When working as a photo editor for Southern Living, I often had to reach out to lodges, restaurants, and hotels across the South. I'd ask them for images to publish in the magazine, drooling over each one they sent in and making a mental bucket list for myself. There were so many places to explore in the South and all within driving distance of my home in Alabama! One of the states I had explored the least and had the most possibilities was Texas. I was talking to a friend and mentioned my strange obsession with Texas and my desire to include a travel section on my blog. She encouraged me to be intentional about this specific dream and to reach out to places I wanted to go. The worst thing they could say was no! They talked about their own personal calling to live more intentionally and encouraged me to do the same with my blog. Her husband then handed me a book called Intentional Living. I actually never finished the book (oops), but the first few chapters gave me enough fuel to kick my dream into high gear. I was a madwoman, googling all things Texan and reaching out to different lodges about possible collaborations. I stumbled across a Conde Nast article about a lodge outside of Austin called the Vintage Round Top. I fell in love immediately and sent a message to them on Instagram about my collaboration idea. I was expecting yet another "No," so when the owner of the lodge asked to hop on a call and discuss a plan...I was a little shocked! Turns out the owner, Paige, is a little bit of a dreamer herself. She has a heart for collaboration and her little lodge has quickly become a landing spot for creatives across the country. Oddly enough, the motto for her brand at the RVT is "Live with Intention," something I discovered after already making plans with her to visit the lodge. It's funny how that the act of intentional living is what led me to her - and what led her to create the Vintage Round Top.
Our stay was nothing but magical. The first day was spent working on a lifestyle shoot with Paige and her crew, Travis from Manready Mercantile, and blogger Hilary Fornefeld. We worked tirelessly all afternoon and ended the shoot at dusk, sipping wine and whiskey as the sun set behind the lodge. The next couple of days were spent quietly enjoying our time in the Boho Cottage and exploring the charming town of Round Top, Texas. Round Top is best known for Antiques Week in the spring and fall but we loved experiencing the town in its off-season. There are plenty of charming restaurants located downtown and amazing little chapels sprinkled across the landscape. The doors to the chapels are always open, welcoming reverent visitors.
I can't say enough good things about this beautiful space Paige and her husband Smoot have created and the town they chose to create it in. There is a sense of peace in that space that doesn't exist just anywhere. The ability to create and connect happens rapidly, almost instantaneously. On our second day there, guests arrived at the neighboring cottage. When they first arrived, they were strangers. But at the end of the day, we were laughing together on the back porch much like old friends.
Where We Stayed: The Boho Cottage at the Vintage Round Top
Where We Ate: Royer's Round Top Cafe, The Magnolia Table (2 hour drive)
Places We Explored: World's Smallest Catholic Church, Henkel Square, Curate by Stash, Recycling the Past
People We Met: Hilary Fornefeld, Amy Roberts, Travis Weaver, Paige Hull, Katelyn Truitt, Morgan Sellers