Haunting Magnolia Pearl

The look of it always draws me in.  Magnolia Pearl, a shop just east of Fredericksburg, looks so cool from the highway that I must stop.  Every time.

Appears almost as a haunted house tucked among the oaks with its fanciful styling though it is newly constructed from old wood and vintage building materials.

The well-lit interior with large windows and glass doors quickly dispels the haunted house notion.



Every single thing here is just so cool.  Great accessories on the porch and ideas to take away.



Chicken coop on an old pickup truck.

No chickens today.

The incredible containers and succulent displays are literally mesmerizing.



I could spend a lot of time just taking in all the details.

An iron bed frame dangling by ropes and pulleys is a fascinating take on the day bed.

White painted faux bois graces the porch.

A few unpainted faux bois pieces for good measure.

There's even a tree through the porch roof

It turns out the merchandise is the most haunting part.

Inside you'll find an imaginative line of clothing designed by the owner.  Vintage fabrics and art are her primary inspiration though she draws from many sources.  The current collection is a tribute to Frida Kahlo rendered in surprisingly muted tones.  I didn't take any photos inside but their website shows the interior.  The style is a bit unusual for walking around the Texas Hill Country so most of their customers live elsewhere and they ship all over the world.

It's especially fun to go back through their gallery of past collections like this one from Winter 2016 which was on display when I first visited last fall.

Interesting to peruse but $95 for a tattered Lone Star Beer Tee Shirt?  $400 jackets with moth holes and patches?  Not for my closet but I do appreciate the artistry.

Enjoy haunting Magnolia Pearl as much as I do.

Día de Los Muertos

Día de Los Muertos, a day to remember departed loved ones, is a big celebration in San Antonio with festivities known as Muertosfest held the last weekend in October.  The remembrance actually lasts three days from October 31st through November 2nd.

While downtown recently I passed these great shop windows in the spirit of the holiday.

I even went inside for a bit of shopping.



It's fun to be a tourist in San Antonio.

Click here to see my previous post on Día de Los Muertos celebrations in La Villita.

You can see more photos and a short video about Muertosfest here.

Wildlife Wednesday November 2017

It's November 1st and a Wednesday which means it's time for Wildlife Wednesday.   This wonderful meme provides a look at wildlife in blogger's gardens on the first Wednesday of each month and is hosted by Tina at "My gardener says...."

Here's a look at wildlife visitors in my garden during October.

Monarch butterflies continue to migrate through my garden on their way to wintering in Mexico.  Their journey of over a thousand miles one way is an amazing story.  This year I've been encouraged to see a few more Monarchs in the garden indicating their numbers are increasing.

Gregg's Mistflower continues to be the best butterfly magnet.  Queen Butterflies are all over it.

Queen up close.

A whitetail buck scavenging the compost pile just outside our back gate.

Deer often arrive as soon as I put the clippings out.  A little uneasy to have been caught out in the open.

He's a symmetrical eight-point with antlers all polished and ready for mating season.

Moving for cover nearer the trees.  As hunting season approaches antlered bucks instinctively understand their best camouflage is among tree branches.

Hunting is obviously not allowed within our city limits but he's still not safe since poaching from wooded undeveloped areas nearby is a problem.

For more Wildlife Wednesday photos check out the links in the comment section of "My gardener says".  Each month she finds an amazing array of wildlife to share from her garden.

Happy Halloween!

A few scenes from around town appropriate for the season.

There's usually that one house in a neighborhood where they go all out for holidays.  This display had me going back for another look.

I'm told they do this several times a year for different holidays.  Where do they store all of it?

It's animated, very animated

Fun decorations at the Warrior and Family Support Center where I volunteer in the gardens.

Gorgeous wreaths on the door.

Pretty pumpkins on the fireplace.

Oops!

Uh oh!  Ghosts have busted through the windows.

What a welcome!

I also spotted these fun masks at Target.  Might be hard to wear though.

The past several years I have featured photos of our neighbor's unusual sphinx cat for Halloween.  They are moving and Patches now resides with their daughter so today I'll feature our cat.  She arrived as a feral about two years ago and we began caring for her.  Over time she has become more friendly but is still wild enough to remain an outdoor cat.

Happy Halloween!

More from Fredericksburg Trade Days Flea Market

While we were in Fredericksburg to acquire The Yucca we also enjoyed wandering the Fredericksburg Trade Days flea market and taking in a beautiful fall day.



Texas stuff is popular especially if it's flag themed....

or Texas shaped.



Upcycled style is big here and a great source of ideas.  I had been considering cowhide to recover my dining chairs but these bright serape chair covers have me thinking other possibilities.

Hill Country scenes like this pasture of longhorn cattle visible over the fence are fun.

Another look at Kenny's Del Rio Cactus booth where I found my gorgeous Yucca rostrata.

Lots of raw junk.  Neal found a vintage Harley helmet for $5 and he doesn't even ride anymore.

This vendor was a little pricey compared to my friend Mario at Yeya's in San Antonio.

Looks like they decorated for Halloween.  The spider web and spider are new while everything else was already here.

Windmill blades need a little work but could be pretty cool if you had the space.



Plenty of places to sit and enjoy the weather and a coffee while watching other people shop.

Spineless prickly pear is a good choice with so many people walking by.

A working blacksmith on site with beautiful BBQ tools that would make great gifts.

Trevor (in the cap) is learning the blacksmith trade so he can carry on the tradition.

A live band gets going in the dance hall around lunch time.

Walk up to the bar which serves indoors and outdoors.

On a nice day take your beer outside under the oaks and enjoy the music.



It's not all barbeque and burgers on offer for lunch.  Fresh wood fired pizza, gumbo, red beans and rice are all available.  The whole place smells amazing.

A pause on the way out to snap a photo of my favorite Belted Galloways, the most stylish cows on the prairie.



What did I buy along with the yucca?

A smallish concrete seahorse birdbath pedestal.  I've always thought seahorse birdbaths were cool but when I find them they are usually too large and damaged.

A creamy white clay pot to add to my collection.

And a white clay melon pot stamped "Mexico" which joins one already on display in my front garden.

All in all a great fall day at the flea market.