Phew! Life has been quite the whirlwind the past week. Seven days ago I was going to bed in my Houston house with intentions of waking up bright & early to head to our new home in Memphis, Tennessee. Ever since I’ve felt like I’ve been floating around in some sort of twilight zone just waiting on our next stage of life to arrive! We’re staying at my parent’s condo in Downtown Memphis until Patrick finishes up a few work things down in Houston and is ready to bring up our pups & all of our furniture. This won’t happen for another week and a half and oh my goodness I’m counting down the days!! Yes, I miss having furniture … but I miss having my husband more!
Anywho, in today’s post, I’m styling this beautiful blue midi dress and sharing some random musings on our big move to Memphis! Both topics are completely unrelated, but one could argue I’m styling this blue dress simply because I now live in the “Home of the Blues?!” Yep, that’s stretching it a bit … but I’ll take it! More below!
Musings on My Current State of Confusion
Until my knight in shining armor arrives at my red house with our 26″ footer U-Haul truck, it seems I’ll just continue on living this nomad lifestyle of mine. As I mentioned, Annie and I are staying at my parents during the interim – and if we weren’t, I don’t think I would have ever been able to say yes to this past weekend’s impromptu trip to Canada! The short getaway certainly added to my state of confusion (but in a wonderful way!) Going from my parent’s futon to a squishy oh-so-cozy king size bed at the Four Seasons (more on why I was in Canada here), was perhaps the MOST confusing part of the experience! But what really got me was when a few people I met asked me where I was from and I replied with, “Houston! … No, wait … Memphis! … Wait, where am I from!?!” It’s a strange time for me indeed!
Now that I’m back from Canada, I feel like I’ve finally come back “home” & for real this time. Yes, I’m still staying at my parents (& totally confused about where all of the utensils are in their kitchen too), but I’m bringing a sense of normalcy back into my makeshift daily routine with toddler playdates and coffee shop work sessions too.
Making a New Start in Memphis
I really did pour my heart and soul into discovering and embracing every bit of Houston, Texas these past several years. The city and people living in the lone star state inspired me more than I could ever put into words.
Now that I’m settling into a new place once again, I’m finding I am having those similar stirrings and am itching to get out and see what Memphis has to offer. I’m on the hunt for new restaurants to try, new shops to peruse, pretty parks to play in and new friends to be made.
My discoveries thus far: Grecian Gourmet has the most delicious feta dip ever. Overton Park is a child’s paradise and why did this playground not exist when I was a kid in Memphis?! Indigo in Saddle Creek is like walking into a curated shop just for me! And I even randomly made a new friend while chasing Annie down the aisle at Target. Can you think of a better place for similar-likeminded mamas to connect!? The two of us have a coffee date on the agenda too!
We haven’t made a move this big in over half a decade. It’s easy to be on such a high in those early days when everything new and exciting is shimmering all around you. I know the time will come when I’m fiercely homesick for coffee dates with my Houston gals, Tiny Boxwoods mama & toddler brunches, Pumpkin Park playdates, online shopping with curbside pick-up at Nordstrom’s and especially Torchy’s Queso. I mean just typing that out is tugging at my heartstrings!! But choosing this new chapter and embracing these big changes that come with it is a part of life and I’m so glad we made this decision and actually went for it.
And For Those of You Here for the Outfit
Umm…I can’t say enough good things about this dress!! It’s by Chicwish and is so light and airy with a midi length that pairs well with any shoe. I like to slip sneakers on with it for the simplest things and switch out heels for a night out. Not that I have many of those. Most often I opt for sneakers! But the quality for the price is great – it has a tie at the waist to cinch to your desire and a fun floral paisley print. This beautiful blue dress has quickly become one of those dresses in my closet that I tend to wear over and over.
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Thanks to you all for following along this journey of mine – especially in this transition period where I have one foot in Texas and the other in Tennessee waters. Hopefully, soon I’ll come up above the surface and give you all a blend of how life in both Southern states has shaken and inspired my style in the hopes to inspire yours!
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xo, Alice
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photos by Ban Avenue
