Sheer Yoke A Line Sweater Dress / Leather Round Saddle Bag in Nassau Navy / Nude Sandals

Love, Reese, the Draper James blog is doing a Southern Road Trip through their favorite Southern cities and I’m thrilled to represent Dallas.  You know I love Draper James so this is a huge honor for me.  I hope you enjoy this little interview about me and my Dallas favorites.

I know that fun opportunities like this are only possible because of your sweet support of me and Alicia Wood Lifestyle.  Whether you have been here since the beginning five years ago, joined me along the way or just arrived today, I am truly grateful for you!

You can see their post here and when I shared Five Tips for a Beautiful Spring Tablescape and a Christmas Tea on Love, Reese before.  I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy this Southern Road Trip!

xo

Alicia

PS – Remember to leave comments on posts to be eligible for my monthly Beauty and Gift Boxes!  Also, when you subscribe to the newsletter you receive the password to download my three FREE eBooks including the newest just released this month, Easy Summer Entertaining that has tips and recipes that are also good for Fall!

Sheer Yoke A Line Sweater Dress /  Nude Sandals

Tell us about yourself, what you do, etc…

I am a wife, mother, community volunteer and Founder + Creative Director of the website Alicia Wood Lifestyle .  As long as I can remember, my friends have asked me to help them with what to wear, entertaining and home decor decisions.  My sweet friends were truly the inspiration in beginning my blog. 

Today, my goal with Alicia Wood Lifestyle is to create an inspiring destination for classic everyday living.  I love sharing timeless yet fresh ways to approach fashion, beauty, recipes and entertaining, travel and home design. I also love to share my favorite finds and tips for beautiful living and the best online sales! When I am not busy creating content for Alicia Wood Lifestyle, I am spending time and creating memories through food and travel with my precious husband, three girls and our friends.

What brought or kept you in Dallas?  

I moved to Dallas after graduating from Baylor University and worked for a Christian nonprofit and then for the Dallas Stars Hockey Club.  My dream was to work in sports PR! A year later, I met my husband, a native Dallasite, and he founded his company here and as they say, the rest is history!  You can read 24 Things about Us here.

Describe Dallas’s style.   

Dallas style is characterized by a nod to timeless looks but with a modern flair. Looking “polished and put together” even when running errands seems to be commonplace but “carpool casual” is as well!  Dallasites are very philanthropic so any given night you can find someone dressed to the nines raising money for a worthy cause. I guess depending on what you are doing, anything goes!

Describe your personal style in 3 words.

Classic, Feminine and Timeless 

Leather Round Saddle Bag in Nassau Navy

What are the 3 items you always keep in your bag?

Urban Decay Hi-Fi Lipgloss in Midnight Cowgirl,  Big-O Key ring (created by Dallas friends!) NuGo Dark Chocolate Mint Protein Bars

Describe your typical work day.

After getting up, I check to see that my latest blog post has published and do a quick check of emails and texts. Then it’s an hour round trip in my car taking one of my daughters to school. I treasure this time with her as I know it won’t last forever! Once I get back I truly begin my day. 

While each day looks a bit different, I typically spend 5-6 hours per day planning content, writing, shopping, styling for photo shoots and connecting with my team who live here in Dallas, Austin, and Auburn, Alabama about Alicia Wood Lifestyle’s content and collaborations. Once a week, I create content with one of my fabulous photographers for my website and social media platforms.  

Then it’s “out the door” to afternoon carpool, my girls’ club soccer practices, family dinner, etc.  I typically work for an hour or so after homework and bedtime to wrap up the day and be ready for whatever the next day brings! (Oh, and somewhere in there, I try to at least go for a walk or a cardio dance class!)

Sheer Yoke A Line Sweater Dress /  Nude Sandals

What’s the thing you miss the most (besides family or friends) when you’re away from Dallas? 

My home, Teamonade from City Cafe, Tex-Mex and Margaritas!

Best place to grab coffee in Dallas?  

I’m not a huge coffee gal believe it or not!  I can’t do the caffeine! I love to have meetings at The Gem Juice Bar near my house.  The owners are friends and everything they do is fabulous!  You can always find me with a Teamonade from City Cafe, in hand.  This my favorite little lunch stop’s version of an Arnold Palmer.  If you are a coffee drinker, my girls LOVE Drip Coffee on Lover’s Lane.  Others are raving about the new LaLa Land Coffee.

Best brunch in Dallas?

We love the urban-casual environment plus spectacular menu at Bistro 31 in Highland Park Village.  

Best date spot in Dallas?

That is a hard question because I’m a foodie and there are so many great restaurants in Dallas!  It truly depends on the occasion. When we are wanting a casual evening and the probability of running into friends, our favorite is Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village (be sure to try the Mi Tierra Taco and their original Skinny Margarita on the Rocks with Salt!). For something a bit more quiet, we love R+D Kitchen. 

When it comes to a special occasion, we love Le Bilboquet or Salum. A recent highlight was cooking with Chef Abraham Salum on my birthday. He’s a true gem! 

For great food and wine near our home, we often go to  IL Bracco; owned by friends and recently named Best New Restaurant in Dallas. Be sure to order the Bracco cocktail, the Artichokes and the Chicken Picatta! 

Finally, Tex-Mex is my comfort food and you don’t want to miss the queso at Miriam’s Cocina Dallas on Klyde Warren Park. One restaurant on my list to try is Te Deseo!

Overall, what’s your favorite thing about living in Dallas?  

The generous and kind people, as well as the ease of access to everything you’d ever want in the way of neighborhoods, schools, restaurants, philanthropy, shopping and fine arts. You name it, Dallas has it!

Klyde Warren Park is a must for the whole family!  It is a beautiful urban park in the middle of downtown. There are food trucks daily, everyday activities, as well as special events.  We were there recently for dinner at Miriam’s and they were showing an outdoor movie!

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