July 2014

Austin Woman Magazine

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” – Maya Angelou

JUly 2014

6/20/14 2:22 PM

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Austin Thyroid & Endocrinology Center Control your hormones. Control your life.

ENDOCRINOLOGY

is the science of hormones, substances released by glands that regulate every cell in your body, for both men and women.

Endocrine diseases, thyroid, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome and obesity, hirsutism, menopause, pituitary and adrenal pathology, low testosterone in males, andropause and impotence, polycystic ovaries, recurrent kidney stones, irregular or lack of menstrual periods, high and low calcium, diabetes etc.

We provide a comprehensive assessment of your hormone balance, and in-house hormone testing, thyroid ultrasound, and bone density.

THYROID Disease affects thirty

million Americans, half of which do not know they have the disease. Examples: hypo and hyperthyroidism, Graves and Hashimoto disease, goiter, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Each person has a different genetic set point for TSH. Thyroid problems require lifelong attention.

We are the premiere thyroid clinic in Austin, and offer the latest treatment for thyroid disease, aggressive management of thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine, and second opinion consults for thyroid surgery.

2 DO YOU KNOW YOUR TSH?

NEW! NEW! NEW!

2 HAVE YOU SEEN AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST?

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 fifty and is generally missed.

Bone fracture is the “heart attack� of the bone. New treatments reduce the risk of fracture and build new bone. A bone density test is the only way to test for osteoporosis.

We have the latest bone density testing equipment in Texas, and provide instant bone metabolism, medical consultation, and treatment option.

2 DO YOU KNOW YOUR BONE DENSITY?

Dr. Simone Scumpia FACE FRCP Board Certified in Endocrinology and Metabolism Fellow American College of Endocrinology, Fellow Royal College of Physicians Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine In-house thyroid ultrasound, bone densitometry, total body fat analysis, hormone testing, and radioactive iodine treatment.

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Bioidentical Hormone Replacment Therapy Myths and True Facts Medicine deals with disease and with prevention of disease.

Optimal health and biological age are before prevention and before disease.

Biological age: brain age, heart age, bone age, hormonal age, etc. It includes a scientific measurement of the tissue ages in your body with biomarkers, hormone testing, genetic tests and advanced cholesterol testing for risk of heart attacks, diabetes and strokes.

2 HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BIOLOGICAL (PHYSIOLOGICAL) AGE TESTED FOR YOUR OPTIMAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT?

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Contents j u ly

54

On the Cover

Maria Hernandez The founder of Growing Roots helps families of children with disabilities build a community of support, knowledge and empowerment.

By Rachel Merriman

60

Feature

Adventures in Zilkerland For the fun at heart: where to eat, drink, shop and play.

By Molly McManus

68

Feature

Young Women To Watch How five go-getters found the courage to pursue their passions early in life.

Photo by Dustin Meyer.

By Megan Russell

Vince black silk tank top, $185; Ashley Pitman Oscar de la Renta off-white statement earrings, $395, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.

Contents J u LY

68 to your health

20 AROUND TOWN

44 Nutrition

22 5 things

Party Pics

Five Ways to Enjoy Austin in July

24 spotlight event 26 horoscopes

The Wine Down 2014

Happy Birthday, Leo!

style 28 BEAUTY

Go Vegan for Good

Strength Training for Women

50 Prevention

Melanoma F.Y.I.

opposite sex 74 memo from JB

It’s Not Easy Being Green

30 RUNWAY REPORT

Austin Fashion Week

32 SUMMER TRENDS

Boho Beach

home

Letting Our Kids Be Kids

savvy women 76 Inspirational Woman 78 Just passing through 80 Austin Innovator

34 entertaining

Stylish Outdoor Living

gourmet 38 SPIRITS

48 FITNESS

40 FOOD TOUR

A Moveable Feast

10 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

Maya Angelou

Anna Maria Chávez

The Accidental Blogger

84 Austin ENTREPRENEUR 88 Last Word

Chill Out

on the cover

Raven + Lily

The Carpetbagger

Photo by Dustin Meyer, dustinmeyer.com.

Styled by Ashley Hargrove, dtkaustinstyling.com.

Makeup by Lauren Lumsden, Rae Cosmetics, 512.320.8732, raecosmetics.com. Hair by April Downs, Avant Salon, 512.502.8268, avantsalon.com.

Milly shift dress, $425, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus. com; Natasha multicolored statement necklace, $58, available at Dillard’s, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.327.6100, dillards.com.

Photo by Flashpool Productions.

on the scene

COMFORTABLE DENTISTRY

Confident Smiles

Actual Patient

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AustinDentalSpa.com 3305 Northland, Suite 515 Austin, Texas 78731

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Have Visions of an Amazing Austin Summer?

Volume 12, issue 11 Co-Founder and Publisher

Call Mann Eye Institute to Help Make Them a Reality

Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher

Christopher Garvey associate publisher

Cynthia Guajardo Co-Founder

Samantha Stevens Editor-in-chief

Deborah Hamilton-Lynne associate editor

Molly McManus copy editor

Chantal Rice CREATIVE Director

Niki Jones art director

Jennifer Day ART ASSISTANT

Nora Iglesias brand and operations manager

Kailin Miner operations Assistant

Maggie Rester Account Executives

Kelly Keelan, Alex Sizemore, Anna Chin 512.328.2421 contributors

David Alvey, Sparky Anderson, Rudy Arocha, Carla Avolio, Cheryl Bemis, Jill Case, Gregg Cestaro, Stephanie Chastain, April Downs, Nicole Gell, Michael Gundill, JB Hager, Ashley Hargrove, Heidi Heidingsfelder, Korey Howell, Sylvia Kim, LeRoy Lawson, Amanda Lepo, Kelly Lindner, Lauren Lumsden, Deborah Mastelotto, Matt McGinnis, Rachel Merriman, Dustin Meyer, Manny Pandya, Sarah Quatrano, Ricky Rodriguez, Megan Russell, Jayati Satia, Elizabeth Shear, Kate Stafford, Julie Tereshchuk, Cheri Thompson, Luisa Venegoni, Amy Wenske, Salih Williams Interns

Elayna Barrera, Alyssa Brant, Silvana Di Ravenna, Ivania Garcia, Keri Heath, Sylvia Kim, Luisa Venegoni

Summer is here, and you have 4,587 (give or take) options for summertime adventures in Austin.

Is poor vision cramping your summer plans? Call Mann Eye Institute – 800-MY-VISION. AFFORDABILITY At Mann Eye Institute, we offer competitive pricing and flexible payment plans to make Blade-Free Lasik a real option for our patients. Feel like you have to choose either Blade-Free Lasik or that epic vacation with your friends? Think again. At Mann Eye Institute, we want to help you enjoy both!

OPTIONS Blade-Free Lasik isn’t all we do. We offer Active Life Lens Procedures, Family Eye Exams, Dry Eye Treatment, Glaucoma Management, Laser Cataract Surgery, Diabetic Eye Disease Treatment, Keratoconus Treatment, Contact Lens Fittings and Emergency Eye Care. If you have a problem with your eyes or your vision, call us. We want to help!

OUTCOMES Our surgeons are focused on outcomes. That’s why we offer so many different procedures and technologies – because every patient is unique. It’s also why we have thousands of patients all over the Austin area who will enjoy their summer adventures with great vision. You probably even know some of these folks!

Don’t miss the boat on summer fun.

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Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at more than 1,150 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

2600 VIA FORTUNA SUITE #400 & 4314 W. BRAKER LANE SUITE #215 | AUSTIN

From the Editor spring that gives eternal life—have appeared in mythology for centuries, as early as Herodotus in the fifth century B.C., to the legendary quest of Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who landed on the shores of Florida in search of the magical water, to seemingly endless advertisements that bombard us with claims of the ability to magically turn back the clock. I think Sophia Loren said it best: “There is a fountain of youth. It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love.

When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age.”

I look forward to this issue and the young ladies we feature as our Young Women to Watch each year. For me, they are a source of inspiration and hope, as I am always amazed by their passion, their creativity, their talents and their zeal for life. These are the things that keep us forever young.

Writer Megan Russell found that the one unifying thread that runs among all our featured Young Women to Watch was that they BEGAN. They overcame their fears, ignored obstacles and went forward to pursue their passion by honoring their callings. An entrepreneur, a musician, a motivational speaker, a scientist and a mermaid: The group is as diverse as the city they call home.

Save the Date Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Westin at the Domain

Join us to celebrate the 12th anniversary of Austin Woman. Enjoy food, drink, shopping and networking with Austin’s most interesting and engaging women. For more details, visit austinwomanmagazine.com/anniversary.

14 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

Representative of outstanding young women committed to serving our community is our cover woman, Maria Hernandez, whose smile is as bright as her future. Her vision for filling a need has evolved into Growing Roots, an organization that serves families of special-needs children. Her story will educate and inspire our readers.

This is also the Austin issue, and this year, we take a look at an area near and dear to my heart: Zilkerland. Having once been a resident of Pecan Grove R.V. Park, I can attest that this is one of the most interesting areas of Austin. Epitomizing everything great this city has to offer and embracing the great outdoors, the area includes the crown jewels of our city: Barton Springs, Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake and the hike-and-bike trail.

Whether you spend a weekend or make it a regular haunt, 78704 is the place for making memories.

Included in our Austin issue are nods to successful Austin entrepreneurial ventures Austin Fashion Week, Austin Cocktails, Raven + Lily and Taste ATX. Boho has never gone out of style in Austin, and we salute our Barton Springs hippie roots in our summer Style section. Want to update your outdoor space? Ricky Rodriguez has the goods. At a loss for things to do in July?

Check out our Spotlight Event and 5 Things sections, as well as Kristy Owen’s popular

Fab Ladies With our September issue, we will have celebrated the stories of more than 140 incredible cover women. We know we have barely touched the tip of the iceberg. Do you know a fab lady that should be featured on our cover? Send her name and story to submissions@ awmediainc.com with the word “Coverworthy” in the subject line.

365 Things to Do in Austin blog.

For me, the source of the Fountain of Youth is Austin, Texas, and the people of this great city.

With the energy of 50,000 young people coming to the University of Texas each year coursing through our veins, we are a city forever renewed and passionate, forever hopeful and creative, forever looking to the future. We pride ourselves on being in the forefront, staying current and being ahead of the curve. As I tap into this energy, in my heart, Austin will always be forever young. Enjoy all it has to offer.

deborah hamilton-lynne Editor-in-Chief

Connect With Us Has a particular article or woman featured in the pages of Austin Woman touched your heart or made a difference in your life? Have you been inspired to start a business or make a difference in our community? Please let us know how you have connected with AW through the years. Send your story to submissions@awmediainc.com with the words “I’m connected” in the subject line.

Photo by Korey Howell.

Tales of the Fountain of Youth—the elusive

Contributors R achel Merr iman

Dus tin Me yer

megan russell

R ICK Y RODR IGUE Z

COVER WRITER, “maria Hernandez”

COVER photographer, “maria Hernandez”

writer, “young women to watch”

stlylist/writer, “STYLISH OUTDOOR SPACES”

Page 54

Page 54

Page 68

Rachel Merriman is a

Dustin Meyer is an interna-

After five years in Austin, Megan Russell really feels like she can call herself a true Austinite. When she’s not busy writing for Austin Woman, she spends her days cuddling cats (any that happen to be around) and working on her latest venture, myveryveggieblog.com, a site dedicated to all things vegan in Austin.

What did you learn about children with disabilities when writing this story?

tionally recognized wedding, portrait and commercial photographer based in Austin, with more than 10 years experience in the photography industry.

His work has been displayed by Kodak in Times Square, featured in USA Today and on CBS. Published in numerous magazines, including Southern Weddings, Style Me Pretty, The Knot, Rangefinder Magazine and more, Dustin’s work has earned him acclaim from clients throughout the country.

breakfast-taco-eatin’, BartonSprings-lovin’ South Austinite who spends her days working as a freelance writer and vegetarian food blogger. When she’s not writing, you can probably find her destroying her tiny kitchen with her latest culinary experiment or searching for the best migas in town. Check out more of her work at rachelmerriman. com and hippie-eats.com.

“I am so grateful to the parents who shared their experiences with me for this story. I very much admire their strength and the love they have for their children. I learned that it is so important for the family of a special-needs child to receive their own support, and also that it can be difficult for many families to get their children the support they need. We are lucky to have an organization like Growing Roots here in our community to help with both of those things.”

How do you capture someone’s spirit in a portrait?

“One of the most important rules of portrait photography is keep it simple, from outfits to accessories, from smiles to poses and everything in between.”

What is one trait shared by all of our featured Young Women to Watch?

“All of these women accomplished an incredibly challenging feat, and one that holds most of us back. The hardest thing to do, especially when you feel so inexperienced, is to take that first step and just begin. You can make up a thousand excuses as to why you’re not ready, from funding, to a team supporting you and anything in between.

But the truth is no one is ever really ready. The current and future success of all of this year’s Young Women to Watch stems from the fact that there was no hesitation and they took action to set their dreams into motion.”

Page 34

Ricky Rodriguez is a free-

lance fashion and home-décor stylist whose work has been published in several issues of Austin Woman magazine. A recent graduate of St. Edward’s University, he decided to pursue a career in styling after receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology. In May, he completed a successful editorial internship at Austin Woman, producing various editorial content on human-interest pieces, style pages and spotlight events. Now with some experience under his belt, Ricky is ready to take on the world of styling as a freelance fashion and interior stylist.

What’s the key to making an outdoor space look great?

“Select pieces that make a bold statement. Your outdoor living area should always reflect your personal style, so express it with fun colors, bold prints and oneof-a-kind vintage finds.”

have the last word?

We love hearing your stories. Send in your submissions for our September Last Word column for a chance to be published.

To be considered, email 500 words or less to submissions@awmediainc.com by Aug. 1. September’s topic: “Living Your Dream.”

16 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

Connect with us! find us online at austinwomanmagazine.com TRY THIS: AW STAFF PICK

Essential Water Products

Austin Film Society Special Screening of Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD July 13, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., AFS at the Marchesa (6226 Middle Fiskville Road), austinfilm.org/boyhood The Austin Film Society and IFC Films reunite writer-director Richard Linklater, actors Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltrane and cast and crew from the 12-year project of Boyhood for special screenings. On July 13, AFS’ celebration screening at 1 p.m. will include a Q&A by Linklater, cast members Arquette and Coltrane and a lobby reception following. An additional screening with an introduction by Linklater, Arquette and Coltrane will begin at 7 p.m.

Can’t get enough of this issue?

Check out austinwomanmagazine.com

If you are concerned about chlorine in your hair, why would you wash it with chlorinated water? For healthy hair and skin, check out the shower filter from Austin-based water-filtration company Aquasana. It eliminates 90 percent of chlorine and other contaminates.

Also, with our extremely hot Austin summers, it is paramount to stay hydrated. We highly recommend Aquasana’s new powered filtration system, which delivers contaminate-free water in seconds.

-Deborah Hamilton-Lynne

Summer Splash Getaways Five places to beat the heat and hit the water!

➥ Safe Tanning. Five tips for achieving a healthy, glowing tan.

➥

Best of the Blogs. Neon Notebook, a blog from Rebekah Epstein, a featured Young Woman to Watch (Page 68). Check out our updated Best of the Blog posts online weekly.

➥ ZACH’s Tommy. Exclusive interview with ➥ More Austin Fashion Week. Meet Kelly Wynne, winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award.

@austinwoman

18 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

July 12, 7:30 p.m., Bates Recital Hall, 2406 Robert Dedman Drive The prizewinning duo, comprised of Spanish flutist Eugenia Moliner and Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic, will present the newest work of Austin Classical Guitar’s composer in residence, Joseph V. Williams. Cavatina Duo has released five albums and performed in venues throughout Europe and the United States.

To win a pair of tickets, go to facebook. com/austinwoman and post the name of your favorite guitarist or musician.

Michael Valentine, the voice of Tommy.

Follow us

Tickets to Cavatina Duo at Austin Classical Guitar’s Summer Series

like us

facebook.com/austinwoman

find us

austinwomanmagazine.com

Hawaiian Falls photo by David Alvey.

Featured event

Win this!

family friendly WacoHeartofTexas.com

or

800.WACO.FUN

Waco & the Heart of Texas welcomes parents and kids—and orangutans, too.

Come visit the newest addition to Cameron Park Zoo, a baby Bornean orangutan born this May to her very proud momma.

But don’t stop there! Visit Homestead Heritage, where you can walk the beautiful grounds, browse the handcraaed pooery and woodwork, and eat some of the freshest food this side of the Chisolm Trail. e Mayborn Museum Complex has areas for children of all ages, and a handmade oat from the Dr Pepper Museum makes even a good day beeer. You’ll nd a bumper crop of affordable fun just 90 minutes from home. Call 1.800.WACO.FUN now and let us help you plan a family friendly itinerary for your whole crew.

WacoHeartofTexas.com or 800-WACO-FUN

on the scene /

A rou n d t ow n

AW Media Summer Launch Party June 3, 2014 ~ Thinkery

Executive Chef Blake Kelly of Benji’s Cantina

Katie Joffrion and Karlee Blystone of Frost321

Olga Campos, Paula Fontaine-Haake, Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Cherie Mathews, Claudia Fontaine Chidester

Jitterbug Vipers

Heather Thomas of Art by H Joy

Komen Austin’s Perfectly Pink Party May 31, 2014 ~ Brazos Hall

Komen Austin successfully raised more than $367,000 at the nonprofit’s third annual Perfectly Pink Party fundraising gala. Of the $367,000 raised, 75 percent will remain right here in the Austin community, with the remainder contributing to Susan G. Komen’s national cancer research.

Hunter Bradley, Denise Bradley, Katie Lattanzi, Tana Sykes

20 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

John and Joyce Champeny, Sue Morrison, Connie Britt, Carlos Ancira Jr., Mary Lou Ancira, Martin Phillips, Marianna Dydek, Iris Davis, Karen Leiker

Christy Casey-Moore, executive director of Komen Austin

Rick Reeder, Amy Dean, Karyn Scott, Valeri Reeder

AW Media photos by Cheri Thompson. Susan G. Komen photos courtesy of Komen Austin.

At the Be a Kid Again party, guests joined in celebrating the summer issue and third anniversary of ATX Man magazine and the June issue of Austin Woman. AW Media launched into summer at this magnificent event that was full of sweet sips, savory bites and fun activities. All proceeds benefited the Thinkery, the new Austin Children’s Museum.

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on the scene /

5 things 4

1

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5

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Five Ways to Enjoy Austin in July Compiled by Luisa Venegoni and Sylvia Kim

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Red, White and Blue

ACG Summer Series

July 1 – Aug. 3, North Hills Gallery

July 12, 7:30 p.m., Bates Recital Hall

The Creative Arts Society, a local nonprofit visual-arts organization promoting the idea of the artist in everyone, has brought together an exhibit of 50 pieces by 20 artists who are celebrating Independence Day by expressing the theme red, white and blue through various mediums. The exhibit showcases visions of patriotic and red-, white- and blueoriented subjects created using acrylics, oil, pastel, collage, stained glass, photography and mixed media.

The numerous mediums and artistic styles highlighted in the exhibit reflect the value the organization places on diversity. Enjoy the free exhibit between July 1 and Aug. 3 at the North Hills Gallery.

As a juried show, prizes will be presented for first, second and third place pieces at the reception on July 6 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. creativeartssociety.org

The captivating Cavatina Duo, described by legendary guitarist and composer Sérgio Assad as “the best flute and guitar duo in the world today,” will perform at the Butler School of Music, thanks to a collaboration between Austin Classical Guitar and Austin Chamber Music Center. The prizewinning duo, comprised of Spanish flutist Eugenia Moliner and Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic, will present the newest work of Austin Classical Guitar’s composer in residence, Joseph V. Williams. Drawing from Spanish Sephardic Jewish music, Williams’ Isabel pays tribute to Isabel de los Olives y López, who suffered persecution during the Spanish inquisition. The piece was created specifically for Moliner and Azabagic. Cavatina Duo has released five albums and performed in venues throughout Europe and the United States.

Tickets are $25 to $50. austinclassicalguitar.org

22 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

3 Sound & Cinema July 2, 16 and 30, 6 p.m., The Long Center

For the second year, Do512 and the Alamo Drafthouse have brought the popular Sound & Cinema local-bandand-movie summer series to The Long Center. Bring the family to eat at a variety of food trucks and listen to local musicians play a tribute to a movie, then spread out your blankets and folding chairs on The Long Center’s lawn to enjoy the feature presentation on the big screen. Along with local food trucks such as Peached Tortilla, Whole Foods, Frank and Uncle Louie G’s, the series hosts full bar service with El Jimador cocktails, craft beers and non-alcoholic drinks. July’s events include Pee Wee’s Big Adventure with The Urban Achievers Brass Band, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with Henry + The Invisibles and The Pink Panther (1963) with the music of Henry Mancini performed by the Jeff Lofton Quartet. do512.com/soundandcinema

4 Pure Austin Splash-n-Dash July 15, Pure Austin Quarry Lake

Calling all outdoor athletes!

Join Jack & Adam’s Bicycles and High Five Events for Pure Austin Gym’s eighth July Splash-n-Dash. Participants will complete a 750-meter open-water swim around Quarry Lake at Pure Austin North then slip on their shoes for a 3K trail run. Stick around after the race for hot dogs, chips, drinks and the awards presentation. Lifeguards will be present as a safety measure, but competitors should have experience with open-water and longdistance swimming and be at least 12 years old. As a USA Triathlon (USAT) event, participants must have a USAT membership, which can be purchased online at the time of registration. Registration is $15 and will be open until 3 p.m. on the day of the event or until the 250-person capacity is reached. highfiveevents.com/events/ splash-n-dash

5 Austin Symphony Fourth of July Concert July 4, 6 p.m.

Circuit of the Americas

Not much can compare with the fireworks of Fourth of July, except for the explosive sounds of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Expect thousands of your closest Austinite friends and family to attend a performance sure to please the senses. The melodious sights and sounds of the Austin Symphony Orchestra and finale of fireworks is a worthy way to celebrate your holiday.

Becoming a summer tradition in Austin, the now 38th annual concert will be located this year at the Austin360 Amphitheater at the Circuit of the Americas.

Festivities begin at 6 p.m., with games and Fourth-of-Julyinspired activities for the whole family, which will lead into the 8:30 p.m. start of the concert.

So bring your picnic blanket and leftover barbeque, and spend some quality time with the people you love, making this year’s Independence Day the best one yet. austinsymphony.org/events

1. Photo by Leroy Lawson. 2. Photo by Jayati Saha. 3. Photo courtesy of Do512. 4. Photo b courtesy of High Five Events.

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on the scene /

sp o t ligh t ev ent

The Wine Down 2014 with Latasha Lee & the BlackTies The Wine Down series has returned to ACL Live. On July 14, join Thorny Rose Wines on the Moody Theater’s air-conditioned floor to enjoy happy-hour glasses, samples from III Forks Steakhouse and a live performance by Latasha Lee & The BlackTies. Explore, shop and dine in Austin’s lively Second Street District after the show. Native Texan Lee’s soulful music is sure to enhance a night downtown. This year, Thorny Rose Wines is joined by new collaborators Hail a Cab, Second Street District, the Austin Music Foundation and the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. The event is free and open to the public, and includes opportunities for giveaways from businesses—mostly local— in the Second Street District. Although it’s traditionally on Wednesdays, the 2014 series takes place every other Monday.

For more information and other performances in the series, visit acl-live.com.

B See the complete July calendar of events at austinwomanmagazine.com.

24 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

Text by Luisa Venegoni.

Photo by Salih Williams.

July 14, 5 to 7 p.m., ACL Live at the Moody Theater, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd.

on the scene /

horoscopes

Happy Birthday, Leo! July 23–Aug. 23 Your month: After a year of what has felt like walking barefoot through a cold mud puddle, you can finally climb out and dry off. Things are just in the planning stages this month, but idealism, creativity and courage are the perfect tools to bring opportunities right to you. The biggest impediment to your own personal growth explosion is you. For the next year to work, you have to believe in yourself, really believe that you’re worthy of great things and can handle them. Lay the groundwork, build the foundation, solidify the deal. And be patient. Your payoff comes wrapped up and tied with a bow in December.

➺

We get to celebrate the end of a yearlong cycle on the 18th, and it goes out with a whimper, but the beginning of the new cycle comes in with a bang. This is a fun time for fire signs (Leo, Sagittarius, Aries) and air signs (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini), and you guys get a year of good luck and big opportunities. But all signs get a big, fresh, new start in July, even if your only new project is changing your attitude.

Virgo (Aug. 24–Sept. 22): Such a long cycle (a year at least) of busy business and social activity, insane travel and just running around in general.

It’s like you’ve been living out of your suitcase (or briefcase or backpack, as the case may be). But as of July 16th, you’ll have lots of ways to work and make money that don’t necessarily include the hoards of fans and travel you’ve had to put up with—er—enjoyed during the last several months. You’re going to “woodshed,” a musicindustry term meaning the act of working on something in private, again and again until you get it perfect.

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): What a busy bee you’ve been, building empires, putting out fires, shining as a role model and setting the perfect example of a hardworking, upwardly mobile career fast-tracker, right? July is the same but with a twist: Suddenly, your life just got more social. This doesn’t mean you’re having more fun yet (that comes at the end of this year), but you need to pay special attention to clubs, groups, work friends, contacts and any organizations friendly to your career because good luck and expansion come from these places. That means for the good of your work, socialize, socialize, socialize.

26 Austin Woman J u l y 2 0 1 4

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): Just when you thought a hut in Tahiti looked like the perfect retirement spot—boom!—work bears down on you like a jet on a runway, and just as fast. Last month, you were feeling a little introverted and private, but this month, you take center stage with the whole world watching and it’ll happen all at once. It won’t be easy to switch your mindset from palm fronds to civic responsibility, so expect the first part of July to be rocky. But after the 18th, you morph into a career-expanding firebomb that won’t be extinguished until Aug. 11, 2015. So hold on!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Finally, your friends and family will quit writing to us complaining about your mental confusion and lack of direction. Finally, you experience a new awareness and clarity of vision, and this month signals the beginning. Finally, you can see the big picture, though July shows you just a small part of it. The end of July and all of August has you planning new ways to grow intellectually and creatively, and if this also involves exotic locales (and locals) and big-time networking, so be it. Get to work on those grandiose plans because in December, your reality changes radically for the better.

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 20): We know how cautious you can be about sharing, in general, and sharing resources, in particular,

but you must be willing to change your mind now. The days of keeping everything to and for yourself are over. New partnerships suddenly mean big financial rewards at the end of this month, and you will like that very much. It’s always a little difficult to share control of your living space, but the best way to benefit during the next 12 months is to embrace sharing. Go for the exciting, the new, and ignore the grand plan. Take the road less traveled, as Robert Frost once said. It will make all the difference.

Aquarius (Jan. 21­­–Feb. 19): Expect to feel like someone stomped into your dark living room and flipped on a lamp. This month, things look radically different. You get to begin a new phase, a phase that involves exciting, flamboyant partnerships and lots of travel. Expect short trips, long trips, mind games and mental gymnastics, all preparing you for the best really big career shift to come your way in a long time. By December, you won’t be able to remember 2013 or the first half of 2014, thank goodness.

Pisces (Feb. 20–March 20): We get to prognosticate about you by telling you to put big stars next to July and December. In July, you get a whiff, a hint of the new normal kicking off in December. In the past, you may have been feeling unsatisfied, unfulfilled, less creative than you would like to be day to day, but July changes all that. Your job expands with each brilliant idea, even if it seems like you hit a brick wall while you try to change the status quo now.

Continue your amazingness and be patient. Good things come to those who (are willing to) wait— until December.

Aries (March 21–April 20): Your independence always causes trouble in your relationships, so July should come as no surprise.

What is surprising is the way you suddenly don’t care so much. After the intensity of the first part of the month, July 19th will feel like a sunny day after a week of rain.

You can start having a good time again, people will track you down again to drag you out of your selfimposed seclusion and out into

the world again, and you’re a hit!

As the year marches on, you feel more and more like your old self.

Taurus (April 21–May 21): It’s been a busy year for you. So much running around, educating yourself, covering serious ground.

You got a lot accomplished and learned a few things about yourself too, like the fact that this year, you want to settle down a little.

You want to spend some time at home, you want to create a real home if you don’t have one now, or make your home bigger, better, more wonderful. If you can also stabilize your partnerships at the same time, so much the better. In fact, maybe stabilizing your partnerships is the way your home just keeps getting better.

Gemini (May 22–June 20): A Gemini friend recently complained about her horoscopes.

“Where’s the excitement?” she whined. “Where’s the fun? Gemini horoscopes just talk about work, work, work!” You didn’t happen to notice the last few months went easier on you than on the other signs, did you? You probably didn’t think twice about the extra money in your bank account, or the growth spurt in your fan base or even the amplified brilliance of your work schemes. You aren’t even appreciative of the multiple opportunities for creativity coming at you now like a New York commuter train. Just say “thank you” now. It’s not going to last forever.

Cancer (June 21–July 22): After months of discarding one great idea after another, you finally get to implement a few of them. Use this next 12-month run to polish up your master plan because the planets are in place to manifest anything you want (except maybe a calm household, but we’ll save that conversation for next month). Just pick something big, amazing and flamboyant and run with it. This is it. This year is the vehicle you use to make your mark on the world, to shake up those who think they know you and validate the beliefs of all who’ve supported your dreams in the past.

By Deborah Mastelotto deborah@pinkaustin.com

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style /

B E AUT Y

It’s Not Easy Being Green Save your hair from chlorine discoloration and damage this summer.

Photo by Dustin Meyer Clockwise from lower left: Ultra Swim shampoo and conditioner, $3.99, available at drugstores; TRISWIM shampoo, $11.95, available at H-E-B; Babo Botanicals Swim & Sport shampoo & wash, $14, available at babobotanicals.com; TRISWIM shampoo, $11.95, available at H-E-B; Babo Botanicals Swim & Sport conditioner, $14, available at babobotanicals.com; Swim Spray, $15, available at swimspray.com.

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style /

r u n way r e p o r t

UT Fashion Show

For the first time, Austin Fashion Week kicked off with the annual University of Texas Fashion Show. More than 20 senior designer collections were shown, and the event, titled Spectrum, was broadcast live on the Longhorn Network. This look was designed by Michelle Nokeo Twite.

Designer Isabella Rose Taylor

Every designer collection at Austin Fashion Week featured beautiful accessories. Tables were set up backstage like this to make sure every model was sent down the runway with just the right piece.

These bangles and beads are from the Raven + Lily boutique in Austin.

Austin Fashion Week 2014 Big-city style is not a problem for Austin’s biggest fashion event.

By Cheryl Bemis Springtime marks one of the busiest times in Austin, and while the Texas wildflowers, allergies and warmer weather kicked in

30 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

during the month of April, another anticipated event took place for the fashion lovers of our city: Austin Fashion Week.

Austin Fashion Week founder Matt Swinney has grown the event from a retail-focused and sales-driven event into a first-class fashion mix of parties and shows. After six years of fashion weeks, this one was special.

“I feel like this year is a real turning point,” he says. “It feels like real high fashion, especially with last night’s show, [Friday’s Project Runway]. We’re not just in Austin, Texas; we’re on the map now.”

For the first time, Austin Fashion Week launched with the annual University of Texas Fashion Show.

The senior design class sent down more than 20 collections to the packed Frank Erwin Center and showed everything from techno fashions to elegant

bridal and evening gowns, and was broadcast live on the Longhorn Network.

The week’s festivities included gatherings at area boutiques and salons, followed by the much anticipated runway shows at Austin Music Hall.

And lovers of the popular Project Runway reality television show were in fashion heaven, as they got to see six well-known designers’ show collections.

In fact, it was the largest gathering of Project Runway designers for a show outside of the actual TV taping.

The finale event, the Austin Fashion Awards, announced the newest class of rising stars and trailblazers, who were presented a Golden Boot for their outstanding fashion contributions in a city full of growth, opportunity and, yes, fashion.

For more on the trends and runway videos, visit fashionablyaustin.com.

Photos by Gregg Cestaro and Sparky Anderson.

Metallics

Austin’s youngest designer, Isabella Rose Taylor, took her final walk after showing an amazing collection at the Austin Fashion Awards. She was one of three designers selected to present a collection and did not disappoint.

Designer Daniel Esquivel

Six years ago Matt Swinney, founder of Austin Fashion Week, had a vision to create an event to drive traffic to retailers in Austin during an economic slowdown. Pictured with Swinney is the first lady of Austin Fashion Week, his wife, Kara.

These two were an impeccably dressed pair at every event and gave photographers a stylish photo op and the chance to ask, “Who are you wearing?”

Kara Swinney is wearing Catherine Carter Hite, with a necklace by Kate Spade and bag by Elaine Turner Designers.

Matt Swinney is wearing an Elie Tahari suit, Ted Baker shirt, shoes and tie by Zara, and a lapel flower by Soto and Co.

Photos by Gregg Cestaro and Sparky Anderson.

Austin’s hometown darling from the cast of Project Runway season 11 (top 4) and Project Runway All Stars takes this final walk to a cheering crowd. The collection, full of custom prints in chiffon and cotton, was a crowd favorite. And don’t forget Esquivel’s signature look, which featured an oversized bow on an electric orange gown.

Hosts for the sixth annual Austin Fashion Awards were radio personality EJ from KISS FM, dressed in Bonobos, and Time Warner Cable News/KASE 101’s Anne Hudson (who announced baby number three is on the way), who wore MJVO

by Megan Jones Von O’Dor Couture. They kept the crowd entertained and moved the show along so everyone could enjoy the after party at RIO.

Crowned Bird

Anne Hudson and EJ

Austin designer Priscilla Barroso of Crowned Bird sent her signature whimsical and seasonless collection down the runway.

The collection was full of color, hats and a mix of patterns and prints, and you know Barroso’s girls are stylish fashionistas in their own way.

austinwomanmagazine.com 31

style /

summer trends

Boho Beach Channel your inner hippie for a perfectly laid-back Austin look.

Photo by Dustin Meyer

Bikini top, $19; bikini bottom, $19; woven tote, $50; necklace, $35; earrings, $12.50; Essie nail polish in “Fierce, No Fear,” $8.50, available at Luxe Apothetique, 11501 Century Oaks Terrace, 512.346.8202, shopluxe.com; Gucci sunglasses, $345; Tory Burch Miller patent sandals, $195, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.

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HOME /

Ent erta ining

Stylish Outdoor Living AW’s guide to color balance for your summer spaces.

By Ricky Rodriguez Photos by Elizabeth Shear

Dining::For the outdoor dining area, a bold, yellow and cream vintage tablecloth was selected to add visual intrigue to the space and some bold vibrant color. Although the table, which takes up most of the dining space, is not covered by a cloth that is neutral in color, the table setting is neutralized with simple blue and white china flanked by wood cut plate chargers.

Clear glasses with gold floral details lighten the tabletop while still adding a different pattern to the overall look. A mirrored vintage tray placed at the center of the table creates a home for additional serving dishes and dainty succulents. Patterned pillows in neutral yellows and creams balance out the space while also adding a pop of color to the spectacular spread.

34 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

From bold blues to sunny yellows, this season’s color trends for outdoor living are inspired by all things summer. The art of balancing color can be a difficult task, as summer, more than any other season, thrives on brilliant color.

Too much color variation can overwhelm a living area, creating sensory overload, while monochromatic color palettes can be a bit boring. Choosing pieces that are neutral in color such as white, brown and blue creates perfect backdrops for brilliant pops of color.

When in doubt, think neutral and follow the 60-30-10 rule, which suggests that 60 percent of a space should stay neutral while 30 should boast a secondary color. The remaining 10 percent of a space provides subtle pops of explosive color, creating color balance that is interesting to the eye.

The 60-30-10 rule was put to the test at the home of AW Media’s associate editor, Molly McManus. This gorgeous multi-level outdoor oasis boasts amazing views of Austin’s Eastside. Mockingbird Domestics provided some wonderful furniture pieces and accessories that help create the perfect eclectic summer look.

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Entertaining: The outdoor living area has amazing treetop views perfect for casual conversation and relaxation. A simple vintage wood tea bench was placed under the canopy of trees and paired with elegantly printed blue and white throw pillows, neutralizing the bright orange center pillow. A wire and glass table accompanies the bench, along with a darling vintage elephant tabletop to add interest. Colorful books, candles and vintage accouterments also add charming aesthetics to the space, creating a spectrum of delectable colors.

Relaxation: This quaint hammock area is a perfect setting for intimate gatherings and relaxation. A mixture of different patterned pillows adds a luxe feel to the hammock, making the seating area all the more comfortable.

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austinwomanmagazine.com 37

gourmet /

Spi r its

Chill Out Named for the coolest city in the U.S., Austin Cocktails lives up to its name.

Photo by Dustin Meyer

How do you go about developing a line of cocktails that will live up to the name of the coolest city in the U.S.?

Austin Cocktails founders, sisters and Texas natives Jill Burns and Kelly Gasink spent two years developing the cocktail line, leveraging their knowledge of where big drink companies cut corners and small businesses innovate. While most beverage companies develop products in one to three months and use one or two ingredient suppliers, Burns and Gasink tasted hundreds of flavors and ingredients from throughout the world to find the ideal combination of natural ingredients and fresh flavors for the line.

The result: They blend six-times-distilled premium vodka, fresh herbs, all-natural fruit juices and agave nectar to create innovative and balanced lowcalorie artisanal blends that are light, intricate and made up of ingredients sourced from throughout the world. Four ultra-premium ready-to-serve choices deliver the experience of crafted cocktails and the freshness of a farmers market within a bottle while eliminating all refined sugars and non-natural substitutes from the recipes. $14.99. Each bottle contains more than six cocktails, and each cocktail is less than 100 calories. Available at Twin Liquors and Spec’s.

William Yeoward Lillian tall cocktail jug, $155; Moser glass pebbles double Old Fashioned glass, $100; Moser glass pebbles shot glass, $50; Chilewich Manhattan tray, $85, all available at Breed and Co., 3663 Bee Caves Road, West Lake Hills, 512.328.3960, shop.breedandco.com.

38   Austin Woman J U N l yE 22001144

Austin Cocktails Collection Cucumber Vodka Mojito Six-times-distilled vodka Natural cucumber Natural mint Natural lime Touch of golden organic agave Garnish with cucumber (rind on for grassiness) and mint leaf if desired.

Paradise Found Six-times-distilled vodka Stone fruit Citrus fruit Natural coconut water Natural basil Splash of golden organic agave Garnish with basil leaf and two raspberries on toothpick.

Tea Twister Six-times-distilled vodka Natural tea Natural tea essence Meyer lemon Touch of golden organic agave Garnish with Meyer lemon or sprig of mint.

Vodkarita Six-times-distilled vodka Natural orange Natural lime Secret fruit for body Touch of golden organic agave

Photo by Aimee Wenske.

Garnish with cranberries on toothpick or key lime or sprig of thyme or leaves of elderflower.

gourmet /

food tou r

METTLE

A Moveable Feast Two Austin entrepreneurs create custom food tours for every palate and interest.

By Deborah Hamilton-Lynne Photos by Manny Pandya

40 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

The Mission: “To provide intimate, chauffeured tasting tours of the best plates at outstanding Austin restaurants and food trucks.”

Is there anything better than creating a business you are passionate about with a friend that you thoroughly enjoy being with? Not for foodie entrepreneurs Joleen Jernigan and Ketan Patel. Both have lived in a wide variety of places and have traveled extensively. Both are passionate about food and excited about Austin’s emergence as a food destination, so when Jernigan was contacted by a boutique travel agency looking for an ambassador to provide an insider tour of the Austin food scene, she immediately thought of Patel, and Taste ATX was born.

The pair set about researching the best food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants in Austin.

Each tour can be customized to meet the interests, palates and time restrictions of the clients. Each experience, dish and drink is meticulously selected to allow the client to explore the local food scene and get a feel for the unique flavor of Austin. The tours are small and intimate, with Jernigan and Patel chauffeuring and accompanying clients to each location.

Based on my recent experience and tasting tour, I would say: mission accomplished. And I applaud Taste ATX’s motto: “Let’s eat!”

food tou r

3.

The Tour:

1. At the Aviary Lounge, we were treated to a lesson in wine pairing by owner Marco Fiorilo, as he expertly took us through a progressive wine tasting. This experience could have served well as a stand-alone booking. I was inspired and encouraged to try a similar wine tasting for a small gathering for friends. Fiorilo is also available for catering.

As much as I hated to admit it, I had never been to the East Side Show Room and had always wanted to go, so I was thrilled to find that it was included on our tour. Owned by mother-daughter duo Mickie and Trudy Spencer, much of the restaurant/bar was designed by the daughter, and I immediately felt comfortable as we walked in. I pride myself on being somewhat of a cocktail connoisseur, and the Old Fashioned did not disappoint. I would go back again and again for the mussels with the most unique sauce I have ever tasted.

The third course: 1 Old Fashioned 1 El Diablo: tequila, cassis, ginger, lime 1 Mussels with a piquillo-pepper-based salsa brava and sourdough toast 1 Cheese plate with cheeses, berries and candied pecans eastsideshowroom.com

The first course: A rosé and two whites were paired with cheeses and three reds paired with meats.

1 A creamy goat cheese from Connecticut paired with an allocated French wine from the Provence region, Mas de la Dame, that is allocated in small quantities in Austin. This was a very special wine. Currently owned and operated by women, this vineyard was mentioned in the predictions of Nostradamus, painted by Van Gogh (whose painting graces the label of several incarnations of wine from this vineyard) and referred to by Simone de Beauvoir. The wine is simply superb.

4. A quick hop brought us to Mettle, which is rapidly

1 Blue cheese with a dry riesling

becoming an Eastside version of Cheers. It seemed that everyone knew everyone’s name. Featuring locally sourced ingredients and a chef-driven menu, Mettle has become AW July 2012 cover woman Bridget Dunlap’s vision for a hip restaurant that screams Austin. In addition to the food, the people watching was divine.

It was a proper ending point for our tour. Three of the offerings were creative and unforgettable: the Rhubarb Julep, the beef tongue tacos and the incredible brown-butter-thyme ice cream.

1 Rabbit rillettes with a dry lambrusco, Enrico T’aladini

The grand finale:

1 Gruyere with a white wine, Figato

1 Sliced roasted lamb with a cabernet from Portugal 1 Smoked duck breast with a flavorful red, Gigondas aviarylounge.com

2. Next up was a short drive down South Lamar to Odd Duck.

What a great Austin food story: Boy grows up son to a legendary Austin chef (Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen’s Kitchen), starts out in a food trailer with lines out the wazoo, moves to a brick-and-mortar location and still delivers award-winning menu and crowd-pleasing food. A must-visit for in-town and out-of-town foodies. The pancake was tasty and the drinks were refreshing, but the ice cream soda float stole the show.

1 Mexico ’68: Gran Centenario tequila, grapefruit juice, cava 1 Rhubarb Julep: Ketel One vodka, mint, rhubarb syrup 1 Roasted beets with mascarpone and hazelnuts 1 Beef tongue tacos with salsa verde, grilled green onion, escabeche 1 Vegan chicharron appetizer with salsa verde and roasted orange salsa 1 Poached shrimp in tomato water with cucumber, black radish 1 Cherry tomatoes with blue cheese, apples, dill in duck-fat vinaigrette with coffee tulle 1 Brown-butter-thyme ice cream cone with beet paper garnish mettleaustin.com

The second course: 1 Zucchini pancake with cherry tomatoes and jalapeños 1 Strawberry ice cream with mint and chamomile soda floats with lemon shortbread cookies 1 Moscow Mule 1 Summer Thyme, a gin drink with cucumber dill and thyme oddduckaustin.com

Take a tour: Each tour is customized and prices range from $150 for a basic foodtruck tour for two, with no drink pairings, to $550 for two for a full day of food and drink. Our tour was the dinner package, priced at $400 for two, with a slight add on for extra dishes at Mettle.

For more info, visit tasteatx.com, or call 512.228.4949.

austinwomanmagazine.com 43

to your health /

NUTRITION

Go Vegan for Good In their new books, authors Sarah Taylor and Carla Kelly encourage you to become vegan, not just for the good of animals, but also for the environment, your health and your taste buds.

By Megan Russell Vegetarian to Vegan: Give Up Dairy. Give Up Eggs. For Good.

In her new book, Vegetarian to Vegan: Give Up Dairy. Give Up Eggs. For Good., Vegan Next Door’s Sarah Taylor discusses why anyone on the fence about the vegan diet should make the final leap to a cruelty-free, plant-based lifestyle.

She begins in a gentle, understanding manner that is neither pushy nor judgmental, writing, “Don’t feel like you’re a hopeless cause if you saw horrible photos of the dairy industry and still couldn’t get yourself to change. … It simply wasn’t compelling enough information for you, or it didn’t come at the right time.”

She adds, “To make the change from a vegetarian to a vegan diet, you will need two things: a strong enough reason to do it, and the tools to help you succeed.” And that is just what she provides throughout the book.

Vegetarian to Vegan jumps right on in, pulling at the heartstrings of animal lovers by discussing the life of a dairy cow on a factory farm. Many vegetarians choose to give up meat because they love animals and don’t want to contribute to the suffering and deaths the meat industry causes. What you may not know is just how horrible the lives of dairy cows are as well.

“And here’s the kicker,” Taylor says. “After living a miserable life in these horrible factories to get consumers the dairy products they so badly want, dairy cows then go to the exact same slaughterhouse [where] a beef cow goes.”

She also addresses practices of the egg industry. While you may know the terrors of factory farming, especially when it comes to chickens, Vegetarian to Vegan takes it one step further, shedding light on how bad cage-free/free-range eggs are, pointing out, “cage-free” does not mean “cruelty-free.”

What the reader learns about free-range chickens is shocking. Taylor sheds light on the little-known fact that in most cases, free-range farms are actually large warehouses with a tiny door on one end that leads to a small outdoor area. But due to overcrowding, if a hen does not live near that door, she’ll never even know it’s there. Taylor further points out, “In the U.S., the USDA only requires that the freerange birds spend ‘a part of their time outside.’ The five-minute trip when a hen gets moved from the hatchery to the warehouse meets this USDA standard.”

44 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

Maybe these conditions aren’t enough to make you want to be a vegan. If not, the author spends a great amount of time and detail on how dairy and eggs negatively affect your health. While the main focus of illness is on cancer, there are sections dedicated to other diseases that plant-based diets have helped, and in some cases, cured, such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.

As far as diet goes, Vegetarian to Vegan is a great resource for anyone wanting to know how to get enough protein, information on what the body actually does with protein and how much we really need, where to get calcium and everything you never knew about vitamin B-12.

In the last half of the book, Taylor enlists the help of Chef Mark Reinfeld to include some amazing recipes that make the transition not only easier, but more appetizing.

She wraps up by giving insight on the most protein- and calcium-rich plantbased foods, and looks to calm the nerves of anyone afraid of how a vegan diet will affect their social lives (something that can seem both inconvenient and overwhelming), offering great tips on dining out, hosting and attending parties and traveling.

Casa de Luz: Building a Community of Health Offering 100 percent organic, vegan, macrobiotic cuisine, Casa de Luz is a refuge in the heart of Austin for those looking to harness their well-being and happiness.

Macrobiotics, a diet that excludes processed foods, is rich in whole grains with locally grown fruits and veggies. Because of this, Casa de Luz uses no oils to preserve their food. The philosophy behind macrobiotics is to focus on choosing foods that make your whole being feel good rather than focusing on the limitations of a diet.

Along with the restaurant, Casa de Luz is home to many different businesses geared toward helping those who want to heal their bodies and minds. Offering schools within the grounds, such as Parkside School and the burgeoning Integrity Academy, The Healing Touch Therapy, Thai Chi and yoga, owner Eduardo Longoria has transformed Casa de Luz into a sanctuary of healthy living.

Casa de Luz, 1701 Toomey Road, 512.476.2535, casadeluz.org

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n u t r i t io n Groovy Multi-Grain Burgers Makes 6 servings

Vegan Al Fresco: Happy & Healthy Recipes for Picnics, Barbecues & Outdoor Dining In her cookbook Vegan Al Fresco, author Carla Kelly offers up a mouth-watering ensemble of the perfect summertime, picnic-friendly vegan food. With these recipes, she answers the age-old question that plagues vegans everywhere: My friend is having a barbecue. What should I bring? Answer: Groovy Multi-Grain Burgers. Substantial and filling, these burgers are filled with a multitude of grains in a variety of forms. The textures and flavors of each are complementary, and you’ll find they mesh together perfectly. We recommend serving them with spicy cumin lime coleslaw (Page 130, Vegan Al Fresco).

The Vegan Women of Austin These women have embraced a plant-based diet and turned their cruelty-free lifestyles into delicious, decadent professions.

Counter Culture, Sue Davis: Hip Eastside restaurant offering vegan, raw and gluten-free options. countercultureaustin.com

Happy Mukti, Marina Zelle: Raw, vegan meals and juices made fresh and delivered to your home each day. happymukti.com

Sweet Ritual, Amelia Raley: Vegan ice cream parlor tucked inside a Hyde Park juice shop. sweetritual.com

Skull & Cakebones, Sascha Biesi: Vegan cupcakes sold in Whole Foods and Wheatsville. skullandcakebones. com

Capital City Bakery, Kristen Davenport: Eastside bakery on Cesar Chavez offering cupcakes, cookies and other baked goods. capitalcitybaker.com The Hearty Vegan, Beth Taylor and daughter Becky: Locally made tempeh. heartyvegan.com Hot Dang, Martha Pincoffs: Locally made grain burgers. thehotdang.com Beets, Sylvia Heisey: Raw, vegan restaurant on West Fifth Street. beetscafe.com Happy Vegan Baker, Inge Bothma: Vegan desserts available at farmers markets and in coffee shops throughout Austin. happyveganbaker.com

Celeste’s Best, Celeste Clevenger: Vegan cookie dough sold at Wheatsville. celestesbest.com Kala’s Kuisine, Kala Uprety: Gourmet hot sauces and salsa available at local farmers markets. kalaskuisine.com Sugar Circus, Meghan Krasnoff (the vegan baker) and Belinda Espinoza: Half vegan, half conventional bakery in East Austin. sugarcircusatx.com

Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus one hour chilling. Cooking time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped 1 teaspoon Faux Poultry Seasoning Mix (Page 19, Vegan Al Fresco) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes 1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped 1/4 cup broccoli stalks, finely chopped 1/2 cup vegetable stock 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup whole amaranth (Page 250, Vegan Al Fresco) 3/4 cup cooked long-grain brown rice, room temperature 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats 1/4 cup white rice flour (Page 251, Vegan Al Fresco) 1/4 cup millet flour (Page 251, Vegan Al Fresco) 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 to 6 tablespoons vegetable stock Salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions: In a frying pan on medium, heat oil. Sauté onions, garlic and celery for five minutes until soft and translucent. Add seasoning mix, salt and chili flakes and sauté for one more minute.

Stir in carrots and broccoli and sauté for three to four minutes until a little softened. Stir in 1/2 cup stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir in amaranth and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pan and simmer for 25 minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed and grains are tender and thick.

Remove from heat, uncover and stir. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or cool on countertop for 30 minutes until room temperature.

Line a large plate with parchment or cling film. Remove amaranth mixture from refrigerator. Remove bay leaf and stir in brown rice and rolled oats. Stir in flours and cornstarch. Add 3 to 6 tablespoons stock, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is sticky and damp but not overly wet, and holds together when pressed. Taste and season as desired. With dampened hands, divide mixture into six equal portions and form into burger patties. Place on prepared plate, cover and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat barbecue to medium heat. Lay down a sheet of aluminum foil lightly brushed with oil.

Cook burgers for four to five minutes per side until both sides are golden brown, turning once.

austinwomanmagazine.com 47

to your health /

FITNESS

The Ideal Strength-Training Program for Women Top 10 questions to ask yourself to develop an effective and personalized program.

By Michael Gundill Most women have four main goals in mind when they begin a weight-training program: toning muscles, slimming down, improving athletic performance and maintaining good health. Luckily, getting started with a personalized training program takes only a few simple steps. According to French powerlifting champion and best-selling author Frederic Delavier, these are 10 questions women should ask themselves and the steps they should take to develop an effective and personalized training program.

2

1

. How should you identify your goals?

To create a perfectly tailored weight-training program, you must first clearly define your objectives, such as reshaping your body, getting rid of excess body fat, improving stamina, remaining healthy or fighting the loss of mobility due to aging. You should be able to precisely state your main goals. “What you do not want are very vague objectives such as ‘I want to get in shape,’ or ‘I want to improve my physique,’ ” Delavier stresses. “Therefore, you have to get as precise as possible, such as ‘lose 10 pounds’ or ‘increase strength by 10 percent.’ ”

. How many times per week should you train?

Muscle strengthening occurs only if you take enough rest in between workouts. Therefore, rest is vital for progress.

For those new to working out, Delavier says two weekly training sessions are enough for a month or two, but he warns against more than three per week. Once your body has adapted to the rigor of training, you can progress to four weight-training sessions per week.

3

. Which days should you train? To progress quickly, there is one main rule: One day of weight training has to be followed by at least one day of rest. One workout a week does not pose any issue with recovery. Two workouts a week should be as far apart as possible, such as Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. With three workouts weekly, it is harder to respect the pattern of one workout then one day of rest, but it’s still possible.

4

. How many times per week should you work each muscle? If you want to make quick progress in volume and strength, the best thing to do is work each muscle group two times per week.

For weight loss, better health and improved sport performance, working each muscle with weights only once per week is a good start.

48 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

5

. Should you exercise once or twice per day? As far as weight training is concerned, Delavier strongly advises against training twice a day. “What may lead you to train twice a day is if you do not wish to do cardio before or after weight training for weight-loss purposes,” he explains. “Ideally, you can do cardio on the day you do not weight train. But it is conceivable to do cardio in the morning and train later in the day.”

6

. What time of day should you workout? Scientific studies have shown that muscle strength and endurance vary throughout the day. Most women are stronger in the afternoon and weaker in the morning. While it would be wise to train whenever your muscles are at their strongest, Delavier says if you can train only in the morning, your body will get used to it and will progressively reschedule its peak strength.

7

. How many muscles should you work during a training session? It would be too cumbersome to attempt to train your whole body in only one workout. The main issue is determining how to combine body parts to train them in the most efficient manner, and Delavier offers four tips to help you design your program: Take full advantage of the indirect work, such as reducing the amount of direct exercises for the arms and shoulders; rating the importance of each muscle according to your goals; emphasize weak areas; rotating the body parts with which you start your workouts.

8. How do you schedule your body parts for each

workout? It would not be wise to assign each body part the same degree of importance and, therefore, equal training time. A woman’s specific goals dictate the level of priority and frequency of training each muscle will receive. “With only one weekly training session, spend most of your time on the lower body and abdominals, with only a few sets devoted to back and shoulders,” Delavier recommends. “As you progress, you will have to add more sets and more exercises for each body part.”

9

. How many exercises per body part should you do?

If new to weight training, stick to a single exercise for each major muscle. After a couple of weeks, add another exercise to major muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. After a couple of months of training, Delavier says you can add more exercises, but only to the body parts you wish to reshape the most.

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10

. How many repetitions should you do per set?

After you have determined your exercises, you need to know how many times to repeat them, or how many reps of each particular movement you should perform. According to Delavier, “For muscle toning, it is best to do 10 to 20 repetitions. To burn calories and fat, you must do 30 to 50 repetitions.”

Delavier’s Women’s Strength Training Anatomy Workouts, set to be released in October 2014, offers more details on these steps and 10 others that prepare women for an effective workout program. The book offers dozens of exercises, each accompanied by step-by-step instructions, anatomical illustrations and call-outs for variations, programming and safety considerations.

For more information on this and other weightlifting and strength and conditioning resources, visit humankinetics.com.

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pr ev ention

Melanoma F.Y.I. The importance of preventing and detecting melanoma.

By Jill Case Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, and the incidence of melanoma is on the rise in the United States and throughout the world. In Austin, people enjoy the sun and being outside year-round, but it’s especially important to be informed about melanoma during the hot summer months.

What are the Risks?

C—Color. The mole or growth has different colors

There are several risk factors for melanoma, but exposure to the sun and UV radiation is a particular problem. Dr. Ted Lain of Dr. Ted Lain Dermatology says, “The strongest risk factor is UV (ultraviolet light) exposure, and that is cumulative throughout your lifetime.” Factors that increase your risk for melanoma include: 3E xcessive exposure to UV radiation. This can be from the sun or from tanning beds.

3F air skin.

3H istory of sunburns.

3H istory of moles, if you have many moles (more than 50) or moles that have been identified as atypical.

3P ersonal history of melanoma, if you have had melanoma, or basal cell or squamous skin cancer.

3F amily history of melanoma, if you have a parent or sibling with melanoma.

3P eople with weakened immune systems. People with HIV/AIDS or who have had organ transplants are included in this group.

instead of being all one color.

D—Diameter. This is especially worrisome if the mole or growth is larger than a pencil eraser (1/4 inch or 6 millimeters in diameter).

E—Evolving. This includes changes in shape, size, color or new symptoms like itchiness or bleeding.

“Essentially, any type of pigmented spot that grows or changes needs to be examined by a dermatologist,” Lain says. “Don’t discount anything because what the average person might think is nothing to worry about may have features that a dermatologist would find very worrisome.”

Identifying Melanoma The exact cause of melanoma is not completely clear.

“It’s a combination of environmental and genetic factors,” Lain says, “so we can’t say that ultraviolet light is the only contributor. It’s certainly a leading contributor where the melanoma is in a sun-exposed area but, of course, melanoma occurs in non-sun-exposed areas as well, so there must be other factors, and those are not fully understood.”

While doctors may not fully understand what causes every case of melanoma, they do know that identifying and vigilantly checking for it are essential to catching melanoma in the early stages, when it is most treatable. One way doctors tell their patients to identify melanoma is by using a simple formula.

“We often talk about the ABCDEs, which are worrisome signs of changing moles,” Lain says.

The ABCDEs stand for: A—Assymetry. The mole has a shape in which one half or part does not match the other.

B—Border. The border is irregular—uneven, notched or scalloped.

50 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

The Four Types of Melanoma Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in pigment cells (melanocytes), most of which are in your skin. Most melanomas begin in the skin (in situ, meaning in the top layers of the skin). They can progress and become invasive. The fourth type begins as an invasive cancer. Once melanomas become invasive, they are more serious.

The four types of melanoma are: Superficial spreading melanoma. This is the most common type of melanoma. Seen in about 70 percent of people, it’s also the type that is most common in younger people. Symptoms include flat or slightly raised places on the skin with irregular borders, asymmetry and/or color variation. This type of melanoma occurs almost anywhere on the body.

Lentigo maligna. This is similar to superficial spreading melanoma. It’s most common in the elderly, often found on the face, ears, arms and upper part of the trunk.

Acral lentiginous melanoma. This spreads superficially before penetrating more deeply. It’s the most common type of melanoma found in African-Americans and Asians, but the least common type for Caucasians. It’s usually a black or brown discoloration that occurs under the nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. It can advance more quickly than superficial spreading melanoma or lentigo maligna.

Nodular melanoma. This is usually already invasive when it is diagnosed, but it is often recognized when it becomes a bump. The bump can vary in color (it’s usually black, but it may be gray, white, blue, brown, red or skin color). It’s usually found in elderly people on the trunk, legs and arms, as well as on men’s scalps. This type of melanoma only makes up 10 to 15 percent of melanomas, but it is the most aggressive type.

If you are diagnosed with melanoma, your treatment will depend on the type and stage of melanoma you have.

“Most of the time, we catch melanomas early and, in that case, surgery alone is sufficient,” Lain says, noting that the surgery is usually an outpatient procedure. “No further treatment beyond surgery is needed because when you catch melanoma in the earliest stages, it’s 100 percent curable. Unfortunately, when melanoma progresses, it’s not, and more different types of treatment—chemotherapy, radiation therapy or photodynamic therapy—are necessary.”

The Best Advice 3F ollow prevention tips at all times, remembering that the damage from the sun is cumulative.

Every sunburn contributes to your risk.

3P rotect your children from birth from the damaging effects of too much UV radiation.

3C heck your skin regularly, and see a doctor for a yearly skin examination, particularly if you are at risk. See a doctor immediately if you notice any change in a mole or growth.

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pr ev ention

Awareness of melanoma and the risk factors for it are the keys to prevention and early detection.

“The earlier you catch it, the smaller the scar will be, and the smaller the risk that the melanoma will progress,” Lain says. “That’s why we talk about screenings on an annual basis. If you catch melanomas early, they are so much easier to take care of.”

Do yourself and your family a favor this summer: Learn everything you can about melanoma and protect your health and your life.

Dr. Ted Lain is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in diagnosis and treatment of skin, nail and hair disorders. He also specializes in minimally invasive cosmetic and laser rejuvenation procedures. For more information, go to atxderm.com or call 512.351.3131.

Preventing Melanoma Preventing melanoma is not difficult, but you do have to be aware and be diligent in following the tips every day to protect yourself and your family from the sun. To prevent melanoma: r Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. r Avoid being out in the sun as much as possible between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are at their most intense. r Wear a wide-brimmed hat to help provide shade to your face, neck and ears, keeping in mind that you still need to apply sunscreen, even with a hat. rW ear sunglasses to protect your eyes. Check the label to ensure that the pair you choose blocks 99 to 100 percent of UV rays. r Avoid tanning beds. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization, recently added ultraviolet-radiation-emitting tanning devices, which includes tanning beds and tanning lamps, to their list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. rE xamine your skin. Become familiar with your skin and make note of any changes. Discuss the benefits of a yearly skin examination with your physician.

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More About Prevention from Dr. Lain: r “We ask people to wear at least an SPF 30 broadband sunscreen.” You may also want to use water-resistant sunscreen when you are outside being active. rA pply the correct amount of sunscreen. “What you need to think about is using a shot glass full, which is one ounce of sunscreen on the average adult.” Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours or directly after being in the water or sweating during exertion. rC onsider wearing sun-protective clothing. (Go to skincancer.org/ prevention/sun-protection/clothing/protection for more information.) “I think it’s a great alternative to protect the trunk and the shoulders.” rA lways wear sunscreen, even in the shade. “The shade gives you a very low SPF, so you are still getting quite a lot of sun exposure.

Even though you feel like you are not as hot, you are still getting quite a bit of sun exposure just from the rays bouncing off the sand or the deck. You need to wear sunscreen.”

There is no method to prevent melanoma that works 100 percent of the time, but taking these precautions will help many people prevent melanoma or catch it in its earliest stages.

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54

Maria Hernandez The founder of Growing Roots helps families of children with disabilities build a community of support, knowledge and empowerment.

By Rachel Merriman • Photos by Dustin Meyer

When you were 12 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? An astronaut?

A rock star? An actor? Not many 12-year-olds know what a speech language pathologist is or what they do, but Maria Hernandez knew she wanted to be one.

“I remember in seventh grade, they made us do these career-day-type things, and we had to decide what we wanted to be when we grew up. Nobody else really knew, but I said I wanted to be a speech language pathologist,” Hernandez remembers. “My brother had to see a speech language pathologist as a kiddo. I didn’t really realize what it was; I just knew I would get dropped off there also, and that it was a cool place with books and games. [For the career-day assignment], I interviewed a speech language pathologist at a hospital and I said, ‘This is what I want to go to college for.’ ” Years later, Hernandez came to Austin to attend the Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s program at the University of Texas. After she graduated, she decided to stay in Austin and work with the area’s growing immigrant population, helping autistic children learn communication skills. While working with children

in their homes, Hernandez observed that many parents struggled to utilize the special-education programs at their children’s schools.

“The immigrant population was so interesting to me because their [children’s diagnoses] was just 5 percent of what was going on with them. I would hear other professionals make comments like, ‘This parent isn’t engaging,’ or ‘This parent isn’t participating in meetings,’ and sometimes even, ‘I just don’t know if they care about what’s going on.’ And I knew it wasn’t true,” Hernandez says. “So many of the families I was working with were living in one-bedroom homes with three or four kids, one of them with special needs. Just being able to meet their basic needs was a harsh reality. On top of that, they were expecting parents to show up at school meetings with their paperwork and excellent questions.”

surely someone had a program I can work with that gave something, but it’s about your kid. That’s emotional.” parents a community. And I couldn’t find it. So then came Hernandez’s course covers information on specialthe very hard decision to say, ‘OK, I’ll go for it.’ ” education laws and provides parents with strategies for At first, Hernandez’s organization, Growing Roots, participating in meetings and communicating effectively grew slowly while she continued to work part time at the with teachers. Often, parents partner up and role play to clinic. With a notebook already full of ideas, she began practice articulating their concerns and asking questions interviewing parents and developing classes with curin a situation in which they may feel vulnerable or conriculum to meet their needs. fused. To help parents be fully prepared for school meet“I spent the first year interviewing families because if ings, a large part of class time is dedicated to organizing a we were really going to do this well, we needed to stop binder that contains copies of important paperwork from assuming that we knew what families needed in terms of doctors, therapists and the school. information. We needed to really ask them, ‘What would “I’m a lot more prepared to handle any meeting with have helped you when you heard the word “autism”? the school,” says Veronica Karr, who has a 2-year-old What would have helped you when someone told you son and a 5-year-old daughter, both of whom fall on the your child had cerebral palsy?’ Parents had amazing autism spectrum. “Every time I go to a meeting, I bring feedback. It was direct. It was specific. They said, ‘These my binder with me. It’s kind of like my business card.” are the five things that would have changed everything Hernandez also used her experience working with for me,’ ” Hernandez says. autistic children to create a second Growing Roots autism Armed with feedback from parents, Hernandez declass that focuses on helping families understand what autism is, the therapies and local resources available and cided to create hands-on informational classes in which parents could learn and connect with each other.

“The idea behind Growing Roots was that parents, once their kiddo gets a diagnosis, they are pulled in all these different directions of sitting with doctors and going to therapies and trying to understand the special-education piece. They don’t have a roots system; they don’t have this foundation of really feeling solid in what they understand, and knowing what questions to ask and what resources there are.

And they need emotional support. If something feels hard and you have this solid foundation of ‘I know I’m not alone. I know there are other families like mine,’ you’ll feel a little more grounded in your journey,” Hernandez explains.

For parents who are already strughow to connect with other parents. Many parents with gling to care for their children and children who have autism end up taking both the specialkeep up with therapy and doctors’ education and the autism classes. appointments, attending school meetTheresa Hornung, who has twin boys on the autism ings and filling out multiple pages of spectrum, says the classes not only empowered her paperwork can feel overwhelming by giving her tools and information, but they also gave and confusing. To address that need, her the opportunity to share her experience with other Hernandez developed a nine-session parents. course focused on navigating the “Hearing other people talk about their struggles with school special-education program. feeding and doctors, not only did I get a lot out of it, but “When your child enters special I thought, ‘I’m going to be able to contribute here and education for whatever reason, there help,’ ” Hornung says. is no orientation for the parent. They It wasn’t long before Growing Roots added a monthly say, ‘Come to the ARD [meeting] and support group for parents who still needed a safe space to Cooper and Everett Hornung watch happily as their mother, we’re going to talk about the IEP and talk about what they were going through after completTheresa, graduates from The Growing Roots Autism Course. review your child’s FBA to create a ing the nine-week class. of my kiddos to go into session with him, and there were BIP.’ And you’re like, ‘What? You just said five acronyms.

“The very first class, I had four parents show up and I 30 parents just sitting in the waiting room, looking at the I’m already feeling vulnerable, and now I’m feeling was thrilled,” Hernandez says. “I had planned maybe 20 same old magazines and watching the same old cartoon powerless,’ ” Hernandez says. “The school document that minutes for us to go around the room and introduce ourfor the 50th time. I thought, ‘Shouldn’t we be doing is reviewed at the ARD is 30 pages long, and it’s full of acselves to one another. We never got past introductions. something here? Why are we not using this opportunity ronyms. It’s kind of like reading a manual on how to build They were so grateful to have a space where everyone to engage parents?’ It’s wonderful to do direct service with the kiddos, and it’s needed, but the person that’s “[Growing Roots told me], ‘You’re the expert on your kid, and we want to with them the other 20 hours of the day is the parent. hear about what your kid is like, not just their diagnosis.’ It’s very powerful “I heard the little voice say, ‘Do that.’ And I said, ‘Oh, no, too hard. Way too hard. I’m sure someone else is to hear that when all you do is talk about a deficit in your child.” doing that.’ I started looking in town first. I thought – Theresa Hornung

56 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

“ ‘What would have helped you when you heard the word “autism”? What would have helped you when someone told you your child had cerebral palsy?’ Parents had amazing feedback.”

Photo courtesy of Growing Roots.

Hernandez also noticed that Spanish-speaking families in particular faced challenges getting accurate information about their children’s medical conditions from their doctors, due to cultural differences and language barriers.

“Another big issue is what their cultural experience has been and how different it can be here. When the neurologist says, ‘Your child has epilepsy. Here’s what epilepsy looks like and here’s some information,’ and asks if they have any questions, our families say no, even though they have no idea what the neurologist just said. To them, asking questions is questioning your authority,” Hernandez says. “And so what happens is this parent becomes passive. When the school asks them questions like, ‘What do you think would be a good goal?’ or ‘Do you feel like this is something we should work on with your child?’ they would say, ‘Whatever you think.’ Even if they have great ideas, because parents are the experts on their children, they wouldn’t necessarily share their ideas out of respect.”

Hernandez realized she wanted to do something to help parents of children with special needs while working at a therapy clinic.

“A lot of the kiddos going to the clinic were getting [a combination of ] speech, physical and occupational therapy,” she says, “so sometimes the parents would sit in the waiting room for two to three hours waiting in between sessions. I remember walking out to grab one

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“Hearing other people talk about their struggles with feeding and doctors, not only did I get a lot out of it, but I thought, ‘I’m going to be able to contribute here and help.’”

“The support meeting is amazing. It is really good to be able to talk to people who are going through the same things you are. They truly understand you. My kids love going to the family fun days. I recommend Growing Roots to everybody. I’m always sharing brochures or flyers so they can have this experience too. It’s a great place to start.”

– Veronica Karr

58 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

sitting at the table was walking a similar journey they were. Every parent bawled.

And I just threw the agenda away and said, ‘OK, we need to make sure Growing Roots accommodates for the emotional part.’ ” “When I was introduced to other moms who had been through the same thing, it was such a relief,” says Veronica Martinez, a graduate of both the autism and specialeducation classes who also attends the monthly support group. “It was so gratifying to be around them because they just kind of got it. They totally understood what I was going through. They were such resilient and wonderful women. To be part of that group has been really amazing.”

Once she realized that parents needed healthy ways to cope with their emotions just as much as they needed information, Hernandez added a self-care component to both classes.

“Sometimes when you learn and connect to resources, it can feel like you’ve just added more stuff to your to-do list. At the end of each class, we do a really basic exercise.

It’s usually around mindful breathing or something very calming that parents can do anywhere. We always say it has to pass the ‘H-E-B test,’ which means you can do it holding an H-E-B cart,” she says.

As time has passed, Growing Roots has expanded to provide services to all families of children with special needs, regardless of their socioeconomic background.

“When I first started Growing Roots, the name was in Spanish. I thought we were just going to serve Spanish speakers because that is the most vulnerable population and it’s growing in Austin,” Hernandez says. “Nobody had created programming specifically for Spanish speakers if they had a child with special needs. And then it shifted. We started getting a lot of English-speaking families that were middle-income. There was a moment where I asked myself, ‘Is this who Growing Roots serves?’ After talking with middleincome English-speaking families, I realized they may not have the same hardships around basic needs, but they have the same hardships around knowing how to navigate systems and how to process what’s going on

emotionally. We can’t say [to them], ‘Your suffering is not enough.’ A parent of a child with special needs is in need, regardless of their background.”

Growing Roots also provides supportive case management to parents who may have already been to classes or support groups but need extra help. Parents can come to the Growing Roots office for a one-on-one meeting with a social worker, who assists them with finding therapy services, insurance or reliable transportation. In the future, Hernandez plans to offer additional classes and workshops targeted toward spouses and siblings. “[Moms say to me], ‘We don’t have a way to talk to our other kids about this, and they need support,’ and ‘Can you start engaging our husbands or partners?’ Especially within the immigrant population, the dads don’t know how to handle this information of their child not being what they expected. Many of our moms are blamed for what is happening with their child, so even though they’re in a relationship or married, they are very much single in the sense

that they are the only one that’s “It’s tough whenever the world starts judging [my ever gone to the doctor with daughter]. I was really lucky to find a lot of help through their child,” Hernandez explains.

Growing Roots. I was able to see that she’s perfect in her Though Growing Roots is a own way; she’s just different.” – Veronica Martinez fledgling nonprofit at just four years old, Hernandez and her team have already The paper people, she explains, were made provided resources and education to more than during an activity parents participate in at the be200 families from 49 different zip codes in Austin ginning of class. They are meant to act as a visual and surrounding areas. The walls of Hernandez’s representation of their children and a reminder of well-organized office are adorned with thank-you who they are as people when the world they live cards and photos of smiling families. Little paper in often reduces them to their diagnosis. Hanging cutouts of people arranged on the wall by her on the wall here, they’re now a representation of computer are scribbled with words and phrases: the parents Hernandez has helped so much.

“Silly and giggly” “The most rewarding thing is watching the shift “Loves movies and books” that happens from week one to week nine, being “Very helpful and sympathetic” able to witness this parent who comes in angry, sad “Loves school and art” and frustrated become who they are: this parent “Amoroso” who is empowered with knowledge and knows “Inteligente” how to use it,” Hernandez says. “I really see it as “Artístico y fascina el cine” a privilege to witness that metamorphosis.”

Growing Roots

Growing Roots’ autism class

Growing Roots is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering families of children with special needs through weekly informational classes, monthly support groups, family fun days and supportive case management. All Growing Roots programs are bilingual and 100 percent free.

Photo courtesy of Growing Roots.

Classes Growing Roots’ autism program helps parents understand their children’s diagnosis and connects them with community resources.

In the seven-session class, parents will make a parent toolkit designed to help them in meetings with doctors, therapists and education professionals, and share their experiences with other parents.

Growing Roots’ Special Education in the Schools program prepares parents of school-age children with special needs for understanding the special-education system. In the nine-session class, parents learn about special-education law, prepare for ARD meetings and create a parent toolkit.

Classes begin in the fall and meet at the Pan American Recreation Center located 2100 E. Third St. Classes are free and childcare is provided. Find more information at growingrootsaustin.com or by calling 512.850.8281.

Monthly Support Groups Support groups for Growing Roots families are held each month in both Spanish and English, and are facilitated by licensed social workers.

Upcoming support groups: July 18, 10:30 a.m.: English Support Group July 21, 10:30 a.m.: Spanish Support Group Aug. 15, 10:30 a.m.: English Support Group Aug. 18, 10:30 a.m.: Spanish Support Group Find more information at growingrootsaustin.com/calendar.

Family Fun Days Family fun days provide a great opportunity for families and children with special needs to connect and play, worry- and judgment-

free. Events are held six times a year in February, April, June, August, October and December, and are open to children of all ages and abilities.

The next Growing Roots family fun day is Aug. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Danny McBeth Recreation Center, 2401 Columbus Drive.

and work with you to create a plan to support your child and take care of yourself.

Call 512.850.8281 to request additional information.

Supportive Case Management

Bring the whole family to Growing Roots’ third annual fundraising celebration at the Thinkery on Aug. 16. The Thinkery is located at 1830 Simond Ave. RSVP at growingrootsaustin.com/rsvp.

Need help figuring it all out?

Growing Roots social workers can connect you with resources

A Night at the Museum

austinwomanmagazine.com 59

78704

Adventures in

Zilkerland

By Molly McManus

Illustrations by Heidi Heidingsfelder

A

rguably the most beautiful neighborhood

For the fun at heart: where to eat, drink, shop and play.

in Austin, the Zilker area is bursting at the seams with its boundless opportunities to eat, drink, shop and play while enjoying the utopic scenery minutes from downtown. Where else can you bask in natural spring water while looking at a looming skyscraper?

Although it’s been threatened with detrimental infrastructure development, concerned citizens and tree-hugging politicians have preserved and continue to improve the vast nature areas within the 78704 zip code while also allowing it to expand with the influx of Austin’s population.

In this issue, we provide a roadmap for enjoying all that Zilker has to offer. With a distinctive and undeniable feeling to this neighborhood, we outline where to go and what to see, from Riverside to Treadwell, South Lamar to the MoPac Expressway, including the heart of Barton Springs Drive. July affords the perfect time for Adventures in Zilkerland.

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Zilker Park

Play Zilker Metropolitan Park 2100 Barton Springs Road, 512.974.6700, zilkerpark.org Encompassing 351 acres, Zilker Park is revered by locals and sought after by visitors. With sand volleyball courts, an off-leash dog park (45.6 acres), two multi-use fields and a nine-hole disc-golf course, Zilker Park also houses the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Blues on the Green and numerous festivals and community events that host up to 75,000 people. Other attractions within the park include access to the hike-and-bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Zephyr Train, Umlauf Sculpture Garden, Zilker Botanical Gardens and Zilker Park Boat Rentals.

Zilker Metropolitan Park, known as Austin’s most loved park, gets its name from politician and philanthropist Andrew Jackson Zilker. Moving to Austin in 1876 at the age of 18 with only 50 cents in his pocket, Zilker began work as a dishwasher. He later helped construct the Congress Avenue Bridge before starting an ice business (more than appropriate for Austin’s notorious summers). In 1901, he began buying land between the Colorado River and Barton Creek, and soon acquired the land surrounding Barton Springs, where he built a small concrete pool and amphitheater.

In 1917, Zilker, serving as the head of the school board, donated the springs and surrounding areas to Austin’s school district to sell to the city. The funds raised paid for a school endowment. The park has been publicly owned since, and for close to 100 years, Austinites have been able to enjoy the countless activities and beauty of this historical park.

Dive In Barton Springs Pool 2201 Barton Springs Road, 512.476.9044, austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool

Photo by Victor Ovalle, Austin Parks and Recreation.

Attracting 500,000 visitors annually, the natural spring-fed pool, filled with dammed-up creek water from the Edwards Aquifer, has a year-round temperature of 68 degrees and bustles with activity six days of the week. (The pool closes Thursdays for cleaning.) Home to the endangered Barton Springs salamander, the springs is a federally protected habitat with bass, turtles, fish and other wildlife. Bathing in the springs dates back thousands of years to Native American hunter-gatherers, and the site is blessed each spring by Tibetan monks. Full moon swims keep Austin weird, and on July 12, admission to the pool is free after 9 p.m. Join the fun and come out to howl at the moon.

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Zilker Park

Umlauf photo courtesy of Umlauf Sculpture Garden. Zilker Park Boat Rentals photo courtesy of Zilker Park Boat Rentals. Zilker Zephyr Train photo by Victor Ovalle.

Austin City Limits photo by Jack Edinger. Nightowls photo by Nicole Gell.

Buzz Around Umlauf Sculpture Garden

Zilker Park Boat Rentals

605 Robert E. Lee Road, 512.445.5582, umlaufsculpture.org

2101 Andrew Zilker Road (on Barton Creek), 512.478.3852, zilkerboats.com Established in 1969, this environmentally friendly and family-oriented boat rental shop offers canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and stand-up kayaking.

56th Annual Zilker Summer Musical Thursday – Sunday, approximately 8:30 p.m., July 11 – Aug. 16, Zilker Hillside Theater zilker.org Since 1991, this sculpture sanctuary has featured an outdoor gallery of spectacular works of art from renowned Austin sculptor Charles Umlauf, set in a shady garden of native Texas plants. Urban legend has it that Farrah Fawcett, a student of Umlauf’s while attending UT, was the muse and model for several of the sculptures. Through October, Umlauf is exhibiting the work of Margo Sawyer, whose installations combine art and architecture. Don’t miss First Sundays (July 6), which offer scavenger hunts, story time with BookPeople, sculpture demonstrations and more, designed for families with children ages 4 to 15.

Located across from Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Theatre Productions presents Oklahoma for this year’s summer musical. The event is free and viewers are encouraged to bring a blanket, food and drinks to enjoy the show.

Zilker Zephyr Train Located next to the playground behind Barton Springs, the Zilker Zephyr is the park’s miniature train, providing a 20- to 25-minute, 3-mile train ride around the park. It also happens to be one of the city’s 50-year-old traditions.

Game On Sand volleyball leagues and more austinssc.com

Pickup Ultimate Frisbee every Tuesday at noon pickupultimate.com

Tune In

93.3 KGSR Blues on the Green Schedule Music starts at 8 p.m., kgsr.com/botg July 9: Grupo Fantasma with Greyhounds July 23: Robert Ellis with The Nightowls Aug. 6: Charlie Mars with Quiet Company

ACL Music Festival Preview Oct. 3 – 5, 10 – 12, aclfestival.com Headliners: J Pearl Jam J Outkast J Eminem J Skrillex J Beck J Lorde J Lana Del Rey J Foster the People Local acts: J Spoon J Riders Against the Storm J Asleep at the Wheel J The Nightowls J Dawn and Hawkes J Mike and the Moonpies J Elizabeth McQueen J Penny & Sparrow J Sphynx J Hard Proof J Arum Rae J Wood & Wire J Ray Benson & MilkDrive

Zilker Botanical Gardens 2220 Barton Springs Road, 512.477.8672, zilkergarden.org With 26 acres of diverse topography, the Zilker Botanical Garden is suited to depict different habitats and display an array of native, hybrid and exotic plants to its half a million annual visitors.

With seven gardens to explore, visitors and locals alike can enjoy the Succulent Garden, Taniguchi Japanese Garden, Mabel Davis Rose Garden, Herb and Fragrance Garden and more.

Austin Area Garden Center is a nonprofit established in 1955 to support the Botanical Garden’s mission to promote the education and love of gardening through programs and beautification projects.

More Resources & Events Splash! is an educational exhibit adjacent to the pool where patrons can learn about the history and biology of Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer.

Yoga in the Park runs through Aug. 9, Saturdays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Barton Springs Pool. sosalliance.org

Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, with access points at Zilker Park, Barton Springs and along Riverside Drive near South Lamar, providing 10 miles of trails to runners, walkers and cyclists. thetrailfoundation.org

austinwomanmagazine.com 63

Play Treat Yourself

Fun in the Sun

Viva Day Spa

Peter Pan Mini-Golf

215 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.472.2256, vivadayspa.com

1207 Barton Springs Road, 512.472.1033, peterpanminigolf.com There’s no mistaking the giant colorful Disney character that marks Peter Pan Mini-Golf. An Austin icon since 1948, Peter Pan features two 18-hole golf courses, each with a variety of obstacles, such as the distinctive T-Rex. This family-friendly establishment allows coolers and offers mini-golfing at a steal of a price. Sunday funday, anyone?

Barton Springs Bike Rental

This is one of the few locally owned and operated bike shops in the city. Offering bike rentals, shuttles and tours by “Texpert” certified guides, Barton Springs Bike Rental provides the best way to explore the Zilker area.

Butler Park Pitch and Putt Walking into the refreshing atmosphere of Viva Day Spa, an immediate sense of calm washes over.

With two locations, owners Maya and Laurie Aroch, and Shannon Mouser have crafted a unique and personalized spa experience from start to finish. With touches of citrus-infused water, soft lighting and friendly service, Viva has won The Austin Chronicle’s Best Spa in Austin and Austin Monthly’s Best Spa Package.

Take a break from the heat this summer to enjoy Viva’s Summer Glow Spa Package, a two-hour treat consisting of a sauna with cool peppermint towels, dry brush exfoliation followed by a fullbody Swedish massage, a hydrating body wrap, calf and foot scrub and a mint scalp treatment. Other beauty services include facials, manicures, pedicures and hair removal, as well as spa parties and corporate/work retreats. Feel like a celebrity for a day and let Viva do all the work.

201 Lee Barton Drive, 512.477.4430, butlerparkpitchandputt.com It’s no Pebble Beach, and that’s the way we like it.

Opened in 1949, the Butler Park Pitch and Putt is a beautiful 9-hole par-3 course that is unpretentious, welcoming and a whole lot of fun. You’ll mainly see dudes with six-packs and couples with dogs, making this a true Austin hangout.

Get Creative ZACH Theatre 202 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.476.0541, zachtheatre.org

Benjamin Beau Salon

Founded in 1933 as Austin Civic Theatre, ZACH is the oldest continuously operating theater in Texas and one of 10 original resident theater companies in America.

Its year-round season of more than 500 performances showcases original productions, with the July production of The Who’s Tommy running July 9 through Aug. 24 at the Topfer Theatre. Starring Michael Valentine, this critically acclaimed legendary rock opera turns the theater into a giant pinball machine.

300 S. Lamar Blvd, 512.284.9048, benjaminbeausalon.com

Dougherty Arts Center

Voted Best U.S. Salons 2013 by hey, hey! gorgeous, Benjamin Beau delivers a stylish and enjoyable atmosphere when your ’do needs some doin’. The salon was opened in December 2011, and owner Beau Boncutter has solidified it as one of the top in the city, creating the trendiest cut, perfect color and flawless style. Even better? First-time clients receive a cut and color for just $100.

64 Austin Woman J U l y 2 0 1 4

1110 Barton Springs Road, 512.974.4000, austintexas.gov/dougherty Home to a 150-seat proscenium theater, art school, gallery and event/conference spaces for nonprofit groups, the Dougherty Arts Center is an awardwinning cultural arts center offering a variety of visual, performing and digital arts experiences for all ages. Opened for more than 30 years, the Dougherty Arts School teaches classes in ceramics, drawing and painting, textiles and printmaking, digital photography, jewelry and glass, darkroom photography and more.

Upcoming Events: J F reddy Carnes Productions: Iphigenia, July 5 and 6, Dougherty Arts Center J 7 Towers Theatre Company: All’s Well That Ends Well, July 18 – 20, 25 – 27, Dougherty Arts Center J Waterloo Watercolor Group: Gates, Doors and Windows exhibit, Butridge Gallery

Viva Day Spa photo by Ryan Ford. Zach Theatre photo by Andrew Pogue.

Peter Pan Mini-Golf photo by Mike Dismukes.

1707 Barton Springs Road, 512.480.0200, bartonspringsbikerental.com

Shop Frills and Thrills Moss

Jack & Adam’s Bicycles

705 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.916.9961, mossaustin.com

300 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.472.5646, jackandadams.com

A high-end consignment store, Moss hand-selects merchandise comprised of chic designer labels and popular contemporary labels, including Vera Wang, Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg and more. The shop also accepts clothing, and Moss consignors receive 45 percent of the final selling price of each item.

Having recently moved to a newer, bigger and better location, Jack & Adam’s has been in business for 10 years, and is now boasting a bigger swimming, biking and running selection, along with a Daily Juice recovery lounge, two showers, an indoor community room for spin classes and other team and group activities. You’ll find all of your fitness accouterments at this updated and comprehensive store. Check the calendar for free core and running classes offered throughout the week.

JM DryGoods

Spartan photo courtesy of Spartan. Unbridaled photo by Sherry Hammonds. Thoms photo courtesy of Thoms Market.

215 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.579.0303, jmdrygoods.com Taking inspiration from Marfa, JM DryGoods features finds like an eclectic but tasteful collection of handmade scarves and hats, Oaxacan embroidered tunics, textiles and pillows, rugs and Peruvian blankets, jewelry, ceramics, apothecary, bags, wallets and more.

W3ll People 215 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.366.7963, w3llpeople.com All-natural beauty products are all the rage these days, and fortunately, this trend isn’t going anywhere. At W3ll People, the makeup line is handcrafted, chemical-free and organic, with products that give you a natural look and highlight your best features. Having won the Elle Green Star Award for best performance, In-Style Beauty Editor Pick and Vogue Beauty Editor Pick, among others, W3ll People is a must-visit for any woman who wants to treat her skin right while looking great.

Spartan 215 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.579.0303, spartan-shop.com This posh store sells an assortment of beautiful objects great for gifts or adding decorative details to personalize your home. You may be tempted to pick up every item in Spartan, from handmade pottery and ceramics, to stylish sunglasses, trendy earrings, necklaces, hats and accessories, sleek notebooks and journals, candles, planters and textiles.

Grub and Go Thoms Market 1418 Barton Springs Road, 512.479.9800, thomsmarket.com

Unbridaled 701 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.444.2743, unbridaled.com Saying “I do” can be difficult—more so, the months of planning leading up to that phrase—but Unbridaled makes it fun for the modern bride. With creative, unconventional and sophisticated bridal and bridesmaid gowns, Unbridaled offers all types of wedding attire fit for any style. It was voted one of The Knot’s Best of Weddings – Bridal Boutique in Texas for eight consecutive years (2006–2014), so the commitment to the Big Day dress has never been easier.

The Common Thread 701 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.445.7270, commonthreadfabric.com For the crafty at heart, The Common Thread contains a sample of rotating high-quality fabrics and patterns at accessible prices. Sewing hobbyists, designers and fashionistas will find hemp, bamboo, cotton prints, oilcloth, laminated cotton, flannel and organic fleece, in addition to tools, trims, howto books and magazines.

Gear Up Bicycle Sport Shop 517 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.477.3472, bicyclesportshop.com Since 1983, Bicycle Sport Shop has served the needs of the Austin cycling community, peddling cycling products, maintenance and rentals.

Want to be part of their bike clan? Bicycle Sport Shop also provides educational programs, along with special events and weekly group rides, from beginner to women-only.

This place is a convenience store at its best. With more than 100 varieties of beer, the best wine selection in the neighborhood (most bottles are less than $20), tacos, sandwiches, fresh fruit, chips, snacks and knick knacks, Thoms Market is the foolproof stop before Blues on the Green, a Zilker Hillside Theater production or a trip to the new food trailer park (see The Picnic, Page 66) down the road. What really sets it apart, however, is the extremely friendly staff.

There’s also free Wi-Fi in case you want to hang out front at a table or at one of the bar stools.

Nesting Five Elements Furniture 701 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.326.2099, fiveelementsfurniture.com This family-owned furniture store specializes in modern, mid-century and contemporary furniture.

Whether you are redesigning your office, dining or living room, or just need new lighting, art or accessories to refresh your home, Five Elements is affordable, with great design advice for any project.

Schroeder Carpet and Flooring 704 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.462.1551, schroedercarpet.com Open for more than 30 years, Schroeder is a family-owned and -operated flooring boutique that works with interior designers, homebuilders and homeowners to create ideal flooring, whether it’s custom area rugs, carpeting, hardwood flooring, tiles or more. austinwomanmagazine.com 65

Eat +Drink The Picnic 1720 Barton Springs Road, facebook.com/thepicnicaustin

Drink Up

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

1109 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.386.1345, gibsonaustin.com

221 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.351.8680, coffeebeantexas.com/austin If you need a quick caffeine pick-me-up after a game at the Butler Park Pitch and Putt, grab a cup of Joe or a fresh wrap from the Bean. The patio also serves as a pleasant place to meet over an iced tea.

Need a girls’ night out? Gibson has 16 craft beers on tap, great cocktails and bubbly in a relaxed and dimmed atmosphere. Daily specials include Mustache Mondays, with $3 Maker’s Mark (you must have a mustache or be willing to wear one provided by a ’tender); Thursday’s Bubbles, Bitches & Bingo, with a free cheese plate when purchasing a bottle of bubbly and bingo from 8 to 10 p.m.; and $1 mimosas and $5 build-your-own Bloody Marys, with a $12 all-you-can-eat buffet from Luke’s Inside Out on Sundays.

Uncle Billy’s 1530 Barton Springs Road, 512.476.0100, unclebillys.com It was a sad day when we could no longer flock to the food trailer park on South Congress Avenue.

Alastair Jenkin seized an opportunity when he recently opened The Picnic on Barton Springs Road, bringing together an all-star cast of food trailers. With paved parking, air-conditioned restrooms, picnic tables, covered pavilions and BYOB, The Picnic is a foodie’s paradise. Just south of the new luxury Coldwater Apartments, The Picnic’s grounds include sweet treats from Hey Cupcake!, savory cones from Mighty Cone, fried chicken from Ms. P’s Electric Cock, fresh juices from Skinny Limits, gourmet sandwiches from Hey!...

You Gonna Eat or What, upscale comfort food from The Seedling Truck, Spanish tapas from Tapas Bravas (insider’s tip: Try the mouth-watering Brussels sprouts) and the New Orleans-style sammies from Turf N’ Surf Po-Boy, which was voted on Yelp’s Top 100 places to eat in the U.S.

HealthBox

Yes, they serve up barbecue here, but the brewery at Uncle Billy’s steals the show. The award-winning brews are available at local bars and by the can, including the Humbucker Helles and the Green Room IPA. Make sure to try the Hell In Keller, which won gold at the Great American Beer Festival in 2009 and took bronze in 2010 at the World Beer Cup. Sip on a beer sampler on the expansive patio while listening to live music during Tunesdays and the Patio Pickin’ music series on Fridays.

Barton Springs Saloon

Known as “fruit scoop,” the 100 percent fruit ice cream and smoothies have Austinites lining up for frozen goodness. Featuring treats with no milk, no added sugar and no preservatives, HealthBox is a vegan paradise, made for a warm July afternoon.

Luke’s Inside Out

House Wine

1109 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.589.8883, lukesinsideout.com Owned by Luke and Tracy Bibby, Luke’s Inside Out has quickly become a foodie destination, being featured on Food Netowork’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Order at the truck then grab a drink at Gibson Bar next door and let Luke’s bring your food to you. The must-try dish is the burger, a griddled 8-ounce sirloin with bacon and cheddar (with love on a toasted bun, of course).

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Austin Java 1608 Barton Springs Road, 512.482.9450, austinjava.com In the area and need to get some work done? Austin Java provides a great environment to write or send off some emails, with a large tree growing through the middle of the restaurant. Don’t miss out on Monday two-for-one burgers from 4 p.m. to close, and half-priced appetizers all day Wednesdays.

Take a Bite

The Shady Grove

424 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.482.9673, bartonspringssaloon.com Opened in 2006, Barton Springs Saloon gives the impression that it’s been in Austin a lot longer, as it’s the go-to neighborhood bar in a divey and down-to-earth setting. With great deals throughout the week, stop into BSS for a casual drink and experience what Austin is all about.

608 S. Lamar Blvd., healthboxrestaurant.com

On the Grind

Gibson Bar

408 Josephine St., 512.322.5210, housewineaustin.com This adorable 1940s bungalow, located behind P. Terry’s, serves affordable quality wines from throughout the world, with a simple food menu of delectable cheese plates, salmon, Mediterranean plates, desserts and more. With ambient live music throughout the week, the happy hour can’t be beat, with Thursday’s free appetizers from 7 to 9 p.m. and Monday’s $20 bottles of wine. House Wine truly feels like home, so grab a seat on the quaint patio and let your worries vanish into your vino.

1624 Barton Springs Road, 512.474.9991, theshadygrove.com With towering pecan trees framing the outstanding outdoor eating area, The Shady Grove is a great option for a bite and sip. The huge menu and classic cocktail list will please any palate, with the queso catfish as the must-eat dish. Head out for live music on Thursdays with Unplugged at the Grove.

KGSR’s Unplugged at the Grove July 2014 Music Series J July 3: Joe King Carrasco J July 10: Waterloo Revival J July 17: Ben Kweller J July 24: Shinyribs J July 31: TBD

Green Mesquite BBQ 1400 Barton Springs Road, 512.479.0485, greenmesquite.net With the tagline, “Smoking The Good Stuff Since 1988,” Green Mesquite has been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri for the pork ribs and beef brisket plate. Getting its smoky flavor from mesquite wood, the barbecue is seasoned with brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, onion and garlic. It’s finger-lickin’ good.

Picnic photo by Alastair Jenkin. Uncle Billy’s photo by Andrew Sterling. House Wine photo by Emily E. Prosch.

Trailers

JuiceLand photo courtesy of JuiceLand. Uchi photo by Claire McCormack. Flour and Vine photo by Chak Yarlagadda. Taurus photo by Amanda Lepo.

Chuy’s

JuiceLand

1728 Barton Springs Road, 512.474.4452, chuys.com

1625 Barton Springs Road, 512.480.9501 juicelandaustin.com

This location is the original Chuy’s, started in 1982 in an abandoned barbecue joint. The original building had seating for 60, a dirt parking lot, a women’s restroom the size of a broom closet and an outdoor men’s restroom. With $20 left to spend on décor, founders Mike Young and John Zapp bought two velvet paintings, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Presley, which became the inspiration for each Chuy’s location’s eclectic flair. With signature sauces and family recipes, this is Tex-Mex at its finest. Save the date! July 24 marks National Tequila Day, so why not celebrate with one of Chuy’s fresh-squeezed ritas?

Toastie’s Subs 215 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.499.8500, ilovetoasties.com Opened in July 2006 in Port O’Connor, Toastie’s popularity has now carried over to Austin as one of the best sandwich shops in town. With daily sandwich specials, favorites include the barbecue pulled pork, the Reuben, the banh mi and the Italian sub.

Even better, Toastie’s pours $3 premium craft pints all day every day, with rotating local selections on tap like Live Oak and Independence Brewing Co.

Casa de Luz 1701 Toomey Road, 512.476.2535, casadeluz.org With peaceful gardens and large community tables, this nonprofit experiential educational community center offers Austin’s only all-organic dining center where food is 100 percent organic and vegan, with alkalizing, nutrient-rich ingredients and a delicious prix-fixe menu every day.

El Alma 1025 Barton Springs Road, 512.609.8923, elalmacafe.com Located in a funky multi-tiered building, the limestone in El Alma gives a unique and tropical feel to this Interior-Mexican restaurant. With flavorful food and one of the best patios in Austin, this laid-back neighborhood restaurant is owned by Chef Alma Alocer and Carlos Rivero, who also owns El Chile Café y Cantina, El Chilito and El Sapo. During happy hour, try the $5 sangria with Jack Daniel’s and stretch your dollar with deliciousness.

Terry Black’s BBQ 1003 Barton Springs Road, 512.394.5899, terryblacksbbq.com Terry Black’s BBQ has been the talk of the town for a while, as barbecue lovers are dying for the next Aaron Franklin to emerge (without the three-hour wait). Mark and Mike Black, twin great-grandsons of Edgar Black of Central Texas’ famed Black’s Barbecue, have opened their own location, serving classic Texas smoked meats and homemade sides.

JuiceLand now has eight locations, but the JuiceLand at Barton Springs is the original and the oldest continuously running juice bar in Texas. Favorites include the Ninja Bachelor Party with pineapple, jalapeño, celery, kale, spinach, parsley and salt, and the Valley Girl with grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange and pineapple.

P. Terry’s Burger Stand 404 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.473.2217 Kathy and Patrick Terry opened the first P. Terry’s at the corner of South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road. With classic burger drive-through options, P. Terry’s uses all-natural beef and chicken, oil without trans fats and no hydrogenated oils. We can’t claim it’s healthy, but it definitely beats Micky Ds.

Baby Acapulco 1628 Barton Springs Road, 512.474.8774, babyacapulco.com Affectionately referred to as “Baby A’s,” this joint, while serving up classic Tex-Mex dishes, is most well known for its Purple Rita, made with a secret ingredient (hint: it’s Everclear). Locally owned and operated, this Mexican chain has been serving Austin for more than 30 years.

Flour and Vine Restaurant and Wine Bar 300 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.474.4846, flourandvine.com Flour and Vine, located in the Cole building, handmakes all its pastas, flatbreads and desserts, perfectly paired with wine from a large selection. Flour and Vine has modern theater-like décor, the dishes are traditional with an updated twist, influenced from throughout the globe.

STAY Pecan Grove R.V. Park 1518 Barton Springs Road, 512.472.1067 You used to be able to see Matthew McConaughey playing his bongos naked outside of his Airstream, or so they say, but these days, the iconic Pecan Grove R.V. Park has returned to its low-profile, laid-back place to live and visit. With 93 spots at Pecan Grove, which dates back to the 1940s, most are rented by permanent residents, many of whom have lived there for years. Definitely not your typical R.V. park, some sites boast elaborate gardens and it’s not surprising to find trailers with chandeliers and Persian rugs. For visitors, all sites have 30/50 AMP power, water and dump, free cable and Wi-Fi, with a great canopy of pecan trees, creating cooler temperatures and muffling the sounds of traffic.

Uchi 801 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.916.4808, uchiaustin.com The contemporary Japanese dining and sushi restaurant combines local seasonal ingredients with a varied spectrum of fresh seafood, using products from local farmers when possible. Owned by James Beard winner Tyson Cole, Uchi has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Bon Appetit and Texas Monthly for its innovative and supreme sushi.

Taurus Dog Training 715 S. Lamar Blvd., 512.442.3416, taurusdogtraining.com At Taurus, your dog’s every need is taken care of with great training classes (otherwise known as doggy boot camp), play days (with progress reports for owners) and boarding (also known by clients as doggy vacay), the intention being to provide excellent care for your canine while improving their behavior and keeping them safe and happy. austinwomanmagazine.com 67

AW’s Annual

Young Women to Watch 2014 How five gogetters found the courage to pursue their passions early in life.

By Megan Russell

Austin is becoming the go-to city for entrepreneurs to start their careers. With its fresh, hip atmosphere and DIY attitude, it’s no wonder this year’s Young Women to Watch have followed their passions to Austin and flourished while doing so. From the unconventional to high-tech and everything inspirational in between, these ladies are writing their own rules when it comes to life after college.

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Photo by Elizabeth Shear.

The Entrepreneur

Most 26-year-olds are still on the search for their dream job. But for Rebekah Epstein, 26 is the point in her career when she can finally take some time to relax and launch a couple of organizations to inspire young girls to join her in the ranks of entrepreneur.

The NYU graduate started her PR company, Fifteen Media (fifteen-media.com), fresh out of college at the ripe age of 22.

“Small businesses were just looking for someone to work five or 10 hours a week; they weren’t ready to take the plunge and hire a full-time publicist,” Epstein says. “So I started picking up those jobs to build my portfolio. And before I knew it, I had 40 hours a week of jobs. About a year into it, I realized the people that were hiring me the most were PR firms.

Now I only work with PR firms and I’m kind of like their ghostwriter, but instead, I’m a ghost publicist.

I work behind the scenes and I help them get more media placement for their client.”

That sounds like a tall order in and of itself, but along with Fifteen Media, Epstein also runs a blog called Neon Notebook (neonnotebook.com).

“I felt like there were a lot of Gen Y girls who were always asking me questions or I was always hearing stories about people’s career or life journey and I wanted it to be a place where people could share their stories,” she says.

The idea of a 26-year-old taking on so much at the The blog is a guide for young girls in search of inspiration from women in business. Epstein enlists beginning of her career may sound impressive, but experts to write advice columns, has a Career Epstein admits to some fears.

Confidential section in which 20-something women “There is some pressure because people always answer questions about their careers and life, and tell me I have such a promising career. It sometimes sections called Workin’ Girl Wardrobe and 3 Things does freak me out, especially when I start new things I Wish I Knew in My 20s. (For more, see the Best of like Glamtrepreneur because I still have struggles the Blogs article with selections from Neon Notebook on a daily basis,” she says. “I still don’t know where at austinwomanmagazine.com.) things are going, and what if they don’t grow like I Epstein is dedicated to inspiring young girls to think they’re going to?” take control of their lives and dreams and follow For the young Glamtrepreneurs out there, Epstein through with their ambitions. This is where her latest shares advice from personal experience. venture, Glamtrepreneur was born, its goal being to “You don’t have to have a full-fledged company teach girls about entrepreneurship. when you start,” she says. “Glamtrepreneur is the “I feel like this is going to be my life’s work,” she perfect example. Yes, I’d like to come out next fall says of her budding organization. when school starts and have a six-week course for This summer, the ormiddle-school girls, ganization will host biz- “I think that’s my ultimate message but the reality is I’m glam pop-up workshops for these girls: Just start somewhere.” not there yet. In the in which participants meantime, I’ve decided will learn about writing to do these pop-up workshops. My name is on there a business plan through interactive activities. somewhere, but we’re working with nonprofits. I “I want to create a program,” she says, “where girls think that’s my ultimate message for these girls: Just know that when they see a problem or something start somewhere. If you want to start a business, you that they can do better or an injustice, they realize don’t have to dive in completely and spend all this they’re the ones who have to take action and not money and all this time right away; you can test the think, ‘I’m going to leave it for someone who has water and see how it grows organically.” n more money, more resources or more connections.’ ” austinwomanmagazine.com 69

Young Women To Watch 2014

Rebekah Epstein

Young Women To Watch 2014

Aisha Burns The Musician

Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, a harmonious hub for creativity filled with singers, songwriters and bands of all genres. Most people who live here know someone who’s in a band and whose dream it is to travel the world taking their passion to the international stage. For 27-year-old Aisha Burns, that dream has become a reality with her touring throughout the Southern United States and Western Europe.

Burns began playing violin at the age of 10, and through her accompaniment work with Alex Dupree and the Trap Door Band, as well as Balmorhea, she explored a world beyond not only classical music, but the violin as well. But it was something this self-proclaimed secret singer had to work up the courage to do.

“I just didn’t feel like a singer,” says Burns, who didn’t share her voice until friends coaxed her into a safe surrounding through a series of house shows. “It became a really encouraging environment filled with people who were excited to see what others had to offer.

I learned how to perform in front of people at those shows.”

Her voice is a mix between a rich melody that flows with emotion and a deep sense of strength and power, feelings that are also evoked when in this petite woman’s presence, her modest demeanor set aside by the confidence in her talent of a craft 17 years in the making.

Her debut album, Life in the Midwater, was released in September 2013, a folk record stripped down and mostly acoustic with simple song structure and string arrangements, all of which are performed by Burns. Its songs depict her life experiences and the emotional reactions that come along with them.

“It sounds super cliché,” Burns says, “but one day, there might be something that happened that’s completely overwhelming emotionally. I write all the time anyway and that’s how I figure out how I feel about things. It’s the same sort of thing with music. I have this tense reaction to a situation and sometimes, there’s nothing else you can do to alleviate that except play or sing about it.”

Her relatable content is only made more so by her ability to not hold back. While in her everyday life she’s cautious to let her emotions show, in her music, she’s more open.

“Musically, it’s a moment where it’s OK to be vulnerable and completely expressive with whatever emotion you’re trying to communicate,” she says. “I’m this tiny little woman, but sometimes, my voice is like this big, emotive, powerful thing and there’s something about that honesty of expression that people can connect with.”

Her influences range from folk and blues to more experimental music like Nina Simone, Gillian Welch and St. Vincent.

“I was reading [Nina Simone’s] autobiography and there was this line where she was like, ‘I never meant to be a singer. I never meant to be Nina Simone.’ I thought it was awesome and inspiring because I don’t really know what I’m doing right now but it’s fun,” Burns says.

Being a woman in the music industry, Burns has had her share of struggles when it comes to how she’s perceived. Aware of her

“You just have to get really good at asserting yourself.”

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stature and young face, she’s noticed the men in her industry don’t seem to take her as seriously.

“I think the tough guy that assumes you don’t know your stuff is annoyingly prevalent. You just have to get really good at asserting yourself,” Burns says, noting she has learned to use a firm handshake as her opening line. “I can’t stand it when I go to shake someone’s hand, and it’s usually a man, and they give me this pansy finger lift thing like I’m a dainty little lady. When I step into the situation with confidence, that communicates that I know what I’m doing and we’re equals right now.”

Burns will play July 5 during the Folk Music Festival at the Scoot Inn. For more information, visit aishaburns.com. n

The Motivational Speaker

The main symptom of her condition affects how her Bullying is, sadly, still a huge issue many body stores fat, in that it doesn’t at all, meaning she has students have to face every day. They are 0 percent body fat. bullied for a wide variety of reasons, from “I’m blind in my right eye, but we’re not sure if it’s sexual orientation, to income, to appearance. because of the syndrome or if I just happen to be blind in While some may be able to overcome their my right eye,” she says. “There aren’t really any medical torment, others still struggle to find strength books that we can look at. I’m kind of writing my own and move on with their lives. medical book, I guess you can say. The only other differLizzie Velasquez is someone who has faced bullyence would be that I have a really weak immune system, ing her entire life, and not just among her classmates, so I can catch colds and flus really easily.” but on an international level through a YouTube Through her inner strength and support from video that labeled her as the “world’s ugliest woman.” family and friends, Velasquez decided it was more Instead of curling up in defeat because of the rare important to share her story rather than hide from cards life dealt her, she has turned her pain into a potential ridicule. career of inspiration and motivation.

“I went into college wanting to be a motivational In Velasquez’s 2013 TEDxAustinWomen: Brave speaker and author. I didn’t realize I would actually Starts Here speech, she discussed how doctors told start my career my freshman year of college,” she her parents, “expect your daughter to not be able says. “From then on, I’ve been speaking wherever to talk, walk, crawl, think or do anything else by I can, working on my books and herself.” Surpassing all expectations, she’s been proving the naysayers “All you have to somehow fitting in a social life in everything else.” wrong ever since. do is realize that it between Her two published books The 25-year-old suffers from a syndrome that has no name and is so starts with yourself.” include Lizzie Beautiful, an autobiography, and Be Beautiful, Be You, rare, there have only been two other a book about learning to love who you are rather documented cases of it. than what you look like. Her third book, Choosing “I can’t gain weight, so I’ve never weighed over Happiness, releases Aug. 1.

62 pounds in my entire life,” she says.

What she shares is both moving and encouraging, being able to touch people from all walks of life.

Velasquez recalls a memorable story that happened after her TED talk went viral.

“I got flooded with messages for a week,” she says.

“One of them was a lady who was crying in this video, bawling her eyes out, and I immediately felt very bad for her. She told me the night before she found my TED talk, her cousin, who was like her brother, committed suicide and nobody knew that he was struggling. She saw my talk and said it gave her strength and how, if her cousin had seen it, it would have changed his life. She ended her video by saying, ‘I’ll always remember brave starts here.’ It brought me to tears and gave me chills. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Stories like these keep Velasquez motivated when life gets tough. Now she’s planning on taking on an even bigger venture: She’ll be making an anti-bullying documentary to reach more people with her message.

“I want people to see that my story shows that there’s a way you can overcome bullying, there’s life after bullying, after feeling like you’re not worthy or you’re not good enough,” she says. “Things will always get better. All you have to do is realize that it starts with yourself. Once you’re committed to making that change and you really believe that you have the power, everything else will just fall into place.” n

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Young Women To Watch 2014

Lizzie Velasquez

The Scientist

Computer programming, chemistry, biotechnology: all loaded words with complicated implications. They bring to mind long hours of studying, intricate encryption languages, Bunsen burners and beakers. They are words that evoke images of men in white lab coats wearing goggles over their glasses, guys sitting at messy desks drinking energy drinks while staring at data on a computer screen. How often do we picture women in this type of career choice? For 30-year-old Monica Berrondo, programming and chemistry are her two passions, and they help make up her company, Macromoltek. “[Macromoltek] came out of the work I did in grad school,” she says of her 4-year-old biotech company.

“I was writing software for protein discovery and protein predictions for early stage drug development.”

With different proteins in the body, drug companies are most interested in antibodies, the proteins that the immune system is based on. After talking with many of these companies, Berrondo decided to focus her work on antibodies by creating software that predicts their structure.

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really would like to be the go-to place for any sort of “I grew up doing a lot of computer stuff,” Berrondo says. “I loved computers. I used to build antibody-based analysis.” computers and I loved programming when I was That’s precisely the reason the company has really young.” been so successful and Berrondo has been called a In college, the computer whiz discovered that trailblazer in her field. while she loved programming, she didn’t love the “There’s an underwhelming use of computers in application. She found she had no interest in workscience. I really want to see pharmaceutical companies, ing as a web designer or developer for software that biotech companies and scientists understand the potendidn’t hold her interest. tial in using computers in their work,” she says. “There “I started out undergrad in computer science are things you can do so much faster that would make and minored in chemistry,” she says. “Eventually, things much more efficient that people just don’t take I decided I really liked the advantage of.” chemistry a lot more than For Berrondo, computers and “I really never had what I was seeing in comprogramming have always been anyone telling me i puter science. I kept profun parts of everyday life. Her shouldn’t be doing this.” mom was a software developer gramming and then asked around to find out who [was] and she fondly recalls programdoing research that [combined] my two loves.” ming games into her TI-83 calculator in high school.

Macromoltek was born out of the need for comTo offset her academics, this techie is also quite puters to conduct antibody predictions. the athlete.

“It’s only been in the last three or four years that “In Utah, I grew up skiing competitively,” she people have started to write these programs to do says. “In undergrad, I did rowing. In grad school, I did Tai Kwando and biking and hiking. When I analysis or to do structure prediction,” she notes. “I moved here, I started doing triathlons.”

But this brainy athlete does acknowledge that she had a lot of support along her journey.

“I was lucky. It was very easy for me,” she admits. “I really never had anyone telling me I shouldn’t be doing this. I hear all these people who have problems working in male-dominated environments, but I think I was very lucky in always having supportive people. Yes, I’ve always been in a lab that is 100 percent male except for me, and many times gone places where people assume I’m someone’s girlfriend and not part of the lab, but other than that, my lab was very supportive. I never felt like I was different in any way, but I know that people do have problems.”

Her suggestion to those who experience gender problems in the lab is a simple life philosophy that stands out in such a complex field of work.

“Try to find support, but really just do what you want to do,” she says. n

Photo by Elizabeth Shear.

Young Women To Watch 2014

Monica Berrondo

Photo by Flashpool Productions.

The Mermaid

As little girls, we read fairytales that introduced us to all kinds of magical characters that sparked our imaginations. We could spend hours pretending to be a sleeping beauty, a superhero, our favorite dalmatian or mixing magic potions in our sandbox cauldrons. Unfortunately, so many of us grow up and lose the enchantment of childhood, succumbing to the expectations of reality. Fortunately, there are still a small number of adults who keep the magic alive and inspire the next generation of imaginations. They may even spark some wonder in the dormant recesses of your long forgotten fantasies.

Maria Russo is one of those charmed adults who still lives as if she were in a fairytale.

“I’m a mermaid,” the 30-year-old states proudly, joy beaming in her voice.

Through her mermaid-tail-making company, Sirenalia, she can turn anyone into a mythical creature of the sea.

To make the tails, the Austin native uses platinumcured silicone, the same material prosthetic limbs are made from. It is non-toxic and neutrally buoyant, so it doesn’t float or sink.

“I have a passion for costuming, especially for making functional costumes. I love the challenge of making a costume that really works, that you can swim in, that won’t make you sink or float or hold you down,” she says.

She started by experimenting for fun, but it quickly caught on and more people were interested in her fantastical ideas and beautiful designs. She soon

began working with her boyfriend, Jason Darling of experience when choreographing numbers for her Lollyphile (a local lollypop company), who uses airmermaids and designing costumes. brush and art to bring the tails to life.

When she’s not flipping her fin, Russo runs two Not only is she a mermaid in her free time, but it’s event-planning companies with her sister. Austin Occaalso part of her job. sions plans weddings and corporate events, and Austin “I mostly do children’s birthday parties and corpoOccasions Kids handles all of your favorite superhero rate events,” Russo says. “So for a kid’s birthday party, and princess bookings.

In Russo’s latest endeavor, Sirenalia has partnered we have special glitter face paint that’s waterproof and with Flashpool Productions to give clients the comwe’ll give everybody a mermaid makeover, lessons in swimming like a mermaid and we just play underwater. plete mermaid experience. Complete with a handmade We also do a lot of corporate events to make their party tail and matching top, special makeup and a high-end underwater photo shoot, anyextra special.” one can find out what it’s like Of all the events Russo does, one “Every time you fail, it’s just to be a siren of the sea. of the most magical she recalls was surprising a little girl for her birthday. a beautiful roadmap of how In her free time, Russo “These people hired us to be works with Collin’s Hope, a not to do it next time.” nonprofit that teaches drownmermaids out at the reef, and they had their daughter and her friends ing awareness. go snorkeling,” she says. “We were waiting for them “Drowning is one of the [top] causes of death in when they swam up. The birthday girl lost her mind young children,” she notes. and started hyperventilating and bawling. After that, When asked what advice she would give to other we remained pen pals for about six months, so it was young women with unconventional dreams, her really special.” response is indicative of her carefree attitude and her This mermaid’s love for swimming started early. adventurous lifestyle.

“My whole life I was in the water,” she says. “Of “Don’t be afraid of failure,” she says. “Every time course, the mermaids at Aquarena Springs were a huge you fail, it’s just a beautiful roadmap of how not to do influence on me when I was little. It was just so magical.” it next time. Just be fearless and follow your heart. It’s Russo also spent time in Mexico, running a small totally worth it.” nonprofit that brought circus shows and workshops For more information on hosting a mermaid party or to impoverished villages. She now uses her circus ordering a mermaid tail, visit facebook.com/sirenalia. n

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Young Women To Watch 2014

Maria Russo

opposite sex /

memo from jb

Avoiding the Earl Woods Effect Letting our kids be kids.

By JB Hager, Photo by Rudy Arocha concept is hard enough for adults today with social media. For a 12-year-old to be able to process it is asking way too much. I would not have dealt with that very well.

It was so much easier in 1980 to be that lonesome loser, home alone, again, flipping the cable box onto Cinemax, which we didn’t get, in hopes of seeing Bo Derek naked for just a fleeting, fuzzy moment. I can’t imagine a young boy with raging hormones and the Internet at his fingertips. I would never leave my room and would have failed out of school.

Kids today are buried in their phones and checked out from the real world. I feel for them. Kids can’t roam the neighborhoods like we used to. I had the freedom during summer to do whatever I wanted from sunup to sundown. It didn’t matter if I came home bloodied and bruised. It was just life.

We’re watching our kids like hawks, trying to tap into whatever talent we think they might have, getting them in front of the best schools, coaches and resources.

I’m afraid we’re failing our children, not letting them be kids, letting them not have a clue what they want to do in their life and just…exist. When I went off to college and my parents asked what I wanted to do, I just shrugged my shoulders and grunted. It’s worked out OK (so far). Our kids are members of the generation that is going to live past age 120. What’s the rush?

I’m working on being a better listener to my daughter. I’m letting go of my plans on how to raise my daughter and my expectations of her. The game has changed. The rules of engagement from my childhood no longer exist.

Do you remember those arguments with your mom that you’re wearing too much makeup, dressing in"I’m afraid we’re failing our children, not letting appropriately, running with them be kids, letting them not have a clue what they the wrong crowd, listening to inappropriate music? want to do in their life and just…exist."

This is quite good timing, as this is the Young Women to Watch issue. My daughter has been featured here before for her early success in wakesurfing, but that was before middle school, puberty and…boys. Yep, boys.

Every father’s biggest fear.

Although I’m incredibly proud of my 12-year-old daughter, not a day goes by that I don’t worry about her. It has been a whirlwind of a year getting into middle school. My biggest realization is that my parenting intentions are going to have to adapt quickly.

Why? Because I honestly believe that growing up today for kids is 10 times harder than it was for us.

You never hear that, right? Every generation before us was quick to point out to their children how easy they have it, how they walked to school 5 miles in the snow, uphill, both ways. Do you remember hearing that?

As a parent of a middle-school kid, I think we expect too much. I call this the Earl Woods Effect. He saw a talent in his young son, Tiger, and devoted all his time and attention to ensuring the success of Tiger in golf. Poor guy never got to be a kid, never got to figure out who he wanted to be, and that led to an Escalade slammed into a tree and a 9-iron upside his head from his wife. It was a great story for a long time and we wanted to be an Earl Woods for whatever our kids’ hearts desired. I don’t want to do that to my daughter. Nor do I think you want to do that to your children.

Growing up today has so many new elements and pressures that we can’t possible comprehend. When I was 12, I was at home, bored to tears and thinking my life sucked. I assumed that’s how it was for all kids. It probably was, but now all a kid has to do is login to Instagram or get SnapChats of friends having fun and it destroys them not to be a part of it. This

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Did your parents’ frustration and arguments work on you or just add fuel to the fire? I have found myself saying these exact things. Only now am I realizing that there has to be a better approach to these issues. Cause and effect is lost on pre-teens and early teens. I’m trying to slow down and explain that, without flying off the handle immediately. Easier said than done, as I’m sure you can relate.

This is the year I’m revamping my parenting techniques. I’m going to be a better listener and let go of my plans. I hope that my daughter is willing to share with me her fears, her shortcomings and her quirks.

My reward will be that she’s willing to share her loves and triumphs. If I don’t listen to the bad, I’m going to miss out on the good.

Most of all, I have to be empathetic to her struggles.

It truly is so much harder to grow up today. There’s not enough time and space here to break down the difference 30 years can make.

I could be wrong, and it’s very likely that I am, but I honestly think that our generation of parents needs to back off, slow down and listen more. We need to let our kids find their own paths and failures, but be there to pick them up and dust them off when needed. I just hope I haven’t screwed it up already.

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Savvy Women /

I n s p i r at io n a l Wo m a n

Maya Angelou (1928–2014) Mourning the loss of a phenomenal woman.

By Deborah Hamilton-Lynne

I was fortunate to be able to interview Maya Angelou on one of her many visits to Austin, and I have never forgotten many of the things she said. In her presence, you knew that you were next to greatness and something otherworldly. She was wise, courageous, dignified and gracious. Her voice was reassuring while resonating with power and determination. Her life has been chronicled in her seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several volumes of poetry. She rose above a legacy of poverty, racism and violence to become a university professor, a produced playwright, a screenwriter, actor, director and documentarian. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and read her poem On the Pulse of Morning at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton. She received more than 30 honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities, and her autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is a literary classic. We shared a love of words and, in her honor, I am pleased to share some of my favorite quotes and a poem from a woman whose life and legacy have and will continue to inspire women of all ages throughout the world.

“Thriving is elegant.”

“If you’re serious, you really understand that it’s important that you laugh as much as possible and admit that you’re the funniest person you ever met. You have to laugh.

Admit that you’re funny. Otherwise, you die in solemnity.”

76 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”

My Favorite Poetry Phenomenal Woman

“All great artists draw from the same resource:

the human heart,

which tells us that we are all more alike than we are unalike.”

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

“Love life. Engage in it. Give it all you’ve got. Love it with a passion because life truly does give back many times over what you put into it.”

“The idea is to write it

so that people hear it and it slides through

the brain and goes

straight to the heart.”

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”

By Maya Angelou Pretty women wonder where my secret lies I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies.

I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips.

I’m a woman Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees.

I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet.

I’m a woman Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered What they see in me.

They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery.

When I try to show them, They say they still can’t see.

I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style.

I’m a woman Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed.

I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud.

I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, The palm of my hand, The need for my care. ’Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman from And Still I Rise. Copyright 1978 by Maya Angelou.

Used by permission of Random House.

austinwomanmagazine.com 77

savvy womEn /

j u s t pa s s i n g t h r o u g h

Anna Maria Chávez, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA Leading the way for STEM education for girls.

By Julie Tereshchuk

78 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

r “ Our national research report, Generation STEM, showed that 74 percent of highschool girls love STEM. Yet, STEM careers were at the bottom of their career list. We found they didn’t see the role models, so they didn’t see the clear connection between what they liked in school and a potential career. Also, they were getting very mixed messages from the adults in the classroom because boys are called on by teachers eight times more than girls.” r “The Generation STEM report is a clarion call to fathers. It shows the male role model in a girl’s life has a disproportionate impact on her entrance into the STEM arena. Talk to your daughters about STEM. Take them to a science museum, or to work. Get them internships. Girls are looking for affirmation and encouragement, and fathers have a key role.” r “Our challenge in Girls Scouts is to ensure we honor our past, but clearly understand that a girl today is facing very different social issues. When I went home as a 10-year-old Girl Scout, I went home. Today, they go home and too often are looking at their phones, getting messages that give them unfortunate perceptions about their future and who they are.” r “We just renovated our badges. Of 136, 13 are financial-literacy badges. We teach kindergartners Money Counts. We tell girls what money is, why you save it and what you save it for. In high school, you can earn badges that teach you what a mortgage is and how to invest in your future college career. But we still have our outdoor badges. We still want girls playing in dirt, climbing mountains, camping. It is a really interesting balance between what we’ve taught girls for 102 years, and what skill sets they are going to need in the future workforce.” r “Almost every single woman that’s flown in space, 70 percent of women in the U.S.

Senate, 54 percent of women in the U.S. House and the majority of the females running a Fortune 500 company are Girl Scouts. All three former female secretaries of state are Girl Scouts: Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. Janet Napolitano, first female U.S. secretary of homeland security, was a Girl Scout until she was 18, and can still sing her camp songs! Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor was a Mariner Girl Scout.” r “I went to work for Girl Scouts in San Antonio because I’d spent so much time in federal and state government funding programs such as juvenile corrections and child protective services that deal with the after effects of bad decisions impacting girls. And they were very expensive systems. So I thought, why not invest in prevention? Let’s get them when they’re young, when they have dreams and aspirations, and let’s invest in them.” r “I tell my team all the time, ‘If you’re not taking risk and you’re not failing, you’re not innovating.’ ” r “ My message to adults is simple: We are very focused on ensuring that our kids can compete. So sometimes we overstructure and over-schedule. Give them some playtime. Give them the ability to explore and think.”

Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Girl Scouts of Central Texas is leading the nation in its innovative science, technology, engineering and math programs.

From the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education center, named the EDGE Lab, to the pilot program CoderGirls, GSCTX is giving girls fresh ways to have fun and learn invaluable 21st-century skills. Today, only a quarter of computer-related occupations are filled by women. And the pipeline is weakening, with only 18 percent of bachelor’s degrees in computer and information sciences awarded to women. GSCTX’s goal with CoderGirls is to reverse that trend, with girls going hands-on as coders to develop applications that come up with real-life solutions.“ GSCTX already has two successful STEM programs: Tech Girls and Robotics. One hundred percent of the Robotics program’s high-school graduates have entered college programs, while 95 percent of Tech Girls participants’ STEM grades improved in the preceding school year.

All this innovation has caused a stir. So much, in fact, that the Girl Scouts of the USA Chief Executive Officer Anna Maria Chávez recently came to town to see for herself.

STEM is close to Chávez’s own heart; she has been recognized as one of the 100 Women Leaders in STEM by STEMconnector. Being in Texas is also a form of homecoming for the Arizona native, who left Washington’s insider fast track for San Antonio to lead the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas from 2009 to 2011.

Here are just a few thoughts from this vibrant leader and self-confessed data junky, who brims with exuberance at the challenges posed heading a 3.4-millionmember organization.

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savvy womEn /

Au s t i n i n n o va t o r

The Accidental Blogger With some good timing, an eye for fun and a serious love of Austin, Kristy Owen has turned her new year’s resolution into one of the city’s most successful blogs.

By Carla Avolio It was in late 2009 that Kristy Owen made a decision that would change the course of her life. Looking ahead to the dawn of a new decade, she wanted to make a new year’s resolution that would fit the magnitude of this once-in-10-years event. So she decided to find a new activity and commit to doing it every single day for the next year.

“At first, I didn’t know what that thing would be,” says Owen, a sunny brunette who moved from Houston to Austin to attend college in 2004. “I was thinking maybe I could do yoga, or sit-ups or push-ups.”

But none of those ideas stuck. Then one day, she had a “eureka” moment.

“I think I was at the gym when it suddenly occurred to me: Even though I love being out in Austin, I always go back to the same five places,” the 27-year-old says. “But Austin has so many great things to do, so to motivate myself to actually explore all those things, I thought I could find something different to do every day for a year.”

And so was born the idea for 365 Things To Do in Austin, Owen’s phenomenally successful blog that she started on a whim on the first day of the new decade. In the four and a half years since, Owen has written about a unique activity every single day without fail, from visiting a food trailer,

80 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

to checking out an annual event like Blues on the Green, to coming up with a list of the top places to get a margarita. Her daily posts have become so popular that her blog—and accompanying Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms—is generating enough revenue to support a full-time job for herself and part-time jobs for two employees.

“The blog just kind of happened,” insists Owen, who says she is as surprised as anyone by her success. “When it started, I never thought it would become a business. It was just meant to be fun.”

Indeed, Owen’s journey into blogging was only vaguely intentional. In 2008, she was nearing the end of work on a degree in corporate communications and searching for a career.

“I was always someone who didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. What she did know, however, was that she desperately

"I never thought it would become a business.

It was just meant to be fun." wanted to put down roots in the city she had fallen in love with. “There was no way I was leaving after college. I was determined to get a 512 number, to buy a condo and to stay.”

For that, she needed a job. Having seen her grandfather achieve success as a property developer in California, she says real estate seemed like a safe bet.

“I didn’t have a plan,” she says.

“That just seemed like the best option at the time.”

As a fledgling real estate agent, Owen began to think about ways to get noticed.

“People were telling me I should blog because it would be good for my SEO [search engine optimization],” she recalls. “But I didn’t want to write about real estate because I wasn’t enough of an authority.”

That’s when she made the connection between blogging and her new year’s resolution.

“There are so many new people moving to Austin, so I thought that blogging about things to do would be kind of helpful to attract potential clients,” she says.

With the help of her sister, she put together a list of activities and on Jan. 1, 2010, published her first post—a 116-word paragraph on waterside stalwart Mozart’s.

“It was a really simple post,” she laughs. “Basically I said, ‘Oh, you should go to Mozart’s Coffee.’ ” During the next two weeks, things stayed lowkey until a friend suggested she put her blog on Facebook. Without thinking too much about it, Owen created a page and, before she even had time to ask anyone to like it, it had become an overnight sensation.

“People were liking the page like crazy,” she remembers. “Every time I would refresh the page, there would be 100 new likes, 200 new likes, all from people I had never met.”

When asked to explain this phenomenal response, Owen suggests it was thanks to Facebook’s algorithms before the company went public and changed what they include in news feeds.

“I think it was good timing and a catchy name that just stuck,” she says.

The page received 7,000 likes in seven days, and the effect snowballed from there. From February, advertisers started to approach her to feature their businesses. At first, Owen declined these offers because she wanted the content to only come from her, but she soon warmed to the idea and began including a single sponsored post in addition to her own daily post.

“I thought, ‘I have so much more fun blogging.

Why shouldn’t I try to make this into a business?’ ” she says.

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Au s t i n i n n o va t o r

Now that she is a full-time blogger, Owen has what many would consider a dream job. Every day is spent meeting new people, exploring new activities and writing about them, which she does from her downtown home she shares with her dog, Bailey.

“I love that this city has so much going on and so much changing,” she says.

“There’s no way I could be running this blog if I were living in a small town in the middle of nowhere.”

Owen also credits the “amazingly supportive Austin community” as one of the most rewarding aspects about her job. To this day, she has never done any marketing except through social media, where she says she is overwhelmed by the positive response from followers. (She has 247,000 on Facebook, 36,000 on Twitter and 28,000 on Instagram.)

Still, like most people in media, Owen has faced her share of criticism.

“There will always be haters,” she admits. “At the beginning, I would take negative feedback so personally. But now I’ve learned that with an audience this size, you really can’t please everyone. I try to focus on the good and the positive feedback.”

Recently, things have been nothing but positive for Owen. In May, she launched a new and improved website, which has been unanimously praised, and in June, she released her first book, 100 Things to Do in Austin Before You Die. Owen admits that completing these projects means she has crossed off two of her biggest goals, but that doesn’t mean this journey is done.

“I just want to keep making this blog the best it can be,” she says. “I don’t know what I’d be doing if this wasn’t going on. Right now, I can’t think of anything else that would make me this happy.”

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savvy womEn /

Au s t i n E n t r e p r e n e u r

Sustainable Fashionista Kirsten Dickerson, CEO and co-founder of Raven + Lily talks Mother Teresa, fashion and the new storefront.

By Kelly E. Lindner, Photos by Kate Stafford When you meet a fashion designer, you don’t expect this to come out of her mouth within the first five minutes of meeting her, casually, like it’s no big deal: “That’s when I worked with Mother Teresa.” profit that trained women Mother. Teresa. in design skills, both here When considering sustainable apparel and and abroad. The name of accessories in Austin, do you really need to know the store, from a Bible verse anything else about a store’s founder? No, but (Luke 12) that speaks to the you should, because Kirsten Dickerson, CEO and co-founder of Raven + Lily, which opened its first value of women, is also the namesake of the two diastorefront in Austin this April, has a lot more to mond doves that live in the say about ethical design than that. refurbished birdcage that After earning a bachelor’s degree in education now sits in the brick-andfrom Baylor University, Dickerson spent 20 years mortar store. doing humanitarian work here and overseas. She’s “I wanted to do something also worked on wardrobes for documentaries that combined my love of and music videos with her filmmaker husband, fashion with my love for Brandon. Today, she’s traveled to more than 30 countries, including India, where she worked with humanitarian work,” Dickerson says. “This Mother Teresa. turned out to be the perfect outlet.”

“I saw so much suffer"there is a Originally, accessories were ing and poverty, a lack of created by volunteer designers, opportunity and no outbut today Raven + Lily is a benefit let to discover gifts and behind every product" corporation that empowers more talents,” Dickerson says. than 1,000 marginalized women in “These women were just Ethiopia, India, Cambodia, Kenya and the United waiting for someone to believe in them and give States through design and fair-trade wages. them a chance.”

Everything sold at the Raven + Lily storefront Dickerson and good friend Sophia Lin founded and the online store at ravenandlily.com has a Raven + Lily in 2008 in Los Angeles as a nonstory behind it.

“I think this helps consumers realize that there is a woman behind every product and they can put their purchasing power toward something positive,” Dickerson says.

You can either get the story on each product in person at the store, or just click the “story behind this product” link online. These are the type of stories you’ll find: r In the United States, formerly homeless women hand-pour soy candles, and refugee women create scarves out of remnant materials and metallic leather.

woman

84 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

r In the Entoto Mountains in Ethiopia, HIVpositive women craft jewelry from beads produced by melting down bullets from former wars. “This is a good example of something that was meant for harm turned into something beautiful,” Dickerson says. r In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a group of at-risk women, some HIV positive and some former victims of human trafficking, specialize in sewing, hand-printing and hand-looming pieces out of eco-friendly materials. “Just because you’re HIV positive doesn’t mean you don’t have something to offer,” Dickerson says. r In Northern India, marginalized women create stationery and journals from recycled paper and cotton waste from the textile industry.

Also in Northern India, women work with local wood craftsmen to combine hand-carved wood with locally sourced leather. r In the Himalayan Mountains, a group that once faced severe poverty and discrimination can now provide for their families by handcrafting herbal soaps. r In Kenya, the Maasai women from the Esiteti community create intricate, hand-beaded jewelry, which empowers them to eradicate FGM (female genital mutilation) from their

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Women’s Health Fair A gift for all women 20 years and older.

Saturday, August 2, 2014 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Seton Breast Care Center 1201 W 38th Street Austin, TX 78705 Free parking No appointment needed First come, first serve Door prizes

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community, as well as afford to be the first generation to send girls to school.

“We’re used to fast fashion like fast food, but there doesn’t have to be someone behind the scenes who is suffering,” Dickerson says. “I can’t tell you what an amazing feeling it is to help a woman learn a skill that enables her to provide for herself and her family.”

Aside from the story behind each item, the accessories and apparel have a look that’s strictly Raven + Lily.

“I’d describe our style as modern, bohemian, clean-lined, natural and textured with a modern twist,” Dickerson says. “There’s also a distinctive color palette we stay within since natural dyes do not lead to bright colors.”

The storefront itself is also unshakably Raven + Lily, with handmade furniture, art from local artists and even wall murals created by Royal Design Studio to reflect the brand’s unique stencils, which appear on their paper products and cotton totes and bags. And Dickerson is not afraid to practice what she preaches. She lives in the same neighborhood as the store and also has locally sourced décor.

“This is what my house looks like,” Dickerson says with a laugh, gesturing to the store.

Though Lin stayed in LA, Dickerson moved to Austin in 2010 with her husband, her biological 13-year-old son, Mason, and her adopted Chinese-American daughter, Mei Li, who’s 10.

She relocated because of the failing health of her

mother at the time, but she describes the move as serendipitous.

“There are so many sustainable and socially conscious companies emerging on the Eastside,” Dickerson says. “I can’t think of a better place for the Raven + Lily storefront!”

Raven + Lily, 2406 Manor Road, Suite C ravenandlily.com/our-storefront

austinwomanmagazine.com 87

savvy womEn /

t h e l a st wor d

The Carpetbagger An Introduction.

Truth be told, I’m from Boston. Now that’s not something I go prattling on about as a newcomer to the city. Even if I find it delightful that Austin and Boston do rhyme. You see, three years ago, before I became a permanent resident of the Violet Crown, I was a wide-eyed visitor. It was during this sojourn, over lunch at a wellknown barbecue honky-tonk that I found out who I really was. While lunching with the chef, who was giving my husband a behind-the-scenes smoker tour, the topic of place came up. The weary chef, smoking a cigarette and nursing a Shiner Bock asked me, “Where you from?” My husband, a UT alum and honorary Texan (a status bequeathed upon him due to his being born on San Jacinto Day) shifted nervously in his chair. Ignoring my spouse’s silent body language, I chirped “Boston!” and then to make it worse, “Cambridge, actually.” The chef smiled wryly, “Oh, so you’re a Yankee.” He eyed me now as if I had just confessed to being a vegan in his barbecue joint. I backpedaled and mentioned the nearly two decades I had spent in San Francisco (as if that would help here) but the label had been slapped on. I was a Yankee.

Now, for Bostonians in particular, the term Yankee evokes but one thing: the underhanded, over-paid, arch nemesis to the Boston Red Sox. The chef had called me out as a Yankee in a proper historical context and I was left dumbfounded. It was that encounter that prompted me to buy The Yankee Chick’s Survival Guide to Texas

by Sophia Dembling, when it had been decided that we were in fact, moving to Austin. Dembling’s book is a tremendous tool for both recognizing and reigning in one’s own Yankee nature when in the company of Texans, both true and honorary. For the carpetbaggers among us here in Austin, this is what I gleaned from my readings:

88 Austin Woman J ULY 2 0 1 4

Yankees talk too fast. (This, I cannot argue.)

Yankees reveal too much personal information in conversation. (Yes, but it’s so fun! And it’s like free therapy.)

Yankees are argumentative. (No, we’re not.)

Yankees swear far too much. (Back East, swearing is seen as a means for accentuating your point; it’s a learned skill.)

As friendly a city as Austin is, the East Coast, neurotic, self-analytical, truckermouth persona wasn’t going to win me many fans. So I shut up. And listened, and watched how all y’all smile, make eye contact (a no-no in Boston) and have easy conversations without one-upmanship—unless a tall tale is involved. Being a proud carpetbagger among many has allowed me to shed my earlier self. I was tired of being neurotic anyway.

Despite being outed as a Yankee so many years ago, I believe Austin is a fantastic city because of its inclusivity. It draws new initiates from across the globe for that very reason. So now, I find myself living among the ranks, seeing the city with a newcomer’s eyes, proudly wearing my Red Sox cap in a friendly crush of orange.

—Stephanie Chastain September’s Last Word topic will be “Living Your Dream.”

To be considered, email a 500-word submission by Aug. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com.

Illustration by Sarah Quatrano.