Travel – Page 2 – that blonde rebel

Feeling’ Fly at FlowerVault

May 8, 2018May 7, 2018by thatblonderebelLeave a Comment

Hey and Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Last month, I ventured back to San Antonio and got to check out FlowerVault, the walkable floral rooms of one’s dreams. Here are a few photos from our time spent there!

For anyone interested in going, a few tips: Buy your tickets in advance, don’t go super early on a Saturday (it was PACKED!), and go with the flow. There’s a lot of people in there at once and everyone wants a good, Insta-worthy shot so be flexible, be kind, and smile at others who are out there flexin’ their photo skills.

Shop: Dress (regular here, curvy here), Earrings (here), Shoes (here)

Be sure to stop back on Thursday, where I’m sharing my favorite look from our time spent at FlowerVault and here’s a hint, this look is straight up BLOOMing 😉

Xoxo, Liza

Fashion, Travel

California Dreamin’

April 24, 2018April 21, 2018by thatblonderebel1 Comment

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Last weekend, I flew my happy self over to sunny San Diego to visit my beautiful Gram and celebrate her 85 years of living! We stayed at the GORGEOUS Rancho Bernardo Inn and it was absolutely dreamy! I took the photo below while sitting by one of their three pools, and as you can see, there was not a cloud in the sky! Wow, I could have gotten used to the California way of living!

I tried to pack light-ish and bring things that I know wouldn’t wrinkle easily. I brought two midi-length dresses that were simple, floral (my favorite), and under $40! I got so many compliments on these dresses that I had to share with y’all here!

OTS Midi-length Dress #1

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Shop: Dress (here), Earrings (here), Shoes (here), Sunnies (here), Bag (here)

OTS Midi-length Dress #2

Shop: Dress (here), Shoes (here), Bag (here), Sunnies (here)

And here are a few family photos from the weekend!

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading!

Love, Liza

Fashion, Travel

Mardi Party Recap

February 19, 2018February 14, 2018by thatblonderebel2 Comments

Y’all. It’s taken me a straight up week to recover from the whirlwind that is Mardi Gras.

I have been going to Mardi Gras ever since I was at Ole Miss, but this year was a little different as I joined the Krewe of Nyx and RODE in Mardi Gras.

Here I am in all my blue-haired glory!

The weather was absolutely awful due to freezing rain (hence the clear poncho over my costume). At one point I even used koozies as gloves. Even with all the weather issues, I still had a good time with my gal pals, Alex and Jordan. We laughed through our pain and said we’d never make it on Survivor (dramatic, we know). It also helped when we got to see members of our families (Frickspicks snapped this pic for me) on the parade route! This was a once in a lifetime experience and how cool will this story (and pics) be for the grandkids one day?

The rest of our short trip was spent in recovery mode. We stayed at Hotel Indigo on St. Charles and were really close to everything, including the Red Dog Diner and Sucre, the cutest sweet shop. On Friday, we went down to the French Quarter and grabbed some lunch at Palace Cafe and walked down to the H&M, where I found the cutest dress!

Shop this look: Top (here), Sunnies (here), Earrings (here), Bracelets (here and here), Bag (here)

One of the things I love the most about NOLA is the architecture. From the shotgun houses to French Provincial, it all feels very Old World. The city is alive and going all day, every day, and each time I visit, I feel like I get more and more excited to come back again.

We were also in New Orleans a few weeks ago for a Mardi Gras Ball, and stayed in the French Quarter. This go-round we stayed in the Garden District. These houses are off of St. Charles around Prytania and Harmony. How amaze are these homes?

From the food, to the sights, to all the action, I absolutely love this city and can’t wait to plan my next trip back.

To all the adventures to come – Liza

Fashion, Food

How Merlot Can You Go?

November 28, 2017November 20, 2017by thatblonderebelLeave a Comment

Happy Tuesday and thank you for stopping by ThatBlondeRebel!

My sweet Mama (fellow blogger @frickspicks) recently turned 60 and we decided to make a family trip of it! My parents, older sister, and I made the scenic hour drive from San Antonio to the Texas Hill Country. Unfortunately, my rockstar nurse brother couldn’t make it, but I think we drank enough wine for him, too.

We ventured to Fredericksburg, Texas, also known as the Tuscany of Texas, or simply put, the Texas Wine Country.

Typically, I keep these posts short and sweet and strictly, fashion. However, I loved our trip and think you should all do as we Frick’s did, and indulge yourselves in some vino.

Scroll through to shop my cuddly, chenille sweater (LESS THAN $50), read our itinerary, and see some photos of the memories we made.

First of all, how cute are my parents?! We had a great dinner followed by drinks and dancing at one of the local watering holes (scroll down for more on that).

Shop my look: Sweater (here), Sunnies (here), Earrings (here), Ring (here), Bracelets (here and here), Bag (here), Leggings (here) — wine not included 😉

Our Saturday was filled with touring wineries and making friends over cheese and uncorking bottles.

Weekend Information

Lodging – Where to stay was obviously a tough decision. Do we want to be close to Main St. or more rustic and out of town? We chose to be close to the happenings of town and stayed at Ella Bell’s Haus. This house is a 1935 Craftsmen that has been completely renovated with brand new amenities. The house sleeps six, includes an outdoor firepit, and is immaculate. It is charming and cozy and the owners, Ron and Kim, really thought of everything when it comes to a vacation property.
Dining – We brought along some necessary breakfast foods (bananas, chocolate croissants, coffee cake) and some snacks (custom cookies and chips and salsa), but we knew we were going to venture out for dinner both nights. We went to Crossroads which has a great outdoor dining space and is connected to a large bar. We had a great meal: jumbo shrimp, scallops, asparagus, kale, mashed potatoes, steak, and a country fried steak. Add some wine and beer to the mix, and we almost had to be rolled out of there. Easily enough, we hopped in to the bar and danced off our rich dinner. Everyone in the place was so friendly and the ENTIRE bar sang happy birthday to my mom and cheered as the band sang their custom birthday anthem and shouted “HIP HIP HOORAY” (which is a family thing so it was so special and unplanned that they did that). The next night we went to August E’s and actually sat next to the sweetest couple who we wine toured with earlier in the day who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. This place is awesome. There is tons of artwork adorning the walls, it has almost an industrial gallery vibe. The food was AMAZING; my sister ordered sushi, my dad a pork chop, and my mom and I had steak. Our waitress, Brenda, was the absolute best and brought out a creme brûlée with Happy Birthday in chocolate sauce. I had mentioned in my reservation that it was my mom’s birthday and wow, they delivered. Every employee who came into contact with my mom told her happy birthday. The customer service was fantastic.
Wine Touring – So I have been to Fredericksburg before, and went on George’s 290 Wine Tour. George is fantastic tour guide and I knew we had to book with him for our special weekend. He picks you up in an excursion limo and there, you meet the other patrons of the tour. 10 people easily fit into the excursion. George gives you a run-down of where he is taking you. He had previously asked me which wineries I visited the last time so he could tailor the tour to some new venues. There are SIXTY wineries in Fredericksburg, so the options are aplenty. Lunch is included in the price and I had a great ham sandwich on a tasty croissant from Fredericksburg’s famous Peach Tree Restaurant. George is an expert on the wineries and I knew we were in good hands with him all day. I HIGHLY recommend getting in touch with George for your trip!

Overall, it was a great weekend filled with A LOT of laughs and A LOT of wine. I can’t wait to head back to the hill country again!

Also, this post has made me thirsty, and I know I’ll be breaking open one of my new bottles of wine after work!

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, y’all.

Xoxo, Liza

Fashion

Liza in Wonderland

August 14, 2017August 13, 2017by thatblonderebelLeave a Comment

Happy Monday, y’all!

On my recent trip to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, photographer Caroline Behrens and I came across these giant Adirondack chairs.

I was immediately drawn to their bright colors and felt a little bit like Alice in Wonderland.

Scroll through for a gingham look with pom pom accents! This dress is available in both regular and curvy for only $38!

pearl + botanical (50 of 94) pearl + botanical (49 of 94) pearl + botanical (53 of 94) pearl + botanical (48 of 94) pearl + botanical (52 of 94)

Shop the look: Dress (regs here, curvy here), Earrings (here), Sunnies (here), Shoes (here), Bracelets (here, here, here, and here)

Hope you made your Monday as bearable as possible!

Xoxo, L Mae

Fashion

The Floral Duster Dreams Are Made Of

August 10, 2017August 8, 2017by thatblonderebelLeave a Comment

Happy Thursday, you beautiful people!

Living in Texas doesn’t always require layering (especially when you are in San Antonio or Houston). I was in an off the shoulder top and barefoot on Christmas Day last year (hello global warming)! So I keep it pretty easy and flowy when it comes to light layering.

Like this floral duster. Throw it over a v neck tee or tank and you just elevated the look!

Also, if you haven’t noticed, I love to mix high and low pieces I like to save my money for the investment staples of my wardrobe (i.e. good denim and high-end bags), so it doesn’t hurt that my gemini necklace is on sale for less than $24 and my flat zip double strap flats are $17.50! All is linked for you below!

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Shop my look: Sunnies (here), Earrings (here), Necklace (gemini, taurus, scorpio, sagittarius, aries, libra, leo, pisces, aquarius, cancer, virgo, capricorn), Kimono (similar here, here, and here), Top (similar here and here, and curvy here and here), Jeans (here), Shoes (here), Bracelets (here, here, and here)

One more day until the weekend, y’all! Can we make it?!

Xoxo, Liza

Fashion, Food, Travel

Sweet Home Chicago

July 31, 2017August 26, 2017by thatblonderebel5 Comments

Planning a trip to the Windy City anytime soon? I’ve got you covered!

I moved to Texas in third grade, but this southern gal knows her way around a big Midwestern city!

Keep reading for a guide to the good grub Chicago has to offer! (p.s. I’ve linked my outfit for you – this top is only $13 and comes in 4 colors. Plus, my colorful earrings are under $40!)

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Shine Restaurant 756 W Webster Ave This Asian cuisine and sushi bar is top notch. Specialties: potstickers and cashew chicken! DELISH! They also deliver, so if you’re needing a night of r&r, this is your best bet!

Southport Grocer 3552 N Southport Ave This place is a great spot for new takes on great breakfast classics. I’m talking biscuits and gravy, but throw in some brisket! What about a bread pudding pancake? YUMZIES!! They also have a beermosa that is pretty solid.

Erie Cafe 536 W Erie St This was probably the best meal of the trip. I’d been here before, but decided to try something different, and I was not disappointed. We started with shrimp cocktail, I had a few glasses of Whispering Angel (SERIOUSLY SO GOOD), and for the main course? Homemade cheese ravioli with a vodka cream sauce. I died and went to pasta heaven! We ended the meal with some fresh key lime pie. Amazing meal, amazing service. I could not recommend this place more!

Portillo’s 100 W Ontario St Casual spot, but a classic. Best Italian beef sandwich IN THE CITY! I like to get mine on a croissant! The fries are great, too! My family even orders Portillo’s to Texas so we don’t miss out throughout the year.

Butcher’s Tap 3553 N Southport Ave I have been here several times, but I spotted something on the menu I hadn’t seen before. A chorizo burger. Did your mouth water? Chorizo and beef patty, a layer of refried beans, a kick of pepper jack cheese, topped off with a few tortilla strips. Insert all the heart eyes and burger emojis.

Now I’m hungry again. Oops.

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Shop this look: Top (here), Earrings (here), Sunnies (here), Bag (similar here), Bracelets (here, here, here, and here), Necklace (here), Jeans (here), Shoes (here)

Happy Monday, friends!

Xoxo, Liza

Fashion, Travel

A Cooler Summer Day

July 28, 2017July 26, 2017by thatblonderebelLeave a Comment

On Monday in Chicago, it was so cool outside, that we turned off the AC and opened the windows! There was plenty of shade in the sunshine and the wind was blowing! I’m talking breezy 70’s y’all! And yes, compared to the blankets of humidity in Houston, it was an absolute dream!

I thought it was the perfect day to debut one of my fave purchases from the #nsale! This ruffle layered lightweight sweatshirt will be great headed into Fall. The whole look is linked for you below!

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