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The Weekender: Dining Al Fresco, Budget Lights (I Still Can’t Get Over) and What I Packed for Austin!

Dining Al Fresco

We barely recognized our own Tree House when we pulled up to it one short week ago – we have a front porch! We spent the next few days photographing multiple upcoming projects (like the new exterior, more on that soon!) and having family dance parties up and down the porch, running circles from the front to the side and back again. We had morning coffee and snack time at our outdoor table, took breaks on the built-in benches and…

oh, wait, let’s talk about that outdoor table! We teamed up with our longtime partners, Article, to create a family friendly space. We added the Teaka dining table to our side porch, pulling it up alongside the freshly completed bench seating. The table is a beast – it’s solid and ‘hunky’ (you know I couldn’t resist) – and we love how teak naturally silvers over time. And if that’s not your thing, did you know that teak can be rubbed down with oil to bring back the warm finish?

We paired the table with these chairs, which have juuust enough give to keep them comfortable and slightly bouncy, if you know what I mean? It’s an incredible and humbling feeling to see this entirely new room take shape – a room to dine al fresco, feel the warm sun, listen for the birds (so. many. birds!) and, yes, have a family dance party if the mood strikes.

What Else?

This bathmat is a breath of fresh air in a world of less-than-cute mats. Plus, it’s washable and comes in two sizes!

I couldn’t believe it when I saw this sconce on Amazon! It’s a dead ringer for our beloved sleeping loft sconces (below), but at a third of the cost.

pink bolster | similar rug | bookcase | wallpaper

Also, you guys went nuts over this budget outdoor sconce in my Stories this week, and for good reason! It’s surprisingly substantial and somehow $50 (sometimes less!). I paired them with these skinny Edison bulbs, and I’ll be sharing the full refresh soon!

We love Public Goods for their clean design and high quality products (at unbeatable prices), so I was excited to try their candles! We keep a stash of these pint-sized jars in our studio, and we can’t stop burning this scent. Psst: Use promo code YELLOWBRICKHOME for 25% off your first order!

The cutest bottle brush trees I ever did see.

The Sweet Beast bought a cabin (chalet?), and I am here for it! Those windows! That roof!

This IKEA BESTA makeover is so, so chic and looks like a million bucks.

We’re currently in Austin this week! We’re here for work, with the majority of our days being inside the great (chilly) indoors. The dress code is dressy casual but comfortable (like jeans and a blouse), so of course I spent the evening before our trip in a full blown panic over what to wear. Typical Kim. Here’s a handful of pieces I’ve pieces I’ve packed to mix and match (including this comfy top for the flight!), if you’d like to see:

1. glove boot | 2. skinny button-fly | 3. mock neck tank | 4. tie-front tank | 5. oversized sunglasses | 6. transit backpack | 7. denim jacket | 8. crossbody bag | 9. cocoon sweater | 10. button-front dress | 11. fleece sweatshirt | 12. stretch slides

Speaking of Austin, it’s our last night here to have a fun dinner out, and we’d love to know: Where should we go? Your favorite dining spots are welcomed!

Wishing you all a happy, wonderful weekend, friends.

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  • appstatelady10.18.19 - 9:01 AM

    Yay for a new “room” at the tree house! And that picture of you and Lucy with her hand on your face– gah, just the sweetest!  I did a girls weekend in Austin a year ago, and we loved dinner at The Launderette. Super cool vibe, and great cocktails! https://launderetteaustin.com/ Enjoy your trip!ReplyCancel

    • Kim10.18.19 - 9:02 AM

      We’ve gotten a few recs for that place, thank you! And I know, her little hand KILLS ME.ReplyCancel

  • at home with Ashley10.18.19 - 9:08 AM

    I’m loving that table. Pumpkins are always such a good decor piece. You don’t even have to do anything to them and they just work. But you HAVE to go to the Driskill downtown for dinner. That’s hands-down the place I always have to go when I visit Austin. And they usually have a live band in the 2nd floor bar on the weekends. ReplyCancel

  • Austinite10.18.19 - 10:30 AM

    I live in Austin, and your options are endless. For Mexican, I love Licha’s on the East side. Then head to Stay Gold for a live band. Alternatively, you could check out Elizabeth Street Cafe for Vietnamese (seriously) and the interior is so, so cute and you may get some inspo ideas there. From Elizabeth Street, head out to South Congress Hotel for drinks at Lobby Bars, or for a more authentic old school Austin experience, check out the Continental Club (blues) or C Boys (scope out their lineup first). Have fun! And welcome to Austin!ReplyCancel

  • Lori10.19.19 - 12:49 PM

    Ok, I missed getting this comment in here before dinner yesterday, but I’m gonna leave it anyway for when you come back. XD
    I’m assuming you’ll be staying central, so I’ll keep my recs between Ben White and 183– except for one. Not only are there endless options for fantastic food in Austin, we’re also super into our outdoor patios. It’s something I think Austin does particularly well. Places have figured out how to make their outdoor patios so comfortable that people are still hanging outside even when it’s 100 degrees. I didn’t realize how spoiled we are until I visited New Mexico last fall and practically no restaurants had outdoor dining, even though their dry air & cool evenings & flat roofs are practically made for outdoor lounging! So all of these places have outdoor seating:
    June’s All Day: https://junesallday.com/
    South Congress Cafe (a classic!): http://www.southcongresscafe.com/
    If you like seafood, Perla’s is a classic: https://perlasaustin.com/
    Texas French Bread is good for a casual brunch/lunch, and their outdoor patio was designed by my favorite landscape architect (Christy Ten Eyck) and has one of her trademark concrete trough fountains that I desperately want to replicate: https://texasfrenchbread.com/
    Justine’s is good, and also has a nice outdoor patio: https://www.justines1937.com/
    Also, if you don’t care if it’s the world’s best food, I feel like you can’t beat Hula Hut for people watching and a great location literally on top of the water. They do the usual Tex Mex, queso, and margaritas: https://www.hulahut.com/
    A few doors down is Mozart’s, also on the water. It’s a fun place to get a coffee and dessert and just hang out when the weather’s nice: https://mozartscoffee.com/
    For more old skool Austin, I like the original Chuy’s (https://www.chuys.com/) location on Barton Springs Road with their Elvis painting collection (their queso is awesome) and a few doors down, Shady Grove (https://www.theshadygrove.com/) has the outdoor dining thing DOWN. They’re not trendy, but they’ve been around forever and they remind me of what this town was like when I moved here. 
    As for other hangs, I second The Continental Club for music. Austin likes to call itself the “Live Music Capital of the World,” but it’s pretty much lip service at this point since it’s gotten so expensive to live here that artists and musicians have pretty much been pushed out unless they have a well paying day job and nearly all the old dive bars with live music and up and coming musicians have been torn down to build yet more condos. The Continental Club has stuck around. Also super old school is The Saxon Pub (https://www.thesaxonpub.com/), which hasn’t changed in like 25 years, even as condos have gone up around it and walled it in. It’s a total hole that has live music pretty much all week, and the bands that play there are really good and every seat will be full even on a Thursday night and nobody’s fucking around on their phones or ignoring the band; they’re there for the music. I love it. Ditto The Broken Spoke for dancing, also on South Lamar (https://www.brokenspokeaustintx.net/). Def give these places a visit before they can’t afford to exist!
    And I can’t say anything about food here without mentioning BBQ, which everyone has passionate opinions about. I know everyone talks about Franklin’s, blah-blah-blah, but I swear on my firstborn that the best BBQ in town is actually at Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ (https://www.valentinastexmexbbq.com/), which is wayyyyyyyyyy down in far South Austin. There’s no indoor seating and it’s right next to a busy road, and if you go during peak times, expect to spend 45 minutes in line, but their brisket beats Franklin’s, hands down. My favorite is their breakfast menu– their brisket/egg/cheese tacos have ruined me for all other breakfast tacos forever. If you’re here during the week, they do breakfast til 11 and there’s not much of a line. But Saturday-Sunday mornings/late afternoons/evenings hoo boy, get there early, because they stop doing breakfast at 11 AM sharp, no matter how long you’ve been in line. They started out as a food truck down the street from me, and as happy as I am that they’re turning into A Thing, I miss being able to wander down there in my pjs. Anyway, love that place!
    I could go on, but I have a work deadline in an hour and need to go take care of that. I hope you’ve had a great time here!ReplyCancel

    • Kim10.19.19 - 9:58 PM

      I’m so sad to be reading this from Chicago! We had one last night in Austin and now we’re back home. I’m hoping others can find some dining inspo in your thoughtful comment. Thank you!ReplyCancel

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