COTE DE TEXAS: Houston, the Bloggers Have Landed

Houston, the Bloggers Have Landed


Cote de Texas, In(side) the Loop, Carolina Eclectic, and La Dolce Vita

Today, the elder statesman (actually, me, a.k.a. the older hag) of the Association of Design Bloggers of Houston had lunch with three of its younger members. OY! Talk about low self esteem! I mean, have you ever had the sun blaring down on all your wrinkles while trying to be young, fresh and casual while eating with three 20-something year olds? It's not easy, let me tell you. Never, ever would a 53 year old woman choose to sit so close to a bright window - we fossils prefer to eat where the sun don't shine! I wanted a paper bag to put over my head! Seriously. Oh well, I digress.

Actually, it was great fun meeting up with Courtney of In(side) the Loop and Paloma of La dolce vita and Carolina of Carolina Eclectic - all three are adorable, sweet, and so young! Did I mention how good their skin looked? The really sad truth here is I'm probably older than their mothers but thankfully, no one mentioned that. Alright, here's the lowdown on the Houston bloggers: Courtney is the talker. Very friendly and very vivacious. She had to be because the other three of us are pretty quiet by nature. Courtney's spirit is infectious, an absolute doll! Paloma is the beauty of the group. She's a high school Spanish teacher, but she should just resign and take up modeling - beautiful blue eyes, absolutely gorgeous! Oh God! Give me that paper bag, please! Carolina admitted to us outright that she's very shy. A mother to a toddler boy, she's a very sweet girl who hails from Amarillo. An interior designer, she had the nerve to tell me she doesn't like CHINTZ! Well, I've never! Oh, and she's a minimalist too, whatever that is. :)

Girls - we need to do it again, especially before someone moves to the other side of the globe (can't say which one, her neighbors read her blog). But I'm picking the restaurant next time, a nice, dark one without windows, OK?


Courtney, Paloma and Carolina

23 comments :

  1. Joni, I had such a wonderful time! I told my husband all about it over dinner tonight. I'm with you- we should definitely do it again sometime soon. You are too kind, and by the way, you are beautiful, too. So refined and regal.

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  2. How lucky that you could meet up with some bloggers. Looks like you had fun.

    - Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

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  3. I'd like to first state that you are NOT older than my mother. She's 63 just so you know! And girl, if you were worried about being so close to the window, you should have had my seat. My forehead had constant sweat pouring from it I was so hot!

    You nailed everyone to a T. But you forgot to include yourself, so allow me:

    Joni is the proud individual in the group. She knows what makes her laugh, what makes her angry, and she has no problem saying so. I love this about her...and she should cherish it. That kind of confidence comes with age...something us "twenty somethings" can't even pretend to compete with her on! I love how she wears her true colors proudly and that made me want to know her so much more.

    We definitely should do it again soon. SO MUCH FUN!

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  4. I am very jealous, Sounds like it was alot of fun ladies :) So nice to see the faces behind the words!

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  5. First of all, I am actually 32yrs, and my mother is in her 60's. So actually you are a youngster. I had so much fun and would like to add that Joni paid for everyone's lunch!
    Thanks Joni.
    P.S. I again say I DON'T LIKE CHINTZ:)

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  6. Joni, I have never seen a bad photo of you. Were you a model years ago?, because you know how to pose and you are extremely photogenic. You have wisdom and class. Wrinkiles-Shminkles. We don't see any!

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  7. Honey... you can totally hold your own with the young'uns!

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  8. What fun...wish I was there lunching with you all. Joni I have seen you close up and I don't know what you are talking about...your skin is gorgeous!!

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  9. i'm sulking. would you guys please come to l.a.??
    and don't be like patricia, all, "oh! i FORGOT she lived in l.a." (i'm so kidding patricia. sort of.)

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  10. Joni, come to Atlanta and wrangle all of us together. Looks like a fun lunch.

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  11. How fun!! :) Thanks for sharing. I consider Paloma a dear friend even though we haven't met in person- we've "known" each other for what must be almost 4 years now I think. I'm jealous you got to meet her in person!

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  12. Joni: You are FUNNIER than a SCREEN DOOR on a SUBMARINE!

    you are NOT a hag! Is she girls? You are too funny! Typical self-effacing Texan!

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  13. Pic's are great, i love putting a face to a name...also great idea to met up with design bloggers in my area...i'll try it soon... Fay

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  14. Joni, You are a kick and I am still waiting for you to organize a blogger trip to New Orleans, you are so fun and GORGEOUS,a wonderful friend and QUEEN OF THE BLOGGING SCENE!
    Julie

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  15. oh Joni,
    Quit your kvetching! Yes, youth has its beauty like roses waiting to bloom -but nothing beats the beauty of a rose (or a life) in FULL BLOOM --so go on and keep blooming!

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  16. Joni, you are too much! If we al could only look so young at 53! (Are you sure that's not a typo and you really meant 35?!) What a fun get together! I only just found La Dolce Vita and look forward to seeing the other blogs soon! Great group. ;)

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  17. Joni, As another has said, you are the queen of blogging!! Your new friends are precious, as are you.

    Isn't it part of the fun that age doesn't matter when we all have so many mutual interests, or not, and can learn from each other!

    Thank you so much for the comment on Mexican pottery. I just realized it was there today!! I have been so discouraged trying to find the time to really do my blog justice, and have just recovered from a stomach bug - ugh!- so reading your comment brightened my day. Maybe I will try to load those other photos that I lost the first time around.

    Thanks again for stopping by!

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  18. I'll join Carolina in saying "I don't like chintz." :)

    Courtney, I love your knitted vest!

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  19. What a wonderful gathering of design and decor wizards! Joni -- you look gorgeous -- silly gal! I'd give anything to look as good as you! Thanks for sharing your photos and stories!

    Jan at Rosemary Cottage

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  20. Joni, You are so v. gorgeous!Such fun!!!

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  21. I am always so jealous you girls get to meet up!! Looks like a blast though :)

    ~Kate

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  22. Here in Australia, the design trend is extremely minimalist. It's all super-clean lines, polished timber floors, lowline leather sofas and very lowline credenza's with the widescreen attached to the wall behind. No fabric at all! No lamps. You should see the kitchens, no visible sink, hardly visible stoves, no overhead cupboards at all, absolutely no glazed doors on anything. Just floor to ceiling polyurethane with a stainless steel handle and ALWAYS the stone benchtops. Hide the fridge, hide the microwave, they could not be less inviting. Still, they lap it up over here.

    Even the houses themselves are being designed in a futuristic minimalist way, big 'boxes' protruding from the ground - garages underneath and huge expanses of glass on top, hardly any interior walls to speak of.

    So, being a 'maximilist' myself, I LOVE looking at the American decorating blogs, especially yours. They're almost the opposite of what we see in our home magazines here in Australia. The patterned fabrics, the soft furnishings, the lamps, I love it! Drapes? - I've hardly seen a curtain in an interior design magazine for years, it's all roman blinds or semi-opaque sunscreens on invisible tracking. Or white plantation shutters - but they're everyone's favourite.

    I love Veranda magazine, it isn't very widely available here, but I always eat it up whenever I see it in the newsagent. The scale of the pieces in some of the homes (not to mention the scale of the homes themselves)amazes me, although sometimes I do feel an overdose of toile has been had at the end of my reading.

    Anyhow, I'm mostly here to say I love your blog. Love it.

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