Tag Archives: Austin

Happy Mother’s Day: Shop for Unique Gifts!

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It’s Friday, the end of a fabulous week and beginning of a wonderful Mother’s Day for all of you!  My favorite thing is to spend time with my daughter, and my second favorite thing is my hubbie’s chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday mornings…so that’s what I look forward to. What ritual do you look forward to on Mother’s Day?

I also love to shop!  And the opening of this adorable new shop in Austin, The Embellished Cottage, reminds me of all the beautiful things my mother loved.  She and I always loved finding cozy little shops in small towns filled with an assortment of eclectic goodies from little note pads to antiques to pillows, of course.  So in honor of my mother, who is still with me no matter how many years it’s been since she passed away, I bring to you our favorite new Austin shop that carries our one-of-a-kind pillows.

The Embellished Cottage, 3703 Kerbey Lane, Austin, Texas;  Hours 10 – 6 Mon. – Sat.

Owners Charlene & Wayne Hardy have done a fabulous job “embellishing” (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!) this adorable cottage into the quaintest and finest gift boutique.  They just opened in time for a little shopping with Mom.  You can grace your home with antique silver, pop art, pillows, globes, books, candelabras and more.

Cynthia Bloom's Collectible Jewelry, lamps, furniture and more at Embellished Cottage.

The shop even carries jewelry by local Austin designer Cynthia Bloom, who handcrafts gorgeous necklaces out of antique Czech beads into contemporary and stylish fashion.  Perfect gifts for Mom and even you!

Love how owner Charlene Hardy tucked this antique bureau in a closet!

 

Modern chic graphic "Love You" sign with antique candlestick, figurine and a Deborah Main pillow featuring 1950's fabric, Parisian lace, and antique brooch.

One thing I love about the shop is how the owners mix everything all up, because we love to do that with our pillows. So the shop really speaks to us and we’re so excited that Charlene selected our pillow line, Deborah Main Designs, along with many other beautiful lines to carry in her store.

Add a pop of color with one of Deborah Main's teaser pillows from the UnZipped series, featuring 1960's quilted fabric re-purposed from a woman's robe.

Above is one our newest collections, the fun and flirty UnZipped pillows.  Just being in The Embellished Cottage, with its wide array of hand-selected objects, inspires one to slip a little love note into the zipper of the pillow.

The Embellished Cottage is the new kid on the block of Kerbey Lane, but won’t be for long!  This little cozy shop with tons of collectible and fun objects will inspire you for years to come!  Stop by this weekend on Saturday with your Mom and friends, 10- 6 p.m. And watch here for details of their GRAND OPENING on June 6th.

The delightful owner Charlene Hardy with her beautiful daughter. Happy Mother's Day to you both!

Please take a quick peak at one of the other new gorgeous stores we’ll be blogging about in the future.  And have a fantastic Mother’s Day!!!  XO PG

P.s. Please check out our new Pinterest boards. We’re adding new photos every week!

Mother's Day window display at our brand new East Coast store, Be On Park, in Winter Park Florida.

Be On Park, 152 South Park Avenue, Winter Park, Florida; Hours 10 -5, Mon – Sat.. Want a gift for your mother that no one else has? This lovely one-of-a-kind pillow below comes gift boxed and ready to ship; contact the store and ask for Cheri or Janice. 407.644.1106.

A simple, elegant design of one of Deborah Main VIP pillows featuring wearable vintage brooches.

UNZIPPED: Video Release Party & Atlanta Send Off!

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Name this fabulous Austin Fashion Week event! Hint P.J.

In just 7 days, Friday, November 9th, from 5 -9 p.m. , at Aviary Shop & Lounge, we’ll be having our last event of the year to kick off the release of our brand new U-tube Video (produced by award-winning photographer, Gregg Cestaro) and celebrate #Atlanta 2013. Ah, you say, “Deborah ALWAYS says it’s the last one!”.

But seriously folks, after many fantastic Austin & Dallas events, this WILL be our last one for a long time.  Come January 2013, we’ll be in Atlanta at the International Gift & Home Furnishings  market in “High Design”, and from that point on we’re planning to be “filling orders” for new wholesale accounts and clients.  No, No, No, we’re not abandoning our loyal clientele here in Austin and Dallas!  But in order to grow, we’ve heard that High Design is THE place to be – to put our product in front of national and international buyers.  So off we go and we hope you’ll wish us well!

We’ve been busy at our studio getting ready for Atlanta and we’re VERY, VERY excited!!  And extremely grateful…because you helped us get to this sweet spot.  So come on out and wish us the best of luck, or “break a leg”, whatever they say when you’re about to go on a national stage, and snag yourself a Deborah Main original before they’re all gone.  Three just sold this week, so if you’ve had your eye on one, THIS event is the time to splurge!  (Note: We’re clearing out our current inventory and YES, we’ll have lots of “Bathtub Bargains” too)

Known from our studio holiday "Soiree's", the tub is the BEST place to get an original Deborah Main pillow! We'll have a huge selection at our Aviary event at 11/9/12!

In honor of all the fantastic events we did in collaboration with generous small businesses (such as owners Shanna & Marco of Aviary), sponsors, models, photographers, friends and family, here are a few snapshots from all the fun we’ve had.  If you can guess which photo is from which event, and can name that event, you’ll win a custom “Le Petit Cadeau”, vintage button ornament gift boxed for the holidays.  (You must be able to name ALL the events. Please call 512.447.9807 to claim your prize BEFORE event day, Friday, November 9th, 2012.).  See y’all next week!  XOPG

Name that Bathtub Bargain gal and event!

Name this award-winning home event!

Can you name this Austin Fashion Week event and where?

 

And where were all these lovely women on this special night?

Name our award-winning photographer and that event! (Hint: motorcycles)

And what event could this possibly have been with the fab Laura Del Villaggio of Milli Starr and style king, Christian Ramirez?

 

Name that tour!

Name that model and event!

Name that event!

And lastly, name the location of one of our very first events with Leanne Venier and Rebecca Skelton, and you've won!!

 

P.S. Great fun going through all our event photos over the years…but there’s waaaay too many, so I’d better stop here or I’ll never stop!!  I’ll put more in future posts soon.  :-)

Austin Addiction – Paddle Boarding

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My new favorite summer activity: paddle boarding on Town Lake. There is no better way to relax on a beautiful Sunday in Austin then slowly paddling around on a large surfboard. Everyone on the lake was very friendly and overall we all had a great time. We rented our boards from Austin Paddle Sports, which is located right off of Barton Springs Road next to the Hyatt Hotel. It costs $15 an hour for each person and the wait was not longer than 30 minutes. We each hopped on our boards and took off, lazily floating down the river with no particular path to follow. We ended up paddling all the way to Barton Springs Pool! We took many breaks to jump in and swim to cool ourselves off, but quickly jumped back on our boards to enjoy the ride.

We definitely recommend this to everyone who loves outdoor adventures with beautiful scenery. Paddling can be pretty tiring on your arms, but all it takes is a quick jump in the lake to forget all your worries. We hope to see you all out there soon! XO PG

Austin Addiction – Bat Fest 2012

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The summer is ending and all of us Austinites know what that means! It’s time for The Annual Bat Festival. Every year we praise those little rats with wings and celebrate with music and great food. 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerged from under the bridge at dusk making the crowd yell “Oh and ah!!”. There were 2 stages with live music, more than 75 arts & crafts vendors, delicious food and drinks. There were also activities for the children as well as a bat costume contest…all for free!

We had a great time walking around seeing everyone in costumes and thoroughly enjoyed watching the crowd go wild when the bats emerged for their feeding. Overall Bat Fest has topped each and every one of the seven years before and we recommend it to everyone. Come join us next year if you missed it this year! XO PG

Austin Addiction – Austin Fashion Week

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Austin Fashion Week is well underway and the events so far have been fabulous! The week kicked off with a few runway shows at the Bob Bullock Musuem featuring:

  • The menswear line from Austin-owned, fashion-savvy “Keepers”
  • Sportswear from Ferrari
  • Evening-apparel from “The Danes Collection”
  • Race wear from local designer Linda Asaf
  • First look at the “COTA Girls,” the Circuit’s signature brand ambassadors, dressed in designs by Austin’s own Ross Bennett of Fashion Star fame

Many Austonites came out for this wonderful event and enjoyed great local food and drinks. We were among the many sponsors of the event, so hopefully you saw us there! We could not get enough of Ross Bennett’s fringe skirt (pictured below).

HOT HOT HOT

Events have been going on since the kickoff on Friday. The Showcase Events are located all over Austin and have been going on since Saturday. These events are at salons, boutiques, department stores; you name it. Check out the full schedule here. You must check out all that the designers and contributors have to offer. The Driskill Runway shows start tonight and trust us, you won’t want to miss these. We definitely won’t!

Check out our Deborah Main Designs logo!

We hope to see everyone come out and support local Austin fashion designers. We have had so much fun this week and are excited for the remaining events! XO PG

Austin Addiction – The Greenbelt

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Austin’s very own nature preserve is a great place to explore nature and join in on
numerous outdoor activities that Austonites enjoy. The greenbelt is miles and miles long stretching over 800 acres. We enjoy hiking along the running streams (when it’s not too hot out!). There are numerous swimming holes to check out with friends or your dog. The lush vegetation is truly beautiful to see and people come from all over Austin to walk through the terrain. We love snapping photos on top of the many cliffs; the views are breathtaking.

Hiking, biking, climbing and swimming are just a few of the options you have if you
need some outdoor exercise. But, there are also plenty of areas to relax as well. Pack a picnic and enjoy a day in the Greenbelt with your family!

We recommend entering from Loop 360, since the Zilker Park entrance can sometimes be crowded. There is a great parking lot that is rarely filled up off of 360. Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes if you are hiking to the nearest swimming hole. They are farther than you think! Maybe you will run into us at the Greenbelt, it’s one of our favorite places to go in the summer. XO PG

Photo courtesy of www.austinbike.com.

 

Austin Addiction – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

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What’s a better way to enjoy your favorite flick than with dinner and drinks served right to you!? The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has been an Austin tradition since 1997. Tim and Karrie League started these chains of movie theaters and there are several Austin locations now. Our personal favorite is the South Lamar location. The waitresses are all so nice and the food is great! We recently saw Moonrise Kingdom there and loved the display they had outside of the theater (pictured below). We recommend going to see this movie, Wes Anderson created another great one!

Moonrise Kingdom display at Alamo Drafthouse

Not only does the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema play all the hits, but also classic movies and even old silent films. They also feature sing-along and quote-along events. Don’t forget that Mondays are Music Monday! You should definitely consider renting out one of their venues for your next private or corporate party.

Check out their website at www.drafthouse.com for times of all the showings. Right now they are playing The Dark Knight Rises, Klown, Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, Jobriath A.D. and Beasts of the Southern Wild. So, make tonight a movie night and head to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema! XO PG

 

Austin Addiction – Barton Springs

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We all know how hot the summers can get here in Austin (but at least its not like LAST summer!!) and there is no better way to cool off than jumping in the chilly waters of Barton Springs Pool. The water stays around 68 degrees year round making this swimming pool very popular any time of the year. Barton Springs is located in Zilker Park in South Austin and gets its water from the channel of Barton Creek. The pool is over 900 feet long and has a natural rock and gravel !bottom. There are bathrooms, changing rooms with showers, and great lemonade and burgers at the snack bar.

After a busy day at the studio, we can easily slip in the “no-fuss” back entrance (It’s basically in our backyard!) which keeps the feel of it being Austin’s BEST swimming hole.  (There’s rumor the city council is planning to put pillars and concrete…and who knows what else….but we won’t go into that here…)

Framed by grassy hillsides and shady trees – the moss covered rocks are perfect for sunbathing…and people watching too!  Enjoy the 100 percent natural crystal clear water with no chlorine. Don’t forget to show off your diving skills on the diving board there!  We also LOVE the back entrance because we can wrap up a glorious day in the sun with mango (or strawberry lemonade) shaved ice made from Jim Jim’s ….our absolute fave in town!

Come join us for fun in the sun this summer at Barton Springs Pool. After packing up all those boxes today for The Weekender Dallas show, we NEED a dip for sure!! Don’t forget our studio’s just a short walk away from this famous Austin hot spot! XO PG

Austin Addiction: Blues on the Green 2012

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The Pillow Goddess is featuring a new weekly blog called ‘Austin Addiction’. Every Wednesday read up on the hottest things to do around this amazing city. Maybe we will even see you at some of these awesome events and places!

Summer is here, so it’s time to celebrate by attending free concerts in Zilker Park every other Wednesday! Thousands of Austinites are attracted to these shows because of the awesome music, food and art vendors and of course the cheap price tag. The shows start at 7:30 pm and all ages are welcome as well as your pets (I even saw some people with their cats!). Bring food and drinks, especially plenty of water since it is summertime in Austin. You can always cool off at Barton Springs Pool if you need to. This concert series started on May 30th and continues until August 8th, so make sure you make it to the next one before the summer is over.

Blues on the Green has become one of Austin’s great music traditions since 1991. Amazing musicians from Austin and its surrounding areas have performed on that stage, including Jimmie Vaughan and the Los Lonely Boys. You can find more information regarding Blues on the Green here.This summer’s lineup is:

  • May 30: Charlie Mars with Max Gomez
  • June 13: Rhett Miller with Wheeler Brothers
  • June 27: Ben Kweller with Amy Cook
  • July 11: BoDeans with Sahara Smith
  • July 25: Marcia Ball with Nakia
  • August 8: Quiet Company with The Eastern Sea and Wild Child

This awesome lineup has attracted young and old crowds from all over Austin. So, put together a picnic, grab a blanket and head over to Zilker Park this summer to enjoy amazing FREE music. XO PG

P.S. Our studio is right up the hill from Zilker Park, so please call us and stop by. We’d love to see you! Studio #: 512.447.9807

SXSW Texture Tuesday

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Hello everyone, hope you are all beginning to enjoy the spring weather. We are excited to bring you our very first post for Texture Tuesday. We will be posting our favorite trends every week including all things fashion, home decor and fabulous! For this week, we are featuring trendy clothing, home decor and clubs for South By Southwest (aka: SouthBy and SXSW).

Whether you’re a Tech-savvy geek, huge film buff or music connoisseur, you are in store for an amazing week. Kicking off this week in Austin, the SouthBy conference is bringing folks from all over the country for what is sure to be an incredible event. SXSW includes several days of interactive talks, musical performances early in the afternoon that last until the wee hours of the morning( for those who can last), great films with Q and A panels, and not to mention amazing food to keep SXSW goers fueled throughout the week. Here’s a few websites to help you keep up with all that’s going on:

Web site with list of SXSW parties, events: http://do512.com/c/sx2011/events/all-interactive-parties/2011/03/11/?time

Official SXSW schedule: http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/

List of Fashion related events : http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/search?q=fashion

Fashion StyleX run way show information: http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_OE01245

Aside from the zillions of SXSW activities, the fashion is something not to be missed. Although it poured last week in Austin, the sun has finally shown its true colors to welcome everyone from all across the world. Austin is known for its fantastic vintage shops…here’s just a few to check out and see what you can find: Amelia’s Retro-Vogue & Relics, on S. First, Buffalo Exchange and Cream Vintage, both on the “Drag” (aka: Guadalupe St.).

And in case you grow weary of all the hoopla, take a nice break on the outdoor patio or inside this one-of-a-kind wine bar and home decor shop: Aviary Lounge &Home Decor.

Aviary Decor & Lounge, 2110 S. Lamar Blvd.

Some of the most amazing wines, beers, and Charcuterie in town!  You can also check out our whimsical new line of pillows…the first collection under the powers of The Pillow Goddess (aka: Deborah Main).  These fun and funky pillows feature vintage fabrics and a peek-a-boo zipper; all priced under $75.  You’ve got to take away a “Made in Austin, TX USA” souvenir back to your family and friends, so be sure to add a pop of color to your digs back home and collect one for yourself.

We hope you have a fantastic time at SouthBy!! Eat, drink and be merry with the best music, film, and shopping around. Please check out the textures for Texture Tuesday with the fabrics used in these one-of-a-kind pillows below.  Cheers!  xoPG

New Pillow Goddess line (under $75) at Aviary Lounge

 

 

1940's floral fabric with checked fabric peaking through the zipper on back of pillow

 

Handcrafted from 1960's patio dress fabric ; back is orange/blacked checked textural fabric.

 

Love the texture of the back of this pillow above...heavy weave and vintage.