The Green, (And I Do Mean) Green Grass Of Home

Cat Daddy and I did some running around this past weekend. We went to Carolyn Westbrook Home Summer Store and then made the drive up to McKinney to see Patina Green's new shoppe. Let me just say...if there is a recession...someone forgot to tell their shoppers. Both locations were slammed and we didn't get to visit a lot.

Kaci and Luann have done a fabulous job of creating a special place to shop. It has such an organic feel to it right down to Robert's fares. The smells...unbelievable! Coming around the corner to the entrance, my stomach started growling...and I had just ate brunch! Sure wish I had waited...his dishes looked spectacular. The bread and cheese was just 2die4 gorgeous. All the produce is locally grown and brought by daily. Talk about fresh....the only way to get it fresher is go pick it yourself!

The store itself is such a reflection of the girls and their vision. I loved all the natural fibers, the juxtaposition of rust against elegant and the "less is more" feel of it all. They have created a totally unique look...one that is serene, but comfortable with a wonderful, muted color palette and just a smidge of European decadence.

'Course I have to mention that going to McKinney is going home for me. (Now bear with me here..I promise a caboose to this train of thought!) I was born and raised there. My mother grew up there and she and Daddy made it their home. McKinney was my playground as a girl.

Once we hit the Louisiana exit and turn off the freeway, I'm immediately transported back in time. Drives Cat Daddy bug crazy 'cause I start waxing poetic. I know every nook and cranny of the area east of the highway. The west side was just starting to develop when I left for Dallas. Leaving the new, slick, modern McKinney in the rear view mirror is a joy as the memories starting flooding my mind's eye! The stories I could tell and the people I could tell them on...but I won't lest y'all become as bored as C.D. when I talk about home.

McKinney is a postcard in time travel. Thanks to some clever folks who came in the early '70s and bought the older homes for restoration, it remains as it was. When businesses started closing down due to easy access to Dallas by that stinking highway, again clever folks stepped in to the rescue. The fabulous old buildings weren't razed, but reinvented for what is now a shopping mecca.

So many of y'all already know about this little jewel of a city, but for those who don't...make plans now to take a trip up there. Heck...just driving around the silk stocking area is worth the visit...BUT...while you're there, be sure and stop in to see Patina Green. You can thank me later!
Oh...be sure and wait to eat at Patina Green's....you'll really thank me later for that little reminder.