Hey, Waitress

I never really had a nickname until college. People just called me Jessica, and when I moved to Austin, I shortened my name to Jess. I was bestowed a few nicknames by new friends in college: Beast, Jess-Sex-Fayce (I never quite understood that one,) and Jestabeast. When B & I started dating, I received even more nicknames: Cake, Babycakes, Cakey (you see a theme).

I’ve been waitressing for almost half my life, starting when I was thirteen, and when faced with the expenses of living on my own in Austin, I returned to my old safety net of the service industry. My reemergence on the restaurant scene earned me a new nickname: Waitress. Or, alternatively: “Hey, Waitress,” “Excuse Me, Miss.” and “Hey, Sorry.”

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FFBF – My Workspace

Well, this is a week late (is it already Saturday?), but I thought I’d post it anyhow. Last Friday’s FFBF was to show where you work, blog, interact, etc. I’m quite comfy in my little corner of the living room. :)

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Beachin’ It

Occasion: Fort Pickens with the Family
Shirt: XXI | Skirt: American Apparel | Shoes: Ross (Children’s department) | Belt: Gift, Vintage

 

We’re enjoying a nice break with my family in Pensacola, Florida this week. There’s so many forts, historical sites, and museums here, it’s a history buff’s paradise. (And we’re both huge history nerds!)

This was taken at Fort Pickens on Pensacola beach. It’s a fort from the civil war era, and is the perfect spot for photo shoots. We’ll be going back later, because the weather was less-than-cooperative when we went yesterday. I’ll definitely be bringing the tripod. :)

What’s your favorite part about vacations? Are you a “lay on the beach” type of person, a “local culture connoisseur”, or something else? I think I fall into the “museum and food nerd” category myself.

FBFF – What’s in my Purse?

 

Happy Friday!

This is an “off” week for FBFF, but some other members thought it would be fun to do a “what’s in my purse” post. I saw it not only as a good idea for a post today, but as a great excuse to clean out my purse! (Just in time, too. A piece of gum had de-wrappered itself and was melting onto all of my belongings. Very tragic.)

I’m typically a clean person. I can’t fall asleep if there are dishes in the sink, and I try to keep my car free of clutter. But when it comes to my purse… let’s just say I live out of my purse. I have everything that I need residing in my purse, which is why I carry such a whopper!

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Bastille Day

(image via Annie Ray)

We went to the “Paris Calling” Bastille Day celebration at Justine’s last weekend. I love a reason to put on a costume! The theme was red, white, and blue French/punk. I went more “Japanese punk,” B said. Whatevs, I got to dress cute and got to see everyone’s amazing costumes.

Unfortunately it was super dark, so we didn’t get any other pictures at the event, but I snapped a quick shot in the mirror before we left. In fact, I noticed I’ve been doing this as a way of determining if I like my outfit or not… Guess I’m sort of addicted to the camera, rather than the mirror.

 

I’m getting pretty amped up for Halloween (my favorite holiday — we weren’t allowed to celebrate as kids!), and saw that Party City over on North I-35 has a bunch of costumes for $15. Get thee to a Party City. I still haven’t decided what to be this year. Here’s the last few years:

• A Zombie Pinup girl
• The “Golden Parachute Fairy”
• Ashley Todd
• Eddie Sedgwick
• A Flapper

What was your favorite Halloween costume? What are you going as this year?

P&K Grocery’s Deviled Eggs [recipe]

 

I looove deviled eggs. They’re pretty much the prefect food in my opinion, small, easy to transport, one-bite little bits of heaven. I’m obsessed.

We used to have a fantastic little grocery store over in South Austin called P&K Grocery. B and I would frequent this place, maybe once a week, to buy sandwiches etc. for picnic trips out to Common Ford. For only $6, (a hint as to why they went out of business!) you could purchase 6 perfect, amazing, salty deviled eggs. I’m not ashamed to say that I made a full meal out of those eggs more than once.

I tried for years to replicate the eggs at home, using the ingredients list on the package as a guide. Then, miracle of miracles, I found the official recipe online, as shared with the Austin Chronicle during a Fourth of July story about entertaining. I know the recipe is a little different, (the ingredients label definitely said caper brine, not green olive brine) but the taste is very similar.

So here we go, my absolute favorite deviled egg, made by P&K Grocery, recipe altered ever-so-slightly by me.

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Weekendings

How was your weekend? I started mine with a waitress shift, but after that nonesense, I moved on to more important things: socializing on the Eastside.

I love, love, love all the businesses on the Eastside. They’re all quirky, and unique, and — generally — well-priced. There’s lots of nice, outdoor spaces with big enough tables to accommodate large groups. My last several birthdays have been rung in on the Eastside, and it’s my location of choice for grabbing a beer.

Occasion: Drinks at Rio Rita’s/Gypsy Lounge with friends
Tank: XXI | Scarf: Italian silk, a gift from Courtney A. | Feathers: Mana Culture
Shorts: Volcom, thrifted | Boots: Jessica Simpson, Nordstrom | Ring: Charming Charlie

What’s your favorite part of town?

“All hat, no cattle.”

So, you may have heard that GQ named Austin no. 18 on its list of the 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America. The Austin-American Statesman and Austin Post have both weighed in, but I thought I’d put in my two cents.

First, the Steve Earle quote in the GQ article pretty much sums up the truth about Austin.

“The weather was too good, the dope was too cheap, and the girls were too pretty,” Steve Earle once said of the Texas capital, “and there was no fucking way I was going to get anything done in a place like that.”

It’s absolutely true. The weather here is awesome (except when it’s not), the living is easy (and cheap), and the people are pretty (without tons of effort). It’s one of those weird places that make it easy to put things off — including, I’m afraid, getting a grown-up wardrobe.

I’ve often complained that getting dressed up for a fancy dinner in this town amounts to boat shorts and flip flops for many people, which irks me to no end. I’m one of those people for whom the joy of a dinner is about 80% atmosphere, and, I’m sorry dear sir, but your incessant phone chattering and your salmon-tinged Izod are giving me ulcers. Unfortunately for me, Austin, quite frankly, doesn’t give a damn.

And that’s okay. We’re all used to it here.

One of my favorite waitressing stories was actually the night GQ hosted a big party at the restaurant where I worked at the time — Lambert’s BBQ, if you haven’t gone, GO! It’s phenomenal — and for which I was the cocktail waitress. As a journalism student at the time, my mind was reeling with networking possibilities — here was my chance to meet some real journalists! — but, alas, their main interests included getting smashed and hitting on the waitresses. It wasn’t a total bust. They invited us out for dinner and drinks at Parkside after the party, which we all giddily accepted, and I got to spend an evening with the oh-so-chic, big city boys in publishing.

The main thing that struck me about them was how polished they all were. Super-tight skinny suits, very tailored and perfect. They all had expensive glasses that framed their faces like pieces of art, and haircuts that, I’m almost positive, cost more than any haircut I’ve ever paid for. We were smitten for the evening, reduced to giggly girls, hoping, wishing they would think we were fun, sexy, sophisticated.

They probably didn’t.

And that’s okay. We were just the entertainment for the evening — look at these poor, misguided country girls! Wow that Texas sky is big! — and there was no harm done. I’ve often wondered about that evening, however, and if there was any sort of realization by those suave, genteel men about how fun, sexy, and sophisticated Austin girls could be. In our own, laid-back Austin way, of course.

That said, I love living in a city where I can pick up a dress at Buffalo Exchange for $15 and be just as chic and polished as any other girl in the room. I love getting my bar tab at Shang-ri-la and realizing I’ve been sipping on $3 drinks all night. I love that I can throw on a sundress and flip flops to go grocery shopping, and even less if I’m making a trip to the bank.

Austin may be too laid back, that’s a distinct possibility, and, golly, I’d feel pretty inadequate moving my wardrobe to a larger city, but I’m proud to call it home — Hipsters and all.