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Monday, April 2, 2012

New AETV! How to choose wine on a date, featuring Rex Pickett: Author of Sideways

Pssst.  

Are you reading the NEW Austin Eavesdropper yet?  If not, jump on it!  This blog URL, thataustingirl.blogspot.com, will spontaneously combust on April 15.  This video is our latest post over on the new site, so come join us! 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming: The new AETV.


Sometimes while out eating, I like to look over at couples and guess what date they’re on based on body language.  ”Oh, definitely first,” I’ll say to Ross.  ”Second, contemplating a third,” or “third, and this might be the last one.”  He usually tells me to stop staring at people.

But when we got an opportunity to visit with Rex Pickett (author of Sideways – yep, the awesome wine movie Sideways) recently, it got my AETV director Los and I to thinking: What wine should people order on dates?  What’s a nice thing to order when you’re just getting to know someone?

So we asked Rex about the matter, and invited my friend / Austin Eavesdropper contributor Megan to join us.  This was filmed at Hyde Park Bar & Grill on Duval, and side note: My dad, whose favorite movie is Sideways, was off-camera watching this whole thing and grinning like a jack-o-lantern.  He interviewed Rex himself after the shoot, and I kind of wish we had also gotten that on camera.

Hope you enjoy!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

INTRODUCING: The new Austin Eavesdropper!


Did you know that Austin Eavesdropper has a new home on the Internet?  Come check it out!

Wondering where your delightful, witty comments went on this blog?  They're all over there.  (Most of them, anyway.)

If you read Austin Eavesdropper by RSS feed, now would be an excellent time to update that.  Beginning in mid-April 2012, thataustingirl.blogspot.com will redirect automatically to austineavesdropper.com, and to receive your regularly-scheduled posts you'll have to update your RSS.

I have to admit - I'm a little sentimental all of a sudden, saying goodbye to my old, trusty blog home over here!  You've been a loyal friend, Blogger.  But we're very much looking forward to our adventures over on Wordpress. 

see you soon at:


Monday, March 5, 2012

Matthew McConaughey and I give Austin visitors some recommendations

Hello, Reader!

I'm still kind of in blogger purgatory right now while the new Eavesdropper site finishes its build-out (any day now I promise), but couldn't wait to share this with you.

Who knew that one day, I -- Tolly Moseley -- would get to interview Matthew McConaughey?  (He's much shorter in real life than I was expecting!)

This was a video collaboration between AETV and CitySearch, made specially for all of those SXSW out-of-towners who want to get a true Austin experience during their stay here.  We selected 10 must-see places, Matthew and I, and we hope you like our recommendations!


Also coming this week: SXSW stuff.  I'm speaking on a SX Interactive panel this year, co-hosting a party, emceeing an awards ceremony, going to my husband's (BIG!) SX show, and speaking at Texas Style Council.  Does anyone know where I can find a good, reliable, caffeine-only IV drip?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Night at Downton ... plus some other stuff.


Well Reader, last Sunday we had our much-anticipated Downton Abbey Season Finale party, at the old Austin City Limit studios.  May I just say that watching Downton Abbey, in a room of similarly enthusiastic fans, is light years better than watching Downton Abbey holed up alone with your computer  in bed, wearing your retainer and sitting through the Royal Caribbean Cruise commercials?  Shocking I know!

That's my dear friend Vija and I above.  Vija is astounding for two reasons: A) she dressed up in appropriate period wear, as we are now tumbling headlong into the 1920's with our friends at Downton, and B) she made me a Dowager Countess paper DOLL!  Here's a close-up.


There she is, holding her prize-winning roses.  She's probably rolling her eyes at Cousin Isobel for something annoying she just said.

I've been terribly light on posts this week Reader, and I promise there is a reason for that.  I've hinted and I've teased, but we really are moving over to the new Austin Eavesdropper design and platform as we speak.  It's both exciting and scary.

I was having dinner with my new editor and friend David the other night, who works for CitySearch.  He has an eye for branding and marketing, the things I'm supposed to be good at too since I am, after all, a publicist.  And what's funny is, I can advise other people all day long on their brands: If they need better design, how they can reach their audience more effectively, etc.  But when David starting talking Austin Eavesdropper's brand ... I immediately got squirmy.  Insecure.  

It's so hard to get out of the creative thing you love, and step back, look at it objectively.  I have slowly gotten better at talking about Austin Eavesdropper (unlike this time last year around SXSW), have figured out its elevator pitch.  I have been lucky, God - lucky! - to have blog designer friends, as well as lifestyle blogger friends, who don't get all freaky neurotic about self-branding like I do.  

I guess there's a teensy, tiny part of me that worries about losing my authentic voice if I branded Austin Eavesdropper too hard.  Like I couldn't come to you guys anymore, you people reading this post, and let loose when I need to.  Like it would be too much, and you'd say: "WHOA there, Tolly!  Back to pretty images and stories about Austin, please.  Rein it in."

I wonder if other bloggers ever feel this way?  

Some of my favorite posts on this site have kind of addressed heavier stuff in my life -- when Ross had an intervention with our close friend for example, or when my college boyfriend Courtland died.  These aren't necessarily the most commented-on posts, but I loved writing them and processing them and I don't want that stuff to go away when Austin Eavesdropper is sparklier and newer.  Don't worry -- it's not my goal in life to depress you all the time.  But I get a special high off of writing stuff that feels real.  Confessional, even.

Anyway.  This post got slightly heavier than I intended ... I thought I was just going to write a few lines about Maggie Smith.  Snap my laptop shut, skip off to the rest of my day. 

But I'm glad we had this talk.  If feels like it's been a while, since I've told you what was actually on my mind.  I know I am crazy fortunate.  I've got supportive readers and blogger buddies and artistic friends who help me birth my nutty little visions, like AETV.  Despite all my hand-wringing, I really can't overstate how giddy I am to foist the new site on you.  Because it purdy.

Perhaps it's appropriate, though, that as we say goodbye to Austin Eavesdropper's home here on Blogspot, I give it thanks for letting me be that girl.  The one who DOES freak out and DOES get nervous and DOES talk about it, and you, generous souls that you are, listen and nod.  You lean forward, rather than run away.  You tell me that I make sense, even when I only halfway do.

And, I just want you to know that I really, really appreciate that.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

AETV2: How to Prepare for an Oscars Party.

Welcome to the second-ever installment of AETV!

In this webisode, my friend Dabney Dwelle (frontman for My Golden Calf) assists me with a very important fashion matter: How to prepare for an Oscars party. You don't want to attend your Oscars viewing this weekend all out-of-style, do you?  Fear not!  Dabney shares his ultra-coveted red carpet tips with us, and even sticks around to make some Oscars predictions with me.  Spoiler alert: Our predictions are most likely exactly what The Academy will choose.


Special thanks to Room Service Vintage and Hog Wild Vintage here in Austin, where we shot this one.

Thank you also to Austin CultureMap, who now hosts AETV on their fabulous site!

Friday, February 17, 2012

THIS SUNDAY: Downton Abbey with KLRU and Austin Eavesdropper!


This Sunday is the big event: The Downton Abbey Season Finale Screening and Party, co-hosted by KLRU and Austin Eavesdropper!

SugaPlump Pastries is generously providing treats for the event (pictured above), and they're enough to make Maggie Smith downright rabid.  On the menu? Truffles (chocolate, red velvet, lemon, and vanilla), and -- because this is a British import, after all -- scones (buttermilk, blueberry, and bacon. Cheddar. Chive.  Oh my).  

You guys.  Jocelyn, SugaPlump's head mistress, let me sample them last night.  I think my taste buds gave a little shriek.

Oh, and did I tell you that Master Pancake is providing a little pre-show entertainment for us?  (Double-fist pumps in non-Lady Mary-eqsue manner!) 

RSVP here.  Get more details at CultureMap here.  Gratuitous shot of luscious truffles HERE.


Thursday, February 16, 2012

AETV Sneak Peek: How to Prepare for an Oscars Party.


Do you know what next week is?  The Oscars.  And also?  The second ever AETV

We loved our Jaynie Buckingham / Cutie Pie's segment so much, that we decided to partner with another local talent for AETV2: Austin musician Dabney Dwelle, frontman for My Golden Calf.

Now, one may assume that given Dabney's background, this segment would be music-related ... but (rubs hands together in fiendish manner) we actually did something a little different.  In fact we may or may not have gotten way ambitious. That's because we filmed an interview, some Oscar predictions, AND a fashion montage.  That's right -- a fashion montage.  

Dabney and I want to give you some tips, you see, on preparing for an Oscars Party, and that means looking good people.  What are the red carpet trends?  Well soon, Dabney will tell them to you!  This man may not style for the runways, or design clothing, or even be gay, but out of everyone I know, Dabney is a master at dressing for the occasion.  Roller skating?  He's bustin' out hot pants.  Camping?  Rocking the John Deere hat and puffy parka vest. And the red carpet?  Fuggedaboutit.  

You probably shouldn't plan on leaving the house for Oscars viewing until you hear our fashion tips. That goes for you too, Anna Wintour.