texasmonthly.com
The hand-painted face of a sheep peeks out of an assortment of colorful glass fragments on a wooden worktable at Stanton Studios, in Waco. The weathered visage, its details hard to decipher against the scuffed, unlit pane, is the only indication of what this stained-glass window will portray once it is fully assembled. Even the man responsible for the job can’t bear to tally up the exact number of glass pieces it entails. “Thousands,” studio founder Bryant Stanton tells me. Even in an uncountabl…
8 days ago
texasmonthly.com
Almost every year since 2016, my friends and I pack our cars with booze, bustles, corsets, and camping equipment and head east for the Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest ren faire event in the country. I grew up in Grimes County, fifteen minutes outside the fairgrounds in Todd Mission, and have attended the festival intermittently my whole life. My annual return is akin to a homecoming; I almost always see at least a few folks from my past, slinging turkey legs or driving horse carriages. A…
about 2 months ago
texasmonthly.com
Have you heard the good news? Beyoncé is releasing a country album. The Houston native’s announcement this month cemented the fact that the Western country lifestyle—and the look that goes with it—has finally reached its mainstream zenith. If you need a clue that we’ve hit peak country, just take inventory of the A-listers caught cosplaying cowboys in recent months: everyone from Elon Musk to Kim Kardashian has been spotted in a brimmed hat. In Bey’s hometown, though, on opening night of…
2 months ago
texasmonthly.com
Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t really know who’s playing at the Super Bowl this year. I have a vague notion Taylor Swift will be there, and I’m aware Usher is slated to entertain us at halftime, but otherwise I’m drawing blanks. No, for me, Super Bowl Sunday is not the grand finale of a season of sport. Instead, it’s a deeply American holiday during which we gather ’round the snack table to worship at the altar of creamy dips and grilled protein. The “bowl” then refers to vessels of…
3 months ago
texasmonthly.com
It’s too cold out there, y’all. When the temperatures dip, and ERCOT comes calling, Texans know: ’tis the season to slurp. While the Lone Star State is better known for its stifling heat and scorching summers, Texans still understand what’s what when it comes to classic soups and stews. Pozole, carne guisada, and chili (of course) are all familiar guests on Texas tables when the temps begin to dip. And for good reason. Nourishing, filling, and infinitely reheatable, soup is as practical as i…
4 months ago
texasmonthly.com
As we round out the final few weeks of the year, both the stressors and the celebrations are hitting their apexes. It’s high time, then, to pour one—or three—out. Whether you prefer bourbon, vodka, or Pimm’s, we’ve got something for you to sip on once the halls are decked and the gifts are wrapped. Cheers! The Christmas cocktail to rule them all, eggnog is “as integral to the holidays as cold weather and retail overload,” we wrote in 2014. Though many holiday tables will host store-bough…
5 months ago
texasmonthly.com
The collectionSix hundred Nativity sets. The tiniest artifactA Nativity rendered out of pinto beans and glued onto an overturned salsa dish. The best method of procurementOne set came by way of a New York dumpster, where it was trashed when a Hallmark store went out of business. Of all the holiday decor present this time of year—the Santa hats, the sprigs of garland—the Nativity set remains the sole figurative representation of the reason for the Christmas season.Growing up visiting…
5 months ago
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If you believe in such superstitions, the veil separating our world and the metaphysical one thins on Halloween. It’s an ideal time to conjure La Llorona, curse the Texas Lege, or otherwise generally dabble in the world of witchcraft and occult practices. But which candles to light, which potions to mix, which rituals to conduct? The following shops across the state, some of which have been in operation for decades, help newcomers to the world of esoteric ephemera navigate the curios cabinet—and…
7 months ago
texasmonthly.com
We know you’ve already planned your music lineup for Austin City Limits 2023, which kicks off this weekend and closes out the next. Whether you’re camping out at the Honda stage to catch country-pop legend Shania Twain or popping in early to see perennial favorite the Barton Hills Choir, you’ve got your three-day schedule down to a T.But have you prepared your food lineup? A major part of festival fun is all the treats you’ll get to try—plus, you’ll need breaks between sets to relax and fuel up…
7 months ago
texasmonthly.com
Sometimes it’s easy to fall into a rut when it comes to planning meals. You’ll throw together a sandwich in a rush to get out the door in the morning, or maybe you’ll use the last tired fourth of that iceberg lettuce to make a salad for a quick meal. It doesn’t have to be that way with these international eats from H-E-B. H-E-B has curated selections from all across the world to spice up your meal planning, whether for a quick lunch, a fun snack, or a dinner that will make the whole family h…
8 months ago
texasmonthly.com
The collection49,000 crayons. Years in the makingTwenty. Most rare itemA single Torch Red crayon. The color, a true primary red, was only available for one year before its name was changed. There are few things more wholesome than a crayon, a children’s tool used to make imaginative creatures and colors manifest on the page. The smell of the art utensil, which is to say the smell of wax, can snap a tax-paying adult’s brain back to a freer, simpler time. The moment you cross the…
8 months ago
