7 Reasons I Smiled Over The Weekend

Happy Monday! One of my goals for 2022 is to finally do something with the 20K+ pictures and videos I’ve taken of my travels, my finds, and my kid. Yes, I really do have 20,000 pictures and videos saved on my Flickr, awaiting their forever homes. Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t take much for a fun passion project to turn into a full-blown anxiety attack. So, instead of worrying about how to properly account for the last 3 years, I thought I’d start small by sharing the past weekend.

My Oat Milk Matcha Latte At Mudleaf Coffee

I finally found the place for warm matcha lattes in my area! Junbi Matcha is still my jam for a cold pick-me-up, but Mudleaf Coffee is my new go-to for hot oat milk matcha lattes and a light breakfast. Not too sweet. Not too earthy. My daughter loves the sammies with apricot jam.

An Early Morning Stroll at UT Dallas

There’s something about a college campus that gets me every time. Maybe it’s the architecture or the manicured lawns, or perhaps I’m drawn to any place where dreamers dream. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public research university and one of the largest public universities in the Dallas area. We grabbed a parking space in the garage for $2 and walked until the sun started to get violent. We enjoyed waving at the construction crew and peeking in closed doors.

The University of Texas at Dallas was initially founded in 1961 as a Texas Instruments private research arm.

Side-Eyes & Confusion at Dallas Contemporary

I gave my body a break from the sun’s abuse with a quick visit to Dallas Contemporary, a non-profit art museum in Dallas’ Design District. The publications on display were impressive, and the education programs sound pretty nice. I liked the layout and feel of the space and could see myself coming back, again and again, to browse the exhibitions, wine in hand, pretending to understand what was in front of me. Most of the stuff I saw was straight head-scratch confusion, but hey, art will always be art, even if Candace doesn’t get it. Like, Renata, excuse me, what?

Catch them while you can:

• Joseph Havel: parrot architecture
• Lonnie Holley: coming from the earth
• Borna Sammak: america, nice place
• Natalie Wadlington: places that grow
• Renata Morales: inane and mundane evolutionary tales of fear, love, and horror

Little Lady’s First Swim

I can do a lot of things. Swimming isn’t one of those things. One of my many hopes for my daughter is that she becomes a strong swimmer and loves being in the water. Oceans, even. This weekend was her first experience in a pool, and I’m so glad she enjoyed every minute at her GiGi’s. Well, maybe not every minute. I could tell she wanted to be freed from her baby boat to swim laps. The form. The maneuvers. Maybe next week, kid.

A Black & White Aesthetic

I moved into my place three months ago, and I’m happy to see things slowly come together. I added a matching floral dish drying mat and oven mitt from pOpshelf, a journal, wall art, and a new pair of sunglasses from Macy’s Backstage to my “black and white and read all over” apartment aesthetic.

Reclaimed Threads at Grace Bridge

A Target mom introduced me to the beautiful world of Grace Bridge, an organization that provides food, clothing, and emotional support to folks who need it in my community. After a short exchange about the thrifted jean jacket I was wearing, she told me about the Grace Bridge resale store. It just so happened I visited on a great sale day. I walked away with five new pieces of clothing for $10 total. Sweet.

Seven Years of Holding Space

I’ve maintained this space for the last seven years and four months. I don’t consider that a small thing for a girl who is notorious for dropping everything to move across state lines, and changing her hair more often than some people change their underwear. Yes, the domain might have changed a handful of times, and no, I didn’t show up in all the ways I wanted. But, I started a thing and 2,675 days later that thing is still a thing. Of that, I’m very proud.

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CandaceAlikéSmith.com is a wellness and wanderlust journal penned by writer Candace Smith. Read her diary entries, and follow her content on essential oils, product reviews, local libations, and wellness travel. Read her mom’s mental health contributions and get your mind right.

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