Before I had children and started blogging, I worked very briefly as a consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics. It was a confusing time in my life. I had just graduated with my Master’s (in Literature), but couldn’t find a job (big surprise!), and for some strange reason, selling mediocre cosmetics to friends and family seemed like a good idea. Don’t judge me, though. Most Texas girls go through a pageant phase or a Mary Kay phase, and this was mine.
But, during that stint, I did meet a very colorful lady who waitressed at the VFW in Georgetown and LOVED Mary Kay Cosmetics. Through some strange twist of beauty consultant fate, she found my number, became my customer, and I spent several happy occasions driving up IH-35 to deliver products to her. And let me just tell you, it struck me quite clearly that there is nothing more country than delivering Mary Kay to a waitress in a VFW. At the bar. While she served beer to really old guys who watched us with total boredom as she sampled lipstick colors and perfume. Fannie Flagg could not make this stuff up.
But I loved going there, because Georgetown is so beautiful and filled with history. And now, we like to take the boys there when the weather is nice, to eat at Dairy Queen, which, I have to say, is among one of the nicest in the area, and I am kind of an expert on the subject. Then, we play at San Gabriel Park, along the banks of the San Gabriel River, until the boys are exhausted. That’s when we pile them into the car, turn on some Iron and Wine, and drive through the city’s streets, enjoying the scenery and the gorgeous, historic homes that fill the downtown area.
It’s a quiet little enclave, removed from the hustle and bustle of Austin, just past the density of Round Rock, and I absolutely adore it. Here are a few pictures from Georgetown.
(Georgetown VFW, where it all began.)
(Everette L. Williams Elementary, a film location for Dazed and Confused. When I took this picture, I met a woman who attended high school there years ago.)
(The stunningly gorgeous John Leavell House, which is currently for sale.)
(Oh DQ, how we love thee!)
(San Gabriel Park, Georgetown.)
(We love to feed the geese and fish. Can you see them?)
(My boys on the riverbank. This always makes me really nervous.)
(The massive oak trees that shade us as we play.)
It goes without saying that Georgetown holds a special place in my heart, and I know that many more happy memories will be made there.
I’ve been saying I wanted to do it for a while now, and I finally took the plunge! These are my lovely new business cards, designed by Jen at MadeByGirl, (with a gorgeous new bracelet strategically placed to hide my phone number.) Technically, they are calling cards, which I like for their larger size and pretty chevron print, making them a bit more memorable. I’m not attending a blogging conference any time soon, which is the reason many bloggers get cards in the first place, but I have had a few encounters where presenting one would be appropriate.
It’s really hard to sneak a picture of someone without their knowledge, even with a cell phone camera, and I will forever regret not walking up and talking to that lady with the metal chains wrapped around her entire arm at the Dairy Queen in Marble Falls. She looked like Sissy Spacek and was true Texas, and I will never see her again. And then there’s the girl who works at our local Dairy Queen (I realize my family has a problem) who rides a pink Vespa past our house on her way to work. I really want to take her picture, too, and maybe she won’t think I’m a total freak if I give her a business card. You know, so I look all official and stuff. Like a real blogger.
The calendar says September and the weather is cooling down, so I added a few Fall touches around the house. I’m not big on Halloween, but, coming from San Antonio, I have a fondness for Catrinas and Día de los Muertos, and I incorporated those elements into my Fall decor. I like to use child-friendly things in our living room, since that is where the boys spend most of their time. It’s a nice way to explain the changing seasons and allows them to feel like part of the celebration. And then I put my more delicate decorations in the less frequented areas of the house, just in case. Here are my very simple touches for Fall.
(A giant sunflower hanging on the front door.)
(The living room mantel, designed for little eyes and hands, complete with my toilet paper pumpkins from last year.)
(A closeup of my tiny Catrina figurines.)
(My fall table, with paper flowers and an embroidered runner from El Mercado in San Antonio.)
(A precious pumpkin that makes me smile.)
It’s nothing too elaborate or expensive (in fact, it’s all from previous years), but it makes me feel festive and the boys enjoy these little changes, too. Are you doing any decorating for Fall?
