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Today was a great day - I got a lot of work done on my gardens then we went to our local farmers market to pick up some goodies for the week.
The Home Idea Factory is in an area of Dallas called Oak Cliff and we are very fortunate because we are close to town but it's an older established area that is really coming into it's own. Some amazing restaurants have opened, I've heard there is now an organic coop and now we even have our own coffee company - Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters. So today we picked up some coffee, and sampled our way through the local farmer stalls at the Dallas Farmers Market. Local peaches were just coming into season and there also was a bounty of tomatoes, onions, squash and cucumbers. It's going to be a healthy tasty week around here!
Some vendors are only there weekends and we discovered the Lucky Layla Farms which had amazing cheeses. I bought the Fresh Campesino which was perfect with my tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers for lunch. I'm going to make some homemade ice cream to use with the peaches for dessert.
One of the best things about being a Lifestylist is getting to explore what's out there and figure out how to make it approachable and accessible. I was amazed how much I saved by buying at the farmers market vs. a typical grocery store - I got 5 huge beautiful tomatoes that were picked that morning for $1 each! My goodies helped me make a quick and healthy lunch for under $1.50 per serving.
We have got to support our local farmers and businesses. The Lemley family has been bring exceptional tomatoes, peaches and other produce to the farmer's market for over 30 years. I know that a lot of the better restaurants in town also buy from them and I can't imagine a summer without their goodies. It's exciting to have all of these choices now and I plan on supported them so they are here for years to come.

I know I've shared my Wegmans love here before, but it's great to see I'm not the only one who is crazy about this company and the great people who work there.
On my recent visit to Rochester I stopped in at the Pittsford store to get my goodies to take back to Texas with me - whenever I get the chance to head that way I bring an extra suitcase and cooler so I can bring all of my favorites back with me. One of my new favorites is the Nance's Hot Mustard that I haven't seen anywhere but there and now that my Texas friends have tried it they all want me to bring back some for them as well. I had probably a dozen of them in my cart and I think 3 or 4 employees stopped me and joked about I must be from out of town if I'm buying that much Nance's, and we talked about what a great store Wegmans is and how lucky Rochester residents are to have that resource in their own back yard. After grabbing my Killer Brownies, Ultimate Chocolate Chip cookies, Carrot Cake, and the classic slice of Ultimate Chocolate Cake, I checked out and headed to the airport. Trust me, the minute you walk into a Wegmans no matter what store or city you are visiting you can feel the positive energy and enthusiasm these team members bring to work. I'm not sure many of them even think of it as work, more like a calling. You can't not be in a great mood by the time you leave, especially if you were fortunate enough to bring home some of the fruits and vegetables straight from the Wegmans farm or a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers.
It was great to see on my receipt that Wegmans was on the Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work for list for the 13th year. I know if I lived in Rochester I would love to work for them. Congratulations to the entire Wegmans team for this great honor. If you see someone strolling through the aisles with a basket full of Nance's mustard, it's probably this Lifestylist - please come over and say hello!

American Custom Builders is inviting neighbors and interested buyers to it's Sneak Peek Sunday today from 1-3pm. Take advantage of the opening to view our latest Lifestylist Designed home and see for yourself this fresh approach to home building and design. All of the furniture is from the local Ashley HomeStore and consumers can go and purchase almost everything they see in the homes themselves. This new marketing approach to model home merchandising is proving to be very successful - come and see the results!

Our latest Lifestylist Designed Home debuted at the Great Southwest Home Show a few weeks ago and the response has been tremendous. The home was for Champion Homes of Texas, and it was a chance to show what the new Champion Homes is all about, and if you haven't take a look you need to  - great homes with great value and style.
Take a look at the article we wrote for MHMSM about the show to learn more about where the factory built housing market is heading.

Be sure to check out the article in Elle Decor about Alice Cottrell's apartment this month. I'm honored to have this very special designer as a friend, and this is someone who get's the lifestylist concept. Her apartment is beautiful, but is also designed to make her beautiful rescue puppy Charlie feel right at home. Home Interiors that are right sized is definitely a growing trend - this home is only 700 sq. ft. but is designed to accommodate every need of the residents.