Pretty Walls, Empty Wallet (E.A.S.T.)

This Sunday, Julie, Jason, my brother Jared and his friends Gabe and Britney and I all headed over to the East Austin Studio Tour (after brunch at Elsi’s) to check out as much local art + artists as we could fit into the afternoon. Our first stop was Pump Project, so we could say hi to Matt and check out the other thirty or so studio spaces and artists that are there. It’s a really laid-back place with diverse mediums represented—paintings, sculptures, glasswork, ceramics, drawings, and photography. Jared’s friend Britney bought the Green-eyed girl print by Baxter Orr, Matt’s new studio mate. Matt bought the same print for me, which I'm really excited about!

Then we stopped at Blue Genie to check out what kind of crazy sculptures they would have lying about (jackalopes, giant sushi, and gnomes a plenty if you’re curious) and pick up some flyers to hand out for the upcoming bazaar. Julie & Jason bought a print called Splashdown by Ryan Day and I picked up a few funny magnets by Rory Skagen. I was also super excited to see a gigantic replica of an Aggie ring in the process of being made. It was big enough to walk through! I’m so used to being surrounded by Longhorn stuff all the time; the giant Aggie ring was a happy surprise.

Our last stop was Obsolete, Inc., where we all totally scored on fantastic flatstock prints. Julie bought six, I bought five, and Jared, Gabe, and Britney all bought one each (showing much restraint). Now we need to go frame shopping in a major way...once our wallets recover from all of our E.A.S.T. purchases!

Three Things I Love Right Now

Aqua + Red

I’m moving in a month and have decided to paint my kitchen aqua, rather than the apple green that I had in my previous kitchen. I already have a cute red vintage metal cabinet, and I’m going to get red dining chairs to go with my black table. Now every time I see red and aqua, I’m drawn to it…I think it’s a great holiday combo as well.

Primpcess Eye Makeup Kit by Benefit

I bought this all-in-one eye makeup kit during a serious Sephora shopping spree about a month ago. It contains (are you ready?): mascara, three powder eyeshadows (including one that can double as a liner), a cream shadow, concealer, eye brightener, two brushes, and my favorite Bad Gal mascara. All for $34, which I felt was a great deal! I’ve used it every day since. A great gift idea for the super girly girl in your life (that is, after you've already given her a hauteChocolate bar!).

Pumpkin Bagels from Einstein Bros. Bagels

There’s an Einstein Bros. on the way to work, and when I don’t have time to eat breakfast at home, I’m always tempted to stop in for a bagel and a Diet Coke. Lately I’ve been getting the pumpkin bagel with low fat plain cream cheese. Puts me in the holiday mood!