I Birds Austin

Lately I've been very busy.  Ok, so I say that every other day, but this time I mean really really busy.  In addition to the backyard demolition and the guest bath remodel I've been working with superstar client, Birds Barbershop, to unleash a new campaign on our unsuspecting and fair city. See, with the word Barbershop in the name, people often assume that their core customer looks a lot like this:

With free lone star on tap, you best believe that several dudes get their ears lowered at Birds, but they also have customers like-a so:

And plenty like this:

Birds owner, Michael, and I have been brainstorming and coordinating this campaign for months.  All photographs were shot by Alison Narro, layout & graphics by yours truly, and the logo is a spin on an old austin bumper sticker from the '70s.  (BTW, I tried to find a pic of the sticker online and couldn't but trust me it exists)  Here are a few other posters I've put together so far.

The shoot took place over 4 days (one day at each Birds location) and all the models are Birds customers who just so happened to show up during the shoot to get a haircut.

If you're in Austin, keep your eyes peeled, these posters and ads will be popping up everywhere soon.  Treat it like a where's waldo, would ya?

Round Top Roundup: Spring 2010

Hot on the heels of SXSW comes another Texas sized festival -- the Round Top antiques fair. Neither Karly nor I were sure we could make it this year, but hooray! Fortune prevailed. On Saturday morning we said good bye to the menfolk (who were not disappointed in the slightest about being left behind), grabbed our pal Diana, gorged ourselves on sugary cream cheese kolaches, and then headed out in search of treasure.

round top antiques fair

After hours and hours of weaving from booth to booth, Karly and I both scored a few items, but nothing big this year. Sadly, Diana went home empty handed, which is oddly easy to do at Round Top. There is so much stuff there that it's easy to get glazed over and just shut down. I'm still mighty tired from all the walking in the heat, so this post is gonna be short on words, but no need to worry: I went a little berzerker with the old point and shoot this year, so it will be crazy long on images. Enjoy!

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

Stuff I almost bought:

round top antiques fair

round top antiques fair

Pair of what look to be Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates chairs upholstered in houndstooth fabric for $375. Cool, but pricey, and I have no place for them right now.

round top antiques fair

Brass swan faucet that Karly spied for $75, and large painting for $200. I may kick myself for not getting that faucet, but I just don't have a place for it right now, plus it needs refinishing. The painting was done in 1930 and has an awesome old money feel, but it was damaged and the douchey seller wouldn't come down. His loss.

Stuff we bought:

round top antiques fair

Huge revolutionary drummer boy painting for Ike's room for $45. SCORE!

round top antiques fair

Karly got these Seven Deadly Sins dessert plates for practically nothing.

I also bought a big white globe swag lamp for over the kitchen sink, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Hopefully The Hunny can wire it up soon and I'll capture it in situ, along with my "new" shelves that I've been threatening to post for months.

round top antiques fair

Here we are near the end of the day. Karly has on her sessy face, and I look like a kid that got caught playing with daddy's creepy Kaiser hat. We had an awesome time, but I am glad to be at home on the couch, in the air conditioning.

Happy Monday, dudes!

Things I'm Looking Forward To

Other than the eminent guest bathroom remodel that we discussed yesterday, there are a few things on the horizon that have my heart going pitter pat.  Let's get right to this

1. Bravo's new show 9 by Design.  Ok, so the name is as cheesy as it could possibly be but I'm looking forward to watching this family of, yes, nine, run around Manhattan buying up vacant lots and old pawn shops to build and design new spaces.  I flipped through the couple's design site and, sure a few of the spaces are a little cheesy now, but keeping in mind that they are a few years old, they were spot on at the time of the build.  I watched Brovo's 30 minute preview dealie-dad a few weeks ago and all I can say is that they were putting in custom painted wood floors from some artist in the Netherlands, so this is not a show I will be mad at.

2. Metallic edible food spray.  Now I can make the 5 foot, 10 tiered gold layer cake of my dreams.  Enough said.

3.  Round Top.  I was actually pretty sure that I wasn't going to be able to make the Round Top Flea Market this time around due to a hellish work schedule and a few different travel plans, but, luckily, I've carved out some time at the last minute and will be cruising the fields and eating BBQ sandwiches THIS WEEKEND.  Holla!