Giveaway [closed]: Boon Flair Highchair

I don't write about a ton of mom stuff here because I've worked so hard to establish this blog as a fashion and decor site, but exceptions can be made (especially when one's mom blog is in transition, right?). Back in September Jude and I were given the opportunity to review a Flair highchair by Boon.

We love Boon products. We have their grass drying rack and the frog shaped bath storage thingy. They're among the most used products in our house.

The highchair review opportunity could not have come at a better time. Jude was using a little chair that hung on the table, but the table had a lip on it, so we had to attach it to the extension leaf. Every time he'd bounce in his chair, I thought for sure the table leaf was going to fall off (the kid bounces hard!). Then when we started giving him a spoon, he nicked our gorgeous Craigslist find all up. We were on the hunt for a real deal high chair. Two of my friends who recently had kids had registered for this crazy $400 high chair. I needed something nice that would go with my somewhat modern decor, would last through all of my future children, but would not break the bank. Enter: Boon's Flair chair. Check out the video we made:

We absolutely love our Flair chair. Jude uses it every single day, at least three times a day. We got it in September and it's still in really great condition. That's saying a lot because my kid loves to eat and we got a white pad on the chair (the pad is a little scratched but is otherwise spotless since it cleans so easily). I could not be happier so that's why I'm incredibly excited that one of you can win one of these for yourself. They retail for $279.99, so this is a super great giveaway!Jude's excited, too. Can you tell?

Edit: form removed. Giveaway period ended.

If you dig this amazing giveaway, please make sure to check out Boon all over the web: Website | Facebook | Twitter.

Hasn't this been fun? It's kind of like Christmas over here already with so many giveaways. I really appreciate all the new connections I've made on Google, Bloglovin', Twitter, and Facebook. Make sure to bookmark my new blog Indiana Elsewhere. It's not ready, yet (give me one more day!), but all new followers there will have an extra opportunity to win this Flair Highchair. Go >>>

Langford Market event: decor from blah to brilliant

When I went to Langford Market yesterday, I picked up a pair of shorts printed with birds and a zebra print dress (the dress literally has zebras printed on it): sneak peek. Y'all! I have issues! Why must I wear an animal every day???

Anyway, while there, I also learned that they're doing a really cool event tomorrow:

I suck at decorating my house. I have ideas, but I never get around to doing them. I can't wait to get some free advice and drinks and appetizers (at their last event they had cupcakes and those fancy French macaroon things!).

I'll be there (with Jude) and I'll probably be wearing some sort of animal. Hope to see you there, too!

P.S.

This calls for a dinner party!

Oh my gosh, you guys! Look at the grown up furniture I'm getting!

Hubs and I got an Ansager table on Craigslist a couple weeks ago and we just ordered these chairs last night from Amazon and Overstock. I'm so excited that after three years in Austin our house is finally, finally, finally taking on an aesthetic and is starting to feel like home.

Gosh, it seems like only yesterday when Hubs and I were eating dinner on the floor of our crummy apartment using an upside down cardboard box as a table! I want to do a special little shout-out to Hubs' mom and her husband for the super sweet Christmas gift that allowed us to buy all this grown up furniture. Thank you!

Goodbye, Atlanta

Hubs and I head back to Texas tonight, but you know I couldn't go on vacation without partaking in a little local thrift store excursion! I stopped by a place that Hubs had been to as a child: a 10,000 square foot thrift store called "My Favorite Place" located just outside of Atlanta in Chamblee. I didn't find any awesome clothes or jewelry, but I did manage to get a couple things for my house and a vintage messenger bag.

Antique glass insulator ($4.50) & vintage leather messenger bag ($4.50)

This is now my second bird cage. This one is going to be turned into jewelry display ($10).

This may be one of the only times I've done an exact repeat of an outfit, but this is fast becoming my favorite dress. The button up underneath is a great way to winterize it:


date: 26 December 2009
occasion: breakfast with friends, shopping, dinner with family, then hitting the road
dress: thrifted (Buffalo Exchange)
shirt: Express
stirrup pants: Miley Cyrus/ Max Azzaria (Go ahead. Laugh. I deserve it!)
leggings under pants: Under Armour
ballet flats: Payless
bag: thrifted (My Favorite Place: Atlanta)

On very, very cold days, I layer a pair of Under Armour pants under my tights or cotton leggings. So far this winter, I've been able to successfully avoid wearing jeans all the time by doing this. Hooray! I feel weird in jeans.

By the way, I am surprised that I've gotten so much wear out of my Miley Cyrus stirrup pants. I bought them as a funny little $5 joke, but they've actually become a serious contender for my most worn pants of 2009. Oops. Nevermind. I keep forgetting that leggings ≠ pants.

The Adams Abode is gettin' cute for Christmas!

I finally got the Christmas tree decorated last night!

The only thing Hubs and I agree on concerning the Christmas tree is that it must be real. So every other year, we trade off what kind of decorating we do on the tree. This was his year, and he wanted colored lights and every colorful ornament we had (no silver and no gold). I, on the other hand, usually do a very matchy tree with all the ornaments in two or three coordinating colors, total.

Something we do agree on, however, is vintage furniture, and that makes me happy. Look at these beauties we have our eyes on on Craigslist:

The desk will be used for my new sewing room/ office, the teak table will replace our rickety dining room table in the kitchen, and that vanity will be stained dark and will go into our bedroom so I no longer have to sit on the floor and do my make-up! Our sweet neighbor Scotty has offered to drive his truck on his day off to pick up these things for us, so I hope come tomorrow they're all still available!

The World's Best Husband took me estate sale shopping yesterday!

Best husband, EVER!

Fact: Hubs hates shopping. He especially hates shopping with me. His hatred is compounded when he shops with me at things like garage sales, flea markets, vintage stores, and antique shops. It's probably because I look at every single thing and ask him a barrage of question after question, when he could not care less. Poor Hubs. After going with me to Saturday's City Wide Garage Sale, yesterday I begged him to go with me to several vintage shops and one estate sale. Luckily, we struck gold at the estate sale:

Solid wood window mirrors (one of which I repainted teal), hand stitched, Indian inspired pillows,
vintage handbags, dresses, skirt, and a Samsonite traincase (FREE from the nice man at the checkout table!).
All these clothes and bags for $34.50, total!

Get this: those dresses and that skirt are virgin vintage! They're from the 1960's, have never been worn, and still have the original tags attached! Squee! But, here's the tragic part: none of them fit me. They're made for a woman who is a little more shortwaisted than I am and who probably wears a modern size 2 or 4. So, alas, I cannot keep them. I will air them out and clean them up a bit and have the metal zippers reconditioned. Then, sadly, I will have to sell them. I am not quite sure if I'll consign them to a shop here in town or if I'll open up a little Etsy shop and sell them there. Nonetheless, I'm excited to have rescued them, and I think they'd be lovely additions to someone else's vintage wardrobe. Very Mad Men, if I do say so myself... especially that stunning white pencil skirt.

Thanks, Hubs, for taking me vintage shopping. I hope we find our dream furniture soon! (We're looking for a vintage dining room set, 1960's credenza to use as an entertainment center, a modern coffee table, Eames inspired lounge chairs, and a make-up vanity). I imagine I'll be hitting up all the estate sales in this area until we find what we're looking for.

City Wide Garage Sale, again!

Poor Hubs. I dragged him to the City Wide Garage Sale again today. I wanted to look cute, and I'm trying to be a little more bold in my layering and color combos:


date: 28 November 2009
occasion: shopping the City Wide Garage Sale
dress: vintage, thrifted
blouse: Guess
cardigan: Express
tights: Express
belt: thrifted
bag: thrifted
shoes: Target, thrifted
pins: Fashionique
sunnies: Blue Blockers, flea market

While at the garage sale, I met this super stylish chickadee at the $12 fur coat table. I was struck at the wonderful combo of her ultra girly dress and her super tough accessories. Adored Austin, meet UT student Diya:

dress: Top Shop, bracelets and rings: UO, F21, eBay, belt: V for vintage, shoes: Charlotte Russe.

So I got this wonderful street style photo, but I was on the hunt for home decor, too. I got a couple cool things, but also (surprise, surprise) I got some animal necklaces:

1940's airplane print, 1970's animal necklace, birdcage.

The airplane print is cool because my house is under the flight path of the Austin airport, and I wanted to start getting more vintage airplane and airport decor as a cheeky homage to that. The necklaces had to become mine because 1- they are animal necklaces (duh!), and 2- more specifically, they are made by the same designer who made the silver owl I got from my grandma. And finally, the birdcage is going to be repurposed as a pendent lamp for my entry way, and I was totally inspired by Melissa over at Stay Forever Sunday. So yes, all in all, it was a good City Wide Garage sale day, and I am very seriously considering going back tomorrow!

City Wide Garage Sale

I hit up the very famous City Wide Garage Sale at the Palmer Events Center this afternoon. I had heard good things about it, so I was eager to check it out.

While there, I ran into my friend Joy (of the Sad Accordions), as well as Stephane, whom I met and photographed at Neimans a few weeks ago. I ended up being there for three hours, as I looked at every single booth. I really wanted to get this,

but Hubs didn't really like it that much. Don't judge me. I have a soft spot for taxidermy, okay? Look at that face!

Though I reluctantly passed on the beaver, I did end up buying these things:

1. old Bingo card: $3
Bingo reminds me of my grandma because she used to play like four times a week! I love Bingo so much that we're even playing Bingo for my birthday this Friday! This card jumped out at me because it has my anniversary dates on it. I plan to frame this, then hang it in my kitchen.
2. Ball jars: $5/ each.
I love old Ball jars. Why? Well, mainly because they're made in Indiana! I want to use these as vases on my mantle.
3. elastic butterfly belt: $1.
I saw this in the dollar bin and squeeled. I had just seen similar ones on Wild as a Mink and at Feathers Boutique last week. The one at Feathers was marked for $10, so I had to get this one since it was only a tenth of the price. ONE DOLLAR!

I wore some vintage finery for this festive occasion, and even saw this same dress (in a different color) being sold there by a vintage clothing vendor:

date: 24 October 2009
occasion: shopping the City Wide Garage Sale
chiffon dress: vintage
sweater: American Apparel
belt: Savers
tights: Target
shoes: flea market
bag: Gucci

I'm so glad I got to wear these suede shoes again. Lots of the older ladies complimented me on them. One vendor even told me she had the same exact pair in the 1960's! That means these are a decade older than I though. Cool. Very cool.

Comment of the Day: I can't believe I found another girl who loves fashion AND is fascinated by taxidermy. Suddenly, I don't feel so abnormal. :-) -The Commandress

Lucky Magazine's Top 10 Austin shops

Today Lucky Magazine published a list of their Top 10 Shops in Austin. Surf on over there to read their unbiased somewhat generic descriptions of these stores. Stay here to read my uncensored thoughts:
1. By George
Three words: Balenciaga in stock. Whoa! Expensive! A girl can dream, though. Unfortunately, on the budget of a struggling actress, I don't even dare to step foot in there. All I can say is thank God I don't have a credit card.

2. Eliza Page
Pretty jewelry. Again, the gasp worthy pieces are a wee bit out of my price range, but there are plenty of items to choose from that are under $100. The craftsmanship is unbeatable, and if you take good care of your jewels, you may find your teen daughter sneaking them from your jewelry box one day.

3. Feathers
This is, hands down, the best vintage boutique in Austin. I bought my beaded formal shorts there. The prices are a little higher than other vintage boutiques because the selection is top notch. Everything is in pristine condition and you won't find Urban Outfitters dresses mixed in to be passed off as authentic vintage. They did recently start carrying new shoes, though, but that's a good thing because now you can try on the newest Jeffrey Campbells there.

4. Gardens
I have never heard of this store, but that's probably because it's a home and garden store. I do my garden shopping at The Great Outdoors. Hubs does our home shopping at Home Depot. Classy, I know. I'll make a point to check this store out soon!

5. Kick Pleat
If mother nature had a cool, with-it niece who was a clothing designer, her clothes would be at Kick Pleat. The aesthetic is drapey, earthy, and modern-- lots of sheer jersey knit and oddly enough, no actual kick pleats in sight.

6. Luxe Apothetique
This is my favorite shop at The Domain, even if the shop girls are downright snobs. Heck, I, too, would probably act like an elitist if I were able to afford to be decked out in latest Current/ Elliot jeans and the newest Marc Jacobs tops, but had to work for beans at a mall. "As if! I'm only here so I can say I had, like, real life work experience or whatever on my college applications, mmmkay?" I don't care for Snobby Shop Girl, but I do still love the store for what's in stock!

7. Parts & Labour
I am so happy P&L made this list! This is one of the jewels of South Congress. They only carry Texas based designers, and it's a must on my list when shopping for unique gifts and quirky t-shirts for Hubs.

8. Shiki
I think I walked for Shiki in a fashion show a year ago. I vaguely remember going in for my fitting and being impressed with everything, but sad that most things were well above my price range (after all, you're talking to a girl who if given $100 for shopping would probably stop at Savers, first!). I also kind of remember wearing the largest size of things in stock. Maybe things have changed, but last year the clothes in the shop were mostly size small.

9. Uncommon Objects
Beware! I go into this shop and then I lose about two hours of my life. No regrets, though! This is one of the most fun shops in Austin. It's room after room of antiques. There's lots of kitsch, but there's lots of hard to find to-die for home decor, too. As a reference, though, the prices are quite a bit higher than Room Service.

10. Valentine's Too
Again, I've never even heard of this store, and that makes me feel lame. Their website is lacking, so I'm not entirely sure if I should make a special trip just to check it out. If I'm ever in the area, I'll stop by, especially because the bleh website says they carry Trina Turk.

A tiny office for big thoughts

Are you curious to see where some of the magic happens? Well, friends, this is it:

When we first moved into this house two years ago, Hubs built me a little office in the closet underneath the stairs. Some may say that this is too small and too stuffy for an office, but I disagree. I love it! I feel focused and cozy when I'm in here, but of course, I am the kid who slept in my closet on top of my toy box, and to relax, I'd read a book in a kitchen cabinet. I kinda love small spaces. What a weirdo!

Today's outfit felt a little office-y, so instead of doing my usual garden shot, I set up the shot in front of my teeny office. I even put on my glasses! Nerd alert!

date: 10 September 2009
occasion: thinking and writing and in general, being a productive person
skirt: Second Time Around (Boston)
tank: Old Navy
espadrilles: Victoria Spencer
necklace: F21
bracelet: Ten Thousand Villages
locket: Grandma

I have an audition tape due Monday to a reality tv show. I was a finalist in that show last year and was flown out to L.A. for an in-person interview, screen test, and audition three days before filming began. When they decided not to use me, I was kindly told that I was "not competitive enough" and that my personality inventory test showed that I avoid confrontation like the plague.

That is all true! I guess a nice girl on a reality tv show does not make for good tv, no matter how funny she is! So now that they're doing a second season, I'm truly conflicted about what I should do. To be honest, nothing has really changed in me, personality-wise, so I'm still not going to be cutthroat. Plus I could never embarrass my grandmother by being a horrible person on tv. She raised me better than that!

But on the other hand, this could be a really good opportunity for me, and I'm very tired of coming soooooo close to landing roles, but then being passed over (recent auditions/ call-backs I've lost: Machete, Eclipse, and Jonah Hex). I'm not getting any younger, so that does make me a bit more competitive. But, really... do I want to be on a reality tv show? Thoughts? I have a day or so to decide.

ThriftTown report

Announcement:

I am not getting my hair cut tonight.

Let the record show that I did not chicken out of tonight's haircut, but rather the girl who was scheduled to do the big bang chop had an allergic reaction to the permanent lash extension adhesive fumes, so she got sick and went home for the day. I have been rescheduled for Tuesday night!

In related news: I have now vowed never to get lash extensions. If someone can breathe the toxins from the adhesive and have to go home sick, I can't imagine how a person would feel having those toxins permanently attached to their face!

That aside, today was not a bust. My neighbor Abby and I went to ThriftTown in south Austin today. It was my first ThriftTown experience, and I was quite pleased. I was surprised at how nicely organized and clean the store was. Plus it didn't even smell like grandmas... not even a little bit.

Within ten seconds of walking into the store, I found the perfect vintage globe for $12:

I had been wanting one for a while, even before I read a post about vintage globes on Apartment Therapy. It's exactly the kind I wanted: larger than 12'' and on a wooden stand. Bonus: it was made in Indianapolis, Indiana, and as you may know, I love all things Indiana.

I almost bought an awesome 80's dress marked for $4.00:

It was all one piece and it had some thick shoulder pads in place, but unfortunately it was one size too small. It was just a tad too tight for my liking. I considered buying it with the intent to lose a little weight to fit into it, but that seems silly for a $4 ThriftTown dress.

If I regret not buying it in the morning, I'll make a call and pick it up tomorrow if it's still in the store. I just have a feeling, though, that it would have been one of those pieces that I buy for the novelty factor, but never actually wear out in public.

Stellar Seller: E. Soule Photography

Look at this tiny deer trying to eat a giant chocolate cupcake! Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

Portland based photographer, Elizabeth Soule is fantastic. She has a series called, "Little Zoo" made of darling Polaroid shots of teeny animal figurines. Since I have a very serious weakness for fawns and dinosaurs, this one also caught my eye, naturally:
If you are like me, and you need some more art in your life that's both affordable and unique, you have to check out E. Soule. I mean, really. With something like Deer & Cupcake starring at your every day, your life is sure to be filled with more whimsy!

For more info, see E. Soule on ESoule.com and Etsy.

Giveaway: Studio 3

To celebrate the official launch of Adored Austin, the fantastic people over at Studio 3 have generously offered to give away a tea towel or a set of napkins to a very lucky Adored Austin reader! Why have boring, mass produced kitchen towels when you can have something incredibly unique and whimsical?

The tea towels and cloth napkins are printed on vintage textiles. The fabric is rehabilitated and then silkscreened with eco-friendly ink. How freaking sweet is that?

If you are the lucky winner, you can have your pick of any of the tea towels or napkins sets on their website. My personal favorites are the feather napkins and the mustache napkins:You have until midnight central time this Wednesday, August 5th to enter, and here's the awesome part: You get your name in the hat once for leaving a comment, twice for leaving a comment and reblogging, or three times for leaving a comment, reblogging, and Tweeting (shortcut URL: http://tr.im/uRH7).

Here's what you gotta do by Wednesday to be eligible:
1. Check out Studio 3's online shop.
2. Comment on this post saying two things:

• What you'd choose from their shop if you are the winner, and
• You favorite messy food.

3. Note if you reblogged and/ or tweeted.
example:
I would choose the peacock feather napkin set.
I love crumb donuts.
I reblogged at www.adoredaustin.com and tweeted @adoredaustin!

I'll be drawing a winner on video on Thursday, August 6th. Check back here for the announcement. Prize must be claimed by Monday, August 10th.

Good luck, everyone! And thanks, Studio 3, for being Adored Austin's very first Giveaway Friday!

Help: complimentary paint colors

Confession: it took me TWO YEARS to finally pick the colors we recently painted the living room and kitchen. This is sad because one of the reasons why I couldn't wait to have a house was because we would finally, finally, finally be able to paint any color we wanted.

Next week my mother is coming to visit me in Texas for the first time. This is the first time she's seen my house! Before she gets here, I would like to paint the downstairs room (which will become Husband's music room/ office), but I just can't commit to a color! I don't have two years to get this done-- she'll be here next Tuesday! Dear readers, I need your help!

Below are the colors that we already have in our downstairs.

I would like the music room to be a complimentary color since it's right off the living room. It also has a guest bathroom attached to it (the most used guest bathroom, since it's the only bathroom we have downstairs). Any suggestions for one or two complimentary colors? I'm in quite a pickle, as the Husband isn't a fan of pastels or earth tones. My trim and ceilings are off white, and the color can't be girly because I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to start referring to the music room as the Man Cave, since Husband and his man friends will be spending quite a bit of time in there. They so would not appreciate a nice, bright fuchsia.

Event: Sanctuary one year anniversary party

Tonight at 6:00, my friend Carmen and I are going to check out the Sanctuary one year anniversary party.I am so excited to check out this shop, as it won the Austin Fashion Week's reader's choice award for Overall Best Decor Boutique. I am especially excited that Studio 3 (an eco-conscious screen printing company) will be there doing t-shirts on site. I could really use an awesome space man t-shirt. Ha, ha. I sincerely doubt they'll have an astronaut scrim, but... you never know!

Yes, this is a hamburger bed

Austin's infamous hamburger bed recently sold on eBay for $3050.00.Yes, we were all fools for not placing a bid.

[photo by owner Heather Leah Kennedy]

Congratulations, Berkley Illustration!

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about Ryan Berkley's Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal set (i.e. the lone print Husband and I have hung up in our house). So imagine my delight when I was flipping through the latest Urban Outfitters catalog, and saw some framed Berkley Illustration prints.

One of my favorite things is being way ahead of a trend, but one of my other favorite things is seeing independent artists having market success!

There are so many hard working artists and designers who tirelessly hawk their goods on Etsy and at craft fairs. Every once in a while, something awesome happens (like being picked up by Urban Outfitters). So when that happens, we should all rejoice and find renewed vigor for our own independent ventures.

One of my goals for this site is to celebrate local designers and artists and other noteworthy independent designers and artists. If you are interested in being profiled on Adored Austin, please don't hesitate to contact me. Keep up the hard work. Oh, and Ryan? Congrats!

Etsy discovery: Berkley Illustration

Confession: I have lived in my house for almost two years, and CMA and I have only hung one piece of art. But isn't it awesome? There are three main contributing factors to my sadly bare walls:
1. It took me this long to finally pick wall colors! (the above is my kitchen), and
2. It was important to me that we buy art that has some kind of meaning to us, and
3. I didn't want prints that were readily available at Ikea or Target, so that our house (which is in a very cookie-cutter subdivision) has some elements of being unique.

I finally settled on this amazing Berkley Illustration print of Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal, and I couldn't be happier. They're hung right beside our back window which overlooks our bird feeder. An adorable cardinal couple comes each morning and evening to get their fill on seeds. So, naturally, I had to have this homage to them.

Berkley Illustration is freaking hilarious. I love his whimsical style, and his prints are always good conversation pieces. There are tons of animals to choose from (including an octopus and a great white shark!), and they'd look just as adorable in a kid's in as they would look in a living room. Starting at just $10, it's some of the most affordable art, ever. Below are some of my other favorites:
Clockwise from top left
1. Yearbook series T-Rex Magnent "Best Dressed". $5.
2. Squirrel print. 5x7, $10.
3. Old Timey Biker Daredevil print. 8x10, $18.
4. Tiger print. 8x10, $18.

For more info and more laughs, check out:
Berkley Illustration's shop and
Berkley Illustration's blog.