*Round Top Fun

Round Top offers alternative activities for anyone not wanting to spend all day hunting for antiques. If there is such a person.

Headdresses in the works at Rancho Pillow.

Headdresses in the works at Rancho Pillow.

Round Top offers fun long after the booths close.

After hours brings happy hours, themed nights, and even Prom. Texans love parties. A few weeks in the Texas hill country are no exception. Life is supposed to be fun. In other words, Texans are ingenious.

My fun table mates with their colorful headdresses.

My fun table mates with their colorful headdresses.

Alison with her tasteful 1940's-inspired headband.

Alison with her tasteful 1940’s-inspired headband.

Ruth with her University of Florida-inspired headdress.

Ruth with her University of Florida-inspired headdress.

Having just been to México, mine was reminiscent of Frida and the rugged Mexican topography.

Having just been to México, mine was reminiscent of Frida and the rugged Mexican topography.

Rancho Pillow, located on 20 acres, offers a variety of housing options, but more importantly fun. My friends and I attended a headdress workshop with Ellen Macomber, a New Orleanian with many years of Mardi Gras costume creating. We were greeted with coupes of champagne inside the barn. It helped ease the pressure. We were supposed to create a headdress from ribbons, flowers, and trinkets?  The exuberant and expletive-using, Ellen, encouraged us that the headdresses would all be fabulous. Keep going and don’t stress she said. My friends and I were doubtful. Looking around the room eyeing the other creations in the making wasn’t convincing. They looked unpromising and well, tacky. Little by little though they all came together and were indeed fabulous! Even our own which we thought would never measure up turned out ok. It didn’t matter anyway. We were in Texas, the land of fun.

Feast in the Fields is another event at Rancho Pillow. Long communal tables are set up outside for dining under the stars. A different guest chef comes in for each RT to bring their specialty. (Photo: Rancho Pillow)

Feast in the Fields is another event at Rancho Pillow. Long communal tables are set up outside for dining under the stars. A different guest chef comes in for each RT to bring their specialty. (Photo: Rancho Pillow)

Fashion not furniture.

For people who prefer to spend their money on fashion there were plenty of opportunities. The Arbors is the destination. Booth after booth is full of Fortuny covered everything (phone cases, umbrellas, pillows, etc), trendy beaded horn necklaces, caftans, and hippie haute dresses. Cynthia Cazort Collins’ booth was one of our favorite spots.

(Photo: Domino Magazine)

(Photo: Domino Magazine)

Cynthia was photographed years ago for Domino magazine. Her boho chic salon caught my eye. I loved this image. Year later through Instagram, I stumbled upon this same girl. Now she was making clothes in her cabaña. Very cool, non-trendy, stylish clothes. When she noted she would be at Round Top, we decided to pay her a visit. She shared a booth with @bounbounbag and @riccio_italy. The three women create a vacation vibe with their stylish kaftans, tunics, funky necklaces, and clear plastic bags. We each bought something from them and had a fantastic girly time.

As I mentioned in my previous Round Top post, the food is surprisingly good for being out in the country. We ate shrimp po’ boys, enchiladas, delicious pasta, delicious cocktails, and my childhood favorite Hello Dollies. The latter were quite popular spotted in various pop up food carts.

Thousands of calories later and undisclosed amounts of money spent made for a decadent week. One that this antique-loving, Hello Dollie-eating fashion-lover can’t wait to repeat.

Casa V Interiors can bring back Round Top treasures to your home. They might even throw in a batch of Hello Dollies.