The Season of The Pumpkin Draws Near...

Okay, so today I couldn't stand it any more. I had to have a pumpkin on the premise and quick!

I figured a great place to start was the front porch. I mean seriously, who can resist the idea of having a gorgeous basket full of Fall colors and a sweet pumpkin on their porch? Certainly not me...

Acclamazioni...

Rarely do I find a restaurant that can literally transport me to another time or place. Last night we left the hotel expecting to have a nice Italian meal and, remarkably, we ended up in Italy.



To give credit where credit is due, our niece Laura told us about Vespaio, claiming it as her favorite restaurant in Austin. I had read about it in the past but had never had the pleasure of having a meal there.




The restaurant is located along a fun, funky and trendy section of South Congress Avenue, otherwise known as SoCo. When the cab driver dropped us off there was a young, James Dean looking guy standing in front of the restaurant playing the saxophone for tips. He was very pretty in a bad-boy-needs-a-bath kind of way; however, his lack of hygene was completely over-shadowed by the music he made. Imagine our pleasure when the hostess sat us right inside the window from where he was playing and we were able to enjoy his beautiful music throughout dinner.



We started with a little antipasti and a gorgeous Italian red wine. We enjoyed a beautiful peach stuffed with goat cheese, an assortment of olives and slices of salami with an olive tapenade. These were served with warm, fresh-baked bread.

For his entree Mark chose the Seafood Cioppino which is basically a seafood stew. It was full of clams, shrimp, tuna, squid and fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce and served with the most gorgeous toasted baguette. I had a taste of the broth, clam and bread together and it was sinfully delicious. In fact, I could have made a meal out of just the broth and the bread.

My entree was the Vitello Saltimbocca. It is described on the menu as sautéed veal scallopine layered with sage & thinly sliced Parma prosciutto with wilted baby spinach finished with a veal-lemon butter. This dish is to me what Italy is all about. It was simple, beautiful and rustic.



We shared a side order of homemade linguine tossed with shallots, garlic, fresh basil & extra virgin olive oil. Comfort food at its best!



After dinner we went in to the bar for a drink. I had already expressed to Mark that dinner at Vespaio had transported me to what must be Italy. Everything was so LOVELY and SIMPLE and ROMANTIC and COZY. As I understand, it is an Italian tradition to drink Limoncello as an after dinner "digestivo" and as it just so happens I love tradition and Limoncello so I proposed a toast to my favorite dinner companion, Italy and the lovely Vespaio. Acclamazioni!

Did I Mention The Margaritas...

Last night Senor Reaves and I had dinner with our nephew and his wife at Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill on 6th Street in Austin. They live in Austin and fortunately for us they are in to the Austin dining scene. It is always a treat to meet up with them for a meal when we're here!

I hadn't eaten at Z'Tejas in something like forever and am happy to say I was not disappointed with my return visit. First just let me say, Margarita! Then came the complimentary corn bread. This is not just any corn bread. It arrives table side in it's own little little iron skillet with creamy butter on the side. A Southern girl's dream!

Then came the the chips and salsa. An order consists of chips, guacamole, queso and both red and green salsas. Chip, dip, Margarita...hmmm it's like having your very own fiesta right in your mouth!

Suddenly the waiter arrives with our entrees. Between the good company and the chips I forgot all about the entrees...and I'm full. Oh well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I had the crispy salmon special - a pan-roasted fillet with a roasted tomatillo sauce, topped with a crab avocado salad. The salmon was lovely, cooked a perfect medium rare just like I like it.

Laura had the Mac and Cheese. Sounds simple enough but wait until you hear this. It is described something like - jack, cheddar, parmesan and roman cheeses, combined with bacon gratin which gives you an incredibly rich sauce you will be hard pressed to find in other pasta dish. It is topped with the perfect compliment, achiote-grilled chicken. Definitely not your average Mac and Cheese!

Senor Reaves and Cody had the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Medallions (I had a bite and my, oh my, it was the hit of the show). They stuff the pork medallions with chorizo sausage, cheese, onion and poblanos with a roasted garlic cream sauce. It was served with mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans and carrots.

So, to sum up dinner at Z'Tejas with three people I love on a Wednesday night I'll say this...we were seated outside under a beautiful pergola covered with vines, the temperature was perfect, the company delightful, the food outstanding...oh, and did I mention the Margaritas?

iphone - let your love grow....

For those of you out there, like me, who are having a crazy love affair with your iPhone I must share agirl's awesome blog site with you.



a girl says, "Welcome to iPhone App of the Day! There are currently over 65,000 iPhone applications available in the App Store. Navigating through the lemons and the hidden gems can be a daunting task; so let a girl help! Subscribe to the iPhone App of the Day blog to read a brief review and rating of a new app, everyday!"

So, all you iphone lovers out there, check out agirl and let your love grow!

A Rubber Boot By Any Other Name - Ahh, Galoshes!

When did the stylish pair of galoshes first make their debut? Perhaps they have been around quiet a while and I was just never exposed to them? You see, where I grew up there was no need for galoshes - it rarely rained.

However, it seems several pairs have come to my attention of late. Some I would even call cute and sassy.

I spent a few days in Beaufort, North Carolina over the summer and saw oodles of cute pairs while I was there. I guess when you live in a sea town - especially if you're fortunate enough to have a boat then a trusty pair of galoshes is a must. If said galoshes are stylish, chic, cute or downright spiffy then all the better.

Anyway, according to the latest DFW weather news we have received anywhere from 4 - 12 inches of rain in the past 5 days. Senor Reaves and I went out Sunday afternoon for a little "are you ready for some football" action and as my flip-flop clad feet stepped out of the car visions of a cute, dry pair of galoshes danced right in to my head.

So, I decided to share some of my favorite galoshes wishes with you. In fact, perhaps you too should consider a pair for your upcoming Fall and Winter wardrobe. After all, there is nothing like warm, toasty and stylish tootsies on a cold, wet day!

Club Fred....

I'm a little behind with this post but wanted to get these great pictures out there before it is too, too late!

Towards the end of July some friends and family loaded up on a barge called "Club Fred" and spent a few hours on beautiful Lake Grapevine. It was a gorgeous afternoon and we figured we were all due a few hours in the de-stress mode. We had a great meal, listened to some music and some of us even verified our inner child was still in tact by checking out Fred's slide and doing some rather inventive runs, jumps, and dives off the second landing.

Our son in law, Cory, is a fabulous photographer and snapped some great pics to memorialize the afternoon...


Our precious nephew, Taylor.


Splish, splash!


Our fashionista niece, Haley.


Our nieces, Laura and McKae.


Our son in law, Cory. (Not sure who took this pic since he is the photographer!)


Beautiful, beautiful, McKae - our youngest niece.


My brother in law, Gary and my husband, aka, Senor Reaves.


My brother Reece and his family - left to right, Taylor, McKae, Sandra and Reece.


My Daddy with our friends Jack an Janet Byrd.


Dear friends, Mitch and Debbie Horne.


My sweet Moma.


Our daughter Jessica and her precious baby-girl, Cate.


Our nephew, Cody, and his wife Laura.

We won't be spending another afternoon with "Fred" this year but I'm already looking forward to next summer. You see, as we were leaving the dock I heard someone declare an afternoon with "Fred" should become an annual event and my inner-child can't wait for her next opportunity to play with "Fred".

A Basket Full of Sunshine...

Aren't sunflowers HAPPY! They always bring a smile to my face.



I decided a big basket of sunflowers for my dining room table was in order. Kind of brings the feel of TUSCANY right in to my kitchen!



I went ahead and hung last year's Fall wreath on the back porch. So far this is the only Fall decorating I've done. I'm going to have to sweet talk Senior Reaves into climbing up in the attic to retrieve my PUMPKIN collection. He'll be so proud of me!



So excited to see my old FRIENDS the PUMPKINS. Check back soon and you'll be seeing them too.

Wishing you a BLESSED Sunday!