SXSW & Other Happenings

So sorry for no posts the past two weeks!  I guess I've been busy, huh?  Let's see, what to fill you in on...

Well, work has been crazy busy!  The Austin hotel industry takes a hard, yet prosperous punch during the South By Southwest Interactive, Film and Music Festival.  Things are slowly getting back to normal - at least for March.  Late winter/spring is always the time busiest for us.  Lots of conferences, weddings, family vacations, romantic getaways, SXSW and various smaller festivals such as Psych Fest, Reggae Fest and Eeyore's Birthday.

I actually got to go downtown and experience the music portion of SXSW for a couple of days last week.  Unfortunately I had no celebrity sightings!  I was so disappointed considering I was reading and hearing of all these amazing celebs invading the city - IAN SOMERHALDER!!, Justin Timberlake, Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Anna Kendrick, Usher, Prince, Shaq, Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, the dude that plays Lip on Shameless and many more.  I did get to see some amazing live and FREE shows though including Brendan Benson, The Thermals, The Joy Formidable, Today Is The Day and Jason's cousin's band, The Longshots.  I walked all over the city and got some pretty gnarly blisters on my heels thanks to my combat boots.  At one point, Jason and I were eating and walking in one synchronized act across the city as fast as we could to catch some performances at the Brooklyn Vegan Day Party.  It was draining, crowded and a little annoying at times, but even still, much fun was had.  It brought back memories of the time me, Heather, Taylor and Jessica talked Heather's mom into taking us to Austin for SXSW back in 2006.  We got into every single show we wanted to with only a few lines to wait in, and we were only 17!  It was such a blast and definitely makes for some of my fondest looks back into the past.

I finally caught up on The Vampire Diaries and watched my first live episode last Thursday.  It makes me sad that I have to wait a whole week to see what happens next!  I'm so used to being able to just move right on to the next episode.  However, it does kind of make Thursday nights a treat for me.  :)

My dad and Rebecca are coming up to spend some time with Jason and I on Thursday and Friday so I'm definitely looking forward to that!  I don't think I've seen them since Christmas which is ludicrous.

If you've never been to SXSW, I encourage you to check out some of these pictures to give you an idea of what goes on: SPIN's Best Live SXSW Photos

Until next time, friends.

xoxo

A Sweet Celebration of Love

Well, Helen and Corey's wedding celebration came and went so quickly!  It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating their engagement at Peche downtown.  I had been looking forward to this wedding for months because I knew Helen would make sure it was the classiest of all affairs, and it truly was.  Both the ceremony and the reception took place at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.  It was a beautiful and breathtaking venue, the weather was perfect (a tad on the chilly side but we weren't outdoors for very long) and the food was delicious - catered by Whole Foods.  It was such a treat getting to meet their families and other friends and to catch up with Krista and Kyle, who we don't get to see too often because they live in San Francisco.  Some of my favorite parts of the wedding include Helen's signature cocktail (Pimm's Cup), the table centerpieces (little finished wooden boxes filled with succulents made by Corey's grandfather), the tiny pecan, lemon and buttermilk pies for dessert, and, of course, the visible ora of happiness that surrounded both Corey and Helen the entire evening.  I am so glad I got to be a part of the celebration of this new union between two wonderful people.

PORTLAND

I can hardly believe my highly anticipated summer vacation to Portland has come and gone already.  Alas, it was a fun time indeed...even though I was deathly ill the entire time.  (Side note: That was a tad dramatic, but, seriously, I only get sick about twice a year and never handle it well.  Of course I get sick the day before my escape.)  And of course my right ear would flood with air thanks to the "pressurizing of the airplane cabin" and altitude and remain clogged the entire trip.  It just wouldn't be a relaxing break from daily routine without a monstrous head cold and a throbbing ear.

Anyway, enough of the bad.  I'll quit whining and give you a rundown of the trip.

Day 1:
- Met up with Jessica, Kelley and Greg at PDX
- Kelley dropped Jessica and I off at our hotel - The Jupiter, a renovated 1960s motor inn turned boutique hotel.
- Jess and I ate lunch at the restaurant across from our hotel, the Doug Fir, where I ordered and devoured a delicious fried oyster po-boy.
- Greg, Kelley and her friend Veronica joined us for happy hour at the Doug Fir
- We ventured over to downtown Portland to check out the epic monstrosity that is Powell's Books, a city-block sized multiple-story bookstore.  We spent most of our time on the Music/Photography/Film floor where I discovered and purchased The Punk Rock Book of Lists, a book I believe to be personally written for me.
- After two hours at Powell's, we went to the famous VooDoo Doughnuts.  I tried a raspberry jelly-filled voodoo doll (complete with a pretzel stake through the heart) and a bacon maple bar (the most delicious treat I've ever tasted).
- Explored central downtown and the southeast quadrant of the city which is a lot like east Austin.
- Went to Good Foot Pub where we played pool and drank some beers.
- Went to Beulahland for more drinks.
- Ended the night with Sizzle Pie, a superb pizza joint.

Day 2:
- Brunch at J&M Cafe.  I got the belgian cornmeal waffle with pure maple syrup and a Mexican coke.
- Explored the Rose Garden/Japanese Garden/Washington Park in west Portland.
- Did a little shopping in the NW quadrant or Alphabet District.
- Ate lunch at Elephants Delicatessen.  I ordered a tuna melt with avocado and a craft-brewed vanilla cream soda.
- Did some literary Mad Libs at McMenamins Ram's Head Pub in the northwest.  I tried some of the McMenamins beers - a Ruby Ale and a wheat beer - both delicious.
- Walked over to the Pearl District and checked out one of the galleries at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
- Took a tour of the weird, unusual and crazy side of Portland - Beyond Bizarre Walking Tour.  The best part - exploring the dark, haunted basement of Old Town Pizza in downtown with EMF detectors!!  Pretty official, dude.
- Went to Ground Kontrol, a bar + an arcade with wall-to-wall 25-cent arcade games.
- Went to a super chill, rad bar on the east side called Rontoms that was just down the street from our hotel.
- Ended the night once again with Sizzle Pie. (Open until 4am)

Day 3:
- Brunch at the ever-popular Screen Door.  I got the Shrimp & Cheddar Grits special with two eggs over easy.
- Went to the Portland Saturday Market downtown, strolled past all the vendor tables and along the waterfront.
- Perused some vintage shops on Hawthorne in the southeast quadrant, made some more purchases in the Powell's of the southeast.
- Went to Kelley's friend's house for a BBQ/mini house party.
- Went to Boogie's Burgers for dinner, and I called it a night early so I could pack and get some sleep before my flight the next morning.

Notes:
1. The high temperature each day was only about 75 degrees...in JULY.
2. Everything is WAY cheaper there, except gasoline.
3. There is no sales tax.