Austinot Loves - The Austinot

5 Volunteer Opportunities During Thanksgiving Season in Austin

November 13, 2018 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Guest article by Krista Hager

Aromas of pumpkin spice and cinnamon fill our homes. Crackling fireplaces hold actual purpose in Austin this holiday season, with temperatures steadily dropping to legitimate fall weather. Thanksgiving peeks around the corner, inviting us to let go of the holiday chaos and give back to our community.

Austin is home to thousands of nonprofits, so get out there and connect with at least one of these charities, events, or groups during Thanksgiving season. [Read more…]

Atx&o Showcases Austin’s Small Businesses

August 13, 2018 by Jonas White Leave a Comment

Meet the Brown sisters, the creatives behind atx&o (Credit: Erica Tello)

Here at The Austinot, we highlight local businesses, events, and movers and shakers. So it makes sense for us to acknowledge those with a similar mission.

Few do local story sharing as well–or with as much style–as atx&o, the brainchild of sisters Ashley and Becky Brown. Whether through curated web series, quick hit spotlights, or events, atx&o is making waves and bringing people together.

I recently sat down with the Browns to flip the script and shine a spotlight on them, and the work they do.

[Read more…]

Musicians’ Living Wage Advocates Fair Pay for Austin Musicians

April 24, 2018 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

BLXPLTN tears apart The North Door during Musicians’ Living Wage kickoff event (Credit: Nicola Gell Photography)

Instead of a candy dish or ironic red stapler, imagine a tip jar on your work desk. In lieu of a paycheck, a manager swings by, smiles politely, and drops a couple of singles in your jar. Sadly, he isn’t able to actually pay you. You’re there for exposure.

[Read more…]

Latinitas Empowers Austin’s Young Latinas With Media and Technology Skills

April 11, 2018 by Amanda Gagnon Leave a Comment

Latinitas serves girls ages 9-18 through after-school clubs, camps, conferences, and workshops
(Credit: Josie Hughes)

In this day and age, media and technology impact nearly every moment of the day. Though new jobs are constantly being created, women struggle to find their voice. Especially within the Latina community.

From a cultural perspective, Latinas have a powerful voice and important perspective to contribute to all creative sectors. This is where Latinitas shines, and why it’s become such a valuable part of the Austin community. Latinitas is empowering young Latinas to innovate through media and technology, find their voice, and let it be heard. [Read more…]

Aiko Lyne Helms Emmer & Rye Dessert Team at 20 Years Old

March 27, 2018 by Vi Chetan Leave a Comment

Aiko Lyne, Head Pastry Chef at Emmer & Rye

A high schooler who knows exactly what she wants to be professionally is a rare find. I remember my high school days. I was only concerned with making a C in all my classes, in the hopes of getting out of my parents’ home soon. If someone asked what I wanted to be, I didn’t have much to say.

But I recently met an extraordinary 20-year-old here in Austin. Her name is Aiko Lyne, and she’s Head Pastry Chef at Emmer & Rye. On her day off, the two of us sat down for a chat at the restaurant. When I asked what she was doing there, she told me her definition of a day off is to help in the kitchen and plan for the next service.

This response gives you an idea of how much Lyne loves what she does, and how much she enjoys being at Emmer & Rye. [Read more…]

Austinites Heal With Kermit the Therapy Dog

March 14, 2018 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Kermit the Therapy Dog

Guest article by Jesselyn Parks

“We were sitting underneath a tree and looking out over the field”, Melissa Unfred said, with a palpable, reflective calm in her voice. She’s telling this story over a speakerphone, with the roar of the highway audible on the line.

Unfred is 1,100 miles into a 1,300-mile journey. She’s returning to Austin from Parkland, Fla., the site of one of America’s most deadly school shootings. The faint panting of her certified Therapy Dog, Kermit, is not far off in the distance, coloring the phone call with a repetitive beat.

Kermit loves car rides. “Kids and parents would come and sit down next to us, and just quietly stroke his fur.” During the trip, Kermit’s working vest displayed in large, bold font: Therapy Dog. Please Pet Me. [Read more…]

Parcel22 Clothing Subscription Service Helps Prevent Textile Waste in Landfills

February 28, 2018 by Brittany Ballard Leave a Comment

Switch out clothing items constantly and prevent waste with Parcel22 (Credit: Parcel22)

For busy women, online shopping is a method of survival. Between work, side hustles, and maintaining some semblance of a social life, there’s no room for browsing racks and trying on clothes at a store. Parcel22 takes online shopping a step further, through its clothing subscription service that allow you to switch up your closet while reducing textile waste in landfills. [Read more…]

Street Lamps Are Now Recording and Replaying Your Shadow in Austin

February 12, 2018 by Amanda Gagnon Leave a Comment

Experience Shadowing through March 18, 2018 (Credit: Chomko and Rosier)

Austin is a unique city, with a vibrant culture that can be directly attributed to our embrace of the arts. So it should come as no surprise that an interactive art exhibit has chosen Austin as home for the next five weeks. In the tradition of keeping it weird, Austin Cultural Arts Division is hosting “Shadowing,” an interactive art installation, through March 18, 2018.

This fun art exhibit will be incorporated into several locations across the city. Shadowing is sure to be a crowd pleaser and conversation starter for residents and attendees of SXSW this year. [Read more…]

Austin Hip Hop Artist SaulPaul Moves From Prison to Positive Thinking

January 15, 2018 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

SaulPaul in his element (Credit: SaulPaul)

When I met SaulPaul at Bennu Coffee on South Congress at Riverside, it was the tail end of a hectic day. Forty-five minutes later, a perma-smile was plastered to my face. When you spend time with genuinely positive people, that’s just what happens.

Not only is this master of the mic making major waves in the music scene locally and nationally, but he’s doing it with a spirit of generosity and positive thinking. A man with a fascinating story reflected beautifully in his craft, SaulPaul is an artist worth emulating. [Read more…]

Black Ball Awards $230,000 to Austin Musicians at Paramount Theatre

December 10, 2017 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

Sixteen bands performed on the iconic Paramount Theatre stage Saturday night, as Austin nonprofit Black Fret awarded $230,000 in grants to 19 local bands at its annual Black Ball. For all the gowns and tuxedos in the audience, the atmosphere was informal and upbeat. Excited whoops and friendly heckling were directed towards the stage, and the few technical delays were shrugged off with a sense of humor.

We were there to celebrate. The first award winner of the night, Jackie Venson, told attendees she wasn’t going anywhere because of Austin’s vibrant support system for musicians. “There’s no HAAM in New York. There’s no SIMS [Foundation] in Chicago.”

With a fair amount of negativity directed towards Austin’s growth and subsequent affordability issues, one might assume the ecosystem for musicians is in decline. While we have work to do as a city, Black Ball showcased a vibrant community of musicians being propelled toward success through Black Fret grants. [Read more…]