My First Project

After playing around with my sewing machine and using old fabric to test my skills on I decided to put my skills to the test. We have a million pillows on our couch but they are all the same color as our couch, so I thought I would spice it up a bit by making pillow covers for two of the pillows.

Pillow before transformation--boring!

Both pillow covers cut and pinned before sewing:



New pretty pillows --I hope to find a fun orange or yellow to add to the collection next!



I enjoy sewing but I need a lot more practice before I start making anything fancy.

~Laura

The Super Bowl is.......

I don't know about you but when I think football I think lots of Miller light, buffalo chicken dip and PUPPIES!

This year we are going to a friends house and since I don't really care much about the two teams in the Super Bowl I will be more interested in the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. This annual tradition makes me smile. To find out more about the cuteness click here!

If you live under a rock and have no idea what buffalo chicken dip is I've included the recipe! M Make some. Your friends will thank you!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cans (12.5 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.

MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.

BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Now don't let the neon orange color turn you off it is SO worth it!

Photo Courtesy of Roger Puente

Even though they didn't make it to the puppy bowl this year Mia and Cali are still our favorite puppies!!

~ Laura

Chocolate Gravy

I just wanted to share a recipe with y'all on this sunshiny Friday! Fair warning it might add a few inches to the waistline, be prepared!
I got an email from my mom yesterday mid-afternoon, right when my lunch has digested and I'm starting to think about what I want for dinner and I get this:

Pure cruelty!
It is from Saveur.com and this is the link to the recipe, http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Chocolate-Gravy!

I have yet to make it but definitely want to try it out SOON!
Enjoy for me and let me know how it turns out.

~Rachel

Bathroom Makeover

Over my holiday break I decided to take on the task of repainting the bathroom. Check out the before and after pictures.

Before

It took awhile with removing the fixtures, cleaning the baseboards, and doors but it was well worth it.

After

My pictures don't really do it justice because of the flash but it is such an improvement. The color looks a bit purple, but it's actually more greenish in normal light.

Thanks to Rachel, we now have fancy orange colored light switch covers which I LOVE!

We have hopes of putting up shelving, changing the sink, and the vanity. I'll keep you all posted!
~ Laura

Foo Dog After (FINALLY!)

We finally finished painting the Foo Dogs (3 mos. later…) and I lurves the orange! FYI, they definitely needed priming before the orange spray paint went on them. Otherwise the paint just starts to bubble up (yes, this does come from experience, I might have got too anxious and some primer may not have gotten on one of their bellies.) Anyway, once patience and time were appreciated the pups came out looking alright!

~Rachel

Let the New Year Resolution Begin!

New Year's Resolution:

To learn something new.

I have decided to take on the very domestic and useful task of learning how to sew. If you have ever been in a vintage store and found something awesome but it wasn't your size you know how I feel when i think to myself, "I wish I knew how to sew".

I have just purchased my first sewing machine and have decided to document my experience. The adventure should begin in about a week and a half. I will keep you posted!!!

~ Laura

Best Burger in Town...shhhh don't tell anyone!

I hesitate to do this post because I don't want to blow up their spot and have held off until now but...The Hills Cafe on S.Congress has the BEST burger I have ever had.


Hill's is so unassuming from the outside but it’s all a façade. These people know what they're doing! The inside is very laid back, their booths are named after famous country singers. Also, there is a great back patio with lots of seating and even a tree house!

Their buns are made daily and have almost a sweet taste to them. I'm not a big fan of the sweet over savory but they make it work. The french fries are my favorite, big wedge fries with lots of seasoning on them. YUM!

If you are ever down south and in the mood for a burger, do yourself a favor and go to The Hill's Cafe!

~ A very fat and happy Laura

A little facelift for the pups

So I bought these little guys (Fu dogs) at TJ Maxx last week, but didn't quite want to go with the b/w theme, so I bought some orange spray paint and primer for a little face lift.

In the end I want them to resemble this (Fu dogs from CB2, ~$50,) at only half the cost and a little work.

Fu dogs from CB2

I will post the "after" pictures once it STOPS RAINING! :(

~Rachel

Chronicle's Best of Party

Last night I was excited to be the chosen member of the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) staff to attend the Best of Austin Chronicle Party to accept our award for best Nonprofit, on behalf of the whole staff. I was a very nice event at the new AT&T Conference center on UT's campus. Free food and booze always generates a great turnout.

If you live in Austin and support the issues TFN promotes be sure to grab your ticket to this years Austin Gala! (I wouldn't be a good fundraiser if I didn't plug my own event! )

~Laura

Hipster of the Week!

Location: Beerland, Red River

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, it was taken with a camera phone at night

This lovely hipster is wearing the ever necessary plaid shirt and a spandex mini skirt. Now personally I don't think anyone, no matter how skinny you are should be sporting one of these but clearly people disagree with me. The best part of this outfit were the royal blue pumps with the sparkle ankle socks, my phone sucks and couldn't capture the awesomeness. I don't really get this style either but I've seen it more than once.

The Renowned...Lustre Pearl

We have arrived... for happy hour that is.

A few friends and I made it to Lustre Pearl, finally, after all the chatter that has been going on around Austin for the past few months.

It was pretty much what I had expected, very "Austiny" (I know, you are probably sick of hearing that, as any new establishment in Austin is described with the same adjective.) Honestly, though it is really "Austiny." Huge backyard w/ plenty of tables and chairs to just chill and relax, ping pong table, taco truck, I mean if that isn't Austin, then what is?! Please tell me, no really, please.

Anyway, the one thing that I'm sure most people would gripe about (besides the neighbors not picking up their dog's poop) is the lack of A/C. The house is wide open (doors, windows, everything) and apparently the only place that has A/C is the bathrooms (thanks Laura, for checking that out!) So the general consensus (my friends and all of Austin) is that Lustre Pearl is rad!

~Rachel

HOT DOGS!

If you know me at all you know I've never met a hot dog I didn't like. When I heard that Starlite was closing I was sad but excited to hear a new restaurant was going in its location called Frank's and the majority of their menu was going to be hot dogs! Yesterday, I finally made it to Frank's and it met and exceeded all my expectations. The menu is basically hot dogs with all different toppings. Anything from cole slaw to chili. They also have a full bar and an extensive beer list. But most notably they have bacon infused Maker's Mark. Who doesn't need a little whiskey at lunch? The atmosphere is super laid back. Clientele ranged anywhere from families with young children to businessmen. They are open additional hours, Thursday through Satruday until 2am, which could be very dangerous for me.



I had the Slaw Dog and LOVED IT! The cole slaw was super horseradishie but good. I also had the waffle fries with buffalo bleu sauce which was amazing also. Don't let the color of the sauce turn you off. Franks has made it into the normal lunch rotation, for sure. If your in the mood for a hot dog you should check out Frank's, they will not disappoint! Brunch hours are being added soon!

~ Laura

CHEESE the way to my heart!

Photo: Michael Kraus

Texas is known for many things and cheese is not one of them. BUT there are a couple that are worth trying. Today, I read a good article about Texas Cheese! ....all of which I have enjoyed during my time in Austin. Read article

I highly suggest you do yourself a favor and have yourself a taste. If you are interested in food at all you should join the Tasting Table daily email list.

~Laura

Mighty Cone

This weekly trailer post is Mighty Cone 1603 S. Congress Ave. in the thick of all the South Congress goodness.

Atmosphere

5-kind of in a weird spot with a bus stop very close.
7-right of S. Congress, easy to find and lots of umbrellas for shade in the August heat.

Price

8-a good price for a full meal.
8-good deal for quality of food sold out of a trailer

Quality of food
6-good products used, just something about it a little off.
8-thought it was very good, just kinda hard to eat? Awkward w/ the cone, etc...


Accessibility
7-a little hard to get to just because of the limited parking on S. Congress....oops I missed that big free parking lot.
10-there was a parking lot behind the food trailer(s) that was FREE!


Cleanliness
8-very clean and lots of recycling options.
8-super clean, what Laura said.


Local
8-in the middle of the craziness that is S.Congress.
8-good local location and Hudson on the Bend is an Austin staple


Service
9-good service
9-good service, just dont go when there is a bus full of 16 yr. old girls.


Item menu & rating

- Hot & Spicy Chicken and Avocado & Fries - there was some flavor on the chicken that did not agree with me. The avacado was a little too large and didn't taste right fries - 6 The fries were good and well seasoned - 8

- Hot & Spicy Chicken, thought it was really good, liked the crust that was on the chicken - 8

Would you eat there again?

- probably not, it wasn't bad but it also isn't something I am going to crave.

-definitely

Laura & Rachel

Quarter Life Crisis?? --- and no I am not quoting the horrible John Mayer song

picture courtesy of Eyes tothesky.com

Since we all feel this way but just can't bring ourselves to discuss or accept the fact that we are growing up, I figured I'd throw it in everyone's face. I connected with this article and felt most, if not all of my friends could relate. Read with caution, openness, fear but most of all a sense of humor.

An excerpt from the article:

Having so much — youth, ability, independence — can feel like the worst possible scenario. What remains, though, is the potential for the years with anxiety and without direction to be reclaimed. Scheer sees real opportunity here. “If you feel you’re in crisis, this is a great opportunity to draft a five-year plan with steady concrete goals to help you get to where you want to be. Anyone can transform their life in just a few years.” Michael Kimmel says “There is life on the other side of this, and it’s actually a pretty good one. Growing up may be hard to do, but in the end, the gains outweigh the losses.” In other words: it might just be time to grow the fuck up... click link below to read more.

http://www.eyeweekly.com/article/55882



Thanks Ade for sharing!

~Laura

A little taste of home

Order and they shall come

Last weekend a group of my friends gathered at Canyon Lake (the only lake around the Austin area with any water in it worth boating on) for a well known summer Maryland tradition, eating Maryland Blue Crabs. My friends Dave and Ryan grew up in Southern Maryland(wherever that is...sorry guys I had to) and me being from right outside of D.C. we thought, what is a summer without a little Blue Crab?

Dave the Master Crab Cooker!

Since flying to Maryland for the weekend was out of the question we decided to have Maryland brought to us, all the way in the middle of Texas. We ordered 3 bushels (about 7 1/2 dozen) and had them shipped overnight and they arrived Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. You can't have crabs without some Old Bay and Malt Vinagar so both were present as well.

Setting up the feast

The aftermath of Crab Fest '09

Now I grew up eating Blue Crabs and taking them apart and getting out every last bit of meat out of them was ritualistic for me. Our significant others on the other hand thought this ritual to be a little strange, but they indulged us in our nostalgia for a weekend. It was a lot of fun, a learning experience for some but fun was had by all. I hope it becomes a tradition no matter where I live.

Mookie (Ryan's dog) is over Crab Fest '09

~ Laura

Euro who?

I will be crossing that vast water, people affectionately call a "pond" for a speedy Eurotrip. I promise (really) to report once I get back and I/we will reside our dutiful positions as amazing blog writers (or something like that...) Wish me well and I will catch you on the flip side!

XOXO,
Rachel

Summer Sabbatical

Sorry to those of you dedicated 'A little Bit of Wonderful' readers, we are on a bit of a summer sabbatical and should be back by mid-August!

Click Here to read another blog we LOVE to occupy your time!

~ Rachel & Laura

A little P&P is good for the soul.

Pitch & Putt on 201 Lee Barton Drive is one of my most fave things to do after work or on a weekend. For y'all that don't know, it is a par 3, 9-hole course in the middle of Austin. It gets a little crowded after 5 on weekdays and afternoons on weekends, but it is worth it!

Heath "pitching" it up...

My friend was here a few weeks ago, and that is the 2nd place (1st place, Chuy's for Mesican) we went! We had a blast, despite the 100 degree temperatures and farmer tans that came of it!

Our "hobo" cooler, thank you 7-11 attendant.

I was playing amazing, till around cerveza numero tres...

Sowwy... but yummy food and golf to report!

Sorry, it has been so long since the last blog update. I guess life got a little hectic, but Buenos Aires Cafe gave me the umpf I needed to get on here and tell you how great it was!

We went to the new location on East 6th Street last week. For appetizers (sorry ate them too fast so there are no pics) we had emapanadas; Verdura-spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese and onions, also had the Pollo-chicken, red bell peppers, green onions and herbs. Both were so yummy, but very rich and heavy.

building across from the cafe (though it was nifty.)

Then for the main dish we had salmon, 2 prawns, potatoes, asparagus, carrots and some other amazingness. It was the special that day so unfortunately, I can't remember all the extras that made it so great!

My recommendation is to def give it a try! It wasn't that expensive and the atmosphere was great, as well as the service!