Have you ever done an epic closet clean-out, donating and giving away much of your belongings, only to be met with an overflowing closet all over again 6 months later? “It’s like gardening,” explains Jennifer Slaski Halligan, a life decluttering coach and the founder of Prune & Bloom, “you can plant and mulch your garden, but […]
image by Kristen Kilpatrick Austin is without-a-doubt Instagram worthy! Wandering the city, phone in hand, snapping everything you see . . . it’s normal in these parts. No apologies necessary for shameless selfies and silly group photos, it’s expected. Austin establishments work hard to perfectly curate and style spaces and then add music and food […]
No need to spend time lurking your favorite accounts to find out where they get their inspiration — we already did the work for you. Comparison really is the death of joy. Mark Twain had it right, all those years ago. At Career Contessa, we think your social media feeds shouldn’t be about comparison. They should […]
photos by Ashleigh Amoroso I’ve finally gotten Adam on the grain bowl train, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Used to be that my announcement that we were having a grain bowl for dinner (again) was met with an eye roll, but now I get more of an “okay, cool” response from him, so […]
images by kristen kilpatrick I’m naturally a creature of habit: it makes me genuinely happy to make my go-to green smoothie for breakfast, take the same route on our family’s neighborhood walk each day, and go to bed around the same time every night. And don’t even get me started on my morning coffee and […]
Editor’s Note: Andrea McAlister is an Austinite, lover of live music, and longtime friend of the blog. She dropped in to give us her best tips for surviving SXSW before hitting the streets for her twentieth year at the festival! My first SXSW was in 1998. I was lucky enough to know Brent Grulke, the […]
Y’all, the countdown has begun: we’re only two weeks away from the first day of spring! Why not pick a free Saturday on your calendar and invite friends to your back patio (or a nearby picnic spot) to celebrate with an open air dinner party? When warmer temps arrive, I want to eat as many […]
Click here for more recipes from our southern spring dinner party! For a casual weekend dinner party, I always serve food family style. There’s nothing like having guests pass around abundant platters of food to get them mingling and create a communal experience. photography by Kristen Kilpatrick SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave
Many beauty rituals can be fun and even a little glamorous to indulge in. Unfortunately, shaving usually falls into the “daily drudgery” category, rather than the “let’s-get-pampered” zone. The “pink tax” and flimsy, irritating (and expensive!) shaving supplies certainly add insult to injury for women looking to get smooth. What’s a slightly stubbly lady to […]
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of my life cleaning up candle wax. I’m not a glutton for punishment, it’s just that I can’t stand the thought of entertaining without candlelight. (If you saw this week’s house party story, you already know I have a thing for candles.) My home decor style has been lightly referred to […]
So long February! We’re leaving you in the dry cleaning bag (along with this year’s sweaters and coats) and not looking back. March is always an exciting time in Austin because of SXSW, when our town population actually triples for 10 days. Okay, that’s actually an unverified rumor… but I can vouch that it feels […]
For many years, I focused on health and wellness in terms of achieving a certain look. I was convinced that if I looked a certain way, it would make me feel a certain way. Wellness was synonymous with appearance and, well, in the end it resulted in unhealthy habits and a lack of a holistic […]