Laguna Gloria

This weekend we went to Laguna Gloria, which is part of the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA). This beautiful Mediterranean-style villa boasts an enchanting charm that is truly remarkable. The historic house was built in 1916, and is now a 12 acre park/museum/art school over-looking lake Austin. The inside of the home is just as beautiful as the outside, but unfortunately we couldn’t get any pics of the inside because they were having a special event. Bummer. However, without further ado, here are some of the shots I got on our nature walk.

Steps down to the trail

One of the only flowers in the sea of green

Close-up of the wishin well

One of the statues in The Four Seasons Garden

A dragonfly I made friends with. I shall call him Mr. Flutter Bug


A cute little bench at the Temple of Love. Can ya' feel the love?

This is for sure one of my favorite places in Austin. I had a great time at Laguna Gloria-AMOA this weekend!

More Bang for Your Buck

So, anyone that knows me is very well aware that I do not let a good deal go unnoticed. Yes, I am a cheap-o. BUT, I will not compromise style in the process. I think that stylish, good quality items should be available to everyone because we all deserve to feel spoiled and oh-so-glam...even if we only spent mere pennies in the process.

With that in mind, I bring you my More Bang for Your Buck posts. Occasionally, I am blown away when I find an item's "twin" for so much less that its original. Does this ever happen to you? It feels so great, right?

So, for a while now I had been eyeing the Pin-Tuck Duvet from West Elm, and almost ordered. Well I am glad I didn't because to my surprise, on a recent trip to Target, I found its TWIN! Yay!

So here is West Elm's Pin Tuck Duvet:

This beautiful duvet cover retails for 99 bucks (full/queen size) and if you want to add the matching standard shams for 19 bucks each, you are looking at a total of $137. A fair price for this posh bedding, but we are trying to get the most bang for your buck, right? Right.

Now, step into my office to take a look at Target's Home Kissing Pleat Comforter set for the sweet price of $86 (queen), which already comes with two standard shams and a bed skirt! Plus, it's not a duvet, so you won't need an insert for it. This fabulous comforter also comes in smokey blue and a latte color. Take a looksie:

So, there you have it. Save some moolah, and go get yourself a mani/pedi with your savings! You earned it!

A Greek Feast Underway...

So, I am planning a Greek themed birthday party for a friend. She really enjoyed her time in Greece a couple of years ago and if given a good chunk of change she would move there in a heartbeat!

Now that we have a theme, I decided to get the invitations up and running. Here's what I came up with:

This dinner party will be very low key; about 10 close friends and family members. I can't wait to start planning the menu! Yum...

Do you have any favorite Greek recipes? If so, please share!