Street art is everywhere (the Austin, Texas edition).

I went to Austin, Texas last week. And I could tell you about the food (oh my god, the food--there was so, so much of it). Or the people (they were just like us Angelenos, it turns out--save the fake parts and the bleached blonde). But I'm going to save my words and show you the art instead. Because the art--it was everywhere, on every street. And in one case, the same wheatpasted, bespectacled, afroed fellow appeared over and over again. The street art in Austin ranged from the pasted to the tagged to the stencils in multitude. And it seemed to fit the landscape as much as the live music and barbecue.

I want to rest my head on this.

In Austin this week I discovered a store called Spartan (more on Austin later, promise). At Spartan, I discovered the most perfectly merchandised boutique I've ever seen and this pillow collection by Coral & Tusk. The brand makes other things but I am a sucker for decorative pillows. True story.

The pillow above is appropriately named 'man eating tiger.' It is incredible in so very many ways.

The Simple Life.

I hope soon to stop selling people things that they do not want. I hope to stop wanting the things I am being sold. I hope, specifically, to stop wanting the new Gucci flats and the Marc Jacobs handbag and the Bond No. 9 eau de parfum before their refund windows expire. I hope to move to Austin, Texas where the rent is low, or to Bennington, Vermont where my memories tell me I was happy, before I lose myself and my money to more handbags and high heels and other such things that don't keep well over time. I want to want a simple life.

[Image Credit: Andrew Wyeth - Christina's World]