It's A Hair Story.

The 18th of June marked my first anniversary with my husband. 

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Doesn't Hubs look adorkable in Ralph Lauren?

I felt pretty, oh-so pretty! in my Taylor Tonal Stripe Fit & Flare Dress (Nordstrom).

Clutch: Gucci (circa 2005).

Heels: American Eagle (circa 2012).

While getting ready for our dinner at Simon and Seafort's, a seafood restaurant that has won several "Best of Alaska" awards, I realized it has also been over a year since I cut off a good length of my hair.

Remember this? 

Initially, I cut my hair because it made sense: without a car, I was walking in the Texas heat every day. My thick, long curls carried more weight, more sweat, and took longer to naturally dry (I have never liked using heat on my hair; I don't even own a blow dryer).

Long Hair, Don't Care at South By Southwest 2012:

wearing a pleated Lulu's dress, via Texas Style Council, & vintage Tony Lama boots.

I wasn't nervous or scared when I told the stylist to cut so much. She kept asking me "Are you sure? I don't want you to be mad at me!"

My short hair got a few responses from people at my place of work at the time; one of the television hosts I was working with told me that I was "very brave for such a drastic change."

I didn't feel brave. The only thing I felt after was surprised: my cut locks revealed hair that had not been damaged by the sun, wisps of hair that were much darker. 

Then, as I adjusted to having shorter hairstyle, I felt an appreciation for my natural curls. I had tiny tendrils I had never noticed before. I could style my hair without using a number of products, I could use a Shampoo Plus Conditioner, and I could just shower and go! It was amazing.

Natural curl, with an Instagram filter.

Now that my hair is longer, I may one day cut it short again. Right now my goal is to learn how to style my longer hair: I've never been great at braids or fancy hairstyles. I would like to be, though. Maybe, in another year, I'll be blogging about that accomplishment!

My hair has gotten so long in a year!

Wearing: Vince Camuto Cuff Ankle Pants (Nordstrom); Collective Concepts Eyelet Shirt (Nordstrom);

Michael Kors leather flats (Nordstrom; similar).

I wear these shoes (and these Vince Camuto pants) all the time at work! Both are ultra-comfy.

My favorite bracelet, from a gift shop in Borrego Springs. My sister gave it to me a few Christmases ago!

My necklace came from Blackbird Clothes & Curios, in Austin (now closed).

Readers, have you ever done anything drastic with your hair? 

I Spy...People, Places, and Things, Oh My!

Despite my hectic, I-go-to-school-and-have-two-jobs-and-an-internship schedule, I've managed to sneak in a few lighthearted moments of fun. Of course, I've taken photos of my adventures. In the vein of my previous "I Spy..." post, the snapshots are in a loosely organized fashion.

Happy Monday!

Order numbers at El Taquito in Round Rock:
1941 is one of my favorite films!

Juliana Azar, co-owner of Blackbird Clothes & Curios, is pictured right. Her store tied with Green House for "Best New Business" in The Austin Chronicle's "Best of Austin 2011" Readers Poll. You may recall both boutiques were featured in The Rock the Casbah Fashion Show.

Breed & Co. (718 W. 29th Street) was named
"Best Local Hardware Store" in the same poll.

Decorative night-lights at Breed & Co.

Anyone ever watch the "Put a Bird On It" clip from Portlandia?

The story of my life fits on a magnet!

Outside Breed & Co., with one of the many CowParade displays
that are in Austin at the moment.

Allie, checking out the sweets counter at Breed & Co.

"The candy man can 'cause he mixes it with love
and makes the world taste good."
-- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

"The Playscape Project" at Breed & Co. was a chance for local architects

to show off their designs for playscapes for small-backyard use.

At Co-Lab (613 Allen Street); the program for MARFITA --

La Virgen Appears: Marfa Re-Mapped.

MARFITA is a large-scale installation

by Josh T. Franco, Alison Kuo, and Joshua Saunders,

with Natalie Goodnow.

I never figured out if the empty beverage containers were meant to be a part of the installation, or if they were litter....

Virgin Mary candles.

I believe this was a miniature artillery shed at MARFITA.

Horseshoes!

Ted Hall's Blues Jam at Kick Butt Coffee (4600 Guadalupe).

Off to work!

Blouse: Mad Men for Banana Republic; Clam Diggers: Maurices; Flats: J. Crew.

The Austin Chronicle cover photo is by John Leach.

Meet-and-greet with Tortoise & Blonde.

First, I would like to thank everyone for their encouraging comments regarding the (upcoming) final quarter of my undergrad career. My diligence throughout the Summer Quarter has paid off, and now I can say I earned B's in all of my science classes.

Second, since writing my last post, I feel as if everything has happened.

For instance, I now have a roommate, who owns a bunny rabbit named Marley. When you consider that I also have a medium-sized mutt, my apartment's been a little cramped, I've been a little stressed, and I spent my entire Autumn Break moving furniture around when I wasn't at work.

Womp, womp, womp (I strongly dislike complaining, so whenever I do make a complaint, I imagine the Teacher Noise from Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang. Strange? Maybe.).

On to my final point, and what this post is truly about:  I consider the following to be a unique brand that I trust y'all will like.

I mentioned Tortoise & Blonde a few posts back, as they were hosting events in Austin during the Austin City Limits Music Festival.  A couple Wednesdays ago, I had a lovely chat with Evan Weisfeld, one of the founders of Tortoise & Blonde.

 Mr. Evan Weisfeld, putting the "son" in "father-and-son team".

The meeting, which took place at Jo's Coffee (1300 South Congress) was a crash-course in the beginnings of Tortoise & Blonde, as well as eyewear lingo. Here are a few of the highlights:

-- Tortoise & Blonde was founded by three people: Dr. Steven Weisfeld, who has practiced optometry for over thirty years; Evan Weisfeld, Dr. Weisfeld's son who recognized the market's need for affordable, stylish eyewear;  and Phil Cobucci, who as a long-time patient of Dr. Weisfeld's and founder of BAM! Solutions has played a major role in the brand's marketing strategy.

--Tortoise & Blonde's products, though manufactured in the same factory as sought-after fashion frames, is remarkably well-priced. Their motto is "one today, another tomorrow", meaning that your glasses are as integral to your personality as any other visual trait (e.g. hairstyle). If you choose to switch it up, you shouldn't have to worry about breaking bank, as T&B's frames and prescription lenses start at $97.

The Quincy in "Black Cherry".

--The numbers on the inside of the temple actually mean something! For example, on this pair of Quincy sunglasses, there's a 50, followed by a square, and then 19-145. Those numbers are measurements in milimeters for (1. the "box" size, the width of each lens measured at the widest point across;  (2. the "bridge" size or the distance between the lenses, this measurement is sometimes abbreviated to DBL as in Distance Between Lenses; (3. the length of the temple.

--Tortoise & Blonde believes in the power of the consumer, and what consumers want is a variety of choices: many of T&B's frames come in three different "colorways" or color schemes, and within that, many styles are "double-laminated", or two-toned. What does that mean exactly? The outside of the frame is a different color than the inside. So you could totally be rockin' a black frame, but the inside could be cherry. How slinkster cool is that? Pretty rad, if you ask me. They also offer a generous selection of styles for both men and women.

--The brains behind Tortoise & Blonde are inspired by their everyday adventures and travels, and it shows in their naming of styles. The style names are a tribute to the unique (The Laurel is named after Laurel Canyon, a neighborhood canyon in Los Angeles), the iconic (Sunset takes its name from Sunset Boulevard, also in Los Angeles), and even the classic, as such is the case with Nottingham ( a city in England).

 The Quincy in "Black Cherry".

Once I get a new prescription for glasses, you bet I'm going to get a pair of glasses from Tortoise & Blonde. I just can't decide between the Sunset in "Black & Blue" and said-frames in "T&B". Now that I've done a slew of outfit posts, y'all know what colors I generally wear. Which colorway do you think I should get?

 Sunset  in "Black & Blue".

 Sunset in "T&B".

You can check out all that Tortoise & Blonde has to offer at their website. It's easy to navigate through, and let me know if you decide to snatch up a pair! They're definitely a brand that is worth following; I have a feeling big things are in store for them.

What I wore while conquering South Congress:

Sunglasses: Dots; Bow Halter: Esley, via Blackbird Clothes & Curios; 
Floral Shorts: Dots; Leather Flats: J. Crew.

3/4 views of glasses and logo courtesy of Tortoise & Blonde.

Austin Street Style: Monday on North Loop.

Anyone that has an interest in street fashion should be reading and listening to what Bill Cunningham of The New York Times has to say. He has mastered the art of taking someone's photograph without the subject realizing it. And sometimes, that's the best way to take a style photo.

I've always thought photos of people in their natural state of being are more interesting to look at, before I even knew who Mr. Cunningham was. Snapping a candid shot also takes out the clumsy "Hi, I write a style blog you've never heard of, can I get your photo?" chat. The bottom line? People, as strangers, fascinate me, and capturing the essence of an event can be done without anyone posing for their photo.

So here are the rest of my photos from Monday night's Rock the Casbah Fashion Show at Phara's outdoor patio. Some are candid, others are not. Either way, I hope you enjoy this little piece of Austin.

Laurie Gallardo: her radio personality matches up with her personal style.

I like the floral pattern on the stripes.

Juliana and Amy, from Blackbird Clothes & Curios.

With Juliana, co-owner of Blackbird Clothes & Curios.

I like how she tucked the handkerchief halter into the high-waisted shorts.

Still wearing her skirt from Splendor, this model has the look of a genie.

The lighting was done by ILIOS.

This is designer of the leather pouches that were shown during the Green House segment of the fashion show.

I have to give props to the belly dancer.

Phara's, as we were leaving.

At Epoch with a muffin to-go: Lisa; many thanks to her for getting me to the show!

At Epoch: I was inspired by Sofia Coppola's lavender wedding dress to break out these tights.
My tights and boots are from Wet Seal, while my shirtdress is from Target. I say "shirtdress" because it was meant to be a kid's shirt, with an attached cami underneath. I cut out the cami long ago.

If you would like to see my photos of the fashion show, I posted them on Tuesday. 

Rock the Casbah: a North Loop Fashion Show.

Last night's Rock the Casbah Fashion Show represented upcoming fall trends, as well as the funkiest shopping district Austin has to offer: North Loop!

Not to be outdone by the recent shows from Austin Fashion Week, locally-owned shops Splendor, Green House, Forbidden Fruit, Ermine Vintage, Blue Velvet, and (my favorite Austin boutique) Blackbird Clothes & Curios all came out to parade their latest looks at Phara's outdoor patio.

Overall, the show was a real treat for a Monday night, and I enjoyed everything from the atmosphere to the free casbah cosmos, which were concocted with Cinco Vodka and made by Blackbird Clothes & Curios' Stacey and Eunice.

Because I took so many photos, I am splitting the entirety of the event into two posts. I hope y'all enjoy the photos I took; the looks are in (an almost complete) order, by boutique.

Splendor:I would sport a cape.

Greenhouse:Staria, with her younger sister.
Her hair reminds me of Stormy, the frenemy of 1980s cartoon Rainbow Brite.
Forbidden Fruit:
Corsets always have such a sexy attitude.
Ermine Vintage:
Somewhere between singer Adele and a 1940s pin-up girl.
Blue Velvet:
At first, I thought this monochromatic jumpsuit was a dress!
This gold, sheer dress was easily my favorite look of the evening!
Blackbird Clothes & Curios:Her bob reminds me of Irene Castle, the early 20th-century ballroom dancer.
This look had Roaring 20s glam all over it!
Sporting the one-suspender look like a true hipster would.
Later this week, I will post individual style photos from the show!