It was quite the palaver to get there.

I flew out of Birmingham on Sunday night and unexpectedly arrived at 11:45 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m.! We had a diversion due to a blocked runway, so the trip started off a little rocky. But after having some sweet time with a close friend the next morning, I set off to spend the next 48 hours with a college friend.

We began at Company Café and it fit Abi’s gluten-, dairy- and soy-free needs! We brunched then set off for a day of adventuring.

AURA Nail Bar was such a treat! It was bright, spacious and beautifully designed, and the best part was we kinda had the place to ourselves! Their prices were comparable to Birmingham (if not cheaper!) and we had a fantastic experience chatting, choosing bright colours and relaxing on the comfy chairs.

We stayed the night at the CANVAS hotel on the south side of the city, but it was perfect because the rooftop pool overlooked the not-so-far-off skyline. We met a lovely couple who took our picture, chilled by the pool and chatted in the comfy bed!

All my dusty pink dreams came true!! The district of Bishop Arts captured my heart and when we stumbled upon Paradiso, I was hooked. With plants, black and white tile, fantastic wallpapers, plush velvet pink and dark green seating, it was the perfect lunch spot for two friends out on the town! I had the green bean risotto and it was phenomenal.

If you knew me in high school, you’d get it. I was, nerdily, a MASSIVE King Julien fan from Madagascar 2 😂 He is so funny, and I imitated his accent for years. I mean, literal YEARS. My friends got on board and, somehow, I convinced them to wear matching shirts to school one day. Oh my. ANYWAY, in the bathroom of Paradiso, I found him!!

I’ll admit … this picture is a lot to take in. While exploring the strip of stores in Bishop Arts after lunch, we wandered into a flower shop and BOY it was worth it. They said no pictures, but I didn’t see the sign until I had already snapped a few 👀 I was amazed by all the colour, design and staging.

An eclectic store called MOSAIC caught our eyes from across the street (mainly for the mural), and we probably spent 30 minutes discovering so many local artisans. We could’ve spent forever in this cute little shop!

Honestly? I have no idea what this place was called, but I was captured by Maple Leaf Rag painted across the fencing of this quaint yellow building. Bishop Arts is full of colour!

I had the best time in Dallas! It was super fun being in the city for a second time and really getting to explore a different part of town. We drove around Abi’s hometown, took a few pictures in nooks and crannies, cooked a yummy meal, tried new foods and overall had a great time. Dallas, I’ll be back! (especially you, Bishop Arts. xoxo)