Austin Woman MAGAZINE | August 2015
“Wisdom begins in wonder.” —Socrates
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Austin Thyroid & Endocrinology ENDOCRINOLOGY
is the science of hormones, substances released by glands that regulate every cell in your body, for both men and women. Examples of endocrine diseases: thyroid disease, 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. We provide a comprehensive assessment of your hormone balance, in-house hormone testing, thryoid ultrasound, and bone density testing.
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 thryoid 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.
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OPTIMAL HEALTH BIOLOGICAL AGE
deals with your health before disease prevention or treatment.
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Optimal health is the ideal, yet achievable, health of your body as you reach middle age and beyond. Your biological age is a measure of how well your body functions, compared to your actual calendar age. Our specialized equipment allows us to measure and evaluate your biological age, a composite of your brain age, bone age, heart age, and vessel age. We help you achieve your optimal health, a major factor in the quality of your life as you age.
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Physicians are employees of Scott & White Clinics, an affiliate of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2015 Baylor Scott & White Health SWTEMPLE_13_2015 CE 04.15
Christopher Brennig, MD
Austin Vein Institute State-of-the-art Varicose Vein Treatment
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DON’T MISS OUR
July 15 - Aug 31
I am a Texas MBA “ My Texas MBA was the essential ‘game changer’ in my career that taught me entrepreneurship, leadership and most importantly networking skills that have been critical to my success. The most important deals I have done have in some way come from people I am connected to through the Texas MBA.”
INGRID VANDERVELDT Founder, Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 Former Dell Entrepreneur-in-Residence Skydiver Philanthropist
Photo by Annie Ray.
Texas MBA
50
Photo by Matt Lankes.
On the cover
58
feature
JEN HATMAKER
STEM SUPERWOMEN
By deborah hamilton-Lynne
By rachel Merriman
Fifteen Twenty drape-front blouse, $142, available at PerriBerri, 2805 Bee Cave Road, 512.478.3785, perriberri.com; Noonday Collection spike necklace, model’s own; jeans, model’s own.
Contents
Finn & Porter photo by Envision Creative Group.
AUGUST
65 on the scene
HOME
21 KRISTY’S TOP 10
46 Bargain hunting
August’s To-Do List
savvy women
GOURMET
24 MIND YOUR BUSINESS Beverly Chasse 26 inno vative Education Going Beyond
63 f oodie finds
the Labels
The 12 Best Places for
Happy Hour
wellness
MUST LIST 30 M ust engage
A Tale of Two Austins: The Impact Outside the Classroom
34 M ust Read
Estate Sales 101
College Bound
style 37 Gui lty PleasureS The Sweetest Shoes 38 ASK ASHLEY Shop Like a Stylist 40 trends Best-Dressed Guest 44 beauty Beauty on a Budget
68 Fitness 70 HEALTH
Fit and Fun, All for Free Water, Water Everywhere
POINT OF VIEW 74 memo from JB Hager Family Vacation 76 MOther of the Bride Once Her Mother, Always Her Mother
78 HOROSCOPES Happy Birthday, Leo! 80 L ast Word The Person I Would Become
on the cover
Photo by Matt Lankes, mattlankes.com Styled by Ashley Hargrove, dtkaustinstyling.com Hair and makeup by Jenny Vick, raecosmetics.com Lucky Brand Ombre Geo blouse, $79.50; Laid Back London Craine beaded flats, $78, available at PerriBerri, 2805 Bee Cave Road, 512.478.3785, perriberri.com; jeans, model’s own.
10 | Austin Woman | august 2015
THE CONNECTIONS WILL BE PRICELESS
AND FOREVER
2015 ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON SEPT 18
9AM - 6PM WESTIN AT THE DOMAIN BUSINESS IN A BOX ENTREPRENEUR WORKSHOP WITH INGRID VANDERVELDT SPONSORED BY TEXAS MBA
Join us for an engaging panel of empowering women and a day full of connections with 500+ of Austin’s top businesswomen as we celebrate our 13th year of Austin Woman magazine.
CONNECTING, REGISTRATION AND MIMOSAS
Judy Maggio, Moderator China Smith, Founder, Ballet Afrique Heidi Marquez Smith, Former Executive Director, Texas Book Festival
LUNCHEON AND ENGAGING PANEL DISCUSSION
Jan Ryan, Entrepreneur, Founder, Women@Austin
AFTER PARTY WITH SURPRISE GIVEAWAYS SPONSORED BY AUSTIN DENTAL SPA
PRESENTED BY:
PANELISTS INCLUDE:
+ Plus one surprise panelist to be revealed in September!
SPONSORED BY:
MARK SWEENEY, D.D.S.
Atlas Signs • Austin CyberKnife • Lash Lounge • MODISH • Serving Social • Arthouse Design • Mann Eye Institute • Twin Liquors
Volume 13, issue 12
Co-Founder and Publisher Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher Christopher Garvey associate publisher Cynthia Guajardo Shafer Co-Founder Samantha Stevens
EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Deborah Hamilton-Lynne associate editor Molly McManus copy editor Chantal Rice contributing writers
Cheryl Bemis, Deborah Alys Carter, Jill Case, Silvana Di Ravenna, JB Hager, Ashley Hargrove, Niki Jones, Kelly E. Lindner, Lydia McAllister, Matt McGinnis, Rachel Merriman, Daryl Mogilewsky, Macy Moore, Kristy Owen, Olivia Sylvain, Brooke Watson
ART CREATIVE Director Niki Jones ART DIRECTOR Lucy Froemmling CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Rudy Arocha, Carlos Barron, Silvana Di Ravenna, Carlos Galindo, Jay Gosh, Ashley Hargrove, Matt Lankes, Laura Martinez, David McClister, Matt McGinnis, Dustin Meyer, Daryl Mogilewsky, Victor Ovalle, Natalie Paramore, Danielle Payne, David Ponton, Erica Rae, Annie Ray, Aaron Rimbey, Melinda Kay Thoms, Parker Thornton, Jenny Vick
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Katie Paschall
ADMINISTRATION Operations and Marketing manager Maggie Rester
Interns
Megan Bedford, Jenna Filardi, N’Kisha Heffington, Jasmina Kuenzli, Lydia McAllister, Daryl Mogilewsky, Macy Moore, Victoria Mycue, Olivia Silvain, Brooke Watson
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
I have a few go-to books that I read and reread when I need some Zen in my life, when I am struggling and need some perspective. One of these books is All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. As we were preparing our August issue and thinking back-to-school thoughts, I skimmed it again and began to think about learning, what it is and where it comes from. I am and hope I will always be a lifelong learner. I loved school, loved college and grad school, and my parents feared that I might want to stay in school forever, but I knew the best lessons were to be had outside the classroom: the lessons learned by taking what I learned in the classroom, sharing it with others and learning from them; the lessons learned from observing animals and Mother Nature. To quote Robert Fulghum, “It wasn’t in books. It wasn’t in a church. What I needed to know was out there in the world.” And out into the world I went, determined to learn all I could about as many things as I could from as many people as I could. In the process, I found the perfect job for a lifelong learner, and month after month, I share what I have learned and the people I have met, with you, our readers. Indeed, I may have tricked you into going back to school every time you read this magazine. So what are the lessons I learned in this issue that I wish to share with you? The teacher in me will not allow myself to give you everything in one neat cheat sheet, so you will have to read further for more information. However, here is my teaser: 1. M ore than 90 percent of deaf children are born into hearing families. (Going Beyond the Labels) 2. You can find amazing bargains at estate sales, and while shopping like a stylist and in your local pharmacy. (Estate Sales 101, Shop Like a Stylist, Beauty on a Budget) 3. J B Hager is looking for another wife. (Hager Family Vacation) 4. Float Fest, Bat Fest and The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival are all in August. Who knew? (Kristy’s Top 10) 5. Currently, women represent just 24 percent of the STEM workforce. African-Americans and Hispanics make up less than 15 percent of the STEM workforce. (STEM Superwomen)
6. O ur creative director, Niki Jones, learned all she needed to know about creativity from her 5th-grade teacher. (Last Word) 7. Not all days are good and that’s OK. (Fearless Leader) 8. U Chic has a pretty amazing story behind the book. (College Bound and at austinwomanmagazine.com) 9. L enoir has a secret (and affordable) backyard wine garden. (Champagne Dining and Drinking on a Beer Budget) 10. B oys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area serve more than 12,000 children per year. (A Tale of Two Austins) 11. I have been in Austin 23 years this July and have never been to Krause Springs. I must remedy that. (Water, Water Everywhere) 12. Willie Nelson has been honored with the Gershwin Award. (Connect With Us) Of everything that is included in this issue, I learned the most from our remarkable cover woman, Jen Hatmaker. My original story about her was 5,000 words long, and I could have written 5,000 more. If you only read one article in its entirety in this issue, I urge you to read hers, and then I encourage you to buy her books and continue your education. Much of what I learned from her touched me personally and spiritually, and for the purposes of this letter, I will say one thing I learned for sure is that when you read her words, whether in this magazine or on her blog or in her books, you will learn to be a little kinder and gentler toward yourself and the world. It may sound cheesy but I really do wake up each morning with the intention of learning something new every day. It gives me great joy that through the pages of Austin Woman, I have the opportunity to continue my education and to share what I learn with you. You have a lot to share, so please connect with us and we will all go back to school. Cheers to lifelong learning!
deborah hamilton-lynne Editor-in-Chief On the set: Brandon and Jen Hatmaker, hair and makeup artist Jenny Vick, Deb, Creative Director Niki Jones, stylist Ashley Hargrove, photographer Matt Lankes stylist Ashley Hargrove
14 | Austin Woman | august 2015
Float Fest photo by Parker Thornton. Lenoir photo by Matt McGinnis. Deborah Hamilton-Lynne photo by Korey Howell. Jen Hatmaker and group photos by Matt Lankes.
From the Editor
contributors
This month, we asked our contributors: What is the most important thing you never learned in school?
MATT LANKES
Cover Story photographer, “amazing grace,” Page 50
Matt Lankes is a seventh-generation Texan from Austin. He attended St. Edward’s University and loves to play soccer and travel. He recently published his first photo book, titled Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film. This was in conjunction with the movie Boyhood that he worked on during the last 12 years. “One of the most important things I didn’t learn in school was how to interact with my subjects, meaning how to treat them and, more importantly, how not to treat them.”
KRISTY OWEN
Writer, “kristy’s top 10,” Page 21
Kristy Owen started the website 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas in January 2010 as a new year’s resolution. The idea was to try something new every day for a year. The blog focuses on the best things to do in Austin each day, and it has become a go-to guide for Austinites and out-of-towners alike. “Don’t let these hot August days get to you,” Kristy says. “There’s plenty of fun for everyone happening this month. One of my favorite annual events, the Zilker Summer Musical, is a must this August!”
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RUDY AROCHA
photographer, “BEST-DRESSED guest,” Page 40
Photographer Rudy Arocha is a native Texan who moved to Austin to pursue his education in fine arts as a sculptor. He later rediscovered his passion for photography when his grandfather gave him a camera as a gift. Rudy graduated from the Art Institute of Austin and specializes in portrait photography. When not photographing, Rudy enjoys music, the outdoors and spending time with his wife, Maggie. A rainstorm during the entire “Best-Dressed Guest” shoot didn’t affect the beautiful shots Rudy was able to capture. “The most important thing I never learned in school is that it’s all about the team you have working with you and how you work together that can make or break the shoot, so always strive to have an amazing team!”
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KELLY E. LINDNER
Writer, “fearless leader,” Page 24
Kelly E. Lindner is an editor and socialmedia strategist by day and a publisher, novelist and freelance writer by night. Her work has appeared in Austin Monthly, Austin Woman, on chickstermag.com and in other publications. Kelly was very inspired by this month’s Savvy Women profile, Beverly Chasse, for her business savvy and her drive to help the less fortunate in Austin and throughout the world. If she had to pick one word to describe Chasse, it would be “charitable.” “Even though I have a master’s in creative writing, one thing they don’t teach you in school is how to write. It’s just something you have to feel.”
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Connect with us! find us online at austinwomanmagazine.com.
FEATURED EVENT
EDITOR’S PICK
DIERKS BENTLEY SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR 2015
Road Trip!
Aug. 28, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd. austin360amphitheater.com
Nothing can compare to the Big Easy. It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina threatened to destroy New Orleans. One of the greatest and most iconic cities in the United States has come back in a big way. Join us as we go way down yonder to visit the Big Easy as it stands triumphant today.
Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Dierks Bentley welcomes special guests Kip Moore, Maddie & Tae and Canaan Smith. Tweet @austinwoman with your favorite @dierksbentley lyrics for a chance to win two tickets to his show at @austin360amp, and add hashtags #awgiveaway #cota.
Check out austinwomanmagazine.com from Jen Hatmaker. Check out her recipes, favorite books, partner organiza➥ More tions and her manifesto for rallying around a family member experiencing cancer. wellness. Choose Healthy is a free mobile app developed by It’s Time Texas ➥ More in collaboration with the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas that connects families and individuals to real-time information, including more than 70,000 exercise activities and healthy-eating resources from the local community of 500 registered fitness, nutrition and wellness businesses.
➥ More back to school. From dorm-room makeovers and essentials and DIY school
supplies, to where to get free and cheap textbooks and great after-school snacks, we make transitioning back to school fun and easy. We’ve also compiled a complete back-to-school guide with tips and tricks for upper- and underclassmen, from how to score well on your SATs, to crafting your resume. Plus, we share a bizarre back-to-school bucket list.
alternative learning. We take a look at gap years, study abroad and the ➥ More myriad volunteering options for students approaching college age who want to explore alternatives. dining. At times, patrons speak a different language than servers and ➥ More bartenders. We provide the proper etiquette on the dos and don’ts of dining out. bargains. We have details on the best (and cheapest) date-night spots in ➥ More Austin, as well as the best bargains for food, entertainment, summer activities and shopping. beauty. Stop putting harmful products on your face and opt for our exclu➥ More sive DIY facemasks. events. It’s hotter than you know what, but there’s still plenty going on. ➥ More We’ve got the scoop on the best ice cream places to prepare you for the Austin Ice Cream Festival, as well as the details about where to celebrate National Lemonade Day Aug. 20.
➥ More philanthropy. We put together a list of fun volunteer opportunities to
get older kids involved in the community. Plus, we preview the Austin Ice Ball, benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area.
Win This!
Family set of four tickets to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Legends at the Erwin Center, running Aug. 19 through 23. Bring on the clowns and the elephants, lions and tigers—the circus is coming to town. Want to win tickets to the Greatest Show on Earth? Post your favorite circus memory on facebook.com/austinwoman by Aug. 15.
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18 | Austin Woman | august 2015
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Newsmaker
Willie Nelson Congratulations to former ATX Man cover man and Austin icon Willie Nelson. Nelson has been chosen as the next recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress. He joins previous recipients Paul Simon, Carole King, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder, among others. The prestigious award honors a living music artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting song to enhance cultural understanding, entertaining and informing audiences, and inspiring new generations. Events, including an award ceremony in November in Washington, D.C., will celebrate Austin’s most beloved singer-songwriter. We’ve got the details.
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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas. Willie Nelson photo by David McClister. Legends photo courtesy of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
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ON THE SCENE kristy’s top 10
August’s to-do list from 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas.
1
Aug. 28–30, Cool River Ranch, San Marcos, Texas floatfest.net Floating, camping, live music: One year in, and Float Fest is quickly becoming one of my favorite summer festivals. This year’s lineup promises to keep the momentum going, with a diverse bill that includes hometown favorites Ghostland Observatory and co-headliners Phantogram and Local Natives.
Photo by Aaron Rimbey.
By kristy owen
Float Fest
austinwomanmagazine.com | 21
n the scene
kristy’s top 10
Aug. 22, 4 p.m. to midnight, Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge roadwayevents.com/event/bat-fest
Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Jesse E. Segovia St. icecreamfestival.org This annual festival is a great way to beat the heat. There will be a homemade ice cream-making contest, a Popsicle stick-sculpture contest and probably the most popular of the contests: the ice cream-eating contest. The goal is to see who can eat a gallon of ice cream the fastest. It’s a fun event and a sure way to get a brain freeze. There will also be live entertainment, games and fun. Admission is $10 for adults. (Ice cream is included with admission.) Kids 8 and younger get in free.
2 Burger Monday at Swift’s Attic Mondays, 9 p.m., 315 Congress Ave. swiftsattic.com/events Every Monday, Swift’s Attic hosts Big Ass Burger Night, and these creations are not for the faint of heart. The burger changes weekly, and oftentimes, there will be a mashup with another local restaurant. In the past, featured items have included a pizza burger with Via 313. Every Monday is different and every Monday is delicious. Get there early to secure a burger spot. Also available: $3 pints every Monday.
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22 | Austin Woman | august 2015
3
Bat Fest
Austin Ice Cream Festival
Bat Fest is back! Living in Austin, you are probably familiar with the bats, but how often do you take the time to go see them take flight? This event is a great excuse! Congress Bridge will be turned into a complete bat festival. There will be three stages of live music, more than 75 arts-andcrafts vendors, tons of food and drinks, children’s activities, a bat-costume contest and more. The bats take off anywhere from about 7 to 8:30 p.m. Once they start emerging from under the bridge, their exodus can last up to 30 minutes. Admission is $10 (cash only) and kids 8 and younger get in free.
Kristy Owen is the event mastermind and blogger behind 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas. To stay up to date on the best Austin has to offer, visit her blog, 365thingsaustin.com.
Summer Moves at The Long Center
701 W. Riverside Drive thelongcenter.org
Certain activities are more fun in a large group. Working out is one of them. It seems to keep spirits high and makes things go faster. Camp Gladiator is hosting a free mega workout Aug. 1 as part of The Long Center’s Summer Moves program. The Long Center will also host a faisdo-do dance party for $5 Aug. 4. What’s a fais-do-do? It’s Cajun for “dance party.” Dell Hall will be turned into a bona fide Louisiana dancehall, with groove bands Oeuval and Gumbo Ce Soir performing. This falls on the same night as the last Trailer Food Tuesday for the season, so work up an appetite then head out to the terrace for trailer food. Schedule Aug. 1: Big Mega Workout with Camp Gladiator (free) Aug. 4: Fais-do-do with Gumbo Ce Soir and Oeuval Cajun Band ($5)
5
3. Photo courtesy of Bat Fest. 4. Photo by Natalie Paramore. 5. Photo by Melinda Kay Thoms.
O
7
Zilker Theatre productions Presents Hairspray
Every Thursday through Sunday through Aug. 15, approximately 8:15 p.m., Zilker Hillside Theater, 2201 Barton Springs Road zilker.org The 57th annual Zilker Summer Musical is back. This year, the performance is Hairspray. The outdoor venue at Zilker is perfect for an evening under the stars, and once the sun goes down, the weather is much more bearable. Don’t forget to bring a blanket, a loaded picnic basket, a cooler (no glass) and bug spray. Unfortunately, no pets are allowed. Admission is free. Parking is $5 per car.
6
8
Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival
Aug. 23, 11 to 5 p.m., Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Jesse E. Segovia St. austinchronicle.com/hot-sauce
In this hot weather, what’s better than eating hot sauce? This is the world’s largest hot-sauce festival. What can we say? Austin knows its salsa! This marks the 25th anniversary of the famed festival. Come hungry! The hot-sauce contest has three levels of competition: individuals (homemade), restaurants and commercial bottlers. There will also be plenty of food vendors serving up their specialty dishes. And as with all good festivals in Austin, there will be live music throughout the day. Not only is this event one of a kind, it benefits the Capital Area Food Bank. Last year, the event raised more than 45,300 meals for families in the Austin area. Admission is free with a donation of three healthy, nonperishable food items or a cash donation to the Capital Area Food Bank.
Austin Aztex Soccer
7:30 p.m., Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, 10211 W. Parmer Lane austinaztex.com/schedule Football season is just around the corner. But if you need a sport to hold you over, an Austin Aztex game is the way to go. Not only is this quality soccer, but there’s also live music, food trucks, a kids’ zone and more. Home Game Schedule
Aug. 1: versus Portland Timbers II Aug. 15: versus Los Angeles Galaxy II 6. Photo by David Ponton. 8. Photo by Carlos Barron.
Aug. 22: versus Orange County Blues FC
Austin Duck Derby
Aug. 8, 11 a.m., Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge duckrace.com/austin The Austin Duck Derby will launch 10,000 adopted yellow rubber ducks into Lady Bird Lake, where they’ll race to the finish line for prizes for their sponsors. Not only does the Austin Duck Derby support a fantastic cause, as it benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, it’s also a pretty cool sight. For as little as a $5 donation, you can “adopt” one of the rubber ducks. Prizes this year include a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta from Onion Creek Volkswagen, a Ducati Scrambler Icon from Ducati Austin, a one-week stay at Fairmont Heritage Place in Telluride, Colo., and more. I suggest upping your chances by going with the flock-of-ducks package: 25 ducks for $100.
9
The Wine Down at ACL Live
Tuesdays, 5 to 7 p.m., ACL Live, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. acl-live.com/calendar This is one of the best places for wine, snacks and live music on a Tuesday. Each week, a different restaurant from the Second Street District and surrounding downtown area will be onsite to provide food samples while guests enjoy happy hour-priced glasses featuring Mark West Wines. There will also be pop-up shops from local retailers and, of course, live music. Admission is free. Schedule
Aug. 11: Cilantro Boombox, with bites by W Austin Hotel’s Living Room Aug. 25: Austin Music Foundation presents Quiet Company and special guest Bee Caves, with bites by The Bonneville
10 austinwomanmagazine.com | 23
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MIND your business
Fearless Leader
CEO Beverly Chasse on taking risks, creating corporate core values, paying it forward and leading by example. By Kelly E. Lindner had started her company even sooner. “Someone advised me to start my company and because of fear, I waited,” Chasse says. “The worst thing we can do is let fear stop us. Be fearless. Take the risk.”
Driven
Professional
While many in Austin work to live, Chasse works to help fund mission work. And she asks the same of everyone who works with her at Chasse Consulting, the company she founded in 2002, which donates a portion of its profits to charities that help children. “I get everyone involved. I figure, if you’re going to work at Chasse Consulting, our drive is mission,” Chasse says. “It’s just part of our culture.” Chasse has personally helped the underprivileged in Africa, Kazakhstan and Haiti, while Chasse Consulting has funded the digging of water wells in Ethiopia. But why is it so important for Chasse to help underprivileged children? Because she’s been there. Self-sufficient
Chasse grew up in Goldsboro, N.C., as the youngest of seven children (four boys and three girls). At age 11, her mother died and she and her siblings were separated and passed to different relatives until someone helped Chasse to move into her own apartment at 15. From there, while attending Goldsboro High School, she supported herself by working at McDonald’s. She managed to stay in school while working past midnight most nights and was even a cheerleader, but kept her living situation mostly to herself, with only close friends in the know. “I struggled,” Chasse says. “I had to support, feed and clothe myself.” After high school, she continued her career in sales and found herself advancing every few years, and often asked to lead others. She credits this to her drive to be self-sufficient and do her best at any task or job put before her. It wasn’t until her 30s that she realized how passionate she was about leading people. That’s when, a year and a half after moving to Austin from Charleston, S.C., she started her own company. But she wishes she 24 | Austin Woman | august 2015
This venture started with just one employee, herself, and quickly grew to three, including her sister Debbie Chasse, Chasse Consulting’s current chief financial officer. Today, Chasse Consulting has almost 30 employees and has been named a Best Place to Work by the Austin Business Journal three years running. When not helping dig wells in Ethiopia, Chasse Consulting helps leading IT organizations (some Fortune 500 companies)
increase revenue by improving their sales strategies and reaching audiences globally. Chasse describes her customers as “the kindest people that drive us to excellence,” but to Chasse Consulting, excellence is more than revenue. This is clear from the core values that hang on the wall in the office, which boil down to serving their customers, serving each other and serving the community while maintaining quality, integrity and professionalism. “That is the big push for the company, ensuring that we are true to our core values and true to our mission. If you look at our core values, every one of them meet exactly that,” Chasse says, referring to her fellow employees and their dedication. She describes her employees as “authentic,” “eclectic” and “like family.” One of her favorite things to do at company parties is to have everyone say one positive word to describe each employee. “I make everyone do it in my personal life too,” Chasse laughs. “We sit around at Thanksgiving and everybody has to say a nice thing about you. We’re so fast just to think about the bad things in life, so isn’t it nice just to hear nothing but good?” Philanthropic
One of the charities Chasse Consulting routinely donates profits to is Manos de Cristo. Founded in 1988, this nonprofit is committed to empowering low-income individuals through adult-education classes, food and clothing programs, a low-cost dental center and a back-toschool program. It was the back-to-school program that drew Chasse to the nonprofit in 2006. When she heard that Manos gave backpacks, school supplies, books and clothing to underprivileged children, she and a small group of friends showed up to volunteer. “It just really touched my heart because I was one of those kids growing up,” Chasse says. “I knew the struggle that these children go through.” Chasse recalls every detail of the moment she saw the girl she was going to help that day. “I bent down to her and said, ‘OK, are you ready to go shopping?’ ” Chasse says, noting that the girl was so happy and excited, she started shaking. That was the moment Chasse found her mission. Chasse has been involved with Manos for nine years, serving on the board for six
Photo by Carlos Galindo.
Beverly Chasse, CEO of Chasse Consulting: Sales Strategies Inc., has a lot more than business savvy. She has street savvy, she has sales savvy and, above all else, she has a mission.
and chairing the board for three. “Longer than I was supposed to,” Chasse says. “They asked me to stay.” During her time as board chair, Chasse helped raise more than $1.5 million for the nonprofit’s mission and spearheaded the construction of a new dental center that enabled Manos to increase the number of people it provides dental care to each year from 4,000 to 11,000. The nonprofit’s annual gala also saw a huge evolution. What started in a high-school gym was hosted at ACL Live at The Moody Theater this year, when Chasse co-chaired the event. It also raised a lot more money. “Years ago, we were lucky if we got $7,000,” Chasse says. “This year, I think it was $145,000.” That money will go toward all the good that Manos is doing for the community, and many have taken notice of Chasse’s personal dedication to helping the impoverished. In 2014, the Austin AmericanStatesman named Chasse a Jefferson Award honoree for her service to the community. “Mission serves me as much as it serves somebody else,” Chasse says. “I would love to know that I’m leaving the earth having done something…of significance in somebody’s life. And I’d like to be joyful in the process.”
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Leaders Don’t Compromise Beverly Chasse’s Pointers for Leading Effectively 1. Be present. Each person on your team is critical to overall success. Do you know them professionally and personally? You should. 2. Not all days are good, and that’s OK. Selling is fun but not always easy. Be the pillar of strength, motivation and guidance. Sometimes just saying, “I get it and we will figure this out” is all a person needs to hear. 3. Celebrate successes. Celebrate every win. Celebrate loud. Revel in it. Success is contagious, so be sure to fan the flame. 4. Lead by example and get your hands dirty. There is no greater motivator than getting deeply involved in the work alongside your team. Everyone grows, including you. 5. Be consistent in your expectations. Always follow a sales process, expect criteria to be met and expect the best. 6. Dust off those skills. No person is perfect. Help your team embrace learning, mentoring and sharing. Sharing one person’s strength may be all another needs to change the game. 7. Speak their language. Do you know if a person is motivated by words, gifts or time? Understand their language and speak to it. 5lovelanguages.com/profile 8. Reinforce the goal. Does each team member have a professional and personal goal that can be achieved through their success at work? Help them set the plan and check in on the progress during your one-on-ones. 9. Core values are not optional. Never waiver from your value system and beliefs. Your team is watching how you handle not only the successes, but also adversity. Show them how to handle everything with grace. 10. Sell with integrity. Success can only be measured by your customer. Do what is right. Always.
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innovative education
Going Beyond the Labels
Why specialized education should be the new norm. By Molly McManus, Photos by Dustin Meyer
Many in the educational arena believe the one-size-fits-all method for educating children is no longer a viable approach. Education is complicated, and children’s learning styles vary. While schools work to evolve with the times and cater to the success of their students, many students are not receiving the optimal education they need and deserve. Children are frequently assigned to a category derived from what is deemed “normal.” Whether they are labeled as being ADHD, gifted or dyslexic, these divisions are inevitably assigned. While it’s important to identify learning differences to know how best to serve children, the quick fixes need to be abandoned in exchange for systems that address children as whole beings needing holistic approaches to learning. Luckily, in Austin, there are many people bridging varied educational gaps to not only help children be successful, but also engage their families. Austin Woman spotlights three local women who are working to go beyond the labels to create innovative learning environments and programs for children.
Laura Steinbach Rawson Saunders School
“Where dyslexic meets extraordinary,” is the inspiring tagline of the Rawson Saunders School. The school serves grades 1 through 10 and is the only full-curriculum school in Central Texas for children with dyslexia. “Most of our [students] have come to us having struggled, having experienced failure. School wasn’t working out for them,” explains Head of School Laura Steinbach. “It’s not that they aren’t smart. It’s that the approach to teaching in many school environments is not a match for their learning style. … They think it’s about them. Often, they come broken, as if they don’t have what other kids have or they’re not as intelligent as other kids. I love watching them see that they were wrong, and then ensuring that they get the education they deserve—and that every single one of us would have wanted.” This is what drives the mission of Rawson Saunders: ensuring students receive excellent education despite their learning differences. Taking a multifaceted approach, the school provides small class sizes, supports teachers’ autonomy and has departmentalized instruction according to teacher expertise, even at the elementary-school level. Steinbach constantly examines what’s working and what’s not, and allows teachers to alter curriculum when it’s not reaching students. To meet this need, teachers must work together across content areas. “If [the student is] studying something in math that they can be working on in science and in art and in woodshop, the kids have a very connected understanding of what the world is like,” Steinbach says. “They understand that things don’t happen in compartments or in isolation.” But to guarantee students can see the big picture, Steinbach emphasizes the importance of providing a safe learning environment. “We want [students] to learn the greatest benefit of all is working hard, that what you get on the other side is an achievement that you could never have gotten before,” she says. “In order to introduce them to that, we have to create an experience that makes it safe for them to learn it. 26 | Austin Woman | august 2015
I definitely don’t see our job as making life easy for kids. I see it as making kids feel safe emotionally so that they can take the risks that are required for them to learn.” Through the tree-studded campus of Rawson Saunders, colorful portable doors lead to the elementary-level classrooms. Photos of famous people with dyslexia grace the windows—
Whoopi Goldberg, Winston Churchill, Steven Spielberg and Orlando Bloom, to name a few— demonstrating that just because students here have a learning difference doesn’t mean they can’t be successful. Students walk from portable to portable between classes, much like middle- or high-school students. This gives them a chance to stretch their legs and breathe some fresh air, and also builds their confidence as they develop independency. Because of the growing interest in Rawson Saunders and the profound effects it has been proven to show in childhood development, the school has not only outgrown its space (hence the portables), but there’s also a long waiting list, something Steinbach is addressing through fundraising, locating new facilities and hiring the right people. She runs the school much
like a business and sees it as one that can be reproducible, not just for more dyslexic students, but for every student. “Modeling what can be done in schools is not just about getting the academics right; it is about getting the culture right, getting the environment right,” she says. One of the ways in which she’s done this is expanding the school from a two-year program to one that now serves 10 grade levels, ensuring a certain level of quality. There’s also a major focus on nutrition, with fresh lunches comprised of organic, local ingredients sourced from onsite gardens or farmers markets. But it doesn’t stop at the students. Rawson Saunders also has a wellness program for the health of the faculty, vital in maintaining the overall excellence of the education. Rawson Saunders is recognized nationally as a leader in innovative teaching methods tailored specifically to the way students with dyslexia learn. The school nurtures students’ strengths while addressing needs and moving beyond mainstream approaches, like standardized testing. “Once you have students take [standardized tests], then teachers start teaching to the test. And then you kind of destroy education. The fix isn’t easy and it’s definitely not about a test,” Steinbach says. “It’s not that we don’t have an education expectation for [students]. We want them to get the knowledge. We also know that they’re not going to get to the knowledge just because we want them to. If they’re not getting it the way we’re teaching it, then we may need to teach in a different way. Eventually, the students build momentum because their confidence increases and then they’re more capable of learning faster and making connections with other things.” Rawson Saunders is unique in its implementation of childhood learning and development, yet it is something every family would want for their child, regardless of the learning style. Providing transformational education, Steinbach hopes her school can serve as an example of how every child can embrace differences and see it as a gift in order to meet their greatest potential. rawsonsaunders.org
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innovative education
Adriana Rodriguez
Sheena McFeely
Austin Eco Bilingual School
ASL Nook
Most teachers are passionate about providing quality education and are committed to doing so. Adriana Rodriguez took that commitment to an incredible new level when, in 2008, she and her husband sold their home so she could continue to operate a much-needed resource in the community, the Austin Eco Bilingual School. Based on the Reggio Emilia Approach, AEBS is a Spanish-immersion school started in 2007, its goal being to shape students into global citizens through bilingual education. In addition to becoming bilingual and biliterate in Spanish and English, students at AEBS’ four locations begin developing proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and French, allowing them to be able to communicate with nearly 40 percent of the world’s population by the time they reach middle school. Recently, AEBS became an International Baccalaureate-accredited school for children 3 to 12 years old, which furthers AEBS’ commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education. Rodriguez believes the classroom should be a place of innovation and genuine learning that is relevant to our diverse world. AEBS provides inclusive and transdisciplinary education, going beyond traditional subject areas and integrating learning concepts throughout a child’s day. “The classroom is the third teacher,” Rodriguez says. “We make sure the classroom is full of discovery, exploration and experiences.” AEBS embraces the idea that everyone has different learning styles, but that doesn’t mean they need to be segregated or removed from a classroom. “It’s treated as inclusive education,” Rodriguez explains, noting that at AEBS, teachers see differences as something natural that further students’ molding into global citizens, helping them to recognize the differences and learn how to work together. “If we work in collaboration with different groupings and not care so much about testing—because we all the time say we need to make sure every single child learns this many words and reads at this type of pace, and education is not like that,” she says. Through inquiry-based learning, Rodriguez and AEBS are teaching the importance of personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health, to look at one’s self to better understand the world and its rich diversity. There’s a huge focus on community and giving back, and Rodriguez herself volunteers by training educators outside the AEBS community. “[At AEBS,] you can see a community and that community is a family and that family helps the school to grow. When you see that setting, it inspires you,” Rodriguez says. With three school locations in Austin and one in Houston, AEBS is expanding its reach and looking to bring its global approach to learning to as many children and families as possible. austinbilingualschool.com
“More than 90 percent of deaf children are born into hearing families,” Sheena McFeely says. As a deaf child in a hearing family, she experienced firsthand the lack of exposure to role models and the need to develop a healthy identity as a deaf person. “When my parents, fortunately, brought ASL and deaf people in my life, my world opened up…conversations became deeper and broader,” she says. “There is no doubt I wanted the same experience for every deaf child.” As she started her family, raising two daughters, one deaf and one hearing, she wanted to create a space in which deaf children had a place to see and relate to people like them, and also connect families in supporting the natural language of the deaf child. She created the educational website ASL Nook, which features videos of her, her two young daughters and her husband effectively teaching ASL in a fun and interactive way. “ASL Nook was born to be a place where two walls meet—two worlds meet—to learn a new language and culture from a deaf family, my family, that is, online,” McFeely says. After launching the site, McFeely received attention from viewers throughout the world sharing how the website had transformed their lives and the lives of their children, families and students. ASL Nook also began to get noticed by the likes of BuzzFeed, E Online, Mental Floss and The Huffington Post. Favorite videos on the site include “Zoo Animals in ASL,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas in ASL,” “Makeup, hair accessories and jewelry in ASL” and “Emotions in ASL.” Not only are the videos captivating, engaging and informative, they’re also downright adorable, with McFeely’s 3- and 6-year-old daughters expressively signing and acting out various scenarios for viewers. McFeely’s latest project is a children’s book, Shay & Ivy Beyond the Kingdom, set to become a series. “The book was written to truly touch on how hard it is to be really you when society has expectations based on little girls being princesses,” she explains. “In other words, this book is about going beyond the labels,” much like ASL Nook. “There are not enough shows like ours out there who [represent] our people, culture and language in its truest form,” she continues, noting the feedback from parents who, because of ASL Nook, have newfound hope for the potential of their children, as well as a place for their families to connect. “When a hearing viewer—be it an ASL student, parent or a stranger who just happens to land on our website—sees ASL Nook, they instantly relate. Our viewers love that we are a real family with a variety of signing styles who laughs, teases and teaches together…which makes ASL more engaging to learn.” While ASL Nook is bridging the gap between hearing and deaf worlds, the website, at the end of the day, is a place to come together to learn, to share ideas, to celebrate difference and to have fun. aslnook.com austinwomanmagazine.com | 29
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MUST engage
A Tale of Two Austins: The Impact Outside the Classroom
Austin’s powerful youth-development programs work to fill after-school hours with interactive, educational activities. By Daryl Mogilewsky
In Austin’s nonprofit world, the reference to “A Tale of Two Austins” is not uncommon. We are the Live Music Capital of the World and the burgeoning Silicon Valley of the Southwest, but Kiester wants to remind us to be active participants in philanthropy, volunteerism and conversations about engaging with our disadvantaged youth. Nationwide, the Boys & Girls Clubs (BGC) is the market leader in providing after-school programming for students from elementary through high school. Since 2001, the Austin area BGC has grown from working in three schools to 23 schools (soon to be 25), and it serves 12,000 kids a year in our communities. Therefore, consulting the organization about the importance of proper after-school programming seemed a natural fit. Unsupervised afterschool hours are linked to higher rates of juvenile crime, teen parenthood, and drug and alcohol use. Studies show that effective after-school programs lower these rates by providing appropriate supervision and by turning those hours into
productive learning opportunities. Additionally, it’s no secret that, in recent years, many schools have had to cut programs like art and music. Out-of-school programming offers students time to engage with subjects not taught during class time and allows them to apply lessons learned in school to diverse settings. “The key element of great outof-school-time programming, whether it’s provided by us or
30 | Austin Woman | august 2015
someone else, is intentionality. It needs to be well-structured. It needs to be interspaced. It needs to be fun and interactive,” Kiester shares fervently. The BGC does not claim to be the expert in all areas of educational programming, which is why the group works so closely with more than 62 local nonprofits and organizations to provide opportunities for various areas of
student interest. The BGC works with Austin-based educational programs that have focuses ranging from the arts to sports to STEM education. Austin’s powerful after-school programs work to foster a lifelong love of learning and improved levels of education in our youth by learning and growing with them and providing interactive programs that align with their interests.
Photo courtesy of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area.
“We’re a wonderful city with huge growth and lots of amenities, but we need to begin to really take an introspective look at the other Austin,” says Mark Kiester, chief professional officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area.
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Boys & Girls clubs partners 4-H Capital provides high-quality after-school enrichment programs that are hands-on and focus on science, engineering and technology. Students experience everything from raising goats to experimenting with robotics. agrilife.org/capital4-h Creative Action cultivates deeper connections to lessons learned in the classroom through its hands-on, creative and art-focused after-school and in-the-classroom programs. creativeaction.org Coast 2 Coast Soccer offers summer camps and after-school programs that use soccer as a vehicle for teaching STEM education. c2csoccer.com
Furthermore, to create intentional programming, many of these youthdevelopment organizations charter a list of principles they aim to instill in their participants. Academic success is a principle that the BGC focuses on, but as Kiester points out, it’s hard to be successful academically without the other two club principles of character/leadership development and healthy lifestyles. Research shows that two characteristics of effective programs are that they provide an opportunity for informal learning and that they support and complement classroom learning by emphasizing social, emotional and physical development. With all these ingredients, after-school programs cultivate well-rounded, confident and skillful young adults.
“The evidence and the research clearly indicate that you’re going to have a lot of impact on these kids,” Kiester says when asked about the most rewarding part of his job. A Tale of Two Austins is evident in the estimated 117,000 children living in poverty in Central Texas, and this tale is why Austin’s education-focused nonprofits and organizations work unremittingly to provide further opportunities and to make their programs accessible to children from all backgrounds. Like Kiester says, “Kids are 28 percent of our population and 100 percent of our future.” bgcaustin.org
Outside the Classroom
Photos courtesy of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area.
Austin’s Youth-Development Programs This city is teeming with opportunities for young Austinites. Here are a few outstanding programs offered in our area. The First Tee provides educational programs to build character and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. It offers summer camps and specialized physical-education classes during school hours. thefirstteeaustin.org Kids in a New Groove supplies instructors for free at-home music lessons for children in the fostercare system in Central Texas. kidsinanewgroove.org GENaustin, the Girls Empowerment Network, offers after-school programs, workshops and summer camps that focus on education and conversations about challenges young girls face today. genaustin.org
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Must Read
College Bound
With the circled move-in date rapidly approaching, here are resources to get you through everything from meeting new people to acing your first exam. By Lydia McAllister Heading off to college comes with a vortex of emotions. As much excitement as there is, there’s just as much anxiety. Will it be like the movies? We can’t promise that, but we have found three of the best books to read before the big move. These handy reads will be your guide to it all, whether it’s your first year or your last. Not only are these for the young women leaving the nest, but they’re also for the mothers who will be there to watch proudly as their daughters head off on their next adventure. So take a break from packing and soak up the wisdom from these authors, who can answer all your college questions. Daring Greatly Daring Greatly is about vulnerability and the myth that being vulnerable means you are weak. Author Dr. Brené Brown asks us to consider what being alive is without being vulnerable because vulnerability leads to beautiful things such as love, joy, courage and creativity. Brown encourages readers to put the negativity surrounding vulnerability behind us, to create a life that we are proud to live. Whether you’re going to college, coming out of a breakup or going through a rough time, this book will allow you to pause and reflect on how you perceive vulnerability and how to break past those barriers.
The Daring Way Workshop Dr. Shayna Barksdale and Dr. Brené Brown are the brains behind The Daring Way Workshop. The workshop is a college retreat for young women heading off to college or returning home after a semester. It is based on Brown’s research and teachings, and info found in her book Daring Greatly. The two women recognize that college can be just as wonderful as it can be anxiety-inducing. It’s common for young women to go to college and constantly compare themselves to others, thinking that if they only lose 10 pounds or get on the dean’s list that they’ll feel worthy. Barksdale and Brown want to help young women realize that their worth is not based on these comparisons. The weekend-long workshop is therapy-intensive. “It really can be seed planting for some, and have life-changing aha moments for others,” Barksdale says. There is a big creative project at the end of the workshop, and watercoloring and collaging throughout the weekend. Barksdale says her favorite part of the workshop is weaving creativity into the therapy. During the weekend, the young women are asked to make a mask collage, with the outside of the mask representing what they show the world and the inside representing what they’re ashamed of. “Creativity is a great way to express yourself when you can’t find the right words,” Barksdale says. Brown will release her next book, Rising Strong, Aug. 25. Barksdale and Brown will update the workshop to include key points from this new book. For more on the Aug. 9 and 10 workshop and to sign up, visit austintherapyforgirls.com/the-daring-way, email admin@austintherapyforgirls.com or call 512.981.5279.
34 | Austin Woman | august 2015
I’ll Miss You Too I’ll Miss You Too by Margo Ewing Woodacre and Steffany Bane Carey addresses the experience of children going away to college from both the parents’ and the student’s perspective. The book is based on Woodacre’s and Carey’s own experiences dealing with the move from home to college. I’ll Miss You Too includes info on how to handle graduation, back-to-school issues, the first visit home, spring break, majors, the empty nest and life after graduation. By combining their own firsthand knowledge with others’ who’ve been there, the two women have laid the groundwork for developing open and honest communication between students and parents, regardless of the distance between them.
U Chic: College Girls’ Real Advice for Your First Year (and Beyond!) Christie Garton, founder of UChic, prepared U Chic: College Girls’ Real Advice for Your First Year (and Beyond!) with young women in mind. Fifty-three contributors helped create a guidebook covering everything from social life to internships. The book gives real advice from real women who have stood in the same shoes. You will even feel philanthropic buying a copy because each book sold helps fund scholarships for high-school and college-aged women through UChic’s 1,000 Dreams Fund, which provides $1,000 in scholarships to young women in the U.S. to help them pursue their dreams. This book covers all the bases and will answer any and every question you have going into your first year or fourth year of college.
On the Web: Gap Year Sometimes the four-year plan doesn’t pan out the way you thought it would. Gap year refers to that time you need to find out where your heart really lies. One opportunity for students deferring college in favor of a gap year is Projects Abroad, which helps students every step of the way, giving them the support and information to make planning a gap year a stress-free and fulfilling experience. The organization has a number of options for gap-year students who are interested in volunteer programs and internships in developing countries, whether a student has chosen to do a full gap year abroad or just a few months. Projects Abroad is a global leader in short-term international volunteer programs, with projects in 27 countries and recruitment offices in 18 countries. For more information on gap years, check out our web exclusive at austinwomanmagazine.com.
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Treat yourself to a made-to-order pair of ice-cream or cake shoes from Shoe Bakery. An array of “flavors” are available, like these Premium Strawberry Ice Cream heels, $300, available at shoebakery.com. What better way to be the talk of the Austin Ice Cream Festival?
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austinwomanmagazine.com austinwomanmagazine.com | 37
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ASK ASHLEY
SHOP LIKE A STYLIST
How to get the most bang for your buck. By ashley Hargrove, photo by rudy arocha
Throughout my years as a wardrobe stylist, I have found myself shopping for commercials, editorials and individuals, blogging and also finding time to style myself, most of these on a tight budget. I’m finally revealing some of my favorite wardrobe-stylist tips that will not only help you look fabulous, but also stop you from wasting money on clothes and accessories you don’t really need. First and foremost, choose clothing according to your body type. Not everyone is going to look like a supermodel in those skinny jeans and white Ts. When shopping, you must be aware and acknowledge your flaws and body type, and really focus on clothing that will bring out the best of your features. Shop for full outfits. Most people will shop for individual pieces and get home and only have a handful of tops but no bottoms or accessories to go with them. Shop for outfits instead and ask yourself, “Do I have at least three different outfits I can wear this with?” This will save you quite a bit of time and money.
necessarily a bad thing. Moss Designer Consignment is one of my favorite resale shops in Austin. The shop consigns gently used designer items and sells them for a fraction of the original cost. No one should ever pay full retail for designer clothing because it is such a rip-off. This brings me to my next point. Shop sales! Sales are your best friends. Not only do you get to see how ridiculously marked up designer clothing is, you can get it pretty inexpensively. The key is to wait for the right times to shop certain retailers’ sales. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack are great examples. They have huge sales during the summer, for anniversaries and semiannually, and you can get massive discounts on brand-new fall clothing. Neiman Marcus Last Call is another great retailer that has deeply discounted designer merchandise that is still in season. Keep an eye out for return policies. These can make or break a sale for me. I only want to shop at places that have a very lax return policy. As a stylist, I buy and return a lot, and it’s imperative that I find retailers that understand this and won’t fuss about returns. Nordstrom is the retailer with, by far, the best return policy for online and in-store purchases.
Accessories can make or break an outfit. I’ve seen many people overdo it, and let me tell you, less is more. Too much jewelry can make an entire outfit look frumpy and overdone. Say you’re wearing a solid color. Have fun by pairing it with a statement necklace or bracelet, or just keep it simple with a pair of statement earrings. A statement piece can be your secret weapon, but I only recommend wearing one type of statement jewelry at a time.
Don’t be afraid to shop online. Online retailers throw out discounts left and right to encourage people to shop online. The best stores will also offer free shipping and returns, no matter the cost of the items.
Purchase investment pieces. Be smart when investing in fashion you can wear multiple times and multiple ways. I wouldn’t recommend splurging on a dress you are going to wear one time. Invest in key pieces of your wardrobe that will last you for years, such as a leather jacket, black pumps, a nice leather handbag, etc.
Lastly and most importantly, don’t be afraid to shop on a budget. Like I’ve said before, don’t waste all your hardearned money on clothing. You can find amazing clothing for great prices if you do a little searching, as shown in the photo to the right. The majority of these highlighted pieces are less than $25 and look and feel very high quality. I’ve listed some of my favorite retailers I personally frequent while shopping on a budget.
Don’t be afraid to shop at resale or consignment stores. Resale shops are popping up all over the place, and that’s not
Check out my Instagram @dtkaustin for more affordable looks that are almost always less than $100!
Uptown Cheapskate: a resale shop focusing on more mature looks and accessories 3005 S. Lamar Blvd., suite 110-A uptowncheapskate.com Moss Designer Consignment: a consignment/ resale shop for designer goods 705 S. Lamar Blvd. mossaustin.com Target: You can buy anything and everything! 5300 S. Mopac Expressway (and many other Austin locations) target.com
38 | Austin Woman | august 2015
Forever 21: This shop has really stepped up its game in the quality and designs of its merchandise. Shop for men and women, but be aware the return policy offers exchange for store credit only. Barton Creek Square, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. forever21.com Beehive Boutique: This is one of my favorite local shops that carries trendy women’s clothing at extremely reasonable prices. 3300 Bee Cave Road, suite 400 lovebeehive.com
Strut: This is another great Austin boutique selling women’s clothing at great prices. 2208 S. Lamar Blvd. shopstrut.com Nordstrom: This is my favorite retailer that carries men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Barton Creek Square, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. nordstrom.com PerriBerri: I always find something unique and affordable at this cute shop. 2805 Bee Cave Road perriberri.com
Photo courtesy of Ashley Hargrove.
Spots to Shop
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1. Blue sunglasses, $10, Beehive Boutique
7. Caged ankle-strap sandals, $15.90, Forever 21
2. Beige sunglasses, $15, PerriBerri
8. Statement necklace with stones, $11, Target
3. Nail polish, two for $5, Forever 21
9. Print tank with layering contrast, $44, PerriBerri
4. Drop earrings with stones, $5.99, Target
10. Denim shorts, $19.90, Forever 21
5. White cross-body bag, $24.90, Forever 21
11. Fedora, $10.90, Forever 21
6. Paige denim jeans, $25, Plato's Closet
12. Stretch bracelet, $10; beaded stretch bracelet set, $9, Target 13. Sunglasses, $7.99, Target 14. Multicolored iPhone case, $39.95, casetify.com 15. Beaded flatform sandal, $29.90, Forever 21 16. Street Level multicolored clutch, $35, Strut
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trends
BEST-DRESSED GUEST
Let a wedding’s location dictate your style. written, styled and modeled by Ashley hargrove photos by rudy arocha Hair by Erica Rae and Jay Gosh makeup by Laura martinez Makeup assistant: Danielle Payne Shot on location at The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St., 512.458.8191, thecontemporaryaustin.org
Beach Beach weddings are always a pleasure to attend, but you run into concerns about what to wear, whether it is a formal setting or more casual and whether it’s actually on the beach or inside a venue on the beach. Formal beach-wedding attire should consist of a more formal maxi dress. Throw on a pair of sturdy wedge sandals since you will most likely be walking in the sand. Finish off your look with some dainty jewelry and a cute clutch. Casual beach-wedding attire gives you a chance to dress like you’re on a beach getaway. Wear a flowing chiffon maxi dress with a pair of wedges or strappy sandals. You might be walking in the sand, so keep that in mind. Keep your look simple. Wear dainty jewelry and add a pop of color with your handbag to spice things up. If you want to add a little more of a wow factor, throw on a floppy hat, and you’re all set.
Tangerine multicolored silk beaded maxi dress, $375, available at Julian Gold, 1214 W. Sixth St., 512.473.2493, juliangold.com; Hobo Bags Lauren tangerine fold-over clutch, $110, available at PerriBerri, 2805 Bee Cave Road, 512.478.3785, perriberri.com; Sam & Libby Toni slide sandals, $26.99; Verona black-ribbon floppy hat, $14.99, available at Target stores, target.com.
40 | Austin Woman | AUgust august 2015
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Formal Formal weddings are some of the trickiest to dress for. They are known for elegance and are normally hosted at extremely sophisticated venues, which means you need to dress the part. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to wear an evening gown, but you are definitely expected to dress up more than usual. If you prefer a shorter cocktail dress, be sure there are some dressier elements, such as lace or beaded detailing. The same goes if you are opting to wear an evening gown. You can up the sex appeal with cutout details, lace or beads and a killer pair of heels. Sue Wong Flame cocktail dress, $375; Pelle Moda pewter Kacey heels, $175; Sondra Roberts shell mother-of-pearl box clutch, $190, available at Julian Gold, 1214 W. Sixth St., 512.473.2493, juliangold.com; BaubleBar stretch bracelet, $34, baublebar.com.
42 | Austin Woman | august 2015 2015
trends
COUNTRY CHIC Country chic is definitely a fun way to style up a rustic outdoor wedding. Keep it simple with a flattering dress that is comfortable and casual. I opted for a gray empire-waist maxi dress with embroidered flowers, and cowboy boots. Nothing says ranch wedding like a pair of cowboy boots. Make a statement with a solid-color dress or a printed skirt, simple accessories and a pair of cowboy boots to dance the night away.
Biya gray storm floral-embroidered lace-overlay dress, $402; Hobo Bags Lauren platinum fold-over clutch, $110, available at PerriBerri, 2805 Bee Cave Road, 512.478.3785, perriberri.com; Toni Lama cowboy boots, stylist's own.
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BEAUTY
Beauty on a Budget
Your one-stop shop for top-rated drugstore beauty products, all less than $15. BY Brooke Watson
T
he blistering days of late summer are bittersweet. Weekend explorations soaking up the summer sunshine, patio lounging with friends on warm evenings and the aroma of barbecue in the air are seasonal treasures that are sometimes hard to appreciate when the temperature looks like it may break the thermometer. Still, you throw on that cute sun hat and trek out of the house for a margarita or snow cone, and do your best to ignore the back-to-school advertisements on the radio. It’s these moments when you’re reminded that there’s a feeling of change nudging at the corners of your mind, and you have to start planning for the upcoming months. Whether you’re a returning student or heading back to work, you want to look your best as you set out to tackle the world, and naturally, your beauty routine needs to help you do just that. Let Austin Woman save you time and money on the industry’s top-rated products so you can savor the end of summer in style.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 55 First things first: Protect your precious skin with an SPF that works hard without making you feel like an oil slick. The non-greasy formula is dermatologist-recommended, but more importantly, will leave your skin smooth and matte while blocking harmful UV rays. Awards: Allure Best of Beauty 2009, 2008 and 2006; Readers' Choice 2015 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $10.49.
L’oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara This is an oldie but a goodie. Looking for lashes that wow without clumping or feeling stiff? You’ve met your match with this mascara staple. Awards: Allure Best of Beauty 1996 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $7.99.
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer
Revlon ColorBurst Balm Stain This is the answer to your lip-color dilemma. It’s comfortable like a balm, got color payoff like a lipstick but the staying power of a stain. It’s packed with shea, mango and coconut butters, so your lips will never be softer. Our favorite shade is Honey, a light mauve that somehow seems to suit everyone. Awards: Allure Readers’ Choice 2015 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $8.99.
44 | Austin Woman | august 2015
You know the drill: Wash your face, moisturize and slather on the sunscreen. But what’s a girl to do when she’s craving that summer-kissed skin? Meet your new best friend. This drugstore self-tanner will give you a gradual glow that won’t turn you orange or give your skin an unusual smell, so it won’t be long until you start swooning over your soft, bronze skin. Awards: Allure Best of Beauty 2014, 2013; Readers’ Choice 2013 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $12.99.
Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin and Normal/Dry Skin
Simple Micellar Water
Perfect for the late summer days, this medium-to-full coverage liquid foundation will be your new go-to. Formulated for skin that has a tendency to break up normal foundations, this will stay put and combat shine while remaining lightweight. Awards: Allure Best Foundations for Under $20 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $11.69.
Washing your face has never been easier. Unlike makeup wipes, this special cleanser will leave you fresh-faced without leaving any residue behind, and works double duty in hydrating your skin as well. Stash it next to your bed with a pack of cotton rounds and never skip washing your face before bed again. Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $7.99.
OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath With the perfect color for every skin tone and every occasion, it’s not hard to see why this OPI shade has been knocking it out of the park for seven years now. A couple of swipes of this elegant pale-pink shade will have you feeling polished, no matter what the day may bring. Awards: Allure Best of Beauty 2010 and 2009; Readers’ Choice 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $8.50.
Dove Refresh and Care Dry Shampoo You know you’re not supposed to wash your hair every day, but resisting the temptation to wash it can be nearly impossible, particularly when you feel more like a dirty mop than yourself. Ditch the dirt and refresh your locks with this relatively new dry shampoo, which gives so much volume, you’ll feel like you just left the salon. Awards: Allure Best of Beauty 2014 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $6.11.
John Frieda Frizz Ease Original 6 Effects Serum Every woman knows that humidity is a recipe for a hair disaster. Beat bad weather to the punch and banish frizz with this silicone-based serum. Bonus: This product will give you extra shiny locks while protecting your hair from harmful UV rays. Awards: Allure Best of Beauty 2006 and 2005; Best of Beauty Hall of Fame 2011; Readers’ Choice 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2004 and 2003 Find it at your local drugstore, supermarket or Ulta for $9.99.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 45
H
ome
Bargain hunting
Estate Sales 101
Everything you need to know to get the best deals and products at estate and garage sales, and where to find them. Story and photos By Silvana Di Ravenna
Estate sales are not for the faint of heart. Whether you are an expert or a total novice, estate sales can be intimidating, even for the most daring shoppers. Where to go, when to go, what to bring and what to look for: There are just so many aspects to be considered when adventuring into the rewarding and daunting experience that is treasure hunting. If you’ve been toying with the idea of visiting these massive sales but don’t know where to begin, you’re in luck, for we’ve recently met with the ultimate estate-sales expert, Margaret Thomas-Barry, who not only carries the most impressive selection of antiques in her own shop inside the Antique Marketplace on Burnet Road, but is also a serious collector herself. Thomas-Barry, who specializes in Mexican and South American antiques, shares her insider tips on the best places to shop, the differences between sale locations and much more.
MTB: Estate sales, if they are true estate sales, offer a unique opportunity to shop a lifetime collection of treasures. The best sales are perhaps an older individual’s that lived in the same place for many years with a treasure trove of old things, sales that offer unorganized lots and boxes to dig through on your own, so stamina and persistence is required! Most estate sales are clean and well organized with a wide variety of offerings, literally from soup to nuts, garage items to formal living room. AW: Many people wonder what the main differences are between estate sales and garage sales. MTB: Garage sales are not set up by professional sellers looking to liquidate a lifetime or whole household full of goods. Therefore, they generally have lower prices and occur over a shorter time span. Estate-sale sellers will be looking to get the maximum amount of money for their clients yet not pricing things out of market. AW: Please tell us about your shop, which, by the way, we couldn’t get enough of.
Austin Woman: How did you get started in the fascinating world of antiques collection?
MTB: My shop is my passion and, over time, it has evolved to feature mainly the things that I love: Mexican folk art, early Texas oils and prints, and anything vintage or antique that is interesting, quirky or one of a kind. Since I am a collector, it also allows me to let go of a few things to bring in the new.
Margaret Thomas-Barry: I have loved old things as far back as I can remember. My sister had a fabulous vintage-clothes and antiques shop in Houston and had an old Victorian house filled with amazing treasures. My first antique shop was in AW: What makes the Antique Marketplace, the ’70s in a little trailer way out in the “ I have loved old things as far back as I your current shop’s home, so special? boonies. It was a terrible place for a shop can remember. My sister had a fabulous but I was so excited, I didn’t care. Years MTB: The Antique Marketplace is a vintage-clothes and antiques shop later, I opened a booth at the old location wonderful home for dealers. Patrick and in Houston and had an old Victorian of the Antique Marketplace then later Ben [the manager and owner] are great house filled with amazing treasures.” opened my own small antique mall in to work with and provide lots of support Smithville. A new grandchild brought me and camaraderie. If you are looking for a back to Austin, and I once again opened a booth at the nicer, shopping experience with lots of variety, interesting and unusual finds larger Antique Marketplace where I am now. with great prices, look no further than the Antique Marketplace. AW: What are the advantages of estate sales, compared with other types of sales?
Antique Marketplace, 5806 Burnet Road, 512.452.1000 antiquesinaustin.com
The Distillery. Estate sales are not the only place to find the best treasures. The Distillery, an Austin-based online lifestyle brand, offers a fantastic collection of vintage, handmade and specialty goods. The Distillery specializes in home-décor items, barware, jewelry, handbags, wallets and even carries a selection of men’s vintage accessories. The owners, Clif Claycomb and Catelyn Silapachai, are truly unique-item hunters, so you’ll always find a fantastic selection of goods from Texas and throughout the world, and it’s all just a click away. Who says treasure hunting needs to be hard work? thedistillerymarket.com The Distillery’s products are also available at onekingslane.com and chairish.com. Coming Soon: Everything But the House. This is an online estate-sale website that we can’t get enough of. There are currently locations in 15 cities, including Dallas, and it’s rumored to be entering the Austin market by the end of the year. In the meantime, check out the online sales; they ship. ebth.com For more Austin-area estate-sale listings, go to estatesales.net and estatesales.org.
46 | Austin Woman | august 2015
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Bargain hunting
Margaret Thomas-Barry’s Top Three Favorite Estate Sales Margaret Thomas-Barry’s Seven Secrets and Tips for Shopping Estate Sales 1. Go early for the best selection. Go late for the best prices. Never wait if it’s a highly desired or hardto-find item or if it’s already at a good price. 2. Do your homework. You need to know what is or isn’t a good price. Be prepared with any measurements for furniture you are looking for. You will probably need to make a quick decision. 3. Small towns will offer the best prices. Look online at estatesales.net or estatesales.org to find estate sales in your area. Don’t forget about Craigslist as well. 4. Make sold stickers with your name and phone number. Use these to reserve the items you want, to avoid placing things on hold or carrying them around with you. Be sure you are committed to buying, as changing your mind is frowned upon and sometimes strictly forbidden.
1. Austin Estate Sales run by Joe and Cathie Asaro They get high-quality sales and everything will be neatly organized and fairly priced. I have been able to collect some wonderful Mexican folk art, which I love, at some terrific bargain prices. Also, you will not find...nicer [people] on the planet. Many sellers are quite grumpy after a grueling schedule of getting ready for the sale and dealing with the crowds of people, but not the Asaros and their employees. Joe has been in business for 11 years and brings a wealth of knowledge from his association with the great thrift store Next to New on Burnet Road and the quirky Burnet Road Flea Market. austinestatesales.net, 512.474.2485 2. Capital Area Estate Liquidator run by Vicki Carmichael Vicki works alone and spends weeks carefully pricing every—and I mean every—item from the estate. I have found some incredible things at her sales: art, yard art, folk art and antique and vintage furniture. She doesn’t advertise and acquires sales solely by word-ofmouth, getting referrals from friends and clients. She has been in business for 16 years and is very dealer-friendly. She works very hard to bring an enticing sale with fair prices and will also cover outlying areas like San Antonio and Waco. Vicki is a lot of fun, and it is a pleasure going to her sales. caeltx@sbcglobal.net 3. Estate Sales Austin run by Mark Thomas and Keith Warner Mark and his staff run an efficient sale and are very dealer-friendly also. My husband loves his sales because he really knows his guy stuff and will take the time to talk and tell you what he knows about an item or its history. estatesalesaustintx.com, 512.585.9583
Margaret Thomas-Barry photo courtesy of Margaret Thomas-Barry.
5. Dress down. Dress comfortably for the weather. You may be standing outside in the heat or pouring rain for quite a while. Most sales only admit a few people at a time as space allows. 6. Determine the payment method ahead of time. Many sales only take cash, so be prepared for anything. If you have a resale number, have a copy of that with you. 7. Don’t expect to haggle. Estate sales typically have a set schedule of pricing and do not want to be asked to reduce prices ahead of time. Sometimes, leaving an offer is allowed, a price that would be better than the coming discounted price but less than the current price.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 49
Amazing Grace
Jen Hatmaker is like no other preacher’s daughter or pastor’s wife you have ever met. By Deborah Hamilton-Lynne photos by matt lankes | styled by ashley hargrove | hair and makeup by jenny vick
I will admit that I was slightly anxious about meeting Jen Hatmaker. After all, I had done my research and she seemed like a superwoman. A best-selling author, motivational speaker, blogger with hundreds of thousands of followers and an HGTV star, Hatmaker was accomplishing all this while raising five children and partnering with husband Brandon to launch Austin New Church and serve not only our community, but the world at large. In a world in which public figures are often hesitant to share their personal beliefs, Hatmaker bucks conventionality and is not afraid to often say, “I love Jesus. I really do,” with a smile. As a professional interviewer, I try to leave behind preconceived notions about my subjects, but in this case, I had seen every episode of My Big Family Renovation, read her latest book and
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been able to skim two others. Her new book is entitled For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards, and I decided to begin by asking Hatmaker for her definition of grace and why it is worth fighting for. Little did I know that during our interview, she would define and personify grace in a way I had never considered. I came to know that grace can be attained in a less-than-perfect state by imperfect people and that it is indeed amazing if you open your mind and heart and become an active seeker. Unlike her last two books, which were topical, with For the Love, Hatmaker set out to create a “free-wheeling conversation” with her readers about a variety of subjects, and I decided to go with that and allow Hatmaker’s words to tell her story.
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GOD HAS ALWAYS MADE THE MOST SENSE TO ME THROUGH PEOPLE. If I had to strip everything away from me, what I would hang onto the tightest would be my relationships. I want us to live and love well. I am hoping to lead a tribe that does more healing and less hurting. I consider that to be my job. We need to put aside our fears, let ourselves off the hook, stop devoting time and energy to an idea of success tied to work, accomplishment and possessions, and be free to devote time to relationship[s]. By this, I mean relationships with people and the world we all live in, whether that is family, friends, our community or the world at large. I lead thousands of people online in the hope that they can lay down criticism and unrealistic expectations, and commit to each other in a funny, genuine and truthful way.
CAREER? I NEVER THINK OF MYSELF as a career woman first. I ALWAYS THINK OF MYSELF AS A HUMAN BEING FIRST. My goal professionally is that everything I do is a spillover of who I really am and not who the marketing team creates. If I hear one thing over and over from women, it is how deeply and chronically they live in guilt because we feel like we are not doing a good job. We have been sold a bill of goods, unattainable standards and impossible expectations. We try to do it all and think we aren’t doing anything well enough. We are not enough as a wife, a mother, a friend, on the job. It is exhausting. The online culture has made it worse. It is unprecedented the amount of information that is available to us. On a daily basis, who can measure up, let alone keep up? We are setting ourselves up for frustration, depression and failure. Pinterest is just a roll call of awesomeness. I say, “Unload the beam.” I started the book with that essay on purpose. Not everything belongs on the beam. Some things are not our strength. There is not room for everything. There is no shame in that. Even when women make good choices and have healthy boundaries, they still have residual guilt. It is not healthy and until we quit buying into the standard, we are going to be its victims. My hope is that we can pull out of the entire paradigm. We must reject it altogether. This parallel universe is not true, it is not real and nobody is doing all of these things. We need to be less awesome and become wiser. I love the quote from Anna Quindlen that begins, “Don’t ever confuse your life and your work. The second is only a part of the first.” What she says is true. You are the only person who has sole custody of your life.
RUN YOUR RACE. I AM INSPIRED BY PEOPLE DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST AND I DON’T LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE MINIMIZE THEIR GIFTS. Play to your strengths and learn to say no with conviction to things you are not good at. I try to have a clear understanding of things that don’t fit into my life at certain times. For example, I am not a classroom mom. I have been a parent for 17 years and have never volunteered for the job. Also, I hate to shop and outsource taking my daughter, who loves to shop, to the young people in our church community who also love to shop. I fund the excursions and lunch, and everyone is happy; win-win. When it is back-to-school time, if we can’t buy it on Amazon Prime, it doesn’t get bought and inevitably, despite all of my good intentions, we end up having a lot of meltdowns during the first week of school as everyone gets back into the routine. On paper, I am a pastor’s wife and a pastor’s daughter, and you might think that would dictate a list of how I should operate, but that is not the case. I have flaws and blow about every stereotype, but I learned to stick to what I am good at, to know what sets my heart pounding, to see where [I can] make the biggest difference and where I am in my lane, running my own race. I know for a fact that everyone has something unique to contribute. I love to encourage victories and encourage risk. Just go for it! If the worst thing that happens is that we fail, then we can always start again. Why does fear of failure stop us so easily? I hope my story sets women free from the idea that Christian women aren’t doubtful or flawed. We all are flawed and doubtful at times, but identifying your gifts and embracing our talents is how we can be of the most service and feel the most alive.
I LOVE WRITING. WORDS MATTER. WORDS ACTUALLY CHANGE LIVES, MOVE PEOPLE, SUSTAIN US. They take us to another world when we need to go and bring us home when we need to come back. Whatever you need, words can deliver: laughter, solidarity, encouragement, thrill, courage, silliness, spirit. I have been a reader and writer my entire life. It never occurred to me that I could make a living as a writer. I thought I had to get a sensible job and pay the bills, and so I was almost 30 Continued on Page 55
52 | Austin Woman | august 2015
Good Reads
For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards This book is filled with Jen Hatmaker’s musings on living a purposeful life filled with grace and love. “Our tribe does not need to be ruled by scarcity; there is enough for every woman to live beautifully,” Hatmaker says.
Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity Hatmaker was living a comfortable life, secure in her role as a pastor’s wife, mother and author when—bam—she asked some tough questions and God led her in a new direction. This is the story of that journey. If you are ready to interrupt your life, this is the book for you. “Every time someone asks me which of my books they should buy, I reply, ‘If you buy just one book of mine, buy Interrupted,’ ” Hatmaker says.
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess This book covers seven months, seven areas of excess (food, clothing, spending, media, possessions, waste and stress) and seven simple choices to eliminate materialism, greed and overindulgence. It’s an eye-opening look at how to gain true freedom through simplicity and gratitude. “How can I be socially responsible if unaware that I reside in the top percentage of wealth in the world?” Hatmaker asks. “What does it communicate when half the global population lives on less than $2 a day and we can’t manage a fulfilling life on 25,000 times that amount?”
Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture This book, written by Jen Hatmaker’s husband, includes practical and authentic advice for creating a modern-day, mission-driven church community that allows its members to have a sense of renewal and personal transformation as they set out to serve the least among us. “My hope is that God would open our eyes more and more to the needs of our community,” Brandon Hatmaker says, “and that we would see it as the church’s responsibility to lead the charge.”
The Hatmakers Together Jen on Brandon:
“I am so thankful that I married a strong man. It would take a valiant heart to handle me, and for 21 years, he has done a brilliant job.” Brandon on Jen:
“I fell in love with her the moment I saw her, and then when it got better the more I got to know her, at that point, I wanted to marry her. I always say, ‘Don’t find the person you can live with for the rest of your life; find the person you can’t live without.’ ” Jen on family:
“I come from funny people: funny parents and funny siblings. I came from an environment that was loud, silly, obnoxious and really tight, and that is how I operate. We don’t live in an after-school special. My life is messy and jumbled, but I always tell parents, ‘If you are operating out of love, you are doing a better job than you think you are doing. Don’t be so hard on yourself.’ ”
Left to right: Sydney, 15; Jen; Ben, 12; Remy, 9; Brandon (Not pictured: Gavin, 17; Caleb, 13)
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54 | Austin Woman | august 2015
Continued from Page 52
before I decided to make a go of it as a career. Words have affected me more than anything I can think of. Books have moved me, challenged me, inspired me, changed me. I know that words matter and there is always room for more. Young writers always tell me that they love the written word and want to write but don’t know how to break in. I tell them there is always room at the table. We will never have enough. There is never a quota, never a scarcity of wisdom or good stories or important words, so I say pull up a chair at the table. There is room for you, your story and your words. To again quote Anna Quindlen, “Only you can tell your story and only you know your story.” If you want to be a writer, there is no magic bullet. You can’t skip the important steps and go straight to the top. Writing is hard work and you have to learn your craft. You have to develop an audience and develop trust and reciprocity with your readers. For the Love is my 11th book, but people know me from the last three books. I was in the trenches when no one was reading me, and I wouldn’t trade one day of it. I learned how to be a writer and to take criticism. I learned how to work hard and all about rejection. Those lessons are invaluable to me today. I marvel that I get to make a living with words. I hope to use them for beauty and Jesus and life. I hope to make them count.
I THINK THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO LIVE THAN TO HAVE RADICAL GRACE FOR ONE ANOTHER. When I see pockets of community that live in grace and respect for each other, there is magic. That is my crazy dream, that we can develop that in our own spaces, and it is really hard work. [It] sounds nice but is really labor-intensive to develop a community that is safe and transparent and inclusive. I crave a world of justice. My definition of grace deepened and enriched when I realized how undeserving I was of it. I know my own heart. I make mistakes. I can be rotten. I fail and I don’t have a perfect marriage or family. Once I started understanding my own need for gracious community and a gracious God, I decided that if I was going to love grace for others, then I better love it for myself too. I feel like it is time to let each other off the hook in some ways. In the ordinary details of life, I think we have to be quicker to say, “I forgive you. It’s OK. You are not failing,” rather than to condemn, criticize and isolate. Speaking personally, when I am being unkind toward others and when I am struggling to be gracious, forgiving, understanding or compassionate, [it] is usually because I am in a really bad place myself. It is when I am unhappy with something in the interior of me or I am privately struggling with something I am too embarrassed to discuss with other people or even admit, times when I am in a cycle of self-condemnation. So when I am really ugly to others, I find that I am being ugly to myself. If we can develop a kinder inner voice, we automatically develop a kinder outer voice. There is high correlation between the two. When I am healthy and I have developed a high level of care for my own soul, I am able to be so much kinder to others.
The Tao of Jen Great takeaways
“If your inner monologue is critical and endlessly degrading, it is time to move back to grace.” “Empathizing is the key to a wholehearted life. I pray for your kindness more than your success because the latter without the former is a tragedy.” “We have no obligation to endure or enable toxic relationships. You are not responsible for the spiritual health of everyone around you. Watching someone create chaos without accountability is not noble. You have a limited amount of time and energy, and must steward it well.” “We don’t live in a show home and we never will. I was interested in creating a space for people to belong. Home should be a comfortable, safe place where you can restore what [the] world steals. I wanted to create a home that would feel so inviting and welcoming that people would never want to leave.” “Cooking is a way for me to be creative. I love being in the kitchen. It is part of my day I look forward to. I pour myself a glass of wine, turn on some music, chop some onions and garlic, and get going. It makes me so happy. Cooking can be a real joy. It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated or fancy, just nourishing and restorative. That hour at the end of my workday is so lovely with the smells that I love and the music and the kids coming in and out. I never get tired of it.”
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MY FAITHFUL LIFE HAS CHANGED FROM A LIFE OF A LOT OF MORALITY RULES TO SIMPLY TRYING TO LOVE PEOPLE THE BEST I CAN. I feel called within faith to love God and love people in a million different ways. Love is all that matters. I grew up in a South, conservative, traditional church environment. Until I was in my 20s, [I had] no concept of anything other than that life. It was very homogenous. My father was a Southern Baptist minister my whole life. There was zero diversity, not racially, not socio-economically, not spiritually. It was a very narrow worldview. Once I hit my 20s, we began to deeply connect to the international community and it began to change my worldview. The exposure was really kind of shocking and really transformative. I looked at the entire world, different faiths and many spiritual practices, and found that holiness has a lot of faces. Jesus said to love God and love people, and I think if you can do that, that will be a faithful life. I have learned to listen to the voice of the other, and I approach every conversation with a different lens. Frist, I think, “Which one of us has the least power?” and I will listen to them first. [I] ask, “Who is the most maligned, the most invisible, the least heard? Who has the least power?” and listen to them first, listen with respect, deference and compassion. Being a good listener is a real community builder. If we are not always seeking to be heard but also to listen, it changes the conversation and barriers come down. Enter into a space as two human beings. … Come to the table as friends without an agenda. My ideas on mission outreach have changed radically as well. I have seen the work do so much damage to whole communities and to people’s hearts, and so we are so selective on who we will partner with on international endeavors. If we are approaching an impoverished community as the do-it-all, fix-it-all, know-it-all have-and-have-nots or the better-thans, then we do harm, even if it is unintentional. The people we are serving know their community and are very resourceful and smart. We do not know what’s best for them in their community. Anything that sets up a person to be pitied is a red flag. We must challenge the notion that we know best or are going to fix another community. Generally, I miss an enormous part of what I am here to do if I just live for me and mine. I have done that before and it leaves me feeling empty, off task, incomplete and unfulfilled. Our family has been exposed to so many different kinds of people and struggles, and we will never be the same for it, so we believe that part of our life’s work is to mobilize people to be generous, to care deeply about justice. I am not comfortable with a world where only a few of us are healthy and safe and so many are hungry, poor and in danger. We throw our weight with initiatives that bridge the gap, ones that say if we care about our family, we care also about yours. If I wouldn’t allow these conditions for my own children, then how dare I allow them for yours? If it isn’t true for a poor single mom in Haiti, then it isn’t true for me.
In a lot of faith-based communities, we tilt our theology to make sure that it benefits us. In other words, it is “our blessings.” We cast God as the God who is showering us, so I have that line, “What we are saying is that God’s love and care is related to wealth or comfort or an easy life because we are blessed.” That is not my God. I am very careful not to craft an American God, but to try to understand God in the scope of the entire planet and need for basic human care for all of us.
ULTIMATE EMPOWERMENT LIES IN TELLING THE TRUTH. Tell the truth and be set free. [It’s as] simple as that yet it is one of the hardest things to do. I can deliver that message with confidence because I have seen it work. For me, it is not just an idealistic lens through which to view life. I will live intentionally with those values, and it is so powerful and truthful and healing that I have personally seen it work and I can never go back. It is funny because I would liken it to labor: At the end, you don’t want to do the very thing you have to do to deliver the baby— most painful part—but it is worth it. That is what it is like for me to live vulnerably. It is the hardest part, but that is how you get to the light. The very thing you don’t want to do is the very thing you should do to push through to true community. It is internal freedom. One thing I have learned is that in order to live with truth, I have to accept that I am not in charge of outcomes. I am not in charge of how you think about me. I cannot control your response to me. I can’t control the narrative. As long as I know those things are beyond my control, I am free to be my real and true self. What you do with that is up to you. I live the most truthfully with people who have earned my trust, and I know that they love me and I love them and we are there for each other, and so, in that community, I am entirely free. It is wise to be more private and guarded at large. Not everybody deserves to have the fullness of your truth. Though, in real community, it is the only way to live.
A LIFE WELL LIVED If I loved well, I will consider my life a success. That is my dad’s legacy. He loved people well. Everyone thinks they are my dad’s favorite because that is how he makes you feel, like you are the most interesting, smartest and best person he has ever talked to. I want people to say, “Jen loved me. She loved my people. She was good to me and kind.” That is my best legacy. Kindness matters. I honestly believe deep in my core that loving people well matters. I don’t think it is a soft concept or just some intangible life goal. I think it changes people’s lives and I think it gives them courage and strength. It creates community and it is healing, and so, to me, it is the best thing I can offer the world. That is what changes people. If people say that I loved them well, I will sincerely consider my life well lived.
And with that, our interview ended and I realized that I had never asked Hatmaker to define grace or why it is worth fighting for. I also realized that I didn’t have to ask the question, for I had spent time in the company of a woman who embraced her flaws, often laughed at herself and the world, had tangible insight and actionable advice. By loving the other in me and in all people, Jen Hatmaker had surrounded me with her amazing grace.
56 | Austin Woman | august 2015
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Superwomen
Meet two Austin women who are changing the game when it comes to STEM education. by Rachel Merriman
Tamara Hudgins Executive Director, Girlstart A career in engineering was practically Tamara Hudgins’ birthright. She comes from a long line of engineers: Her father, grandfather and uncles are all engineers. Though Hudgins has two art degrees and years of experience in the nonprofit sector under her belt, one of her dreams is to go back to school to become a mechanical engineer. “My dad’s work was in an area that involved a lot of top-secret stuff, so he was never actually able to talk about what he did, which posed a problem to my understanding of what engineers do,” Hudgins explains. “I had tons of role models in the arts and, as a result, I ended up in the arts.” After completing her studies, Hudgins moved to the Czech Republic and began working for the Open Society Institute (now Open Society Foundations), whose mission is “to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens.” “I got to work with really smart people who had the capacity to dramatically improve the trajectory of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe,” Hudgins says. “I started to care about how people can use their talents to make the world a better place, and I was inspired by their ability to shape a new civil society in a country that really hadn’t existed for more than about 20 years.” Hudgins soon returned to the States and continued working in the nonprofit sector in Chicago before moving her new family to Georgetown, Texas, where she put her skills to use as a member of the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation. “It was a mind-blowing experience because I had never really participated in a smaller community like that. I got a very quick education in why small communities can be interesting and compelling. It was a great opportunity to test the waters of needs and assets in a totally different community,” Hudgins says. In addition to helping start community child-care and aging initiatives, Hudgins spearheaded a backpack program that ensured children who qualified for the free or reduced-price lunch program received food to eat during the weekend. “Basically, [kids] don’t eat over the weekend, and when they come to school on Monday, they can’t really learn because they just don’t have the gas,” Hudgins explains. “Those [initiatives] were the cornerstones of areas I
58
saw where there were simple things people could do to improve the lives of children, families and people of the community.” In 2009, a donor to the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation who was also a donor to Girlstart approached Hudgins and encouraged her to take over as executive director of Girlstart. Since she took the reins, Hudgins has expanded Girlstart’s reach from four after-school programs to 51, and increased the total number of girls reached each year from 1,500 to 15,000. “We had the opportunity when I first got there to increase our capacity relatively quickly. We talked about things we really loved best about the organization and identified areas we wanted to put more energy into developing and nurturing. Those two areas were our after-school program and our summercamp program,” Hudgins says. Girlstart’s after-school program is designed for girls in 4th and 5th grades, and features engaging hands-on activities that align with the curriculum taught during the school day. More than 70 percent of the girls enrolled in Girlstart’s after-school program are considered “high need,” and more than 50 percent are potential first-generation college students. Despite these challenges, the program has been highly successful. Girls in Girlstart’s after-school program enroll in advanced STEM classes and attain the Advanced Academic Performance level on the STAAR test at a higher rate than girls who are not enrolled in the program. Perhaps most importantly, 97 percent of the girls who participate in Girlstart after school say they want to go to college. “We believe that we are inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals and dramatically increasing girls’ likelihood of attending college,” Hudgins says. Girlstart’s summer camps are split into two groups: grades 4 and 5, and grades 6 through 8. Each week-long camp has a theme, like “Keep Girlstart Weird” or “Once Upon a Time.” On this particular day, the girls are incorporating technology into fashion by using circuitry to adorn their flip-flops with twinkling lights. “While we know that technology is vital, we’re not a camp where we’re going to chain girls to a computer all week. We blend different STEM activities with leadership skills, communication skills, setting goals and teamwork so the girls
Photo by Daryl Mogilewsky.
STEm
If you have a school-aged child, chances are you’ve heard about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) from a teacher or a fellow parent. This year, President Barack Obama announced more than $240 million in commitments to improving STEM education opportunities for children. Why are we making STEM such a priority? In a word: jobs. Jobs in STEM fields are growing at a much higher rate, compared with non-STEM jobs, yet employers in STEM fields report difficulty finding qualified people to fill job openings. High schoolers’ college readiness for STEM degrees is at an all-time low. In 2012, only 31 percent of high-school graduates were academically ready to take college coursework in science. As a result, about 40 percent of STEM majors switch to another major before they finish college. Researchers suggest this gap could be narrowed by getting girls and minorities interested in STEM fields. Currently, women represent just 24 percent of the STEM workforce, and African-Americans and Hispanics make up less than 15 percent of the STEM workforce. In a city like Austin, where technology is at the forefront, facing this issue head-on is especially important. For this special feature, we’ve highlighted two women who are working to bring highquality STEM education to our city, compiled essential local and national resources, and searched the web for the most creative and fun STEM projects for parents and kids to tackle year-round. Welcome back to school!
taking the advanced-placement and pre-AP classes that prepare them for a STEM major in college. “The danger zone is between the 4th and 8th grade. We believe that if you lose them then, it’s really hard to get them back,” Hudgins says. “Girls begin to design what their future life is going to be like as early as the age of 10. When a girl is 10, she’s already making decisions about what her life is going to look like. If we’re not with her at that time, she’s going to make plans that don’t include us. And we don’t want that. That’s why we invest virtually all of our time in that area.” The single-gendered environment of Girlstart’s summer-camp and after-school programs also offers an advantage to girls, providing them with a safe space where they can experiment and try new things without worrying about failing in front of boys. “They don’t have to worry about what a boy is going to say, or sit around making a poster while a boy builds a robot.
When they participate, they realize they can do it. Our girls are building fully playable video games that they develop from the beginning. They say, ‘I didn’t know computers were so dumb. I didn’t know that I have to tell the computer everything it needs to do. I can do this!’ ” Hudgins says. Hudgins says she often sees girls collaborating and working together to come up with smart solutions to complicated scenarios. In a world in which there are so many tough issues to solve, she seems certain they’ll make our future brighter. “Girls want their voices heard,” Hudgins says. “They believe they have answers that can help people in the future, and we want to value those voices. We want our girls to tell us what they think, and we want to see what they develop.” For more information, visit girlstart.org.
Photos courtesy of Girlstart.
have a strong STEM experience and a strong life experience as well. Campers come back to us year after year because they have fun,” Hudgins says. Research indicates that the lack of female role models subtly reinforces the idea that STEM careers are reserved for men, or that women don’t possess the necessary skills for a STEM career. To tackle this issue, Girlstart hosts its annual Girls In STEM Conference, during which girls can attend workshops and talks by women who work in STEM careers. “It’s extremely meaningful and important for girls to see women who work in STEM careers,” Hudgins says. “The conference provides a full day of opportunities for girls to meet these women and see that they’re real, normal people with dogs and cats and lives.” Although Girlstart’s year-round special events target a wide K-12 age range, its after-school and summer-camp programs specifically focus on girls in grades 4 through 8. The idea is to get girls interested in STEM topics early so they can begin
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Bonnie Baskin Founder and Chair of the Board, Hill Country Science Mill As a young girl, Bonnie Baskin had an interest in science that was piqued by Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book on pesticide use that launched the environmental movement of the 1960s. Baskin eventually chose to pursue a career in marine biology at the University of Miami, but heavy storms and choppy waters during her very first marine biology class caused her to alter her course. “I thought I was going to die because I was so seasick,” Baskin says. “There was no way in the world [marine biology] was going to be a career for me. I still loved science, so I picked a degree in microbiology, a discipline I thought would be landlocked.” Undeterred by having to keep both feet on land, Baskin earned her Ph.D. in microbiology and went on to do a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Health. In 1981, she created her first laboratory to focus on working with specific viruses. “I had 800 square feet in a building in Minneapolis [and] two wonderful women who somehow believed in me. Long story short, ViroMed became the leading clinical laboratory in the country,” Baskin says. Baskin sold ViroMed in 2001 and created a second company, AppTec, at which she focused on targeted cancer therapy and immunotherapy. After selling AppTec in 2008, she and her husband moved to Texas and built a home in Johnson City. By then retired, Baskin felt the need to do something that fostered young children’s interest in science, just as she had been inspired years ago. “In general, the interest in science doesn’t seem to be as great as it was when we were growing up. When we grew up, there was no greater aspiration than to be a scientist,” Baskin says. “We had been talking about wanting to engage kids in science and how we would do that, and the value of experiential learning. Being in a rural area especially, it’s important to engage those kids, in particular.” So when the old mill came up for sale, the couple decided to buy the property and transform it into a science museum. The mill, regarded as a local landmark by Johnson City residents, was built in 1885 and ceased operations in the 1980s. After more than 20 years lying dormant, the building was in desperate need of restoration. “There was this juxtaposition of taking this old building and turning
it into a high-tech, state-of-the-art, technology-driven facility. It was a significant transformation to make it safe, but we did it with respect to the original building,” Baskin says. After a restoration process that lasted a little more than a year, the Hill Country Science Mill opened its doors in February. There’s fun to be had for all ages, but most of the exhibits are designed specifically for middle-school-aged kids so parents and educators can give them additional support at a critical point in their educational development. “When I told people in the museum industry I wanted to focus on that age group, they told me I was crazy. But it’s such an important time; that’s when we lose our kids in science. If they’re not engaged and interested in going forward in science and math, then it’s very likely they’re not going to be prepared in the event they decide to go on to post-secondary education. It’s a really critical time and difficult to engage them, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it,” Baskin says. To attract that middle-school age group, most of the interactive exhibits at the mill are technology-based gaming or augmented-reality activities. But they’re not so high-tech that the younger kids can’t join in on the fun too. “The promise of our exhibits is that the threshold for engagement is low, but the feeling is high. The value they get out of it is a function of their age,” Baskin says. “For example, we have a sandbox with an Xbox that projects topographical lines onto the sand. So as they’re building their sandcastle, it shows the real-time changes in the topographical map. The little kids are playing in the sand, and the older kids are creating examples of watersheds and learning about the geology of the area. And the adults are watching, saying, ‘This is amazing.’ It’s something that’s for all ages.” Baskin also made a conscious decision to relate all of the exhibits at the mill to STEM careers or disciplines. When kids first arrive at the mill, they’re prompted to create a virtual avatar. They make their way through the exhibits and activities, then can scan their avatar passports to get more information about an exhibit and “favorite” it. Back at home, they can log onto the Explorer Zone, where they can read more about their favored exhibits, view information about related STEM careers and higher-education programs, play games and watch videos. “Our goal is to be the best resource we can for these kids and their teachers, engage them in science and interest them in going on to a postsecondary education,” Baskin says. “If kids have the skills in STEM classes or STEM disciplines, there are going to be a lot of doors that are open to them because of that. The idea is to keep them connected, keep them excited and expose them to opportunities.” For more information, visit sciencemill.org.
r Change the Equation, changetheequation.org
rL ady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Family Garden, wildflower.org/family_garden
r Code Academy, codeacademy.com
r Thinkery, thinkeryaustin.org
r Girlstart, girlstart.org
r NASA Girls, women.nasa.gov/nasagirls
r Texas STEM Center Coalition, txstem.org
rP BS Teachers STEM Education Resource Center, pbs.org/teachers/stem
r STEM Education Coalition, stemedcoalition.org r STEMconnector, stemconnector.org r Austin STEM Academy, austinstemacademy.com President Lyndon B. Johnson moves r ATX to STEM shake Park, handsatxstempark.com with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while others look on at the r Hill Country Science Mill, sciencemill.org signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
60 | Austin Woman | august 2015
r Exploratorium, exploratorium.edu r National STEM Video Game Challenge, stemchallenge.org r Engineer Your Life, engineeryourlife.org rG irl Scouts STEM Program, girlscouts.org/program/basics/science
Photos courtesy of Hill Country Science Mill.
STEM Resources
STEM By the Numbers r Women make up 48 percent of the overall workforce but represent just 24 percent of the STEM workforce. r On average, women working in STEM fields earn 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs. r STEM jobs are projected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, while non-STEM job growth during the same period is projected at 10 percent. r One-third of teachers never include STEM career discussions in the classroom. r Two-thirds of teens say they feel discouraged from pursuing STEM because they don’t know anyone in a STEM field or don’t understand their career options. r One job in the high-tech sector leads to four jobs in local goods-and-services industries. r Fifty percent of STEM jobs don’t require a four-year degree and pay about 10 percent more than non-STEM jobs with similar education requirements. r In Texas, the average starting salary for someone with a technical associate degree is about $10,000 more than the average starting salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree.
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GOURMET
Champagne Dining and Drinking on a Beer Budget
The 12 best places for happy hour in Central Austin. Photos and Story by Matt McGinnis
Just hearing the phrase “happy hour” gets people salivating. We love sipping delicious, inexpensive drinks and nibbling delectable bites while relaxing with friends. What a perfect way to end a workday. Austin is loaded with great places to eat and drink. Austin Woman combed the city to find some of the best happy-hour deals on food and drinks, and the most relaxing places to enjoy them. Although there are many great happy-hour offerings in locations throughout the city, our list features establishments that are centrally located and accessible, no matter where you live in the city. From Péché: Lions Tail and pomme frites with house-made ketchup
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OURMET
foodie finds
Best Free Nosh: Italic 123 W. Sixth St.
IaV’s Cusco Sour
Best Oddity: Odd Duck 1201 S. Lamar Blvd. Do you remember when Odd Duck was a farm-to-foodtruck destination in South Austin? Now, this Bryce Gilmore creation wows locals and critics alike with its inventive American cuisine. Enjoy the Afternoon Snack menu Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5 p.m., offering discounts on select nibbles. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 2:30 to 10 p.m., with $5 Moscow mules and 25-percent discounts on bottles of wine and bottled or canned beer.
Garage’s charcuterie plate
Best hideaway: GARAGE 503 Colorado St. Tucked inside the American National Bank parking garage, this clandestine bar isn’t exactly easy to find. Nevertheless, early in the evening, it’s full of creative types and downtown office workers unwinding in the dark, cozy bar in the round. Garage has a selection of custom and classic cocktails at happy-hour prices—about $4 off—and $1 off beer and wine. In addition, an in-house charcuterie tray comes with recommendations for pairing with the vintage cocktails. “The bar is like no other place,” says Bar Manager Chauncey James. “You can get a really wellmade classic cocktail at a very reasonable price in a cool space. Our bartenders know what they are doing. We have a fun time on Monday and Tuesday, in particular. It’s like Sunday, part two.”
Best Wine Menu: laV 1501 E. Seventh St.
Best Eclectic Bargain: Swift’s Attic 315 Congress Ave.
The elegant fine-dining destination laV draws crowds with its drinks and food specials during happy hour. It offers an “après-midi” happy hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday in the wine bar and cocktail bar. Offerings include 25-percent discounts on select bar bites and $7 glasses of sommelierselected red, white or sparkling wine, as well as $8 craft cocktails. Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m., laV’s massive selection of wine, the largest in town, is half off by the bottle. Well, anything less than $500, that is. “laV is always full of fun people,” says Sommelier Vilma Mazaite. “Coming at happy hour is a good way to sample laV. We’re a wine-driven destination. We want people to try something amazing they haven’t had before. During happy hour, for the price of one, you can have two bottles, so you can experiment.”
Swift’s Attic has great deals on food and cocktails. Happy hour generously runs from 2 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with all kinds of deals. There are $6 specialty cocktails, $5 select wines, $2 Bud Lights and Mickey’s and $1 off domestic drafts. Monday nights, there are $3 pints all night long. The cocktail selection is inventive, with creations like the Champampaloma, made with TY KU citrus liqueur and sparkling wine. The happy-hour food menu is loaded with delectable treats like the braised pork cheek bao sandwich. “Swift’s Attic is a great place for drinks and excellent food after work,” says Co-owner CK Chin. “Everyone can have the Swift’s experience at great prices. There isn’t anything on the happy-hour menu that is over $10.”
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Swift’s Attic’s Strawberry Field cocktail and braised pork cheek bao sandwich
Garage photo of Sherry Jones. Gail Simmons photo courtesy of Pure Leaf. Food courtesy photos by Neal Santos.
Chef Andrew Curren and the ELM Restaurant Group opened Italic, the downtown Italian hotspot, earlier this year. The bright and cheerful place to meet friends quickly became a popular happy-hour destination, with $1 off draft beers, Italian house wine for $4 a glass or $16 for a 20-ounce bottle and $2 off the house Negroni. A huge bonus is that focaccia sandwiches are complimentary with drink orders. “We have excellent prices on appetizers like the prosciutto and baked ricotta, which are about half price,” says Assistant Manager John Tillery. “We have a fantastic atmosphere with a minimalist design that lends itself to an upscale feel without being pretentious. There are a lot of great places in Austin and we want to set ourselves apart with great guest service.”
Best Touch of New Orleans: Péché 208 W. Fourth St. On any given afternoon, the bar at Péché is full of people wearing a mix of ties and T-shirts. The sounds of lively conversation dance with jazz music, letting that New Orleans bon-temps vibe seep into every pore with every pour. Happy hour rules all day on Sunday and Monday and from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Cocktails like the Lions Tail, made with bourbon, lime, allspice dram and angostura bitters, are $5, and food noted on the menu with an asterisk is half price. “The specials are the draw,” says bartender Scott Doherty. “You can get one of the best cocktails in town for $5. It’s a super great deal.”
Best Wine Garden: Lenoir 1807 S. First St.
Finn & Porter photo by Envision Creative Group.
Lenoir may be considered a chic fine-dining haunt, but its backyard wine garden is über chill. Pull up a picnic-table bench and enjoy bar snacks for $2 off and half-price punch made with vermouth and Spanish grenache wine from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy half-price bottles of pinot noir all night on Thursdays. “We originally opened the backyard as a place to wait for tables in our dining room,” says Co-owner Jessica Maher. “Now we offer small plates and bar snacks with delicious drinks in a super casual atmosphere. It has a private feeling, with the shade of huge oaks. Bring your dogs and kids and let them wander around. It’s a great place to hang out.”
Best Sushi Deal: Finn & Porter 500 E. Fourth St. This contemporary steak and sushi restaurant inside the Hilton Austin draws convention visitors and locals with its beautiful ambiance, delicious drinks and killer happy-hour deals Monday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Go for the half-price signature sushi, like the salmon ikura and tuna togarashi, as well as the chef’s tasting menu with fantastic nibbles. Pair that lovely sushi with discounted wines by the glass. Better yet, visit Friday, when all bottles of wine listed at less than $100 are half price.
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Best Hotel Happy Hour: W Austin Hotel’s Living Room Bar, Wet Deck and Trace
200 Lavaca St.
You’re just as likely to meet a local as you are a tourist in one of the bars at the W Austin Hotel. Regardless of where guests are from, this spot makes for great people-watching in a stunning setting. The primetime reverse happy hour draws gorgeous Austinites to the cozy, cool Living Room Bar seven days a week from 7 to 10 p.m., with half off signature cocktails, as well as a specialtynibbles menu. Wednesday through Sunday, you can shake it to tunes spun by local DJs during the primetime happy hour. Grab your bikini and head poolside each Thursday from 5 p.m. until sunset during the summer for happy hour on the Wet Deck and $7 drink specials. If you prefer to stay dry, the Trace outdoor patio has happy hour every day from 5 to 7 p.m., with deals on bar nibbles, Texas beers and cocktails, and half off selected wines by the glass. W Austin Hotel’s Living Room’s Strawberry Swing, jalapeño cucumber lemonade, Rio Grande
Best Eastside Cocktails: Whisler’s 1816 E. Sixth St. Belly up to the bar in the historic stone building, or while away the last hours of sunlight in the outdoor courtyard at Whisler’s. This Eastside cocktail den has happy hour every day from 4 to 7 p.m., and from open to close on Monday. Whisler’s has a select menu of classic cocktails for bargain prices and beers for $1 off. The bar doesn’t have a kitchen, but the swoon-worthy East Side King food truck Thai Kun is parked just outside. “The place is unique,” says bartender Victor Bernal. “It’s been a part of Austin for more than 100 years. We have great drinks at reasonable prices. Whisler’s Old Fashioned is our most popular drink at happy hour and all the time. It’s been proclaimed Austin’s No. 1 Old Fashioned.”
Parkside’s garden cocktail with classic ceviche
Best Raw Bar: Parkside 301 E. Sixth St.
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Whisler’s Old Fashioned
Best Newcomer: VOX Table 1100 S. Lamar Blvd. Where a funky strip mall used to stand on South Lamar Boulevard, the Lamar Union now houses the refurbished Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and several shops and restaurants, including Vox Table. This new spot is quickly gathering accolades for its farm-to-table cuisine, as well as its creative cocktails. Happy hour runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the bar, with $4 draft beer, $5 select fortified wines, $6 classic and house cocktails, half-price wines by the glass and half off items on the happy-hour food menu. The Herb is the Word cocktail, made with Fords Gin, lemon, herb-tea syrup, Cocchi Americano and yellow chartreuse, goes well with the Tongue + Cheek bun with Yorkshire pudding.
W Austin Hotel photo by Knoxy.
Parkside is a culinary oasis in the midst of Dirty Sixth. It’s a treat to watch chefs artfully prepare ceviche and raw-bar staples behind a long stainless-steel bar. They will toss you a plate full of oysters, along with Champagne, for half price every Wednesday until 7 p.m. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 5 to 6:30 p.m., with half off all beer, liquor and the entire bar food menu. The Garden, made with TY KU soju Korean rice liquor, jasmine liquor and orange blossom water, is blissfully refreshing and a perfect accompaniment to ceviche. “We have an excellent deal on some of the best raw seafood in town,” says General Manager Kevin Pearce. “Our oyster platters are a great deal and the bar burger and steaks are fantastic.”
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ellness
fitness
Fit and Fun, All for Free
Get in shape without breaking the bank. By Olivia Sylvain
WeViva Fitness WeViva Fitness is a nonprofit organization that promotes health and wellness by hosting free classes for low-income families throughout the city. The organization offers Zumba, yoga, low-impact fitness, aerobics and nutrition classes. Sessions are hosted at apartment complexes, community centers and schools. All classes are bilingual, and WeViva even offers child care at some locations. To view a full class schedule, visit weviva.org. Austin Runners Club Austin Runners Club is a training group that meets throughout the week. Some runs are designed for marathon training, while beginners and intermediate runners or those looking for something less intense can try a fun run or workout. Most groups meet early in the morning to avoid the summer heat. Group times and contact information are listed at austinrunners.org. Title Boxing Club North Austin Title is a nationwide fitness franchise and no-contact gym. Each hour-long boxing and kickboxing class burns a reported 1,000 calories. The first class is free for any boxing newbies wanting to punch it out. Class times are available at austin-us183.titleboxingclub.com. Austin Runners Meetup Austin Runners Meetup is a group that meets throughout the week and encourages runners at all levels to join. This meetup does not coin itself a training group, and some runs allow you to pick your own distance. Runs are in the mornings and evenings. For a full list of scheduled runs, visit meetup. com/austinrunnnersmeetup. 68 | Austin Woman | august 2015
FIT Austin FIT Austin is a family-owned fitness center that specializes in TRX training. This particular training features bodyweight resistance and suspension equipment, according to Owner Lateef Johnson. “It’s a scalable piece of equipment so people at all fitness levels can benefit from it,” Johnson says. FIT also offers high-intensity interval training. Register for free classes online at fitaustin.com. CrossFit Central If you are interested in trying a less traditional workout, CrossFit Central offers a free community class. There, beginners can get acquainted with the high intensity of CrossFit before making any commitments to the gym. The CrossFit Central community workout adjusts to the needs of each person so everyone can go at their own pace. Free workouts are capped at 30 participants and offered at both CrossFit Central locations. CrossFit Central Burnet: 6205 Burnet Road, 8 to 9 a.m. CrossFit Central Downtown: 702 E. Third St., 8 to 9 a.m. Visit crossfitcentral.com/our-community for information on the next free workout. Salsa Night at The Oasis Breaking out of that boring workout routine can be difficult, so if you want to add flavor to your regimen, try Sunday night salsa at The Oasis. Live salsa music is featured every week starting at 7 p.m., and there are free salsa lessons. The Oasis is located at 6550 Comanche Trail. Synergy High Intensity Training Synergy High Intensity Training offers a free boot camp, Get Fit Give Back, on Saturdays at 9 a.m. Arrive about 20 minutes early to secure a spot in the class. The class benefits Capital Area Food Bank, so bring a canned food item as your entry fee. Classes take place at the following locations: Boot Camp and Zumba Boot Camp 6719 N. Lamar Blvd. Mueller Lake Park, 4005 W. Parmer Lane 4550 Mueller Blvd. 103 N. Bell Blvd., Cedar Park, Texas A lot of these workouts may be new or unfamiliar, so try not to overexert yourself; if you’re feeling tired or fatigued, take a break. These classes are not competitive, so don’t feel pressured and have fun. Always remember to bring any gear you may need, such as proper shoes, water or a towel.
Photo courtesy of CrossFit Central.
It is no secret that staying fit can often become mundane and sometimes expensive. You may be tempted by the many fitness DVDs, detox kits, body wraps and cleanses that promise quick results but leave you low on cash. Austin offers a variety of opportunities for people at all levels of fitness to stay in shape for free. Fitness groups are fun alternatives to your typical solo workout routine and they are accessible to everyone. If you are looking to try out a new gym or workout regimen, many fitness centers offer the first class discounted or at no cost. Classes vary from outdoor to indoor, some require equipment and some don’t. This is a great list to get you started on finding a suitable fitness routine.
Weekly Yoga Itinerary By Macy Moore Yoga is a huge asset to the Austin lifestyle. It fits in perfectly with the city, but doesn’t always fit our budgets. Here are some cheap and free options to receive your Zen moment every day of the week without breaking the bank. Monday Lululemon on Sixth Street offers free Monday night yoga classes from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. lululemon.com/austin/6thandlamar Head to Palm Door on Sabine Street for a free 60-minute class at 7:30 p.m. Donations are welcomed but not necessary. palmdoor.com/sabine Tuesday Why not kill two birds with one stone on Tuesday mornings? Get your caffeine fix before or after practicing yoga at Cherrywood Coffeehouse. The donation-based class begins at 8 a.m., and the relaxation of yoga mixed with espresso is the perfect energizing start to the day. cherrywoodcoffeehouse.com Get some fresh air on the first and third Tuesday of the month with a free yoga class at Dick Nichols District Park. Texas Green Bird Fitness hosts the class at 6:30 p.m. austinparks.org/yoga Wednesday Palm Door’s Sixth Street location welcomes yogis for an evening class from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. palmdoor.com/sixth If you’re looking for a sunrise or sunset session, Yoga Vida hosts a $5 hot-yoga class Wednesdays at 6:30 a.m. and again at 8 p.m. yogavidaaustin.com Thursday Cherrywood Coffeehouse offers a donation-based class Thursdays at 8 a.m. Grab a post-workout snack and remind yourself that your week is almost complete. cherrywoodcoffeehouse.com Friday A $5 Yoga Vida class is offered Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s a great way to kick off the weekend! yogavidaaustin.com Saturday On Saturday, give a little as you receive high-quality yoga. Several studios throughout town offer donation-based yoga classes. Some popular choices are Practice Yoga and Black Swan Yoga, which operate on the donation system for every class, every day of the week. Pure Bikram Yoga’s South and North locations offer a 4:30 p.m. donation-based class on Saturdays. practiceyogaaustin.com, blackswanyoga.com, purebikramyoga.com Another option is to head to Stacy Park the last Saturday of the month for a free yoga class beginning at 11 a.m. austinparks.org/yoga Sunday Begin your day of rest at Luke’s Locker. The sport-clothing store offers two free yoga classes at 8:30 and 10 a.m. lukeslocker.com
Photo courtesy of Crossfit Central.
Visit Wooldridge Square Park the third Sunday of each month for a free family class put on by The Little Yoga House. For the month of August, the class will begin at 9:30 a.m., but once fall begins, the free monthly class will begin at 11 a.m. austinparks.org/yoga
Full-moon Yoga For 20 years now, Charles MacInerney has conducted a free yoga class at a scenic location once a month. This month, the class will be Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., at 4400 Ridge Oak Drive. Following the session, the class watches the sun go down and the full moon rise. yogateacher.com/yoga/full-moon-yoga
June 1st thru August 31st for kids under 12 DINE IN ONLY. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
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ellness
HEALTH
Water, Water Everywhere
Everything you wanted to know about your health and H2O. By Jill Case Water is vital to your survival. Your body uses water in so many ways. From moving nutrients through your body, to regulating body temperature, water is essential. Here’s more about why water is so important for your health.
Why Drinking Water Helps Keep You Healthy Sometimes the benefits of drinking water are over-hyped, but the reality is this: Drinking water does have real benefits. 1. Drinking water can help you consume fewer calories. Water is not a weight-loss solution, but when you drink water instead of calorie-filled drinks to stay hydrated, you could be saving hundreds of calories each day. Drinking water can also make you feel full, and staying hydrated keeps you from mistaking thirst for hunger. It also pays to eat fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and strawberries that have a high water content. They provide hydration and nutrition for only a few calories. 2. Drinking water is important for healthy digestion. No one likes to talk about it, but when you’re constipated, you probably want all the advice you can get. Instead of seeking help from over-thecounter remedies, try drinking more water. If you aren’t getting an adequate amount of water, your colon will let you know by taking the water it needs from your stool and causing constipation, which can be painful. 3. Drinking water can help prevent kidney stones. When you drink enough water, it prevents waste products from becoming concentrated in your urine while also causing more frequent urination, which gives the waste and minerals that form kidney stones less time in your body, providing fewer chances for a stone to form. 4. Drinking water can energize you. If you’re not drinking enough water, you can become fatigued. Dehydration causes your heart to pump harder, and it makes your other organs less efficient as well. Drinking water also gives your muscles the energy they need to work hard during the day, especially during workouts. 5. Drinking water makes your skin beautiful from the inside out. Water hydrates and moisturizes your skin, and it also makes it more elastic. Dehydrated skin can look dry, rough and wrinkled, while well-hydrated skin looks smoother and softer. When you use moisturizers, you help lock in and protect your skin’s natural moisture.
How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day? You may have heard that you need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, but it’s not quite that straightforward. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults consume about 91 ounces (2.7 liters) of water each day, but that includes the water that is found in other beverages and foods. Most people consume about 80 percent of their water from drinks and 20 percent from food. When you’re exercising or outside in the heat for extended periods of time, you will need to drink more water to replace what you lose while sweating.
How Do You Know When You’re Dehydrated? Basically, dehydration occurs when you have lost more bodily fluids, including water, than you have taken in. Many things can cause dehydration, including working in the heat, exercising, illness with vomiting and diarrhea or simply not drinking enough water. Symptoms include: 3T hirst, dry mouth, feeling like your tongue is swelling 3F eeling dizzy, weak or confused 3F eeling fatigued or faint 3F ast heartbeat, rapid breathing 3 I nability to perspire or cry 3R educed urine output 3C oncentrated, dark-colored urine For mild to moderate cases of dehydration, you should drink water or something like Gatorade or PowerAde to replace electrolytes. If you experience symptoms of severe dehydration—inability to urinate, serious thirst, confusion, shriveled skin, fever or rapid heart rate—seek medical attention immediately.
Is It Possible to Drink Too Much Water? The answer is yes! Water intoxication, or hyponatremia, is a rare but serious condition that can cause people to have seizures, go into a coma or even to die. When you drink too much water too fast, you can change the level of sodium in your body, diluting it down to a dangerous level. Generally, you would have to drink liters of water very quickly to cause this condition. People are more vulnerable when they’re participating in strenuous exercise, such as running a race, followed by drinking large amounts of water. You should drink only until you feel your thirst has been quenched, and you may want to drink a drink with electrolytes after serious exercise. If you experience headache, confusion, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness or seizures, seek medical help. Water is vital for life, so take advantage of the many ways it works to make and keep you healthy.
Health Benefits of Water-Based Exercise The Centers for Disease Control says swimming and water-based exercise offer many health rewards. They note that “people report enjoying waterbased exercise more than exercising on land. They can also exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or joint or muscle pain.”* There are several reasons to add swimming and water-based exercise to your routine. They include the following. r It’s low-impact, so it isn’t hard on the joints and bones.
r I t’s safe and beneficial exercise for people with arthritis or osteoporosis.
r It’s a good cardiovascular workout that strengthens your heart and lungs.
rW ater-based exercise provides more resistance than the same exercises done on land. This burns more calories and strengthens muscles.
r Water’s buoyancy helps protect bones and joints from injuries.
* cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/health_benefits_water_exercise.html
70 | Austin Woman | august 2015
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HEALTH
A Glossary of Water Here’s a guide to the water that’s everywhere these days: Tap water is treated by local municipalities, and it contains chlorine and added fluoride.
Natural sparkling water is water that contains carbon dioxide from its original source, such as a spring.
Distilled water is vaporized to remove the minerals.
Vitamin water is available in several different flavors. All vitamin water contains some amount of fortified vitamins, but some brands also contain caffeine and more artificial ingredients than others. There are no- and low-calorie versions available as well. It’s important to read the labels to see what is in the brand you choose.
Natural spring water comes from and is bottled at a natural spring. Artesian or spring water also comes from a natural source of water, but this water is processed, purified and bottled at another source.
Photo by Victor Ovalle, Austin Parks and Recreation.
Mineral water has to have 250 parts per million of solids, which include minerals, according to the FDA’s definition. Sparkling water is just water with carbon dioxide added in, nothing else.
Coconut water is found inside the center of a young, green coconut. This clear liquid contains high levels of potassium and low levels of sodium.
Taking the Waters For centuries, people have gone to various mineral springs throughout the world to “take the waters,” meaning they bathe in the springs in the hopes that the water will help improve their health. We have a famous spring in Austin—Barton Springs—and the Hill Country is also home to several natural springs. Here are some springs for you to try: Chinati Hot Springs is located in Marfa, Texas. chinatihotsprings.net Comal Springs is the largest in Texas. edwardsaquifer.net/comal.html Krause Springs has 32 springs on its property. krausesprings.net/about-us San Marcos Springs is also known as Aquarena Springs. edwardsaquifer.net/ comal.html San Soloman Springs is part of Balmorhea State Park. tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/ parks/balmorhea
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oint of view
memo from JB
Hager Family Vacation
Help needed: inadequate pay but plenty of Bloody Marys. By JB Hager, photo by rudy arocha
I am seriously considering lining up an additional mom/wife for our next family vacation. Perhaps I should run an ad. “Additional mother/wife needed to join us on our family vacation. Can you pack/unpack/organize and meet deadlines without input from the actual parents? Can you deal with nagging, rude brats with lastminute requests or the urge to slap people? Pay is inadequate. Try to see the world along with us. Underappreciated summer job that probably won’t go on your resume.” The reason I bring this up is that I have seen that my wife, the mother of my child, gets horribly robbed on the true value of what a vacation should offer. It should be a time to relax, enjoy family and see the world. The minutiae and logistics of the trip bog her down so heavily before, during and after, I can tell it isn’t as fun as it’s supposed to be. My fear is that it is the same for most mothers out there. When we take a vacation, I speculate that this is what my wife is worried about: 3 Are the dogs boarded? 3 Are the dogs’ shots up to date so they can be boarded? 3 Do I have everyone’s passport? 3 Are everyone’s essential prescriptions up to date and packed? 3 Do I have the plants and small critters covered? 3 Have I thought of every type of attire needed for myself and my
child? Dress, casual, swim, snow gear, ugh. 3 Have I packed small versions of all the toiletries? 3 Is the hotel confirmed? 3 Do we have a rental car? 3 Did I get enough cash? 3 Are the cellphones set for international call/data? 3 Did I call the credit cards about currency fees? 3 Are everyone’s iPads/phones/cables charged and packed? 3 Did I pack snacks? 3 Got to get everyone to bed. It’s a long day tomorrow. 3 Got to get everyone up. All were up way too late. 3 Hotel breakfast ends in 30 minutes and no one is up. 3 Are the tickets purchased for the theme park/tour/train? 3 Everyone is hungry. Why didn’t they eat when I told them to? 3 I told you to put on sunblock. 3 Honey, I think you’ve had enough to drink. 3 We have to pack. We’re leaving early in the morning. 3 One more sweep through the hotel to see what’s missing. 3 I don’t know where Fluffy Bear is. Where did you leave him? 3 Are we going to check out of the hotel in time?
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3H ow much time is needed to get back to the airport? 3 I have no idea why my bag is heavier than 50 pounds. Let’s
just pay the fee. This is what I worry about: 3 Is it too early for a Bloody Mary?
In my mind, if she just had a Bloody Mary too, everything would be fine. Then, of course, no one would ever make it anywhere. As I reflect on my own childhood and family summer vacations, it totally makes sense why my sisters and I were dropped off with relatives we barely knew. It explains why there were so many wonderful slideshows of our parents on vacation, smiling and jet-setting throughout the world. Our parents were either smarter or there was a lot less guilt back then. Perhaps both. In preparation for our next vacation, I think I will have a Bloody Mary and then write that ad: additional wife/mother needed for family vacation.
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oint of view
mother of the bride
Once Her Mother, Always Her Mother
Reflections on the roller-coaster ride of being the mother of the bride. By cheryl bemis
76 | Austin Woman | september 2015
What I Know for Sure About Being the Mother of the Bride 1. C ommunication is key and it’s the backbone of this entire process. Give your daughter the benefit of the doubt with her planning process and use the Smile, Breath and Shut Up technique often. 2. Being a good MOB is something that takes patience and you need to earn your daughter’s trust—quietly. 3. Document the entire process! Your cellphone camera is your friend and you’ll capture those sweet moments for both of you to enjoy. I cherish my motherdaughter selfies. 4. I found out my daughter is a lot more like me than I thought, and she came to the same realization going through this process. 5. Brides take on a different personality when faced with enormous amounts of stress. She will return to her old self once the wedding is done, I promise. 6. Pick only one item you won’t budge on. For me, it was to have an indoor ceremony July 4. It was my one line in the sand, and later, Britten thanked me, and my family did too. 7. In the end, while my daughter was so involved in the planning process to make things perfect, she later said the day went by so fast and it was all a big blur. 8. And lastly, while you think things will change because she’s a wife and you’ve lost her to a husband, you’ll realize, as I did quickly after the wedding, that, to her, you will always be Mom.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Bemis.
important. At the end of the day, no one gives a flip about what lace is on the garter, the flowers or if the table runners match. On Britten’s wedding day, her vintage-garden theme came to life right before my eyes. Her love of family heirlooms and rabbits showed throughout the venue, with antique candleholders from her great-grandmother, my vintage teapots used as centerpieces and a thrift-store typewriter I found about 20 years ago as an entry-table welcome-card holder. Other touches included my mother’s bride’s Bible opened up on the antique dresser from my husband’s family, which served as the altar. Before Britten walked down the aisle, I buttoned her into her MagI was never the mother who cried gie Sottero lace gown. As I fastened when her kid went off to school. the top of its 40 buttons, one by one, This empty feeling felt so foreign to tears put my wame. Later that day, The dynamic with my terproof mascara through the sweat daughter for seven months to the test. The and miles of a Brushy bridesmaids took Creek bike ride, a was certainly different sniffle turned into a while planning a wedding. over. I was a mess. Britten glistened full-blown sobbing cry as she walked with her dad through fest. It was a catch-your-breath kind of the Stonehouse Villa ballroom to her cry the rest of the ride, and I needed to high-school sweetheart. In a short, make sure I wasn’t getting dehydrated memorable and joyful ceremony, from my tears. My caring husband Britten and Dylan were married. She asked if I was having a nervous breakwalked down the aisle my little girl down. He had a point. I was a mess. and walked back a woman with a life My emotions were coming from so full of adventures ahead of her. And I many places. In reflecting on the pronow have a son-in-law. cess, I realized I probably neglected That night, as I made the 45-minmy husband and my son from time to ute ride back to Austin, I reflected on time, yet they remained patient and several things. I felt so thankful that supportive. I also had the value of my I have a daughter who wanted me to friendships reinforced. Longtime friend be a part of her wedding milestones, Diane Keen drove in from Dallas to help which included a bridal shower and with all the flower décor, and Rachel a bridal slumber party. I am so happy Elsberry videotaped the wedding-day my daughter is someone who loved details and ceremony. It was a reminder the handcrafted items I made, items that the friendships I have are more I know she will cherish forever. I was sister-like than just of the fair-weather also touched she used family heirvariety or that my friends are just conlooms in her wedding décor. And what venient people to help me save money. a treat to take my own bridal portrait I felt a true sense of gratitude for these of her that proudly hangs in my home. amazing women in my life. As I started my day July 5, no lonThe dynamic with my daughter ger an MOB and feeling the loss of for seven months was certainly difmy daughter, my phone rang. It was ferent while planning a wedding. It Britten. I heard a high-pitched “Hi, was joyous but also challenging. I had Mama!” My heart melted and I cried to act as a mother and be stern with again. My little girl never left. She is her when she was heading toward now a married woman, but I will alBridezilla-ville and remind her that ways be the mother of the bride. family, friends and Dylan were most
On the morning of July 5, I woke up. My eyes opened and realization washed over me. The wedding was done. My daughter was now a married woman. There was no longer a wedding checklist. There would be no more late-night trips to WalMart for this or that. There’d be no more texts from Britten about her latest weddingrelated Pinterest find. Where I thought I’d find relief, a sense of loss rushed in instead. I felt empty and without a purpose. A major life milestone had come and gone as fast as my daughter could say, “I do.”
O
n the scene
horoscopes
Happy Birthday, leo!
July 23–Aug. 23
Your Month: You burst into August like a racehorse out of the starting gate. And guess what? You win this race. No one, unless they maybe live on Mars or something, can resist you this month. The brilliance of your personality simply cannot be ignored. You’re charming, clever, witty and unique. But you need freedom, you need change, you need variety, and right now, you need these things in your profession. But first, look around you. Search for a way to think about work differently. Look for the not-so-obvious signs showing which direction to go. Pursue the unconventional path. ➺ Synchronicity: That word is your mantra in August. Your assignment: Look for quirky, seemingly random coincidences pointing your way. They should be obvious and loud, demanding some form of action on your part. Communicate, write, make speeches, train, sell, teach and be sure to express yourself in ways that bring you joy. You may not be sure what to do exactly, but the answers are probably in the arts. Look for the artist within, let him or her break free and see what happens. Observe the signs. They’ll help you achieve your life’s purpose. Virgo (Aug. 24–Sept. 22): It’s an interesting month for Virgos, and all of you are more, well, Virgo-y. Your actual physical presence is demanded and your own unique brand of energy, hard work and selfdiscipline comes easily to you, so you don’t mind. You’re such a good worker and can usually keep your well-documented micro-managing somewhat under control, but this month, you’ve got an entire rock opera playing in your head. You can see the whole thing, work out all the parts and keep all the players in your mind’s eye. The powerful juju you work this month happens behind the scenes as well as in public. Trust your brain. Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Whoa, what is happening to you this month? Are you winning an Academy Award? Or are you the keynote speaker for a national convention? Did you win the marathon in San Antonio? Or maybe you just released a new song and it’s a No. 1 hit or your concert sold out and the venue had to add more dates. In other words, August is a great month for you when it comes to money, work and career. But you must be brave and trust this month and the universe to make you a superstar. Self-doubt will halt you in your tracks. Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): Change, growth, expansion: August is a busy month for you. But change and growth for their own sakes aren’t nearly as successful for you as change,
growth and expansion coupled with brave and blinding creativity. But you are feeling just a little frustrated trying to do just that. When you get bossy and act like your old self-assertive self, you hit a brick wall. The trick is to identify the key creative players in your work and compromise. Relax. Stop assuming you have to do everything alone. Trust in your team and you’ve mastered this lesson. The brick wall disappears. Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): This month is a quest to learn the best way for you to serve humanity. You feel compelled to follow the bigger—really, the biggest—picture. There’s so much at stake here and sometimes you feel the weight of the entire world is on your shoulders. You want to solve those big problems, uncover the greatest truths, even if you have to travel the earth to do it. The only problem with August is you may get too tied up in the small picture, your personal relationships. Managing chaos may interfere with your own plans for detached service to humanity, so watch for it. Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 20): You Capricorns have always demanded a high, almost impossible-to-sustain level of commitment from your partners, both personal and professional. Well, this month, you finally get to benefit from them in a big, magical way. Look for inheritance benefits, insurance benefits, corporate payouts and benefits from any jointly held business projects.
78 | Austin Woman | september 2015
You benefit from any resource you share with your spouse, so lighten up. There’s a side of you that kind of enjoys a little drama in your life, but try not to let unrealistic expectations interfere with the smooth enjoyment of some very welldeserved shared benefits. Aquarius (Jan. 21–Feb. 19): It’s relationship time for you lucky people. Everything points to an explosive, magnificent, standard-setting partnership cycle, so relax and try not to develop unrealistic expectations. Keep everything funloving and generous. Indulge yourself and your partner, and share adventures and philosophies, not judgments. And communicate. When you focus on communicating, you learn as much about yourself as your partner in the process, and you strive for self-knowledge. You’ve always wanted a partner who gives you the freedom to live the way you choose but still communicates enough for you to feel secure in your relationship, so you’re going to love August. Pisces (Feb. 20–March 20): You’ve waited patiently for your career and the folks you work with to recognize your creative contributions and present you with more opportunities. You’ve seen progress but it’s been slow. Well, not this month. Your personal work ethic blows away the competition, not that you have any competition. You can’t stop working, or working it or working out. Even your diet is exemplary. That’s not the kind of thing that usually gets you noticed and pushes you onstage out in front of everyone, but that’s August for you: a month full of attention and accolades. Just practice your royal wave. Aries (March 21–April 20): Home and family matters have been a little rough since June, and you or the people you live with are cranky, irritable and quick to offense. You need to feel secure emotionally, but you’ve had, shall we say, a fear of intimacy lately, and are just a little sensitive to the highly charged atmosphere. But here’s the deal: It wasn’t real. Mars, the planet of work and war, was just messing with you. After the 8th of this month, you’re home free. Can you wait it out? Channel this energy into some über cre-
ative projects, kids, something romantic or something combining all three. Be the star that you are and shine. Taurus (April 21–May 21): Tolstoy wrote, “All happy families are happy in the same way.” A happy home and family: It’s what you’re about this month. You’re especially concerned with your role within it, but don’t worry. You get to be king (or queen), no contest. You’re especially creative and inventive right now, so it’s easy for your people to accede rulership to you because it’s fun. You’re fun. In spite of being the boss, your easygoing sense of individuality; your pursuit of out-of-theordinary fun; your gentle, loving and charming ways; and your affectionate nature are all things that encourage your subjects— er—family members to really enjoy your company. Gemini (May 22–June 20): Career is important, work is important, but you know what’s really important? Communication. Your focus in August is communication, and not just communicating with those close to you. You need to find a way to communicate with your neighborhood, with your town and with your state, even if you have to drive everywhere to do it. Now, with the Internet, you can take your personal and professional message and share it with your country and the world as well. Decide who you want to be, what you want to say and have a clear purpose and a theme. Then go to it. Cancer (June 21–July 22): This month, you’re aggressive about making money, and you’re really good at it, but it’s not just about money. You’re aggressively pursuing your values, whatever they are. Sometimes money and possessions equal strength and power to you. Sometimes it’s about valuable objects and beautiful possessions because you have an almost magical ability to see beauty in things. This month, you might also be aggressive about attracting someone into your life who helps give your finances a little boost because you’re talkative, intelligent and a quick learner. Just be careful not to tie your self-esteem too closely to your finances. By Deborah Alys Carter deborah@pinkaustin.com
P
oint of view
last word
The official class photo’s theme was always “Come as you are.” The author is front row, third from left.
The Person I Would Become
How a teacher who believed in keeping it weird still makes me beam with pride. By NIKI JONES There was no bullying in Mr. Stasiuk’s classroom simply because, in there, it just wouldn’t have been considered cool. Nerds ruled for their quirky outlook. Crazy ideas were rewarded. We all knew something very special was happening, and those of us who knew we were weird flourished. For our Mr. Stasiuk, a paraplegic, had one of the most fun outlooks on life class group photo, he had everyone wear crazy costumes just because. of anyone I’d ever met, which translated directly to the way he taught I carried Mr. Stasiuk’s philosophy and creative outlook on life with me his class. I’d describe my whole 5th-grade through high school, college and into my experience as joyous, thanks to Mr. Stasiuk, We all knew something very special graphic-design career, during which people whose primary goal was to unleash the crewas happening, and those of us who often referred to me as weird, making me ativity in all of us and make us think outside knew we were weird flourished. beam with pride. I was open to sharing my the box for even the most mundane of tasks. ideas without fear. Happily self-deprecating and always ready to laugh, Weirdness wasn’t just accepted; it was preferable. I was truly me, all because Mr. Stasiuk taught me it was OK. And, ultiA brilliant artist, Mr. Stasiuk hand drew weekly newsletters for our mately, I ended up living in the city that prides itself on keeping it weird. class, illustrating all the funny things that had happened in our classroom I’m lucky enough to still be in touch with Mr. Stasiuk through social during the week, which taught us to laugh at ourselves. He had a tree media, and I am happy to see he still has his beautiful home, beautiful stump next to his chair, a coveted position if you were chosen to sit on it wife, makes beautiful art and is still as weird as ever. and read James and the Giant Peach aloud to the class. Instead of boring
Anyone who knows me from childhood would easily agree that my 5th-grade teacher absolutely shaped the person I’d become.
poems, we were encouraged to write parody songs a la Weird Al Yankovic. (I remember mine was Caterpillar to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.)
Originally from New York, Austin Woman Creative Director Niki Jones has been calling Austin home since 2005.
October’s Last Word topic will be “How a Book Changed My Life.” To be considered, email a 500-word submission by Sept. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com.
80 | Austin Woman | september 2015
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