My Grandmother, The Epitome of Glamour!

My love for all things stylish can be attributed to one woman, my grandmother. She is truly the epitome of glamour. I blogged about her at the Q--check it out!

Austin--Who knew?

I visited a psychic last year who told me that I would travel southwest. Could be New Mexico, Arizona, somewhere in the southwest. I thought to myself "uhh huh" as I gave her the "whatever you say" look. I'm thinking tropical islands so why on earth would I return to the desert when I'd already been to Santa Fe and Sedona? I thought I'd fulfilled that quota.

Well...less than a year later wouldn't you know it I found myself in Austin, Texas. The weather was h-e-l-l hot. But the vibe was cool and laid back.  I experienced a bit of culture shock. For an east coast girl who's used to a fast pace and city grime Austin was literally a breath of fresh air. I visited Barton Springs Pool where everyone frolics in the fresh warm water from the Barton Creek. For six bucks you can ride the kiddy train around the park and see joggers, canoers, and swimmers. The city is pro energy, nutrition and fitness. It's the birthplace of Whole Foods Market. The ginormous, well stocked, beautifully merchandised location on Lamar puts all others to shame. 

You can't talk about Austin without mentioning music. It's known as the live music capital of the U.S. I checked out a honky tonk band, and matching dancers, at the Continental Club, listened to a jam session at the Elephant Room and got entranced in some deep bass electronica at a joint on Sixth street. I must say I felt much more evolved and cool for having stepped out of my little comfort zone. Ha!

As far as food goes you can expect a lot of tex-mex. But if you want a more upscale alternative check out South Congress Cafe--loved the cool exposed brick and concrete floors. The calamari was tender and not overly fried. Walk down the street, pass cool clothing shops and home furnishing stores, to Guero's Taco Bar for a good mango margarita and grilled veggie entree. The portions were very generous. You can eat outside while taking in the action on SoCo. That's South Congress to all the locals.