Anthropologie Does Austin: Part 2

As you may remember from Erin's post last Friday, Anthropologie recently dropped into austin, rubbed it's faux flea market goo on every last street corner, then took pretty pictures of the results.  What can I say, Austin is a star, Austin shines, she deserves to have the rest of her pretty pictures shown.  Don't worry, it's easy to ignore the $300 cotton tops.

We pick up right where Erin left off:  smack dab in the middle of the catalog and in the middle of town.  I'm 90% sure this was shot at Flashback Vintage.  A shabby shack on South First with western boots and pants for days.  There's also lots of pyrex, which makes me happy.

Hot Gossip:  This shop used to be in a different location (I won't say where) they moved and the house they used to rent was torn down and a well designed local restaurant was built.  BUT, looks can be deceiving, without saying the name of the new location I will tell you that I will never ever go there again.  Last year I did some web work for the owners for free (I owed a favor to the owner's best friend).  THEN, I went to said restaurant for dinner and left with a $140 bill, they didn't even comp a glass of wine.  

So, there's your hot austin gossip:  Flashback = good, business in old location = bad

These photos were both shot on South Congress Avenue.  Left was taken from some ole shop window looking out to the street.  Right is in front of Jo's coffee, which Erin told you about Friday.  Here's some info you didn't get:  Their Chai tea is too watered down, even if you ask for extra chai.  Their BBQ pulled pork is worth driving across town for, if you don't do meat, the tofu is just as good (but lame because there's no meat in it) and if you drink regular coffee, the iced turbo is AWESOME.  Voila

I do believe that this was also shot at Flashback Vintage.  I have run out of gossip on this joint.

All of these pix were taken at Roadhouse Relics, purveyors of all things neon.  The top right image is an old sign from the Deep Eddy Cabaret that has now been reclaimed by Roadhouse and sits in their lot.  Deep Eddy Cabaret still stands and slings $2 Lone Stars like there's no tomorrow.

*Insider Tip:  If you are going to partake in the cabaret's drink specials, might I suggest that you do so after swimming in it's namesake:  the Deep Eddy pool.  It's pretty much the most perfect place in town:  it's a gigantic pool that feeds off of a cold freshwater spring.  You get all that natural water, but there's no dirt or fishies in the mix.  It's the jam.

This postcard mural is also at Roadhouse Relics - my god, what isn't at that place.  It was designed at painted by my friends, the geniuses at Blue Genie.  We sang the praises of Blue Genie once before HERE

I can promise that the model in this picture has never eaten at Fran's Hamburgers.  One bite of their greesy burgers and ice cream floats would keep her from fitting in the frame.  The place is cute, but do as I do:  get a yummy crushed-ice diet coke.

Fun Fact:  This place is sandwiched between a meat processing plant and Birds Barbershop on South Congress.

Oh! Another fun fact:  See how you can sorta make out a little yellow bungalow house in the bottom left of this picture, right by the sign post?  That house has a big hairy goat living in it's yard, the goats name is Nic (according to the sign the pet owners erected).  This house is only 1/2 a block off of one of the busiest streets in Austin.

Ok, this is where my tour-guidery gets a little shakey.  It's not for lack of Austin knowledge, but for lack of theater love that I totally fail on these next few shots.  If I had to make a bet, I would probably say this was shot at the Vortex Theater (excuse me, Vortex Repertory Company).  I was there once, it was for a wedding.

Same.  Let's talk about those South African Grazing Sheep.  Pretty cute, aye?  But for $448 a pop, I'm guessing my money will be better spent flying to Africa, taking a safari then picking those sheep up for 4 dollars U.S.

Good Lord, Anthropologie, are you still showing me the Vortex?  Ok, here's a fact:  within walking distance of the Vortex are 2 Joel Mozersky designed spaces: Red House (positive: yummy lemon-grass mojitos, stellar horse decor, negative: doors shut at midnight, boo) and el chilito a yummy taco stand (apparently the stripes on the side of the building were Joel's idea, cuz you can't step inside.) 

Oh, also, those lights are $398 each.  As in Each.  Just One.  Not a cluster.

Photo one, another theater shot, ugh.  Photo 2 - the poster close up - is actually shot in Nashville where the catalogs were designed and printed.  

Also in Nashville. 

There you go.  Now you know everything you ever wanted to know about Austin.  

Kisses!

Anthropologie Does Austin: Part I

Just when I had written off Anthropologie as a warehouse of expensive thrift store knock offs, they go and worm their way back into my heart by using Austin as the backdrop for their most recent catalog shoot. And is it just me, or are these pictures much better than usual? Alright -- I admit it. I'm a sucker for the charms of my recently adopted hometown, but no other place I've lived has made me feel so comfortable, had so much to offer, and remained actually affordable. Ssshhhhhh, don't tell anyone, though! The traffic is already so bad that you can walk down I-35 faster than you can drive it. But because I'm a sharing and caring person, I'm kicking off a two part tour of Austin via Anthropologie that Karly will conclude next week. Whew, and thank jeebus for Karly's super sleuthing skills! In the two years I've lived here, I have barely sampled a tenth of all the fun goodies, shopping, restaurants and curiosities, that make up the capitol of the Lone Star State. Welcome to Austin, y'all!

So you'd think a trailer with a giant Austin sign guarded by an ex member of the Grateful Dead would be hard to miss, but actually Karly and I are kind of at a loss as to the location on this one. Karly says it may be a part of the crazy Cathedral of Junk, and I'd say that's an awesome guess. If it's not correct, I fully expect some savvy Austinite will come set my ass straight, pronto (but in the nicest, friendliest way possible).

Update: This fantastic neon montage appears courtesy of Roadhouse Relics. Mystery solved!

Grab a cuppa joe at everhip Jo's Hot Coffee. Owned by ex Manhattan crime fighter, Liz Lambert, Jo's Congress location sits next to the Hotel San Jose -- site of much boozing and laid back cruising -- which she also owns. Not content with owning a badass coffee shop and our favorite hotel in town, Lambert recently opened the uber fabulous Hotel Santa Cecilia, which our Austin buddy Andrea blogged about here.

Say hello to The Hideout. It's a theater! It's a coffee shop! It's an art gallery! Speaking of art, check out work recently exhibited at The Hideout by our good friend Miss Hope Perkins of The Hot Pink Pistol. Her sister, craft goddess Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club fame, blogged all about it right here.

There are a million hipster havens in Austin, but South Austin Music (on the right) with its huge selection of guitars and banjos, is a staple stop for local indie kids of the musical persuasion. Of course, if you're like me and don't know your C chord from your G, you can take lessons there, too.

Austin has more than its fair share of drags, but none are as popular as South Congress. Little more than a decade ago, the South Congress was apparently a cultural wasteland filled with hookers and more hookers.

Now it's filled with delicious boutiques and restaurants and candy. And if you like candy like I like candy, you'll love the very quaint Big Top Candy Shop, with its old timey soda fountain and eclectic assortment of sugared goods. Where else can you get a candy coated scorpion? Hm?

On the left, Cheapo Records beckons with its siren call of cool dusty vinyl and free live music, which reaches a drunken fever pitch during SXSW. On the right, yet another colorful Austin vignette. Eastside, maybe?

The Continental Club has been an Austin institution since 1957. They carry on the swinging, honky tonk vibe and for the most part, it's all good. But I have been known to throw a fit after being asked to pony up a $15 cover fee for a band I've never heard of. However, as even my sweet little dad can attest, the bartender pours very stiff drinks. And that leads to dancing. And dancing is always a good time (until you wake up the next morning).

Guero's Taco Bar on South Congress has one of the cutest patios in the history of the world. Sit under the spreading branches of an enormous oak tree festooned with lights at night, and enjoy yourself a margarita (or five). There really is nothing better on a hot Texas night. A word of caution, though: watch out for the flying tree roaches, aka floaches, aka B-52 bombers. You may have heard that everything is bigger in Texas? Well, it's true.

No trip to Austin is complete without a visit to one of Alamo Drafthouse's seven locations. I'm partial to the South Lamar theater since it's close to home and I'm a lazy bum, but the downtown Ritz theater always makes for a good time. The Alamo basks in unique awesomeness largely due to the fact that they will bring food and BEER to your seat while you watch movies. The only downside to that arrangement is that you will surely miss at least 10 minutes of the movie while peeing out that pitcher of Dos Equis you just guzzled. Eh, small price to pay, right? The Alamo also hosts all kinds of crazy events, like a sing along to Purple Rain, visits from directors like Quentin Tarantino, and wacky comedy routines set to soundless movies.No can miss.

Be sure to join the very knowledgeable Karlypants on Monday for Part Deux of our Austin tour guide. There will even be -- gasp! -- home decor.

See? We didn't forget this was a design blog, after all.

Birds is the Word Again

So it's 9:30 on Monday night and I've just gotten off the plane from my trip to Albuquerque, where I got to check out more than a few awesome Bart Price houses (alas, still not from inside).  Congratulations to both Sherri and Freshly Found for their laser-like accuracy in Friday's where in the world contest, you made my decision tricky so you will both win bracelets from Naughty Secretary Club. Hooray!! Anyhoodle, as I mentioned, I'm fresh off the plane and have just returned to my computer after 4 days of work-free-best-friend's-wedding-bliss.  Despite my begrudging return to the real world, all is not so bad as my inbox included brand new pics of the newest Birds Barbershop taken by our own Ms. Erin.

You may remember that Erin took these pics of Birds on East Sixth just a couple of months ago.  The newest shop has a 3D mural created by local party planner extraordinaire and all-around badass, Luther Himes.  Psst... remember those 3D party pics I posted last week?  See, it's all coming together, right?

My favorite part of the shop is the 35 foot long wall with the black and metallic silver chevron stripe.  I had originally suggested a wide, angled stripe, then Joel Mozersky suggested we make it a chevron while at lunch one day.  I gave the design to our painter who then suggested that we put it at an angle.  So, it was a 3-way collaboration.  Yay!  Collaborative success!

Oh, unfortunately, at the last minute they had to put that ugly AC in.  But at least it's nice and cozy in there now.

That AC is a godsend since every other wall is a floor-to-ceiling window.

Did I mention the Free Skill Crane?

And the free Lone Star?

I love the back shampoo room, these chairs sit across from the big chevron wall.  The black high-gloss stripes running up the wall were a quick solution (suggested by yours truly) when no back splash had been planned for the sink, those shampoo bottles get messy too, so the wall directly behind them needed to be protected as well.

I found this light on ebay, it is my one true love

I also designed these 3D glasses, they're mighty special from the front as well, guess you're going to have to stop by the shop to see them.  For those of you in Austin, it's at 1902 South Congress, Just north of Magnolia Cafe.  You can also visit their site (designed by lil ole me) HERE