Art - Scape

My absolute favorite part of Austin, and one of the things I was most looking forward to were the murals dotted around town.  They are one of the major things that keeps Austin weird.  They're also beautiful pieces of art and probably took a lot of time and energy.  I've read loads of articles on the most popular ones, but what I noticed is that there are others that aren't really listed anywhere.  

They sort of just pop up out of nowhere. You'll be driving down first street and our of nowhere, you'll see Rodney Dangerfield on the side of a building.  Or strolling down Congress, when you notice Mr. Rogers on the side of a Pizza joint. What I wonder is how exactly one chooses to put Rodney Dangerfield or Mr. Rogers on the side of your property.  I'm sure there's a complicated train of thought...

Anyway, I had planned on just sort of finding them along the way.  But I learned that while most are sprinkled around in the open, some of the other really cool ones are nestled back into little neighborhoods which would have never been found, had it not been for a great post about them. Thanks to this post, GPS and a free morning, we were able to find the cool ones. 

What a cool way to decorate an already too cool for school city!

I {Heart} Austin!

I had the most fabulous time in Austin!  It's up there in the top 5 of my most favorite places. I ate... A LOT!  I saw a lot.  I sweat a lot.  And most importantly I enjoyed every minute of it.  So much so, that I'm already secretly planning in my head a return trip soon. I'll have loads more to say in the very near future.  For now, I'm working on organizing all the photos (600+!) and wishing I was still there.

 Austin, I {heart} you!

Friday Five

1. I loved Friday Night Lights and I loved Coach Taylor specifically.  So this video of "Coach's" PSA for the Alamo Drafthouse is pretty darn amazing!  From the music to the Clear Eyes, Full Hearts to the tagline at the end, everything is perfect!
          

2. I don't know much about Riley Curry, other than when her father was winning the NBA playoffs she was all over the press conference scene.  But apparently, she's also quite the little dancer as well.  However, Leah Still, whose father is a Cleveland Brown and who has been battling cancer for the last year, has decided she can dance just a bit better.  In case you were wondering, this is the perfect use of social media.  So cute!

3. While others may be obsessed with the pedicure, I've decided that the manicure is so much better.  I had my first today and while it may have taken forever, it feels wonderful to have my sorta-starter fingernails look so nice and even.  I've been trying to paint them myself but they've looked like a 3 year old did them, especially on my right hand.  But having someone else do them, just makes things so much easier.  Also, there's no awkwardness of having your feet out there to be judged and/or tickled (in case you're crazy ticklish on the bottom of your feet...)

4. This little guy is having the summer I want to be having!
        

5. In 72 hours exactly, I'll be taking off for England!!!  Not that I'm excited or anything... : )

Friday Five: Texas Edition

1. For someone who's always cold, I adored the weather.  When you're wandering around the city, you most definitely get super hot, but I would take that any day.  Today it's about 50 here and I'm freezing!  Which I realize is crazy but seriously, it's May.  Where's my sunshine and heat?!

2. I loved the wide open space.  San Antonio didn't seem huge.  But when we got out to the open road to drive to Austin, it seemed so much larger.  You never realize how small Maryland is until you visit a state as large as Texas.

3.  This might be trivial, but I love 70 MPH speed limits.  It just makes life so much easier.  I think traffic wouldn't be so bad if everyone was moving along nice and quick. (I promise I'm not a speed demon... : )

4. The state house in Austin - It's such a beautiful building!  I mean the one in Annapolis is pretty but it's little.  This state house is HUGE.  And the architecture mixed with the landscape was gorgeous.  I'd love to go to work each day in a building like that.  Work might be a bit more fun if I did.

5. Gordough's Funky Monkey - Honestly, the best thing I had all week.  I think I'm currently going through withdrawl.  Think they'd be interested in franchising in MD?

View from the Capital

As you can see, things were much happier in Austin.  The sun was shining a bit more and most of all the city was so much kitschier and so much happier than San Antonio.  I'm not sure how to explain it, but I feel the same way about Austin that I do about England.  It just feels right - everything about it makes me smile.  It's strange because in both cases I felt that way immediately.  In Austin's case it only took 7 hours.  What an awesome place!  I just can't wait to go back and really explore!

 Austin - I really do love you so much!

 Selfie Challenged...

 We suck at selfies...

 

 Kind of in love with the State House - Such beautiful architecture!

 Oldest Hotel in Austin - The Driskill

Literally the best donuts I've ever had!  Above is the Funky Monkey and below is the Naughty but Nice. So stinking delicious!

 

My one big purchase in Texas - if it was going to be anything, it had to be boots.  While I would have loved some "cowgirl" boots, I know better.  I never would have worn them in MD - contrary to the sheer awesomeness of the pair below : )  I decided to go with some super cute ankle boots which I've been assured will last forever - which is good because it's the most $$$ I've ever spent on a pair of shoes in my entire life...

 Finally - we got it right!