Austin: Day Five

I was lucky enough to meet up with the beautiful Amelia of Vintage Vivant today. Amelia was so kind and welcoming; she showed me around the city and introduced me to many new experiences - chocolate bacon, cucumber soda and the expression 'my dogs are barking,' to name just a few. And she gave me this gorgeous parasol, just perfect for protection from the sun's heat! We visited an amazing candy store on South Congress (Big Top Candy Shop), Uncommon Objects (I am absolutely going to furnish my house from here when we move) and several great vintage stores. It was such a fantastic day, and I feel like I've known Amelia for years. Looking forward to our formal-wear ukelele evenings, lovely lady!




The Aladdin's Cave that is Uncommon Objects.





Like kids in a candy store ...

And here, apropos of nothing, are some pictures of Austin taken from our hotel windows. Such a beautiful place!

Austin: Days Three and Four

I have a terrible sense of direction - like an ant in a matchbox. While LOML can arrive in a new city and instantly have his bearings, I will be wandering in the wrong direction and becoming confused. It took me years to feel confident finding my way around Christchurch without maps and detailed directions, and I think Austin is going to be the same! I went out to a Barnes and Noble store in the suburbs yesterday, and got horrendously lost while trying to find a Goodwill store I had passed en route. I ended up going in the opposite direction, heading away from the city and out to goodness-knows-where. Luckily I stopped at a very friendly bar, Sam's Boat, where I called LOML to come and rescue me and comforted my shaken nerves with a Corona or two. I did stop in at a Salvation Army store on the way home, though, and so that comforted me for my unintentional detour. LOML has now bought me a compass, and I purchased a gigantic Austin street atlas yesterday, so I'm hoping I won't get quite that lost again. Fingers crossed.

Last night, I was lucky enough to meet the beautiful Theresa, a bloggy friend who has been hugely helpful and kind to me while I plan my move. We had a drink at Bouldin Creek Cafe, on the corner of Elizabeth Street and South 1st - what a cool place! Intimidatingly cool, in fact - lots of arty people with iPads and carefully constructed holes in their clothing - and great fun. I really liked it. They also gave me the largest glass of wine I have ever seen in my life, which helped.



I have really fallen in love with the portion of the city that is south of the river. I can just picture myself working in one of the great cafes around there (stopping for a vintage-buying break, of course). We'll see, though. We're going to look at houses on Thursday, and I don't know where we'll end up yet.

Today I wandered around downtown, eventually ending up at Toy Joy and Buffalo Exchange on Guadalupe Street. Toy Joy has to be the best toy shop I have ever been in - I spent well over an hour wandering around looking at everything. I wish I could transport my eight-year-old self there - she would be in heaven.



Speaking of heaven - Buffalo Exchange. Wow. I have never been to one before, and I loved it. I found two fifties dresses, really stunning ones, and a gigantic red crinoline (don't ask me how I'm getting it home, because I don't know), for a ridiculously cheap price. Thrifting- and vintage-wise, this city gets a big thumbs-up from me. Of course, it gets a big thumbs-up in all the other areas too, so far.


Lazy day wandering around the city.

Blouse - thrifted, F21 via Buffalo Exchange
Belt - vintage
Jeans - '80s, thrifted
Shoes - no label, vintage, thrifted at the Austin Salvation Army store
Bag - vintage, gift from a friend

Austin: Day Two

We went to a bar in Old West Austin last night, and it was wonderfully Austin-y (Austinish?). There was a great live country band, dancing, and a ladies' loo made from a boxcar. I spent a lot of time reading all the graffiti on the toilet wall and then taking photographs of it, which garnered me some strange looks from fellow patrons. And an invitation to have dinner with one of them (declined). I can't remember the name of the place, though (I'm afraid it was that kind of night): if anyone recognises it, please tell me!








As you can imagine, we were in need of a hearty breakfast and a lot of coffee this morning. We headed down to Magnolia with our friends, and managed to get a table after about an hour's wait. Our friends told us that going out for breakfast on a Sunday is kind of an American tradition - it certainly seemed like every other person in Austin had had the same idea.



Magnolia again! Such a cool place. And amazing Eggs Benedict.

After breakfast, I popped in to New Bohemia. That place is absolutely amazing - as are the other vintage stores I've visited here. I am completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of garments and the low prices. Overwhelmed in a good way. And, naturally, I came away with another couple of vintage dresses. I need to start pacing myself a bit - we've only been here for two days!


New Bohemia, my spiritual home, on South Congress. And this is just a tiny, tiny section of it.

Art City Austin was on this weekend - we wandered the stalls this afternoon (some seriously great stuff), and I developed a new addiction to iced tea.

Outfit shot! I am hot and tired. Can you tell?

Dress - vintage, bought for $5 back in New Zealand
Shoes - Hannahs
Bag - vintage, a gift
Sunglasses - vintage, thrifted

And this evening seemed - to me, at least - to be our most Texan yet; we drove out of town to a barbecue restaurant called Salt Lick, where we ordered an all-you-can-eat array of ribs, steak, sausage, coleslaw, beans and potatoes. So much meat. They might as well have plonked a whole cow onto the table. The atmosphere was fantastic - bustling, lively, cheerful - and the enormous barbecues were pretty cool. I'm not a big meat-eater, but I really enjoyed the coleslaw and the yummy sauces. I think I've tried more different hot sauces over the past two days than I have consumed over the course of my life.



And this has nothing to do with anything, but I thought it was hilarious. Bear with me.