El Paso: Cinco Puntos Press

For 25 years Cinco Puntos Press in El Paso has published books related to border life. They've covered everything from women of the Mexican Revolution and border violence to graphic novels for young adults. I visited their small downtown press last year and loved these books - below - for my kids.

Using handpainted Oaxacan wood figures little ones familiarize themselves with the alphabet and learn each words Spanish counterpart.

Such good gift ideas. In fact, I think my dear friend Monica should expect something like this for her daughter's upcoming 1st bday.

And I love how this book, The King of Things, is inspired by the Mexican loteria.

Dallas: DVF to open in HPV

It's confirmed: Diane von Furstenberg is opening its 10th free-standing boutique in Highland Park Village this September. DVF will be sandwiched between Vilebrequin and Carolina Herrera and the 1,500 square foot space will carry clothing and accessory collections, including swimwear, shoes, and handbags.

Austin: Anthropologie

Everyone in Austin has been patiently waiting for Anthropologie to finally open at The Domain and I'm happy to tell you that at 10 am this Friday, May 28, you can finally walk through the doors and shop. This is the second location in town and is right by the Apple store in Phase 1 of the outdoor shopping center.

I just got off the phone with my lovely mother-in-law and since we'll be with her soon at her beach house, I'm anticipating the the salty air, the cold, but thrilling first swim in the Atlantic, and family sing alongs with lots of wine. Here are a few items that Anthropologie has right now that make me wistful for July.
If I was going to wear a print suit, this African-inspired one would be it.
I saw someone with this on the other day at the pool and it was seriously chic in that bohemian way.
I could see myself wearing this on the beach or on the four-hour plane ride to Boston.
SPF 30 towelettes - by Tocca no less - bring some serious sophistication to protecting your skin. One towel works for your whole body.
I always bring a couple of good beach reads with me. Instead of getting the latest best seller, I like the idea of revisiting classics and because Penguin has beautifully embossed these tomes it gives me extra incentive to read Alice in Wonderland, Emma, or Treasure Island. Everything here is available at Anthropologie or Anthropologie.com

Dallas: Barneys shoe sale

I may regret this when I call and can't get a size 7, but in the name of altruism I'm letting you know that Barneys' shoe sale officially begins on June 3. Below are a few of my favorites that will be marked down 40 percent. Get your handkerchief ready, you're about to salivate.

Momma.

Everywhere: Justin's Nut Butters

Have you ever tried Justin's Nut Butters? I buy tubs of it at Whole Foods, but lately I've been stocking up on their individual 1 oz packs of almond butter which are pretty handy. If I'm running around solo or with my kids I always have a couple in my purse to sate an appetite. They have plain jane peanut and almond butter, but also a slew of sweeter options like chocolate hazelnut, maple almond, and honey peanut.

Dallas: Tread update

I'm on a roll this week with Tread - on my 4th class of the week tomorrow - as pool time is this weekend and the bikini is coming out. I'm basically kicking it into high gear. Tonight when I went to class I was so happy that I signed up online because it was packed with Tread Heads and they all added to the energy of the class.

One word summary of tonight: Ah-mazing!

If you were like me in the beginning of April, someone who wanted to workout again, but wasn't sure how or where to start, I'm telling you this is the place for you. There is major camaraderie here - everyone is giving each other the same knowing looks "This is hard" and once you're done "I can't believe we just did that" and you walk out feeling exhilarated. If you were ever involved in team sports, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Tracy Hayes, Dallas' undisputed voice on style and ed in chief at F!D Luxe and I have talked about this at length: Why is this workout so dang addictive? Well, two things: You are pushed to do your best - whatever that may be for you. Maybe it's walking, maybe it's running, maybe even sprinting. Whatever it is, you figure it out and do it. And secondly, the feeling of accomplishment once you see and feel your body getting stronger is incredibly empowering.
I smell franchise. And since franchise extraordinaire Jeff Sinelli - he of Genghis Grill, Which Wich, and Burguesa Burger - is a dedicated Tread Head, I can see him giving Brandon and Bart the 1, 2, 3's of how - when the time comes - to get this thing to the next level.

All photos courtesy of Treadfitness.com

Dallas: Venz Edits

Nicole Boykin introduced me to the work of jewelry designer Amber Venz about a year ago. Boykin was wearing the most glorious body harness and I wanted it immediately. When I finally met her at the photo shoot for Boykin's fall collection - she's the designer behind Koch - I fell in love with her and her personal style. She has a head full of thick strawberry blonde hair that she weaves into the coolest braids on a daily basis and when I walked in she was wearing motorcycle boots with shorts. Love.

Now I'm obsessed with her daily style guide, Venz Edits, where she dishes about her likes and dissects trends. Every month she'll focus on a Girl of The Moment and I must say I'm super psyched about who it is for June. She's the most darling Dallas student and I introduced Venz to her at a VOD party months ago. Stay tuned to see who it is, you won't be disappointed.
This is a moody pic of Amber from the Koch shoot earlier this year. Check out the Koch website to see all the clothing she modeled. Makes me wanna buy the entire collection.

Austin: Liz Lambert

BTW, was anyone else so thrilled to see Austin's Liz Lambert as T Magazine's Travel Issue's Style Profile subject? When I picked up my Sunday NY Times, I flipped when I saw her in the table of contents. I have a hard core crush on Liz - yes, she's aware - because of her warm, funny personality and simply put, her the low-key Texas cool style she puts into everything she does. She is one of my favorite interviews ever and you can read it here.

Dallas & Austin: Barneys sale

Shhhh! Barneys and Barneys Co-op, in Dallas and Austin respectively, begin their "private" sale tomorrow. Which basically means that it's only private to those who don't show up to get 40 percent off of the spring collections from Dries, Marni, Rick Owens, Lanvin, etc....I always get the most fantastic shoes at this sale and I'm already wondering what I'm going to come home with this time around.

And if you're not already putting two and two together end of May marks the beginning of spring sale season for all stores trying to clear the shelves for the fall collections which begin to arrive at the end of June (yes, June). Neimans, Nordstrom, Saks, Forty Five Ten; in Austin By George, Buy Definition; just plug in any store you love to shop and know that in the next couple of weeks it's game time.

Dallas: WeMe Bread

I worked up a crazy appetite today after Tread Fitness, so I headed with Mr. H over to Jimmy's to grab a sandwich. I love walking in that place - the mom and pop vibe, the wine and pasta, the old school signs with the handwritten specials. But while I waited for my sandwich, I spotted a basket that said "WeMe Bread: Fresh every Thursday." I'm all like, wha? Who's making fresh bread every Thursday?
I came home, googled, and found WeMe Bread, a micro-bakery in east Dallas. Christine, the baker at hand, was spoiled by the goods she devoured while living in Spain. Hellbent on recreating the perfect pan de pueblo, she master a recipe that passed her muster and now she sells at local places around town. I adore her "About" page where she explains who she is and why she loves East Dallas.

San Marcos: James Perse

When I was last in San Marcos, say at the beginning of March, I wandered through Prime Outlets - my favorite area being the north end by La Perla, Neiman Marcus Last Call, and Barneys - and there was a James Perse outlet that was being finished out.

You can't find a thing about it on the Perse website, but I promise you it's there and now open for business. And since JP tees and clothing never, ever go out of style, you're in for a bargain on classic, super-soft styles that you'll keep forever. It's on my list of must-stops when I'm in Austin next week. Perse at a discount? Yes, please.

Everywhere: Absolute ridiculousness

Have been in Houston working all day, but came home to news about this. Heather Havrilesky made me laugh with her story on Salon.com.

Dallas: Central Market & Argentina

OMG. Just returned from an amazing night of all things Argentine. I went to a private dinner hosted by Central Market with a menu created by Argentina's most famous export, chef Francis Mallmann, who essentially looks like the spawn of Ralph Lauren, Spalding Gray, and Einstein. Which means he's actually kind of hot. But again, you know I love older men.

Mallmann's theory about cooking is that nothing more than a hot flame and a few herbs or salt is needed for the perfect meal. Everything is cooked on a fire and this what I came upon before I sat down for dinner.
This is what the animal looked like plated and I must say that the lamb was remarkably tender. It cooked for 7.5 hours and was served with grilled potatoes, arugula, and roasted almonds. The La Posta Pinot Noir was served perfectly cool at just about 63 degrees.
After that I completely geeked out - as only a journalist would - when I spotted Michael Pollan grilling half of Mallmann's menu. Pollan cooked my food, people! How amazing is that? Pollan is working on his next book which is about the significance of cooking with fire and its attribution to human evolution and he flew down for a bit of research. I love his writing, his opinion on the slow food/real food movement, and Food, Inc., is a film I've recommended to everyone I know.
After too many Malbecs this is where I ended up.
This is the only way you'll ever see me tango.

Dallas: Swimwear & Tread

I've conquered 15 Tread classes since April 12 and it's time to buy new bikinis for the summer. I've lost a total of three inches, a few pounds so that I'm now back to my normal weight, and everything in my closet fits better than ever. I also feel amazing. Feel amazing to me = looks amazing. I wanted this Tori Praver suit below - no, that is not me trying on the suit - but VOD was sold out of my size - that would be small! - so I'm looking for something similar.

I also love this Lem Lem cover up, but seriously after all the sweat and hard work I've put in I'm not in the mood for covering up.
My swimsuits are always, always black. I'm a purist and dislike busy prints or garish colors - you'll usually find me in tonal greys, blacks, nudes, more grey - but I love the eggplant color of this bandeau bikini from Victoria's Secret.
Lisa Marie Fernandez's flesh colored neoprene suit has little details that whisper "I'm wearing shapewear!" but it's still sexy. I do like the stitching and construction of the piece.
Last year I wore my Shimmi bikini into the ground and I'm all about their collection this year, too. This shade of heather grey looks as if it's terry cloth or made from a sweatshirt.
What will you be wearing this summer?

Houston: Claridge + King

Laurann Claridge, an editor at Houston's PaperCity, and her sister Lizbeth King have hit a home run with the latest addition to Claridge + King, their menswear-inspired line of button downs, pajama pants, and tees: The Travel Set. I have a slew of trips on the horizon and I'm convinced I need this to jet off comfortably. Tucked inside a little pewter striped fabric case is a generously sized wool and cashmere blend shawl, matching ankle socks, and a cotton eye mask. When everything is taken out of the case, you can use it to cover those questionable little airplane pillows.

I'm also convinced that I won't be able to really sleep soundly until I'm wearing this every time I lie down in my California king.
Striped packaging. What's not to love?
The pretty monogram styles from which to chose if you so desire a personalized shirt.
The pajama pant.