A slice of...Austin, Texas!

This week I am so happy to share one of my darling best friends in the whole wide world with y'all...and her little slice of Austin, Texas (hence the y'all!). Amber Joy has always been a fixture here at Sometimes Sweet and if you're a regular reader I'm sure you recognize her from any of the million photos we take when we are together. Amber is actually from Prescott originally and kind of grew up with Hank, they went to the same high school and all of that jazz. I met her about six years ago through all of our mutual friends, and we've spent many summers and all of our school/holiday breaks together having some of the best adventures and the most fun, silly girly times you could imagine. Amber is now a newer resident to the Lone Star state, as she moved from Santa Barbara just a few months ago, but has already settled in and has happily made Texas her new home. Prior to that she lived in the great city of San Francisco for many years, and although she easily could have written page upon page of her favorite SF things to do and places to go, and I wanted her to share Austin with us! I definitely can't wait to go and visit her once little Henry is born so he can see where his Auntie Amber lives, and so we can visit all of these neat locations. It looks like a fun, lively place and seeing it through Amber's eyes has been wonderful, and I hope all of you enjoy it as well. Also, check out her blog http://amberjoyh.blogspot.com/, and be sure to leave her a little hello! And now, here's Amber!


As a recent transplant to the Austin area I am barely scraping the surface of all the great things this city has to offer, but I am already overwhelmed with all of the great entertainment, variety and never ending things to do so far! Although maybe pre-mature these are my top five favorite things to do in Austin, Texas!

1. Barton Springs: This is an amazing natural spring that they allow the public to enjoy. The water is always FREEZING, but feels so wonderful on those crazy hot summer days of Austin! It normally costs $3 for a day, but from 9pm-10pm it's free swim and what could be better than a night swim in a natural spring.. for FREE?

2. Liberty! This is a staple bar on the east side of the city that features a wonderful family seating atmosphere on the back patio. Another feature on the patio is a delicious food trailer that's open for as long as the bar is and it's definitely a must try. They also have a great happy hour with $1.50 16 oz PBR and there ain't nothin' wrong with that! But most importantly, Liberty is a wonderful spot to check out some pretty fly doodz!

3. Lone Star Beer...the NATIONAL beer of Texas because "to drink anything else would be treason".


4. Hey Cupcake! Just deliciously wonderful. I am pretty darn picky about my red velvet cupcakes and I must say...they take the cake! Hey C.C. also offers many other absolutely yummy options often including one vegan flavor of the day. Something for everyone!


5. Favorite Shopping...so far....I still have a lot of exploring to do in this area, but South Congress will be tough to beat. It is most accurately and easily described as the Haight st. of Austin. It features a great number of vintage, costume, eclectic stores and some great little food spots. If you end up visiting grab a cupcake and dive into some of the fun stores such as Uncommon Objects and Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds and prepare to lose a couple hours, but all in good fun!


So there you have it, Amber's lil' slice of Texas! xoxo

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Austin, Texas!

image via weheartit.com

So, today is a big day for a little lady by the name of Amber Joy! Obviously if you read my blog you know her, and maybe you even read her blog (http://amberjoyh.blogspot.com/), but today is MOVING DAY for her! The reason I'm posting this, is to ask if any of you have any recommendations of things she absolutely must do, must try, should experience in her new home of Austin, Texas! Feel free to comment in the space below, I know she'll love reading any Austin-related tidbits you may want to share. Thanks in advance, and love all of you!

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summer in Prescott

Prescott is one of my favorite towns in the entire world, and everyday of my life I feel so lucky that this is where I call home, and where we will raise our family. Hank's family has been here for three generations (baby Henry will be the fourth), and I think it's amazing to be steeped in such tradition.

It's funny that during junior year of college at NAU, Shirley and I found ourselves lost in Prescott. She had followed me up here in her car so I could drop mine off at the local VW shop in town, since there wasn't a shop in Flagstaff that my warranty included. We spent hours and hours driving around the back roads- how were we to know that Whipple St. turns into Iron Springs Rd., and Willow Creek turns in Grove?! It was horrible. But who would have known that just a few years later I'd be calling that quirky little town home.

I love Prescott because it is such a small town, having about 40,000 inhabitants (compared to Phoenix's 1.6 million). I enjoy the vibe our town exudes, I adore the downtown area, and especially how in the summer there are events every weekend. I always daydreamed about taking our kids down there on a blanket during the evening concerts on the square, walking the perimeter of the courthouse with our stroller, and enjoying quiet picnics on a weekend morning. Now that we are about to become parents, it's sunk in quite a bit more that this is the place where my children will make their memories, this is where THEY will call home for their entire lives.

Prescott is far enough away from Phoenix (120 miles) but close enough to still be able to go down and shop when the mood strikes. It's close to my family, but still feels far enough that we're making our own little life for our little family. I do hope that one day my parents and sister move up here, but it has been nice to have a place away from home that I've made our home. Whenever our friends and family come visit, they always remark how much they love it up north. The weather is cooler, we get all four seasons, and the summers are completely manageable, staying in the 80s at most.

This weekend was a typical Prescott weekend. Each year we hold a Bluegrass Festival where hundreds of musicians flock to our town to play on the big stage, and also enjoy a weekend with fellow enthusiasts and fans. Although there is a large stage set up on Gurley Street, it's common to see twenty or so small groups of musicians on the opposite side of the courthouse playing music. It's a fabulous weekend, full of good music and fun people, and this time I was able to enjoy it on Saturday, and also stroll around a bit today with Amber following our yummy brunch at The Dinner Bell.











my darling friend Crystal (you've probably seen her on this blog quite a bit, she visits us often!)




one of the many smaller groups of musicians


So all in all it was a great weekend, spent with my family and our friends. It was awesome to have my parents and sister come up on Friday, and we spent the afternoon eating lunch at Bill's Pizza with Hank's Mom, step dad and sister, and then of course had to do some baby shopping before they headed back down the mountain. It's been two days but I'm still riding high from the amazing ultrasound, and it seems like everywhere I look now I see adorable little boys. I can't help but think about our Henry. What will he be like? Who will he look like? My heart is so full of love for this little guy that I can't wait until he arrives and we can shower him with affection!

The weekend is almost over, even though for a teacher the summer is one huge weekend, and I have quite the to-do list for the evening, after we get home from dinner. Now the countdown begins for the 4th of July, one of my favorite times up here in Prescott! My family and Autumn's family will be coming up to spend the weekend with us and I cant' wait. I hope whatever you did over the past few days you've had a great time, and Happy Monday tomorrow, to all of you!

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