There’s More Than Just Wine on the Menu at Austin’s Vino Vino

Vino Vino in Austin is more than just your neighborhood wine bar. Beyond vino, the restaurant offers a variety of specialty cocktails, beer, and an extensive food menu. Vino Vino offers over 20 wines by the glass, selected by the owner who may come check on you during your visit. The menu is full of tapas-style plates, as well as a few larger plates and even a take-out menu. The interior has a comfy casual environment with dim lighting and wooden decor, where you can graze on a cheese plate and sip on a bold, earthy red all night long.

Many locals agree that the Old Fashioned is one of the best in town, especially during happy hour when it is $2 off. Happy Hour offers $2 off all wine, beer, and house cocktails, as well as a selection of half-priced appetizers. Happy hour is held 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays.

The kitchen and bar have varied hours, so be sure to visit the website so you don’t miss the chance to try your favorite dish!

Vino Vino
4119 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78751-4222
(512) 465-9282
www.vinovinoaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/vino-vino-austin

Happy Spring!

Spring has sprung! What is your favorite thing about Spring?

Super-Simple Ways to Add a Splash of Color to Your Home

Curious about color? Even adding the smallest amount of color to your decor can make a huge difference. Here are some tips to help you add a splash of color to your home—without having to pick up a paint brush!

  • Start out with a generous amount of neutrals. These colors will act as your canvas or blank slate that you can add to.
  • Don’t use too much of one color, or it can become a big blur. You want to stick to a formula of using 60 percent of the dominant color and 30 and 10 percent of two other different colors to balance everything out.
  • Blending masculine colors with feminine colors can really bring a room together.
  • Consider using black when decorating. It will add some visual depth to a space. You could also use white to make a room feel more modern and fresh.
  • Use something with a pattern, like a throw pillow or piece of artwork, to pull colors from.
  • Work with a color palette to help transition the colors from room to room. This helps bring everything together and makes the rooms feel cohesive.

These 6 Lessons in Color Will Change the Way You Decorate [One Kings Lane]
Ideas for Decorating with Color & Pattern [About]
The 12 Rules of Decorating with Color [Pure Wow]

Spring Produce Guides to Help You Navigate the Grocery Store This Season

Every spring there’s an abundance of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables that make their way into your local grocery store. It’s tempting to fill your cart with tasty produce, but these things go bad so quickly that it helps to have a plan in mind when you shop. Here are two online guides to spring produce.

Food and Wine
This beautifully curated guide offers creative recipes that all use spring produce. It’s organized by type of fruits and vegetables, with recipe sections for things like asparagus, spinach, mangoes, and pineapple. Each recipe also uses simple, step-by-step instructions and high quality images that help you to visualize each dish. If you want to prepare elegant, healthy meals with seasonal ingredients, Food and Wine is a great resource.

The Food Network
The Food Network is an authority on all-things cooking, and their Spring Produce Guide is one of the most helpful out there. It utilizes photos, videos, and text recipes to deliver everyday recipes that use spring produce, and many of them come straight from your favorite Food Network hosts. There are also tips and tricks for things like choosing the best fruits and vegetables, washing and preparing them for cooking, and cooking with fresh herbs straight from the garden.

Where to Shop Monogrammed Items on the Web

Select the perfect personalized gifts for the special people in your life from one of these fabulous websites. Give a lovely set of monogrammed towels as a holiday gift or give that special person in your life a beautiful inscribed piece of jewelry. Find an array of options and a little something that is just for you.

Mark and Graham
Mark and Graham offer hundreds of home and personal items that can be inscribed however you wish. You’ll recognize their sleek, stylish offerings from Williams and Sonoma as a brand that is classic and now, personal.

Preppy Monogrammed Gifts
Monogram the whole family at Preppy Monogrammed Gifts. Get fun kids' gear, a classic scarf or sweater seat, and office supplies emblazoned with the letters of those you love.

Super-Simple Ways to Refresh Your Apartment’s Decor

If you feel like your apartment's decor is looking a little tired, don't fret. You don't have to save up for months to complete a total overhaul of the place; instead, you can make a few quick tweaks designed to have the ultimate impact. Here are five ideas to get you started.

  1. Reupholster a dying chair. If you consider yourself a solid DIYer, then reupholstering a chair should be no large feat for you. Perhaps you already have a comfy chair at home that you can reupholster, or maybe you'll have the added perk of being able to find one at your favorite thrift store. Either way, head to the craft store to choose a fabric you like, then use an online tutorial to help you make over your chair.
  2. Paint your throw pillows. There are countless ways to spruce up throw pillows, from slapping on a new case to painting them with colorful stripes. Use the method that suits your style (and time constraints).
  3. Make over your headboard. If it's your bedroom that needs the facelift, start with its focal point: the bed. You can recreate your headboard easily and cheaply, in various ways. For instance, hang a curtain panel across a metal bar for a contemporary twist on the typical headboard.
  4. Mix and match different rooms' accents. Maybe you already have all the components you need to update your apartment within its four walls. If you have certain decorations that distinguish a room, try swapping them between other spaces in your home to create a new aesthetic. For example, you could move the end table from your living room into the guest room, and repurpose the bedside table as a new end table instead.

10 Ways to Redecorate Without Spending a Dime [Bob Vila]
Give Your Bedroom a Money-Saving Makeover [All You]
How to give your room an instant makeover [Homedit]

Local Talent Takes the Stage at The Long Center

There are very few places in Austin that offer the variety of entertainment options provided by The Long Center, a non-profit that serves as a creative resource for the community. More than 80 percent of performances hosted here showcase the talent of local artists. Whether you’re interested in seeing ballet or the symphony, a local singer or flamenco guitarist, children’s theater or Shakespeare, The Long Center truly offers it all and then some (including one of the best views of the city skyline!).

Comprising multiple performance spaces, the building has been renovated over the years to keep with the times. The most impressive space within The Long Center is the grand hall, which seats more 2,400 people over three levels and features flawless acoustics. Most patrons seem to agree that there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.

Be sure to visit the website for a calendar of upcoming performances!

The Long Center
701 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 457-5100
www.thelongcenter.org

How to Disguise Unsightly Cables, Cords and Wires

Nobody likes the sight of tangled, messy cords and wires, but these long cords are essential for operating electronics. If you want to tuck away unsightly cords to preserve your decor at The Marquis at Canyon Ridge, these smart steps will show you how.

  1. Mark each cord. First, begin by wrapping a piece of matte tape around the cord and leaving a bit of extra at the end. Label each cord with a marker to keep things organized.
  2. Clip the cords together. Next, clip the cords together in a smooth strip using a binder clip. For longer cords, you may want to add additional clips.
  3. Tuck cords away. Now that the cords are all clipped together, you’ll want to hide them as best as you can behind their corresponding piece of furniture. Try winding the cords into a loop if you have a larger piece of furniture. For desks and other items with slender legs, you may want to line the cords up behind one leg.
  4. Secure the cords in place. Once you decide where to place the cords, secure them using sturdy tape or Velcro strips. This will ensure that the cords stay hidden through daily use.

How To Hide Home Wires [Apartment Therapy]
36 Genius Ways To Hide The Eyesores In Your Home [Buzzfeed]
Hiding Cables [Pinterest]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

May your day be touched with a little bit of the luck of the Irish!

Fonda San Miguel: An Austin Favorite for Mexican Fare Since 1975

With modern art, bold flavors, and a beautiful ambiance, Fonda San Miguel has been an Austin dining institution since 1975.

Recognized as one of the finest authentic Mexican restaurants in the country, Fonda San Miguel relies on fresh, sometimes rare ingredients and authentic Mexican recipes to create its raved-about fare. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu; however, regulars direct particular praise toward the camarones en crema de chipotle, which envelops shrimp in a creamy chipotle sauce. Fonda San Miguel is also known for its inviting atmosphere, as it is classic and has an authentic Mexican feel.

The restaurant is open seven days a week. Don't skip the Sunday brunch, served from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.!

Fonda San Miguel
2330 W North Loop Blvd
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 459-4121
www.fondasanmiguel.com

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