Entertainment

Stunning Safari Photos that Give Back

Vanessa Joy is selling her photos to build a well near where she took them Article by Jennifer Birn | Photography by Vanessa Joy Vanessa Joy’s interest in photography was sparked by helping her mom with various shoots in and out of a studio as a kid. The photographer of more than 20 years says, “I fell in love with storytelling through black-and-white film photography in high school and never looked back,” adding, “I think I’ve always been seeing the world through a lens, even before I picked...

Life + Culture

Summer in France – Not Just Paris

From the South of France to Versailles, France is full of wonders Article by Jennifer Birn Plenty of Austinites escape the scorching summer heat with European excursions – London, Paris and Rome among top destinations to visit. But, there’s a wealth of cities to see in France, in addition to the city of love – although a visit to Paris is always a good idea. Below are a few suggestions to spark ideas for your next getaway. Coquillade in Provence If you enjoy biking, wine or art, you’ll...

Local Services

My Favorite Things

Article by Jennifer Birn ERLY Good clean fun – for your skin. Inspired by their young children playing with their skincare products, friends Jamie Chandlee and Dr. Hallie McDonald set out to develop a line they would use – and not mind if their daughters did too. Made for skin types of all ages and a fan favorite from launch, you can find this Austin duo’s full range, including a face foam, illuminating serum and moisturizers at https://itserly.com The Webster More than 15 years after...

Auto + Marine

Lady of Lotus

Lotus America’s CMO Kara Sellentine has been racing through traditional barriers her whole career Article by Jennifer Birn   Kara Sellentine is the Chief Marketing Officer of Lotus Americas, the UK-born maker of classic road cars and innovative racecars that calls Austin its US home. Being from Detroit, Kara has a long history in the car industry, but her first job was as a production assistant at The Jerry Spring Show ! And, she’s done more than dabble in stand-up comedy - taking classes at...

Entertainment

DJ Cassandra is Having a Moment

Check out her Spotify playlists for your summer soundtrack Article and Photography by   DJ Cassandra   (aka Cassandra Shankman) has been DJing since 2014. Well, she tells Austin Lifestyle, “ I tested it out in 2014, but didn’t touch it again until 2016 when my friend wanted us to try DJing her going away pool party. And the rest is history! January 2019 she started DJing as her full-time job.Since then she’s DJ’d over 1000 gigs, but the highlights in 2025 so far have been exceptional. When...

Entertainment

Austin Nichols

We Know What He's Doing This Summer... Article by Jennifer Birn | Photography by John Russo Fun fact: Austin’s father was a fan of Austin after going to college at the University of Texas, but Austin wasn’t named after the capital city. Rather, the Austin, Nichols & Co, a distilling company that produced Wild Turkey Bourbon and was originally located in New York City! Austin was born in Michigan, but his dad brought the family back to his college town when Austin was a young child. He spent...

Travel

Travel-Inspired Restaurants and Apparel

Texas couple is taking lessons learned abroad home to connect people to other cultures through food Article by Jennifer Birn Thy and Matt Mitchell love to travel. They love to explore other countries and cultures – and bring what they’ve found home to Houston, TX. In 2019, the couple channeled their wanderlust into a pair of globally-inspired restaurants, Traveler's Table and Traveler's Cart – both in Houston with plans to potentially expand. In October 2023 they added travel-inspired...

Life + Culture

Gabriel Still Calls Austin Home

The Last of Us star is still one of us - his star flies high, but Austin keeps him grounded Article by Jennifer Birn | Photography by Colin Hutton A majority of those reading this recently finished watching Gabriel Luna’s action-packed performance in Season 2 of  HBO’s The Last of Us . Meanwhile, the Austin-native has been in Toronto since May filming The Terminal List with Chris Pratt where he portrays a former Navy Seal currently in the CIA. It’s a long way from Crockett High School...

Life + Culture

The Art of Kindness

Photography by Ben Porter The Kindness Campaign celebrated 10 Years as a non-profit at the Art of Kindness Gala presented by BK Beauty April 10 at PBS Studios. Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima served as Master of Ceremonies, Stephanie Coultress O’Neill and Todd O’Neill co-chaired and AndyB sang. Kevin Hines was a surprise featured speaker and the audience was captivated as he shared his story. The Cowboy Auctioneers helped to raise $600,000 auctioning packages including private dinners prepared...

Food + Beverage

Lick Honest Ice Cream

The Austin-born ice cream is so pure, honest is it's middle name. Article by Jennifer Birn Lick Honest Ice Creams originated in Texas in 2011, the creation of Chad Palmatier and Anthony Sobotik. They said they put "honest" in the name because they use the purest ingredients and never use artificial colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives. And, they can trace every single ingredient they use to its source, collaborating with local chocolatiers, bee keepers and butchers and...