Hill Country: Bexar Goods Co.

Well, I'm in love. 

 Want every single bag, bracelet, collar, and leash from Bexar Goods Co.

 If you're in Austin this Thursday, June 27, then stop in HELM Boots from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

 You can watch the Bexar guys complete one of their leather bags while sipping on beer by Hops and Grain. 

Anteks: Jason Lenox Pendleton blankets

There's little that Anteks owner Jason Lenox can do wrong. I've written about him before, most recently in the April issue of Texas Monthly when I feature one of his J Alexander turquoise-embedded silver boxes.

 Now he's onto something new and I'm flipping. He's taken a Pendleton design and backed it with coyote. I've never seen a more chic take on a throw. I can so see myself wrapped up in one of these under the stars. 

Austin: Hijo

So over the last month I've made about about 10 roundtrip drives to San Antonio, as my father lives there and is terminally ill. I always make a point to break up the long drive from Dallas with stops along the way. Whether it's lunch at Monument Cafe in Georgetown, a stop at the Texas Monthly office, or a coffee break at Bistro Bakery in Olmos Park.

 My latest stop has been to Hijo, Michelle Teague's new little shop in the back of Jardinero's Nursery in East Austin (that hood is my favorite, btw). 

 You may remember Michelle from previous posts about her great store JM Dry Goods. Originally in Marfa, she moved the store and her family to Austin a few years ago. 

 Her tightly edited Texas-meets-Mexico merch is spot on. It's clean, but everything also has a handmade rustic feel to it; somehow it's all evenly balanced. Everything from the gorgeous Oaxacan hammocks to painted Turkish clay bowls to bowls of skull-shaped beads made me swoon.

 Next time you're in Austin, I urge you to head East and explore. It's really where it's at now and if I could, I would move there in a minute. 

 I bought a handful of these babies below in white and blue and have them nestled in some white geodes I bought from Michelle. They look so great all piled on top of the paper mache skulls I picked up in San Miguel in February. 

Dallas: Sugar Derby

You can probably tell I only post things on here that I'm really nuts about. So, of course, I have to let you guys know about Sugar Derby Mobile.

 Owned by Melissa Mackaly, that darling girl below, it's a 1958 Cardinal travel trailer merched-out with all kinds of fantastic vintage finds. And the other thing: Mackaly, a Dallas-native, is obsessed with Texas. Anyone with that preoccupation is best friend material as far as I'm concerned. 

 Want to see for yourself if you already haven't? Head over to the Old Bike Shop tomorrow night for her one-year anniversary party. I hope to see you there. xx

Marfa: Camp Design Build

I'm dying to sign up for the Camp Design Build Adventure in Marfa this summer.

 The four-day workshop held on the grounds of El Cosmico is lead by artist/builder Jack Sanders

 From June 6-10 attendees get to learn about design, functionality, and how your environment effects the outcome and ultimately work on a community project benefitting local children

 Register here and hopefully I'll see you there

Dallas: Traffic

I can't figure out which I'm more excited about: Traffic men's and women's clothing stores, the Taschen bookstore or women's boutique TenOverSix, all of them are opening (the Traffic men's store is open now) in the next few weeks as the Joule makes its renovated debut. Finally downtown is being injected with some major energy. 

 Here's a quick peek at Traffic 

 Dying over this men's DSquared jacket. Want it for myself.

 There's a smattering of women's, like this back corner of Rick Owens, a few racks of IRO, and some J Brand denim. There is free valet and the store will also offer home delivery if you can't make it down. Now there's no excuse not to do a little shopping south of Mockingbird. 

Dallas: James Perse

Soooo excited that James Perse is opening in Highland Park Village this fall!

 Finally I'll be able to shop the entire collection of my favorite tees and basics.

 I would live in this dress all summer

 And I'm praying that the new boutique will carry James Perse furniture

so simple and stylish

 And seriously, this ping pong table is incredibly chic. Love.

Dallas: Forty Five Ten's the Four One One

Click over to my favorite boutique blog today, Forty Five Ten's The Four One One, for a look at my top picks for spring. Just back from Mexico so this was a lovely way to splash back into the Dallas scene. 

Thank you Forty Five Ten for featuring me. And I just put on those earrings! Love them.

Dallas: Phenomenon

You must come out for this! Meet me at The Dallas Contemporary this Saturday from 9 pm to midnight for a dance party you've never seen the likes of. 

Austin: Blanton Museum presents Through The Eyes of Texas

O'Keefe. Monet. Rousseau. Just a few of the artists who are part of the private collections of UT Alumni that will be on view for The Blanton Museum's "Through The Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections."

  From February 24 through May 19 the exhibition will feature more than 150 works including the incredible - I'm slightly obsessed with it - Rousseau at the bottom of this post. 

And there's another reason to celebrate, too. This exhibition marks the 50th Anniversary of The Blanton. If you've not been, this is the perfect excuse. Go down. Roam the halls. Embrace the place. It's pretty fabulous. 

Dallas: Koch Sample Sale

It's my favorite time of year! The Koch sample sale is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 5 from  9 am to 4 pm at 3838 Stratford in Highland Park. 

I posted this particular pic because I have three of these sweaters and I wear them all the time. Dresses and jackets are $75, tops are $50, skirts are $35, and shorts are $30. These sales are the perfect opportunity to get some amazing girlfriend gifts, too. Hope to see you there!

Everywhere: Bralettes

For the last couple of years I've eschewed my everyday bras for these sequin-embellished bralettes from Chan Luu. I love the unexpectedness of them, the sparkly peek from beneath a blouse or tee, and they are perfect for racerback tanks and halter style tops, the kinds of clothing that needs a bra, but tends to look louche or messy with one. Well here's a bra that you want to show off. 

 More recently my friend Nicole introduced me to Xirena. These colorful bralettes also have matching or mismatching bottoms and get this: they are water-friendly. For someone like me who's prone to impromptu water volleyball sessions, these are a dream come true. 

 Again, a colorful peek under your shirt, no painful underwire, and nothing here that screams underwear. These pieces are a fun little whisper of lingerie. How can you not be happy wearing one of these?

Dallas: Bronze & Beautiful

I wish I had a pic to go along with this post, but you're just going to take my word for it. I just got back from Kauai and before I left I had Bronze & Beautiful Tan come to my house to give me an airbrush tan (read: i was snow white). Now, I'll be honest: this is something I'd never normally do. I can spot a fake tan from a mile away. But I trusted the person who turned me on to it. So on Monday night Bronze & Beautiful came over, set up in my bathroom and five minutes later I was a natural, toasty brown that would have normally taken me a day or two of sun time. Bottom line: I loved it. And the best part was that I was slathered in SPF the entire time I was at the beach. Skin damage averted, tan still accomplished. Deal.

Dallas: Peak & Elm Cocina y Bar

¡ADM! (that's omg in spanish) Mark your calendar for February 8.

Peak & Elm finally opens.

Dallas: babyGap presents Peter Rabbit

You guys, apologies all around for the lack of posts. January has turned out to be a little crazier that I'd anticipated. Below is one of the things that's been added to my calendar:

I'm really excited about reading Emma Thompson's The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit at the Dallas Galleria's babyGap Saturday, January 26 at 11 am. Come over with a few books you'd like to donate to Milk + Bookies, all of which will be given to a local branch of Boys & Girls Club.

Dallas: Warby Parker: UPDATE

So now the party is Saturday, January 12. Hope you'll come out to play.

Dallas: Warby Parker

More details to come. But I hope to see you there.

Warby Parker