jillivictorio@gmail.com / March 29, 2019

Spring At The Silos – We Are The Gardeners Book Launch

A couple of weeks ago during Jonah’s spring break, we took a family road trip down to Waco for the annual Spring At The Silos event. This was my very first time attending Spring At The Silos and I knew I couldn’t miss it this year, especially since it featured the release of Joanna Gaines’ new children’s book ‘We Are The Gardeners’. When I first heard of Joanna’s book launch in January, I bought my ticket right away and counted down the days until Spring At The Silos. After all, it was the garden at the Silos that inspired our family garden we started last year.

Spring At The Silos is an annual event in celebration of the arrival of spring, and features a free vendor fair, additional food trucks, and no shortage of florals! Vendors from across the country were featured at this year’s vendor fair. The artisans and craftsmen are handpicked to come share their art, wares, and products, and is the highlight of the event. Everything from jewelry and home decor to dresses and hats and more.

Spring Displays

As always, the visual team at Magnolia does an amazing job with the seasonal displays and their floral displays were some of my favorites I’ve seen. There were spring flowers everywhere with a mix of fresh flowers and paper flowers that surrounded the grounds.

Garden

The garden team is just as amazing in planning and cultivating an inspiring landscape. The tulips and daffodils bloomed in time for the weekend festival setting the scene. Oh how I wish I could afford to have a dedicated garden team in my own garden who carefully and meticulously tend to the garden 24/7. For now, I’m totally content with my little helpers that tend to our veggie and flower beds, and John to do the dirty work! 🙂

The giant teepee in the garden is still one of my favorite features as kids love it was much as grownups do. A beautiful climbing vine wraps around the teepee covered in yellow flowers. I would love to (have John) build a structure like this in our backyard.

SILOS LAWN

Despite the crowds which we were prepared for, the experience during Spring At The Silos is still refreshing and inspiring. To see the gardens come to life is truly one of the highlights. The kids also enjoyed hanging out on the lawn playing games. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawn while people watching and taking it all in.

We Are The Gardeners Book Launch Event

While the kids played in the garden, I ventured off to grab my wristband and signed book before the evening’s launch event. I’m so happy the staff distributed books early for those who could not stay for the actual book launch event in the evening, and there was NO LINE for early book pickups! As we were leaving Spring At The Silos, there was already a huge line beginning to form for the book launch event immediately after. Our kids are early sleepers and early risers, so any event past 7:00pm that includes long lines of waiting, plus a long drive home after would not have been fun. Along with a signed book by Joanna Gaines, we were gifted a cute terra-cotta plant pot and a packet of carrot seeds – perfect to plant in our family garden!

After picking up my signed book, as if the day couldn’t get any better, I ran in to Joanna’s mom, Mrs. Stevens! I introduced myself and asked to take a photo with her. She was so sweet and totally happy to stop and chat for a photo. Mrs. Stevens is known to regularly help out and work at Magnolia Market.

I can’t wait to dive into the book with the kids! I’ll be sharing my review on the book in a future gardening post so stay tuned!

Vendor Fair

On the way out, we stopped and visited with some of the vendors and checked out the additional food trucks. We were on the hunt for The Hyppo for quite some time as Jonah is my ice pop fanatic.

We couldn’t have asked for a more blessed day at our first Spring At The Silos. The weather was perfect to wear spring styles and for enjoying the outdoors. I definitely plan to return next spring and hopefully find some artisan treasures to bring home.

Outfit Details: Knit Duster: Wild Fable Jumpsuit: ANewDay , Sandals Blush (also comes in White), Hat: Brixton

Tips for Your Visit:

Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind for your visit:

Go early: We visited on a Thursday afternoon on the first day of the 4-day event. It was already super crowded for a weekday, but keep in mind, the event is also held during Spring Break.
Avoid Weekends: If you’re not a fan of big crowds and long lines, avoid Saturdays if you can.
Come hungry: Plan to buy from the food trucks and grab a spot at a picnic table or the lawn. Pack snacks and drinks for the kids!
Snap photos: There are so many beautiful photo opps throughout the grounds. Take your time and take it all in.
Parking: The parking lot cost $10 but if you drive around the blocks, you should be able to find several parking spots for free. There is also a free trolly if you have park further from the venue.
Research Vendors In Advance: This will give you a idea of what wares and products the vendors will be selling during Spring At The Silos.

Have you visited Spring At The Silos? I’d love to hear about your favorite vendors!

jillivictorio@gmail.com / March 18, 2019

Neiman Marcus Spring Style Presentation – What’s Your Style Mood?

Outfit Details: Crepe Blazer: Zara sold out (similar here), Floral Pants , Mules

“What’s your style mood?”

The endless winter weather has us dreaming of color and warmer weather, and spring is just around the corner.

Infusing color into your winter wardrobe can lift your style and your mood, elevate seasonal neutrals, and can give a traditional print or floral a modern edge. Look for winter and early spring pieces that can be worn now, and into the warmer months ahead. The stores are blooming with florals this season, from moody and dark to bright and bold. Our old friend, neon, has reappeared, adding nostalgic sass.

On Friday, I attended The Spring Fashion Presentation hosted by Neiman Marcus Fort Worth. The Neiman Marcus team is taking a fresh perspective on the new season, working in terms of mood, rather than trend—style over “rules.” Moods change like the weather, so have fun creating a wardrobe that suits you whatever your daily inclination or inspiration.

The room was filled with many creative women in media and the industry, and all around style enthusiasts. Some whose work I have followed and admired since moving to DFW, and others who I met and whose social media I recently discovered.

Without further delay, here are the five Style Moods presented for SS 2019:

The Hopeless Romantic

Layers of ruffles, sweeping pleats, ribbon bows and floral prints paired with a full range of chromatic values make a strong showing. White is a major player too, from statement shirts with feminine silhouettes to embroidered dresses. Strong but sweet makes a point.

This gorgeous number by Elliatt is perfect for a spring occasion whether it be Easter, a luncheon, tea, or a spring wedding.

Free Spirit

There’s wanderlust, and then there is truly artful travel. Choose a big, printed bag for both form and function, one where you can tuck all the essentials for a trip. The textures, rich color and tone of woven straw like this Rebecca Minkoff Straw Circle Tote and free-flowing fabrics like these Satin Cropped Cargo Pants conjure the relaxed feel of going where the wind takes you.

Colorful Personality

Nothing lightens a mood like a pop of color. Whether you add a colored bag or shoe to your look, or go bolder with a statement piece. Don’t shy away from a bit of neon; it adds a chic dimension to any look. We loved the bright colored Balenciaga minibags worn with everything from denim shorts to playful dresses.

Urban Sophisticate

In the mood for something sleek? Go for low-key neutrals, which are often seen in fall fashion, but reimagined in spring looks. Camel, rust, cream, taupe and black lend sophistication. Leopard on leopard was a hit on the runway. The Veronica Beard Double-Breasted Leopard Print Jacket is an investment piece that can be worn dressed up or dressed down. Here it is shown dressed up with sequins with the Dolce Gabbana High Rise Leopard Pants.

Go-Getter

Get ready to take on the week with modern, layered pieces made for maneuvering around the town. Alice & Olivia’s Floral print bomber or duster paired with biker shorts work well together, whether dressing for work or play. Wear the Rag & Bone White Kitten Heel Booties, which will go with literally anything in your closet, or rock the Gucci platform sneakers for a bite of street style. Add a statement fanny pack or boob bag in a bright white like the fabulous fun of this Rebecca Minkoff Belt Bag.

For a more casual weekend or travel look, finish the look off with a Teva style sandal which I was especially excited to see incorporated into the style moods. I’ve been seeing Tevas all over NYFW posts and this 90s sandal is back and better than ever. For a designer take on the Teva, check out the Prada Grip-Strap Sandal.

So what’s YOUR FAVORITE STYLE MOOD? I would love to hear how you are going to try on style moods this Spring!

jillivictorio@gmail.com / January 7, 2019

Christmas In Colorado

We recently got back from a Colorado Winter Vacation to Breckenridge and it was a great experience to travel to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains for the first time. The kids haven’t seen snow since we moved to Texas from the PNW and snow was one of their wishes for Christmas. We loaded up the truck, kids and snow gear, and we were off on our first long road trip. 13+ hours to be exact. Needless to say, I was beyond excited for snow, a cozy cabin, fires, and winter mountain vibes.

This trip, we headed to the ski town of Breckenridge, located at the base of the Tenmile Range, with an elevation of about 9,600 ft above sea level. Breckenridge is an authentic mountain town with tons of charm and attractions on Main St. which we were lucky enough to experience during Christmas.

Airbnb Cabin

We arrived to our Airbnb, and our cabin was just as charming and lovely as the pictures shown in the listing. The Swiss Chalet style a-frame cabin tucked high above the mountains has a spectacular view of Peak 8. The cabin was cozy, warm, inviting and decorated in vintage ski decor.

It was so nice to have a warm and cozy cabin with all the amenities to come back to after a day on the slopes. We enjoyed cooking some of our meals in the cabin’s fully stocked kitchen, and the kids enjoyed baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve night in anticipation of Santa’s arrival on Christmas morning.

View of Peak 8 from the deck

Breckenridge Nordic Center

On Christmas morning we went on a family snowshoe hike at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. The trails offer magnificent scenery of the Ten Mile Range and Breckenridge Ski Resort surrounded by beautiful spruce forests and spectacular views. The Nordic Chalet at the trailhead area houses equipment rentals, retail, snacks, drinks, and a wood burning fireplace that is the perfect spot to warm up with a beverage after your snowshoe adventure.

John and I have loved snowshoeing since our first snowshoe adventure date in the Olympic National Park in 2006 and we’ve tried to continue snowshoe hikes every year as our schedules would allow. We wanted to share this snowshoeing experience with our family too and found it to be a great Christmas Day activity to enjoy the great outdoors and exercise.

Children’s igloo at the start of the trails

At the end of our hike, ready for a hot drink!

Peak views from Breckenridge Overlook

Outfit Details: Beanie: Rossignol, Jacket: SAM, Base layer and Pants: TopShop Sno, Boots: Danner from 2016

Get The Look: Ski Weekend Style Inspo

Breckenridge Ski Resort

The gondola ride was a highlight for the kids. You can ride up to Peaks 7 and 8 to dine at the restaurants and take in the mountain and town views. Unfortunately Baron got altitude sickness halfway up on the Gondola after the photo above was taken. Mom tip: carry barf bags and extra wipes!

Ski School

Jonah had his first snowboard lesson here at Breckenridge Ski School. The staff were incredibly helpful, so friendly and passionate about what they do, and it shows! The check-in process for ski school was smooth and well-organized. There are two places you can choose to have lessons – The Village and Peak 8. We chose Peak 8 since the location was convenient for us and we knew we would be dining on Peak 8 later in the day.

Jonah, happy and tired after a full day of learning and riding!

With this being our first time to Breckenridge, we had no idea just how huge and majestic this ski resort was. Breckenridge has 5 peaks, 187 trails, 2,908 acres and the highest lift-served terrain in North America – WOW!

The mountain stats are so impressive that they even have a new trail map created by trail map artist James Niehues.

Photo courtesy of Breckenridge Ski Resort

Dinner at Robbie’s Tavern

After a long day on the slopes or in the cold, there’s nothing better than hot comfort food. Robbie’s Tavern is conveniently located slope side on Peak 8 just a few minutes walk from Jonah’s snowboard lessons. The restaurant has a cool outdoor patio with heatlamps and fire pits for apres ski and drinks. It started to snow so we opted to sit inside and after a full day or riding, Jonah did not want to be outdoors any longer.

I ordered the lamb gyro and it was perfect.

John got the chili cheese fries

I wish I would have gotten the hot chocolate! They look like this:

Photo by Robbie’s Tavern

Description: Robbie’s Peppermint Patty is a delicious beverage mixed with Peppermint Schnapps and a rich hot chocolate mix. It’s topped with a mountain of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy.

Main Street

Downtown Breckenridge’s Main Street is the quintessential mountain town filled with charming boutiques, shops and restaurants, with all the Christmas feels, like a scene from a Hallmark movie 😉

Main Street at night is like no other. Every single Victorian building home and business is beautifully lit in Christmas lights. This one was my favorite you can spot from miles away.

A family trip wouldn’t be complete if someone didn’t get sick.

Travel Tips: (for Colorado first-timers combatting altitude sickness)

If you’re from a low-land region like us in Texas, you’ll need time to adjust to the altitude. We didn’t take the time to adjust and just went straight to 10,000+ ft above sea level and half of our family got altitude sickness during our trip. Don’t do it.
Pack and drink a ton of water. More water than you normally drink at home.
Eat lots of carbs. This helps with preventing altitude sickness and improves overall wellness. This is the one time when you can eat carbs to your hearts desire and it is highly encouraged! Lots of carbs like kettle chips, bread, bagels, fries.
Pack mini oxygen tanks.

Leaving Breck

Overall, despite the temporary altitude sickness, we enjoyed our winter vacation with our family and our kids had the most fun and made some amazing memories on our first visit to Colorado during Christmas. We would love to come back to this beautiful state and experience more ski towns and see the many other family-friendly ski resorts. What are your favorite family-friendly ski resorts you recommend in Colorado?

jillivictorio@gmail.com / March 1, 2016

Who What Wear for Target Collection Review

With being back at work for a month now after taking what seemed to be the fastest 4 months off for maternity leave ever, I am sharing a later review of the Who What Wear for Target collection.

With visions of chic pencil skirts, striped tees, blouses, and cape blazers in my mind, I knew these were key pieces I wanted to add to my work wardrobe, and a perfect excuse to go “back to work” shopping. After a Sunday full of errands, baby, home, and family/friend activities, my last stop for the night was a trip to Target to shop the new Who What Wear collection and try on my favorite pieces.

My local store had a good selection of most pieces, including the trench vest, striped tees, the cape blazer and printed scarves.

A peek at the displays:

The collection features chic staples inspired by street style with an on-trend twist. Lots of bold colors, black and white, and stripes made up the first assortment. Floral and polka dot patterns are easy to mix and match, making the collection effortless to style many different ways.

In the dressing room:

My favorite picks on my wish list weeks before the launch were the cape blazer, boyfriend jeans, and the trench vest which all came home with me. I also had the blush blazer at the top of my wish list but that got snatched up online within minutes.

I was pleased with the fit of the cape blazer with a longer hem in the back, padded shoulders, and had a nice drape. It looks great with denim for a casual look, or with trousers for a more polished look for work.

The trench vest is a fun trendy piece that I contemplated on, but I decided that it would be a great layering piece with many options: worn with denim and a tee, or over a dress, etc.

The boyfriend jeans were a no brainer and on my must-have as I practically live in them and are a staple in my closet. This particular cut for the collection is a slimmer boyfriend fit with a higher waist than most baggier low rise bf versions. The slimmer fit and high waist gives it a more polished look when worn with heels and a blouse.

Here’s a peek at how I styled the cape blazer with my work outfit on my first day back on the job: with cropped trousers, a teal front tie blouse, black wedges, and a grey 3.1 Phillip Lim tote.

I’m excited for a new Who What Wear assortment that will be released each month as I am constantly looking for classic and stylish pieces to add to my work wardrobe and that can transition to casual occasions. Which items were on your wish list?

jillivictorio@gmail.com / February 23, 2016

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show: Seattle

This year, I finally attended Seattle’s Northwest Flower and Garden Show. It ran February 17th-21st where I attended one day and learned a lot to take back home and implement in my own yard and garden spaces. It was also my first festival event with my 4-month-old baby in tow. I figured the gardening crowd wouldn’t be too wild and crazy for a baby 🙂

Baby Baron's first gardening seminar :)

As with most festival-type events, I like to be prepared and research my topics of interest before a show so I don’t wander aimlessly among the crowds. I was really excited to attend a couple of seminars and view the show gardens for some landscaping inspiration. We are currently in the middle of a small backyard landscaping project at home, so the timing of attending the NW Flower and Garden show was perfect. My plan was to attend Ciscoe Morris’s seminar, get some landscaping ideas incorporating hardscapes, small columnar privacy and flowering trees, and finding some special plants to bring home.

Ciscoe Morris’ seminar titled, ‘Be A Garden Thief: Steal Ideas From Other Gardens’ was informative, engaging, practical, and most importantly, attainable. Some takeaways and trends I learned from his 45 minutes that I will use for my own gardening goals:

Start small, near an entryway, add scents. There’s nothing more welcoming that coming home to a lovely scent outside your front door.
Planting fruit trees in espaliered forms – trained to grow flat, such as against a fence or wall. I went out and purchased a Honeycrisp Apple espalier tree at Squak Mt. Nursery the very next day!
Add camellias to attract hummingbirds
It is more common more than ever to create and grow your own vegetable garden. Even a small 8×16 vegetable garden can work, and can be made by using a variety of materials such as paver stones and faux stone walls, or raised beds.
Hummingbirds love tomato cages.

After Ciscoe’s seminar, I went back to the skybridge to admire the patio landscaping displays which really wowed in all the natural light. I wish the entire flower and garden show were displayed in natural light. The show gardens in the convention area felt a bit strange to navigate and view in the dark with the staged lighting.

Back to the skybridge, I loved the form and function of this landscaping to create an intimate and zen-like patio.

skybridge patio

Another favorite skybridge display by Third Spring. I’m obsessed with the turquoise hanging planters from Pot Inc. Love everything about this little patio set up: the use of a pergola, the hanging string lights, the planters in various forms and sizes, and the added textiles to soften up the space.

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My favorite indoor garden display was ‘From Sea To Shining Sea – Coupeville, WA.

The garden was inspired by the charming coastal town of Coupville on Whidbey Island created by Fancy Plants Gardens, designed by James Sprague CPH.

The take-home idea for my own garden: Enticing paver walkway, new sod, and hardy low maintenance plantings. How fun would it be to host a bocce ball bash in the backyard? unnamed-1

Lastly, you can’t leave a flower and garden show without picking up some sort of planting for your yard/garden. I passed by a Dutch vendor in the marketplace selling “Japanese Wonderflowers.” The vendor pitched me and sold me at 50 flowers to one bulb that last from May – September. One bulb costs $5.00, or $20 for 5 bulbs. Not bad for the hope of 250 bulbs come spring. More to come on these said “Japanese Wonderflowers”.