Cupcake Detour - Bird Bakery San Antonio

After dinner the other night, the three of us were craving something sweet so the car veered us to a new bakery conveniently located near our home in Alamo Heights, Texas.  We were treated to the warm decor of Bird Bakery and the welcoming smiles of the beautiful Elizabeth Chambers, the owner of this brand spanking new establishment.

In a nutshell, the ambiance cannot be beat and I've been to my fair share of cupcake eateries (what?  I'm pregnant!).  There is still that chaotic newness about it and I can sense it will take some time to get broken in.  All the hype leading up to the opening gives it a lot to live up to and with that, I only wish it the best.

Little Mister was in cupcake heaven and was smitten by our gracious host to say the least.  We will be back.

photos taken by me using Instagram

ACL 2011

We had such a great time at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this year.  The weather was cooperative and the music was fab as always.  Going to ACL with a toddler is certainly a different experience for us - we were stocked with plenty of diapers, snacks, and baby wipes to get us through the day.  Little Mister had no interest in wearing ear protection as he promptly pulled it off so we stayed safely back from the loud speakers.  We also had to make the difficult decision not go on the last day of the festival since we still had to drive back to San Antonio and Matt and I had to work on Monday.  We didn't want to push Little Mister too far.  It was a good decision and we're still able to check out the highlights of Arcade Fire on YouTube. 

Austin skyline

watching Foster the People

i haven't seen grass this green in ages.  the grounds were beautiful!

i don't know who these guys were, i just thought their signs were funny

Little Mister managed to nap through all the noise

We had a great time with some good friends and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Tickets for next year go on sale NEXT WEEK.  Yes, we'll try our hardest to score early bird tickets.  See you all then!

C'mon Colder Weather

I want to make this:

The free(!) crochet pattern is courtesy of Vicky Howell.  I love her.  I really do.  I've admired her for years and years and not only that, she hails from Austin! 

Since I couldn't snag the coveted Missoni for Target throw, I think this is a nice alternative.  I looked on eBay and people are selling it for nearly 3 times the retail price.  Crazy.  But as much as I love to knit and crochet, it doesn't make sense to cuddle up with yarn and needles on a 100 degree day.  It just feels wrong.  So I'm hoping for a cold front.   

Texas BBQ - A Checklist

A new app came out on the iPhone called the Texas Monthly BBQ Finder.  Not only does it direct you to the nearest BBQ joint (just in case you have a mad craving for a brisket sandwich) but it also lists the top 50 in the state.  I firmly believe that if you live in Texas, it is a prerequisite that BBQ becomes a part of your diet.  Veggies?  Check.  Whole grains?  Check.  Pork Ribs?  Check.

Oh and forgive me, my vegetarian friends - I'm about to talk meat. 

We decided to take the Texas Monthly Top 50 challenge.  This is not an official event, but for us - eating might as well be a sport.  Our goal to is eventually hit every single BBQ joint on the list and space them out enough so we won't suffer from too much heartburn and weight gain.  It also ties in with our love for long road trips and visiting the far reaches of Texas that we've never seen. 

First stop:

While it wasn't the legendary City Market nearby (it was closed the day that we visited), this was a mighty good alternative.  

So much fun!  I prettied up the Texas Monthly list a bit to record our adventure.  We'll probably not hit every joint but this will be fun way to track it!

 

August Break - Day 22: FREEDOM

We were on a mini staycation this past weekend at the JW Marriott in San Antonio.  We had a great time floating in the hotel's lazy river and Little Mister flirted with every female lifeguard that he came across - figures.  He also enjoyed the wide open spaces with plenty of room to run. 

If he could speak, I would guess he'd be shouting, "FREEDOM!"

August Break - Day 10: SUNSET

big Texas sky

August Break - Day 1: CRAVE

If you remember from this post, I told you about participating in the August Break 2011 where we are to post a picture every day about anything.  Sounds pretty open ended, yes?  Why not, says I - sounds like a challenge!  I will post a new picture every weekday (and weekends if I feel up for it).  Sometimes I will elaborate with a long rant about something or another, but most likely I'll spare you of my charms.  So lets kick this off shall we?

This weekend we visited Houston and one evening we had a mad craving for cupcakes and what do we happen upon?

Crave Cupcakes in Houston.

What are the odds?  I love their logo on the door. 

Kiddie Park

This weekend we visited Kiddie Park here in San Antonio for a birthday party for our friend's little girl.  And although the heat was near unbearable as it's been for ages it seems, the large oak trees offered shade that was greatly appreciated.  It boasts itself as the oldest kid's park in the United States opening it's doors in 1925 complete with a vintage carousel and pint-sized rides.

Little Mister wasn't quite brave enough to ride on any of the rides himself so he spent most of the time gawking at the other kiddos.  

Me: "Look here!  Look here!"  Little Mister: "Nah, Ma.  I'd rather watch the other kids" 

We did manage to get him on the carousel.  Needless to say, he was hanging on for dear life. 

Us:  "Isn't this fun?"  Little Mister: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

We'll try again later.

For the Birds

I had always wanted to attend a class at Spruce in Austin and with luck I was able to this past weekend!  Here are the fruits of my labor and I love how it turned out: 

 I think I might paint the legs a different color, but for now I must say - it's pretty fab.  The fabric was perfect for this application and I have plenty leftover for another project down the line.

My favorite part might be the buttons.  I acquired the orange fabric from one of my classmates to make the buttons and I really think it brought a real pop to the whole piece. 

Here are a few process pictures from the class: 

Thanks to Amanda and Clar who were simply wonderful instructors.  Making something with my hands was so satisfying and I hope to take advantage of the chair upholstery class next!   

Update!  Check out the post about the class on Spruce!

Michelle Suvunrungsi Stedman - Custom Schedule for ACL 2011

oooh yes

Custom Schedule for ACL 2011

Garage of Good

I think this might be my new favorite San Antonio event.  Beautiful, spring (albeit humid) Texas morning?  Check!  Happy giggly Little Mister?  Why not?  Discount boutique shopping at the Pearl Brewery?  Count me in!

Welcome to the Garage of Good where I will wander into the foray of deep discounts and fashionable steals.  It's not just the shopping that is appealing, no way.  The nearly 40 vendors range from high end boutiques and vintage goods to independent artisans and vendors and a percentage of the proceeds go towards a local charity.  The event is held two or three times a year and although I haven't been able to attend in the past, I've been looking forward to this for a while.

As I'm always on the lookout for things for Little Mister, it is no surprise that I was immediately drawn to  these cute onsies and t-shirts from Adelle June by Jennifer June Martinson.  All the little wears are hand-dyed and patchwork sewn with care.  The creatures donning the outfits (particularly the monsters) kind of reminded me of the Little Mister during the sillier times.  Seriously cute and the colors were great - bright yet muted in an earthy tone.  Unfortunately, they didn't have anything in Little Mister's size but she gave me her business card and if you check out her website, she is also TLC's Homemade Millionaire Fashion Winner for her "Magic Dress."  How neat is that?  And she's local!  

There isn't a picture of the item that I coveted most of all - a vintage bar stool with orange (!) legs.  Why oh why did I pass it up?  Oh, I remember, I have limited space in our humble abode.  *sigh*   

Lucky us, it was also the weekly Farmer's Market at the Pearl.  We got there early enough to take in all the edible eye candy and beautiful produce.  Even without the sun shining, the colors just popped.  

We ended the morning with the tasty concoctions of Artisan Crepes.  Goodness, it was tasty.  We decided to go with the savory ham and emmental cheese with mesclun greens, tomato concasse, and aioli.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  The crepes themselves were delicate and light with just a hint of sweetness.  The fillings for the other crepes were just as amazing.  The vegetable ingredients in particular are grown in their garden and they are conscious about composting their waste.  What also impressed me was how quickly and efficiently they were getting the crepes out to the hungry customers.  The whole process of creating each crepe was methodical and graceful at the same time.  While there is no real storefront at the moment, I think I may stalk them on their facebook page - I hope they don't mind. 

Until next time!

Fiesta! (Part 2)

Whew!  What a whirlwind of a week it's been!  Fiesta is certainly a little different this year with a little one in the mix.  Granted, he wasn't cranky or the least bit fussy, thank goodness.  If anything, I was the one freaking out about getting him home at a decent hour, strangers touching his head (honestly, who DOES that?), and getting his diaper changed.  Generally, though, we all had a really good time.

We went to Night in Old San Antonio (a.k.a. NIOSA) a couple nights during Fiesta and that's where we fought the crowds most.  Luckily I had our trusty Beco Butterfly Carrier and we were good to go.  I didn't have my Nikon with me to take many pictures and I was too focused on making sure Little Mister was doing good (have I mentioned the crowds?) but we did enjoy the company of good friends and good food.  One of my favorites?  The anticuchos!  (Thanks James V. for the link!)

And finally, our next and final event was the King William Parade and Fair set in the heart of the historical King  William District in South San Antonio.  It is a beautiful and eclectic neighborhood and the streets were lined with artisans and food stalls. 

We took a break from the hub bub in front of a friend's house and another friend took this photo of us.  I love it.  I'm often behind the lens and not much a part of the pictures.  I'm glad we have this.

FIESTA! (Part 1)

It's Fiesta time here in San Antonio!  And while I normally pride myself on being "Texan," I must admit, I had never heard of the festival until we moved here.  My first impression were the house decorations the folks in my neighborhood started installing.  All the colorful and bright streamers and wreaths really became a welcome beacon of spring time.


And so, I delved a little deeper into the tradition.  I had no idea that it's been around since 1890 and getting bigger and more elaborate every year.  There is a Fiesta culture built around the city of San Antonio and giving back to the local community is the core of the festivities.  Of course, it's as good a time as any to enjoy good food, good drinking, and good company.  This website gives a really good overview of the history of Fiesta.

I don't want to fight the crowds too much with Little Mister in tow, so we try to stick to the relatively low key events.  Our first was the Fiesta Arts Fair at the Southwest School of Arts and Crafts. It featured a juried selection of artists from around the country on beautiful campus grounds.  I am seriously considering taking a class or two there.  Here is a view of the fair with Ricardo Legorreta's San Antonio Public Library in the background:

It was just a beautiful day.  

And although we left empty handed, I was especially drawn to the work of one artist by the name of Debra Smith.  The beautiful textures and subtle colors of the overlapped vintage kimono fabric were thoughtfully constructed into art that I wouldn't mind having in my home.

Our next event was The Alamo Heights Kings Party where Little Mister got to meet King Antonio LXXXIX Bill Mitchell

Grown-up Furniture

I've long been an advocate for Ikea furniture.  The lines are clean and the prices are right.  But it finally came time to invest in some "real" furniture.  It's a slow process for me since I am now spending more money and I like to believe that it is a more permanent fixture in our home.  The perfect coffee table is out there.  Where do I begin?

All the typical stores kind of fell flat for me.  I wasn't really finding what I was looking for.  I needed ample storage, durability (especially with a baby who is starting to pick himself up) and most of all, style.  I feel extremely fortunate that in my profession, I come across and meet so many talented and creative people.  All of whom are more than willing to share in their creative passions.  Such as this, my path crossed with Patrick Winn who I commissioned to design and build this coffee table and television console:   

 

Isn't it lovely?  The powder coated steel frame is inlaid with Ipe wood (talk about durable!) and although these pictures don't do it justice, storage is abundant.  It is above and beyond what I asked for and I couldn't be happier with the finished product.  I encourage you and everyone you know to check Patrick out.