Austin Adventure Part 2

My trip to Austin continued to dazzle me. The shops in Austin are funky, eclectic and I loved them all.

Here are a few of my favorite spots. 

Parts & Labour had a variety of locally crafted goods. Everything from clothing to candles. I scored a great purple strapless dress with some southern flair that was made by a local designer.

Creatures Boutique had clothing with a fun southern charm. The jewelry in here was amazing!

Guero's, great tacos, great beers. Need I say more? 

Located right off of South Congress this place is in prime people watching and shopping location.

My teeny, tiny beer glass made my Pacifico even more fun to drink.

Jo's became my go to every morning for their delicious iced coffee. It has a little hint of chocolate, half and half and a splash of hazelnut. Amazing!

 They also sell beer, for those hot and sunny afternoons where a coffee just won't do.

 Awesome outdoor patio complete with wireless! There is an even bigger area in the back you can't see.

Love the mural on the side of the shop, so sweet.

This was honestly one of my favorite spots in Austin. I loved reading out on the patio and enjoying my iced coffee. A great way to start the day.

Hope to visit you again soon Austin, until then stay weird!

xo,
Liz

Visual Merchandising Goes Green

I took a trip to one of my favorite inspiration stores, Anthropologie, this weekend.
How could I resist those beautiful window displays? They just lure me in every time.

Anthropologie on Market Street in San Francisco 

                            

This time I noticed something new when I went in the store. My first thought was - Wow check out all the live plants in here! Upon second glance I realized that only half of the plants were alive. The other half had been created using various materials such as felt, rope, cloth and some sewing magic.

The visual merchandising team really outdid themselves this time.  

I was amazed at how easily the real and crafted plants blended with each other. It was such a great experience to see and touch the live plants and then touch the hand crafted elements.  

This was also a great marketing tactic that really got their customers wanting some spring and summer apparel. The displays of plants, warm weather shorts and dresses, and brightly colored apparel & accessories really screamed "Warm weather is coming! Gets your outfits ready now!" The desert design with the cactus elements can't help but make you want to be wearing a nice summer dress.

Don't mind if I do Anthro! 

Is it real plants? Nope - it is cloth, rope and felt!

These guys are real

Can you spot the real plants and the crafted plants?

Is that a desert oasis? Nope, just another display in Anthropologie.

Happy design inspiration!

Austin Adventure

Recently I took a weekend adventure to Austin, Texas and it was filled with inspiration. 

I loved the metal detailing on the railing on the walk way at Lady Bird Lake. 

Such a beautiful little accent to an object people use everyday.

Check out the view from the Zilker Park side of the trail. 

That is downtown Austin and the South Congress Bridge

                             

I loved this outdoor bar/ venue, they had tons of live music going on at night!

Rainy Day

Nothing delights me quite like a latte and a delicious almond croissant.
My neighborhood spot, Thorough Bread & Pastry has some of the best treats. Hope you are staying dry on this rainy day!

Domino Magazine is making a comeback!

One of my all time favorite home design magazines is coming back to print! 

Photo via curbed.com

When the economy took a turn a few years ago Domino was one of many magazines to be taken off of shelves.  Myself and many other decor junkies were very sad to see it go. It will be coming back this Spring reincarnated as Domino Quick Fixes and "will be full of Domino’s best home decorating stories, focusing on easy, often inexpensive changes that make a big difference – from quick spruce-ups of dowdy furniture to more involved DIY projects like painting stairs or reorganizing a home office." The issue will be on newsstands April 17 through July 16 and a second edition is planned for the fall. At $11 for each issue it is more than the original Domino, but I have a feeling that the quarterly sold issues will be jam packed with even more great details and will be well worth the price.  


To read more about Domino's return to the press check out the Curbed article here.
I can't wait to read the issue for myself!

A lovely weekend

My perfect afternoon

I spent a great part of the beautiful day reading the Design*Sponge at Home book looking for design inspiration, drinking tea out of my new Jonathan Adler mug and admiring my new mini succulent garden. The Design*Sponge blog is such a great resource for DIY projects and I always feel like I can build almost anything after reading their posts. The book has proved to be just as amazing! I am bursting with inspiration.

A close up of my adorable succulents. Love them!

I hope you all are enjoying a great weekend and the sunshine here in the city.

Winter Reading

Even though the cherry blossoms are in bloom here in the city it is still cold out and makes me want to curl up in a sunny spot with some tea and read a good book.  I thought I would share a few of my favorite books that I love.

How did you get this number
by Sloane Crosley
If you like Davis Sedaris and a witty writing style you will love Sloane's hilarious book of essays about life in your twenties in New York.  Her first book, I was Told There'd Be Cake is equally awesome.








The History of Love
by Nicole Krauss
Incredibly well written and tells the story of an old man remembering the love of his life and how his path intertwines with a 14 year old girl who has more in common with him than either of them realize.

The Gospel According to Biff: Christ's Childhood Friend
by Christopher Moore
This hilarious fiction novel explores what the life of Christ's might have been like through the eyes of his childhood partner in crime - Biff. I honestly laugh every time I read this book!







What is on your favorite books list?

Any upcoming releases you can't wait to grab off the shelves?