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

Why Can't All Concert Tickets Look Like This?

Look at what came in the mail the other day.

Holy moly, have you ever seen a concert ticket look so cool?  The whole concept of the Railroad Revival Tour is a complete throwback to a different era of music and how it is experienced by not only the concert-goer but the musicians themselves.  These guys are traveling by train and stopping in a few select cities all along the southwest.  We were fortunate to score tickets to the Austin show (although Marfa seemed tempting, I couldn't validate a 7 hour drive versus a 1 hour drive). 

The tickets have an air of authenticity and it really makes me look forward to the event.  My name is even on the tickets - how cool is that?   Matt's secretly jealous.  Little Mister won't be joining us, but don't feel too sorry for him - he has the Austin City Limits Music Festival to look forward to this September. 

On top of that, they released the very limited edition concert poster designed by Luca Zamoc available only to those who purchased the bundled ticket package.  

Man, I wish I shelled out the extra dough to get this print.

New Digs

It's been awhile, yes?  I'm back and geared up to hit the ground running.  I'm sure you are wondering, why the absence?  (Well, you probably aren't thinking that, but for giggles, I will just pretend you are).  In a nutshell, life has been happening and the hours are short.  This even with Daylight Savings time.  So I thought I'd take some time to gather my thoughts and bring some fresh new material.  Let's do this!

First off, check out my new digs!  Do ya dig?  Thanks to Powered by Pasteries for providing such an awesome layout.  I am truly amazed at all the great talent out there feeding my whim of new blog attire.  I'd love to learn all the technicalities someday soon.  I think that it might fulfill my need to geek out while creating something beautiful at the same time.

Also while on my hiatus, I took a great online blogging course.  It was, in a word, fab!   Check out my Decor8 Blogging Your Way badge.  I wear it with pride.  I loved every minute of the course and learned so much more about my purpose on the blogging joy ride.  Thanks again to Holly, Leslie, and Thorsten!

Okay, how's that for a re-introduction?  And believe you me, there is lots more to come.   I can't wait to share with you.