things I saw this weekend

Well friends, for the time being, I have no camera. We were burglarized recently, and amongst the theives' spoils was our Nikon. Wah! All's well, thank goodness for homeowner's insurance and our brand-new alarm system. (Ah, hindsight.)

Still, I have some good blogging energy and wanted to share a few things that inspired me this weekend:

1. Austin's Botanical Garden's vegetable garden and composting demonstration. I don't know who's responsible for the happy and healthy garden next to the composting demonstration, but it was the best part of the garden today. Lettuces, broccoli, beets, radishes, herbs, cauliflowers, strawberries, and kale: Oh, my! Really, it was a gorgeous little garden; teeming with life and green goodness. I wanted to run home and build a bed right away. (Of course, I didn't. Still, the... er, seed has been planted! I've got a good sketch worked out and a list of plants was begun.)

2. Early spring visit to The Great Outdoors. I thought a garden in our new house wasn't going to happen this year, but I really want to get something started soon. My mom, the gardener and flower designer extraordinaire, drew my attention to blue ice cypress (also spotted at the botanic garden), lemon trees, wisteria, and a handful of cool grasses.

3. Beautiful rugs at SoCo Designs. I realize this has nothing to do whatsoever with coffee, queso, or anything else edible, but I'd love to host a bohemian feast atop one of SoCo Designs' gorgeous hand-tufted wool rugs. They also had an incredible variety of shags that can be cut to size and other interesting and glam wall-to-wall options. Oh, to have a trust fund (or any extra funds, these days!)

4. Sago's blackberry cocktails. The Zarzamora and the Blackberry frozen margarita are both high on my list these days. We arrived with my parents in tow in the busy Triangle area--hungry and cranky--at 7:30 on a Friday night. Usually, this is something of a gastronomic death sentence in Austin, because most of our favorite spots come with a minimum 30-minute wait in the evening.

Within 15 minutes at Sago, we were seated in a cozy spot at the bar, halfway through our tasty beverages and enjoying fresh guacamole and chips. Whether you like the controversial Triangle development or not, I recommend this spot for it's great drinks (and happy hour specials), tasty dishes, warm and sexy interior, and very nice staff.


All in all, it was a most productive and pleasant weekend! I even found two Jonathan Adler mugs on clearance at a favorite boutique (Mercury Design Studio) that perfectly match his elephant teapot that we received as a gift last year and love. Sahweet.

It was a warm and sunny February 1st here in Austin. A friend said today, Quand la Chandeleur est claire, l'hiver est par derriere, meaning If February is clear, winter is behind us.

Happy Spring!