Austin is Wonderful!!!

During a recent business trip to Austin, I was able to stop on the way out of town in a couple of wonderful local shops. It really made me miss living in Austin...except for the traffic that made me feel like I was back in Houston. ARGH! I became reacquainted with the South Congress area – it is such a hidden gem!

While I was at my meetings, my mom visited the Turquoise Door and Uncommon Objects. Gary at Turquoise Door is wonderful! Lots of beautiful turquoise jewelry and FANTASTIC Day of the Dead stuff. Can't wait to go back for their Halloween celebration!

We had lunch at Magnolia Cafe. It was an old favorite of ours. And of course, we had to get the gingerbread pancakes! DELICIOUS!! Can we make this a weekly weekend trip?

BUT the crowning touch to the day was our very first visit to Hill Country Weavers. OMG!!!! This store should be the envy of all the yarn shops in Houston! From the outside, it is just a humble, cute house with a lovely front porch...then you open the front door and are swept away to this yarn oasis of squishy goodness! Floor to ceiling packed in room after room full of every color and fiber imaginable. I have seen the knitter's heaven and it is Hill Country Weavers. I got totally lost in there and completely overwhelmed. I know I didn't see everything there. They had lots of familiar yarn but then they had some stuff I've never seen before. A fantastic selection for sweaters, shawls, scarves...and of course weaving. Speaking of weaving, mom ended up getting a Cricket Loom. I can't wait to see what she makes. They were so helpful and nice there – the whole gang. I'm going to watch their classes because it's definitely close enough to run up on a weekend to take one. Their blog site is http://knitbuzz.blogspot.com/. I walked out of there with a wonderful bag full of wonderful squishy goodness and the CUTEST sock monkey stitchmarkers. Can't wait to go back!!!

Before we headed home, we just HAD to stop by the cupcake shop across the street from Hill Country Weavers. OMG! Red velvet, carrot, chocolate, yellow...buttercream, cream cheese!! A perfect ending to a great day!