Where The Locals Go: Brenham With Christy Shelton of Libby Louise

From early-morning coffee and homemade pie to the downtown shops worth wandering and the dinner that feels like a reward after a day in the fields, Libby Louise shares her guide to doing Brenham like a local.

Round Top may be the reason you came, but Brenham has a way of convincing you to stay awhile.

For the thousands of shoppers who base themselves there during antiques season, the drive back from the fields can feel like a reset. There is coffee waiting in the morning, a downtown meant for wandering, restaurants worth saving room for and, yes, the obligatory scoop of Blue Bell.

Christy has called Brenham home for 15 years. She describes it in three words: “Charming. Welcoming. Authentic.”

During Round Top season, she says that charm gets turned up a notch.

“You can feel the excitement all over town. We get visitors from all over who come for RT, but they discover Brenham, our downtown, local restaurants, shops and that small town charm.”

What she loves most is that Brenham still feels like Brenham, even when the surrounding area fills with shoppers.

“I love seeing the town come alive while still feeling like the place I call home. You can spend the day in RT shopping the fields then come back to Brenham for a great dinner, have a drink and slow down.”

FIRST, COFFEE

Libby’s perfect Brenham day technically starts at 4:15 a.m. with the gym. Next, it's coffee.

Mescalito Coffee.

Her order: a hot white chocolate mocha.

It is also where she sends friends before they make the drive toward Round Top.

“Coffee first! Pop into Mescalito Coffee. It’s downtown, opens at 7. Specialty coffee and fresh pastries. It’s also a fun little shop to browse before hitting the road.”

WANDER DOWNTOWN BRENHAM

Ask Libby what she recommends most and the answer is less about one particular address than how to experience the town.

“Honestly, the recommendation I give over and over is to slow down and spend some time in downtown Brenham to wander. There is something about Brenham that makes you want to just slow down. Enjoy the small town charm.”

If someone only has a few hours, downtown and the square make her shortlist.

“Grab coffee, walk around, browse the local shop and soak up the small town charm.”

Her shopping list includes Hermann Furniture, where she points to everything from furnishings to party goods, Rustic Ruby for antiques and vintage clothing, and The Forge, which she calls an “absolutely breathtaking store.”

Naturally, she would also send you into Libby Louise.

THE STORY BEHIND LIBBY LOUISE

The boutique takes its name from Libby’s late grandmothers, Libby Eckermann and Louise Frank, two women she remembers as always looking put together.

“These two ladies were always styled and put together from head to toe. No matter if it was a day at home, church or an outing to visit friends. They always carried themselves with so much style and grace, and I think that stayed with me.”

About three years ago, her husband asked a deceptively simple question: Why not start something she actually enjoyed doing?

So, she did! With no retail background, Libby started buying what she loved and trusting her instincts.

“We simply started buying what we loved, trusting our instincts, and figuring it out as we went…and still trying to figure it out.”

Three years later, she says the biggest surprise has been how much both she and the business have grown.

“The people we have met, the connections made. Boy oh boy I’ve learned so much about buying, budgets, business, customers and what it takes to build something from the ground up. Oh and the late nights.”

The Libby Louise point of view is classic and feminine, but never too predictable.

“We buy what we love, and we want you to feel really good wearing it. We are drawn to classic, timeless pieces, but we always want a little something unexpected.”

For fall, that means rich, earthy tones, classic neutrals, denim and a little tension between feminine and masculine.

She loves “soft midi dresses with a jacket, boots and a scarf” and says a great pair of jeans can make an entire outfit.

WHAT SHE’S BRINGING TO ROUND TOP

This season, shoppers can also find Libby Louise at The Arbors at Round Top.

For someone discovering the brand there for the first time, Libby wants it to feel less like a transaction and more like stumbling across something special.

“They can expect a carefully curated mix of great denim, effortless everyday pieces, feminine details, and a few unexpected statement pieces. The kind of clothes that make you stop and say ‘I love this.”

More importantly, she wants shoppers to feel welcome.

“We’re not trying to tell you what you should wear. We’re there to help you find something you genuinely love.”

She says the brand still buys much the same way it did at the beginning: based on instinct.

“We buy what we love, we trust our instincts, and we hope you love it too.”

Her ideal Round Top uniform?

“My goal is always look like the woman my customer wants to be not someone who has been working the booth all day.”

If the weather finally cooperates, she says the piece she would put in a Round Top suitcase is a barn jacket.

“It’s that perfect mix of classic and effortless. Throw it over denim and a tee in the morning, layer it over a dress for dinner. It’s practical for a day in the fields, but still has that little something that makes you look pulled together.”

LUNCH, PIE AND THE VERY BRENHAM AFTERNOON

For lunch, Libby keeps things unfussy. Her pick is Must Be Heaven, where she orders the club sandwich with broccoli cheese soup.

There is one non-negotiable.

“Also, a slice of pie to go is a must.”

Her ideal afternoon treat takes that idea one step further: coffee from Mescalito, homemade apple pie from Must Be Heaven and, potentially, a scoop of homemade vanilla Blue Bell.

Which brings us to another Brenham essential. You cannot ask a local to build a Brenham itinerary without Blue Bell Creameries making an appearance.

It lands on Libby’s list of the three things first-time visitors should not miss.

“You can’t come to Brenham and not have Blue Bell! Even if you only have time for a scoop, it’s part of the Brenham experience.”

Finish the sentence, “You haven’t really done Brenham until you’ve…”

Her answer?

“Visited Blue Bell.”

AFTER ROUND TOP, GO SOMEWHERE THAT FEELS LIKE A REWARD

This might be our favorite part of Libby’s guide.

After an entire day walking the fields, she does not want another grab-and-go meal.

“I’d send you somewhere that feels like a reward not another casual meal.”

Her first choice is Brossa’s Cibo e Vino, which she describes as cozy, intimate Italian in downtown Brenham with good wine, house-made pasta and shareable plates.

She also points to Danny’s, calling it a Brenham hidden gem with a chef-driven, intimate atmosphere and a menu that rotates seasonally.

Want more of a night out?

Her choice is Ninety Six West for wine, cocktails and steaks.

The order: Texas goat cheese peppadews.

“You will thank me.”

Consider us influenced.

ONE MORE ORDER TO KNOW

Every local guide needs the order you would probably never find scrolling a generic travel list.

Libby’s is the cheese enchiladas from Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant.

In her words:

“They are the BEST.”

BRENHAM BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIELDS

For anyone staying in Brenham during Round Top, Libby’s formula is refreshingly simple.

Start with coffee downtown. Head to the fields. Come back hungry.

She recommends stocking your rental or hotel with cold water, protein bars, trail mix and easy things to grab on the way out the door. Her Round Top survival bag includes lip gloss, lipstick, a phone charger, hand sanitizer, SPF, a hair tie, mini perfume, a snack and, naturally, a tape measure.

In the car?

“A cooler with ice cold drink”

As for shoes, she believes in a costume change.

“Morning in Brenham: cute sneaker. Once you hit the Round Top fields: change into the fabulous boot you really wanted to wear.”

One caveat: break them in first.

WHY BRENHAM

Strip away the restaurants, shopping and ice cream and Libby’s affection for Brenham comes back to the people.

“There is something really special about a community where people show up for each other, celebrate each other, and genuinely want to see one another succeed.”

She loves the slower pace, the views and quiet nights on her back porch, but also the opportunity the town gives small businesses and new ideas.

That same distinction is what she feels between popping up in Round Top and returning to her shop in Brenham.

“RT gives us new faces and stories. Brenham gives us roots and relationships.”

She would not trade either.

Perhaps that is the best argument for spending time in both.

Come for the fields. Stay for the people, the coffee, the pie, the shops and the chance to slow down before doing it all again tomorrow.

LIBBY’S BRENHAM HIT LIST

Coffee: Mescalito Coffee

Lunch: Must Be Heaven

Afternoon: Apple pie + Blue Bell

Shop: Libby Louise, Hermann Furniture, Rustic Ruby, The Forge

Brenham essential: Blue Bell Creameries

Post-Round Top dinner: Brossa’s Cibo e Vino

Also save: Danny’s + Ninety Six West

Local order: Cheese enchiladas at Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant

Round Top stop: Libby Louise at The Arbors

Instagram: Libby Louise
Website: Libby Louise

Brenham, Texas and at The Arbors during the Round Top Show