28 Apr Texture Tuesday – Living in a Texas Hill Country Moment

 With so much going on in the world right now, writing a blog post today was challenging. It just seemed kind of superfluous.  So I’d like to dedicate today’s #TextureTuesday to the calm and peace we need to continually call upon within ourselves, this inner peace that helps us all to keep moving forward in difficult and challenging times.

Whether it’s parenting our teenagers, or waiting to hear about loved ones in Nepal, it is clear that these are tough times for many families in Nepal, Baltimore, and other places. For very different reasons….but nonetheless, we are all in this world together, and together we must find peace and be able to help ourselves and others in times of great need.

So please reach out and help someone in Nepal. Please reach out and talk to someone about race.  Please reach out to your children, spouse, family and friends. Find that inner calm within yourself to be gentle with our souls, so that comfort, help and dialogue is attainable for everyone.

Last weekend, before all this national news erupted, my husband and I had the luxury of taking time for ourselves for the first time in 6 years without our kids (I know, way overdue, right?). We celebrated our 30th anniversary at a beautiful spot in the Texas Hill Country, Travaasa. I won’t go into the long story of how I heard about Travaasa, but I had the pleasure of meeting the General Manager, Mark Stebbings, a few months ago at the grand opening of Delysia Chocolate Culinary Center, right down the street.

Travaasa calls themselves an “experiential” resort & spa. (You can read about the definition of the word and the company’s background HERE.)  And, even though we did not participate in any of the the wonderful organized activities (we almost made it to the Equestrian Encounter, which I’ve heard is amazing!), I would have to agree with the “experiential” part.

 Because Travaasa truly is a “Zen-like preserve for the soul”. 

My husband and I felt it the minute we arrived. We have never been to a resort, and this was not like any that we ever imagined.

There was a peacefulness and calm about it all that we felt immediately and it continued that way throughout our stay….not just with our surroundings, but with ourselves, with the people we interacted with, and with each other as a couple. 

The staff were the friendliest I’ve ever experienced. Not just one of them, but ALL of them! We only stayed one night, but it felt like two full days because the best feature of all is that you are allowed to come enjoy the activities the day you arrive and the day you depart.  So we did just that!

 We took a hike and had lunch before the 3:00 check-in time. And on the day we left, we lingered by the pool because it was a gorgeous blue sky day and we felt so relaxed that it just felt right to be there. So for us, we couldn’t have picked a better time or more perfect spot to check in with our souls! I hope my images and brief experience at Travaasa inspires you like it did me.

Up next on the blog is the “Art of Pysanka”, so stay tuned Thursday (or next Tuesday) to learn this old tradition. Till then, hug your loved ones and get outside to be in nature…as it teaches us so much about ourselves and the world around us! XO PG

I’ve no pics of our hike, but this is the large dining room and patio where they serve farm-to-table fresh and delicious meals.

 

Above is my first attempt to create an image from three images. Thank you FB friends for your suggestions! Pic Monkey was super easy. Let me know what you think of my results. I loved the lighting in the dining room.  The decor at this resort was very simple, connected to nature. I took photos (a little too big for this collage) of three of the lighting sconces that were simple leaves.

Here’s a fresh salad above that is picked right from their own garden and farm, that is one of the activities that you can participate in.

Here’s David and I with our waitress Robin who gave us 3 desserts “because they’re so tiny!”  Very fun and friendly staff and wonderful meals!

 Another one of my new collages above.  They’re getting better, don’t you think??  These were more unique lighting fixtures in the dining hall and a table arrangement.

Texture was everywhere at Travaasa, from the natural surroundings of the Texas Hill Country to the tile, floral arrangements, ceilings, rafters, and beautiful lighting. 

I blame my new obsession with lighting on friend Laura Van Zeyl, who is the Goddess of Lighting as the editor and publisher of two great home publications, Home Fashion Forecast and Residential Lighting.

 This is part of the entrance. I love how almost every photo I took was a perfect setting, framed by mesquite trees or agave plants. Off in the distance there is Lake Travis, which was sad to see how low it was due to lack of rain.

 There were tons of these tree roots on our short 1.3 mile hike.  I LOVE dead wood and was so inspired how a florist transformed one of these roots into a year-round blossoming oasis of plant life.  I totally want to create one of these for my shady back yard!

This natural habitat greeted us to the entrance of the pool and the spa. 

 

 

Another one of my collages showing you the different plants in this root that’s been transformed into a multiple plant holder. I was told that this was made for their grand opening by Floral Renaissance of Austin. A new florist to me, but one I’m definitely going to check out.

What a perfect entrance to a spa, right?  I think this book needs to be on my 2015 reading list.  I can say with absolute total honesty, that I was in the present moment my entire stay at Travaasa and it was a wonderful, liberating feeling!

One of the simple, but beautiful vignettes entering the spa.

This is the gift shop at the entrance to the spa and outdoor pool.

 

 It was kind of funny to see this book about luxury.  While I know staying at a resort IS a luxury, being at Travaasa felt like the most natural thing to do, most natural place to be.  It is so much a part of its surrounding hill country that it really reminded me of the days we used to camp when our kids were younger.

Travaasa wasn’t over-the-top luxury, snooty, or rustic. It was just P-E-R-F-E-C-T!!  And I can’t quite find the words to describe it.  It was a place I want to go back to, but not because it was a luxury resort. I want to go back because I felt so comfortable there, so welcomed, and surrounded by nature.

 Aha!  Below is some more natural lighting. Having been to design trade shows, I know I have seen these wonderful pendants made of corrugated cardboard.  I can’t remember the brand, but I love them!l

 I kept the original images in the post so you could see them in a collage and individually.  There’s a little more power to them I think when they stand alone. But I also like the collage, which is a new feature for my blog that I am trying out for the first time in this post. You’ll have to let me know what you think please.

 

 

 Okay, now I’ve got you at the real entrance to the spa and all its services.  I love this entry way because it is designed like a Roman or Greek bath, or at least what i’ve seen in pictures. The texture of the galvanized metal and the sound of the water flowing out of simple copper pipes. I just really liked the way this entrance was designed. It had an immediate calming effect!

 

 Below is the walkway to the houses that hold the guest rooms.  They are two stories and each have a balcony. You can choose to be IN the trees or above the trees. We selected the 3rd floor and as you can see from the views, it was a serenely simple and beautiful Texas Hill Country landscape.

 

Above, I tried to put 3 images of the landscape together to form a full mural. There’s a little repetition, but I almost got it.

It was interesting that the buildings and landscape of Travaasa reminded me how the Texas deer blend in with the color of their surroundings. The only POP of color I saw at first was this wonderful enlarged photograph/painting of an Indian Paintbrush wildflower in the guest room.

But, I’ll tell you, on our 2nd day, blue skies were everywhere for miles! The color of the sky and the pool and flowers just magically appeared so brilliantly against the natural hill country landscape. It was so inspiring!

I like the shadows in this image below and the texture of the spiky cactus plant against the round shape of the lime on a delicious, non-alcoholic frozen drink.

 

This was my first time ever being at one of those negative edge pools.  I loved it!  The blue water against the backdrop of the bright blue sky was captivating and so incredibly inspiring to see all that color.

And look below how the water made these cool geometric shapes and almost a textured, torn-edge look as the water cascaded over the edge. Love this image!

This is the parting shot…blue water against blue sky. Beautiful natural color! Hope you enjoyed the photos and my first attempts at making photo collages.  Please be sure to check out all the accommodations and activities at Travaasa. I highly recommend the experience of Travaasa, just 45-60 minutes from downtown Austin. I know we’ll be back for sure!

NOTE: This is not a sponsored post.  I was not compensated in any way. I just really enjoyed Travaasa and wanted to share my experience with you. All comments and images are my own.