Image from AmericanApparel.netAustin will move three steps closer to becoming Southern California a real city a place where you can try on those high-waisted hot shorts and shiny tights before buying them with the opening of three new American Apparel locations (two real stores in Austin and an outlet in Round Rock). The first location will be on the Drag at 2316 Guadalupe, which is good news, because there are few things as vital to......

Google MapsGeorgetown Village, a new master planned community 35 miles north of downtown Austin, is hoping to become the first green subdivision in Georgetown. According to the Statesman: Green Builders Inc. is creating an 800-acre master-planned community with 2,000 houses that will be environmentally friendly and feature rain harvesting and energy-saving heating and cooling systems. Georgetown Village will offer 15 floor plans, from 1,800 square feet to 2,400 square feet. Several models are near completion.......

We remember Austin Tinius over a year ago, peddling his Burger and Friends line at Circa 77, a boutique in Denton, Texas. Everything was made with a light-hearted, punk-rock sense of humor—from acid colored T-shirts silkscreened with line-drawings of Playboy models posing with a grizzly bear, to Star Wars-inspired wallets and purses. We knew he was on to something. Sure enough, Burger and Friends (finally) got some attention shortly after last year's Stitch. Austin......

We haven't made it to Project Runway at Moxie and the Compound, yet, but we've heard it's fun. Last week's winner Malissa Long sent us a picture of her creation (see right); the challenge was to design a piece only using a white knit fabric. This week the challenge is to design a dress for the Shiki customer. The Moxie version of Project Runway is similar to the Bravo show, although there's a local twist......

Unfortunately for the frogs, Japanese scientists have made them transparent. Transcript: What Clinton actually said about 24-Bauer-style torture. Every upcoming VW model is scheduled to have a hybrid option, with some models hybrid-ready as early as next year. By raising tons of money from his dedicated supporters, Ron Paul becomes harder for Republicans to ignore. There is a new world record for ear lifting, folks. It's exactly what you think it is. Well, mostly.......

Interested in finding out more about the actual options for living in downtown Austin? The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association has its 4th Annual Downtown Living Tour this Sunday, September 30th, from noon to 5 pm, featuring a combination of existing residences, units in new buildings, and sales models of upcoming developments. The tour will start at noon at the lobby of the Carr-America building located at 300 West 6th Street (across from The Belmont). Non-VIP......

Tribeza's Fashion Show was the ultimate mixer, attracting well over 300 people last Friday night at the Blanton Museum. During the hour leading up to the show, crafty DIY designers chatted up boutique owners and journalists in the VIP section, while impossibly slim women, wearing everything from vintage hats to shorts and sandals, sipped cocktails under the museum terrace. We arrived early to sample complimentary hors d'oeurves of the raw-fish variety, prepared by Truluck's, Starlite,......

Moxie and the Compound wants to wet your fashion whistle with its own Project Runway-inspired competition. Both Marques Harper and Stephen Moser mentioned they're judging the event. But who do you think promoted it better? Remember Factory People, the hip store on South Congress that closed this summer? Of course you do! They're still around, promoting parties and selling their shamelessly cool clothing online. But if you want to see Factory People's latest looks......

After a long, hot summer, it’s time to check out Austin’s new fall fashions and get in the mood for shopping. Tribeza’s Fourth Annual Style Week is right around the corner—Wednesday through Sunday, to be exact—and there are plenty of fun events open to the public. Style Week is kicking off with a happy hour at By George’s South Congress location, where you can nibble on goodies from Cissi’s Market and peruse the flirty fashions.......

There’s a way to fundraise, that is. Established painter, photographer, and filmmaker William Wegman has a series of short works that will screen this Thursday, September 6th at The Design Center of Austin to benefit EmanciPET. It’s a collaboration made in doggy heaven, given that Wegman’s subjects are most often his own Weimaraners – a German breed of dogs known for their beautiful coats and haunting, gray eyes. On the subject of his medium-crossing......

If you missed out on the initial deadline to participate in this year's inaugural Maker Faire Austin festival, you're in luck! The event organizers have set a new deadline of Thursday, September 6, thereby affording you a comfortable two and a half weeks to come up with your very own zany creation. For an idea of what to expect, the MAKE blog highlights some of the inventions recently previewed at Austin Children's Museum, including hyperbolic......

Maker Faire, the annual Bay Area festival that revels in Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ingenuity, is expanding to Austin this year. The two-day, family-friendly event will showcase some of the coolest shit—arts, crafts, wickedly geeky science projects—you've never seen in your life; think Dorkbot but hulked out. What else would you expect from a festival organized by the staffs of Make and Craft magazines? If you're a "Maker" and are interested in showing off your zany (or......

A couple days ago, NYC Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed that by October 2012, all yellow taxis in NYC will be hybrid. It's true that New York City has far more cabs than our city, but this idea sounds like something Austin would be the first to consider. After hearing of the NY decision, Austin councilmember Martinez told News8Austin that soon, our fair city may ask (require?) contractors, as well as city fleets, to move towards......

Salons here are like coffee shops in New York. It seems like there’s a cute, hip one on every street corner – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it just gives us more options to find that special someone who'll give us the perfectly groomed-but-casual Austin look. But don’t forget about the bottom line! Find out if your salon gives people in the service industry a discount with proof of a paycheck stub (such......

Peanut Butter and Jelly, Guns N’ Roses, Matt & Kim, plenty of items in life go perfectly together. Fashion and Music? Sure, why not? Mariessa, a young and up-and-coming fashion designer in the city is putting together a mouth watering extravaganza at the Parish to showcase the magic of both. Innovative designs will be complemented by the wonderful sounds of Golden Bear, fresh on the heels of their second release, To The Farthest Star. The......

We went back to The Domain, Austin’s new consumer wet-dream, to attend "Fashion Live!" The, err, creatively named fashion show was a marketing campaign celebrating the Macy’s opening. How could we resist? The host was Michael Knight, a “fan favorite” designer on Bravo’s Project Runway. This was an important event, judging from the throngs of people (consisting mostly of women of all ages in cocktail dresses, decked out with big hair and bling) stuffed......

In case you haven't had a chance to look at your calendar, January is almost over. Christmas is a distant memory, SXSW is almost upon us, and the year is already in full swing. If you haven't had time to look on your own, let us help by sharing the best of last week's Missed Connections... Pterodactyl Porn - We need it If you have the video of pterodactyl porn, please send it to......

Looking to take your affinity for the cabaret-revival to the next level? Described as "life drawing classes in a pub environment with counter-culture models," Dr. Sketchy--a cabaret-esque event that originated in New York--comes to Austin this Saturday, December 9th at Beerland. Saturday's show features Satan's Cheerleader Ruby Lamb as the live model. Dr. Sketchy Saturday, December 9th Beerland [Map] 6-9pm Tickets and table reservations can be had through email ($5-10) *Picture from somakitty on......

Clipse Hell Hath No Fury The bubble has burst. Ever since 50 Cent turned bullet wounds into a marketing bonanza—it really wasn’t that long ago, was it?—artists in the loosely defined subgenre known as “coke rap” have been falling all over themselves to convince suburban America that they sold more drugs, shot more people, and spent more time in jail than whoever happens to be selling records that week. The situation is so far gone......

The folks at Worldchanging.com have taken their progressive message from blog form to book form. This could be the best blog to book transformation ever, at least until Austinist: The Book drops. Worldchanging fundamentally seeks to illuminate “the tools, models and ideas for building a better future [that] lie all around us.” Insisting “another world is not just possible, it's here. We only need to put the pieces together.” Worldchanging: A Users Guide for the......

FRIDAY [27] party/music/awesome • Car Stereo (Wars) and Austinist host a Halloween Bash with Clap!Clap!, carnie games, face painting, fortune tellers, free fangs, "killer" drink specials, a costume contest judged by the fashionistas of Team Fabrication, and more at Beauty Bar (10pm-2am, $3 with, 4 w/o costume) zombies • Zombie Flash Mob at City Hall fashion • Beauty Bar Blowout with complimentary 'dos by Birds Barbershop, makeup applications by MAC artists, DJ Robbie Hardkiss......

The Austin-made documentary Before the Music Dies has already attracted lots of attention from both audiences and critics. Now the music doc is attracting attention for an entirely different reason. Filmmakers Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen have decided to forgo offers from Hollywood distributors in favor of inking a deal with Austin start-up B-Side Entertainment. B-Side is a progressive alternative to more established distributors in that they use a combination of on-line marketing and......

Total annual budget for University of Texas system: $10 billion Number of cell phones confiscated from three "Texas citizens of Pakistani descent," which police alleged could be used in setting off explosives or making meth: 1,000 Cost of renovating Carl's Corner truck stop on I-35 to include a hotel, saloon, and possible golf course, rebadged as Willie's Place in honor of investor Willie Nelson: $5 million Length of sentencing, in years, that 35-year old......

Admit it, you’ve always wanted to film that little story about the kid you knew back in elementary school who used to strip for quarters and once ate dried and chalky cat poop for a dollar. You’d set it up like a “and look how they turned out now” piece where he owns fifteen Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets, married his semi-retarded cousin-in-law, sees more butt-play from Brazilian Swimwear Models than you’ve had hot meals,......

Would you fire this woman? The AISD board voted yesterday to begin the termination process of Austin High art teacher Tamara Hoover after partially nude photos of her appeared on Flickr. A fellow teacher was apparently bad mouthing Hoover recently in class when one of her students said something to the effect of, "Yea, well if you don't like her now, you oughta see these photos of her on the internet." The fellow teacher then......

Local: Travis County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a controversial 1,800-home Hill Country development project known as Sweetwater. Sweetwater will cover roughly 1,000 acres with its main entrance at the intersection of Texas 71 and Bee Creek Road. Residents and environmentalists have said the area is already stressed by booming development. Christy Muse, executive director of the Hill Country Alliance, said that "questionable" actions by the commissioners allowed the project to fall under the state's......

Strut, our favorite affordable (seriously) boutique on South Congress is having a 40 % off storewide sale for First Thursday. Drinks (because let's face it, we all look better after a few) and the DJ get it started at 6pm. If you haven't checked out this store yet, you should. They have the best sales, great jewelry and prices that are affordable, not in that, "Oh well, I'll turn a few tricks this weekend so......

Austin is once again celebrating New Year's Eve with First Night, and FNA is accepting artist proposals starting this coming Monday, May 1. They're calling for "emerging and established artists with big ideas for ringing in the New Year" to put their ideas down on paper and get 'em to FNA no later than 5pm, June 12. That may seem like a long time from now, but the proposals can include a heck of......

It's a mad, mad workd out there, folks. And here's the proof... SFist commenters pose for before and aftershocks when the mayor commemorates a 1906 earthquake...at 4:30 in the morning. A hot tip on the Chronicle vending machines comes in and the SFist war correspondent risks life and limb to post this dispatch from the frontlines. Houstonist announces their new Cops spinoff "World's Funniest Tazer Videos" and the possible cancellation of their pervs' "World's Grossest......

Memo to the students of Baylor University: if you take it off for Playboy, plan on finishing your higher education as part of some other student body. The pin-up mag recently hit Waco looking for girls to undress for its Big 12 issue, prompting an e-mail from Baylor administrators reminding students to keep it on or face consequences that could include suspension. The missive was not an idle threat: in 2002, a Baylor student......