Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A Gathering of Women

My destination was Dallas, Texas, and all I can say is WOW.

I felt like I was on the Better Homes and Gardens tour.

I ooh-ed and ah-ed from the moment I entered the door.

Let's just say the accommodations were...

nothing less than delightful...

and my suite (yes, I said suite) was sweet, indeed!

Of course, I had the run of this very cool kitchen

and spent some quality time relaxing in sheer opulence.

Though I didn't blog while I was there

(as you may or may not have noticed)

the set-up was awesome! I did print out my boarding pass. ;)

And so was the yard...

(Oops, here's the other edge of that pool.)

I did love sitting out here, but the skeeters voted no...

so I spent my free time touring the house

(including this cool little wine room).
Disclaimer for the LDS crowd: The hostess is Mormon; her husband is not!

And, oh, what a neat little room it was...

with walls to die for (effect created by a burlap bag).

How about this killer bathroom...

with studs in the walls 'n all, y'all?
(Well, heck, it IS Texas, right?)

By the way, Texas likes to build 'em big.

Real big.

Also known as gi-normous.

Huge-antic.

And on the lake.

This palatial mansion burned down a couple of weeks ago.

Kinda sad. They're not rebuilding.

Oh, and lest I forget, here is dapper Domino, my nemesis...
who growled and nipped my heels every time I moved.
(Apparently he saw me as a rival for his parents' affections.
Or maybe he simply realized I wanted his doggie bites.)
sorry, Domino

(Part 2: The Conference will be posted tomorrow.)

Here's a little preview of coming attractions...
Me, my cousin (hostess), and her daughter after my talk.

=)

PS. I have never been so warm and damp in my life. Humidity plus 90-degree weather don't mix! But, oh, did I have a good time with those ladies!

19 comments:

Nancy said...

Wow, Sue... great photos, except for the one of yours truly. Loved having you here!

Braden Bell said...

Wow! That house is truly gorgeous. What excellent taste!

Em said...

wow. those houses are amazing!!!! was it your cousin's house then??

Susan Anderson said...

Yep, I stayed at my cousin's house...with the devil dog. ;)

Unknown said...

I heard they build em big in Texas...all I can think of is how many toilets I'd have to scrub. ;)
Amazing.

LeAnn said...

Hi Sue:
I loved the photos. My husband and I almost moved to Texas 5 years ago. At that time the home prices were very good in comparison with the ones in Utah. The home was very beautiful. I will be looking forward to your blog on the conference. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings for you! LeAnn

karen said...

What a beautiful home! Nothing like living in the lap of luxury, glrlfriend! It all sounds like a wonderful success: great talk, great time with some wonderful Sisters, and some good cousin time as well. (Little biting dog was just a minor nuisance) Again, wish I could have heard the real deal, but I'll be content with the printout. Thanks for sharing!

Caroline said...

Amazing house!!! What a place to stay. Definitely the lap of luxury!
I was born in a small town in TX but we moved away when I was very small so I don't remember anything about it. But you are certainly right that they like to build them BIG. Wow.Amazing!
Looks like you had a great time! Thanks so much for sharing pictures from what looks like a lovely, lovely trip.
:)

Grandma Honey said...

I love your picture stories the best...and this one makes me feel I was in that gorgeous home!

Karen Mortensen said...

Love the house. What a great place you were able to stay at.

jen said...

Wow. That is suffering is style.

Myrna Foster said...

Your cousin's house is beautiful. I wouldn't want my cousins posting pictures of my house on their blogs.

Susan Anderson said...

Don't worry, Myrna. She was cool with it or I wouldn't have posted them.

=)

Snarky Belle said...

Beautiful!! I love Dallas, lived there for 4 years. So glad you enjoyed your warm and damp time. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever live somewhere that isn't hot and damp! :)

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS! My sister lived in Dallas for several years and I loved visiting her.

VK said...

Beautiful. We here in California, where housing costs are crazy high, forget how the other half live.

Amy said...

Well heck, if all the houses in TX are like that, I want to move to TX! And that is something I never thought I would say. Beautiful!

Jess said...

You're right everything's big in Texas- especially the hair in the 80's (I vividly remember). your accommodations were beautiful!and the da Vinci at the top is one of my favorites ever.

Darlene said...

I told you that her house was incredible. The thing that really fascinated me was all the storage she has. In her attic there is amazing cabinitry, all the storage enclosed and with shelves. It went on and on as it was under the eaves and that house has many square feet. I would love that as I seem to accumulate more stuff the older I get, although I must say I am trying very hard to eliminate a lot of it and have done very well to date. I am glad that you got to go and that your stone didn't act up.