November 2016

Austin Woman MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2016

“I did not want my tombstone to read, ‘She kept a really clean house.’ ” —Ann Richards

2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD With more legroom in both the second and third rows than Acura MDX and Lexus GX 460, seats that move easy enough for a child to operate – even with a child seat in place - the Mazda CX-9 delivers on the needs of today’s active family. The All New Signature Trim delivers the indulgences of real Rosewood and genuine aluminum accents along with Nappa leather and LED interior accent lighting. This balance, combined with the enhanced performance of the Dynamic Pressure Turbo engine, available i-ACTIVAWD® and a suite of i-ACTIVSENSE® safety features, makes the allnew Mazda CX-9 the perfect choice for today’s sophisticated family.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

OUR COMMUNITY

†2016 Mazda CX-9 Sport MSRP $32,420. 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD MSRP $44,915. 2016 Acura MDX SH-AWD® with Advance Package MSRP $56,170. 2016 Lexus GX 460 Premium MSRP $56,200.

2016 Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription AWD MSRP $56,395. Price comparisons based on starting at MSRP’s found on each manufacturer’s website. All prices include destination charge and exclude TT&L.

16

When compared to other luxury brands like Acura, Lexus and Volvo, this 7-Passenger Mazda fits right in.

But for over $10,000 less. †

(Prepare to be impressed)

rogerbeasleymazda.com CENTRAL • SOUTH • GEORGETOWN • KILLEEN

866-779-8409 |

Locally owned & operated since 1972

Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 9:00PM, Saturday 8:30AM - 8:00PM

direct connect to

Italy through

copenhagen

departures daily Come experience Italy at Copenhagen. We have assembled a wonderful collection of some of the best designs from Italy’s finest manufacturers. All these products display a sense of purpose and pride through intelligent design and caring craftsmanship. Selective use of practical materials and thoughtful engineering result in products that meet high quality standards while maintaining exceptional value. Come see why Italy has long been regarded as the center of today’s modern design world. Visit Copenhagen for an Italian design experience you won’t soon forget. You will be inspired.

Palladio leather sofa by Nicoline Design Studio, Italy. Classic details combine with contemporary styling to produce a stunning sofa that is undeniably sophisticated.

Design by Tita Fineo, the Palladio sofa imparts a style that is rooted in the past while reinforcing today’s clean design trends.

From stock as shown or custom order from a significant collection of leather or fabric. Direct import by Copenhagen.

Austin

2236 West Braker

512.451.1233

(just east of The Domain and Burnet Road next to Culver’s)

San Antonio

18603 Blanco Road

210.545.4366

(just north of 1604 in The Vineyard shopping center next to Whole Foods Market)

www.CopenhagenLiving.com

contemporary furniture & accessories

R E A L PAT I E N T S. R E A L S TO R I E S.

‘‘

Everything I needed to beat breast cancer, all in one place.

’’

Bonnie Latham’s checkup took a surprising turn when the doctor found a suspicious lump on the 30-year-old mother’s breast. “The biopsy confirmed it was cancer.” Suddenly, the Baylor Scott & White Health facility she knew and loved as her baby’s birthplace became the venue for another kind of journey. “From diagnosis through mastectomy, chemo and reconstruction, they were there every step of the way.” Bonnie continued to turn to the comprehensive breast cancer team even after treatment was done. “They helped me overcome post-treatment fears about reoccurrence.” Today, Bonnie credits the team with saving her life.

“I just want to spread the word that if you’re dealt this hand, it’s an incredible place.”

For more information on cancer services visit us at cancer.sw.org.

Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2016 Baylor Scott & White BSWH_613_2016_BH

I AM A TEXAS MBA “Not a day goes by that I don’t utilize the knowledge, skills, or amazing network I gained and cultivated while earning my Texas MBA. This investment in myself continues to be the best investment I have ever made, and it has absolutely changed the trajectory of my career.”

ALISSA BAYER Founder and owner, milk + honey spa, salon, and products Expert massage receiver Organic product fiend Mother of three MBA 2004

TexasMBA.info

EXPAND YOUR NETWORK

Photo by Korey Howell.

Evening & Executive Programs

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Come Visit Us. Shop our showroom tucked away just one mile east of South Congress at 2090 Woodward Street. Or visit us online to see what’s new, find inspiration and browse our digital catalog.

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Visit our website to learn about our anti-aging specials and skin care products.

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Where healthy skin is always in.

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| 888.451.0139

56

On the cover

KIM POSSIBLE By rachel merriman

66

feature

their big fat gypsy dream

Photo by Rudy Arocha.

By emily c. laskowski

Contents

Photo by Rush Jagoe.

NOVEMBER

39 on the scene

GOURMET

25 KRISTY’S TOP 10 November’s To-do List 74 recipe

reveal Spice Advice 28 PICTURE THIS Celebrate!

78 FOOD NEWS Hudson’s on the Bend

savvy women

wellness

30 count us in Women in Numbers 32 GIVE BACK The Cupcake Bar 34 l et’s taco ’bout it

80 hea

lth Home Brews 84 n utrition Snack Attack

Ann-Christine Langselius

36 Profile

Amelia Cosgrove

MUST LIST 39 Discover A Sunday in NOLA 44 LITTLE LUXURIES Spellbound 46 roundup Story Time

style + HOME 48 splurge or steal Cape Town 50 accessorize Tassel Mania 52 entertaining Table Talk

14 | Austin Woman | november 2016

POINT OF VIEW 86 m emo from JB Dinner’s Ready!

88 i am austin woman Rhoda Mae Kerr

on the cover Photo by Rudy Arocha, rudyarochaphotography.com Styled by Ashley Hargrove, dtkaustin.com Hair and makeup by Jennell Ballard, naava.com Treasure & Bond red-checkered shirt, $69, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com; jeans and jewelry, model’s own.

ESCAPE

T H E ORDINARY

FLORAL CLASSES | SPECIAL DELIVERIES | WEDDINGS

margotblairfloral.com

Now a full service planning firm!

Our expertise goes far beyond the world of flowers, and we now offer our clients the “full package” for their big day.

Photo by Loft Photography

ESTABLISHED IN 1998

WWW.TOCMEDICALSPA.COM (512) 533-7317 • 3705 Medical Parkway, Suite 130, Austin, Texas 78705

Volume 15, issue 3 Co-Founder and Publisher Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher Christopher Garvey associate publisher Cynthia Guajardo Shafer

EDITORIAL Editor Emily C. Laskowski associate Editor April Cumming copy editor Chantal Rice contributing writers

Sarah E. Ashlock, J.B. Hager, Maddy Hill, Rhoda Mae Kerr, Rachel Merriman, Kristy Owen, Rachel Rascoe, Kat Sampson, Darcy Sprague, Victoria Stowe, Kristi Willis

ART CREATIVE Director Niki Jones ART DIRECTOR Lucy Froemmling ART assistant Megan Bedford CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Rudy Arocha, Nell Burger, Denny Culbert, Jennifer Fisher, Kevin Garner, Ashley Hargrove, Maddy Hill, Korey Howell, Rush Jagoe, Ari Morales, Kim Mcguire, Wyatt McSpadden, Dustin Meyer, Mychal Mitchell, Courtney Pierce, April Pizana, Annie Ray, Isabel Torrealba, Jessica Wetterer

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Katie Paschall

operations and marketing Director of marketing and engagement

Lisa Munoz OFFICE MANAGER

Victoria Castle

Interns Sydney Denton, Jules Maxwell, Kat Sampson, Darcy Sprague

Emeritae Co-Founder Samantha Stevens Editors

Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Mary Anne Connolly, Elizabeth Eckstein

Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc., and is available at more than 1,250 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved.

For submission requirements, visit awmediainc.com/contribute.

No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission.

Visit us online at austinwomanmagazine.com.

Email us at info@awmediainc.com.

512.328.2421 • 3921 Steck Ave., Suite A111, Austin, TX 78759

From the Editor

Each November, Austin Woman releases its annual home issue. After meeting this month’s cover woman, Kim Lewis, at the South Austin bungalow she calls home, and interviewing Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes, the sisters behind Round Top’s Junk Gypsy Co., I did what many of you will do after reading their stories: I looked around at the things in my house.

Of our primary furniture pieces, I’d wager at least half qualify as hand-me-downs. Our 96-inch-long couch upholstered in ivory brocade first graced the East Texas living room of my maternal grandparents. Our handsome, solid-wood vanity set is where my mother-in-law used to sit at her grandmother’s ranch house. We’ve even got old lamps, mirrors and paintings, not to mention a rocking chair, dresser, ottoman and more from

Join the conversation @eclaskowski @austinwoman #IAmAustinWoman

18 | Austin Woman | november 2016

brothers, sisters, uncles, great-aunts and so on.

There are two reasons for this amalgamation of antique/secondhand furnishings. One, obviously, is the sweet deal. Furniture is expensive, and I’m not ashamed to say we’ll gladly save our money by outfitting the house with well-worn or gently used items. Two, evident to sentimentalists, is this even better deal: Obviously, that black porcelain panther lamp recovered from my grandfather’s days as a bachelor will be displayed on the nightstand in the guest bedroom. Obviously.

Mostly, though, I believe a house is not a home without great company, and the company I keep each day has weathered good times and bad, stretches back generations and never lets me forget the life I lead is made possible, in part, by the people who came before me. The company I keep are the priceless things I see throughout my house that can’t be found—or purchased—anywhere else, which, by the way, is just fine by me because that means there really is no place like home.

Sincerely,

EMILY C. LASKOWSKI Editor

Photo by Dustin Meyer.

M

y husband and I inherited—and by inherited, I mean we casually took from my parents’ garage—a vintage black traveling trunk that now serves as our coffee table. My parents happen to have three such trunks that originally belonged to my paternal grandparents, so when us newlyweds became homeowners for the first time several years ago, I saw no reason why we couldn’t take just one of these relics off my parents’ hands.

contributors

a ustiN s ymp hoN y o r che s t r a

This month, we asked our contributors to fill in the blank: Home is where the is.

RUDY AROCHA

Cover Photographer, “KIM POSSIBLE,” Page 56 Photographer Rudy Arocha is a native Texan who moved to Austin to pursue his education in fine arts as a sculptor. He later rediscovered his passion for photography when his grandfather gave him a camera as a gift. Rudy graduated from the Art Institute of Austin and specializes in portrait photography. When not photographing, Rudy enjoys music, the outdoors and spending time with his wife, Maggie.

“Home is where my super comfortable bed and, of course, my wife are. There is nothing like the feeling of sleeping in your own bed.”

Rachel Merriman

Cover Writer, “Kim Possible,” Page 56

Rachel Merriman is a technical writer and freelance magazine writer.

She blogs about baking and making her 1970s fixer-upper a home on a budget at siftingandthrifting.com.

your perfect

“Home is where the progress is. My biggest challenge since purchasing my very first home last year has been coming up with creative and budget-friendly ways to make my home unique. At times, I’ve been discouraged by how slowly things go, but when I look back and see how much progress I’ve made, I’m always amazed. I’m working on enjoying the process!”

Date Night

starts here

Maddy Hill

Writer, “Table Talk,” Page 52 and “Home Brews,” Page 80

upcomiNg eveNt: Handel’s Messiah december 6, 8:00 p.m. austin Symphony & Chorus austin Hyde park Baptist Church

Handel’S MessiAh

æ

tickets/info Se a Son S p o n S o r S

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“Home is where the teapot is.”

ASHLEY HARGROVE

stylist/model, “cape town,” Page 48 DTK Austin Styling Owner Ashley Hargrove is a renowned wardrobe stylist and model who specializes in styling commercial and print advertising. She has recently worked with People Magazine, ESPN, Holiday Inn and many others. Follow her journey on Instagram @dtkaustin.

(512) 476-6064 or austinsymphony.org

M e d i a S po nS o r S

Maddy Hill is a 20-something attending the University of Texas for journalism, Middle Eastern studies and business. When she’s not frantically up against a deadline or rushing to her next shoot for Maddy Hill Photographics, she can likely be found Netflixing, reading or practicing yoga in the company of her trusty cat. Maddy is currently an editor at Society Letters and enjoys sharing her life and style tips on Instagram @missmadds_xo.

All artists, programs, and dates subject to change.

“Home is where [my dog] Steven Jalapeño is because he’s the best roommate in the world, in addition to my husband, Grayson.”

New clients only.

BUYING?

Selling?

INVESTING?

Laurie McGary is a native Austinite and is committed to helping people meet their real estate goals whether buying, selling or investing in the Austin area. Laurie brings to the table 16+ years experience as a REALTOR® and believes in first class service with professionalism, expertise, efficiency, trustworthiness and loyalty ensuring her client’s goals are met in every need.

Laurie McGary REALTOR®, GRI, ABR, CLHMS (512) 695-7461 LaurieMcGary@realtyaustin.com

WHAT BETTER PLACE TO HAVE A CHEESY HOLIDAY PARTY THAN AT ANTONELLI’S CHEESE HOUSE!

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY WITH US TODAY. ANTONELLISCHEESE.COM • (512) 296-2694

Connect with us!

Can’t get enough of this issue?

Check us out at austinwomanmagazine.com.

➥ More keys. We enlisted the advice of Kim Shrum, CEO of Austin-based travel

service Key Concierge, to share her go-to tips for avoiding stress and travel snafus during the holiday season.

➥ More building blocks. On the heels of her appointment as the new interim dean of the University of Texas School of Architecture, we sat down with Elizabeth Danze to learn when she first fell in love with architecture and what keeps her inspired in the world of design today.

➥ More evenings out. We pay a visit to Eberly, named after Austin heroine Angelina

Eberly, to check out the latest American-fare-focused restaurant to make its home on South Lamar Boulevard.

Art From the Streets about the organization’s upcoming two-day exhibit and sale that showcases high-quality works produced by some of the city’s homeless and formerly homeless.

➥ More presidents. Join us as we talk innovation and the quest for work-life balance with Sarah Valenzuela, the newly appointed president of the Junior League of Austin, ahead of the group’s 41st annual A Christmas Affair event.

➥ More bookworms. BookWoman has existed for 39 years. Along with a fascinating history lesson in feminism, we picked up a few of Owner Susan Post’s favorite reading recommendations.

Don’t miss

Win This!

THE LASH LOUNGE Giveaway

We’re not afraid to admit it: We lust after long lashes, which is why we’ve partnered with The Lash Lounge, a high-end beauty salon specializing in semi-permanent eyelash extensions, for this month’s giveaway, a lash-extension package valued at $300.

Just let it be known that you might see our AW team at your next appointment.

To enter, keep an eye on our Instagram account @AustinWoman for the giveaway announcement in November. Word to the wise: We like to be spontaneous. A winner will be chosen and notified at the end of the month.

Follow us

@austinwoman

22 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Beat the Odds Benefit Nov. 3, 6 to 8 p.m.

The Headliners Club, 221 W. Sixth St. breakthroughaustin.org/beat-theodds-benefit

Texas Conference for Women Nov. 15, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. txconferenceforwomen.org

Hand to Hold Baby Shower Luncheon Nov. 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs Road handtohold.org/baby-shower-2016

A Christmas Affair Nov. 16 to 20, times vary Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road jlaustin.org

Sip & Shop with Cover Woman Kim Lewis at Four Hands Home Nov. 5, 5 to 8 p.m.

2090 Woodward St. eventbrite.com/e/sip-shop-at-fourhands-home-tickets-28742555758

InnoTech Women in Tech Summit Nov. 17, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. innotechconferences.com/austin/ about-2/womenintech

We Are Girls Conference Nov. 5, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Austin High School, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez St. genaustin.org/what-we-do/we-aregirls-conference

Texas Women in Business Luncheon Nov. 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Austin Country Club, 4408 Long Champ Drive texaswomeninbusiness.org

FAVE Awards Gala Nov. 11, 7 to 10 p.m.

Hotel Van Zandt, 605 Davis St. austin.yc.org/fave2016

like us

facebook.com/austinwoman

Femme Film Friday Nov. 18, 6 p.m.

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave. thestoryoftexas.com

FOLLOW us

@ austinwoman

Kim Shrum photo courtesy of Kim Shrum. Art From the Streets photo courtesy of Art From the Streets. Sarah Valenzuela photo courtesy of Sarah Valenzuela.

➥ More creative expression. We spent the day chatting with the women in charge of

Studio Bella is a full service spa & boutique

HOLIDAY

OPEN HOUSE

December 8, 2016 5-8 pm

Photography by MonikaKelley.com 512-560-2020

◆ Enjoy boutique specials ◆ Hors d’Oeuvres $20 OFF ◆ Swag bags your first visit with Rebecca Swaine, ◆ Free raffles LMT Massage of ◆ Free door prizes your choice!

www.StudioBellaSpa.com

6507 Jester Blvd Suite 108 Austin TX 78750

Hair Salon Esthetician Waxing Permanent Eyeliner, Eyebrow, Lips and much more.

Areola and Scar Camouflage Cupping Therapy DaVinci Teeth Whitening Natural Spray Tan Medi System Ear Piercing Deep Tissue Swedish Hot Stone Massage by Whisper (512) 944-0754 Massages and Facials by Rebecca Swaine, LMT (971) 404-4448 Nails by Lisa Graham (512) 694-2501 lisag4nails@gmail.com

CHECK US OUT FOR YOUR GIFTSHOPPING NEEDS.

SCHEDULE A SERVICE TODAY!

512.502.0002

GET ENOUGH SLEEP. GET YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES.

GET IN TO SEE YOUR OBGYN. Your obgyn wants what’s best for you. If you have gone longer than 12 months without seeing a physician, call us. Our caring and experienced team is here to help safeguard your health and stand beside you through all of life’s ages and stages.

Dr. Rebecca Teng • Dr. Brenda Chao • Dr. Beth Thai

East Round Rock 301 Seton Parkway, Suite 407 Round Rock, TX 78681

512-931-1656 • obgynroundrock.com

A DENTAL PRACTICE DESIGNED WITH IN MIND

comfort

COMPASSIONATE DENTAL CARE IV SEDATION AND NITROUS SOFT BLANKETS WARM HAND TOWELS RELAXING VIEW FROM THE DENTAL CHAIR DR. TANA BUSCH • DR. JASON CARLYON • DR. KEVIN DEUTSCH

512.452.8262 • 8118 Shoal Creek Blvd. Austin, TX 78757 • 8118dental.com

SKILLS CHARACTER TEAMWORK At the YMCA of Austin, kids develop all of their skills, from catching and dribbling to teamwork and sportsmanship. Just as important, they learn firsthand the benefits of being healthy & active and that virtual games just can’t compare to the real thing.

WINTER REGISTRATION OPEN NOW! COED BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL

Sign up today at AustinYMCA.org

ON THE SCENE kristy’s top 10

November’s to-do list from

365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas.

By kristy owen

Wurstfest

1

Photo courtesy of The Wurstfest Association.

Nov. 4 through 13, times vary 120 Landa St., New Braunfels, Texas wurstfest.com

Contrary to what you might infer from the name, Wurstfest is, by far, the best Bavarian festival this side of the Atlantic. Comparable to any German Oktoberfest, Wurstfest is a 10-day excuse to wear lederhosen and indulge in traditional Bavarian food and drink.

Expect to hear a lot of live music, accompanied by the friendly banging of a beer pint or two. Pro-tip: For those looking to have a true Wurstfest experience, come dressed in costume.

Admission is $10 at the gate.

Children 12 and younger get in free.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 25

n the scene

KRISTY’S top 10

Texas Book Festival

Waller Creek Conservatory Creek Show

Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Nov. 6, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nov. 10 through 19

Texas State Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave.

Along Waller Creek between Fifth and Eighth streets

texasbookfestival.org

creekshow.com

The Texas Book Festival is to book lovers what the Austin City Limits Music Festival is to live-music fanatics. If you’ve ever fallen in love with a book, this is your chance to fall in love with the author too. The free weekendlong event gives avid readers—the Rory Gilmores and Hermione Grangers among us—an excuse to wander around the Capitol grounds perusing hundreds upon hundreds of new books. Word to the wise: Check out our recommendations on Page 46 before heading out so you don’t miss your favorite authors’ book signings.

Admission is free.

For the third year in a row, Waller Creek is getting a makeover. Watch as the banks—a 1.5-mile stretch maintained by the Waller Creek Conservatory— transform into a light-show spectacle featuring five design masterpieces. If you’re looking for a good place to enjoy the show with a cold drink in hand, grab a craft beer and fresh-baked pretzel from Austin’s favorite beer-garden hangout, Easy Tiger, which sits idyllically adjacent to Waller Creek.

Admission is free.

2

Art From the Streets’ 24th Annual Show & Sale Nov. 19 and 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Austin Convention Center, 600 E. Cesar Chavez St. artfromthestreets.org

4

Meet the faces behind some of Austin’s greatest masterpieces during Art From the Streets’ annual Show & Sale, a two-day art show at the Austin Convention Center. The event aims to showcase high-quality artwork produced by some of the city’s homeless and formerly homeless in a safe and supportive environment.

Admission is free.

Kristy Owen is the event mastermind and blogger behind 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas.

To stay up to date on the best Austin has to offer, visit her blog, 365thingsaustin.com.

3

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Veterans Memorial Parade and Ceremony Nov. 5, 9:30 a.m.

Veterans Memorial Park, 2525 W. New Hope Drive, Cedar Park, Texas http://bit.ly/2dKPSdg Honoring the men and women who have served our country shouldn’t be allocated to just Veterans Day, celebrated Nov. 11.

However, on this day, Central Texans can show their respect by heading out to Cedar Park’s Veterans Memorial Park to remember and pay tribute to those who had a hand in fighting for our freedom. Parade floats will start their progression at 9:30 a.m., so make sure to arrive early for a good spot. The formal ceremony will take place at 11 a.m.

Admission is free.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Parade Nov. 26, 11 a.m.

Beginning at the Texas State Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave. chuysparade.com

6

In between your morning game of pickup football and your afternoon leftover-turkey coma nap, head downtown and claim a spot on Congress Avenue to watch Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Parade, benefiting Operation Blue Santa. The parade, which starts at the State Capitol and makes its way down to Cesar Chavez Street, is stocked full of giant inflatable balloons, colorful and festive holiday floats and over-the-top pomp marching bands.

In the spirit of giving, don’t forget to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Santa to pick up along the route. The Operation Blue Santa program will distribute all toys to children in need, just in time for the holidays.

Admission to the parade is free.

26 | Austin Woman | november 2016

5

2. Photo by Daemmrich Photography. 3. Photo courtesy of Waller Creek Conservatory. 6. Photo by Kim Mcguire.

O

A Christmas Affair: Merry and Bright Nov. 17 through 20, times vary

7

Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road facebook.com/events/341083842897485 Get a jump-start on your holiday shopping at the Junior League of Austin’s 41st annual A Christmas Affair event. The four-day spectacular is an Austin tradition and the best opportunity in town to buy a unique gift from one of more than 200 merchants.

Proceeds from the event are donated to more than 30 different community nonprofits. Note to parents: We hear rumors Santa will be in attendance.

Market Days tickets are $15 and include shuttle rides to and from the parking lot at Barton Creek Mall. Children 5 and younger do not require a Market Day ticket for admission.

John Legend at ACL Live

Nov. 18, 9:30 p.m.

Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd.

7. Photo courtesy of Junior League of Austin. 8. Photo courtesy of ACL Live. 9. Photo courtesy of Home Slice Pizza.

acl-live.com/calendar/arf-john-legend Ten-time Grammy winner John Legend will grace Austin with his presence Nov. 18 for the 11th annual Andy Roddick Foundation Gala.

Legend is back at the gala for a second time to help the foundation raise money to enrich the lives of children through after-school and summer learning programs, make investments in community innovators and provide awarenessbuilding activities. Fingers crossed that Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, and their newborn baby, Luna, will make an appearance onstage.

Concert-only tickets start at $69.

8

9 Home Slice Pizza’s Carnival o’ Pizza

Nov. 12, noon to 7 p.m.

Home Slice Pizza, 1415 S. Congress Ave.

facebook.com/ events/353202875011080

No one needs an excuse to eat pizza, but Home Slice Pizza’s Carnival O’ Pizza offers plenty of reasons, just in case. Be sure to bring your homies and your appetite; you’ll need a support system and a pang of hunger to participate in the pizza-eating contest. Those who are feeling more chill can test their luck in a raffle and listen to some great live music. If you’re in the mood for games, make sure to get there in time to see pizza pounders from Southside Flying Pizza and Little Deli & Pizzeria square off against Home Slice veterans in the dough-throwing contest. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Austin Bat Cave.

Admission is free.

10

Sixth Annual Wine & Swine

Nov. 20, 1 to 4 p.m.

Star Hill Ranch, 15000 Hamilton Pool Road facebook.com/events/1102952009771339 If you haven’t made it out to the annual Wine & Swine festivities before, go ahead and move it to the top of your 2016 to-do list. Authentic pig roasts are few and far between these days, and the Austin Food & Wine Alliance isn’t messing around when it comes to meat. Enjoy a full afternoon of live music, perfectly roasted pork and top-notch wine parings. As though delicious food and wine aren’t Austin-centric enough, the scenic Hill Country ambiance at Star Hill Ranch will blow you away. All proceeds benefit the Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s Culinary Grant Program.

Tickets start at $85.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 27

O

n the scene

PICTURE THIS

CELEBRATE!

Photos by Bold Photography.

Austin Woman toasted 14 years in business at its annual anniversary event Sept. 30. More than 500 loyal readers and beloved community leaders convened at the Westin Domain for a full-day experience, including a leadership workshop led by Lisa Copeland, the musical stylings of Courtney Santana and countless networking opportunities with local vendors. During the luncheon, AW awarded two small-business grants, surprised all guests with a rose-gold bracelet from Stella & Dot and featured a panel discussion among author and anti-bullying advocate Lizzie Velasquez; Meredith Walker, executive director and cofounder of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls; and Founder of Well Aware, Sarah Evans. After the events at the Westin, guests were shuttled to a private showcase of beauty products and trends at Neiman Marcus, followed by an exclusive after-party at Rock Rose Hall hosted by Mitchell Gold of internationally acclaimed furniture company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

On behalf of Austin Woman, thank you to everyone who made the day possible and fabulous, as usual. Follow us @AustinWoman or at austinwomanagazine.com to stay tuned for details about next year’s celebration.

28 | Austin Woman | november 2016

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count us in

women in numbers

Facts and figures on females from throughout the world.

By darcy sprague, illustrations by jessica wetterer

1865

President Andrew Johnson awarded Dr. Mary Edwards Walker the highest U.S. military commendation, the Medal of Honor, in November 1865. Walker was always a bit of a rule breaker.

Outside of her favored attire of men’s trousers, starched collar shirts and top hats, she worked her way through Syracuse Medical College to become a surgeon.

When the Civil War broke out, she volunteered as the first female assistant surgeon for the Union Army, standing on the front lines, treating wounded soldiers and, at one point, serving four months in a Southern prison as a prisoner of war. Walker reportedly wore her Medal of Honor every day, until her death in 1919. To date, she is the only woman to ever receive a Medal of Honor, a fact that might not hold for long. With the Pentagon’s announcement in January that women are now allowed to serve alongside men in combat roles, Walker could soon be joined by some muchneeded company.

50 Years 226 Candidates

As the Nov. 8 election draws near, there is a lot of attention on one female candidate. But did you know there are still 226 other women running for various positions in state and national government?

According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, 167 women are in the running for state representative, 16 for senator, two for governor and seven for lieutenant governor. With voter turnout traditionally higher during a presidential election year, this election cycle could be big for women, who currently account for one-fifth of members in Congress and one-fourth of members in state government.

17 Years of Letters

Throughout history, household chores have often been labeled as women’s work. It’s a shifting stereotype that continues to be debunked. The results of a recent study conducted

by Privilege Home Insurance that examined the home lives of 2,000 people in the U.K. suggest that within the next 50 years, men will be doing the majority of the chores, noting that it will take nine years for men to become the main laundry doers and 36 years for them to start doing the majority of the cooking.

There is no evidence that the trend will work the other way around. For example, women are not more likely to begin doing things like taking out the trash. However, there is one exception: DIY projects.

In 2016, women are now 31 percent more likely do homerenovation projects than their male partners.

It’s easy to romanticize the past and think our country has been celebrating Thanksgiving Day for the past four centuries, but did you know the last Thursday in November wasn’t established as a national holiday until the Civil War? The designation, made

by President Abraham Lincoln Oct. 3, 1863, came just five days after a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale sent him a letter advocating for the establishment of a unifying national holiday set aside to give thanks and praise. Her letter to President Lincoln was the last in a string of 17 years’ worth of letters Hale had sent to five sitting presidents.

The editor of Lady’s Book magazine and the author of the poem Mary Had a Little Lamb, Hale was seen as a major influencer among women in the 19th century.

30 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

2 Hosts

What do you get when you mix calm, collected and clean-cut Martha Stewart with the comedic antics of famed rapper and baggyclothes fanatic Snoop Dogg?

The answer: An unscripted VH1 TV series titled Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party.

The duo will join forces this fall, teaming up to co-host on-air dinner parties for their friends starting Nov. 7.

Stewart says the dinner party will “exemplify America’s fascination with food, entertaining and celebrity.”

Snoop Dogg, who fondly refers to Stewart as his “home girl,” adds that their longtime bond and friendship will make the show fresh and funny.

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GIVE BACK

Cupcakes With a Cause

Lori Schneider, founder and CCO (chief cupcake officer) of The Cupcake Bar, is brightening the lives of children in need, one customized cupcake at a time.

The demand she’s seen for her personalized cupcakes, Schneider If you ask Lori Schneider why she loves her job, the Austin confides, often brings her to corners of Austin that need a little entrepreneur might wax poetic about her deep love for baking brightening. or tell you about the time she visited the Culinary Institute of Charitable donations are given on a case-by-case scenario, whether America while working for sandwich chain Schlotzsky’s, or that means catering a gala with hundreds in attendance or a more share how, while growing up, she dreamed about slipping into intimate event where The Cupcake Bar team gets to interact one on the sugary world of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. one with at-risk children.

But probe a little further and the founder and chief cupcake “There are so many different organizations here, and you kind of officer of The Cupcake Bar, her want to spread the love,” Schneider 9-year-old startup, will likely says, reasoning that it’s hard to pick describe in detail what it feels just one nonprofit to work with. “I’ve like to hand a child a uniquely found that my common ground is decorated cupcake he or she helping children, and from there, it’s designed themselves.

‘How do we spread the love?’ ” “If I can give a cupcake to a child Schneider says developing longwho maybe has a lot of things going term relationships and connections on in their life, things that a child with her clientele is incredibly should never have to go through, valuable, but she makes it a priority and, for a second, they can just be to consistently reach out to new a kid and not have to think about organizations. If she could give things they shouldn’t have to, that’s one piece of advice to likeminded where it’s at for me,” Schneider says. business owners looking to build Since The Cupcake Bar’s early philanthropic connections, it would beginnings in 2007, Schneider has be to never underestimate the power made it a priority to give back to of giving time. the Austin community, focusing “Have a starting intention,” her support on organizations Schneider suggests. “You don’t have specializing in children’s needs. to do everything. Maybe you can’t She works regularly with donate actual resources, but you can SafePlace, a resource for those give time. Any little thing helps.” who’ve experienced sexual assault At the moment, she and her or domestic violence; Austin team are currently baking up a new Child Guidance Center, which development called The Cupcake provides mental-health services Squad. As Schneider describes it, to children; and Urban Roots, a the concept will be a sweeter, more youth-development organization youthful take on Meals on Wheels, that teaches kids life skills through through which she and her squad will agriculture. surprise groups of kids with cupcakes.

“I have a child, a 5-year-old, and The idea is inspired and modeled just hearing about different kids’ after the nonprofit Happy Birthdays, a needs, it gets me at my heartstrings,” program that gives out birthday boxes Schneider says. “I find as I’m getting filled with fun goodies to foster and “If I can give a cupcake to a child who maybe older that I tend to gravitate toward homeless children in Central Texas. those [causes].” has a lot of things going on in their life, things On a personal level, Schneider The Cupcake Bar doesn’t have that a child should never have to go through, is continuously inspired by the a brick-and-mortar location, and, for a second, they can just be a kid and charitable impact of jewelry designer which is kind of the whole point.

Kendra Scott, who, similar to herself, Schneider’s business methodology not have to think about things they shouldn’t is a major contributor to Austin’s is built on catering to the customers have to, that’s where it’s at for me.” philanthropic community. where they’re most comfortable, Giving back is easy when you have be that setting up shop for an a job that lets you do what you love, Schneider says, noting that passion at-home birthday party or adding a fun, colorful addition to a baby is the key element to establishing success as an entrepreneur. shower. With the help of her dedicated employees, fondly referred to as “[Your work] should be something that you’re going to have fun “cupcake bartenders,” those with a sweet tooth get to customize their doing,” she says. “When you’re really passionate about [your job], own cupcakes by handpicking the filling, icing and toppings. Schneider’s it makes it so much easier to give back. I don’t expect anything. I favorite creation is a vanilla cupcake with whipped-cream filling, saltedgenuinely want to help.” caramel buttercream icing and confetti sprinkles.

32 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

Photo by CThompson Photography.

By Kat Sampson

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avvy Women

Let’s Taco ’Bout It

Extinguished Service

Miraculum founder Ann-Christine Langselius chats with Austin Woman Publisher Melinda Garvey about her growing business and how she’s working to not set the world on fire. photo by kevin garner This year, Ann-Christine Langselius took home one of the coveted business awards from Austin Woman’s inaugural Woman’s Way Awards event for her one-of-a-kind, lifesaving products.

Before moving the headquarters of her company, Miraculum, to Austin, Langselius literally cooked up an eco-friendly formula using minerals and household items that would prevent and treat fires, in her kitchen in Sweden. It took four and a half years to develop the technology, and now, Langselius has conceptualized a host of additional fire-safety products for the home and beyond.

Austin Woman Publisher Melinda Garvey sat down with this innovative entrepreneur to find out how Miraculum is going to change the world, and how Langselius, for whom English is a second language, convinced investors to get on board. —Sarah E. Ashlock

Melinda Garvey: Why did you move to Austin?

Ann-Christine Langselius: People are really proud of being from here, and I think it makes a huge difference to live in a place where people are proud of where they’re from. We thought [Austin] was optimal, both for the business and privately. I didn’t know anyone. I started from scratch when we got here two years ago. I got in really quick in the community. … The environment in Austin has been really great for being creative, so I’ve been able to think outside the box.

MG: How did you get started?

ACL: When I decided to leave my very well-paying job with the government, there were a lot of policy changes coming all over Europe and globally, bans on current fire retardants because they’re so toxic.

One of my business partners, [who previously] worked with toxic materials, asked me if we could join forces. I did a business analysis and a business plan, and I told him I’d do it [if we switch completely to organic] and change things around.

Melinda Garvey and Ann-Christine Langselius chat over tacos in the Austin Woman office.

34 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

“…We really feel like our products are a miracle. What makes them unique is that you can use them in preventative measures. For example, in a forest fire, you can pretreat and spray two to four months before fire season, and the fire will stop.” ­­—Ann-Christine Langselius

MG: What’s the “Miraculum difference”?

ACL: All our products are green. Seven gallons of our product does the same trick as 176 gallons of water, which reduces cleanup. But with our product, [fire] won’t flare up again. Miraculum [means] “miracle” in Latin, and we really feel like our products are a miracle.

What makes them unique is that you can use them in preventative measures. For example, in a forest fire, you can pretreat and spray two to four months before fire season, and the fire will stop.

MG: What makes you most excited about some of your products?

ACL: [Whatever our] products have touched, it will not reignite. We are already using them overseas, and we are hoping to get into the forest sector next season. We can extinguish oil-and-gas fires, grease fires. We prespray building materials and buildings outside and inside [to prevent fire]. The new textile product line I’ve developed can be sprayed on carpeting, office furniture, anything. The real exclusive line is what I’ve done with the mattresses, which is going to come into production really soon, with the product built in. We are coming out this Christmas with a [pine-scented] Christmas-tree spray. So, if you spray your Christmas tree, it won’t catch fire.

MG: What can people do to protect their homes?

ACL: Eighty-five percent of the purchase decisions are made by women, but these [safety] products aren’t often purchased by women, so what happens then is women and children might be home a little more and may have an incident. They may not know how to use the

fire extinguishers. They might not even know where it is. If you don’t know that it takes a minute for a whole room to be on fire, that means if you tip over a candle, by the time you go and get something, it’s too late. The vision I have is to sell home-safety kits, [in which] you have a really nice design on the fire extinguisher, so you want to have it out. You can have those on the walls and it doesn’t look bad. We have copper, silver, black, white. We have U.S.-made fire-safety blankets that can hold [fire] for five minutes [so it doesn’t spread].

MG: I was there when you pitched your company at the Circular Summit in Houston this spring and won the $10,000 contest prize. How do you prepare for pitches like this?

ACL: Depending on the pitch, it’s either two-, three- or five-minute pitches, and you need to make sure you get your keywords in. A lot of times, the judges are really good at IT or easier-to-understand products. This [idea] is a little bit out there. They get a little afraid that it’s chemical, which means production, so you have this big process. It’s been really important to show we’re on the market— there is a huge market—and also show how the product works.

Make sure you don’t speak too fast, and to do that, you have to prep. … The day of the pitch, I had one or two people from my team listen, film it and review. By the time I go up onstage, I just go for it.

That way, you can relax and have fun. I love my products and what I’m doing. I love it. That shows, I think. If you can show that it’s genuine, that you believe in it, that really helps.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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PROFILE

Playtime By Design

With her PopUp Play app, Amelia Cosgrove is turning little iPad lovers into the tinkerers of tomorrow.

by Rachel Rascoe

Cosgrove was inspired to launch the company with her husband, Bryan Thomas, by memories of a transformed shipping crate in which Cosgrove and her sisters flew across the galaxy on special missions. The app’s hands-on design process, which allows kids to customize the playhouse with doors, windows, towers and graphics, aims to bridge the gap between tech and creativity.

“Suddenly, I saw the connection,” Cosgrove says. “All this new technology could really make the experience of the imaginative play we do as kids not just more modern, but also more exciting.”

The company delivers the cardboard parts to app users in less than a week, and they can then be built and decorated for hands-on play.

The playhouses run at a flat cost of $99 plus a $10 shipping fee. Cosgrove says the short turnaround allows kids to “make that connection of ‘This is what I thought of, and this is my idea brought to life.’ ” “The biggest thing I want kids to learn from this is that you can use your tablet or your computer to make something real,” she says of her app’s ability to immerse kids in a real-life engineering experience.

Cosgrove previously worked as a productdesign engineer at a consulting firm, where she created everything from dog toys to carbon-fiber airplanes. With a background in product management and three other startup ventures under his belt, Cosgrove’s husband and co-founder works on the business side of the startup. Cosgrove and Thomas had always planned to combine forces in an entrepreneurial venture, and they found Austin’s sup-

36 | Austin Woman | november NOVEMBER 2016

portive startup culture afforded them the perfect opportunity.

The two launched PopUp Play in 2015. When Thomas found himself between jobs, he committed to PopUp Play full time. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, PopUp Play was up and running, shipping custom playhouses directly to families.

The co-founders’ expertise in product development comes in handy when tailoring PopUp Play to the needs of kids and their parents. They conduct play tests for each product to ensure the app and playhouses are fitted to little hands and minds, and have previously partnered with children’s museum Thinkery.

To bring their startup to the next level, the couple connected with Capital Factory, a collaborative workspace designed to provide local entrepreneurs with resources and connections. From there, PopUp Play joined the Techstars program, an intensive three-month accelerator for Austin startups. The program connected them with mentors and provided their current downtown workspace.

PopUp Play won first place in this year’s South By Southwest Accelerator Pitch contest, beating out more than 40 other finalists. Cosgrove was then able to quit her consulting job and focus solely on PopUp Play.

“It’s my not-so-secret plan to recruit a whole new generation of engineers and, of course, a whole new generation of female engineers.”

Photos courtesy of PopUp Play.

Amelia Cosgrove is merging new media and nostalgia through her startup, PopUp Play, an app that allows this generation of iPad-savvy kiddos to custom design their own playhouses.

The cardboard creations are then delivered to the doorsteps of these budding little architects and designers.

FEMME FILM FRIDAYS

“During the transition between making my nights-and-weekends job my day job, it was hard to find a balance because I wanted to do both at a really high level,” Cosgrove says. “I finally realized that I had to give one up to continue.”

As an engineer and product designer, Cosgrove says a problem with new design technologies like 3-D printing is that they’re inaccessible to the average consumer. Anyone can imagine a design for a rocket v ship, but not everyone can actually bring that idea to life.

“My goal is to create that bridge for people where I’ll do the basic stuff to make sure they get what they want, but they can actually do the fun part of the design themselves,” Cosgrove says.

Since its big South By Southwest win, the brand has received attention from large companies interested in applying Cosgrove and Thomas’ app-to-doorstep customization model to their own products.

“They’re really looking for a way to authentically engage with kids and families more than putting a logo on a teddy bear, and what we have is this amazing, memorable experience for kids,” Cosgrove adds.

Aside from an upcoming Android app, customizable rocket ship and more big-brand collaborations, Cosgrove admits, “It’s my not-so-secret plan to recruit a whole new generation of engineers and, of course, a whole new generation of female engineers.”

With kids spending hours adding dragons and towers to their designs, it sounds like her plan is working.

Sweetie Screening & Conversation Director and co-writer Jane Campion shines in this Femme Film Fridays, one of a series highlighting the cinematic works of women.

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Clams and spicy sausage from Angeline

A Sunday in NOLA with Chef Sarah McIntosh of Épicerie

She knows where to go for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks. The rest is up to you.

Photo by Denny Culbert.

by april cumming Louisiana native and former Austin Woman cover woman Sarah McIntosh has more than just an award-winning, accolade-garnering restaurant resting on her plate. She’s also a wife and mother to daughters Finley, 2, and Sloan, 3 months. When she’s not balancing snack times, diaper changes and play-date schedules, McIntosh can most likely be found stationed behind the simplistic, white-marble counter of her Rosedale neighborhood French market and café, Épicerie, greeting customers as they curate custom cheese plates and order glasses of chilled rosé.

Start a conversation about New Orleans with McIntosh and you’ll learn more about the city in just a few minutes than any guidebook could teach you in a few pages. New Orleans is a city lined with cafés filled with culinary inspiration. Take, for instance, Café du Monde, the renowned sidewalk patisserie that carries the clout of whipping up some of the world’s best powdered-sugar beignets. austinwomanmagazine.com | 39

ust List

discover

Although her passion to become a chef is what brought McIntosh’s talents to Austin—a passion her loyal patrons are grateful for—it’s hard to escape the nostalgic sentiment she feels from time to time for a city she carries close to her heart. Here’s a glimpse into her weekend routine and a gander at how she would spend her ideal day in New Orleans.

Cochon Butcher is a butcher shop, sandwich counter and wine bar.

In one sentence, New Orleans is…

“A beautiful mix of soul, love and grime with deep roots in tradition and blues.”

On the weekends, I wake up…

“Early. I’ve always been an early riser. Even in college, when I’d stay out until the wee hours of the morning, I’d still be up by 8 or 9 a.m., at the latest. Now, I wake up to kids screaming my name or crying around 5 a.m.”

Don’t miss out on the music of New Orleans.

The first thing I like to do on a Sunday morning in New Orleans is…

“Drink coffee, tea, chai or juice. I tend to lean towards juice or chai because I don’t do much caffeine. Raw Republic makes a great drink called Thai Greens. It’s a must after a night on the town. However, District makes delicious coffee from 1000 Faces beans, and their doughnuts aren’t too shabby either.”

For breakfast, I’ll go…

“To Brennan’s if I’m feeling sentimental, which I often do when I go back to Louisiana. Their brunch is quintessential old-school New Orleans. There are some newer spots like Willa Jean or Coquette that are also awesome for brunch. Going out for brunch in New Orleans is totally a must. I know Austinites think they are big brunchers, but Orleaneans make a whole day of it.”

District offers doughnuts, sliders and fresh-brewed coffee.

My weekend workout looks like…

“Walking from bar to bar or taking a stroll through Audubon Park.

It’s a beautiful park that has these amazing, sprawling, 100-year-old oak trees that Louisiana is famous for. Paddleboarding on Bayou St. John is another great way to get a workout in.”

For shopping, I like to frequent…

“Elle, Lucy Rose and B Kids for my girls.”

Savor a grilled fish sandwich at Willa Jean.

My regular go-to spots to visit with friends are…

“Butcher for the muffuletta, Angeline, Bacchanal Wine for vino and music, Shaya for Mediterranean fare and Plum Street Snoballs for a sweet treat.”

If I want to spend the afternoon outside, I’ll go…

“For a walk around Audubon Park and Zoo or ride bikes around the Bywater. I like grabbing some cheese from St. James Cheese Company and going to the river and having a bottle of wine. You can drink outside anywhere in New Orleans.”

Take a stroll through Audubon Park and Zoo.

40 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

Butcher photo courtesy of Butcher. Musicians photo courtesy of New Orleans CVB. District Donuts photo courtesy of District Donuts. Willa Jean photo by Rush Jagoe. Audubon Zoo photo courtesy of Audubon Nature Institute.

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Enjoy the view from Crescent City Bridge over the Mississippi River.

For a good afternoon pick-me-up, I’ll visit…

“Drip Affogato Bar. Their slogan: Coffee meets ice cream. Ice cream falls for coffee. Coffee and ice cream get hitched.”

Chef Sarah McIntosh of Épicerie

Skylinecourtesy photo courtesy of New Orleans CVB. Sarah McIntosh photo by Annie Ray. Photo of Murphy O’Brien.

If one of my best friends is in town, I’ll take her to…

“Commander’s Palace. It shows the true character of New Orleans and it’s one of those places you have to go if you’ve never been. I recommend ordering the turtle soup and Bananas Foster. I’d also recommend drinking the Pimm’s Cup, a combination of house-infused Pimm’s No. 1 liqueur, muddled cucumber, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup and soda water, at Tujague’s Restaurant.”

One place that’s still on my list to check out is…

“N7. It’s a Frenchy, dive-ish place. Also, I have to go to a Mardi Gras ball before I die. This is a Louisianian’s rite of passage. I’ve been invited before, but declined. I was an idiot and didn’t truly realize how cool and fun it is.”

My ideal Sunday night in the city…

“It’s always fun to cook dinner with old friends and catch up or visit Ponchartrain Hotel’s Hot Tin Rooftop Bar for the best view in the city.”

The best part about New Orleans in the fall is…

“Saints games. And even better are Saints game tailgates!”

I cherish my weekends for the…

“Quality time spent with the ones you love. Cheesy, but true.”

One word to describe my Sundays is…

“Spontaneous.”

When in New Orleans…

“Be prepared for anything! You never know who or what you might see.

Everyone is always willing to have a good time in New Orleans.”

austinwomanmagazine.com | 43

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little luxuries

SpellBound

The story of Iona Handcrafted Books starts with a stolen journal. Mychal Mitchell was traveling through Italy in the early 1990s when her precious cargo unexpectedly exchanged hands. On the hunt for a replacement, Mitchell stumbled into the studio of a Venetian bookmaking shop. She got more than just a journal from the spontaneous discovery, queuing herself up as an apprentice and devotedly learning the tools of the bookbinding trade.

In 1994, she set up shop in a small studio in East Austin and started Iona—half behind-the-scenes hammering workshop, half shopping display—where she now employs four other women to help her fill incoming orders. Journals range from lavishly large photo albums to more portable, postcard-sized notebooks. Much like a fingerprint, not one design is the same. Each swath of leather tends to crack or discolor in a different way, and antique icebox hinges are attached to some, while centuries-old vintage keyhole slots adorn others.

“So many parts of making a book are beautiful,” Mitchell says of her craft. “I’ve been doing it for so long now that it really is like a meditation. It’s quiet and focused. But truly, my favorite part is connecting with the people who buy my books. I love hearing the stories of what they will do with them and knowing that my books are living a life beyond my shelves.”

—April Cumming Rustic “Original” Journal, $85 Iona Handcrafted Books, 701 Tillery St., 512.247.4700, ionahandcraftedbooks.com 44 | Austin 44 Woman | Austin| Woman november | NOVEMBER 2016 2016

P hoto by Mychal Mitchell.

For the past 22 years, a studio owner in East Austin has been putting pen to paper, handcrafting leather into miniature masterpieces.

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Story Time

Clear your nightstand. The Texas Book Festival and Texas’ most famous librarian have your reading list covered.

by Emily C. Laskowski with contributions from April Cumming

“I love it that our Capitol and our Capitol grounds are turned over to literature and books and reading for a weekend,” says former first lady Laura Bush, who, this year, makes her Texas Book Festival authorial debut with Our Great Big Backyard.

As many Americans (and especially Texans) know, this former librarian’s love for reading has been lifelong.

“I just remember my mother reading to me,” Bush says. “I hope Barbara and Jenna will have that same memory of the times that I’ve read to them when they were little. … I’m very proud to see, when I visit Jenna, that she reads to Mila and Poppy every night. She doesn’t play with a screen or show them something on the tablet.”

Eleven Hours

by Pamela Erens “Pamela Erens’ dual perspectives of two women sharing one night in a hospital on different sides of a birth illuminates the acutely personal, private and individual experience of motherhood.”

Wild Things, Wild Places

by Jane Alexander “This is a motivating read.

Alexander shares stories of the vital work being done right now to preserve our planet, and pushes us all to assume our role as stewards of the earth.”

In 1995, when the then first lady of Texas founded the Texas Book Festival alongside Mary Margaret Farabee and a dedicated group of volunteers, she wanted simply to unite authors and readers. Now celebrating its 21st year and taking place Nov. 5 and 6 at the Texas State Capitol, the festival boasts more than 275 authors and 40,000 readers.

“I think it shows that, in our most important state building…how important reading and literature is to Texans and how important it is to read,” Bush says.

For your reading pleasure, Austin Woman not only asked the former first lady to tell us about her new book, but corralled five key books by female authors attending this year’s festival, courtesy of Texas Book Festival Literary Director Julie Wernersbach.

Below are Wernersbach’s thoughts on each of her favorites.

I’ll Tell You in Person

by Chloe Caldwell “Caldwell portrays her young life of writing, friends, love, sex, acne, T.J. Maxx and everything in between in compulsively readable essays perfect for your best friend, your grown daughter, your niece, your sister, any modern young woman looking for someone who can relate.”

Here Comes the Sun

by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Another Brooklyn

by Jacqueline Woodson

“This is a must-read for book clubs and for any woman who has worked to transform herself from the circumstances of her birth.”

“Already short-listed for a National Book Award, Another Brooklyn is an exquisitely crafted, unforgettable story of family, friendship, memory and African-American identity.”

3.

46 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

In addition to sharing their admiration for the great outdoors and this country’s national parks, Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush Hager wanted Our Great Big Backyard, which traces the hiking adventure of a young girl and her parents to places like the Everglades and 6.

Yosemite, to provide a teaching moment for the current generation of parents and children alike.

“It’s so important now because research shows that more children are spending more time indoors than any generation of people in the history of mankind,” Bush says.

“A lot of mothers and dads are also spending a lot of time looking at their phones or looking at their tablets, and research shows that children think they’re not interested in them if they’re spending all their time looking at a screen and not looking and talking to them. So, it’s a good lesson for parents as well, to make sure you put your devices down when you interact with your children so you can be with your children, really be with your children.”

All photos courtesy of the Texas Book Festival.

Our Great Big Backyard by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager

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You don’t have to break the bank when putting together your coolest fall looks. styled and modeled by ashley hargrove photos by annie ray

Frame striped cape, $525

Rag & Bone felt hat, $195

Eileen Fisher white tank, $108

Stella McCartney Falabella cross-body bag, $895

Paige Indio dark-wash skinny jeans, $239

Marc Jacobs Tori lace-up booties, $550

$2,512 48 | Austin Woman | november 2016

All available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com.

14th & Union striped cape, $34.97, available at Nordstrom Rack, 9607 Research Blvd., 512.651.6180, nordstromrack.com.

Felt hat, $17.90, available at Forever 21, 3409 Esperanza Crossing, 512.719.3988, forever21.com.

White tank, $5.99, available at H&M, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, 855.466.7467, hm.com.

Chelsea28 chain crossbody bag, $49, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com.

Articles of Society Melrose dark skinny jeans, $54, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com.

Gertie lace-up bootie, $44.99, available at Target stores, target.com.

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Tassel mania

The smallest detail makes the biggest statement when it comes to this season's bags.

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Call it a tassel, call it a tuft, call it ornamental detail or whatever you want. Fringe might have come first, but this season, tassels take the cake on everything from jewelry to home décor and, of course, handbags. Classic, edgy, bohemian or preppy, boost your style game by brandishing one of these on-trend bobbles while giving thanks to the fashionable forces that be for bequeathing us this fabulous fall fad in the first place. This November, trust us, the tassels are tallying up.

Kate Spade Orchard Street Mena tote, $498

Tory Burch Fleming leather shoulder bag, $595 Sam Edelman Monica leather bucket bag, $278

Elliott Lucca Gisele leather satchel, $188

Rebecca Minkoff quilted Love suede cross-body bag with tassel, $295

Tory Burch mini tassel leather saddle bag, $495

All handbags shown are available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com.

50 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Rebecca Minkoff Sofia clutch, $245

“Tassel-ize” your bag with a Kate Spade tassel bag charm, $68.

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Table Talk

Place settings don’t have to be perfect—just perfect for you.

BY MADDY HILL

Setting a Thanksgiving table in a fun yet still functional way can be an overwhelming task. Instead of stressing on the designs for your turkey day, jot down these tips and take a peek at four friendly place settings from some of Austin’s favorite fashionable females.

Austin Hipster

“Don’t overthink it and work with what you have. You’d be surprised what you can pull together from existing things in your home already. A random collection of baubles could turn into fun décor for a table or windowsill. Why not make that fig tree growing in the corner of your living room your holiday tree this year rather than dragging the faux one out of the garage?”

–Laura Uhlir, owner and stylist, Olive, 1200 E. 11th St., 512.522.9462, oliveaustin.com On the table: Kettle & Brine Crisa tumbler, Hawkins New York Simple Dinnerware plate, Olive ceramic pitcher, Catchtilly color drip candles, Crate & Barrel flatware, vintage napkins, bud vase and Italian hand-painted plate.

Southern Sass

–Jessica Beattie, owner, Hacienda, 204 Colorado St., 512.436.8870, haciendacollection.com On the table: Vagabond vintage handmade plate, washed-linen towel apron, Alvarado coasters, Madrid cutlery set, Hacienda Collection Mexican glassware tumbler, Le-Coterie hide coasters, canvas Cecily napkin rings, Abbesses plate and French stonewashed linen napkin.

52 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Photos by Maddy Hill and Courtney Pierce.

“Keep it casual. You don’t have to buy a large fall centerpiece or multiple arrangements for your home to make it guest-ready. Use seasonal produce, like Granny Smith apples, or fresh clippings and foliage from your yard to spruce up your table setting.”

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“Table settings should have a personality and tell a story.

The tablescape I designed uses my collection of gold leaves scattered on the table, an instant conversation starter. If you have a collection of turkeys or glass pumpkins, use those to make a statement.”

–Vicki Roan, owner, The Menagerie, 1601 W. 38th St., 512.453.4644, themenagerie.com On the table: Mottahedeh Duke of Gloucester dinner plate, Bernardaud Opaline Moroccan Red service plate, imported embroidered line design napkin, imported Milano round wooden service tray, Moser Splendid goblet, Ricci Argentieri Botticelli gold satin flatware, William Yeoward Vita Rose highball glass, Karen flower vase, Fern wine glass and gold leaf dishes.

Feminine Florals

“Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your decorating!

Mixing in a few playful patterns will keep your décor from looking predictable. Make sure to stay within the same color families to keep things from looking cluttered.”

–Carly Blair, owner and creative director, Margot Blair Floral, 3027 N. Lamar Blvd., 512.636.1861, margotblairfloral.com On the table: Pottery Barn white plate, Towle Living silverware, Anthropologie Quillen dessert plate, Quillen nut bowl, wildflower study napkin, Amparo flute, vintage water glass and wine glass.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 55

KimPossible

Kim Lewis calls herself a little lady with big ideas. It’s an apt description, as her petite stature puts her height well below that of most people. But most people probably wouldn’t have come up with the idea to put a plane fuselage inside a house as a design feature, as Lewis did on an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In her eight years with the show, Lewis designed more than 120 homes in 43 states.

Currently, she’s the wildly creative mind behind her own Austin-based design company, Kim Lewis Designs.

by rachel merriman photos by rudy arocha styled by ashley hargrove hair and makeup by Jennell Ballard, Naava Salon

57

Previous page: Rag & Bone cashmere sweater, $425, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com; Kim Lewis Designs handmade bolsa, $48, available at kimlewisdesigns.com; jeans, jewelry and shoes, model’s own.

This page: Alice & Olivia embroidered dress, $485, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com; boots and jewelry, model’s own.

58 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Kim Lewis has been utilizing her creative abilities for as long as she can remember. She fondly recalls Miss Rosie, the woman who watched her after school while her mother received chemotherapy and who sat Lewis down at the kitchen table to do arts and crafts, telling Lewis she thought she would grow up to be an artist.

When Lewis lost her mother to cancer when she was just 10 years old, having a creative outlet made a profound difference for her.

“Creativity was my therapy. The way I healed from losing her was just to dance, draw and paint. My dad threw me into grieving classes because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but that wasn’t the way I healed. The way I healed was through creativity and that outlet,” Lewis says. “I think I would be a different person if I hadn’t lost her. I’m super strong, independent and passionate, and I think her death made me dig my heels into life.”

Lewis pursued journalism and marketing at Texas A&M University, just a few hours from her hometown of Tyler, Texas. She even briefly considered switching her major to architecture, but ultimately decided to stay the course and made time for her artistic endeavors on the side, taking graphic-design and art classes.

“During the day, I was taking my normal classes, and then at night, I would be up on a 15-foot ladder painting a mural for the architecture department,” Lewis says.

After college, she spent about a year working in advertising, but Lewis discovered being in front of a computer all day just wasn’t hands-on enough for her. So, she transitioned into a new position as marketing director for Four Hands Furniture, and met a producer for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition at the High Point Market trade show. Lewis flew out to work with the show’s team on a project that used Four Hands furnishings, and the very next day, the producer asked to hire her. Soon, Lewis found herself jet-setting throughout the U.S., designing homes for deserving families.

“I did a lot of drawings on a tray table in a plane because that’s all I had time for,” Lewis says. “The producers would hand me information about a family [and] I would jump on a plane, draw all night, go meet with an architect and a builder the next morning and draft a plan in eight hours. I drew a new house twice a week. It was amazing, though. My nickname on the show became Kim Possible. My team was responsible for not only creating things that nobody had ever seen before, but [that] also meant something to the family.”

Lewis pushed her team in order to make Extreme Makeover: Home Edition interesting for its burgeoning viewership, which grew to nearly 16 million at the height of the show’s popularity.

The show’s focus was to give beautifully designed dream homes to families that had faced incredible hardship, such as the loss of a family member, medical issues or a natural disaster.

“I started challenging the builders to start doing something different. I was tired of seeing the same exteriors and the same floor plans,” Lewis says. “The builders would try to fit a floor plan they had already done into a family’s life, and I started saying no to that. We had the opportunity to solve a lot of problems for families, [especially those with] medical needs. And also, the plans often weren’t that interesting. If you’re going to have a home showcased to [millions of ] people, it needs to have character. So, I adopted this tagline of ‘character-driven homes.’ ” Surprisingly, Lewis says one of the biggest challenges she faced during her time on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition wasn’t coming up with creative ideas season after season, but toeing the line between the producers’ expectations and the families she felt an obligation to.

“I was really caught between keeping the producers happy and doing things that made actual sense for the family, [including] making an effort to fix problems around their home that were major issues,” Lewis says. “What I found was that the only way to manage the expectations on both ends was to always keep it about the family. At the end of the day, the home is for the family.”

Another challenge for Lewis involved the fact that she rarely met the families whose homes she was designing, instead working from information given to her by the show’s producers. But Lewis felt she needed more information than what she was getting, so she created a 30-page interview document that would give her enough details about a family to make their home truly right for them.

“If I’m building a home for you, I want to know every intimate detail of what you need. I had questions like, ‘If you could sit anywhere in the world, where would you sit?’

That tells me a lot about a person. I included 30 different house pictures and told them to circle their top three. So, it helped me get into their head,” Lewis says. “Then, on the plane flying to their location, I would look at the document and read it over and over, and really dig into it. Sometimes, at the end of the show, someone in the family would say, ‘It’s like somebody got into my head,’ [or,] ‘It’s like somebody read my mind.’ When they said that, I knew we had done a good job.”

Despite the challenges of being thrown into the midst of a rigorous, fast-paced production schedule, Lewis thrived in her role behind the scenes of the show, where she learned by doing.

“ I’m not a fan of our homes just being filled with stuff. Our stuff should mean something. It should be part of us. It should tell a story. In my house, everything says something about who I am.”

“People know me for my risk-taking with color, but I probably wouldn’t be so confident with it if it wasn’t for Extreme Makeover. We would rapid-fire select colors. We would have a schedule with 45 different colors and we would have to pick it in three hours. I just had to go for it and hope for the best,” Lewis says.

“I also learned a lot about scale. Scale in home design is the hardest part; you try and fail before you understand it. There were also times we would build something and not think about which door it was going to enter through. I’ve made that mistake. Once, we had to tear out drywall to get this beautiful 8-foot-tall upholstered bed into a room.”

The show relied on donations from local businesses and volunteers from the community, and Lewis seized the opportunity to bring people together.

“There was a camaraderie that we couldn’t always show in a 48-minute segment. So many times, people would tell us that they wanted to volunteer somewhere but just didn’t have an outlet,” Lewis says. “And after we left, we would hear that people got back together and fixed someone’s roof down the street or whatever. The show really struck a match of helping your neighbor.” austinwomanmagazine.com | 59

Kim Lewis’ Decorating Tips “ Have fun with color! Give your space a neutral backdrop of black or white, and then add in pops of color. Three colors is always a good number. Each color should have a hierarchy in scale, meaning don’t use the same amount of two different bright colors. Let one color be your lead.” “ Bring the outdoors in with lots of natural light, windows and doors.”

Kim Lewis outside the Cambodia Art Center.

“ Add character and warmth with global textiles. Next time you travel, get something for your home so you’re surrounding yourself with memories that share your own story.”

Honduras pillows from Kim Lewis Designs

“ Give your interior walls texture with shiplap siding, barn wood, stone or even CNC cutout panels. Dimension on the walls gives spaces character.” “ Layer rugs for an eclectic, bohemian look. Doing so will give your space an instantly cozy, inviting vibe.”

Natural light streams through South Lamar Boulevard’s Juice Society.

60 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Kim Lewis inside the Cambodia Art Center.

Bold colors add warmth to Chi’Lantro on Burnet Road.

Photos by Kate Zimmerman. Ch’Lantro photo by Ari Morales.

“Cultivate a space that says who you are. Our homes should feel lived in. Don’t purchase the full matching collection out of your favorite home magazine. Allow things to be mismatched.”

Kim Lewis’ Tiny-house Downsizing Tips “Surround yourself with meaningful things. Rather than buying knickknacks, keep the pieces with sentimental value that tell your story, and get rid of the rest.”

“Multi-functional furniture pieces are the key to successful tiny-house living.

Every piece should have two to three purposes. For example, a kitchen island can also serve as a dining table and a desk.”

“Less is more! On Tiny House Nation, we had homeowners pare their things down to only what they could fit on a twin-sized bed.” “ Don’t keep too many multiples of items. For example, keep only the blankets you use in the linen closet, and donate the rest to a local homeless or animal shelter.” “ Open upper shelving in the kitchen naturally reduces clutter and forces us to keep kitchenware organized.”

“Make creative storage solutions by looking at things from a different perspective.

For example, a filing cabinet could function as a nightstand, and [can be] used for storing paperwork or even jewelry.”

Photos by Molly Winters.

<K im Lewis designed this midcentury, Marfa-themed tiny house in Austin featured on FYI Network’s Tiny House Nation.

austinwomanmagazine.com austinwomanmagazine.com | 61 | 61

On the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Lewis met singer-songwriter Jewel, who hired Lewis to design her rustic bohemian home at her Stephenville, Texas, ranch. That fortuitous meeting also led Lewis to start her design company, Kim Lewis Designs.

“She told me, ‘Kim, you need to invest in yourself.’

It hit me that I’ve been making all these people look good for eight years,” Lewis says. “I was the busy bee in the background doing all the hard work. And I was totally fine with that, but when she said that, it just made so much sense to me.”

Starting her own company also prompted Lewis to make a change and move from Los Angeles to Austin, where she happily put down some much-needed roots after years of jet-setting.

“They say you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the girl!” Lewis says. “I found immediately that the creative culture in Austin is so inviting, warm and welcoming. This town, at its core, is all about creative collaboration.”

Lewis is responsible for designing some of Austin’s most beloved eateries, including the hip Lamar Union juice bar Juice Society, Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant Chi’Lantro and urban winery Infinite Monkey Theorem. A home designer at her core, Lewis strives to bring the warmth and comfort usually associated with residential spaces into her commercial work.

“I love translating that warm, fuzzy vibe into commercial spaces so that people walk in and they want to sit awhile. Even in a fast-casual restaurant where I’m just going to have a taco, I want to feel comfortable [because] the space feels warm, inviting and approachable,” Lewis says. “At the Chi’Lantro on Burnet, I incorporated accessories that I found at the Austin City Wide Garage Sale—old cameras, old postcards—to make it feel like somebody just took things off Grandpa’s shelf.”

Although the first thing that often stands out about Lewis’ designs is the way she works with bright, bold colors (She often incorporates colorful textiles collected from her world travels.), she believes it is important for design to engage all senses.

“It’s my responsibility to a client that when they walk into their space, all five of their senses are engaged,” she explains. “They should not just see something pretty; they should hear something and be able to touch something. Design is an experiential thing.”

When she’s working on residential projects, Lewis encourages her clients to find creative ways to showcase their most meaningful items so their home tells the story of who they are.

“I’m not a fan of our homes just being filled with stuff. Our stuff should mean something. It should be part of us. It should tell a story. In my house, everything says something about who I am,” Lewis says. “What I try to teach my clients is to make meaningful decisions. One of my first questions to them is, ‘What is sentimental to you?’ ”

In addition to her residential and commercial work, Lewis is currently exploring her passion for smaller spaces. Last year, she designed a midcentury, Marfa-themed tiny house for the FYI Network show Tiny House Nation, which quickly garnered media interest from throughout the world. As a result of the overwhelming interest, Lewis decided to create her own line of affordable and stylish tiny houses, which will be available at the beginning of 2017.

“It just seemed like the natural thing to do next,” Lewis says. “I personally love the philosophy behind tiny houses. It was something that I could honestly get behind. I saw it as an opportunity to help people get into a home that they can afford, and that allows them to do more outside of the home. I’m all about experiences. I don’t think our homes should be something that prevent us from living life.”

Two different models of tiny homes will be available: The larger model (only 378 square feet!) consists of two trailers joined together in the shape of an L, while the smaller model is a single trailer with a lofted bedroom to create a separate sleeping space. Rather than concentrate on completely customized interior options, Lewis will offer a “tiny-house menu” of three different designs to choose from, each with their own distinct vibe.

“They’re going to be statement pieces. We’re not doing the traditional box shape with wood siding that everybody does,” Lewis vows. “They’ll have color, they’ll have texture and they’ll have character. It’s like a personality in a box.”

Lewis is quick to dismiss the idea that tiny houses are just a fad that will eventually pass. In her experience, tiny houses are highly desirable to a wide range of people for many different reasons.

“There’s a misconception that tiny houses are just for wanderlust millennials who are traveling in a tiny house to the Grand Canyon and Instagramming things because it’s cool,” an unconvinced Lewis says. “There’s a whole generation in the middle that maybe work from home and need home offices in their backyards. And then there are the baby boomers that are retiring who want to downsize and get back on the road, and they need a glorified RV to go and visit their grandkids.”

Certainly, a big reason for the rising popularity of tiny houses is that they allow people more financial freedom. The reduced cost of a tiny house can free up extra money for savings or to be spent on meaningful experiences, such as travel and hobbies. Many people are also turning to tiny homes out of financial necessity. People with a lot of student-loan debt simply need a low mortgage payment, and homeowners facing rising costs of living are putting up tiny homes for rent in their own backyards. Small-business owners can also benefit from using a tiny house as a home office rather than pay for costly office space.

“Tiny houses allow people to live and breathe and explore other areas of life,” Lewis says. “You have extra money to go do dance classes, go to restaurants, go travel. You’re not locked into a mortgage.

“Millennials have student loans. People need a space to work, but they can’t necessarily afford to go and lease an office. Statistics show that there are more small-business owners and entrepreneurs than there ever have been. People are renting out an Airbnb as a supplemental-income stream. Cities like Austin are growing and becoming more popular, [and] our taxes are getting raised, so we can’t afford to live in the cities that we want to live in anymore. But if you add a supplemental income in your backyard—guess what—now you can.”

One obvious drawback that puts most people off tiny-house living is that it requires major downsizing. But paring down possessions to the bare minimum can actually be extremely freeing, Lewis says.

“On Tiny House Nation, we had an exercise where we told people, ‘Here’s a twin-sized bed. You can take whatever you want to take with you if it fits on it. If it doesn’t fit, you can’t take it.’ It’s a massive lifestyle change,” Lewis says. “But it’s a huge weight lifted off our shoulders when we don’t have so much stuff to deal with and so much space to clean and maintain. It’s only what you really need. Less is more.”

Currently, the major logistical hurdles to tiny-house living are finding land to park or build on, and obtaining the proper permits. As the tiny-house movement gains more momentum, city codes and permitting processes have been slow to catch up. But Lewis predicts the process of building a tiny house will become much easier in time.

“We do live in a funny gray area right now with tiny houses [because] there are challenges with city permitting. But I believe our nation is going to resolve that soon because this is a trend that is not going away,” Lewis says. “People are pushing for it, and the cities have to accept it and adapt. It’s just going to take awhile. But I think it’s going happen. We’ve already seen changes in cities like Portland and Chicago.”

“ I found immediately that the creative culture in Austin is so inviting, warm and welcoming.

This town, at its core, is all about creative collaboration.”

62 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Milly Nicole bell-sleeve dress, $380, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com; jewelry, modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

austinwomanmagazine.com |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; 63

it shouldn’t surprise Austinites that in addition to using her design skills to enrich our beautiful city, she’s making a difference by building therapeutic art centers for children in Ghana, Cambodia and Honduras, in partnership with Dallas nonprofit Touch a Life. Many of the children Lewis meets live in extreme poverty and some have no parents. She believes giving them creative opportunities will help to heal and empower them, the same way having a creative outlet allowed her to heal and follow her passion after losing her mother.

“When I saw these children who had been abandoned by their parents, I knew what they needed was creativity because you can give a man a fish and he eats for the day, but you can teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.

[Other organizations] do water, shelter and food, which is all necessary and good, but if you teach someone to tap into their creativity, they start fighting for themselves. They start to become empowered,” Lewis says.

“The day before I left Honduras, a man walked by and asked what we were doing. He commissioned this little boy named Jairo, who is 16 with no parents (If he eats, it’s because he buys his own meal.) to paint something for him. The next day, he brought Jairo 20 bucks, which is two days’ wages in Honduras. The next day, Jairo had a haircut and a new pair of sunglasses, and I’m like, ‘This is working.’

That’s what I’m talking about, empowering through creativity.”

Lewis also currently works with artisans in Ghana, India, Ethiopia, Thailand and Honduras to bring ethically made home-décor and apparel products with unique culture and craftsmanship to the U.S. “I love meeting people and getting to share their stories. I met Gong, who is 85 years old and has been doing indigo batik since she was 10 years old, in Chiang Mai, [Thailand,] at a market. She dips each of her pieces three times a day for seven days straight. And someone bought one of her pillowcases at ACL,” says Lewis, who sold items as a vendor at this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival. “It’s such an honor to be able to meet someone like that, and then be able to carry her legacy all the way back to the United States.”

Lewis works closely with the nonprofit Mamas en Catacamas, which helps at-risk single mothers in Catacamas, Honduras, provide for their children. She designed a creative space where mothers can participate in art healing programs and job training. Eight of the mamas use the space to make pillows and bags out of leather and textiles Lewis sources from throughout the world. As Lewis was getting ready to set up shop at ACL Fest, she pulled out the last shipment from Catacamas and found an incredible surprise.

64 | Austin Woman | november 2016

“I asked the mamas to write their names and put them inside of each product because I wanted to make sure we knew who was making it,” Lewis says. “So, I opened the box and pulled out two letters. The first one that I pulled out said, ‘Soy Glenda,’ which was my mother’s name. The next one I pulled out [from another woman] said, ‘Tengo una hija su llame Kimberly,’ ‘I have a daughter named Kimberly.’ I nearly fell to the floor. Like, what are the odds? Those are the moments where I know this is meaningful work. This is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.”

Photo by Errol Anderson.

Lewis is fond of saying design changes lives, so

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66 | Austin Woman | november 2016

Gypsy

Dream

Perhaps you’ve tuned to their show, Junk Gypsy, on HGTV. Perhaps you’ve bartered over a shabbybut-chic relic at the Junk Gypsy Co. World Headquarters in Round Top, Texas. Or perhaps you Googled their names after realizing they designed the countryas-all-get-out wedding for the No-LongerMarried-As-All-Get-Out Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. It doesn’t really matter how, when or why you discovered the rowdy, rough-riding duo of Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes. All that matters, much like the trash-turned-treasure these two sisters live and breathe, is what you found. by emily c. laskowski photos by april pizana

67

The Junk Gypsy for PBteen Cowgirl Christmas and Southern Comfort collections are available at PBteen stores nationwide and at pbteen.com.

68 | Austin Woman | november 2016

“I’ll never forget

the day I left my 9-to-5 in Austin,” remembers Amie Sikes, the sister with the wild mane of golden curls. “I was 24 or 25, and my dad had driven down from East Texas to help me haul back my belongings, and I was giddy, over the moon!”

More than 15 years ago, Amie Sikes and her younger sister, Jolie, transformed their (self-admitted) borderline hoarding habits into the rugged home-décor brand known as the Junk Gypsy Co. Raised riding horses and building forts in the Piney Woods of East Texas in the small town of Overton (population 2,554) by their entrepreneurial parents, the Sikes sisters seemed destined to ramble and roam.

“I think that out-in-the-wild childhood is really what helped forge so much creativity and never-say-die attitudes in both of them,” says their mother, Janie Sikes. “I was never in favor of their corporate jobs. As a matter of fact, I was devastated when Amie told me she was going to go to law school. I knew that neither one of them were made for the 9-to-5 corporate life.”

However, both sisters made big-city plans, hustling and bustling through jobs after graduating from college before realizing Mom was right. It was time, as Merle Haggard faithfully crooned, for the big city to turn them loose and set them free.

“I remember thinking that I was never going to be back in that cubicle again.

Those days of waiting for the clock to strike 5 were done,” Amie Sikes says. “I remember driving down the highway exhilarated, but for what, I wasn’t sure. I had basically no plan of attack and no idea exactly what to do next. But I knew how to roll up my sleeves and work, and nothing or no one was going to stand in the way of the ‘big dream.’ So, I sailed down the road into the unknown and never looked back.”

Jolie Sikes departed her Houston job in a cloud of dust just as thick, and hitched up with her sister on the road. Together, they traveled across Texas in search of something, picking up and packing away plenty of roadside relics along the way.

“The first few years of the business, the name wasn’t Junk Gypsy,” Amie Sikes says.

“But in those few years, the idea, and the alter ego of us and the brand, was building.

We just didn’t totally realize it. I truly think that the first time we ever set foot in Round Top and Warrenton [the unincorporated community just south of Round Top on State Highway 237] for the Texas Antiques Week is when Junk Gypsy was really born.

I think that’s when all the stars aligned and Junk Gypsy was set in motion.”

By 2001, Amie Sikes and

Jolie Sikes had put down roots in Round Top, the antiquing heaven conveniently perched just 65 miles east of Austin, as the crow flies, or between 75 and 95 miles, as the pickup drives.

“Round Top is our utopia and our Mayberry while at the same time being our inspiration,” Jolie Sikes says. “The world kind of comes to Round Top and then leaves every six months. We love the rolling hills, the cattle grazing on the back roads, and the fellowship of the area. It’s the place we never realized we were supposed to be, the place Junk Gypsy was supposed to be all along, in the sprawling metropolis of 90 people. And I don’t think it’s changed that much. There’s more publicity, but at the end of the weekend, the visitors leave and Round Top goes right back to being that place where the local mercantile lets you run a tab. The gas station still has full service, pie is served a la mode and neighbors are neighbors in every sense of the word.”

As the sisters put down roots in Round Top, they also cultivated Junk Gypsy’s rebellious spirit and contagious design philosophy.

“We are what we preach, for sure,” Jolie Sikes says. “We are junkers to the core and basically never throw anything away, much to the dismay of other less junky people in our life. There’s really a fine line between junking and hoarding, right? Both of us have homes adorned with every crazy fleamarket treasure you can imagine. We still stop on the curbside to pick up discarded chairs, old bikes and any other broken treasures, sometimes while on our way to a fancy dinner somewhere, but we are never say die when it comes to junk.”

It wasn’t long before the sisters, who specialized in canvassing mountains of trash for pieces of treasure, found themselves at the top of another heap, one that put them in popular demand for partnerships, for television deals and from celebrity clientele.

“There’s been so many things that have exceeded our expectations at this point,”

The Sikes Sisters Q&A What is your most treasured possession?

Amie: Ocean oil paintings Jolie: An American flag that used to hang in my parents’ restaurant in Overton, Texas What Thanksgiving tradition do you hope to continue for generations?

Amie: Our Arkansas farm tradition with our dad’s whole family.

Jolie: The gathering of the entire Sikes family at our cabin on the Little River beats any Black Friday shopping event. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And, oh yeah, Aunt Alice’s homemade yeast rise rolls.

Describe yourself in three words.

Amie: Messy, messy, messy, or messy, dreamer, realist Jolie: Restless daydreamer, night thinker, biscuit lover, has trouble following instructions Describe your sister in three words.

Amie: Biscuits, biscuits, biscuits, or biscuit eater, dreamer, crazy heart Jolie: Determined, dreamer, hot mess (Wait, that’s four!)

Who would be your dream client?

Amie: Dwight Yoakam Jolie: Sandra Bullock (I like to call her Sandy because her besties call her Sandy.) austinwomanmagazine.com | 69

Amie Sikes says. “Ten years ago, when we became friends with one of our mentors and idols, Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic, we didn’t think anything could top that. And truly, I still consider it one of the grandest moments ever. Now, we’re great friends, stay at each other’s houses, text at 2 a.m. and consult each other on everything. But also things like doing Miranda Lambert’s tour bus, wedding, Airstream and the Guns n’ Wings logo are still pretty dang cool. Miranda’s new album cover was shot at our place in Round Top in front of our store. So, yeah, sometimes you think it’s pretty surreal.

Also, the day that Billie Joe Armstrong’s wife called us about doing an Airstream for him is still crazy hard to believe. Or the day PBteen walked in our store and asked us to partner with them on a collaboration.”

This October alone, the sisters launched two exclusive bedroom collections with PBteen, Pottery Barn’s teenage brand, set out on a tour for their recently released book, Junk Gypsy, and closed out Texas Antiques Week in Round Top. “What’s truly bigger than all of those things are the stories that we hear from customers and fans every day of the way Junk Gypsy has changed their life on some level, how it’s more like a movement to them than a business and how thankful they are for what it’s meant to them and their family,” Amie Sikes says.

“Those are the things that keep us going every single day. Those are the people who beckon to us when the going gets tough, and we know that not for one minute, not one single second, would we ever consider selling the soul of Junk Gypsy, because we are just lucky to be along for the ride.”

The ride has been a successful one, with the sisters adding passengers to their gypsy wagon that keep the business and brand rollin’ on like an 18-wheeler.

“Our business works because we are all on the same team,” Amie Sikes says.

“Every day, we are fighting the good fight together, as a family. There’s really not that many hard-and-fast rules. Some people bring their kids to work. Others take certain days off and work different hours. We all just trust that everyone is pulling their weight. If they’re not, the crew figures it out and they get voted off the island. We don’t stop to decide who has what title or who does what. We just make it happen. Our manager might be doing an interview one moment, a photo shoot the next and then plunging a toilet after that. We’re not just a team; we’re a family. And at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing.”

70 | Austin Woman | november 2016

While family is the most impor-

tant thing to Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes, what does that mean for all the other “things”: the things they collect, stash, accumulate, amass as Central Texas’ most unyielding junkyard hounds?

“Other than my daughter, Indie, the one thing that I can’t live without is my collection of old ocean oil paintings,” says Amie Sikes when asked which item in her house she could never leave behind.

“My cast-iron skillets,” Jolie Sikes answers, “because my dad gave them to me. They have a history and they are timeless. They represent an art and a science.”

There’s nothing new in the sisters’ precious handme-down items. There’s no adhesive gunk left from a price tag or the potential for airline miles with a credit-card purchase. They’re just good and old.

“I think what you miss out on with new stuff is the story,” Jolie Sikes says. “Every dent, ding and crack tells a story. For me, there’s no other way. Perfection isn’t part of our story. We prefer things that have lived life, things that were loved and then moved on to another phase. That’s where we come in, giving good junk a good home.”

The old adage “A house is not a home” might need to be re-needlepointed on a pillow to include “without good junk” if it’s to reside with either of these junk gypsies. It’s safe to say gleam and gloss will not set their souls afire, unless maybe it’s from a drill bit glistening over yonder.

“We believe everything in your home should be something you love,” Amie Sikes says. “Your home should be your escape, your happy place, the place where all your adventures speak to you, not a place that looks like a magazine or a TV show tells you it should look, but what truly speaks to you. After all, it’s the place you go home to every night, so make it what you want it to be. There’s no right or wrong.

Most importantly, we believe in a place where you can put your boots up on the coffee table.”

Wandering helped steer the sisters to Round Top. Wondering helped them forge the world of Junk Gypsy. Now, Amie and Jolie Sikes aren’t worrying too much about where their wandering and wondering ways will take them next.

“The goal for Junk Gypsy is the goal for the Sikes family,” Jolie Sikes says. “If it’s not good for the family, it’s not good for Junk Gypsy. There really isn’t a defining line between the two. At this point, though, we’re really not sure whether we created Junk Gypsy or Junk Gypsy created us. And, as for the next big goal, I don’t know. We’re just hell-bent on living the good life and selling some junk while we’re at it.

Seems to have worked out so far.”

Road-trip Reading Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder & Wander

by Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes, $25, available at junkgypsybook.com and gypsyville.com.

Calendar alert: Nov. 15, book signing at the Texas Conference for Women, Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St.

71 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2016

austinwomanmagazine.com austinwomanmagazine.com | 71 | 71

Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes’ Five Favorite Items From Their PBteen Collection “We love all of these because not only are some of them inspirational for teens, but the rest are just cool home décor, no matter your age!” —Amie Sikes

1. Heart with wings 2. Follow Your Call wall art 3. Wanderer faux-fur sleeping bag 4. Vanity stool 5. S weetheart of the Rodeo jewelry case

72 | Austin Woman | november 2016

“ Every dent, ding and crack tells a story.

For me, there’s

no other way.

Perfection isn’t part of our story.

We prefer things that have

lived life.”

—Jolie Sikes

austinwomanmagazine.com | 73

GOURMET

74 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

Spice advice

Just in time for Thanksgiving, three Austin chefs share their Southern seasoning secrets.

by Kristi Willis Sometimes, the standard holiday spread tastes a little too traditional. However, with family spices, albeit ones that add a kick of flavor, a trio of Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite female chefs has given the Thanksgiving table a tongue-pleasing twist. austinwomanmagazine.com |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; 75

G

OURMET

Iliana de la Vega, chef and owner, El Naranjo

Recipe reveal

Chef Iliana de la Vega extracts the taste of Oaxaca, Mexico, by using an earthy, rich cacao-nib-and-chili crust on lamb, beef, bacon or vegetables, such as butternut squash.

Hailing from Sulphur, La., near Lake Charles, Chef Janie Ramirez grew up eating her grandmother’s rice-and-cornbread dressings made with a creole spice mix at every holiday meal. The next day, they’d use the same mix to season the gumbo, the perfect post-holiday meal.

Pummy lou’s creole spice mix Ingredients 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika 4 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons granulated garlic

cacao y chilies Ingredients 1/4 cup cacao nibs, ground 2 1/2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (about 6 chilies)

1/2 tablespoon chile de árbol powder (about 3 chiles) Salt to taste Directions 1. F or the ancho chili powder, remove the seeds and stems from the chilies, then place them on a sheet tray and dry roast the chilies in the oven for five to seven minutes at 375 degrees until they’re crisp. Cool the chilies and then grind them to powder.

2. For the chile de árbol powder, remove the stems from the chiles, then place them on a sheet tray and dry roast them in the oven for one minute at 275 degrees, or until they’re fragrant and slightly crisp. Cool the chiles completely before grinding.

3. Mix the chili powders with the ground cacao nibs. Add salt to taste.

2 tablespoons dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more if you like it spicy)

Catherine Stiles, founder, Barbecue Wife Bloody Mary Mix

2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano 1 tablespoon onion powder

Catherine Stiles prepares a traditional and a Cajun turkey for her crew, who can be found tailgating for their beloved Aggies come Thanksgiving, and uses a Cajun spice mix more akin to a salt rub that is versatile enough for the turkey as well as your bloody mary.

1 teaspoon powdered bay leaf 2 teaspoons dehydrated satsuma zest Directions o make your own paprika, buy fresh Hungarian peppers, T smoke them in a smoker or a stovetop smoke pan, dehydrate them and then grind the dried peppers.

Ramirez also recommends dehydrating leeks or onions and grinding them to make your own onion/leek powder.

Cajun salt rub Ingredients 5 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons paprika (sweet or smoked) 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper, freshly ground 1 tablespoon onion powder Directions Combine all ingredients.

Toss a few teaspoons with some popcorn in a plastic sandwich bag for a fun and easy party snack.

76 | Austin Woman | November NOVEMBER 2016

Catherine Stiles photo by Wyatt McSpadden. Iliana de la Vega photo by Isabel Torrealba. Janie Ramirez photo courtesy of Dai Due.

Janie Ramirez, Chef de cuisine, dai due

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The Taste of Time

Hudson’s on the Bend is back from its summer hiatus and luring locals to fall in love with the critically acclaimed (and now rejuvenated) restaurant all over again.

by Darcy Sprague

Helmed by Chef Billy Caruso and Advanced Sommelier Chris McFall, the restaurant, first opened in 1984, underwent some revamps this summer, including the addition of a wine cellar and an expanded outdoor patio. The iconic, game-heavy menu touts mouthwatering dishes like chicken-fried quail, alligator ribs with tomato fresco and sweet-tea-brined African guinea hen with toasted pearl barley and braised rhubarb—all of which are crafted in a star-studded kitchen

Sous vide octopus

78 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

featuring Chef de Cuisine Brandon Silver (formerly of Qui) and Executive Pastry Chef Rosie Gibson (formerly of Launderette).

The restaurant, redesigned to be more open and airy, manages to maintain its original country charm while elevating the classic ranch house and embodying a more refined, rustic feel. Enjoy date night inside, or take advantage of the fleeting warm weather and have a drink from the farm-to-glass-focused cocktail menu on the patio.

If you’re a wine aficionado, take part in a tasting in the new wood-andleather-embellished wine cellar, sampling some of the best bottles from throughout the world.

One addition that’s sure to attract acclaim is the new rooftop garden, featuring native plants and providing the restaurant with fresh herbs, vegetables and edible flowers.

Word to the wise: Make a reservation as soon as possible. You can thank us later.

Photo by Neil Burger.

Austinites with refined palates for gourmet food and a taste for exotic proteins might have found themselves hurting this summer after the lauded, loved-by-locals restaurant Hudson’s on the Bend temporarily closed in April in a shift to new ownership. Fear not, though; the ranch-style dining institution overlooking Lake Travis is reopening this month.

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HOME BREWS

Toast the cold-and-flu season with these immune-boosting household concoctions. by maddy hill

Spinach Water

Echinacea Tea

Fire Cider

When it comes to outmuscling a cold, just remember Popeye. Spinach is jam-packed with nutrients, minerals and tons of vitamin C, which is just what the body needs in its line of defense against illness. Austin-based acupuncturist Jennifer Hoger tells her patients to embrace the practices of traditional Chinese medicine, which relies heavily on steaming vegetables instead of eating them raw. When the body is weaker than normal, Hoger recommends a solution of steaming spinach.

Echinacea has been used for hundreds of years to cure everything from the common cold to chronic pain. Since it’s not an ingredient that’s commonly used in cooking, the easiest way to intake echinacea is in tea. While there are quite a few prepared teas that include echinacea in their ingredient list, we recommend Traditional Medicinals Organic Echinacea Plus. Made with pharmacopoeial-grade herbs, this tea includes two species of echinacea, as well as extract from the flower.

This spicy yet sweet cold-fighting drink is best when prepared a few weeks to a month in advance of when it’s needed, which makes it a great option if you’re anticipating a busy fall season. Austin acupuncturist Sarah Senter recommends this ageold remedy to combat chills and boost the body’s protective qi, or life force.

r Steeping steps: Steam a bag of spinach leaves with one cup of water in a medium-sized pot.

After the leaves have softened, strain the hot water into your favorite mug. Add salt to taste and juice from half a lemon. Drink it up while it’s warm.

Turmeric Milk Turmeric, thanks to its antiinflammatory properties, acts like a natural form of aspirin, as well as a detoxifier that keeps your bloodstream from becoming backed up with impurities. Mix it with warm milk to stop a fever and sore throat overnight, and get a great night’s sleep, to boot. r Steeping steps: In your favorite mug, mix 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon of minced ginger in 1/4 cup of water, and stir well. Top it with milk and microwave the concoction for a few minutes until the milk starts to boil. Drink it up while it’s warm.

80 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

r Steeping steps: Drink a warm cup of echinacea tea before bed. Symptoms should start to improve by the next morning.

r Steeping steps: Combine equal parts chopped onion, grated horseradish root, peeled and diced ginger, chopped garlic and two to three cayenne peppers in a container with enough apple cider to cover the contents. Seal the mixture and allow it to steep for as long as one month.

To drink, strain the liquid from the mixture.

Add honey to make it less spicy or add vodka for more of a kick.

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HORMONES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY

Endocrinology is the science of hormones, which affect every cell and every function in your body. The glands secreting these hormones form your endocrine system, a tightly interconnected system with thousands of feedback loops. It is far more complex than any supercomputer today. Hormones control everything in your body from birth to death. Without hormones, your body cannot function. Examples of hormones: estrogen, testosterone, insulin and hormones like thyroid, cortisol, adrenal and pituitary.

WHAT ARE ENDOCRINE DISEASES?

They are diseases caused by a malfunction of one or more endocrine glands in your body. Examples: thyroid, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome and obesity, hirsutism, menopause, low testosterone in males, andropause and impotence, polycystic ovaries, irregular or lack of menstrual periods, high and low calcium, and diabetes.

WHAT FACTORS AFFECT YOUR ENDOCRINE SYSTEM?

hypothyroidism. Thyroid ailments include Graves’ and Hashimoto disease, goiter, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Thyroid problems require lifelong attention. Each person has a different genetic set point for TSH, the thyroid stimulation hormone.

WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in four men over the age of 50 and is generally missed. Bone fracture is considered to be the heart attack of the bone and can have major consequences on your quality of life, from reduced mobility to potential loss of mobility altogether. A bone density test is the only way to test for osteoporosis. We perform such testing and provide consultation on bone metabolism and osteoporosis treatment.

HORMONE MYTHS DEBUNKED The facts about some hormone myths:

“Seek your optimal health, your ideal yet achievable health, and increase the quality of your life.”

Aging, other diseases, stress, environmental and genetic factors do influence your endocrine system. Aging changes how hormones are produced and absorbed by your body. Genetic factors and other diseases can do the same. Stress triggers a cascade of hormones that affect your heart, kidneys and other organs. Recent research identified endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment.

WHY SEE AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST?

Hormone treatments must be followed by a hormone specialist (endocrinologist) the same way heart disease is followed by a heart specialist (cardiologist). An endocrinologist has years of special training in diagnosing and treating your hormone imbalances.

Endocrine diseases are often missed, since symptoms are often subtle and easy to brush aside. An endocrinologist starts out with a thorough physical evaluation looking for these telltale sings, then follows up with a battery of blood and other lab tests. Often, additional highly specialized tests are involved to identify the root cause of your hormonal imbalance.

WHAT IS THYROID DISEASE?

Since hormones rule your body, have your hormonal balance assessed by an endocrinologist to optimize your health.

Dr. Simone Scumpia of Austin Thyroid & Endocrinology outlines everything you need to know about hormones and their effect on the body.

Thyroid disease affects 30 million Americans, yet half of them do not know they have it. It is called the “silent disease.” One in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder in their life; women are five to eight times more likely than men to develop hyperthyroidism or

3 Bioidentical hormones are not human identical and may cause complications.

3 Fountain of youth hormones (otherwise known as human growth hormones) can cause serious side effects when used for anti-aging.

3 hCG diets (HCG) by themselves do not cause weight loss, but can cause irregular periods for women and breast enlargement for men.

3 Hormone treatment of fatigue, depression or anti-aging should be avoided due to many side effects it can cause.

3 Adrenal fatigue is not a real disease, but adrenal failure is a life threatening disease.

WHAT IS OPTIMAL HEALTH AND BIOLOGICAL AGE?

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ellness

nutrition

Snack Attack

We asked nutrition-and-wellness blogger Jennifer Fisher of thefitfork.com for a few of her favorite go-to healthy holiday snacks.

BY Victoria Stowe “This may sound crazy,” says Jennifer Fisher, an Austin CrossFit connoisseur and mother of two, “but I go to the store almost every day. I get inspired by the fresh ingredients.”

If it’s possible to be a creative, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants meal prepper, Fisher adds, she’s it.

Fisher, 49, started her health and fitness blog, thefitfork.com, four years ago at her own urging to try something new.

“I started sharing some of the recipes I made at home that were healthy and realized that people really like that kind of thing, recipes [that are] health- and fitness-oriented,” she says. “I’m just trying to help

people live better, healthier lives. Plus, I love the creative part of it.”

It’s that creativity that makes Fisher’s recipes so deliciously dynamic, although she’ll be the first to admit sometimes the spark of creative energy doesn’t always pay off. (There are plenty of recipes that don’t make it to her blog.) But for the most part, her cooking trials end in satiating success.

With the onset of the holiday season, we all know it can be hard to maintain healthy eating habits. The minute your stomach starts growling, those leftover cookies that Carol from marketing brought to the office start looking really good. So, to help turn guilty snacks into healthier solutions, Austin Woman asked Fisher for some recommendations.

Crunchy Caramel Almond Popcorn With Coconut Oil and Honey Makes four 1-cup servings Per serving: 149 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, 8.7 grams of fat, 16.3 grams of carbohydrates

Ingredients 1/4 cup organic popcorn kernels 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons Stevia (two to three packets) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 ounce (about 24) raw almonds 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Directions 1. P our the popcorn kernels into a brown lunch-sized paper bag. Fold down the top and place it in the center of the microwave. Microwave on high for approximately three minutes or until the kernels have slowed down to popping every three seconds. Set aside.

3. Stir in the baking soda. This will cause the mixture to foam up. Remove the pot from the heat and toss in the almonds and popped corn. Stir until the popcorn is coated with the caramel mixture.

4. S pread the mixture out to cool on waxed paper. While it’s still hot, sprinkle the popcorn with sea salt.

84 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

Photos by Jennifer Fisher.

2. In a 2-quart pot, melt the coconut oil over medium to low heat. Add the honey and Stevia, stirring until well combined, approximately one minute.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Slow-cooker Salted Caramel Chocolate Crunch Makes 24 servings Per serving: 254.6 calories, 3.3 grams of protein, 16.3 grams of fat, 27.6 grams of carbohydrates

Ingredients 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups Love Grown Food Honey Power O’s Cereal 2 cups mini pretzels 2 cups oyster crackers 2 cups almonds, toasted 2 cups dark chocolate chips 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt Directions 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.

Apple Cider Cinnamon Smoothie Makes one serving Per serving: 261.5 calories, 13.7 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 49.4 grams of carbohydrates

Ingredients 6 ounces almond milk (or half a bottle vanilla Core Power Protein Shake) 2 ounces apple cider 1/2 ounce unsweetened applesauce 1/2 banana, frozen 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 pinch nutmeg 2 to 3 cups ice Light whipped cream and cinnamon (optional, for garnish) Directions 1. P our all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.

2. P our the smoothie into a 20-ounce glass. If desired, top with a small dollop of light whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

2. S tir in the sugar and vanilla extract until they’re well blended.

3. In a large slow cooker, combine the cereal, pretzels and crackers. Pour in the melted-butter mixture and stir to coat.

4. C ook on high for two to three hours with the lid off, stirring occasionally. The mixture will be done when the sugar caramelizes to create a glaze over the ingredients.

5. Turn the heat to low and stir in the chocolate chips. Put the lid on the slow cooker and let the chocolate soften for about five minutes.

6. Remove the lid and stir the mixture to distribute the melted chocolate.

7. S pread the mixture onto parchment paper and immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. After the mixture has cooled and hardened, store in an airtight container.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 85

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memo from JB

Dinner’s Ready!

How I responded when I found an unlikely cook in the kitchen.

Something had gone horribly wrong with my wife. I was afraid it was something serious. I had so many things running through my head: Is this a mid-life crisis? Is she seeing someone else? Did she sustain a large blow to the head? I didn’t know what it was, but something was amiss.

It started roughly a month ago. There were small signs of unusual behavior around our home. When you have been married for 18 years, anything out of the norm can be sniffed out instantly. First, I started to see random printed pieces of paper around the house. On these pieces were recipes for meals, something never seen before in our home. Soon after, I saw things like fresh garlic, thyme and olive oil. Was I at the wrong house? Maybe it was me that took a blow to the noggin. Perhaps aliens had invaded our home. During the course of the last 30 days, I would say my wife made a home-cooked meal a solid five days a week. I intentionally brought in a crucifix and sprinkled some holy water on her to see what might happen.

Some things you should know about my wife: She has never cooked, never claimed to or wanted to. We cut a deal when we started dating, swearing, “I’ll never ask you to cook if you never ask me to dance.” These are the kinds of things you don’t throw in your spouse’s face 20 years later when asking for a divorce. You knew the deal going in and never expected it to change. It’s just how it is. In fact, most of our cookware is still in the boxes from a wedding gift 18 years ago.

We like to eat together. We just usually eat out, I get food to bring home or I’ll fire up the grill from time to time, but any cooking was definitely coming from me.

I had to get to the bottom of this. I sent a text to my wife asking her if we could have a serious discussion when she got home. I pulled out a recorder to capture the conversation, in case it might be needed in a court of law. When she and my daughter arrived, I asked my daughter if her mother and I could be alone for a minute.

Me: Do you have any idea what we are going to talk about?

Erin: No. I’m very curious.

Me: I want your honest thoughts on what’s been happening around here in the last month.

Erin: In regards to…?

Me: You look scared.

Erin: I do? What’s been going on this past month?

Me: What do you think it is?

Erin: Are you talking about my cooking?

Me: Prior to this month, you had to Google “How to hard-boil eggs” several times a year.

Erin: True.

Me: You’ve been making dinner for the family pretty much nightly for the last month. What’s going on?

86 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

Erin: I don’t know that I have a solid answer. I think it’s a combination of things. I was wondering how much money we spent eating out all the time or ordering in, so I was trying to be a little smarter, although I’ve found even making food at home is expensive. I was trying to have us all eat better, especially when we are all going in different directions. With cooking dinner, it’s forced us all to be here at a certain time and it’s been nice. I’ve enjoyed sitting down and talking about everyone’s day. I think [our 14-year-old daughter] even enjoyed it, although she wouldn’t admit that.

Me: Did this shiny, new kitchen we remodeled have anything to do with it?

Erin: [Laughs] It’s funny. We’re in a tiny house now and the smallest kitchen we have ever had. You wouldn’t think that would inspire me, but I love this little house and I love being at home. I don’t think bigger is better. I like the charm of the small house. It feels good.

Me: What else has been going through your head?

Erin: What, about you? Did you think I was dying or something? I had a month left to live and I was trying to make up for lost time? [Laughs] What were you thinking? Do you like it?

Me: Yes, loving it. You walked in the house today and smelled the slow-cooking pot roast and said it reminded you of being a kid. I absolutely thought the same thing when I walked in today. This is what a house is supposed to smell like, not Chick-fil-A. Maybe we should walk into the other room and ask our daughter how she feels about your newfound passion? [Heading to her room and knocking lightly on the door.]

Raleigh: Yeah? Don’t come in. [Talking through the door, mostly muffled through the sounds of blaring hip-hop.]

Me: Can I ask you something? Raleigh?

[Ignored.]

Erin: Dad wants to ask you something.

Me: I just want to know what you think of Mom’s cooking lately.

Raleigh: It’s cool.

Me: Anything else?

Raleigh: Thank you.

Me: We weren’t fishing for that.

Raleigh: What do you want then?

Erin: Nothing. We love you. Bye. Me: Well, your efforts have not been lost on me. It makes you that much more adorable and attractive to me, probably the same way you feel when I’m fixing plumbing.

I know what some of you are thinking: Now, do I feel obligated to dance? The answer is not no, but hell no. Also, thank you, Uncle Dave, for the Crock-Pot you sent in June 1998. We have been enjoying it immensely since last Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of JB Hager.

By JB Hager

Thank you to our 2016 conference sponsors and

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I Am Austin Woman

Hall of Flame

advertisements or in common converYou’ve heard the saying, “I wasn’t sation, the use of the word “fireman” born in Texas, but I got here as or the image of a tough, burly, male fast as I could!” Well, that’s me, firefighter being used by any number although I went the very long of companies to sell their product, the way around to get here, from very same product the women in my Ringwood, N.J., where I was born fire department will be using too. and raised, to Fort Lauderdale, Austin is a pretty progressive place, Fla., where I found my calling in by any stretch of the imagination. In the fire service. Then off to Little fact, the Austin Fire Department emRock, Ark., as the first female fire ploys more than twice the national averchief of that department and fiage when it comes to female firefightnally, to Austin, where I broke not ers! But like all women in traditionally one but two glass ceilings: bemale-dominated fields, we don’t want coming the first female fire chief to be treated differently from the boys of one of the largest metropolitan or singled out. We just want to go to fire departments in the country, work, do our jobs to the best of our abiland being elected president of ity, support our team and get paid the the International Association of same as the men. Thankfully, the Austin Fire Chiefs, a role never previFire Department does this pretty well. ously held by a woman in that Can we do even better? Of course. But organization’s 143-year history! compared with what I have seen and “Wow!” you might say. “That’s heard at some other fire departments amazing!” And you’re right. It is. I feel throughout this country, we are way very honored, humbled and blessed ahead in this area. to have had the opportunities to make In a letter he wrote to his daughan impact on my industry from such ters, President Obama said, “Right high-level positions. Being a woman the wrongs you see and work to give in a male-dominated field can be chalothers the chances you’ve had.” As lenging. I’ve always said I don’t mind women, it’s our duty to take his being the first, but I certainly words to heart and do for others don’t want to be the last. There what has been done for us. are generations of young women I still see and hear it every day, in advertisements The fire service is built on a and girls coming up behind me, or in common conversation, the use of the word few simple ideals: loyalty, duty, looking for opportunities to make “fireman” or the image of a tough, burly, male respect, selfless service, honor, their mark, crack their own glass integrity and personal courage. But ceiling or just see someone like firefighter being used by any number of companies you don’t have to be a firefighter them doing something they’d to sell their product, the very same product the to harness those ideals and put love to do. women in my fire department will be using too. them out into the world as your But more than any other posiown personal mantra. If we all did tion I’ve held, the one I take most so, imagine the changes we could seriously is that of role model. In make and the road we could pave for those next generations of girls. my 30-plus years in the fire service, I can’t tell you how many classAfter all, if Beyoncé is truly correct and the answer to her quesrooms I have visited, community events I have been to or speeches tion of “Who runs the world?” is really “Girls,” then we better all I have given where the kids (or their parents) say to me, “You’re a get to stepping! girl. Girls can’t be firefighters.” I still see and hear it every day, in

Austin Woman features a reader-submitted essay every month in the I Am Austin Woman column.

To be considered for January’s I Am Austin Woman, email a 500-word submission on a topic of your choice by Dec. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com with the subject line “I Am Austin Woman.”

88 | Austin Woman | NOVEMBER 2016

Photo by Korey Howell.

Austin’s first female fire chief (and former Austin Woman cover woman), Rhoda Mae Kerr, discusses glass ceilings, role models and the word she wants to extinguish.

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Austin Woman MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2016

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