2019 Women Issue

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THE INSPIRATIONAL OF AUSTIN

Dr. Fara Ranjbaran Chief Medical Officer

Amanda Woodham Chief Financial Officer Nadia Aseeva Architect

Lynnda Colby Interior Designer

Tess Bauer Senior Project Manager

Dr. Lauryn Lax Occupational Therapy

Bridgett Kash Wellness Concierge

Ana Knoles Marketing Director

Dr. Ashley Maltz Integrative Medicine Physician

Countless women are building platforms and making major impacts in Austin and beyond. With a platform like this comes the ability to do good things for a community. And that’s exactly what these women are doing. Meet four women who have made it their mission to empower the marginalized by giving them a voice and amplifying their messages.

One Vision, Two Minds

When women work together, powerful results emerge. This is the certainly the case for the team behind local architecture firm, Jobe Corral Architects. Discover how two architects became business partners and use their complementary skills to design homes around the lifestyles that take place inside them.

A diversely populated STEAM school with infant sign-language and Spanish language instruction.

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Nillo Studios, LLC

Creative Director Will Bowling

Publishing Editor

Ashley Bowling

Photo Editor

Eric Morales

Business Development Brenna Parthemore

Copy Editor

Pam Bowen

Contributing

Photographers

Ashley Haguewood, Shelby Bella, Katy Chadwell, Rachel Benevides, Casey Woods, Heather Barnes

Contributing

Writers

Mallory Lehenbauer, Alison Bryce, Jessi Devenyns, Katy Chadwell, Sam Lauron, Jinky Romero, Justin & Kayla Butts

Distribution

Brian Phillips, Will Bowling

• Christian education reinforces the values of generosity, forgiveness, thankfulness, love and responsibility

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• Reggio-Emilia inspired approach to education

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Copyright © 2016 Nillo Studios, LLC. EASTside Magazine is published by Nillo Studios, LLC. No portion may be reproduced without express written consent. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice, but is rather considered informative. Expressed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ownership.

Photo: Katie Wnukoski

Inspiration comes in various forms. For everyone, it’s a little different. Personally, Will and I look to our family and close friends; we listen to books; we intently listen to those who have a different story than we do; and we ask questions of those who are more experienced and wiser than we are.

In doing so, we’ve invited people into our journey who’ve been so influential that we would not be the people we are today had we not listened to them share their stories with us with vulnerably and courage. These people have encouraged us to move beyond our comfort zones instead of taking the easy route; because these people have invited us to step into the unknown by faith instead of allowing fear to grasp our thoughts and influence our actions; because these people had the courage to say, It is time for you to step up. We have and are grateful that we did. Many times we failed in the process. But we have learned from our failures, and we’ve also seen some little victories along the way.

And so, over the course of this issue, there is a common thread: wisdom, empathy, and vision. Of course these women have fears and faults—they are human. But they do not allow those fears to control or stifle them. They have courage, and they have stepped out in faith.

Throughout these pages, you’ll find countless stories of women who have inspired me and who’ve changed lives through their personal process of courage. These women stand for the ones who have not yet found the courage to stand. They are change-makers. They fight for belonging and community, for the betterment of their neighbors and for future generations that will follow.

With this issue, our hope is that at least a few readers are inspired to do what they are made to do: that they, too, are encouraged be courageous, that they will find their voice, that they step out of fear into faith, that they will fail forward. If we can play one small part to spur a few people along the way, to take steps to share their story with vulnerability, or to step into their dreams, that is inspiring.

As you read, please take at least one valuable nugget from these wise women. And please know we also hope to see you at the Inspirational Women’s issue release party on October 3!

Will & Ashley Bowling

On the Cover

Eric Morales shot all the images of these beautiful women at Inn Cahoots (the locale of the upcoming Inspirational Women’s event!). We then put the images together graphically as one image that overlaps each other just as their stories overlap to help others find their voice.

MARK SWEENEY, DDS #1 BEST COSMETIC DENTIST

LAURIE BYRNE’ S SMILE SAYS…

“I’m embracing 60 this year!”

Enjoys playing tennis at Westwood Country Club. Working out at Lagree & Playing with her new Boston Terrier puppy named Thibodeaux.

♥s: Dining at Emmer & Rye. Taking her dogs to Zilker Park. Margaritas on the patio at Matt’s.

Retired middle school counselor, Lake Travis ISD, 31 years in education.

Loves

25 Years of Impact

25 Years of Impact

• Lent $75 million

• Provided 100,000 hours of free educational support

• Helped over 1300 businesses

• Created over 6,000 jobs

How PeopleFund is helping small business owners succeed

WORDS BY SAM LAURON PHOTOS BY SHELBY BELLA & PEOPLE FUND

Several years ago, a report came out that stated women make up more than half of Texas’ population. However, fewer than 25% of CEOs are women. This data prompted PeopleFund to take action and change the status quo through their business lending program.

“We think that Austin and Texas can, and should, do better,” proclaims Amber Kani, Chief Advancement Officer at PeopleFund. After learning about the state of women earners in Texas, the nonprofit lender took the necessary steps to shift their organization into one that better serves women-owned businesses. As a team made up almost entirely of women, Amber says PeopleFund “wanted to walk the walk” and set out to make women at least 50% of the population in which they serve. Only a couple years into the process, the organization’s portfolio is now made up of 53% women-owned businesses.

With humble beginnings, PeopleFund got its start in a little green house on Chalmers Avenue with the goal of providing loans and assis-

tance to businesses in the heart of East Austin. Now in its 25th year, the nonprofit has grown immensely in the services they provide and the areas they serve. While based in East Austin, the organization also has offices in most major cities throughout Texas, including Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. No matter which city they’re serving, their main priority is to “elevate underserved entrepreneurs,” says Amber. She adds, “In addition to women, we focus on minorities, low income [individuals], business in low income areas, and veterans.”

For women-owned businesses, PeopleFund provides a breadth of resources aimed at helping small businesses, startups, and nonprofits succeed. Whether entrepreneurs are looking for financial help, wanting to grow their business skills, or are seeking support from fellow

“We just want to make sure [women] can get what they need with as few obstacles as possible.”

business owners, PeopleFund strives to make the process as seamless as possible through their lending program, access to business coaches, and free workshops.

“There are already so many barriers to starting a business,” Amber explains. “We just want to make sure women can get what they need with as few obstacles as possible.”

One major barrier that female business owners often face is access to capital, according to Amber. “Even though women repay their loan at a more stable rate, and they turn their capital around and put it back into the community, what we find is that banks decline them at a higher rate.”

That’s where PeopleFund steps in. The organization currently lends around $5 million per year at a reduced rate to women-owned businesses. Thanks to a partnership with the Tory Burch Foundation and Bank of America, PeopleFund can offer a 2% reduction rate on loans of $100,000 or less for women-owned businesses.

In doing so, they’ve helped local businesses fund their next step, businesses that Amber believes are doing “really important work” like minority female-owned businesses, construction businesses, healthcare clinics, retail stores, and coffee shops.

“These women come to us with great ideas and great businesses,” Amber smiles. “They just need a high five and a little support along the way, and they can do really big things.”

Contact: 2921 E. 17th Street peoplefund.org @peoplefund

Springdale Creek

Art+ entertainment

Fall +Winter 2019

Vintage textiles from Peru, African mud cloths, and Talavera tile are just a few of the design elements used in this refurbished line of furniture & home goods. p.14

14 tile art DISCOVER HOW A LOCAL MAKER BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO VINTAGE FURNITURE WITH GLOBAL-INSPIRED TEXTILES AND TILES.

22 entertainment

NEW EVENT SERIES TAKES AN INTIMATE APPROACH TO CULTIVATING AUSTIN’S LIVE MUSIC COMMUNITY

Unearthing the Beauty Stampworthy Goods

On the historic corner of East 12th and Chicon sits Lemon House – a quaint studio, filled to the brim with character, where three female artists create. One of the three creatives is Allie Launius, whose space comes alive with vibrant walls, embroidered throw pillows, and her uniquely customized furniture pieces.

It all started with an old trunk on Craigslist. Allie, setting out to furnish her new home, was on the lookout for some interesting pieces to make her space unique. In her search, she came across an old trunk and a box of tiles. Excited with her find, she refurbished the timeless trunk, repurposed the tiles as embellishments on it, and, without even realizing it, created her first ever Stampworthy piece.

After a few more reimagined projects for her family and friends, even more requests for one-of-a-kind pieces began to roll in. Allie officially started Stampworthy Goods in early 2018. The artistic vision is simple: take old pieces of furniture, revamp them with modern, but vibrant, design materials driven by her well-traveled aesthetic and make them stand out as unique.

WORDS BY JINKY ROMERO PHOTOS BY SHELBY BELLA

“I want every piece I make to be a statement piece; I want them to be what pops in someone’s house – something they feel connected to in a personal way because it’s one of a kind,” she grins.

For Allie, it’s all about incorporating fun and unique patterns into her line; this includes using custom and handmade clay tiles from Clay Imports featuring distinctive and eccentric shapes and patterns. She has revamped tables and bar carts with tiles ranging from Moroccan to cacti tiles. Stampworthy’s signature style is also heavily inspired by Allie’s travels. To add to its uniqueness, she uses a good number of international designs and patterns in

her pieces. She incorporates vintage textiles from Peru, African mud cloths, and Talavera tile. Her favorite piece, an embroidered wooden James Mont style chair, is upholstered with Otomi colorful embroidery she got from Oaxaca.

Allie’s personal touch and attention to detail is what makes Stampworthy Goods a stand out line. In every piece, she makes a point to customize it in a way that shows off its inherent value and beauty, even in discarded trunks from Craigslist.

Contact: stampworthygoods.com @stampworthygoods

Backyard Beats Building Community Through Music

The gathering is part of Bungalow East, a series of intimate live music shows that take place in East Austin homes.

Founded earlier this year by Erica Tello and Loleita Vatikani, the idea for Bungalow East stemmed from the pair’s shared love of live music and their appreciation for East Austin, where they both live. “We wanted to preserve live music in Austin and bring it to our own neighborhood and backyard,” says Erica.

The pair met at a Galentine’s Day party and became friends immediately. They’ve since taken a collaborative approach to building Bungalow East. Many of their friends have contributed in some way, whether that’s by hosting shows at their homes, connecting them with sponsors, or suggesting an upcoming artist. Even the hand painted banner that’s displayed at each event is representative of the community effort involved behind the project. “It took us a couple weeks [to paint] the banner, but I think over 20 people had some sort of contribution,” Erica recalls.

Tucked away in the backyard of a quaint East Austin home, beneath a canopy of trees and the twinkle of string lights, a small group of people—some strangers, some friends— are sprawled out across blankets, eagerly awaiting the crooning and strumming that will soon commence just a couple feet in front of them.

The ‘bungalow’ in the name is not only a reference to the type of venue where the shows are held—each show is hosted at a different home around East Austin—but is also a symbol of the small and intimate space Erica and Loleita strive to create. The intimacy and neighborhood aspect of these live performances was the pair’s solution to what they believed Austin’s live music scene was missing. “There’s something to be said about walking into a home and feeling welcomed by someone,” Loleita shrugs and then adds, “A house show is a very tangible way of seeing the community come together.”

While these backyard sessions are meant to bring people together, they’re just as much about the experience of an intimate live show as they are about providing a platform for local and on-the-rise artists.

Artists who have performed at Bungalow East span the genres: Americana, Indie, electric-pop and include names like Parker Chapin, LadyDan, and Cooper Greenberg, to name a few. The founders hope to introduce these musicians to a wider, more engaged audience. Musicians often say that,

WORDS BY SAM LAURON PHOTOS COURTESY OF BUNGALOW EAST

“We want to preserve live music in Austin and bring it to our own neighborhood and backyard.”

“having an audience of 70 people to sit and listen to my music is really hard to come by.” Erica adds, “The artists are just really appreciative of the space that we’re creating.”

For Erica and Loleita, their ultimate vision is to build an intimate and accessible community that supports the local music scene, all while highlighting East Austin’s neighborhoods.

“Music transcends many barriers,” Loleita says, “and for us to be able to create a space that anyone and everyone can walk into and feel welcome is something that drives us.”

Contact: @bungaloweastatx

Catch a Show

Bungalow East hosts a live music performance at a different East Austin home each month. For upcoming show and location details, follow Bungalow East on Facebook or Instagram. Their next show is Sunday, October 27!

EXHIBITION O PENS 8/24 FREE A DMISSION 21st and Guadalupe Streets www.hrc.utexas.edu

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STELLA PUBLIC HOUSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Stella Public House is a farm-to-pizza gastropub that is centered on local food practices and the development of strong partnerships with local growers, ranchers, and purveyors. Open daily for lunch and dinner, and weekend brunch, the star of Stella‘s menu is its wood-fired pizza baked in an Italian Modena oven using oak and pecan wood. Award-winning small plates, house-made cheeses, fresh salads, and wood-fired entrées can also be found on the seasonal menu alongside 30 rotating taps of craft beer, an approachable wine list, and craft cocktails.

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stellapublichouse.com

1905 Aldrich Street, #110 (512) 400-0474

Whether you’re a child or still a child at heart, we want you to feel welcome at Toy Dojo! We’re a local, owner-run toy shop specializing in toys and collectibles from all across pop culture. We focus on bringing in the best toys from around the world. From Dragon Ball to Transformers and superheroes like Iron Man, we have a variety of joy-inducing nostalgia to browse and purchase. Stop by our shop in the Mueller neighborhood, just minutes from Downtown Austin, or check us out online. We offer FREE shipping on all domestic orders $150 or more.

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toydojo.com 2036 Robert Browning Street (206) 569-5139

Are you ready to start a conversation within the community? Whether you’re looking to reach Mueller, the surrounding neighborhoods, or Central & East Austin, the EASTside Magazine team engages 100,000 active, educated, and involved readers who have discretionary income and take action based on what they read in our publication because we fit their lifestyle. As a part of the community, you can benefit from one of the most sought-after stomping grounds. Let people know about your business!

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INSPIRING

VOICES

Writer: Jessi Devenyns / Photographer: Eric Morales

The ability to communicate is a basic human instinct. Whether a child, a mother, a counselor, an artist, or a friend, everyone needs someone to hear their voice. For some, that ability to communicate has gotten lost along the way. Thankfully, however, listening and carrying the messages of those who feel unheard has become a calling for these four Eastsiders.

These women work to amplify the concerns and needs of the community that would otherwise be whispered into deaf ears. From the art community to the halls of governance, these ladies strive to create a community filled with flowing conversation and recognition for the various lives that are impacted. By giving people a voice, the marginalized gain a seat at the table and become heard.

“Sometimes, as people get older, they see themselves as being unwanted. And so there’s a stigma attached to aging, and I’m not gonna have that stigma attached to me.”

ORA HOUSTON

Former City Council Member of District 1

irst impressions are only skin deep. “You can’t tell by looking at people, what kinds of experiences they’ve had that led them to be the authentic self that they are today,” declares Ora Houston.

Ms. Houston explains that if someone could be judged based upon a cursory glance, image would be a one-dimensional view of a persona, of her persona, as a former City Council member. However, after living a life that began with Jim Crow and, most recently, ended with passing city-wide legislation on the dais, Ms. Houston as a District 1 Representative is only part of the story.

The story begins in 1961 when Ms. Houston left Austin at the precocious age of 15 to attend college in Iowa. She soon discovered that neither snow nor nursing were her calling. “The bed pans just didn’t cut it for me,” she explains. Dillard University in NOLA was her next move which eventually led her back home to graduate from Huston-Tillotson University with a degree in psychology and sociology.

After marrying, she moved to the West Coast. While living in the Pacific time zone, she remembers meeting a rainbow of figures, both through interactions on the street and roles she served within the community. “These experiences around the country have helped me become who I am. Because if I had stayed in Austin, I’d have just been like any other body in Austin,” she shares.

Although an outsider’s perspective would imagine that she was breaking her own stereotypes and laying foundation for understanding humanity from a deeper level, Ms. Houston was also living another life just below the surface. “I had never experienced that kind of abuse,” she recalls narrating the memory. “I’ve gotten spankings and timeouts [and] punishment, but I never had that from someone who said they loved me. So I didn’t have the words to explain to my mom and dad what was going on.” Thus silence.

Until one day, she was finally able to connect her spouse’s behavior with the proper terminology and recognize the toll his actions were taking on her and her son. “I called a friend [because] I couldn’t drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to get to the airport.”

Though that flight shelved a chapter of her life, the experience left Ms. Houston with an acute perception of the importance in understanding others beyond a surface level. Uncovering the layers of stories that create a human and helping tell them became her mission. By telling one’s story, it gives others insight into the complexities of life and the relationships that members of the same community maintain with one another. It also helps erase the narratives that society gives individuals based on superficial aesthetics.

Ms. Houston insists that she cannot be the one to tell all the stories. Therefore, she leads by telling her own and demonstrating how being vocal allowed her to generate a support network and receive the help that she needed. “I understand if you need your voice to be heard, you’ve got to stand up and say it because nobody’s going to say it for you.

And I also know that people who have been pushed to the edges of our society don’t have their voice or don’t know how to find their voice. So one of the things you have to do is help people understand that they have a voice, and this is how to use it.”

By empowering others with their own voice, Ms. Houston found her role in Austin which, decades later, landed her on the City Council dais to speak for those in her community who struggle to be heard. Now as a citizen again, not much has changed. Today, Ms. Houston is focusing on the elderly community and shedding light on an often overlooked demographic through her own resistance to the stereotypes associated with aging populations. “Sometimes, as people get older, they see themselves as being unwanted. So there’s a stigma attached to aging, and I’m not gonna have that stigma attached to me.”

She’s starting by traveling solo.

“There’s something comforting about knowing that (you work) on issues that you’re passionate about. It’s good to know that you get to go to work every day and do something about it.”

JULIANA GONZALES

Senior Director of Sexual Assault Services at SAFE Alliance

Everything that happens should be evaluated from within an individual’s context. Who are you? Where are you? With what community do you identify? For Juliana Gonzales, Senior Director of Sexual Assault Services at the SAFE Alliance, these questions become an integral part of care when individuals arrive seeking an avenue to stop the violence cycles in their lives, especially when they identify as female.

Women’s health, in particular, has always been a source of interest for Juliana. From sports to sexual health, nothing that happens in a woman’s body can be addressed independently from the whole person. This inextricable link has led her from working in women’s health services to professional women’s sports to the Austin Tenants Council and, most recently, back to a medical health context at SAFE Place.

“I’ve learned that things don’t happen just to your body,” explains Juliana. “Health is socioeconomic, it’s family support, it’s access to healthcare.” As a consequence, a person’s response to medical issues and the healing process “has to do with a lot of things.”

With individual backgrounds being so diverse, Juliana has worked as a director of sexual assault services on creating an environment within the clinics that are representational of the survivors who walk through their doors. Although the population that SAFE Alliance serves is predominantly women, those who seek services at this non-profit also include men, transgender individuals, non-binary, and those who speak languages other than English.

“It’s important to me that survivors come into the clinic and see all kinds of people here, including people who look like them,” Juliana explains.

Employing an array of individuals, however, has opened the door to a wider range of conversations that Juliana shares she is exposed to every day. Those conversations are cyclical, like the cycle of violence that she and her team strive to break through their work. “There are cycles and systems that perpetuate themselves on people in which the same person that we see as a victim of abuse may also be the perpetrator of violence in another situation later in their life.” Stopping the momentum that leads individuals to complete the circle is where Juliana finds herself expending her energies. Unfortunately, much like each individual’s context is unique, so too are the requirements for how to address the cycle of violence.

As a result, Juliana spends her time interacting with survivors inside the clinics and shelters as well as the nurses who care for the patients. Successfully engaging and actually hearing their stories, however, requires a knack for connection, a requirement that Juliana describes as best addressed with the armor of a soft shell crab. Cultivating a translucent exoskeleton allows her to be “vulnerable about [their situation] enough so that you can move through the day with a shell that protects you a little bit without becoming hard to the people who you need to take care of.”

“Retaining her vulnerability,” she clarifies, “also allows her to continue to cultivate her passion to successfully help those who seek help. As someone who has studied women and their relationship to society both in university and professional settings, Juliana says that her goal for over a decade has been to work with Austinites who have survived traumas of sexual assault. “There’s something comforting about knowing that [we work] on issues that we’re passionate about,” she shares. “It’s good to know that I get to go to work every day and do something about it.”

MIRIAM CONNER

Artist & Community Organizer

At its basic level, art is an interpretation of the world. Those interpretations, though, are rarely the same. As a visual artist herself, Miriam Conner discovered early in college that when various impressions of the world are aligned together, the different perspectives create a new piece of artwork entirely. That was the beginning of her life as a curator of artists and communities.

“Through that experience I was like, ‘this is my art now.’ So when I came back to Austin, I found Pine Street Station, and I fell in love,” Miriam recalls. When she returned to Austin, Pine Street Station was a communal art warehouse where the aim was to create a gathering space that invoked a reciprocal dialogue between the community and artists. As the art curator of Pine Street Station, Miriam remembers having an epiphany about the tug-owar that seemed to exist inherently between those who make art and those who come to buy it. “It’s interesting the war between the art community and the cultural communities and the pull that’s happening,” she explains, clarifying that the “pull” often becomes a push as artists lose control of the spaces they create.

Witnessing the constant search for balance between the two sides prompted Miriam to contemplate how artists can be literally loved out of their spaces. She believes that, oftentimes, the art communities become cultural epicenters that draw people in and lead to gentrification. But just because it is the trend, it does not need to be the norm. This search for balance has become Miriam’s mission, and she says that she has found “it’s very dif-

ficult in Austin, but I feel like there is a way for both of them to exist and grow.” Through changing how the city of Austin engages with artists, Miriam works to change the flow of information from the halls of the city to the studios of the artists. Doing so, she says, “opens doors for creators to take advantage of city programs and grants that they wouldn’t otherwise know existed.”

Communication creates access to the resources and space that artists need to thrive. Sterile meetings that describe city policies through PowerPoints and bullet points are not going to engage. That is why Miriam says she actively spends time walking door to door and consulting with local art organizations in order to speak directly with individuals whom she knows should be concerned with certain programs, events, and policies. Interpersonal engagement is slowly integrating the two sides. “There’s so much to be done, especially within the black arts community… We don’t have space to work,” she explains.

Creating these connections that bring space – both figuratively and literally – to artists requires a continued commitment and dedication to the residents of the East Austin community. From unearthing grants to discovering creative space solutions to convincing newcomers to attend long-standing cultural events, Miriam continues to push to give each artist their own unique voice that is amplified through the network that she has woven over the years. “It’s hard living out here, trying to do a lot of community work,” she allows. “But if I leave, who else is gonna step in?”

“There’s so much to be done, especially within the black arts community… We don’t have space to work.”

CRISTINA TZINTZÚN RAMÍREZ

Founder of Jolt & U.S. Senate Candidate

AAfter the last presidential election, Cristina Tzintzún Ramírez saw a problem that no one seemed to be addressing: voter demographics.

Texas is a majority minority state with the largest minority population by percentage being Latinos. Despite those numbers, Hispanic voter turnout during the last presidential election was the lowest out of all the ethnicities, especially among younger individuals, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Cristina decided to change this discrepancy. “With numbers comes power,” she explains. In her interactions with the community, she finds “that a lot of the young Latinos we work with think we make up 10 or 15 percent of the state’s population.” The reality, however, tells a different story. “We’re 40 percent. We’re half all those turning 18,” she punctuates the sentence with a gesture around the room to indicate the ethnic makeup of those surrounding her desk.

This passion for young Latinx voters and finding strength through numbers came about through a trial-by-fire route to self-discovery that Cristina herself experienced. With her heritage planting her feet firmly on each side of the southern U.S. border, she remembers that her grandfather used to refer to her and her siblings as “pure bred Irish Mexicans.”

Despite this division in identity, Cristina found strength through becoming involved and serving her community, and in less time than it took her to graduate college, she became the executive director of the Worker’s Defense project, a non-profit that advocates for improved working conditions for immigrant workers in Texas. The transition happened overnight when she still had two semesters left in college. “I’ll be the first to admit that I was not qualified at all on paper, but I think how I made up for it was because when people underestimate me, it makes me work

twice as hard.” Even with that accomplishment under her belt, however, she estimates that it took five years before she felt equipped to own the title that she had already earned. Prior to that, she describes herself as feeling out of place as a leader.

“It was two years into Workers Defense Project that I was like, ‘I’m just going to quit. I’m exhausted, we barely have money and resources to keep the doors open, [and] I’m just not cut out for this.’” She doubted herself thinking, “Maybe I’m not smart enough; maybe I’m not strong enough; maybe I’m not even Latina enough because I’m half white and half Mexican.” Nevertheless, she stuck it out, eventually turning the struggling non-profit into a multi-million dollar driving force behind state and local legislation.

That evolution changed how she viewed herself and her role in helping the Latinx community find its power. “I realized I like being in charge, and as a woman, people think that’s a weird thing to say. It became hard for me to say for a while, but no, I like being in charge. I like being able to be creative with what I see needs to be done.”

Cristina’s creativity at the helm of non-profits, however, is taking a backseat for the time being. After nearly three years directing Jolt and staying its course, she is taking a leave of absence to focus on her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. At the same time, she also mentioned that she wants to continue to make time to focus on her son. “I worked six to seven days a week for like a decade from when I was a worker’s defense right, and I would work 12 hour days on the regular,” she remembers. Having a child, however, stopped her midstride, but instead of hindering her work, Cristina insists that it has made her a better director and visionary for the future of young latinxes. “I always encourage other people who want to have children that they can… Children will make you set your priorities straight about what’s important,” she advises.

WOMEN

IN BUSINESS

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2019

PHOTOS BY SHELBY BELLA

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

BETH PUORRO | MISCELLANEOUS RENTALS

Why buy something you’re only going to use once?

That was Beth Puorro’s thought when she started Miscellaneous Rentals with a handful of tables and chairs in her garage 24 years ago. Today, the company has blossomed into a lucrative local Austin business as a one-stop shop and delivery service for events and productions alike. Aptly named to account for their vast inventory of rentable items, Miscellaneous rents all around Austin.

Beth may be the boss, but she has never stopped being a student. Being an entrepreneur is just one of Beth’s many attributes. She is also a talented actress, musician, songwriter, and friend to all. With all her success, Beth remains humble and delightful.

EDEN EAST | SONYA COTÉ, EXECUTIVE CHEF & OWNER

At Eden East Restaurant & Farm, we cook up big dreams and even bigger flavor in our 30-foot trailer that is located under a canopy of oak trees in East Austin, just a few miles from downtown. Although many people ask if seasonal cooking is a limitation to our chefs’ creativity, we find that it is actually a well spring of inspiration. For over six years, we have worked within the community and partnered with nearby farmers, ranchers, cheese makers, and other vendors to create Eden East’s evolving menu. We also cultivate relationships with our guests in an effort to stimulate conversation about urban farming. During the next year, we will continue to operate the farm, grow food,

build community through events, and act as a creative hub for chefs to work and be inspired! As always, we are BYOB!

Farmer’s Market + Brunch: Wednesday & Saturday 9am-1pm

Prix Fixe Dinner + A la Carte Menu: Thursday, Friday & Saturday 6pm-10pm

CONTACT

(512) 428-6500

PHOTO BY SHANNA HICKMAN

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

JESSICA LOVE, ALLIED ASID | URBANE DESIGN

Over the last 15 years, Jessica Love has built two businesses and a non-profit focused on enriching the lives of others through interior design. Urbane Design, Jessica’s flagship firm which she is principal designer, is a team of degreed interior designers who offer personalized design services for new home construction and residential remodeling. In early 2019, Jessica launched Urbane Objects, an online retail brand that sources ethical, handmade goods from local and global artisans. She will soon be adding a custom home fragrance to her online store made from ethically sourced essential oils.

When Jessica isn’t designing or traveling, she operates her 501c3 Design Changes Lives, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring confidence in children through customdesigned bedrooms.

CONTACT

(512) 522-6035

URBANEDESIGNSTUDIOS.COM 4107 MEDICAL PARKWAY

ALTATUDES ALTA Y. ALEXANDER

CHRISTINE FAIL

FAIL JEWELRY

Opened September 2017, and excited to celebrate year two, Altatudes is located in the heart of historic East Austin, featuring high-end women’s apparel and accessories sourced locally to globally.

Owner Alta Y. Alexander curates unique items oftentimes carried exclusively in Austin at Altatudes with a limited selection, ensuring customers will be adding something special to their wardrobe.

The first and only African-American upscale boutique owner in Texas’ Capital City continues positively contributing to and assisting to forge emerging commerce in East Austin and helping others find and embrace their “tude”.

CONTACT

(512) 761-4292

ALTATUDES.COM

1717 E. 12 TH STREET

As a 20+ year resident of Austin, jewelry designer Christine Fail has called East Austin home for 12 years and has rooted her studio and store in this community.

Christine’s mission is to provide quality handmade jewelry at accessible price points with an aesthetic focus on understated elegance, attention to line and proportion, and an organic, yet delicate, feeling. Her Classic collection is handcrafted in 14K gold-fill and sterling silver, while her Epic collection is crafted in 14K gold and focuses on unique alternative wedding and ceremony rings for the modern couple.

CONTACT

(512) 666-5446

FAILJEWELRY.COM 2612 E CESAR CHAVEZ ST. #100

PHOTO BY DWAYNE HILLS

PHOTO BY ERIC MORALES

PATRICE RIOS |

TROO DESIGNS

Patrice Rios, a talented designer, is making her way to the top of this high-end industry where her work simply speaks for itself. A virtuosic eye for color, adventurous sense of style, and a fierce ability to multi-task are all synonymous with her success. Her work reflects what she values in design: acute attention to detail and a love for combining materials, colors and textures influenced by her clients’ style. Clients are a major part of her inspiration. “When I meet a new client, I dive in, get to know them, and learn about their vision which then

translates into a personal design that is as usable as it is stylish,” says Patrice. “I love the mix of having many different projects at the same time; all with a unique style. There is constant crossover with creativity in my studio.”

(512) 596-2927

If well-behaved women rarely make history, then I’m on my way to being declared a Texas Landmark. I come from a long line of strong willed, gritty women, and it has never been my nature to sit on the sidelines. In Austin, where the industry is full of competition, it’s easy to fall prey to self-doubt.

Fifteen years ago, I moved to the East Austin community; it’s here I found my confidence, and I have been advocating for myself and others ever since. Opportunity is everywhere; you just have to go find it. I love problem-

solving, tackling tough issues, and challenging people to step outside their comfort zone. Speak up, speak out, and don’t take no for an answer. This is your life. Live it!

For more information, visit lindsayharrisrealestate.com.

TERRI CRAVEY | WORLD INTERIORS

When I opened our first store at the Domain, my three daughters were in elementary and middle school. Now with three in college, the business continues to grow at our new location on the Eastside. Our new space is at the corner of Burleson and Hwy 183 near the South Terminal. I love the tall ceilings and all the natural light shining into the showroom.

In this new location, we’re thrilled to have an expanded furniture finishing area for creating custom live edge tables and benches for customers where they are allowed the customization to select their wood finish and base.

Whenever a new client comes into the store they are amazed at the sight of the beautiful solid wood,

industrial bases and unique lighting and accessories made from recycled faucets, metal cogs and bicycle parts. Much of the wood and materials are recycled and reclaimed, giving new life to existing materials. New products and designs arrive each week, keeping it fresh and exciting. It’s fun to come to work when you have such an affordable but quality product that’s environmentally conscious, not made from toxic materials but made to last forever.

LISA

CROWDER

LISA CROWDER JEWELRY

Lisa Crowder Studio is the creative headquarters of jewelry-maker and long-time Austin resident Lisa Crowder. With an open air studio in the back and boutique show room in the front, visitors can see the complete collection of work in the context of its whole journey from sketches and raw materials to wearable works of art.

Bold shapes, bright colors, asymmetry and, most of all, playfulness cement the unmistakable Lisa Crowder style. From tiny shiny to refined rugged, there’s a little something for everyone.

Stop in Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 5pm or find it all online at lisacrowder.com.

CONTACT

(512) 524-0364 916 SPRINGDALE RD BLDG 3 #102 LISA@LISACROWDER.COM LISACROWDER.COM

ELIZABETH DUCHARME GELINAS |

GREEN SPROUT PRESCHOOL

Located in East Austin, Green Sprout Preschool provides children, ages 3 months to 5 years, an enriching developmental program that is based on principles of peace, respect, responsibility and community.

At Green Sprout, we are committed to offering a learning environment that stimulates growth and creativity in each unique child. We believe that by combining theories from the Montessori Method, Reggio Emilia Philosophy and Peace Education, we are able to provide children with a well-rounded and child-directed curriculum. Our ultimate goal is to encourage a spirit of exploration, purposeful play, empathy, respect and a love of learning in each child.

CONTACT

GREENSPROUT.INFO@GMAIL.COM GREENSPROUTPRESCHOOL.COM 2108 EM FRANKLIN AVENUE

SHARA FUNARI, LAUREN HUNT & KATIE PLUNKARD

Glassblowing is a craft, an art form, and, at Ghost Pepper Glass, a community. Katie Plunkard, Lauren Hunt and Shara Funari began building the studio at a time when Austin’s off-hand glassblowing scene had disappeared. Previous studios in Austin had closed, leaving glassmakers and students without the resources to continue blowing glass.

Now celebrating its first anniversary, Ghost Pepper Glass has been able to revive that community by offering classes, team building events, retail, and more. “We’ve been welcomed so warmly by locals and tourists, alike. The

enthusiasm and appreciation for what we are doing has exceeded all of our expectations so now we’re just trying to keep tapping into whatever we’re doing right,” says Plunkard. Sign up for classes online at www.ghostpepperglass.com or stop by their location to watch these artists in action.

(512) 766-5897

THE LASH LOUNGE® AUSTIN | THE WOMEN OF THE LASH LOUNGE

The Lash Lounge’s values are summed up in one word: Passion! Our passion for lashes drives who we are and what we do as a team. The professional women of The Lash Lounge in Austin are dedicated to providing the best lash experience and ensuring our guests feel comfortable, confident, and cared for during every visit and in-between.

What makes our team and the services we offer different is our commitment to provide safe, sanitary, and truly customized lash applications tailored to our clients wants and needs all within a relaxing environment.

Each guest’s salon experience reflects our dedication and the level of comfort they feel represents our culture. No guest is alike, so there’s no reason their lashes should be either!

(512) 648-5274 (CALL/TEXT) THELASHLOUNGE.COM

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

PRIMROSE SCHOOL CHRISTY BLACK

“At Primrose Schools, we have the privilege of partnering with parents to help shape children’s minds and lay the foundation for future success,” said Christy Black, Franchise Owner of Primrose School of Bee Cave, Primrose School of Lakeway, Primrose School of West Lake Hills, and Primrose School of Austin at Mueller. “That’s why we focus on nurturing these crucial executive function skills –along with skills like literacy, math, generosity, empathy and more – so children develop a foundation that empowers them to be anything they want when they grow up.”

At Primrose, children learn and practice executive function skills every day in age-appropriate ways through the Primrose-exclusive Balanced Learning approach. For example, Pre-K and Kindergarten students do an activity that challenges them to create boats that float from classroom materials. Repurposing classroom objects

to create something new requires adaptability, and the children deepen their working memory as they remember and follow instructions. Children also work together on the challenge, naturally engaging in teamwork. Even seemingly small actions occur each day to nurture these important skills, such as Primrose teachers asking children “why do you think” and “what if” questions as they play to promote critical thinking and problem solving.

Learn about the Primrose Schools Balanced Learning approach and Primrose School of Austin at Mueller by visiting PrimroseMueller.com or calling 512.668.1010.

CONTACT

(512) 668-1010 PRIMROSEMUELLER.COM

PHOTO BY WILL BOWLING

ROUX SAINT JAMES KRISTA LACEY

TIFFANY HENTRUP

Boss Lady Perfumer Krista Lacey is celebrating her first year in her new perfumery, Roux Saint James, located in the heart of East Austin’s creative hub and the newly opened arts complex, Springdale General. Since 2011, Krista has been selling her products, creating custom perfumes for local Austin brands, and collaborating with organizations, such as SXSW, to design scented experiences for guests. She decided to take a leap of faith in 2018 and open her perfume studio to invite people to experience the Art of Perfumery. She focuses strictly on all-natural perfumes, using only the highest quality botanical ingredients sourced from around the world.

If you want to explore the world of scent, visit Roux Saint James for a custom perfume experience.

CONTACT

(512) 905-1606 ROUXSTJAMES.COM 1023 SPRINGDALE RD, SUITE 9F

MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER UFCU

As a local, knowledgeable, experienced resource, Tiffany makes mortgage lending a breeze. From first time homebuyers to luxury clients, time and time again her borrowers are amazed at how easy the process is.

As a homeowner herself, Tiffany is intimately aware of the importance of financing a home and therefore works to understand borrowers’ specific needs to ensure that they are supported throughout the homebuying process. From offering advice, helping clients research financing options, and even attending closings, Tiffany makes it her mission to go above and beyond. Her goal is to make sure that clients not only get their dream home but also find the entire process smooth and efficient.

CONTACT

(512) 789-8778 | THENTRUP@UFCU.ORG 8303 N MOPAC EXPY, AUSTIN, TX 78759

MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER NMLS# 509718 UFCU MORTGAGE SERVICES NMLS # 441215

Dr. Bea’s goals are simple: give her patients communication satisfaction and keep it that way. Dr. Bea is focused on more than just your ears. She understands that the inability to understand and communicate effectively affects the brain and all aspects of life. Hearing is a “use it or lose it” function. Educating her patients on their condition, finding a personalized treatment and related health ramifications hearing loss can bring are her priorities. Some of the concerns she focuses on include dementia, Alzheimer’s, depression, social isolation, increased falls, mental health decline and lost income due to reduced work performance. She finds patients don’t know how much they are missing or how much their condition affects them until they are treated. The transformation in

happiness and confidence is amazing. Dr. Bea states, “We cry a lot of happy tears in my office! That’s what gives me the motivation and dedication to be up to date with new technology and strive for the best possible patient care. I understand what my patients with hearing loss and/or tinnitus go through; I know the stakes are high. I take my role as their doctor very seriously, but we have a lot of fun along the way!”

HATICE O’LEARY

INO SCARF BOUTIQUE

ALITCA GARCIA RUEDA

The name, Ino, is inspired by Homer's poem, "The Odyssey." Ino, the sea goddess named Leucothea, saves Odysseus from drowning at sea by offering him her enchanted scarf that keeps him afloat.

The Ino scarf flows from the past using ancient lace work to form her silk fabric ready for you to enjoy in the future and wears like soft jewelry

With her Ino boutique, Hatice has channeled her lifelong passion into her own collection of scarves that are unique, simple and elegant. Hatice warmly invites you to Ino and is ready for you to delight yourself with a timeless gift of silky soft elegance and affordable luxury.

CONTACT

(512) 937-3466 4541 RUIZ STREET INFO@INOCOLLECTION.COM INOCOLLECTION.COM

AG RUEDA BOOKKEEPING

AG Rueda Bookkeeping is the premier bookkeeping services on the Eastside! Business owners are busy, period. We give back valuable time to busy business owners and allow you to prioritize building your business while we focus on your bookkeeping.

We like to educate you on your financials and how they can be deeply impacted by simple clerical errors within your bookkeeping. Inaccurate financials can also lead to a wide range of troubles when it comes to tax time. We are meticulous when it comes to the details and strive to help our clients save money.

CONTACT

(512) 963-9387 ALITCA@AGRUEDABOOKKEEPING.COM AGRUEDABOOKKEEPING.COM @AGRUEDABOOKKEEPING101

“Every service is completely different, just like how our clients are completely different people.”

Go+ do

p.48 Fall +Winter 2019

48 go&do TREAT YOURSELF TO AN ORGANIC SKINCARE EXPERIENCE THAT’S ROOTED IN SERVICE AND TRANSPARENCY.

50 go try DISCOVER THE BEST LOCAL CBD PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT YOUR BODY SYSTEMS.

Potioned Pampering

A Skin Care Experience

WORDS BY JINKY ROMERO PHOTOS BY SHELBY BELLA

Potion TX operates on three simple, but thoughtful, components when serving their clients: clean quality products, personally customized services, and the ease of relaxation.

Val Mirza officially began her career as an esthetician when she got her license at 19 years old; however, it’s been part of who she is well before that day. “People have been telling me I should go into this back in my early teenage years. In college, I was doing people’s brows in my dorm room,” she candidly shares.

In 2017, Val began her solo business for microblading. With her understanding of just how metic-

natural products on the market, whether it’s a product that they source or curate themselves.

Fully Transparent

While facials can be a big mystery at some spas, Potion makes it a point to let their clients know exactly what they’re using and doing during treatments. They make sure to use transparent bottles to ensure an extra level of care at all times and emphasize their commitment to honest products and quality service.

Val emphasizes how essential it is for her practice to listen and understand each client’s skin. Every treatment is customized through learning about routine, lifestyle, and personal skin reactions and then incorporating that into their treatment. “Every service is completely different, just like how our clients are completely different people. Everything is really customized to their needs,” she elaborates.

ulous skin care and facials should be, she waited to include this in her extensive list of services until she was certain that she was able to compose exactly what she believed clients would need when it comes to skin health. A year and a half later, the current state of Potion came to fruition, and it is nothing short of dreamy.

Potion takes pride in using only organic and non-toxic skin care products. They passionately research and stock only the best

Rose is Val’s own rose water line which is an emollient that is made of a pure distillation of several culinary grade rose ingredients such as rose buds, evening primrose seeds, and rose petals. It contains antioxidants and its benefits are soothing and hydrating to the skin. Like all of the products they use, it’s effective but also clean, fresh, and free of toxic ingredients. Potion’s sourcing is so meticulous that they carry products that cannot be found anywhere else in Austin, such as Heart of Gold, which is a plantbased skin care line that focuses on highly active ingredients: perfectly catering to the customized pampering that Potion strives to create for every client.

Outside of their products and services, Val also focuses a great deal on how her clients feel from the moment they step into her space. Coming from a protocol-rigid environment before opening her own practice, her vision for Potion has always been for it to be an open and relaxing space – both for her clients and herself. More than the ambience, clients should feel relaxed by knowing they don’t have to worry about agreeing to add-ons for an extra charge. It’s all about the customer experience from the very beginning.

“We’re a ‘no upgrade’ space; anything we need to accomplish in the session is based on the time you give us. Give us the time, and we’ll do the magic,” she smiles.

Contact: 2324 E Cesar Chavez Street potiontx.com @potiontx_

6

Local CBD Products

A

Natural Remedy

With CBD oil making its way into what seems like every home, it’s important to know what is available and how it can help support everyday life. These six local Eastside shops can assist with everything from sleep, to inflammation, to separation anxiety in pets.

Water Soluble, Full Spectrum Hemp Oil

Chill+Out Paws on Chicon

CBD American Shaman

One of the most common reasons people use CBD oil is to help with relaxation and sleep. Water Soluble, Full Spectrum Hemp Oil from CBD American Shaman does exactly that. Just add a couple of drops to any drink to ease tension. The oil comes in a variety of flavors (Cherry Limeade, Grape, Natural, Lemon or Pina Colada) so it can be a nice addition to a favorite drink such as sparkling water. 3116 Manor Rd. | cbdamericanshaman.com

The same way all human food is not good for dogs, not all CBD products are safe for them either. Chill+Out is made specifically for dogs and helps with anxiety from storms, being left alone, and any situation that may make them nervous. It is an easy-to-chew soft tablet that releases 5MG of water soluble hemp in every bite. 1301 Chicon St. #102 | paws-on-chicon.business.site

WYLD CBD Gummies

Rawsome CBD

These vegan and gluten free gummies are perfect for anyone who wants a little help keeping calm. WYLD gummies come in four different flavors: lemon, huckleberry, raspberry and blackberry. Each piece contains 25MG Full Spectrum CBD from hemp and can easily be split into smaller parts, for different serving sizes to accommodate anyone. Just be sure to check the recommended dosage for your particular body weight.1210 Rosewood Ave., Ste. 10 | getrawsome.com

4

SunMed Topical Relief Cream

Your CBD Store

For pain or skin irritations, a topical relief cream can be very useful. SunMed Topical Relief Cream provides fast relief when applied to the skin. From chronic pain to skin inflammation, this cream can help support against skin irritants and inflammations. 2124 E 6th St., Ste. 106 | yourcbdstoretx.com

5

Radix Oil

Radix Remedies

Being a premium CBD oil, Radix Oil is another option for those looking to relieve stress and pain. This tincture gives results quickly and easily. Each drop contains a broad spectrum, THC-free phytocannabinoid-rich hemp oil and is stated to be safe to use during the day or at night. Best practice is to begin low and slow and increase as needed.

1601 E 5th St., Unit 107 | radixremedies.com

6

3 2 1

Sleep Mineral

As the name of the product suggests, this oil is to assist with sleep. Created for people who suffer from anxiety and inflammation at night, Sleep is a blend of calming cannabinoids and terpenes to induce a deep and restorative sleep. While results may not be immediate, the more times the oil is used, the more help it can provide.1105 E 6th St. | mineralhealth.co

Disclaimer: CBD products should be used with caution by people 18 and older. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease.

WORDS BY ALISON BRYCE PHOTO BY WILL BOWLING

CBD AMERICAN SHAMAN

“Most people in Austin have fallen in love with their neighborhoods and just don’t want to leave their houses.”

p.54

Home+ away

Fall +Winter 2019

54 home

MEET TWO ARCHITECTS WHO HAVE JOINED FORCES TO DESIGN HOMES THAT COMBINE OLD & NEW WHILE INCREASING FUNCTIONALITY FOR TODAY’S FAMILIES.

56 away EXPERIENCE

A CRISP, NEW ENGLAND FALL BY VISITING PORTLAND, MAINE, DURING THE CHANGING OF SEASONS.

One Vision, Two Minds, a Multitude of Homes

Two local architects work to preserve homes through preserving lifestyles.

Life happens, and when Camille Jobe and Ada Corral moved into their homes in the early 2000s, they had no inkling that a decade later they would evolve from strangers to neighbors to business partners. Fifteen years ago, they were just two women in very different stages of life who just happened to both be fond of architecture, albeit for different reasons.

WORDS BY JESSI DEVENYNS

PORTRAIT BY SHELBY BELLA

PHOTOS BY CASEY WOODS

Camille shares that her vision of the big picture complements Ada’s fascination with details, not only on paper but also when the duo walks into a room. “Ada, she is the detail person,” describes Camille. “On my side of things, I like to back up 10 steps, squint my eyes, and see the bigger piece.”

That balance between the macro and the micro though has laid a foundation from which these two have built their style. After five years of partnership, today they share what Camille calls a “natural vocabulary” which encompasses a myriad of selections from door pulls to local artisans. Although there is still occasionally friction over how to render a design into a livable space, what the pair always agree on is that character matters. With such an orientation toward detailing, they have learned to favor local craftsmen for material suggestions rather than opting for a prefabricated solution. Beginning with the material choice rather than the end product informs the architects’ designs in a unique way that results in unexpected marriages of texture and height transitions that, instead of feeling like building blocks, echo the natural undulations of the sky.

“It’s not about ‘how do we make this look cool?” explains Camille. Instead, it comes down to molding a space to fit a family. For both Camille and Ada, who used their own homes as their initial projects to establish their partnership, this meant preserving the character of the original home, first and foremost, and then creating spaces to suit their growing families.

Ada remembers that when it came time to remodel their home she had three young chil-

dren running around and so, “we needed to be able to live in this house.” Camille, on the other hand, had a teenager and therefore “for us, it was more about having our own space and more bedrooms and bathrooms.”

Although both homes represent lifestyles that have little in common, from the front, one would never know how selectively the women each employed 800 extra square feet of space into their tiny Delwood bungalows. The neighbors’ two concrete homes were both built in the 1940s by the same husband and wife developer and sport the unmistakable casement windows and low rooflines of the period. However, when the front door opens, the original ladyfinger parquet draws the eye along clean lines and brushes up against the natural materials that are the hallmark of the architects’ work.

Unabashedly modern, the homes nevertheless have distinct echoes of the past in the unfinished concrete walls and the clearly defined rooms. The fusion of the past and the present though is what Ada and Camille say allow Austinites to grow roots in their home. “Most people in Austin have fallen in love with their neighborhoods and just don’t want to leave their houses,” says Ada. She elaborates that by working to create a modern livable space in a home that has existed for decades is not only a way for families to add their story to a home, but it also helps make it affordable for families who choose to stay and grow in their homes.

Contact: (512) 499-1591

505 W 38th Street, Suite B info@jobecorral.com jobecorral.com

A Weekend in

Portland

Maine

WORDS & PHOTOS BY KATY CHADWELL

Portland, Maine, is easily accessible with one connection from Austin, making it a perfect getaway to experience a little New England charm, escape the Texas heat, or take in incredible fall foliage.

Friday

Located in the 1923 Portland Press Herald newspaper building, The Press

Hotel makes a great home base for anyone

if you go...

who wants to be in the middle of the action. The property is filled with nods to the building’s prior publishing days, with wood-block printing elements behind the front desk and

Where to Stay: The Press Hotel, a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, incorporates historical design elements that reflect its literary past.

a quirky typewriter wall installation. Take a tour of the Portland Observatory to enjoy views of the harbor and learn about the last standing maritime signal tower. For dinner, head to Duckfat for poutine and creamy gelato milkshakes. Portland was named Best Restaurant City of the Year in 2018 by Bon Appetit Magazine and ranks #3 in the country in breweries per capita, meaning you’re in for an exploration of tastes.

Saturday

Start the day with a potato-flour treat

Book with Century Travel and receive breakfast for two daily.

Getting Around: Central Portland is very walkable, and the city is quite small with less than 70,000 residents. Rideshare services are available, and renting a car makes sense

from The Holy Donut. Take an hour to stroll the shops of Commercial Street. Some must-see spots include: Portland Dry Goods, Browne Trading Market, and Edgecomb Potters. The Harbor Fish Market, where you can pick up some picnic essentials and even have them cook a lobster for you togo, is worth a quick stop. If you want to test out your sea legs, hop on the Casco Bay Lines ferry to spend the afternoon on one of the nearby islands, or rent a bicycle and head to the Eastern Promenade, a 2.1 mile trail along the

coast. Dinner at Eventide Oyster Co. is not to be missed. The fresh local oysters, famed Brown Butter Lobster Roll and inventive takes on seafood classics will have you wanting to order everything on the menu.

Sunday

Grab breakfast at Tandem Coffee and Bakery—not to fret— the line moves quickly, and it’s worth the wait. Head south towards Cape Elizabeth where you will find quintessential

if you plan to explore outside the city center. What to wear: Wear layers and expect summer temps in the upper 70s and 80s and crisp fall weather in the 50s and 60s.

New England views at the Portland Head Lighthouse. A number of beautiful walking paths are along the coast line. Stop for a beer at Bissell Brothers Brewing Co. on your way back into town and round out the weekend with lobster rolls and lobby pops (similar to a lobster corn dog) at The Highroller Lobster Co.

Katy Chadwell is a travel advisor at Austin-based Century Travel and would welcome the opportunity to help you plan a trip to Maine or wherever your travels may lead you! Contact her at katy@century-tvl. com or (512) 327-8760, and let her take the stress out of planning your next vacation!

Downtown Locations:

(512) 981-MoDs

1601 E cEsar chavEz st., stE. 106

(512) 905-8472

513 E 6th st.

north Location:

(512) 953-sKin

9112 anDErson MiLL rD. stE a500

“I want to encourage people to use what’s in their yard, to not spray flowers but to eat them.” p.62

A Warm Welcome

Southern-inspired food and the hospitality to match

WORDS BY SAM LAURON PHOTOS BY SHELBY BELLA

Inspired by a woman whose home served as a family gathering place, Colleen’s Kitchen is a neighborhood destination for good food among good company.

Ashley Fric, co-owner of Colleen’s Kitchen, remembers how she felt every time she went to her Aunt Colleen’s home for a family meal or special occasion. Ashley says her aunt’s house was the place everyone in the family wanted to gather for celebrations and home cooked meals.

“Every time my husband and I would be at her house celebrating a family event, we were like ‘this is how a restaurant should be: bringing people together around a table in an environment that feels like home,’” she recalls.

With an extensive history in the service and hospitality industry, the couple worked together at former West 6th Street bar, J. Black’s, where Ashley’s husband was a partner. The two eventually decided it was time to open a restaurant as a family. After several years of working on the concept, Ashley and Sean Fric opened Colleen’s Kitchen in January 2018. As longtime residents of Mueller, the decision to open Colleen’s in their neighborhood was a no brainer.

“We wanted to open [a restaurant] in the community that we live in, that we contribute to, that our daughter is a part of, and that we’re a part of,” smiles Ashley.

Located on the corner of bustling Aldrich Street, the restaurant’s proximity to a variety of activities allows it to serve as a neighborhood spot ideal for any occasion, whether that’s Sunday brunch, a celebratory dinner, or post-workout drinks. And, as Ashley knows well from the many meals spent at her

No Waste

As a madefrom-scratch kitchen, Colleen’s is dedicated to sustainable practices like repurposing food scraps. A staple menu item, the Smoked Redfish Spread, is made from the trimmings and leftovers from the redfish filets they serve. Additionally, the tomato jam that’s served with the biscuits is produced from the tops and bottoms of tomatoes that would typically go unused.

Aunt Colleen’s, nothing makes for a comfortable, yet memorable, experience quite like Southern food and stellar hospitality.

“Southern food is the food that I want to gather around a table of friends with,” Ashley says warmly. “I want to serve food that I would feed my family and friends.”

The scratch-made dishes at Colleen’s Kitchen are comfort food favorites with a refined twist. Their signature buttermilk fried chicken, for instance, is served with a side of Haricot Verts, creamy mashed potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits. The biscuits can also be enjoyed on their own and are served with wild orange butter and tomato jam, which offer a balance of citrus sweet with the savory bread.

As a restaurant that prides itself on being a place for celebration, Colleen’s also has a cocktail list that should not be overlooked. New to

the menu this fall is the Nine to Five, which is composed of vodka, Aperol, basil, lemon and simple syrup and topped with Topo Chico. The light sip is a refreshing complement to the homey dishes that grace the menu.

The restaurant’s dedication to serving well thought-out dishes in a welcoming, full-service environment all goes back to the woman who inspired it all: Aunt Colleen. Her hospitality and warm spirit influenced the restaurant’s mission to celebrate any and all occasions.

“Every day deserves celebration,” Ashley enthuses, “and we fully believe that.”

Contact: (512) 580-2413

1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 100

hello@colleensaustin.com colleensaustin.com @colleensaustin

Cooking with Color

Nettle Pesto Linguine with Edible Flowers

While chefs oftentimes come up with new creations by trying to form a certain flavor, Heather Barnes starts by thinking about what the finished product will look like. With the use of fresh ingredients from local farmers markets and shops, she mixes her artistic background with her love of cooking to create a masterpiece both beautiful and tasteful.

WORDS BY ALISON BRYCE

RECIPE & PHOTOS BY HEATHER BARNES

It all started years ago when Heather’s husband gifted her culinary school for her birthday. She immediately knew she had discovered a new found love. Wanting to build upon her knowledge, she enrolled in a raw vegan course which is where she learned how to create inventive plant dishes with coconut and cashews serving as the base for nearly every recipe. She furthered her appreciation for appetite with herbalism school which is where she started learning how to incorporate flowers and herbs into her everyday cooking.

“I [strive] to use more flowers and herbs in my cooking and make herbalism accessible to the average person who doesn’t know all these folk methods,” says Heather. “I want to encourage people to use what’s in their yard, to not spray flowers but to eat them.”

Even after learning new techniques, she still envisions the final product and colors it will produce before beginning the creative process. The Pesto Linguine with edible flowers came to be after asking the question: what dish can be created using purple and green?

Always having a color wheel out, the thought process goes a little something like this. “‘What colors can I mix together?’ Purple and green. So what’s purple and green? Green linguine. So spinach based pasta; I’ll make a green pesto, and then I’ll add bright colors that contrast so it is not just one flat color.”

From there, it’s an add and check process. Add an ingredient, check how it tastes. Add something of color, keep it if it looks right or carefully remove it if it doesn’t work.

Through it all, the goal is to keep the recipes simple and healthy. Heather enthuses about her passion to keep it easy but unique. “I want to do more elevated, more floral and herbal recipes that are also simple to make.”

Dandelion Quiche

Makes: 8 servings

Prep time: 20-25 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of dandelion greens

Olive oil

5 large eggs

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 c. milk

3/4 c. Gruyère cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pie crust (prebaked)

2 t. rosemary, chopped

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and de-stem the dandelion greens. Sauté in olive oil on medium for five minutes to remove the bitterness. Drain, pat dry, and chop. Set aside.

Sauté the onion on medium to low heat for 7 minutes or until soft. Add in chopped garlic, mushrooms, and dandelion. Sauté for a few more minutes until veggies are tender. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. Gently stir egg and milk mixture into the cooking vegetables. Then mix in the grated Gruyère cheese.

Pour mixture into pie pan and bake for 40 minutes. Set to cool. Sprinkle with yellow petals of dandelions on top and serve.

Nettle Pesto Linguine with Edible Flowers

Makes: 4 servings

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pkg. spinach linguine noodles  1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced  1/2 c. peas  Edible flowers

Pesto Ingredients:

1 bunch nettles (approx. 2 cups)

3 garlic cloves  Pinch of salt and pepper

3 T. pine nuts  1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated  2/3 c. olive oil

Optional Ingredients: If you don’t have access to nettles, basil, parsley, or mint will also work.

Directions: Boil nettles in water for 2 minutes. Drain, and remove moisture with paper towels. Then chop coarsely. Toss them into food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Slowly stream in the olive oil.

Add additional salt to taste.

Pasta Directions: Bring pot of water to boil. Add in linguine and cook to al dente for about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring another pot of water to boil and add peas. Cook for about 5 minutes, then strain.  Finely slice watermelon radish for a garnish.

Combine pesto with pasta and peas. Sprinkle on any edible flowers available! I used marigold, chamomile, borage, mint flowers, and basil from F-stop Farm.

Contact: heatherbarnes.com @AForagersFeast

eastside dining guide

Eden East

Under the wizened oak trees of a 4-acre farm is an unmarked trailer whose plain façade belies hyper-seasonal, farm-totable dishes. Whether it’s a farm-fresh breakfast on market days or a sit-down prix fixe dinner under the stars, Eden East reinvents the idea of eating local. Be sure to visit during their a-la-carte nights on Thursday evenings.

755 Springdale Rd. | edeneastaustin.com

Flyrite Chicken

Disrupting the fast food industry one sandwich at a time, Flyrite is a drive-thru with all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken as well as gluten-free and vegetarian options.

2129 E 7th St. | flyritechicken.com

La Fruta Feliz

A happy place where breakfast is served all day. Of course, you can also get lunch, but why would you when you can have chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and authentic breakfast tacos at 8PM?

3124 Manor Rd.

Hummus Amongus

Arriving via a twisted trajectory through Israel, Spain, and NYC, Berty Richter landed with an inkling that Austinites needed real hummus in their lives. With Turkish and Israeli roots, his fresh-toorder hummus is bold and daring with just the right amount of spice.

1906 E Cesar Chavez St.

Artessano

The fresh tropical fruit juice and the arepas are why you need to visit Artessano. As a food trailer specializing in Colombian food, expect dance music and lots of friendly conversation when you visit. 1211 E 6th St.

Hillside Farmacy

Something about Hillside Farmacy’s happy hour oysters, weekend brunches, and dinner cocktails just make you feel better. Perhaps that's due to its historical location in the lovingly renovated 1950s Hillside Drugstore. Or perhaps it’s because the fresh, carefully selected seasonal food that comes from local farms and onto your plate is just good medicine. 1209 E 11th St. | hillsidefarmacy.com

El Sunzal

El Sunzal is a quintessential hole-in-thewall that makes up for its bare-bones appearance with its exceptional El Salvadorian fare. Make sure to sample the fried yucca, seafood soup, and the pupusas. 642 Calles St.

Nancy’s Sky Garden

In an out-of-the-way shopping center is one of the freshest Asian food options around. Sip on one of their fine teas as you build your lunch – Nancy’s operates on a build your own bowl ethos. With no red meat or pork on the menu, it’s the perfect option for a lunch that is light but filling. 6448 Hwy. 290 E. #A100 | nancysskygarden.com

S-H Donuts

This unassuming store-front houses an outstanding array of donuts, kolaches, and breakfast croissants. Even if the food wasn’t enough, owners Socea and Sarorn make the trip to S-H worth it every time. 5313 Manor Rd.

Kinda Tropical

Step into a space where food and drink should always be a pleasure. Watch an old western at the bar while sipping on colorful drinks and munching on fresh cabana food. Or stop in to pick up a few pantry staples on your way home. 3501 E 7th St. | kindatropical.com

Oseyo

The menu at this warm and inviting space features traditional dishes like house made steamed dumplings, kimchi, and Bibimbap, which is comprised of rice with seasonal veggies, a fried egg, and bulgogi. The space includes indoor seating, a patio, and a chic bar area with an inventive cocktail menu to match. 1628 E Cesar Chavez St. | oseyoaustin.com

Roland’s Soul Food & Fish

The soul food cooked within this bright orange building is made with such heart that it is overflowing with flavor. Ask any soul food lover and they will tell you each piece of battered fish and every bite of your smothered pork chop is a mouthful of comfort. Come hungry; Roland’s doesn’t skimp on potions. 1311 Chestnut Ave.

Oddwood Ales

Designed as a cozy neighborhood pub, Oddwood Ales provides a variety of flavorful ales, home-made pizzas, and Italian dishes in a relaxed atmosphere with arcade games and a pet-friendly patio. 3108 Manor Rd. | oddwoodales.com

Mum Foods

This local shop serves up deli-style sandwiches and is most known for their pastrami. Be sure to try The Original, which is made with hot pastrami, house mustard and served on sourdough from Swedish Hill Bakery. 2113 Manor Rd. | mumfoodsatx.com

Paper Route Bakery

Hidden behind a little window next to Cenote, this tiny operation serves up small-batch organic baked goods daily: from cheddar chive scones and strawberry balsamic pop tarts to custom orders. 1010 E. Cesar Chavez St. | paper-route-bakery.business.site

Cherrywood Coffeehouse

With an expansive patio and a continual rotation of events, you’ll find yourself frequenting for the community as often as food, which is an inviting array of tacos, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and smoothies. 1400 E 38th 1/2 St. | cherrywoodcoffeehouse.com

Micklethwait Craft Meats

Although known for their beef ribs and brisket, if you’re headed to Micklethwait’s, you can’t forget about the sides. Your meal won’t be the same without a scoop of the jalapeño cheese grits or lemon poppy seed coleslaw. 1309 Rosewood Ave. | craftmeatsaustin.com

Gotham ATX

A casual bistro inspired by the classic old joints of New York City with Italian, French, and Yiddish flavors. Enjoy housemade pasta, pastrami, and lox, steak frites, mussels, cabernet-marinated fried chicken, and a knee-buckling mac and cheese. 1700 E. 2nd St. | gothamatx.com

Yellow Jacket Social Club

Come for brunch, come for happy hour, come for a good time. Whether you’re on the shaded patio or inside at the bar, the food is always good, and the drinks are always cold at Yellow Jacket Social Club. Plus, this is a pet-friendly establishment. 1704 E 5th St. | yellowjacketsocialclub.com

Vixen’s Wedding

The heady mixture of Portuguese and Goan flavors immerse diners in a cloud of spice and sensation at Vixen’s Wedding. Opened by the husband-and-wife team behind Lenoir, the intense flavors in each dish demand attention. Land and sea unfold amid the scents of tamarind, cilantro, aioli, curry, and coconut that intimately blend the flavors of East and West. 1813 E 6th St. | vixensweddingatx.com

Morning Coffee

with a Sunrise to Match

As one of the oldest brick-and-mortar restaurants on Manor Road, Mi Madre’s traditional Tex-Mex dining has evolved since it opened in 1990.

“My mother and fatherin-law started the restaurant in 1990 with a couple hundred dollars and a dream,” says Christina Torres part owner and marketing director for Torres Restaurant Group which is comprised of Mi Madre’s, Techo, School House Pub, and their newest

addition, Pura Vida juicery.

Founders and original owners, Aurelio and Rosa Torres, had 10 seats in the then-rented space. They later ended up buying the location from the original building owner. Since their humble beginnings, Mi Madre’s has expanded to add two dining rooms and

opened for dinner. Next year, they will celebrate their 30 year anniversary.

Christina says her husband, Edgar, and his sister, Veronica, grew up at Mi Madre’s and so did a lot of East Austin neighbors. It’s why Mi Madre’s “feels like home… the plants, the music, nothing fan-

Visit Mi Madre’s for Sunday Brunch and enjoy a Mimosa Rosa with a splash of hibiscus or indulge in a Spicy Mezcal Paloma, Thai Margarita, or a traditional Michelada.

cy or showy just feel good Tex-Mex. It’s soul-warming.”

Though Mi Madre’s is known for its tasty breakfast tacos, a lesser known, but always important complement, is their traditional Mexican coffee drinks: Cafe de Olla and Cafechata. The Cafe de Olla is made with Texas Coffee Traders coffee brewed with brown sugar, cinnamon, Mexican chocolate & star anise.

The Cafechata, on the other hand, is half cold brew, half housemade horchata. The house-made horchata is made from scratch in their kitchen daily and offers a creamy rice-milk and hint of cinnamon spice to a cooling iced coffee.

Whether dropping in for a Cafechata and breakfast taco or for lunch and a Café de Olla pick-me-up, the environment is inviting, and guests will be greeted like family.

WORDS BY MALLORY LEHENBAUER PHOTO BY SHELBY BELLA