In my lofted one-bedroom apartment, space is at a premium. But I work from home, on the awesome DailyHap.com, so a home office is non-negotiable. Enter the couch + table + chairs combo that I LOVE. It has lots of light and lots of space for me to spread out my work.

It’s a great space for creating, writing, thinking, and even doing the un-fun stuff like billing.

I couldn’t have come up with the idea to share the table with the couch without Pinterest. Yay!

Beach pics + driftwood + happy collage = beachy mantel

I spray-painted a thrift store frame blue, then framed a Hula Hut post card in an homage to both the tropics and my beloved hometown.

Spray paint FTW! It took lots of coats because the wood soaked up the paint, but the end result is a faded-but-bright look I adore.

It may not look like much, but check out how awesome it is when full of my baubles:

The basket? Perfect for bracelets.

check out the JewelMint Tulum bracelet—the braided rope on the left—I’ve been wanting one for YEARS!

Overall? My jewels are finally manageable!

Well, duh, I’ve been telling you that for weeks! La Condesa is just cool–aqua blue couples with concrete, glass and frosted glass with rich mahogony-colored leather booths, and chrome chairs on the patios with interior pine details–all of these combinations of texture and color lend the place an airy, easy-going vibe. And despite its hype as one of the nicest restaurants in town, it’d be easy to eat on the cheap too. Menu items range from street-style taquitos at $7 to whole suckling pig at $35. Most appetizers are between $8-$16, with several types of guacamoles and ceviches. The ceviche we had was very different–in a grapefruit juice, it was sweet rather than tangy and lime-y. We also sampled a few other delicious finger-foods: huraches (sandals! I joked with owner Jesse, but it’s the literal translation), tasty beef tacos in corn tortillas, and a delicious seared tuna atop. It was just enough to make us feel like we NEED to go back for more. The fantastic drinks (you know I already went into detail over those here), will be just $10.

Just last night I read something in US Weekly (I read it religiously, don’t knock it ’til you try it) about celebs dining at La Esquina in New York, and I got to put two-and-two together. You see, La Condesa lured René Ortiz, the famous NYC chef behind the famous La Esquina, to Austin, so now we have our own celeb hotspot. Owner Jesse Herman is also an NYC transplant, but the rest of the management team is local–and famous in their own right too, including neighboring chef Larry McGuire of Lamberts, who will be managing La Condesa’s 150-seat space as well. Plus, I love bar manager Andrea Brown with her Jenna-Bush-looks and constant grin, even when she’s shaking drinks for over 150 VIP guests.

On the northwest corner of 2nd & Guadalupe, La Condesa is open tonight, so head on over! It will be open 11am to 11pm daily, with lunch from 11-3, dinner from 5 -11, a bar menu inbetween, and brunch Saturdays and Sundays. http://www.lacondesaaustin.com/ Look for more info on upstairs bar Malverde next week!

They have a few specialty cocktails, like red and white sangrias, pineapple-infused vodka, a frozen black cherry limeade, and a mint margarita. They also have a small but looks-to-be-stellar food menu that they’re starting to serve today.

I was surprised at the number of people out last night–it’s a Tuesday!–but it was a fashionable, well-heeled crowd, though definitely more laid-back than, say, a Terrace 59 crowd. Lanai is already drawing Terrace 59 comparisons, as both are rooftop with oversize lounging spots, but Lanai has a brighter, airy-er feel than Terrace 59 (and I used to work there, so I would know).

It also has a half-birdcage swing, so it can’t take itself too seriously!

Lanai is open 4pm-2am, with happy hour 4-8pm with $1 off drinks and food. It’s on the corner of 5th & Congress (my fave corner!), the door is between Prague and the corner on 5th. Go visit Lanai sometime this week!

But I don’t go there for all of that. I go for the popovers.

Popover at Trio

I didn’t even know what a popover was until a year ago, when I had one at the Four Seasons. It’s a airy, chewy, springy, salty, creamy confection of bread perfection. Divine.

I threw a Kentucky Derby party earlier this year and decided that it was important that I make popovers. Are they even a Southern food? I don’t know, but I decided they were. (I also decided this amazing Rachael Ray Orange BBQ Bourbon Chicken I had at her SXSW party was Southern too …) So I found a recipe, researched modifying it to be as healthy as possible–you can use 2% milk but not 1% or skim, and high-protein flour if fluffier and don’t use whole wheat because it weighs them down–and made some popovers in my muffin tin. They turned out awesome. Though not as big and fluffy as Trio’s, they were just as tasty.

Of course, I’d rather go to Trio, where they make them for me. Does anywhere else in Austin do popovers? I also want to try Trio’s brunch eventually …

Oh, and the Lobby Bar at the Four Seasons–incredible. I need to go there more just to people watch.

It’s laid out wonderfully, with these little nooks of different themes that change. There’s a great selections of gifties, from little silk travel cases to jewelry to bamboo-shaped pens to hand-pressed stationery. Seriously, if I had the money, I’d move in–or move all their stuff out, rather. The owner is a charming man … although I was excited when he complimented me on my purse, the next customer walked in and he complimented her on her sweater (it was cute)! That’s the kind of man he is though.

Lest you believe I just write positive reviews, I went into Sana Boutique and it was not awesome. Honestly, there was just very little inventory. What they had was neat, but not enough to warrant a trip there.

But if I weren’t coaching tonight, I’d playing some pickup volleyball at Zilker! Normally I don’t know anyone that goes out on Tuesday afternoons, but my friends are, so if you have any desire to play sand volleyball with less people around than Saturdays and Sundays, now is your chance.