Oh, boy. Are we back here already? This year really seemed to fly by. Was it already a whole year ago that I did a quick end of year post and some resolutions? Guess it’s time to do it again.

2012 was a big year. The presidential election and London Olympics kept us entertained for a while. I was glad when both were over. This year brought us Hunger Games movie madness, the close of Twilight movie madness, and the loss of a Beastie Boy. We gained Gangnam Style, and new movies from Woody Allen, Tim Burton, and Quentin Tarantino, three of my favorites.

In Austin, the growth of the city has exploded, with a wait list to get into the city and apartments and condo construction happening everywhere. With the death of Leslie, some would say Austin’s weirdness died. We’re expanding, changing, getting better and getting worse. I’m happy to see the prosperity and sad to see some of the charm slipping away.

Personally, it was a year of growth and change, as well. I left a fulltime job to pursue freelance work and while I don’t know that I’ll do this forever, it’s been the right work at the right time. I traveled a bit, got a new laptop, a new camera, and new blog design. I joined the Austin Food Blogger Alliance and made some great new blogger friends. In the new year I’ll be serving on the board as Education Chair and look forward to making a real contribution to this amazing organization. I participated in Createathon and Blogathon, and will happily do both again.

Blogwise, I had a good year. My readership grew by leaps and bounds, and I gained a large international readership for my pop culture posts. My Mad Men and Breaking Bad recaps were especially popular, so I’ll continue that format indefinitely and consider taking on new shows. I’m working on a list of blog goals for 2013, so be on the lookout for some fun changes.

I have some personal goals for the year, too. All of my goals from last year still stand:

• I resolve to live healthier. Eat more raw vegetables. Get more exercise. Get more sleep. Drink more water.
• I resolve to read more.
• I resolve to procrastinate less.
• I resolve to be more patient, more compassionate, and less judgmental.
• I resolve to find balance in my life.

And I’m adding some new ones:

• I resolve to be more financially responsible.
• I resolve to curse less. I’d like to stop altogether eventually.
• I resolve to be a kinder person.
• I resolve to learn my camera settings. And start learning some coding.
• I resolve to not walk around with chipped nail polish.
• I resolve to tweet less. Or more. I’m not sure yet.

I hope 2013 is your best year yet, dear friends. Here’s to us. Cheers!

I’ll admit it. I like to play favorites. When it comes to cuisine, I’ll take Asian over anything else. Spicy over non-spicy. Rice over fries. Curries over ketchup. So I’m going to review another of my favorite trucks, G’Raj Mahal. Aside from being one of the most popular food trucks around, with lots of seating and a super-cool vibe, it’s got some kickass spicy Indian food.

The last time I visited G’Raj Mahal Mr. Betty and I had a double date. We brought wine and beer (hooray for BYOBs!) and sat under the Moroccan tents listening to the crazy hobo-style band. It was about 9 pm on a Saturday night, beautiful weather outside, and very crowded. Lots of Rainy Street pub crawlers were out to fill their bellies before a night of drinking, yet we landed a table after only a short wait.

We settled in and took our time with the menu, choosing a bunch of different things to try and share. The tables are really tiny and all the same size, so it’s a challenge if there’s more than two people eating. But we made it work and were just happy to be there, balancing paper plates on our laps. Due to the outdoor seating, everything is served on disposable ware. This is decidedly unfancy and just fine.

Here’s what we ordered: Samosas and Vegetable Pakoras. After a long discussion with the waiter about putting in our appetizers first, they still came out the same time as the rest of the food, contributing to the space limitations on the table. But they were tasty, especially the pakoras.

For our entrees: Chicken Vindaloo (the spiciest dish of the night), Seafood Coconut Curry, Tandoori Shrimp, and a fiery hot Goan shrimp dish called Rechaad Masala.

On the side we had fluffy basmati rice and naan and flavorful chick peas.

Everything was fresh, spicy, and enjoyed by the whole group. There wasn’t a dish that I wouldn’t eat again, although I’d most likely go for the Rechaad Masala. It’s my favorite dish they do. G’Raj Mahal can hold its own against any Indian restaurant in town. At about $14 per entree, the prices are the same as everyone else, too. I don’t know about you, but I expect to pay a little less when the portions are so small and I’m eating with plastic utensils. But such is the trend of Austin restaurants these days: high prices for even the most casual of dining experiences. Our funky little affordable city is disappearing before our eyes. But until then, there’s curry.

Yessss! My precioussss is back. I’ve been waiting years for The Hobbit to hit theaters. Did you see it yet? Do you need a reminder of what it’s all about? Here’s the trailer:

I haven’t read The Hobbit since I was about twelve, so I barely remember the story. And since it’s being split into three movies, I have even less of a grasp. I purposely stayed away from all news, reviews, and spoilers of any kind. It was almost like a brand new story for me. Almost.

Being a fan of The Office (UK), I loved that Martin Freeman plays the young Bilbo Baggins. He’s so likable and is kind of hobbity looking anyway. Perfect. It was so good to be back in The Shire. Just as green and lovely as I’d remembered.

Now, if you are into dwarves (and who isn’t?) this is the movie for you. Remember how gruff and brave Gimli was in Lord of the Rings?

Ha ha. Funny. Well we get thirteen dwarves and they. are. AWESOME. They are like little Ron Swansons, all macho facial hair and bravado. I’ll have to watch a few more times to learn them all by name, but I can tell you that I love them all. Dwarf-lover, right here, yo.

I’m not going to spoil the movie for you, as my policy is to only spoil TV shows. Just go see it. On the big screen. Even if you claim not to be into the whole Tolkien thing…do it. We are very lucky to be living RIGHT NOW while these movies are happening. Don’t squander this good fortune.

My takeaway is that The Hobbit is less sophisticated in storyline and execution than Lord of the Rings. Still dark and scary, but less so. It’s a little silly and maybe more kid-friendly. There are more “creature scenes” with lots of time devoted to trolls, orcs, goblins, and of course, Gollum.

It’s interesting that Peter Jackson ended up doing all the movies. I wonder if he would have done The Hobbit first, had he known. Personally, I’m glad to have them in this order, the more complicated story coming first. It’s clear that LOTR was Jackson’s true passion project.

If I have to give a criticism, and this is the common complaint, it’s that it was just too long. In order to stretch the book into three movies, the scenes feel extended beyond what is natural. I’m not complaining, because I’m happy to get as many movies as I can out of this franchise, but this could have been done in two movies.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying the day off from work and celebrating in your favorite way. I’m relaxing, reading, making pancakes, and enjoying the mild weather in Austin. My dreams of a white Christmas faded years ago and have been replaced with flip flops and year round sunscreen application.

Anyway, the change of climate hasn’t dampened my decorating enthusiasm. Mr. Betty and I take pride in our rad ornament collection and last year I gave a rundown of some of our favorites. We added some new guys to our tree this year:

After not having a tree topper for as long as I can remember, we found this awesome cardinal. You can’t tell from the photo, but it’s huge. Like, as big as your head.

I’d like to think our new shark and sneaker reflect our personal style:

A couple nights ago we headed over to Mozart’s Coffee Roasters to check out their light show. While crowded, it wasn’t the insane chaos of the Trail of Lights.

Mozart’s is one of our homesick comfort spots. There aren’t a ton of places to sit on the water in Austin, and Mozart’s sprawling decks make us feel right at home. And they really go all out for the holidays, with lights dangling everywhere. It feels like a caffeinated wonderland. The light show starts at the top of the hour and lasts about 15 minutes. Each of the five or six songs had a different theme and little show. Very pretty, and the hot cocoa and cider were delicious. This lasts till New Year’s, so there’s still plenty of time to go.

The palm trees are next door at the Hula Hut and worth the visit on their own. Aren’t they the coolest?

After two years of darkness, Austin has its Trail of Lights back! The glowing light displays in Zilker Park are what make it feel like Christmas, despite the 80° weather. Mr. Betty and I showed up early (mistake) on opening night (mistake) and waited in the crowd of thousands as the time ticked away. But finally, an hour late, they opened the gates and the crowd flooded through the majestic entrance tunnel. We slowly shuffled through, oohing and aahing, quickly forgetting about the long wait.

There are lots of fun little scenes, each sponsored by a great local company. My favorites include: Where the Wild Things Are, armadillos, dinosaurs, Candy Land, and outer space.

I also like the creepy celebrity elves. I laughed as I heard a dad explain to his daughter that they were vampires. They do kind of resemble tombstones, don’t they?

But the thing I love the most are the trees. I can’t imagine how much work it took to cover each huge tree with so many lights. I could gaze at them for hours.

There are plenty of places to stop along the trail for hot cocoa, food, souvenirs, or good causes to donate some cash…which you should do, since there’s no charge to get into the Trail of Lights. Mr. Betty and I stopped for some Chi’Lantro and witnessed lots of people chowing down on barbecue, kettle corn and big honkin’ turkey legs.

This is one of my favorite holiday traditions and I’m so glad it’s back. It lasts until December 23rd, so if you haven’t been yet, GO!

Okay, everyone. We’re in the home stretch. Christmas is right around the corner and from what I’ve gathered in the stores this weekend, the masses are still very much shopping. It’s not too late, peeps. Get out there and finish the job!

Today’s guest post is by Kar Yi Lim, one of my very favorite beauty bloggers. I stumbled upon her blog Angelic Betrayal when I was checking out a hot new beauty item, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Her honest reviews touch on the latest and greatest, while also covering the occasional classics. What I especially love is the range of products she discusses, giving drugstore brands as fair shot as the high end products. But it’s her smart writing and down to earth peek at her fabulous NYC life that keep me hooked on this young blogger’s site. So check it out, ladies. I know you’ll all love her, too.

Presenting the Angelic Betrayal Gift Guide for Beauty Lovers

In just a few days, Christmas will be upon us and the culmination of weeks of gift-finding fervor will end in a heap of new goodies for the New Year amid a flourish of festive wrappings. The holidays are one of the best times to shop for beauty products because limited edition bundles abound and often are a great value for the money. Besides, who doesn’t want to feel extra pretty and pampered this time of year? If you still have to find gifts for the beauty lovers in your life, here are some of my picks that will be great under the tree!

1. Sephora Favorites Fragrance Sampler For Her or Him ($50): Every year, Sephora releases a sampler of 12 mini fragrance samples so you can try out several high-end scents. The real kicker is that the set includes a voucher which you can use to redeem the full size bottle of your favorite in the collection. As bonuses, the women’s set includes a pink pouch, perfect for carrying your everyday essentials, and the men’s set includes a Jack Black shave gel.

2. Stila All is Bright Lip Glaze Set ($25): The Stila lip glazes are sheer, non-sticky lipglosses that younger girls will definitely adore. This set is great for stocking stuffers as you can pop a gloss into eight separate gifts. Or you can gift this entire set to a makeup beginner so they can have an entire range of shades for every occasion!

3. Lush Little Green Bag ($25.95): For any vegan beauty enthusiast, the Lush Little Green Bag is the way to go. It includes a soap, solid shampoo with storage tin, body scrub and massage bar all wrapped up in an eco-friendly scarf. Those new to Lush will experience a unique approach to effective body care – while doing good for the environment!

4. Inglot Freedom System Palette (Price Varies): An avid makeup junkie who loves color and highly pigmented eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks will love a customizable palette from Inglot. The pigmentation of Inglot products is incredible and the do-it-yourself approach results in an endless combination of palettes. Gifting an Inglot giftcard is probably the best way to ensure your recipient loves their palette 100%!

5. L’Occitane Savons de Provence ($25): Give the gift of simple bath time luxury with a collection of L’Occitane’s extra-gentle shea butter soaps. These French-made soaps come in a variety of lovely fragrances that will soothe irritation of the skin and mind.

6. Sephora by OPI Spice Market Collection ($19.50): Nail art has been a hit in the beauty world this year and this set of miniature polishes offers a unique variety of finishes and colors. Included is a fierce, cream orange, a shimmery red, a silver glitter and a duochrome gold to ensure whoever receives this gift has nails that are always on point. The consistency of Sephora by OPI polishes is always great and the small bottles are perfect for travel and touch-ups.

7. Jurlique Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Gel Mask ($48): After several consecutive nights of feasting and partying, tired skin will love a skincare treat and this mask is perfect for plumping and hydrating. When the holidays are over, this gift will be perfect for relaxing night at home due to its soothing, herbal fragrance and cooling gel texture. Beads of Vitamin E to reduce fine lines make this an ideal gift for a more mature recipient.

Ho ho ho, all you Juggalos. There’s still over a week till Christmas, and if I know you guys, you haven’t started shopping yet. And for those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, well, you are almost done. Get busy!

Today’s gift guide is by Lauren Modery of Hipstercrite. Lauren is kind of an Austin Blogebrity. (Yeah, I totally made up that word. Don’t use it or I will sue you.) Her blog is wildly popular and as the name suggests, it often speaks to and about hipsters. But it’s also quite poignant and melancholy, as Lauren ponders her existence and a deeper meaning in her day to day life. She’s not afraid to anger her readers (election time) or break our hearts. She’s so much more than the word hipster implies, but at the very core of the word meaning is cool. And cool sums up Lauren to a tee.

Check out Lauren’s Hipstercrite Gift Guide

For the Hipster

Creative Scratchings hipster series- I first spotted these adorable scratch drawings while feeding my face-hole with benedicts from Another Broken Egg Cafe. Of course I fell in love with them because they’re a.) anthropomorphic animals and b.) they’re dressed like hipsters. The very talented Austin-based artist behind these prints, Janis, has several hipsterrific portraits to chose from, but my favorite is the stoic cat with his Texas tattoo and cycling cap. You don’t have to be a hipster or hate hipsters to appreciate the beautiful meta-irony of these. The Scoutmob Shoppe is currently offering select prints for $17.

For the Austin Lover

Austin skyline necklace by Vinca- I love everything this local kick-ass jewelry maker does, but my favorite piece (beside the mustache rings!) is her wooden Austin skyline necklace. Every piece of jewelry, whether it’s acrylic, wood or precious metal, is designed and cut inside her shop with the help of an awesome team of ladies (Amber Demure!). Stay stylish while supporting local business! $38

For the Music Lover

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon- You don’t have to be a fan of or necessarily known who Warren Zevon is to enjoy this nail-biting, wall-punching book. For those who know him, Zevon was a popular musician in the 70s with hits like “Werewolves of London” and “Lawyers, Guns and Money” before losing it all due to his hard partying, drinking, womanzing, wife-beating and child-abandoning ways. After decades of being a reclusive asshole, just as Zevon tried to make amends, he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. This harrowing book, written by Zevon’s ex-wife by the request of Warren, is a must-read for any rock n’ roll fan or aspiring musician. $15.99

For the Girly-Girl

Benefit “Sexy Little Stowaways” makeup kit- I’m a sucker for beautiful branding, and eye candy packaging is what Benefit cosmetics is known for. Luckily they have quality products to back up the style. I’ve been a big fan of the San Francisco-based makeup producer ever since I tried their now sadly discontinued She-Laq eye makeup sealant. It’s difficult to buy just one item, and with prices averaging in the low twenty dollar range, their products can quickly add up. That’s why their “Sexy Little Stowaway” set is the perfect gift for converting your girlfriend to a Benefit groupie. At $34, this collection of travel-size samples includes popular products such as Bad Girl Lash mascara, Cha Cha Tint mango-tinted lip and cheek stain and That Gal face brightening primer.

I’ve been looking forward to the opening of Sway since La Condesa’s people announced they were opening the upscale Thai restaurant. Right on South 1st by Elizabeth St, the neon lotus flower in the sky alerts passersby to the coolness that awaits.

The interior is simply gorgeous. Sleek, classic wood. Gigantic communal tables. Dim lighting. I just want to hang out here forever. The weather was lovely on opening night so we chose to sit outside under the glow of the gold and orange lights.

We ordered some drinks and perused the menu. We just had beers, but there is also a great wine list, tons of teas, house-brewed kombucha, and for the really brave…drinking vinegars. Plates are meant to be shared, so there’s no need to narrow it down to one entree. We were told dishes would come out as they were ready. The open kitchen allowed us to view the exotic ingredients and flurry of activity. They were BUSY!

We started with the Prawn Miange, which featured the prawns nestled in a betel leaf, topped with chilis, lime, and grapefruit, toasted cashews and coconut. The fresh citrus flavors mingled nicely with both the cooked and tiny dried prawns.

Next, we had the Neon Lotus Chicken Salad. What an exotic salad! We loved the banana blossom, snow peas and especially the crispy lotus that covered the chicken. It was dressed with a coconut chili dressing and was quite good.

Our next dish was the one we were most excited about trying, and it was the best of the night: Son in Law. The traditional dish that Thai mothers make their future sons in law use deep fried hardboiled eggs. Sway makes it even better by using a soft boiled egg. They serve this creamy, crispy little miracle over an insanely delicious braised pork shoulder, rice, and tons of spicy flavors and herbs. Owner Delfo Trombetta told me this is his favorite dish as well.

Next we had the spicy Jungle Curry. It’s served with a cooling dollop of coconut cream on top of the tender Wagyu beef and lots of veggies and spices. This one is a huge winner.

Lastly, I was pretty insistent on ordering the Salt and Pepper Cuttlefish. I love the light crispiness of a salt and pepper dish, but I think I prefer tiny pieces of squid rather than these huge pieces. The fermented soybean sauce topping it was out of this world.

Our server recommended the yams as a side dish and they did not disappoint. Mashed creamy and blended with miso butter, they were a real treat.

We wrapped up plenty of this meal to enjoy the next day and saved room for the tiniest of desserts, The Candy Bar. Rich, chocolately, and smooth, it as the perfect ending to a great meal. This little bite is a cashew fudge brownie layered with chocolate mustard, miso cashew butter, and a little sea salt and popped amaranth.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Sway. We can’t wait to visit again.

My sisters and I have a tradition whenever I’m back in town: Sushi at Tokyo. Our men come with us and we make a big night of it, ordering tons of sushi and consuming lots of bubbly beverages. It’s one of my favorite things to do and I have fond memories at this little BYOB sushi restaurant in Rio Grande, NJ.

On my recent trip home we continued the tradition and I brought my camera. Here’s what we ate. Edamame, Shrimp Gyoza, and Avocado Sensation. The latter was described as a salad, so we were delighted when it was brought out and looked like a volcano.

Next we had an Asparagus and Beef Roll, Yaki Nasu, and delicious sushimi marinating in a vinegar mixture.

We sampled a selection of rolls and I didn’t catch the name of everything. The first two are the Lonely Angel Roll and the Jalapeño Roll. The others…I’m not sure. So good though.

Does this seem like a lot of food already? Yes, it was. But then we got the glorious boat. I want that boat to sail back into my life. The sushi at Tokyo is so fresh. And the prices are great. We walked away from this meal, generous tip included, for $35 a person. I know! I can’t believe it either. If you are anywhere near the Jersey Shore, you should go right now.

I love this little gem.

The second installment of the gift guide series features the amazing Corrin from Oh Hey, What’s Up? Corrin is one of those pro-style bloggers whose posts feel elegant and effortless. She has the confidence and smooth writing style that comes with years of experience and she’s a blogger that many, including myself, look up to. Her large and dedicated readership are probably all in credit card debt, because she posts so many cool things that we can’t help but buy them. If only we could buy a clone of her precious little dog, Ollie. And now…

Please enjoy Corrin’s Gift Guide for Bookworms

Just because I’m a bookworm doesn’t mean you can buy me an Amazon gift card and call it a day. Oh no, you won’t get off that easy. There are lots of creative gifts out there for book lovers that show you put a little thought into your gift giving, and I’m here to share a few of my favorites. If you really love the bookworm in your life, you’ll get them something from this list.

Kindle Paperwhite $199 – Any Kindle will do, but the Paperwhite 3G (sans “special offers”” is my favorite. Who knew reading in the dark was so much damn fun!

Mighty Bright Book Light $12.99 – Book lights make great stocking stuffers, and Mighty Bright are the best.

Book Lust by Nancy Pearl $11.99 – A book about books by a former book critic and librarian – modern day canon of book recommendations for every mood and subject.

Out of Print Sweatshirt $42 – Celebrating the best in literature by printing the cover on a t-shirt.

Kate Spade Book Clutches $325 – Also comes in Emma, Romeo & Juliet, The Importance of Being Earnest, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, and I Married an Adventure.

Personal Library Kit $16.75 – All bookworms secretly dream of being librarians (at least this one does). If you borrow one of our books, you better damn well give it back. Late fees will be assessed.

Jonathan Adler Dachshund Bookends $150 – Bookends of any kind are a great gift. I especially love this cheeky little dachshund.

Penguin Classics (Set of 30) $475 – The ultimate gift.

Corrin lives in Austin, works in publishing, and blogs at www.ohheywhatsup.com. She’s a serious bookworm who loves fro-yo, fashion, and can really cut a rug.