Adding color to your home

Tired of coming home to the same color pallet?  How about adding some dramatic color combinations into your space?  “Black, red and gold. Aqua blue and light orange,” Ariana Anderson, Owner/Designer at Interior Devotion (http://www.interiordevotion.com/), explains about dramatic color, combinations that work well, and one of her favorite colors. “I LOVE using almost any shade [...]

Tips on home files

As you ponder your new year’s goals, are your files a hurdle to achieving your ambition?  Does the annual experience of boxing files, ongoing filing, or “what to dos” to the files, have you grinding your teeth?  With her many years of helping clients, Nancy Fierro, owner of BookKeeping Express, gives her insight on simplifying [...]

The Art of the Man Bag

Manly men, listen up! A bag has become an essential item for getting around Austin. Why do men need a bag? Bags are for women, right? Hear me out—bags can serve a purpose for men. The average Austinite either works North and lives South, or vice-versa; therefore, he usually needs to schlep around items to [...]

Keeping your pet safe on the Fourth of July

The loud sounds of fireworks can be devastating to pets during the Fourth of July festivities. Quick tips to consider for keeping your pets safe from harm: Make sure your pet is wearing identification tags with current address and cell phone numbers in case they get lost.  This time of year local shelters see a [...]

Tips for lowering your home energy bill

There are small adjustments homeowners can make in their homes and everyday lifestyles to lower energy bills this summer. Save 1-2% on usage by replacing air conditioner filters monthly to help the air systems run longer. Save 2% on energy usage by checking for leaky doors and windows; they should be weather-striped, sealed, and caulked. [...]

A sharp-dressed man: Cool summer kicks

Although the sharp-dressed man has been silent for sometime, do not get discouraged readers. I have been on the horizon looking for items to make your summer even hotter! I tend to become engaged by one of my favorite things: shoes. In the summer months, regardless if you are attending a backyard BBQ or a [...]

Save this summer with an energy audit

If a homeowner is feeling big temperature differences from room to room, or suspects that the home is not as efficient as it should be, but doesn’t know where to start, it may be time to consult a professional. A professional home auditor can show a homeowner exactly where a home is losing energy with [...]

A Sharp-dressed man goes to Europe

As a stylish man, I tend to enjoy vacation because it grants me the opportunity to venture to other lands to scope out fashion abroad. Fashion abroad can lead to exciting new looks to bring back home. What looks can a man bring home that will merge nicely into his current residence? I usually go [...]

A Sharp-dressed man: How to suit yourself

Science tells us that we produce sex pheromones that can drive a man or woman wild. As a man, what else can you do to visually attract someone of interest? Everyone knows that any man looks sharp in a nice suit. As long as the suit fits well, and the subject wearing the suit is [...]

Single in Austin: V-Day

Saint Valentine’s Day is just a couple of days away and, of course, I feel the pressure to write about love or, rather, the lack thereof… What is Valentine’s anyway? Should it be exclusive to couples, or can we single souls also partake? I don’t know exactly why, but I always manage to keep myself single [...]