Happy Place Friday- Part 4

Happy Place Friday is back...just on Saturday this week! I apologize for the delay but it has been a busy week and I did not have my normal computer that stores all of my pictures. The places featured this week are two of my absolute favorites so I hope you enjoy reading about them...
The first is the Beehive Restaurant in Albany, TX. This was the original, but a few years ago they opened one in Abilene and though the food is as good or better there, the atmosphere is still the best in Albany. You feel like you are in an old saloon and house. It is romantic with very soft lighting and white table clothes with fresh flowers and oil candles. I have been going to the Beehive since I was a little girl and it was always a very special treat. It has been a long time favorite place for me. When we were dating, Sutton took me to the Beehive on our first Valentine's Day together and we have celebrated several birthdays and other special occasions there throughout the years.
I love the old salad bar and the huge block of cheese that you get to cut off of with an old cleaver. Thursday night is shrimp night and it is always packed. This is definitely the best night to go, but they also serve great steaks, kabobs, and burgers. They have great hand cut greasy french fries and amazing fresh bread. Sutton's favorite is the lamb they do once or twice a month on a Saturday night. My review probably does not mean much but if you check out their website you can read the many other reviews they have received over the years including a spot on Texas Monthly's list of top Texas steakhouses.

Hickory Street Cafe in Abilene is my very favorite place for lunch. I love this place so much! The food is great- perfect girly lunch food and the service is quick and friendly. I can eat at Hickory Street almost faster than I can drive through a fast food restaurant. I love to go here to meet friends or just to be by myself for an hour and catch up on work and review my numbers. They are famous for their chicken salad and zucchini bread, but my favorite is their soup. Monday they serve wisconsin cheese soup (my most favorite), Tuesday is broccoli parmesan soup (I hate broccoli, but I can eat two bowls of this- they make sure to dip it so I don't get any chunks...), Wednesday is potato soup, and Thursday is tomato basil. I don't know Friday's soup because I try to make it a point not to be in Abilene on Friday.

Their quiche is also amazing! Upstairs they have a small gift shop. The owner, Barbara, is a great lady and I enjoy seeing her each time I drop by. I dream of having a place like this one day, and I definitely would model my place after Hickory Street... They are only open Monday thru Friday from 10-2, so go see them if you are in Abilene during the week.

Happy Place Friday- Part 3

I absolutely love plants and flowers and I love to stop at little roadside stands whenever I can. Unfortunately, as much as I love these things, I was born with a black thumb. I can remember names of plants and random details and love to learn and ask questions at the nurseries, but none of that has transformed my black thumb into a green thumb...yet I still continue on my quest and today my happy places are my two favorite plant and produce stands that I have found over the years.
The first is Hardwick Nursery in Rising Star. They also have locations in Cross Plains and Eastland, but I love the Rising Star location because that is where Jana, one of the owners, works, and because that is where all of the greenhouses are located so they have the best selection. Jana has been very sweet and patient with me over the years, and she has actually helped me to figure out what plants and flowers work best for me. I love that you get to pull a little wagon around to hold all of the beautiful things you find. They also have great produce, pots, salsas, and candy. I always have the best luck with their pentas in the summer and their pansies and snapdragons in the fall and winter. This is also where I got my upright Mexican petunia that has just about taken over my flowerbeds and that comes back each year without fail.

Sliger's Produce in Brownwood is my other favorite place for plants and produce. They are also my favorite place for pumpkins and gourds in the fall. They have an amazing selection and their prices are good. I like that they get their pumpkins early, so I am usually able to have my porch decorated in late September before pumpkins even start showing up in the grocery store.

Hope you enjoyed today's happy places...We are spending the weekend in Horseshoe Bay with Sutton's dad, so that should be a lot of fun. I am a little behind on posting, but hope to get caught up next week. Have a great weekend and stay cool in the heat!

Happy Place Friday- Part 2

We are headed east this week starting in Hico, Texas at the Wiseman House. I always joke that I gained 5 pounds when they added Hico to my territory, but there might be some truth to it...It is a long drive out there and I have gotten into the habit of rewarding myself at the end of the day with a quick stop and some amazing chocolate. They are known for their "Wild Woman" truffle, but my favorite is the the "Snookie" which is decadent with a cup of coffee. One of my doctors here in San Angelo told me about it initially and I fell in love with the place the first time I stopped there. My territory has changed a little, so I don't go as often as I used to which is probably a good thing for my waistline. Next time you are in Hico, stop by. The girls are very friendly and there are always samples. While you are in Hico you should check out all of the cute shops downtown and definitely have some pie at the Koffee Kup which is across the street from the Wiseman House. If you are in need of medical care while you are there, go see Dr. Dayton who is absolutely one of the nicest people I have ever met. He has been in practice over 50 years and he is still going strong! Hico is a really neat little town with the nicest people and a lot of history...It is a throwback in time but is still very modern which you will see while shopping.

The other place I love to stop when I am out east is Doc's Soda Shop at the Dr. Pepper Plant in Dublin. They make good sandwiches and their cherry limes are the best I have had in a long time. Probably the best thing there is their special Dr. Pepper made with pure cane sugar...The other Dr. Peppers just don't compare. I always try to pick up a six pack to bring back because everyone I have shared it with loves it and I love to have it on hand for company as a special treat. The people are very friendly and the soda shop is always cool on a hot summer day. I hope one day I will have enough time to stay a while for the tour of the bottling plant.

I am thinking that today's happy places would make for a very fun, quick, affordable roadtrip this summer if you just wanted to get away for a few days. You could visit Dublin and Hico and stay at the Hampton Inn in Stephenville (my favorite). Have dinner at Hard Eight Bar B Que or Montana's and just spend a couple of days exploring this really neat area. A couple of other fun things to do might be to visit Veldhuizen Farm, a place that is supposed to have great cheese, pick your own fruit at Worthington Orchards in Proctor, and have a wine tour and tasting at Brennan Vineyards in Comanche. Unfortunately, I have not been able to visit these places because I am always working when I am out that way, but if you do visit them, let me know what you think. Have a good Friday and enjoy the weekend! We are throwing a big fiesta wedding shower this weekend so I will not be blogging but should be back next week with pictures.

Happy Place Friday- Part 1

I am starting on the western side of my territory in Big Spring, Texas. Bean's World is a great place for a really good lunch. It is neat because it is an old boxcar in downtown Big Spring. The last time I was there I had the Pilgrim, a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce on toasted marble rye bread. They have a special sweet mint iced tea that is awesome! The neatest thing about this place is that some of the profits benefit the missions of a local church and they only have one paid employee. The other employees are volunteers that receive tips only. I love to go here when I have a little time between calls and I just need to catch up on paperwork or just catch my breath.

Another happy place when I am out west is Scrapping the Moments in Snyder, Texas. I love this place so much that I had to change my work schedule to fit their schedule. I used to travel west on Mondays, but since Scrapping the Moments is only open Thursday through Saturday, I now go on Thursday or Friday...I spend my lunch break with Annette and the girls and they have become dear friends. She always has new stuff and fun projects and when I leave I am inspired to want to create. My visits always bring me back to the reason I starting scrapping in the first place. STM is the last of my favorite scrap stores open in my territory. I hope and pray they remain a source of inspiration for the scrappers of west Texas. Go see them next time you are in Snyder...They are right on the east side of the square- You can't miss the huge sign!

My final happy place for today is a place I have blogged about before. It is a grove of trees in the middle of nowhere between Snyder and Colorado City. Some special person takes the time each season to decorate the trees and post a motivational sign. This little spot always makes my day and I always look forward to the words of wisdom that I am going to find there. It reminds that it really is the small things in life that make a difference.

Hope you enjoyed a few of my "happy places" that I have found over the years as I have traveled the roads of central west Texas. I will be back next Friday with more.