Week in Review: April 24th (with a little love thrown to Texas)

As a former NYC resident, there are a lot of things that make me nostalgic for life in the city. I fondly remember leaving my apartment in the morning, strolling around the corner, and grabbing a cup of coffee and the New York Times. I loved taking the subway to wherever I needed to go and not having to worry about sitting in traffic or where I was going to park my car. And let's not even talk about the plethora of shopping...there aren't adequate words to communicate my nostalgia for that.

But there are just as many things I love about living in Texas. Summer days are sweltering, and there might not be a decent bagel available anywhere within state lines, but the culture can't be beat. Only in Texas do you see old men remove their hats and openly weep when the National Anthem plays at a ball game. Only in Texas can you wear cowboy boots and overalls in public, and not have people think you're dressed for a costume party. Only in Texas do you mark the arrival of spring with a photo session in a bluebonnet field. Only in Texas can you engage in deathly debates over whether the plural of "y'all" is "all y'all" or "y'alls." And only in Texas can you indulge in Frito Pie, and picked jalapenos in breakfast burritos, and beef ribs. Yes, I know you can purchase these meals around the country, but they taste best here. Trust.

Much like New Yorkers, Texans are a distinctive breed. They are a proud, hardy folk, the type who fly the American flag year-round and wave to their neighbors when they fetch the mail. They're direct, and have no qualms about telling you exactly how they feel. And once they befriend you, they're friends for life.

Yesterday I was invited by Tina of T Minus, T Plus to her family ranch out in Bowie. Bowie is a rural community dominated by taxidermy shops and outposts selling tractors and hitches to haul your prize-winning cutting horses. Shopping is limited to the local Wal-Mart. Tina's parents own over 200 acres of land and raise longhorn cattle, goats, chickens and horses.  I spent most of my time oooh-ing and aaah-ing and taking picture of livestock and basically acting like a tourist.

While I'm scraping the mud off my boots, here's what went down on Dress With Courage this week:

• I addresses a NY Times article exploring the motivation behind tattoos;
• Confessed my avoidance of changing rooms;
• Gave some advice for dealing with negative blog comments;
• Continued my Thrifting 101 series with a post regarding storing vintage and thrifted clothing and accessories;
• Answered questions regarding inspiration for Fashion Beauty Friend Friday; and
• Announced the winner of my Vintage Martini gift certificate (congrats to Juanette of Fashion Nette-work!)

I'd also like to take a moment and welcome all my new followers.

Thank you for your continued support and thoughtful comments. Y'all are like totally awesomesauce and I hope you stick around.

If you're visiting my blog for the first time, consider becoming a follower through Google Friend Connect, tweeting with me on Twitter, or becoming a Facebook fan. It would be like a massive virtual ((((group hug)))).