I still love Poppy the most
• Plans to start and finish the R2R collage this weekend – and send the bloody photos to the other teams, it’s been a ridiculously long time now
• Sketches for new jewellery, I’ve been muchly inspired by the trip and the things I’ve been seeing and reading
• Last but definitely not least, how loved I am – without sounding completely sappy, I am firmly resolved never to forget how lucky I am to have so many people in my life who I love and who love me too – friends are a very precious thing

This is probably incoherent and rambling (what do you mean all my posts are rambling?!) but I’m now so sleepy I can’t focus on the screen, so I am off to bed… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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.