Live Local

An idea born on the sandy beaches of Tahiti has made its way into stores statewide and soon, nationwide. Lake Travis residents and business owners, Steve and Dawn Langerock, founders of Rocks Premium Mixers have an interesting story to share. A story that is most often told over a refreshing Mai Tai.

The software CEO and business consultant turned mixologists were enjoying a relaxing Tahitian vacation about 12 years ago, when they discovered their new favorite drink, a perfect blend of tropical fruit juices and dark rum. When they returned home, they searched everywhere for it — they even tried to locate the beachcomber in Tahiti — but no luck.

So what do two resourceful professionals think? Let’s make it ourselves!

And that’s exactly what they did.

[Read more…] about Rocks Premium Mixers: A Leap of Faith from Sand to Shelves

I love our dog, Moses. A beautiful and majestic canine, he has the energy of a puppy yet he’s over 7 years old; a wild weimaraner that just won’t stop.

That was, until last summer, when we noticed a small lump on his leg that wouldn’t go away. He was also more lethargic and didn’t want to go on long walks anymore. We brought him to his local Lake Travis veterinarian for a check-up and lo and behold, that lump wasn’t just a bug bite, but a growing tumor that had to be removed.

Luckily for Moses and us, we caught it early and have some of the best veterinarians right here in the Lake Travis area. So when we had to schedule him for surgery we knew we could stay close to home when it came to finding him a doggie doctor.

Whether you have a dog, cat, bird or other small pet, it’s good to know just what veterinary clinics are within close driving distance, keeping in mind that emergencies like snake bites and poisonings can happen a lot to animals near the lake and Hill Country. Time is of the essence in many of these emergencies.

[Read more…] about Lake Travis Area Veterinary Clinics

We know our slice of the Texas Hill Country is known for many great things. Yes, the Live Music Capital of the World consistently sits atop practically every “Best Of” list for living, working, eating and playing in the United States. What you might not know is it ranks highly as a great city (and state) for female entrepreneurs.

When we began our Lake Travis Local series in November 2014, we had every intention of writing about men and women, yet all of our articles have featured women. We actually joked about it internally because we felt bad for the fellas. Our local ladies like Wendi Aarons, Heather Campbell-Green, Holly Mills-Gardner, Karen Killough, Jenny Cokins, Candace Thrash and Whitney Hengstebeck (just to name a few!) were snagging the spotlight.

But at Lake Travis Lifestyle, we go where the stories take us and if you dig deeper into the female entrepreneurial success stories in Austin and Lake Travis, as well as Texas as a whole, you can begin to see why this is the case.

[Read more…] about Lake Travis Local: Why Female Entrepreneurs Thrive in Texas

There’s no need for me to have a big opener for the August edition of Lake Travis Local. When I sat down for lunch at The Grove in Lakeway with Alicia Autrey the other week, there weren’t any dull moments. This Texas native is as sweet, smart and sassy as they come and I’ll let you dive right in.

Lake Travis friends, meet your Decorator for Hire, Alicia Autrey:

1. What’s your story? Were you decorating and doing interior design stuff as a kid?

Well, I have never had a problem telling people my opinions since I was a kid. I have, however, learned how to be a bit more tactful about it!

I really discovered my love of design when my husband and I purchased our first home in 1999. At the time I was an event manager and had started as an independent consultant for Southern Living at Home. With each home show I did, I found myself really enjoying explaining how and where people could use our products instead of the products themselves.

[Read more…] about Lake Travis Local: Meet Alicia Autrey and Decorator for Hire

It’s easy to accumulate stuff. You find the places in your home where you store it until you can get to it later … but getting to it later never seems to come. It could be the garage, attic or an extra bedroom.

Sometimes it’s just the everyday spaces that get out of control — home offices, the kitchen pantry, master closets, the game room, your daughters bedroom.

Life is busy and without a system to keep it simple to keep organized, the stack of stuff that gets piled up can turn into an unorganized mess that leaves you feeling paralyzed. If you’re looking to get organized (and stay organized), you’ll be happy to meet Lake Travis local Whitney Hengstebeck.

Whitney’s company, A Place To Start, can help you get started with an organizing system for your home, office or business.

Lake Travis Lifestyle caught up with Whitney for some Q&A to find out more about her, her company, and what she loves about life in the Lake Travis area.

Lake Travis friends, meet Whitney Hengstebeck:

[Read more…] about Lake Travis Local: Meet Whitney Hengstebeck with A Place To Start