Carla "urban_mermaid" B.'s Profile

We just had our wedding here - it was a gorgeous venue. Not only that, but planning a wedding here was a breeze. Joelle, the events coordinator, could not have been more accommodating. They were one of the few venues that actually had some leeway with caterers. Joelle was also incredibly helpful with small things, like storing sound equipment for a few hours. Fees for the venue were reasonable.

We saw the gardens in January and even then they were pretty - but for our wedding last week (09/23/2011) it was beyond beautiful. We have photos that just pop against the green.

We just finished having our wedding in Austin and worked closely with Mandy on day of wedding coordination. From the first moment we got on the phone, we knew she would be great.

First off, Mandy's experience means she thinks of all the small details you might forget. In the weeks leading up to our event, she came to us with small questions that had a big impact. She also did all the background work to organize details like flower delivery, scheduling conflicts and floor plans for the caterer. She was also able to help with a few etiquette questions that we had - always a plus.

For the rehearsal, that attention to detail had her even pointing out small details like moving a microphone so people could see us kiss. She came to the hotel to drop off and pick things up in advance.

She made herself available during the process via email, phone and text - all the ways we like to communicate!

During the entire process Mandy was upbeat, helpful and made us feel like our event was as special to her as it was to us.

Fees were also right in line with what I expected - excellent value for money.

Now, we just need to find another event that she can help us to plan! Would love to work with her again.

I've been going to Marilyn since 1999 and over the years have referred a number of people to her. Most of those people have referred people to her -- so you know people really appreciate her work.

Marilyn is patient and will walk you through possibilities. She is also creative and has helped me over the years come up with new styles for my face and ways to make my uber-straight hair look good.
She's also very good about scheduling me on tight timelines (I travel a lot) and will not just call, but will also text you if needed to arrange appointments.

Marilyn is also very friendly. All in all, a really great hair stylist.

Both of my children went to this child-centered preschool. The staff is longstanding and really cares about each child and their development. Olivia is a mainstay and has a great sense of humor, knowing how to work with kids on their level, but also how to talk to parents on their terms. It is also a real community of parents - interacting with one another. The school is NAEYC accredited, one of the harder things for many preschools in SF to attain.

The people who work here are great. I can't speak to the eye exam portion, just to the glasses buying side of things. The sales staff actually did things like measure the distance between my pupils, make recommendations based on facial shape. They also asked questions about how I'd be using the glasses to understand what my needs were.

Then as I looked about the store, other suggestions were brought out until I settled on an amazing pair.

I brought my daughter in a few weeks later and we had the same stellar experience, even though she was only 9 at the time. They really understood how a kid might be rough on glasses and what she might need to make certain they didn't break.

Great follow through and phone calls too!

Louise Hallberg is amazing and makes a side trek to Hallberg Butterfly Gardens worth it if you are in the area. Louise took a group of 10 ladies this past weekend meandering, telling us about the different types of butterflies that frequent her sanctuary and the impact of global warming. Louise older than 90 (according to the brochure and website), and despite her arthritic hands and slow pace, she's engaging and much more spry that you would think. She pointed to small monarch eggs (the size of a period) on the back of some milkweed.

That said, it's not the gardens you would imagine from a story book, with butterflies floating everywhere. The reality a lot of the plants that the various species of butterflies prefer are not so beautiful. It's not huge, but I can imagine in the spring it's much more full of life.

You can do a self-guided tour, but it was much more pleasurable to have Louise guide us. We did call in advance for our group of 10 and she was quite flexible with our ever changing schedule.

Be aware that because it's set up for butterflies other pollinators (such as bees) are plentiful. If you have allergies to either bees or pollen, you might want to be forewarned.

I imagine this would be great for kids, it was a nice place to sit and look around and Louise can tell stories of the wild turkeys that have come onto the property as well as the Anise butterfly that wouldn't nest in the fennel plants some professor planted.

A review of the website shows that there are no prices - as it is entirely up to you to make a donation. For our group, the suggested donation was $25. A bargain, considering this gem of a lady and a place.

Yelp to the rescue once again! Three of us landed in Memphis early one morning and needed a place to get some grub. We searched on Yelp and came here, only to find out from some locals later that this was also their favorite spot - a clear indication that the Internet doesn't always lie.

We were delighted to see an extensive menu and I was happy to see vegan and vegetarian options available as well. (Tofu scrambles, veggie sausages, yum!).

Food was solid, service was okay - about what was to be expected on a Tuesday morning.

Definitely would return to eat here again.

I've bought many prezzies for friends from Willotoons - baby gifts, t-shirts, jewelry and bags for friends. Her designs for babies are super cute and her t-shirts always make me laugh.

I purchased the "Words are so delicious" shirt for my daughter two years ago and it is still her favorite shirt. I like how Willo cut the necklines and finished that part off to make it nicer. My boyfriend purchased two of her shirts recently - now making the rounds in Austin, Tx.

Multiple friends have received Willo's baby one piece creations - my favorite so far, and the one that has initiated the best response has been her nerdling one.

As well, I really appreciate Willo's (the owner) commitment to to the environment. She has gone to an all natural line for her baby clothes and does what she can to provide re-usable packaging.

If you are looking for a present, or just a cool t-shirt for yourself, this is a good place to start.

Wonderfully diverse menu, great cocktails too.

We had a lovely evening eating outdoors and drinking bourbon cocktails here. Our server, Erin, was amazing. She was energetic, engaging and gave good advice.

I was thrilled to find both vegetarian and vegan items flagged on the menu and had a wonderful seitan parmigiana sandwich.

Price-wise, there items that weren't too expensive, but that's if you only ordered the one item.

Ambiance is relaxed and casual.

Yummers!

This place was great. I called the weekend before we were coming to town since we'd be a large group and was clearly told they didn't take reservations, but to call the night we were interested in coming down, and they'd put us down and tell us when to show up. They were dead on!

We were in town for Labor Day, called Saturday around 6:45 for a party of 5 and were told we could show up at 7:30. We did and walked in to be warmly greeted by the host and shown to a table within just a few minutes.

We had a fantastic waiter, Big Will. Big Will was friendly, helpful, able to provide recommendations, commentary and insight into the menu. He flagged things (the eggplant appetizer is cold, not warm) that made a difference in my enjoyment of the meal.

Food was wonderful - plentiful, but also gorgeous.

The ambiance is not the most exciting - this is a redone Shells, so the decor is far below the quality of the food. Still, it's perfect for a nice beach dinner with high quality food and service.