food truck fanatic?

if you recall this post, you know how excited i was that truckin’ tuesday was yesterday, and i was sure not going to miss it this month!  my roommate katlyn and i actually walked over there right when it started at 6pm and were able to beat the crowds.

we scoped everything out first, and then ordered from different trucks.  i had a grilled shrimp salad from rockn’ rick’s that was oh-so-tasty, and katlyn had some korean tacos from ssahm bbq.  we washed it down with some cold beer, and then stopped at the rockstar bakeshop truck for dessert.  they have the best variety of flavors of whoopie pies that i’ve ever seen!  katlyn got a classic, “sweet emotion” – red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting, and chocolate ganache – but i wanted to try something a little out-of-the-box, which seemed to be their specialty!  i ended up with a “summer in the city” – blueberry cake, basil mint buttercream, and lemon curd.  everything in that whoopie pie, from the flavors to the name, was absolute perfection to me.  katlyn loved hers as well, and we both agreed that we might just become food truck regulars.  it’s so nice to eat outside, and in our case, have a chance to walk and talk on our way to and from where they park.  all the trucks seem to have awesome menus that make them unique – i found so many things at pretty much every truck that i wanted to try, and many of them had really interesting flavor combinations that intrigued me.  i’ll definitely have to hit up that little caravan again soon!  quite a brilliant idea, those food trucks are!

lately…

left to right, top to bottom:

1. loving my new home-city

2. just a few hours of painting…

3. h-e-b butter tortillas + nutella = the best snack EVER

4. made me miss all our crazy college jenga nights

5. & 6. the office cookout and bring-your-dog-to-work day!

7. just a little italian restaurant that i know and love ;)

8. yay for messy braided buns! picture tutorial here

9. dallas’s new margaret hunt hill bridge

Happy Fathers’ Day!

this man.

is a picture of honesty, integrity, faith, and love.

he is hard-working.

he has a huge heart.

and he has been the most amazing role-model for me throughout my life.

i’m so blessed to call him my father.

i love you so much, dad, and i can’t tell you how thankful i am for always being there for me and for everything you have done to make my world so happy.

happy fathers’ day to all the other wonderful dads out there as well.  you are loved.

xoxo

recipe for the perfect summer outfit

…with a little help from pinterest.

{sincerely, jules}

{hello fashion}

{seams for a desire}

{nette nestea}

{fashion kills}

{mogi-mogi}

{seams for a desire}

{the library}

1.  mix and match:

bold southwestern-style patterns

short [but not tight] shorts

printed scarves

boho anything

2.  pair with large sunglasses and some fun jewelry

3.  carry a neutral-colored handbag

4.  throw on your favorite pair of summery shoes -

sandals, wedges, or flats will do.

5.  to complete the look,

dust face with bronzer and stick to nude makeup

and keep hair hassle-free -

maybe a bun, a braid, or some natural waves.

{cape cod collegiate}

see?

wasn’t that simple?

xo.

back to college.

this weekend, i went back to college.

i left on friday after work, made the 3-hour drive to college station, home of my beloved texas a&m university, listening to some pretty sweet tunes [the head and the heart, seryn, summer heart, and matthew perryman jones, to name a few].

my dear friend thomas let me stay at his apartment, which was pretty much my second home during college, so it brought back lots of memories.

i got there around 9, so we had a chance to catch up on each other’s lives before getting ready to go out.

then it was the usual – pre-party, which was at a friend’s apartment, who also lives at the lofts [the complex that thomas lives at],

northgate [specifically mad hatters, our favorite bar and the place that pretty much defines our college weekend evenings],

after-party, at another friend’s apartment,

and finally, chilling at thomas’s, making something delicious to eat using whatever we could find in the fridge+pantry, and talking and laughing until 5 in the morning.

then, it’s waking up at noon, recalling all the funny events of the night before, getting ready for the pool.

some of our friends live at an apartment complex called campus village, and we all went to their pool for a few hours [they have a lazy river], and then headed back to the lofts pool, where we stayed until the 7 o’clock shade took over the courtyard area.

naptime until 8:30,

picked up dinner from rosie pho’s, one of our favorite asian restaurants in cs,

more naptime until 11, when our friend lauren [who is also thomas's next-door neighbor] came in and got us up so we could get ready for northgate.

{left to right, top to bottom:  1. view from the top of the lofts garage.  2. campus village lazy river.  3. guacapotle burger and sweet potato fries.  4. thomas, lauren, and me at mad hatters.  5. my friend carla and me at ng.  6. northgate.  7. thomas and i at the lofts pool.}

even though i only graduated a month ago, i was so nostalgic being back there this weekend.  the feeling of being college is just different – it’s carefree, with the feeling of independence but no huge responsibilities.  what a routine – waking up late, going to the pool, napping in the early evening, going to northgate, staying up late, and then doing it all again the next day!  it’s funny when i think about it, but it was so comfortable, so easy.  when did we have time for studying?! ;)

one of my favorite moments was after northgate on saturday night [it was actually in the wee hours of sunday morning!], we went up to the top of the lofts garage, where there’s a beautiful view of college station.  as i looked out over the twinkling lights and the dark horizon, i kept thinking how special and unique this town and the people in it are.  there is no other place like it in the world, and i feel lucky to have had the opportunity to live there and be a part of such a great community.  it will always hold a special place in my heart.

thank you to thomas and everyone else who made this weekend so fun! xoxo

my new instagram world

exciting news…

i now own an iPhone, which means that i finally finally have instagram!

(i know.  welcome to the modern world, jessica.)

needless to say, i’m absolutely thrilled.

here’s a tiny little peek at my new instagram world:

{weekend lunch on the porch with my mom.  caprese salad and sun tea is perfect for summer.}

{berry tiramisu from maggiano’s.  so good.}

more to come!