Why, yes as a matter of fact we ARE obsessed with Mad Men in that perfectly stereotypical way that most mid-century lovers across America have become in the last few months.

The set design is, of course, impeccable, and there is a great gallery from Season One that allows you to drool without really spoiling much.

Since we don’t have cable, we had to wait for the first season to appear on DVD, which we promptly queued up for Netflix to deliver as soon as it was available. Then we sped through the entire thing in just a few nights, stumbling through episode four, but otherwise enjoying ourselves immensely.
I’m struggling with whether to download the latest episodes and not wait for the second season to arrive on Blu-ray, but I may not be able to wait much longer since… so many of you are writing spoilers!
I guess I am going to have to ask myself the ultimate question. What would Betty Draper do?

Pam over at Retro Renovation posted about those kooky ladies in the UK that have taken the retro lifestyle to the extreme…

For the trade show, we kitsched it up a whole bunch. I found some retro dresses, all Mad Men-style, but the tricky part was the hair and makeup.
Maude bless the internets. There are a bunch of fun how-to’s on YouTube!

I don’t think I am ready to play coquettish housewife to Mr. Erwin’s brawny-yet-wise breadwinner… but…

It sure is sexy

Over the weekend, Crestview Doors had a booth at the Fall Austin Home and Garden Show. It was our first trade show, and we learned so much. I’ll save the details for the Crestview Doors blog, but the best part was that we were on the border of the landscaping section of the show.
I hadn’t gone to the Show before. When we were remodeling, the show fell on a weekend that we were out of town. Since then, I haven’t had a good reason to attend. Let me tell you that the landscaping exhibits are worth visiting.
A few booths down was a gorgeous setup by Goodness Grows in Austin. Heather Thompson, the owner, created an incredible getaway in the middle of a bustling convention center. I wish I had a picture, but I was too busy looking at her portfolio and enjoying the waterscapes and soft music.


We chatted a bit about Erwin House’s pitiful lack of landscaping.

Like most of 50’s suburbia, we have a flat lot, and because most of the trees revealed themselves to be dead shortly after David bought the property, it is also mostly devoid of shade as well.
I’ve waxed on before about how I detest the great American lawn. I want a quite inauthentic yard actually. Meandering paths, quiet shady hideaways, lots of natural plants, a small vegetable and herb garden.

Alas, I also have children to entertain and two dogs to let roam free.

Across from us was Agave Landscape and Nursery. They also had an impressive booth complete with water feature.
They had some pics of the ironwork they specialize in, and I couldn’t help but notice a cool iron gate that I thought would complement the Allandale we had on display.

Sadly, I am landscaping challenged. For some reason, sitting down and sketching out our house was no biggie. When it comes to the yard, though, I have a serious creative block. It is like there are too many possibilities. We are going to need some help on this one.