Boo!!

It's Halloween. I'll let these Tesoros Trading Company Day of the Dead Skeletons give you your fright with a 'ghost' of one of your scribes embedded in it. Tesoros Trading on South Congress is a great place to buy imports from around the world.

Follow Shot

One day last week we were surprised to see a major movie being filmed on the top of the parking garage across the street.  It's Terrence Malick's latest effort (as we understand it, the movie is unnamed at this point) -- which includes cast members Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Holly Hunter and Natalie Portman. Here you see a man and woman being filmed as they walk towards the gray-green vehicle at the top left. Living downtown is fun.

Tied for Third Place

For a couple of years we've been invited to a pumpkin carving contest. There is a category where 'anything goes' meaning props, not-strictly pumpkin gourds and veggies, paint. FFP fashioned this guy to resemble a Formula One car. Formula One arrives in Austin in mid-November. A lot of the entries were topical (there's an election after all) but we were surprised that we were the only ones who did F1. Perhaps that's why we captured a bottle of Chardonnay for tying for third in anything goes.

Seasonal Tattoos

In case you wanted some special imagery to honor that loved one, this tattoo parlor on East Sixth is ready to accommodate. Love the neon skull.

What is Weird?

Much ink and many pixels are spilled agonizing over whether Austin is 'staying weird' and how to keep it that way. (I even saw a bumper strip the other day that said 'Make Austin Weirder.')  I'm sure that means something different to everyone. This is the only business I remember seeing that adopted 'weird' as part of its name and not just a slogan. It is downtown and it serves as an apartment locator. I'm not sure weird is what I'm after in housing! And a couple of the buildings in their logo are office spaces. Nevertheless I like the logo (on their office space in the Brazos Lofts on Fifth) with a reflection of some downtown buildings.

Honor the Dead

Yes Halloween approaches but also All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day and Mexican culture embraces honoring and celebrating those who have died. El Interior on West Lynn has this timely display of these colorful dresses on skeleton mannequins.

Vaquero

This Luis Jiménez piece at the Blanton dominates a room. It is called "Progress II." This artist made the blue Mustang you may have seen at the Denver International Airport.