Running to the Mountains, Dreaming of Barton Springs
By Guest on Feb 11 Filed In Austin, Texas, Guest Blogger 8 Comments
Post by Anna Tinnin (SLT-lover)
I wasn’t born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could sounds a bit like a bumper sticker I once saw and nothing could be closer to the truth. I was born in St. Louis and my family moved here when I was 3. I was raised right in the great city of Houston Texas as a BBQ eating, beer drinking, Oiler fan that knows you never leave the house without lip gloss and mascara. I learned to two step before I could “dance” and fish’n is something I get excited about.
Good-bye meal @ the Salt Lick w/friends.
Most of you that know me can testify I am a “girly girl” all the way and for the most part that is true, but what most people don’t know is I am happiest when I am outdoors soaking up all this beautiful country has to offer. I have been fortunate enough to have lived in some of the most beautiful places, the last one being Austin Texas, the great ATX. Words cannot express what Austin has brought to my life. It has allowed me to heal, live close to my best friends, Leia and Wanette, build lasting friendships with the coolest of cool, excel my career beyond my imagination and provide me with a landscape that takes my breath away.
Told you, "Girlie-Girl" indeed!
However, the time has come for yet another life adventure that is going to take place in the majestic state of Colorado. After 5 fun filled years in Austin it is time to say good-bye to all the people and places I love, so here we go…
Barton Springs – You bring a tan to my body, give me food for my soul, people to watch for days and cold water to cool off from our hot summers. You are my favorite place in Austin and I will think of you often.
South Congress – Tourist and locals alike, we all love SoCo! Thanks for the hip clothes, Home Slice Pizza, and for being one of best places to people watch in the world
Home Slice Pizza – I started to think about all the places I like to eat in Austin and even though pizza is a simple food, this place is my #1 favorite. The wait may be an hour and half but Home Slice, you make it worth the wait!
Twin Falls – You gave my sister poison ivy but darn it, I love ya anyway!! Where else can you find a waterfall oasis 2 miles from a major city? Twin Falls, you brought a group a girls together one day that have remained friends ever since and can now proudly call themselves “The Bitches That Hike”.
Sweet Leaf Tea – You host some rockin parties and remind me what “fun” is in the workplace. You are by far one of the coolest companies in the ATX and you employ one on my favorite people, April Riggs! Not to mention you guys make some pretty yummy tea! Thanks for the good times.
Me and Leia Stevens w/Danny @ a SLT happy hour
Shipley’s Donuts – I may tear up leaving behind the best donuts made on this planet. What will I do without my Shipley’s warm glazed donut after a night of too much wine? Thank you Shipley’s for kicking some donut butt!
To My Closest Friends and Family – It truly breaks my heart to think I won’t be a drive away from all of your happy faces anymore. You all are the light of my life and I don’t know what I will do without you there to make me laugh, listen to my stories and be there for me as you have been all of my life. You will never have to wonder if I am thinking of you because I carry you in my heart always.
Colleagues – You all have taught me so much and have each been a mentor to me at one point. I want you all to know how fortunate and grateful I am to have worked with you and learned from you.
When you ask a Texan what they are, before they say, “I’m Methodist” or “I’m a Lawyer” they tell you they’re a Texan. In Colorado when asked what I am I can guarantee you TEXAN is what I’ll say! Good-bye Texas and God Bless the Lone Star State! I love you all and will miss you from the bottom of my heart.
What a Year 2009 Was!
By April on Dec 30 Filed In ACL, Austin, Texas, Events, Live Music, SXSW, Social Media Add a Comment
Sometimes there are events in our lives that are so gut-wrenching and ugly that they over-power the smaller, AWESOME things that have happened in a year. This theory basically sums 2009 up for me.
As opposed to reliving the not-so-cool-parts of 2009, I’d love to share some of my favorite things about the last year with all of you.
1. My 1st ACL Fest-Complete w/crew passes to better see Lorin from Bassnectar throw down the sickest beats and tracks this side of the Mississippi! Did I mention that he seriously rocks my world? I even got a response from him on Twitter. (Pitter-patter goes my music-loving heart!)
2. MS 150-This was THE event that helped clue me in that I belong @ SLT. A free entry for a bike ride that exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Is there anything better than doing something you love (riding bikes) while helping others?
Ashley Montgomery, Me, & Todd Bamberg post MS 150 2009
3. HiMA Interactive Strategies Conference-True validation that Sweet Leaf Tea is on the right track in the social media realm. I was proud and excited to have been asked to represent and enjoyed every moment at this event!
4. Shiner Gasp-I had a calf injury that still didn’t stop me from riding my first century ride! It only took 12 (painful) hours to ride 103 miles and I hope to be ready for it again this year!
5. Fun Fun Fun Fest-I loved winning PIP status for this festival, but even if I hadn’t been given the golden ticket, it would have still rocked. So many great bands played, both old and new. Secret highlight? Seeing Danzig perform “Twist of Cain” and my husband saying, “I had NO idea you liked Danzig that much!” I let him know that there were several things he didn’t know about the 15 year old April. There’s more to me than The Cure, that’s for sure…
6. SXSW-Roller skating, legendary bands (Echo & The Bunnymen, Peter Murphy, Primal Scream to name a few..) partying till 4am, free booze, good friends, new music, and plenty of Sweet Leaf Tea to round things out.
7. Improved Blogging Skillz-Have you re-read my first blog post for SLT? Oh my! I have come a long way and I think I can speak for our whole Marketing Tea’m here that all of us have really grown our writing skills!
The highlights here are only a “taste” of the coolness that came with the rest of the 2009 shenanigans. The good and the bad all equal one thing: I’m looking forward to a new start and all that 2010 A Tea Odyssey may bring!!
**I’d like to dedicate this post to Happy who forced me to remember the bad-ass things that 2009 offered me this year. You’re totally right Happy, thank you!
I also wanna thank Home Slice Pizza for the lunch-time blogging inspiration today. I needed it!
What are YOU looking most forward to in 2010?
Rub a Dub-Dub, Thanks for the Grub!
By April on Aug 27 Filed In Austin, Texas, Food & Beverage 4 Comments
Working at a place on SOCO (South Congress) makes planning lunch-time outings pretty easy because there are so many awesome choices centrally located. Because of this, I thought I’d share my favorite places around our office to eat with all of you.
Top 10 Places to Eat Near (ish) Sweet Leaf Tea
1. Little Sub Trailer (note: cash only) Jeanie keeps this Mon.-Fri. biz jamming for lunch; where else in town can you get a sandwich and side salad (SUPER FRESH!) for under $7 Total!? Check their website out for the daily sammich special and the soup du jour. Jeanie is always happy to sample the soup to you while you wait for your food. Try it, you might just like it! They also serve delicious baked potatoes, homemade ice cream & fresh fruit; all out of a TINY trailer!
2. Home Slice Pizza (Note: Closed on Tuesday’s. Sells Sweet Leaf Tea.) This place might be my FAVORITE pizza place on the planet. I love the ambiance, the servers, the story behind the joint and the FOOD! All of the salads are incredible and the pizza is slap-your-momma good. My fave? Meatball, ricotta, artichoke heart and of course fresh basil, which they grow in their back yard. Low on dough? Visit them from lunch time to 6:30 or after 9:30 at night for slices. You seriously can’t beat it!
3. Cissi’s Market (Sometimes they have Sweet Leaf Tea in their cold case.) I won’t lie, the sandwiches and salads are pricey, but they are absolutely amazing. Anyplace that house-cures their own bacon is fine by me! My pick? Bacon & eggs, add cheddar cheese and tomatoes with a crunch beet salad on the side. Check out their menu to find out just what that is…hmmmm dreamy-tasting.
4. Threadgill’s It’s close to work, super affordable, always tasty and has a great atmosphere. Did I mention the fact that they have the best fried green tomatoes in town? What more can you ask for? Oh yea, live music some weekday nights and on the weekends.
5. Enoteca This place is Italian food heaven. Great daily specials (call ahead to find out what the soup du jour is), small area in the front for Italian staples, a charcuterie case, and a case with some very sexy homemade desserts. Yes, Please! If you decide to roll in one night for dinner, try the lasagna. It cost about $20 and fed me for that dinner and 3 lunches afterward. Amazing!
6. Southside Flying Pizza This place does not get the props it deserves because of Home Slice being right up the road, but if you are dying for great pizza, and want to avoid the huge hipster crowds, hit this place up. Not only are they serving up a side of surly pizza-slinger with every pie, they are also hand-tossing your dough and lovingly putting some of the greatest toppings EVER on it. My personal fave is: feta, prosciutto, artichoke hearts and fresh basil. Ah-mazing I tell you. They have a nice array of salads and always have a homemade soup du jour on hand. Don’t let the blaring death-metal fool you, they know their stuff!
7. Somnios These folks are all about fresh, local food and keeping it affordable. I encourage you to read their entree menu for more info about their concept. I feel lucky to live in a town where going to a restaurant that serves locally grown/raised food is starting to be “normal”. I haven’t had one meal that didn’t rock my world.
8. Torchy’s Serves up great tacos (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with interesting toppings. These aren’t your every day tacos my friend. Fried avocado rocks my world, as does their queso, which I truly believe, deep, deep in my heart is the BEST queso on earth. Seriously. Don’t believe me? Check it out and come back and comment here!
9. Leaf There are plenty of chain salad places and this place ain’t one of them. The salads are tossed with a side of sass by the crew that runs the place which always makes my lunch hour a happy experience. They have a black board with items that were bought locally, and a huge menu board of all kinds of tasty salads with you in mind. Want to really rock it and build your own? DO IT! The ingredients are mind-blowingly awesome and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by their selection.
10. Lulu B’s (Note: cash only.) I can’t get enough of this place and even have a friend in Dallas that wants me to bring her one of their fine Vietnamese sammiches (banh mi) anytime I come to visit her. My staple meal here: Chinese bbq pork sammich, spring rolls with avocado (why more places don’t use avo in their rolls, I just don’t know) and a Mexican coke. Absolute bliss and perfection I tell you! Their hours are strange so please take the time out and look at their Myspace page for more details. Don’t blame me if you hear your stomach start to rumble, you start salivating and the next thing you know, you are driving across town for one of these delectable sandwiches. Remember, I warned you!
Live or visit here often and have your own favorites? Please comment! We’d love to add to our list!
Lulu B's Beautiful Sandwich..insert mouth-watering NOW
