I love Hyde Park for its quaint cottages, abundance of trees and multi-cultural vibe. You’re just as likely to see grandma walking her lapdog as you are a tattooed pedestrian on a unicycle. But there’s another reason I gravitate towards this area of Austin. It’s a place where Star Wars and Brie imported from the Isle […]
Latika Body Essentials Is Lathering Austin, Naturally
There is a place in Austin that will leave you feeling fresh and renewed. On a recent Sunday afternoon, warm smiles and the scent of honey and almonds greeted me and my daughter as we entered Latika Body Essentials. The inspiration for the trip: soap! The couple behind Latika exude a healthy glow. It helps […]
Day Trip to Wimberley for a Tasting at Cypress Creek Reserve Rum
There are three things I dread during summer: sweat, swimsuits and sunburns. Rum offers a hand, a beacon of hope and joy to make all of the above a little more bearable – and at times, enjoyable! Its reliability and comfort wash away cares and concerns. And it happens to be the companion of a colorful […]
David Highfill Shakes and Stirs at The Driskill Hotel Bar
Editor’s note: David Highfill passed away on March 25, 2019. May he rest in peace. My relationship with The Driskill began twelve years ago when I surprised my mother-in-law with afternoon tea. Imagine our surprise to find we were the only reservation. This hotel’s high level of service was apparent when I noticed a harpist […]
Experience Perfumed Fields at Hill Country Lavender
A book introduced me to Tasha Brieger, owner of Hill Country Lavender. Jeannie Ralston’s The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming is the story of a couple who, after several trips to Provence, noted how similar the Hill Country was to the terrain and climate of southern France. Jeannie and her husband Robb […]
Baked by Amy’s Creates Sweet Dreams from Scratch
Prepare to be smitten with Erin Fellows. Her crystal blue eyes and button nose are framed by blond locks of shoulder length hair, resembling the adorable animated Cindy Lou from Whoville, the knee-high girl with charms even the Grinch couldn’t resist! But Erin has something Cindy Lou lacks. She can bake! To smell divine, some […]
La Patisserie: Scrumptious Piece of Paris in Austin
“When I’m having a bad day, I go to work.” Welcome to the sugar coated world of Soraiya Nagree, owner and pastry chef at Austin’s La Patisserie. A darling little cottage sits surrounded by a sprinkling of flowers and colorful umbrella canopies that offer shade for outdoor café tables. While the scene is inviting and […]
BeeSweet Lemonade: 10 Year Old Makes Sunshine in a Glass
Her long lashes accentuate bright eyes that radiated one word, happiness. Sporting a plaid skirt, white button down blouse and a pair of Nike tennis shoes, the young woman sitting opposite me exuded a vibrant energy that was contagious! I’m not sure which was sweeter, Mikaila Ulmer, the founder of BeeSweet Lemonade, or the liquid […]
Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy Your (Wine) Flight at Departure Lounge
Editor’s Note: Departure Lounge closed its downtown location in July 2017. Owner Keith Waldon plans to open a new location in the airport. It bodes well for a place that can make a woman with four kids recall the sensation that accompanies the words sleek and sexy. It took a departure from suburbia for me to […]
Heartless Machine Finds New Purpose for Antique Instruments
Thankfully the sun wasn’t shining the day I met Christopher Locke, owner of Heartless Machine, or I would’ve been blinded by the countless brass instruments strung across his shop, oddly resembling the dangling nocturnal colony that clings to the underbelly of Congress Bridge. These discarded musical remnants wait to be freed from restraint. Though the metal […]