why not start your day with an illegal gay wedding?

just wanted to say thanks for all the frank talk. ESB really helped me keep perspective while we did our planning, and we wound up with an awesome day.

because it doesn't have to be so LOADED, lady.

Okay you know I don't really approve of two wedding dresses, but DAMN.

Also: YOUR WIFE IS HOT.

(Photos by The Life You Love. Check out more photos of Molly and Tracy plus gorg details &c. over here.)

my *new* new year's resolution (spoiler alert: IT INVOLVES TACOS)

my new year's resolutions are bumming me out.

i do this to myself every year. tell myself i'm going to write every morning, then spiral into depression and anger when i don't write (or don't like what i'm writing) and drink whiskey while watching the bachelor and playing fucking letterpress for four hours in a row just to punish myself.



anyhoo.

here's my new resolution.

EAT TACOS.

try a new taco place once a week, or once a month, or whenever i fucking feel like it.


just. eat. tacos.


the photo is my own, from Tacodeli in Austin, which, HOLY SHIT.

i now plan to eat my way through the 10 Essential LA Tacos. if the rest of the recommends are anywhere near as good as Guisados....

What should I be doing in AUSTIN??

Sooooooooo I've been in Austin for almost a week, visiting my MIL, helping H with a shoot, and mostly sitting on my ass. I begged Kat (one of my fave Texans I've never met) to write something that would inspire me to drag H out of the house....

Here's Kat:

Helloooooo ESB-ers! As we all know, Austin pretty much kicks ass. In fact, Ms. ESB is there right now (and for some reason HAS NOT EATEN FRITO PIE YET). As such, she’s asked me to put together a wee lil what-to-do-in-Austin post.

Now, this list is by no means all-inclusive. My husband and I visit a lot because we have family and friends there. We tend to do things on the cheap so that we can spend our dollars on really great, locally-made stuff from incredible artists. We’re also kind of outdoorsy and like to spend a lot of time hiking, walking, or just sitting outside in the shade with a good beer. Austin is perfect for being outside (when the weather isn’t super hot), so I cannot recommend enough that you explore the outdoor activities the city has to offer!


Food:

Torchy’s Tacos, Tacodeli, and Taco Shack – All Austin institutions. Pretty delicious. I prefer Tacodeli, but really, it’s like picking a favorite ice cream. Can’t lose.

Spider House Cafe – A funky neighborhood coffee/tea spot. Kombucha on tap (if you like that stuff. GROSS.) Great atmosphere.

Caffe Medici – Seriously good coffee, and the one on West Lynn is in an adorable neighborhood.

P. Terry’s – Austin’s (much better) version of In-N-Out burger. Their black bean burger is delicious, and their fries are great. We always try to hit it. Several locations around town.

Iron Works – Really good old-school Texas barbeque in downtown Austin. They have a 2-story porch that overlooks the creek.

(Iron Works BBQ via Meat Meister)

El Chilito – An order-at-the-window taco shop that’s pretty tasty.

Amy’s Ice Cream – An amazing Austin ice cream shop (that’s spread all over Texas). Actually, it’s more like frozen custard. Really intensely rich and so, so good. My father-in-law calls all locations near him when it’s time for Peppermint Ice Cream to hit the coolers and stocks up for the year.

Kerbey Lane – Pretty delicious breakfast around the clock. Fun pancakes like lemon poppy seed, etc, that change pretty frequently. My favorite thing to get is the Eggs Francisco: English muffin topped with scrambled egg, tomato, avocado, and queso. Ask for black beans as a side.

Mi Madre’s – Excellent Mexican food. We try and go for breakfast. And don’t worry if it looks crowded or if you have a hard time finding a parking spot – the restaurant has TONS of seating, so send someone in to check if there’s a wait. There usually isn’t.

Thunderbird Coffee – good coffee, great atmosphere.


Stuff to Do:

South Congress – This is typically what we do on any given trip. It’s touristy and popular, but for a reason: it’s Austin in a nutshell. There are great shops, restaurants, and street vendors, and the whole drag is walkable. I recommend starting with breakfast either at Magnolia Cafe (on S. Congress & Johanna) or at Jo’s Hot Coffee & Good Food (the sight of the famous “I Love You” graffiti, on the north end at S. Congress and James). Do it before it gets too hot. You can eat lunch anywhere on the strip – there are tons of food trucks and a few good restaurants worth checking out. They offer everything from cilantro lemonade to Thai food, so I recommend surveying before settling on one place.

6th Street – Hit 6th Street after dark if you’re into bar-hopping. If you go around dinner time, lots of bars have rooftop seating and you can enjoy a nice drink before all the college kids get there. It’s a major spot for college students and bachelorette parties, so be aware that it gets kind of loud and crazy after 10 pm. They close the street down at night for safe(ish) walking conditions.

Hamilton Pool Nature Reserve – If you can spare the 30-minute drive, this is totally worth it. A great swimming hole and perfect for the humid and hot Austin summers.

Barton Springs Pool – Also a great place to swim, but in Austin proper. It’s COLD, so be prepared!

(Barton Springs via The Edwards Aquifer Website)

The Texas Capitol Building – I love touring the capitol building. It’s beautiful, there’s tons of history.

Bob Bollock Texas State History Museum – Again, I’m kind of a nerd about these things, and I love it. The last time we were there, artifacts from the “Belle” (La Salle’s ship) were on display. Really, really awesome.

Tubing on the Guadalupe – There is nothing better than taking a day to drink beer and float on the river when it’s blazing hot outside. It’s one of the post popular things to do in the Texas Hill Country (and for good reason). So if you have an extra day to do it, pack up a cooler (here are the rules about open containers) and head south on I-35 for about 30 minutes to New Braunfels. Now, you can tube on most rivers in the area, but the Comal recently adopted some strict rules about river activities. So tubing the Guadalupe is the way to go. AND DON’T FORGET SUNSCREEN. You will fry otherwise!

Here are the directions (there are a couple of ways to get there): The first is to go south on I-35 and exit for FM 306. This way tends to be packed and slow-going, so if that’s the case, then do this: go south on I-35, take the exit for 306, go straight until you see Hwy 337, and turn right onto Hwy 337. You’ll cross over Hwy 46 once, but when you see it again, turn right on it, then turn right onto FM 2722 and then take another right on FM 2673. It’ll be on your right when you dead-end into FM 306.

Pedernales Falls – Less than a hour away, this state park is really beautiful. A nice break from the city. Great hikes.

Uncommon Objects – Fantastic thrift/junk-type shop on South Congress. I could spend hours in there.

(Uncommon Objects via The Curious Reserve)

By George – Beautiful clothes. Can’t say enough good things about this boutique.

Toy Joy – A really, really cool toy shop stocked floor-to-ceiling with all kinds of neat shit.

Prototype Vintage Design – on South Congress and Milton. Not thrift prices, but really great. Honestly, any vintage shops on South Congress are very well-stocked and not too expensive. I’ve found some amazing stuff on this street.

Hike in Zilker Park – Austin has good parks and is famous for outdoor activities, and this is no exception.


Places I haven’t tried, but are on the list:

Salt Lick (in Driftwood, NOT ROUND ROCK) – One of the most famous barbeque places in the state. Nick is chomping at the bit to try the one in Driftwood after a visit to the mediocre location in Round Rock. I’m vegetarian, but I would totally try their brisket.

Uchiko – Everyone is raving about this Japanese food place, so it must be good. It’s on the list. [Editor's Note: My MIL took us here the day after I arrived. It is NOT cheap -- we did a tasting menu, and I'd rather not know what the final bill came to -- but it was truly an incredible meal.]

(Uchiko)

Contigo – Abby Powell did a little spot about it on her blog, and I’m now VERY interested in eating here.

Yellow Jacket Social Club – I honestly don’t know why we haven’t been here yet. The food (I’ve been told) is fantastic.

Taco Xpress – I’m always on the hunt for a good migas taco, and rumor is, theirs is awesome.

Bows + Arrows – This shop’s stuff has made the rounds on the interwebs and looks really fantastic. Can’t wait to go there. [Update: The proprietress of Bows + Arrows up and moved to Nashville. Her new shop, Arrow and Arrow, is online only. There is a pair of cute stores, JM Dry Goods and Spartan, at 215 South Lamar where B+A used to be. ]

Take Heart – Again: gorgeous stuff.

Schatzelein – Beautiful jewelry from independent designers.

Finch – Sells some fun stuff, including Heath Ceramics.

Strut – Great prices. From what I’ve heard, some really fun things can be found here.

Eastside Café – Have heard so many good things about this place. Definitely worth a shot.

So I hope that’s enough to get you started should you ever be in the area. Austin is always changing and new shops and restaurants are constantly opening. You really can’t go wrong as long as you stay away from chains!

(Photo at top: Daniel Johnston's Austin mural via myspace)

If I were to get married now...................

from Rachel Z

At long last! It's a new installment. This one comes from (gasp) a non-blogger. But Rachel works in luxury fashion in Austin, which makes her cool x 2 as far as I'm concerned.

I was the first of my friends to take the plunge. I am the only girl in my family, and before my wedding, had only attended a handful of weddings. I was, well, a bit clueless. I definitely have my girly moments, but was never a little girl lost in some fantasy of her magical wedding day. When my husband (boyfriend at the time, of course) asked me to marry him, I was beyond excited. My mother had secretly given him my grandmother’s ring. My Grams and I were very close, and she left her ring for me when she passed on. The excitement of our engagement led to the realization that we needed to get married right away. Ok, before you even go there (I can see you raising your eyebrow) this was not a shotgun wedding. We had been planning to move for over a year, and were going to be leaving a few months after we got engaged. We realized that getting married before we moved would be best. So, we started tossing around ideas. Well, we were young, broke, and on a time crunch. So, we picked a little B&B in a quaint little town nearby where we would go during the holidays to walk the streets and take in the lights/hot chocolate/shops, etc. Thankfully, it was a place that included everything. I vaguely remember picking out a picture of a cake in a magazine, telling her what flowers I liked, picking a menu, and deciding definitely outdoors, not in the chapel. The whole experience flew by. Before we knew it, the wedding had passed, and we had moved.

Now time has passed, and many of my friends are now married. I have been to a few weddings, in a few weddings, and have realized how much work and time go into the planning. On some level, I appreciate the time crunch we had as that helped me avoid the whirlwind that wedding planning becomes. However, experiencing the unique and creative details that my friends have incorporated into their weddings has weighed on me. I leave beyond excited for them and their big day. I also leave painfully aware of how freaking awesome their weddings are, and how many different things I would like to have done!

If we were to get married today, we would give ourselves time to plan. I would give myself more time than 4 hours in one day to find my dress. We would walk down the aisle to a special song that we love, and not a CD that skipped on my way down. We would hire an insanely good photographer, like Nathan, my childhood friend of Harper Point Photography or our friend Alicia, of One Plus One. They are not my mother’s friend who takes pictures, so this way, we could have a picture of just the two of us where we are not talking, or standing with someone else. We would invite the friends that have become dear to us and have been there for us through the years. We would go classic, so the pictures are never out of style, but capture a timeless look. We would dance this time. (I know! We were too nervous to dance, so we skipped it and didn’t even have dancing at all! What is that about?) Our look would be vintage, or vintage inspired. I would have Chenoh, of Black Orchid Salon work her magic on my hair. Oh yes, and we would have purple flowers for sure. There would be signature drinks, and our favorite desserts. We would party with all of our friends. We would go on a honeymoon, preferably abroad for a little adventure. Italy, perhaps?

Looking back, I just have to smile. We didn’t get caught up in wedding details, but made decisions and moved on. All in all, we had a simple, pretty wedding, and are still in love. What more can you ask for? Plus, there’s always the chance to renew your vows. Hmmm. Come to think of it, our ten-year anniversary is only around the corner………

Click here to view all the product details on Polyvore. (Rachel was nominated by Jessica Define, who was kind enough to do the paste-up.)
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Click here to catch up with the rest of the series.

okay, now I'm stalking Alyson Fox

I just found these photos of her Austin remodel on Design*Sponge. And the sneak peek here.

Alyson used a spray gun to paint the kitchen cabinets the same orange/red as her $12 thrift-store desk.

Hello, this is my color palette.

seriously repurposed wedding dress

Alyson Fox made her dress from a vintage kimono and a WWII parachute bought off ebay.

She. Rocks. Maybe it's an Austin thing?

Via Once Wed. Photo by Ashley Garmon Photographers.