What the 80s mean to Lacey...

It means lacey dresses and Minnie Mouse :) I don't have the actual dates for the pictures but I'm pretty sure I was 5 while sporting the pink polka dots...now to get some of those little kid photos of Clint!

Kindergarten with my friend Kristen

Emily has always had a mischievous look; love that girl :)

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful mother!!! Look at that woman, she still hasn't changed ;)

Mount Bonnell - the highest point in Austin

Last week, Clint surprised me with an evening trip to the park at Mount Bonnell; it is the highest point in Austin and from there you can see everything from downtown to the beautiful Lake Austin.

Sunset

Sun setting

Love our adventures, especially the ones in our backyard ;)

Oh, to own a house down there...land value is in the millions

Our beautiful cityscape!!

Home is where the heart is...

At a Texas Stars hockey game...yes, the TEXAS Stars; it's the Dallas Stars feeder team and they are AWESOME!

Is this dog spoiled or what?

Cool and random Austin art

Not an optical illusion; that is Mackey's twin; a much larger, male twin but still

He wishes but never! This picture is so Austin...why? Because I am wearing flat shoes.

What's up Austin?

So we have now been back in Austin for a few months and it has been a whirlwind. We lived with some friends while our place was being rented through March, I got an amazing job and we decided to make this home for a very long time.

I miss New York, we both do, but I had an amazing revelation one day; we are blessed to still love New York. Most people move away because they are so worn by the city, they have to get out; some will never go back but Clint and I are still in love with Manhattan. That city carries so many memories from us falling in love to the day we said, "I do." We will always have a special place in our hearts for the Big Apple.

But don't worry friends, we have made Austin home; we own a condo here, we have so many amazing friends here and the number just keeps growing! We love this city, the vibe is very similar to Manhattan, and we love being in Texas so we are sticking around, even though Clint's company has a possible project in Barbados...hmm...kidding!

So here is a pictorial update of what we have been doing since we got back home!

Those special edition Ray Bans have the MTA (NY Transit) Subway Map on them; I got them at the Fader Fort pop-up shop benefiting Austin's Healthcare for Musicians.

At a South by Southwest event at the Belmont

Waiting in line for our Fader Fort wristbands during South by Southwest music fest

M'lynn's Bday...we were her roommates for a month

Mardi Gras!! They don't celebrate that in NYC!

Our 3rd week back, I was invited to the biggest event in real estate, KnockOut Night, where I was able to reconnect with people I had worked with in the past; this eventually led to my new job! And yes, that is the bridesmaids dress from my wedding and I got SOO many compliments on it :)

Leaving New York

Our "home" while we lived in Manhattan, the Marriott Execustay

Gray's Papaya hot dog places were everywhere;

this one is named according to our awesome neighborhood of Chelsea.

The typical fate of a New York umbrella :)

For those who know Clint's nickname, this was always funny to see...

My last brunch in NYC at Calle Ocho; little did they know (all friends from Austin) and little did I know that it would be my last one.

So I have been truly slacking on my blogging duties, caused by a little sadness from leaving New York and by a lot of just being busy, but I am back and I will try to be better with this. Things are really exciting for us; I have a job that I adore, Clint is doing really well with his job and well, Mackey is just happy to have some grass :) Here are a few detail pictures on our way out of New York.

South by Southwest

I had no idea that this is one of the best, most amazing music festivals in the world! Bands and people come from all over the world for this week of music, film and interactive. We are so excited to be in Austin for this, again!

Clint and I have a friend coming in from North Carolina, one from New York and an entire group from Austin. We will be all over the place that week, phones get jammed and driving is impossible with the influx of people. So. Much. Fun.

New York-ism

"If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere..."

This is what I learned from/about this insanely incredible city:

1) If it's rush hour and there is a half empty subway car, don't get on, it probably smells like poo.

2) A street vendor selling any type of purse probably has a secret stash of fake LVs, Prada's, Fendi's and more.

3) All apartment doors lock automatically behind you...do not leave your keys/keycard inside.

4) At bars, there is never a cover charge because drinks cost $15

5) Every job you apply for, you are competing with MBAs who speak 3 languages.

6) NOT cash friendly...everyone prefers cash from the cab driver to the bartender.

7) Downtown = the street numbers descend; Uptown = the numbers ascend...they are not areas or neighborhoods of Manhattan.

8) Famous actors, musicians, artist, etc. walk the streets like normal people; New Yorkers don't bother them because everyone here is self consumed.

9) Tourist are hated; if you stop on the sidewalk, carry an M&M's store bag or take pictures, you are a tourist and some bitter New Yorker will scoff at you.

10) It only takes a few days to make you a New Yorker. This is barely a good thing.

More to come; this city is super complex.