(The Pinthouse Pizza sign at the back of the building.)
Dairy Queen will always hold a special place in my family’s hearts, but as the boys are getting older, we’re able to try new restaurants. One place that’s quickly become a favorite is Pinthouse Pizza, a new local craft brewpub-slash-pizza joint. Ryan and I both love pizza, and he is a craft beer aficionado, so those factors, combined with a casual, kid-friendly atmosphere, make Pinthouse Pizza a great destination. Since it is a brewpub, we prefer to take the boys to lunch, when there are lots of little kids running around underfoot, as opposed to dinner, when the pub-like atmosphere takes over.
(Fermentation vessels at Pinthouse Pizza. I had to ask Ryan what they were called.)
It also helps that Pinthouse Pizza has a few video games in one corner of the restaurant, where all of the children seem to congregate. Our boys are too little to play, but they enjoy running around and pressing buttons randomly. Rhys is surprisingly good at finding stray pennies and quarters. We usually grab a table near the games, and the boys run back and forth between the corner and our table while we wait for our food. And since James and Rhys aren’t pizza fans (yet), they split a soft pretzel and some healthy snacks brought from home. The atmosphere is friendly and casual, so nobody bats an eye at outside food brought in. In fact, most of the young children I’ve seen at Pinthouse were eating homemade lunches.
(The lovely figurehead at Pinthouse Pizza.)
I really appreciate the restaurant’s artsy vibe, and it’s so nice to eat in a place without vinyl booths again. I feel like an actual grown-up, even though Ryan eventually leaves me to go chat up the brewer and I’m left supervising the boys as they perch precariously on stools, attempting to play pinball with scores of other children looking on.
(The tasty Pinthouse Salad.)
The food is really delicious, and since we’ve been twice, I’m having fun trying the different pizzas. I usually order the lunch special, which comes with a salad and an individual pizza. It’s more than enough food, and we take the rest home for dinner.
(Lunch!)
Pinthouse Pizza is definitely a welcome change of pace and I’m so excited that it works for our family. If you’re in Austin, I highly recommend it.
(The Ruby Workshop at Argus Cidery.)
Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful workshop by The Ruby Collaborative, held at Argus Cidery. The Ruby, founded by Chelsea Fullerton, Ana Perkins, and Candice DePrang is a chance for talented women in Austin to get together for networking and education, and we listened to inspiring presentations on working with brands by Camille Styles and Chelsea Fullerton. Our gracious hosts at Argus Cidery treated us to a lovely brunch, and I was especially taken with the beauty of their space.
(The beautiful tasting bar at Argus Cidery.)
Now that my boys are a bit older, I’m trying to attend more local blogging events, and it’s always a pleasure to meet new friends and reconnect with the ladies I’ve met at other workshops. And since Austin isn’t exactly a large town, it’s easy to run into familiar faces, which I love.
(Bottle cork art near the front door.)
Chelsea and Camille shared some wonderful tips for valuing ourselves and what we do, and I came away feeling inspired and excited, especially as my blog nears the one year mark. “You’ve gotta work your [you-know-what] off” was the message of the day, and just because you’re new to your profession or starting from scratch does not make you less than those you admire. Both are lessons I’ve learned this past year, and it was nice to hear it from women who are experts in their fields.
(Argus Cidery’s portrait wall. The man in the middle reminds me of a stern Mr. Rogers.)
Argus Cidery’s lovely atmosphere definitely contributed to the workshop, too, and their commitment to their product is really evident the moment you enter the space.
(The gramophone and gorgeous pink couch at Argus Cidery.)
I’m so thrilled I was able to attend this workshop while exploring Argus Cidery, and I can’t wait to see what The Ruby has in store for their next event!
It’s practically the middle of July, which means it’s HOT here in Texas, and we are surviving with lots of time in the shade. Thankfully, a “cool front” blew through and the temperature is lower today, hovering in the low 90s. It’s the little things that count this time of year!
Today’s question is: Why Do You Use Your Specific Blog Platform? Have You Used Others?
I’ve talked about this in the past, and I originally began my blog on Blogger, a simple, easy-to-use infrastructure. Then I took a blogging class last summer, and for my birthday, Ryan surprised me with my own domain and self-hosting at WordPress. (Just an aside, but WordPress.org is self-hosted, meaning you pay to run it, while WordPress.com is free and cannot be monetized.) So basically, I was lovingly forced by my husband to move platforms, and while it was scary and frustrating, it’s one of the best things I ever did!
That move marked my transformation from someone who occasionally posted about random topics to a committed blogger with more purpose and drive. It wasn’t so much the change in platform as the move itself that really changed my blog and my life, but it was the start of an amazing journey that I’ve been on ever since, and I’m still going strong.
I realize the whole Blogger versus WordPress issue is controversial, and I’ve seen many forums and online discussions debate the merits of each platform. As a user of both, I can tell you that both Blogger and WordPress are excellent and provide different tools to help maintain your blog. For me, Blogger was a great way to get my feet wet with the behind the scenes aspects of blogging, and once I mastered those, it felt like a natural progression to move to WordPress, which has a steeper learning curve. I enjoy that aspect of blogging as much as the writing, which surprised me, at first. But there’s a definite sense of satisfaction when I find the right snippet of code to fix a problem or add a new feature, and though I’m married to a computer geek (it’s okay for me to say that since he basically threw me off a blogging cliff!), I never took myself for one.
But, it turns out, I am! I’m such a blogging nerd, and I enjoy other aspects, too, like photography and graphic design. All of these skills come into play with blogging, and for me, WordPress provides more creative opportunities. I’m so thrilled I took the leap when it was offered, and I plan to stay here forever.
If you’re a blogger, feel free to share your experiences with your platform, too. You know I find this stuff fascinating, and I can’t wait to hear how Shayla responds, because she’s been blogging much longer than I have.
