Austin Fashion Week

Matt Swinney, formerly of Rare magazine, brainstormed Austin's First Annual Fashion Week that is going on this week. Owners of small business, artists, crafters, designers, hair stylists, have all jumped on board to create one incredible week of subsequent, overlapping, and same time events all over Austin. On Thursday alone there were over fifty events taking place in Austin.

Diane Petkoff, of Tasty Jewelry, my favorite jeweler in town emailed her clients to let us know she would be participating in one of these shows, and included a link to Austin Fashion Week. I'm not sure how the other people who showed up at these events found out about AFW '09, but that's how I found out. The friends I brought to each event found out through me. A few of the ones I've been able to go to were over the top amazing, a few of the ones I went to were mediocre, and a few others weren't worth it.

The first opportunity I had to experience Austin's own Fashion Week was Wednesday, so I hopped on the AFW site and checked out which ones I wanted to go to. The choices were slightly overwhelming and I felt I needed to bring a friend along to make it worthy my while in case any one I attended turned out to be a total dive. I coerced the A*stin Blogg*rls to join me to the first one after our get together at dinner. We went to the fashion show at Wish boutique on 12th Street in central Austin. Unfortunately we caught it just as the models were walking out and Kenichi and Cover 3 who hosted the catering were closing down their sushi and drink bar. They did have a swank set up, their boutique is amazing with prices way too high for my budget but for whoever's budget they do fit in they are going to be extremely fashionable in a way that is trendy, but at the same time will always come back in style. Everybody was dressed in high fashion wear which made the three of us were very underdressed for the occasion. The overall atmosphere seemed very high fashion week to me, and resulted in my excitement for the rest of the events of Fashion Week!

Still to come... reviews for Austin Handmade, Silhouette, Qua, Kisma, and Waterstone Aesthetics Fashion Week events!

The sweetest day

I wasn't expecting much out of my birthday day given it fell on a Monday. I had my four day weekend where I got to soak up all the time that I wanted with my family. So yesterday morning I quietly took Brando to work, Justinb to camp, and Shawners and I went home. I answered every single phone call that came in, where usually I have my cell on silent, and as a disguised gift spoke to people I don't get to talk to often enough - my grandma, my sister in law, my dad, my sisters, my mother in law three times singing happy birthday each one. The only call I accidentally missed was my father in law.

Yesterday evening was my normal girls night which I had every intention of going to and enjoying like I normally do every week to just relax and be with the girls. Li was gone, and she is the fore runner of the group. The rest of us were going to go out for my birthday, but with my back pain I asked if they would just be up to doing a regular girls night. Little did I know that M, Ambs, and Anny had thrown together a little birthday gig for me complete with spoilage. Presents, gorgeous roses, cards, and a black forest with bourbon soaked cherries cake. Each time one of them came in, I had to close my eyes until they got the present, flowers, or cake situated. The tears welled up too many times and I sat back and marvelled at the situation and am so very grateful these girls are in my life. To laugh and cry and celebrate with.

About an hour into my girls night and just before we had dinner ready Brando and the boys knocked on the door and brought me two roses and a Lindt chocolate bar. Then they went back out and came back in about six more times, ech time with two red roses and a gift until I had a dozen roses total, four starbucks frappucinos, whoppers from Justinb, ferrero rocher from Shawners, Sweet Leaf tea, a card from each of them, and the Lindt chocolate bar. All my favorites! Shawners card came by way of Justinb and it read, "I wish we could spend your birthday with you." while he sat forlornly on the couch watching cartoons with K. I told Brando to let them stay up and watch movies until I got home so I could hang out with them for a little bit, and they did. When I got home Justinb and Brando had cake and chocolate and passed out while I cuddled up with Shawners on the couch and asked if I could watch the rest of his movie with him and spend my birthday with him. We finished the movie then I laid next to him until he fell asleep w his hand wrapped around my finger like he did when he was a baby.

A truly amazing, delightful, surprising, fabulous day. I couldn't have asked for anything better!

Upbeat

I'm not sure how this girl has such positive and motivational thoughts to blog about all the time, because she's a normal, down-to-earth girl and has struggles just like we all do. I am LOVING her blog posts and her upbeat, introspective thoughts she posts regularly. Her latest post, Accessorize your life, is my favorite so far and so relatable in that when I want to look cute, I pick the best of what I have to go out in. Why wouldn't I do that with my perspective on life too?

I don't know, something amazing I guess

At any one point in time something amazing is happening in the world. This weekend I have been so grateful for my something amazing happening right here, right now in my own quiet little world. It doesn't appear to be amazing to the outside world, or to me even. It being time with my family, my amazing hubby who bends over backwards for me doing everything I shouldn't be doing, the massage he scheduled not once, not twice, but three times simply because I didn't feel up to going to the first two appointment times he had scheduled, the movies and treats he ran out to get, the massages he gave me, the plans he made with the boys, the outings he planned with all of us. These are truly precious to me. I'm glad I had a whole weekend where I was literally forced to sit back and experience them. A small piece of what my life would be without me making the plans and dictating what we do, just sitting back and enjoying. I love the amazing, too, and can not WAIT to get back to it, but I have so enjoyed the quiet amazing this weekend.

As far as being literally forced to enjoy the weekend, or actually four day vacation (yay, Brando!), going to the chiro literally made my back so bad I woke up in tears the next morning and was heavily drugged for the next two days just to bear the pain. The original pain is gone I think unless the all over back pain that replaced it once I went to the chiro is drowning out the original pain. It has slowly gotten better by taking muscle relaxants and not doing ANYthing to make it worse and I'm so hoping it will heal completely soon!

The title quote is for Sami... can anyone guess where it came from?

Healing

So remember my working out stint? Well, somehow I managed to injure myself during that. Yes, personal trainer and all, I injured myself. I was doing something like laying on my back and lifting a weight with my arms outstretched from behind my head to my toes. Would have been smart of me to only do it five times or so. Instead I did it twenty in a row. When I got up I felt a pang in my back and said OUCH. I thought I only bruised it but two weeks later it is still hurting. I went to the chiropractor today and it feels better, the pain is more dispersed and less intense instead of concentrated in one area. My shoulder had started to hurt as well, and at least that has stopped. I'll have to go back again tomorrow for another $25 co-pay. Ugh. Sure drains our budget those seemingly innocent $25 co-pays. Hopefully it pays off!

Oh and exactly where her hands are is where it hurts! Ouchies!

Perfect 4th

Starting the day off right by going to the pool in the morning with chips and dip,

eating at our favorite place for lunch, finding a quiet spot to listen to the A*stin Symphony Orcestra and watch the fireworks,

letting our shady grassy spot fill up with people around us, but not in our bubble, bringing appetizers over from Ho*ters, watching the fireworks over the A*stin skyline (we're definitely doing that again! Our spot was fabulous but we already have mapped out several new spots to try),

Photo by Brando

having a dance party in the car while waiting to get out of the parking garage, floating in the pool with Land Sharks at midnight when we got home. A perfect beginning, middle, and end to enjoying fireworks, independence, and the ones I love. Hope you had a wonderful day as well!

Texas Date

Dinner at Fl*res

Watching the sunset

With the sunset!

The gorgeous Austin, Texas sunset

Our sweet set up that rivals a parking spot on West Cliff in Santa Cruz, California

Feel free to gag now.

Little Tired

It's been a busy year. Busy with friends, weekend plans, and fun. I can only think of one weekend that we had free with nothing planned, but then it got filled up. But I'm a little tired. I've gone out four times in the last week and stayed out until 3 or 4am, and I think it's been the final straw that has worn me down. I'm ready to just relax and be HOME for a little bit. Take in the simple pleasures of life for a little while rather than the grand gestures. Discover my own town a little more. I love doing that. California isn't really in the works this year. My parents are working double time in this economy, and Brando's Mom is working full time for the first time ever since I've known her. We could go and make it a little vacation, but I would be a little sad if we were out there and weren't able to see them. I'd rather stay here just to be together and have it not be so much work.

On my list for this summer:

*Hamilton Pool (I've been wanting to go SO bad!!)

*Movies in the pool at Deep Eddy

*Blues on the Green at Zilker Park

*The Music Man at Zilker Hillside

*Six Flags

Maybe these for a little while... then I'll be back in the mood for planning grand adventures.