Winning, Traveling, Previewing

First things first- congrats to Alison from Rags and Feathers Vintage for being randomly selected to win the 4th of July Dress Giveaway!

I just got back from a little trip down I-5 with my sister and daughter, visiting kinfolk at a few stops along the way. The Central Valley was hot as ever, and we were happy to play in the sprinklers at Grandma & Grandpa Hill's house.

Across the street there is the high school where my grandparents met and fell in love 60 years ago :-)

The Hill House was designed by my great-grandmother Maggie Lorene and built in the 1940s, and has been in our family ever since. My dad is now living there and taking care of his parents, making him the 3rd generation to reside at "the homeplace". And making Mycie the 3rd generation to grow up playing in this yard.

Maggie Lorene loved magnolia trees, and planted one as soon as they moved in. The one in this photo has been there much longer than that though.

Her affinity for these flowers may have unconsciously influenced my dad to refer to me as Magnolia when I was in utero, inspiring a lifelong nickname for me.

On the way home we did something I can't believe we've never done on our hundreds of trips through the heart of California- stopped at the world famous Pea Soup Andersen's. I dug the European folk aesthetic of the decor, and the split pea soup was delicious. I think it's become a new family tradition.

And on a completely unrelated note, here are some super close-ups from a few of the new pieces we'll be photographing on Thursday:

Vivid florals for these long summer days!

Ladies, I am so far behind on my blog reading (and everything else in my life). Please know that I am holding you all in my thoughts and heart, and I look forward to a decent window of time opening up very soon so that I can catch up on all of your spectacular lives :-)