texas

Lubbock Travel Guide

travel

West Texas will forever be one of my favorite places on earth, especially my beloved Lubbock, Texas. Lubbock is the home of my alma mater, Texas Tech University, and is the backdrop of the three years that brought me lifelong friends, cherished memories, and a fantastic education. I will try not to go on and on about Lubbock and my time there, but it is such a gem of a place that you absolutely need to visit, regardless of if you’re attending a Texas Tech event or not. With that being said, you most likely will be visiting campus at some point if you do go to Lubbock, since it is a college town (it is also the home of Lubbock Christian University and South Plains College in nearby Levelland), so I hope you enjoy its beauty if you do.

Buckle up tight, folks. I hope you’re ready to see some vintage Carly photos and get a glimpse of my favorite things to do in the Hub city:

Visiting Texas Tech Campus (Oh how I love & miss you): If you are curious about becoming or are planning on being a student at Tech, please, PLEASE feel free to message me! I was involved in a lot of student organizations that are near and dear to my heart, including being a recruiter for potential students, so this is a subject I’m very passionate about. You’ll see some of my favorite campus traditions below, but here is a list to learn even more about Texas Tech’s traditions and history.

Sporting Events: We love us some sports in the LBK. If you have the opportunity to attend a game at Jones AT&T Stadium or the United Supermarkets Arena, GO (and then drop me a message about how amazing your first tortilla toss experience is).

Favorite Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Bars & Wineries:

  1. Triple J
  2. Capital Pizza
  3. Pancake House
  4. Orlando’s
  5. Thai Pepper
  6. Caprock Cafe
  7. Funky Door
  8. La Diosa Cellars
  9. Cafe J
  10. Twisted Root
  11. One Guys
  12. J’s Creamery
  1. J&B Coffee (What I wouldn’t give for a Caramel Cowboy right now)
  2. Yellow House
  3. Sugar Browns
  1. Chimy’s
  2. Cricket’s
  3. Blue Light
  4. Library
  5. McPherson Cellars
  6. Llano Estacado
  7. Adelphos Cellars

Things to Do:

First Friday Art Trail

At’l Do Farms Corn Maze

Texas Tech Museum

Buddy Holly Center

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

American Windmill Museum

Ceta Canyon

Places to Shop:

T.C. Elli’s

Chrome

Piper

Malouf’s

West End Center

The Weather: Lubbock is famous for its dust storms and wild weather in general. When somebody tells you to be prepared for the temperature to fluctuating drastically four times in a day, they ain’t lying to you, I promise. You can see some of my own dust storm experiences below, but if you don’t believe me, check out this Washington Post article.

Love and miss you forever, Lubs.

CEW

Fredericksburg Travel Guide

travel

Fredericksburg, Texas, is my favorite weekend getaway location, especially with my favorite ladies. We’ve made the trip twice in the past couple of years, and it just gets better and better every time! Below is a look at the favorite places we have been to so far in this lovely little Hill Country wine town:

Eat:

Das Peach Haus

Twisted Sisters Bake Shop

Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant

Kaffee Haus

Emma + Ollie

Vaudeville

Hondo’s on Main

Fredericksburg Brewing

Pasta Bella Italian Restaurant

Drink:

Hilmy Cellars

Grape Creek Vineyards

Williams Chris Vineyards

Fiesta Winery

Fat Ass Ranch & Winery

Cross Mountain Vineyards

Play & Shop:

Enchanted Rock

Camp Hayden

Circle E Candles on Main

Haberdashery

Zertz

Have you ever been to Fredericksburg? Let me know in the comments below!

Love y’all,

CEW

Dallas Travel Guide

travel

Ah, Dallas, Texas. The yin to Fort Worth’s yang. (Pro Tip: Do not confuse the two with a Texan, especially someone from the DFW area. Familiarize yourself accordingly.) Dallas has always been the Big-Big City in my mind, representing big nights out to a concert, sporting event or shopping for that special something. It is beautiful, never short of anything to do or see and, of course, iconic. The below just scratches the surface, but I have lots of Dallasite friends who can help me fill in the dots with any questions you may have.

Food & Drinks:

Attractions:

Shopping:

Love y’all,

CEW

Fort Worth Travel Guide

travel

Now that we’ve talked Memphis, let’s talk about where my heart will always be, no matter where we go: Fort Worth, Texas. I will forever adore this city, the incredible people in our lives who live there, and the memories we have and will continue to make there. Grady Spencer doesn’t sing “Bless my soul and take me back to Fort Worth” for nothin’. (Hint: Do yourself a favor and look up “Things to Do” by Grady Spencer & The Work, fall in love with them like we have, then follow them on the Gram @gsandthework). Now let’s get to the good stuff:

Food and Drinks:

Tex-Mex:

Breakfast/Brunch:

Coffee:

  • Brewed
  • Avoca

Bars/Breweries:

Special Occasion:

Barbecue:

Asian:

Italian & Mediterranean:

American/Southern:

Desserts:

Attractions:

Shopping:

Are you planning on traveling to FTW soon? Or are you a local and have an awesome new recommendation for me? Let me know in the comments below!

Love y’all,

CEW

Hi! I’m Carly.

About Me

Hey y’all, I’m Carly. I am finally, FINALLY taking the leap and putting out the content that I have talked about posting for years. My passion for all things makeup, beauty, travel, food, clothing, photography, reading, etc., is at the forefront of my mind every day, from the moment I wake up until the moment that I go to bed, and my soul has been craving this creative outlet for far too long. With that being said, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading the ramblings of this curly-headed blonde girl. It means more than you will ever know. And, with that being said, here are 20 little tidbits about me that will let you know what is in store for you if you stay with me on this journey in the future:

  1. My name is Carly Elizabeth Wallace, if you can’t already tell from the name of this blog. My maiden name is Barksdale, which has garnered me a lifelong nickname of Barky (even though my mom is the OG Barky –shoutout to Sarah). But, I do have many other nicknames such as Carls, Carlita, Carly Sue, Princess, Sister, Candy B, Honey Bun (miss you always, PawPaw), Carls Barkley, Carly Davidson, and the list goes on and on. I also used to introduce myself as Carly Barksdale Elizabeth to everyone because of the “First Name, Last Name, Middle Initial” section on paperwork.
  2. I love Jesus. I was saved at 15 and have been constantly surrounded by an incredible group of believers and mentors since the day I was born. 🙂
  3. I currently live in Memphis, Tennessee, with my incredible husband, Tyler. However, #TexasForever.
  4. I graduated from Texas Tech University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Media Strategies. #WreckEmForever
  5. My passion for sloths is unparalleled. Seriously.
  6. My favorite food is french fries. With a close second and third being chicken fajitas and cheesecake.
  7. My ideal Starbucks order is a nitro cold brew with sweet cream.
  8. I am an Enneagram 3 with a 2 wing. My Myer’s Brigg is ESFJ.
  9. I would much rather watch a YouTube video than watch an episode of TV. *Get ready for a list of YouTubers that will knock your socks off, folks.
  10. I keep Chick-fil-A in business. Seriously. Even on keto, which I’m doing now, to my own personal horror. Those grilled nuggets SAVE ME.
  11. I have the coolest parents in the world, Lance and Sarah, and a younger brother, Davis. We are part of an amazing, very large, very connected extended family.
  12. I am an oily skin type with rosacea.
  13. If I could pick one makeup product to bring with me on a deserted island, it would most certainly be a foundation (with SPF, because this girl fries up like a tomato in .2 seconds).
  14. I cheer for the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars and Memphis Grizzlies.
  15. I also love the game of golf thanks to my Dad, who is a fantastic golfer. I can’t play the game to save my life, but I am always down to watch a round.
  16. If I could have lunch with one famous person, dead or alive, I would always pick Jane Austen.
  17. As you can now expect, my favorite book of all time is Pride & Prejudice (quickly followed by Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire).
  18. I am a Ravenclaw.
  19. My favorite movies are Princess Bride, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Mummy, Gone with the Wind, Legally Blonde and the Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice, in that order.
  20. I could enjoy a frozen margarita, gin & tonic or glass of Shiraz any day of the week.

Thank you for hanging out with me friends. Stay tuned for much more to come!

Love y’all,

CEW