The forecast for the weekend was rain, but just after lunch the clouds cleared up and the sun came out. The Houstonpress insisted that we head out to the crawfish festival, as it only happens once a year for just two weekends. The Crawfest in Spring is full of that small-town Texas charm!

Kids just outside the Face Paint Stand.

Boy riding the mean mechanical bull.

Charming cowgirl selling Texas Salsa.

Three pounds of cajun crawfish, corn potatoes, fries, budweiser select and cajun sausage…all in the tummy!

Texas Koozies.

Hair Paint???

Open air live music.

Went to see the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Pompeii Exhibition last Thursday. Being away made me really appreciate how awesome Houston museums are and how friendly and cultured people are here. The timing of the exhibition itself was perfect for us, as we’ve just finished watching two seasons of “Rome” HBO series just before we left Riyadh. That period was a very interesting time in history.

The catastrophe of the volcano is quite tragic and sad, but the preservation of the culture buried underneath the ashes is incredible. We are able to see how people lived in Italy during this time…their behaviors, lifestyles, and day-to-day way of life. They had everything from art, frescos, jewelry, kitchen utensils, tools, sculptures, coins, and even body molds on display. I enjoyed seeing this piece of history and feel very inspired!

The Pompeii Sign outside the MFAh Building.

Me wearing my Thursday museum sticker.

The Pompeii was closed off upstairs…no photography allowed…poo.

Good news…my hand-made Riyadh photo greeting cards are all ready! I’m so excited to share these images with everyone. The cards focus on Riyadh’s architecture, signage, nature, and culture. For those of you living in Riyadh, the cards are currently being sold at Cities in Centria Mall.

Closeup of the cards…top 1: Mosque, top 2:Bakery Signage, Bottom 1:Cardaman

Another Closeup of the cards…top 1: Centria Mall, top 2:Faisalliah Tower Globe, Bottom 1:Saudi Coffee, Bottom 2:Flower Shop Signage

Here’s the Cities logo.

What is the best thing about eating in Texas? That juicy, yummy Angus beef. The burgers at Becks Prime on Kirby are just about the most satisfying thing you can put in your mouth!!

Becks Prime Signage., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Cheeseburger and fries basket., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Yummmmms!, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Houston weather this time of year is best described as glorious!! Really, it’s been perfect weather…sunny, breezy, not too warm, not too cold, and perfect for a trip to the zoo. Paul and I had been a few years ago, but I was very impressed this time. The entire zoo was impeccably clean, beautiful signage, great selection of animals, all looking very happy and well-fed, lush landscaping…trees, flowers, birds, ducks, and fountains, and filled with curious little people walking around with mom and dad. There are a few restaurants with outdoor seating areas packed with moms chatting and dads bonding. I loved the houston zoo and if I have kids I would really want them to have this experience.

Here are some of the things we saw:

Zoo Signage., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Map., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Chamillion., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Orangutan.., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Snake., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Baboon., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Warthog., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Albino Alligator., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Monkey., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Kimodo., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Lion., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Kid at the zoo., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Kids at the zoo., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Spent the day not too far from Space Center Houston on the Gulf of Mexico in a small coast town called Kemah…boats, seagulls, seafood restaurants, a cool summer breeze, and some great relaxing…as American as can be!

Kemah, Texas., originally uploaded by Carcura.

My favorite stand on the boardwalk was the snowcone booth.

Kemah, Texas., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The sailboats passing by created postcard worthy landscapes.

Kemah, Texas., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Love this retro sign. How cool would that be in an industrial loft space?

Kemah, Texas., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Little restaurants and cafees all along the water.

InTransit is in America! Just got the internet going here…yeay to At&t!

Have I mentioned that I’ve spent most of my life in transit? Well last week I was in Riyadh and now here I am in “Space City” Houston! After spending the past six months in the gulf, my point of view of America should be interesting. So far the shopping is far too gratifying for anything else to matter.

Preparing for my U.S. trip, I’m taking some photos of my living space here in Riyadh.

This is our bedroom. Like the rest of the house, it’s got alot of earthtones, which is what you get when the entire house has beige carpet. So now that we’re adjusted and settled, the objective is to add some color…reds, oranges, and greens.

What makes this room very special though is the garden view as you’re laying in bed. The bougainvilleas out there right now are in full bloom and their magenta is just incredible!

Our Bedroom., originally uploaded by Carcura.

As you can see, it’s very spacious with lots vacant wall space ready to filled with some magic…working on that (in my head).

Our Bedroom with Garden., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The bed looking out to the garden. Note to self: Spend more time in bedroom during the day…it’s a great space for reading!

My Closet., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Big closet…almost full to capacity. Paul uses the one in the other bedroom.

Vanity., originally uploaded by Carcura.

This is where I have my jewelry, makeup, etc…the girly area.

Beijing 2008 Plush., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Brought this back from Shanghai. It makes me smile when I look at it!

Yoga Girl Mirror from mom., originally uploaded by Carcura.

This mirror is from mom…always reminding me to take care of myself, be healthy, and feel good.

Since I’m going to Houston for a visit in a few days, thought it would be a good idea to take back some small gifts that reflect Saudi culture. The best place to find such items here would be the market near Batha. Turns out the market is right next to the Masmak Fortress.

Al-Masmak Fortress., originally uploaded by Carcura.

This structure was captured by King Abdul-Aziz in 1902 and so represents the birthplace of Modern Saudi Arabia. It’s a gorjeous example of mud and brick desert architecture. We didn’t get a chance to go inside, but we did enjoy a stroll around the fortress in a big public park where Saudis were enjoying an outdoors afternoon in Riyadh .

Saudi Men Buying Prayer Beads., originally uploaded by Carcura.

As we’re walking towards the market, I noticed a bunch of prayer bead shops. Saudi men standing around picking their beads. I went in there looking for one for my grandfather as he loves these things!

Prayer Beads., originally uploaded by Carcura.

There were so many to chose from that I had no idea what he’d like. There were precious stones, wood, jade, ivory, gold, silver, anything you can think of…

Gold Souk Batha., originally uploaded by Carcura.

In order to get to the area of the souk where they sell house items we had to walk through the indoor gold souk. This is always a delight for me. I love seeing the oversized gold necklaces and beautiful gold bangles. There wasn’t too much going in the gold souk as gold prices have sky-rocketed within the past few months. It is always nice to stroll through and look at the beautiful jewelry though.

Souvenirs Shop., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Here is our favorite souvenir shop. We’ve made friends with the owner and we usually get pretty good prices. He has a nice selection…leather camels, bedouin jewelry, rugs, pillows, silver ashtrays, wind-chimes…pretty much everything!

Indoor Souk., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Just before we arrived to the parking lot, we came across an outdoor market that apparently takes place on weekends only which was packed with vendors…spices, clothes, shoes, electronics, perfumes…you name it. As we walked through, I picked up a few house abayas to wear during the day. Couldn’t stay too long as the square was packed with mutawas (moral police) whose main headquarters were only a block away.

Anyway, above is the entrance of the indoor souk as we’re leaving. It becomes very festive during the night and is quite the event for locals during the evenings. It gets very busy and is a good time to head home.

Loving yellow dresses for summer and spring!

[photopress:yellow_dresses.jpg,full,pp_image]

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs Peony Print Dress
2. Mara Hoffman Draped Halter Dress
3. Alice + Olivia Ombre Rosette Tube Dress
4. Alice + Olivia Double Strap Long Dress