jillivictorio@gmail.com /

I turned 39 last Monday.

39.

OMG

There are a lot of days where I still feel like I’m in my 20’s, but wiser. Thirty-nine sounds like a blah number, but if you ask me there’s something significant about numbers ending in nine.

Nine, 19 and 29 have been pivotal years of my life. I felt as though I was on the cusp of something new and exciting at those ages, reflective of the decade soon to pass and eager to welcome a new decade.

I love the thirties! I’m convinced the decade of the thirties goes by the fastest in life, faster than the twenties. In the thirties one is constantly moving or on the go and juggling all the changes that comes with a shift in priorities.  The thirties is where the majority of my life was spent raising young kids (had Jonah at 29 and Baron at 35), progressing in and redefining careers, upgrading and moving homes, celebrating anniversaries, milestones, and a multitude of family and friends’ celebrations.

A clip from one of my favorite movies that ironically came out in my twenties.

 

Despite the excitement of another birthday, I must admit that with turning 39 there comes a feeling of …apprehension.  As I enter the final year of my thirties, I can’t help but reflect on where I am in life and what I want for my family and myself moving forward.

As we enter our late thirties, we enter a stage where we realize we’re still young and healthy enough to do the things we’ve always wanted to, to take risks, and to get out there and live life. It’s time to clear the clutter and bad energy from your life. It’s time to embrace who you are and make certain you do not live life in regret.

Each year I feel a little closer to understanding myself, finding my purpose and what I want from life and of course that evolves and changes over the years.

I have grown significantly as a person in my thirties. Life with kids will do that to you. You love deeper, you discover patience you never knew you had, you learn to survive on a few hours’ sleep and you have more money AND less money despite working harder than you have before.

My thirties have been full of life and all that it brings – love, marriage, death, friendship loss and gain, the birth of two beautiful children, sleepless nights, laughter, tears, and life changing health issues.

I know the forties will be no different with regards to highs and lows, joys and challenges, and I’m ready to tackle them head on.

As I celebrate my final year of my 30s, I recognize this life-changing decade draws to a close and prepare myself for a new decade full of life and all that it has to offer.

Birthday outfit and brunch look in black and leopard from Zara

I am eternally grateful for:

  1. The people in my life
  2. The love I’ve received and the love I’ve given
  3. The family who raised/guided me & gave me every opportunity in life
  4. The experiences I’ve had
  5. The cities and countries I’ve traveled to
  6. The opportunities I have been presented with
  7. The love and life I share with my husband
  8. The mistakes I’ve experienced that have helped me grow
  9. The honor of being a mother to my boys, loving them and teaching them kindness, compassion, and the value of life

There are so many more I could list, but one thing I ‘get’ about getting older, is that I can truly appreciate all of these things and more. Good and bad, it’s the perspective you gain as you age.  For all of this, I am truly grateful.

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

The Restaurant District brings chef-driven cuisine to the Shops at Willow Bend, opening mid-to-late October.  As part of a $125 million renovation, The District adds a unique dining experience to Plano and the North Dallas area. Leading the culinary side is Knife, a steakhouse by celebrity chef John Tesar, along with local favorites Terra Mediteranean and Whistle Britches. So when we were invited to experience a preview of The District and private Chef’s Tasting of these upscale eateries, I knew we were in for a treat!

When you enter the District plaza, the courtyard is stunning. Landscaped grounds with a water feature, modern architecture, exterior art, outdoor decor with modern accents welcome you to a unique dining experience and a an environment where family, friends, and communities can gather, discover, and share.

The courtyard at the District is bright during the day and lights up at night setting the tone

The evening started with a cocktail reception in the courtyard followed by the first tasting from Mexican Bar Co. Cocina, then Whistle Britches, and finally Knife. The evening culminated with live music and a fireworks finale.

Outfit Details:  asymmetric slip skirt , Booties: Spendid LA, Sweater: Zara

 

 

The Chefs

First tour and plated tasting at Mexican Bar Co. Cocina

Mural art along the perimeter walls of Mexican Bar Co. Cocina

 

Second tour and plated tasting at Whistle and Britches

Third and final tour and plated tasting of Knife

Knife ranks #1 in Texas and #6 nationally for best burger! Photo by Carter Rose Photography

The star of the show for me was the burger at Knife. Simply the best. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Shake Shack, but this burger is just special. There are no bells and whistles. It’s just pure 44 Farms beef, thick, salty, with a pure, clean meaty aftertaste, topped with two slices of American cheese.

All the new restaurant additions are perfect for casual dining with friends for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Reservations are not required so you can pop in after work on the weekends, or before a game. Opening mid-to late October.

A brief description of what you can expect by the amazing chefs from Knife, Mexican Bar Co. Cocina, Whistle Britches and Terra Mediterranean, which will all be opening in phases throughout this month.

Knife – @KnifeSteakhouse

  • Chef John Tesar (@ChefJohnTesar)
  • Knife offers state-of-the-art steaks that guests can either enjoy in the dining room or take home and cook themselves. Knife Burger offers walk-up burgers, shakes and fries. This is the second Knife location.
  • Opening date – mid October

Mexican Bar Co. Cocina – @MexBars

  • Chef Patricio Sandoval
  • Mexican Bar Co Cocina brings authentic Mexican flavors to Plano. The Picnic will offer walk-up tacos and Mexican street foods. This is the first Mexican Bar Co location.
  • Opening date – mid October

Terra Mediterranean – @TerraMediterranean

  • Chefs Adam Shanaa and Jalal Chanaa
  • Terra Mediterranean serves classic and authentic dishes featuring staples of the Mediterranean diet. Terra offers a lunchtime buffet and terrace-level patio seating. This is the third Terra location.
  • Opening date – late October

Whistle Britches – @whistlebritcheschicken

  • Serving the tastiest, juiciest and crunchiest bird in town; the pickle brined bird, farm-fresh ingredients and soulful cooking will leave you wanting more.

 

Thank you Shops At Willow Bend for having us for a preview of your new restaurants and delicious tastings! The District at Willow Bend is just what the North Dallas area desires for a place to gather with family and friends, and a new retail plaza serving the DFW metroplex as a dining destination. I wish all the restaurants all the best in success and I hope to see you all soon for many memorable meals.

Go taste and see for yourself when the restaurants open later this month and let me know what you think!

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

One of the many perks of traveling or moving to a new place, is discovering must-shop stops in the various cities and towns. Highland Park Village is one such find— it also happens to be America’s first outdoor shopping center, and is best known for its luxury shopping, amazing restaurants and beautiful Spanish architecture.  Highland Park Village became the prototype for retail destinations all over the country when it opened in 1931. Originally conceived to be a town center, it’s now a bustling hub for all things fashion and food.

Where to shop… anywhere you can afford, CHANEL, Hermes and Valentino have been long time staples with new designers & boutiques rotating in yearly such as Alice & Olivia, GOOP, FRAME, Dior, Vince, James Perse to name a few. My favorite new store is the hip Veronica Beard.

Where to eat… Austin favorite, Royal Blue Grocery is the spot for specialty food and market provisions and sandwiches. The tiled entry floor is instaworthy for a shoe pic! No trip is complete without a stop at the beautiful and chic Bird Bakery. They make the freshest baked goods daily, while their cafe menu features delicious fresh sandwiches featuring breads baked in house and yummy soups. They also have beautiful cakes if you’re needing something special.  The bakery is not only beautiful, but kid-friendly!  The back of the cafe has several tables, and larger farmhouse table and benches, and little TV stations for kids. For a more refined yet casual dining option, Bistro31 is the quintessential Dallas brunch spot.  The menu specializes in cuisine with French, Italian, and Spanish influences and is surrounded by European decor.  For a more cozy and luxe setting, between the bright outdoor patio and terrace villa, head up to Lounge 31 where you’ll find the most beautiful bar interior featuring a Spanish-style Carrera marble bar and an indoor champagne lounge with plush velvet tufted seating.

 

The Beautiful Bird Bakery

 

Marble and Brass throughout the interior – my two favorite materials in the world

 

Wandering and admiring all the architecture. These tiled stairs are goals!

Blazer: Save here Wild Fable Splurge here: Anine Bing | skirt and Belt Bag Who What Wear | Mules: Nic + Zoe on sale!| Eyewear: Ray Ban

 

LOCAL

Over the weekend, my family and I enjoyed a relaxing morning at HP Village LOCAL. LOCAL is a seasonal neighborhood market featuring a variety of Dallas-Fort Worth’s favorite vendors, farm-sourced produce, games and entertainment the third Saturday of each month.  Can’t wait for the next one where the weather will definitely feel more like fall. I’ll be featuring my favorite cozy fall sweaters in the next HP Village LOCAL post.

 

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

There is nothing I love more than finding fashion that is both chic and budget friendly! If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen some of my favorite pieces I’ve worn on repeat from the latest Who What Wear Fall Collection, available in stores and online at Target. It got me so excited for fall. I was able to style different looks and play around with some key fall trends.

I have been a huge fan of the Who What Wear line since they launched at Target in 2016. Not only does the brand offer fashion forward styles, but everything is under $60! The new fall collection has some major key pieces to help you transition into the cooler months. For me, fall is all about timeless/classic staples that can be paired with fun statement pieces- and the Who What Wear Collection does just that.

For this first look, I was immediately drawn to the leopard print asymmetric slip skirt . I have been loving burnt orange, honey and mustard colors lately and I thought this skirt had a unique animal print. It also had a great cut, fit and length for a midi. I paired the skirt with a simple white cropped tee.  I finished the look with these dad sneakers . I love how the skirt is so versatile allowing you to dress it up with mules or pointed toe booties, or worn casually with sneakers. The slip skirt also comes in a burnt orange color which I styled with a black and white stripe puff sleeve shirt and finished with black mule loafers.

The second look features the puff sleeve top in red styled with wide leg pants on sale! , and finished with a black stack heel sandal for a more dressy-casual look for the office or out to brunch.

 

Another summer to fall transition piece I loved is this puff sleeve midi dress . This dress has a nice lightweight crisp fabric perfect for the warm weather, but can also be layered for the cooler temps when fall hits.  It features a tailored waist for a perfect fit and even has pockets!   

What do you guys think of the new Fall Who What Wear Collection? Comment below!

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

After nearly 2 years of searching, and a few close calls along the way, I finally found the cabin I loved and we were fortunate enough to close on it last month. It’s a cute and cozy A-frame on Harstine Island, nestled in the woods above the Puget Sound and Case Inlet –pinch me!

My heart was really set on a waterfront beach house or cabin.  We spent many months on and off looking at several properties around Puget Sound, before deciding to start searching around Hood Canal and South Puget Sound with beach access, and boy are we glad we did!  I spent some summers in my youth at the Canal so I’m familiar with the area and have gained a better appreciation for it as I got older.  The water body temperature of Hood Canal is considerably warmer than other Puget Sound regions, allowing for comfortable swimming and water activities.  Hood Canal is a 2-hour drive from Seattle which isn’t too bad if you’re looking for a weekend getaway, and access to fresh oysters from the beaches is a bonus – I LOVE oysters.  We stumbled upon Harstine Island by way of our Shelton and Belfair search. I had never heard of this island before and learned that it was connected to Shelton via a bridge.  Shelton is part of Hood Canal, often referred to as the Gateway to the Olympics,  and is commonly known for its Taylor Shellfish Farm empire. Harstine Island itself is more remote and an insanely beautiful, quiet, peaceful area.  While most of the properties in that area weren’t any where near our price range for a second home, this one popped up and we had an agent video tour it for us immediately, loved it and put an offer in that day!

Here are some things we considered:

1.)  Our family isn’t getting any younger.  John would fish 24/7 if he could, and Jonah and Baron would BE fish is they could.  We all love the water and we try to get on it as much as possible.  The Pacific Northwest is our first and original place we call home and we wanted a place to come back to during the kids summer breaks.  We want to invest in our family….and we feel a cabin will create some fun memories for us.

2.)  We view it as an investment.  Not only is real estate property always an asset, we also want to make some updates to the cabin and rent it out a portion of every month and as a summer Airbnb vacation rental.  We have an opportunity with a great platform to reach a large audience who may want to enjoy cabin life and beach living as much as we do….and the fact that we can potentially have a cabin that could pay for itself, WHILE we still can enjoy it? It’s a win-win in our book!  As we look to the future, this could be another great opportunity to generate additional income while not taking away from our family.

3.)  Accessibility.  I love riding the ferries, but I was looking out for the ability to rent it out and the accessibility factor for potential tenants and guests for this home.  Not having to rely on a ferry schedule was one less thing I had to worry about when managing a vacation rental from out-of-state.

As avid users of Airbnb, VRBO/Homeaway ourselves, and working in the OTA industry for many years, I felt I had a good grasp on what it would take to manage and market a property of my own from both the traveller’s perspective and from the accommodations side.

With all of that thinking…a lot of discussing and researching, we purchased the cabin for exactly what we were hoping to get it for.

While the A-frame alone excited us, what sold us was the beach access and private community. The beach! I grew up in Seattle, and even having lived in the NW all my life, I’ve never seen anything quite like this beach and forest combination in a unique island community.  The water and salty air is just as crisp as I remember, and the view of Mt Rainier is remarkable.

Our plan is to Airbnb it (listing here!), then rent it out (you’re invited!) and continue to enjoy it as a family, too. We already spent a wonderful weekend here with the kids and are looking forward to making more memories starting now.  While this post doesn’t include any mood boards, my plan is to produce a cozy cabin vibe. We love the natural wood walls in the main areas and can’t wait to add in more modern, nautical style touches to our forest island getaway. Here’s how it looks on the inside now.

The front door, per se, is actually in the back of the cabin, and upon entering, the wood paneled walls and wood floors and bright room is the first thing you notice.

The cabin came furnished and I packed and travelled with my own decor items, some of which I’ve had in storage and some I acquired and saved knowing that we’d own a vacation cabin one day. The only items I needed to buy were the essentials: linens and towels, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, etc.  Thank goodness for AmazonPrime!  I wonder if the driver was beginning to think I was a crazy lady ordering every day all day with packages arriving every day when we were at the cabin.

Small yet functional kitchen. The a-frame windows really bring in a lot of natural light.

The main floor bedroom also has a door to the bathroom.

 

The bathroom had an older sliding shower door that we removed and replaced with a curved shower rod and a crisp white shower curtain.

 

The fun part is the loft. I wanted to create a fun sleeping space for the boys and with kids in mind decorating with fun modern nautical decor. The colors are classic and fun for any age and gender.

Loft or kids sleeping area

 

The Community

As a bonus, the cabin is in the Hartstene Pointe community, a private gated community with tons of amenities we knew the kids would enjoy as would we.  There is a seasonal outdoor heated pool if the kids ever get tired of the beach (highly doubt it) but nice to have the option, along with a children’s playground and a clubhouse with a library, pool table, ping-pong, foosball and good old-fashioned board games. There is also a boat launch, a marina, picnic areas and gazebos on the beach, sports courts, a lagoon and spit, walking trails, and miles of private beach. The island is home to many wildlife with deer, fox, eagles, and cougars, while the Sound is home to the occasional orca sighting.

Puget Sound Case Inlet on the North Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys loved the pool and playground and we think our guests with kids will love it too!

The photo above is the from NWMLS and is the perfect gathering spot for summer bbqs.

During our first week at the Pointe, our nightly routine consisted of going down to the beach after dinner to play in the sand, hop on the rope swing, play in the fort and watch the sunset.

We even dug for dinner one of the nights – fresh clams off the beach!

This is the entrance as you enter the island. How cute is the oyster shell covered median with a little row boat?  Of course we had to get out of the car for a pic!

A couple of months ago we celebrated our 10th anniversary and throughout the past ten years, I’ve learned that anything feels possible with John by my side. We are so excited to be able to create a place for not only our family to enjoy, but for any of you to eventually come and experience, too.  It’s something I’ve wanted to do for so long and I can’t wait to get started. Now, pass me a hammer!

Thanks for reading and following along this new project as we enter the world of vacation home ownership.  Follow @harstineislandbeachcabin on Instagram!