These beauties above can be found at Walton’s Fancy & Staple on West Sixth. For those Us Weekly readers out there, Walton’s is best known for its owner, Sandra Bullock, who also owns Bess Bistro across the street, but Walton’s is worth a visit for more than just a potential celeb sighting. The tagline “Perishable, cherishable, fetishable” certainly doesn’t lie. Everything about the place is adorable, from the branding and the menu to the beautiful historic building its housed in to the names of the dishes.

No matter what your sweet tooth demands, you’ll find something to satisfy it. For carb-lovers, I’d recommend the Golden Egg, a nutmeg cake rolled in cinnamon and sugar that despite being the size of your palm, feels like it weighs as much as a bar of gold. It’s pure rich goodness. Chocoholics should try the flourless chocolate hearts, which are also unbelievably dense and unbelievably rich. The next best thing to comfort food is the Lone Star Whoopie Pie, a cream cheese filling sandwiched between two sweet potato cakes. YUM. And the cookies are huge and mouthwatering. The iced lemon sugar cookie I tried was soft and chewy and the perfect palate-cleanser to my awesome turkey sandwich, The Gobble.

On the weekday I stopped in, the line for lunch was out the door, and I heard soon they’ll also be serving wine and beer in the evenings. Or you could pick up a pastry and gourmet espresso drink during their reverse morning happy hour. If you stop by, fall in love with the food and also happen to hear wedding bells in your future, keep Walton’s in mind. This one-stop shop also offers custom cakes, catering and floral design. Sweet.

I wish I’d had the foresight to take a photo of the Black Out before we devoured it, but honestly, as soon as my name was called, and we set it down in front of us, it was like some primal drive took over and my husband and I couldn’t think of anything but eating the ridiculously unhealthy bit of deliciousness in front of us. But it was the perfect dessert – a deep-fried donut topped with brownie batter, fudge icing and chocolate-covered brownie bits. YUM.

Right across South Lamar from Maudie’s and only a few blocks down from the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, Gourdough’s is the perfect place to stop for dessert after a margarita or a movie. Or make it a meal and get the bacon-topped Flying Pig or the fried chicken and honey butter Mother Clucker. All donuts are $4.25, and you can add ice cream for $1. Few things in life are worth spending an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill, but I think an ice cream-topped donut is one of them.

Krause Springs was the perfect introduction to Austin’s swimming holes. Set in an absolutely idyllic bit of Spicewood, Krause Springs is more than worth the 30-mile drive out Hwy. 71. For $5, you get your run of the springs, and for $5 more, you can camp out overnight. Best of all, you can drink. Yay! All beverages not in glass containers are welcome. A picnic lunch, some beer, 72-degree water and a little bit of sun make for the perfect summer day. And I mean a little bit of sun. As a super pale chick, I really appreciated the ample shade the trees provided, both in the water and out of it.

When we first arrived at the springs, we paid our entry fee, walked onto the grounds and saw a decent-sized rectangular pool that looked pretty much like every neighborhood pool ever, except in pretty surroundings and with crystal clear water. I was kind of bummed that it was what we’d driven all that way for, but then we saw signs directing us to the real springs, which are below. A winding swath of water surrounded by cliffs and trees, the springs were exactly what I’d always imagined. They even had a rope swing. (See if you can spot the guy in the photo below who looks like he belongs in the wolf pack.)

If you’ve never been to Krause Springs before, I definitely recommend bringing along some water shoes. They may be dorky and bring back bad memories of childhood trips to the beach, but the footing (at least in the spots where I could touch) is very slippery, so you’ll be glad you have them.

So which swimming hole do you think I should try next?

Blanco, which is also home to the Real Ale Brewing Company that makes my favorite Fireman’s #4, is well known for its lavender farms, so we couldn’t have picked a better weekend to get a taste of the town than its annual Lavender Festival. First off, Blanco is so easy to get to from Austin. Take Hwy. 290 west toward Fredericksburg, and when you get to Hwy. 281, turn left (south toward San Antonio) and in six miles, you’ll be on Blanco’s Main Street. The trip takes about 45 minutes from Austin.

Because the Lavender Festival is such a big deal, lodging options were pretty picked over, but we did find a place to hang our hats for a very reasonable price at the family-owned Swiss Lodge, which was simple, clean and convenient (and had the E! Network so this Chickster without cable got to see a bit of her beloved “The Soup”). After we checked in, we drove around town, only to find out that Blanco really is small. There’s a quaint historic downtown square and the beautiful Blanco River, and that’s pretty much it. We ate fish tacos and burgers at the charming Redbud Cafe, right on the town square. Because no small town visit is complete without a piece of pie, we asked around and were told that we should check out the Blanco Bowling Club and Cafe. That’s right – a cafe that has a bowling alley (mostly for league play) attached.

We got there minutes before closing, but the wait staff couldn’t have been nicer about obliging our pie penchant with the last two slices of chocolate cream pie, which you can see in the top photo. I’m usually not crazy about meringue, but this had the perfect flavor and texture. The crust was all buttery goodness, and the chocolate filling epitomized the word rich. Yum. This is the only chocolate pie I’ve ever had that could at all rival my grandmother-in-law’s (although hers still comes out on top…I think. Maybe a side-by-side taste test is in order!). The pie was beyond decadent, but we figured we could do with a little pre-race carb loading.

Early the next morning, we drove out to Heron’s Nest Herb Farm, where our 5K was held. As soon as you walked on the grounds of the farm, you could smell the lavender even before you could see it. The fields were full of the stuff.

I think we picked the perfect 5K for our first race, because after we completed our 3.1 miles (in 34 minutes!), we were rewarded with mimosas and a yummy breakfast of goat cheese and roasted vegetable tart and a salad with the best lemon vinaigrette dressing I’ve ever had. Yum. After the race, we got all cleaned up and headed to the Lavender Festival market in downtown Blanco. There we sipped on lavender margaritas (delish) and checked out the lavender products for home and beauty and the many jewelry, craft and art booths.

After we’d picked up some jewelry and some sauces and salsas from Fredericksburg Farms, we took a break for lunch at the Sunset Cafe, which had been recommended to me. The reviews on TripAdvisor were mixed, with the consensus being that the food was good but the service was not. Our server couldn’t have been nicer, but after we waited more than an hour for our chicken salad sandwiches, we understood the service gripe. The slow kitchen may have just been a consequence of the busy festival, but be warned if you decide to check it out. And I’m not sure if it’s because I’d worked up an appetite through running and then waiting forever for my food, but that chicken salad sandwich was amazing.

Because I like mimosas and pie, I think I’ll be returning to the lavender festival next year to go for a run. And who knows, maybe I’ll make it a 10K.

Despite my brief foray into pole dancing, I am not an athlete. In fact, I’m like the least athletic person ever. I got my PE credit in high school from marching band. (Band geeks unite!) I’ve done a lot of fast walking for exercise, but I’ve always dreamed about being one of the people running past me on the Lady Bird Lake trails. Running can seem pretty daunting to someone who has never tried it, so if you’re also a running newbie, I recommend three things: (1) find a running buddy, (2) commit to a training plan and (3) sign up for a 5K, preferably one that offers mimosas at the finish line, like the one I’ll be running in this weekend.

First, I lucked out in my running buddy, past Chickster guest blogger Barbara, not only because she is awesome and loves the idea of mimosas after a workout as much as I do, but because she is married to a bona fide marathon runner who found us the perfect (and oh-so-grueling) five-week 5K training program from Runner’s World magazine. Here it is:

As a running newbie, the training trail wasn’t without bumps. Sweating just plain sucks. And it’s really hot out. Those are givens, but I wasn’t expecting to get so sore in my shins. Luckily, a trip to RunTex to get fitted for new shoes and learn some good stretches for my shins and calves helped immensely. Even if you feel foolish stretching in public, don’t skip it. Your legs will thank you after, believe me. And on the walking or cross training days, I found that throwing in a little yoga helped my sore muscles feel better too.

If you’re intimidated by running like I was, you might also look for a 5K that is billed more as a “fun run” than a hyper-competitive chip-timed event where everyone will be focused on their completion time. We opted for a women’s only 5K that’s part of the Lavender Festival in Blanco, but the Keep Austin Weird 5K is coming up on June 26 and carries with it the low-pressure billing of “the slowest 5K you’ll ever run,” not to mention the fact that people run in wacky costumes. Or if you’d rather suffer through your five kilometers while supporting your favorite team (Edward or Jacob, of course), check out the vampire-themed Twilight 5K at the Hill Country Galleria, also on June 26. For a listing of running events in the Hill Country area, visit RunTex’s comprehensive calendar.

We’re in the final week of training, and I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be able to run 3.5 miles without stopping, but somehow, I made it through. (For my indoor training days, I owe a shout-out to SoapNet’s endless supply of “Beverly Hills, 90210″ reruns for helping make those treadmill sessions bearable.) Now that I think about it, I probably should have held out on this post until after I (hopefully!) complete the 5K this weekend. Depending on how it goes down, I might have to come back next week with a post on how NOT to train for your first 5K. But either way, at least I know there will be a mimosa waiting for me at the finish line.

Some of the new frozen yogurt places around town are pretty bare bones–just the self-serve machines, a toppings bar and a fairly uninviting, spare seating area. Yumilicious, on the other hand, looks completely modern, fun and cheery, with its pops of lime green and bright blue and these totally adorable orange tables and booths.

But really, it’s all about the yogurt, right? Yumilicious more than delivers on that score. Their flavors run the gamut from sweet to tart. All are low in fat and calories (24 per ounce for most), and some are even sugar-free. If you’re a fan of Curra’s famous avocado margaritas, you must try the avocado tart yogurt, which tastes almost exactly the same (but sadly, without the tequila). The toppings bar includes fresh fruit like raspberries, blackberries, mango and kiwi that actually looks fresh and yummy (not always the case at fro-yo stores) and dry toppings like fruity pebbles, granola, shredded coconut and cookie dough.

Like most fro-yo stores, you pay by the ounce for your nosh, and you get a selection of different size cups to choose from when you enter. I recommend you also grab a handful of “tasters” so you can test some different flavors before you commit.

Comprised largely of the collections of uberproducer David O. Selznick, prolific screenwriter Ernest Lehman and a little known actor called Robert De Niro, “Making Movies” sheds light on every aspect of film production, from art direction and costume design to the role of the producer or the composer to the script, through photographs, documents, memos, screenplays, letters, storyboards, set models, costumes and more.

As a classic film junkie, seeing storyboards hand drawn by Alfred Hitchcock for “Rebecca” or Ernest Lehman’s notes for the climactic chase scene in “North By Northwest” scrawled all over a visitor’s guide for Mt. Rushmore or photos of Vivien Leigh’s make-up test for “Gone With the Wind” were riveting windows into the past. No matter if your movie taste favors classics like “Sunset Boulevard” or neo-classics like “Top Gun” and “Casino,” you’ll find some piece of movie history that gives you more of an insight into how intensely detailed the filmmaking process is. And you’ll see just how far Hollywood has come after taking a look at the Production Code’s list of banned words from the 1930s. Who would have guessed that you couldn’t call women “hot” in a screenplay back then? (The distinction was only made for women in the code, so I guess you could have gotten away with referring to a character played by Clark Gable as hot without a problem.) My favorite part of the exhibition was a charming and cheeky letter to “The Sound of Music” director Robert Wise from actor Christopher Plummer detailing his thoughts on the characterization of Captain Von Trapp that revealed a big surprise: he hated the song “Edelweiss”!

While you’re at the Harry Ransom Center, don’t miss your chance to view the two jewels in the crown of UT’s elaborate collection: the very first photograph and the Gutenberg Bible.

So following Jamie’s instructions, I bought:

-Open-backed frame without glass (I found my simple black one for $12 at Hobby Lobby in the 90% off custom reject section)

-Window screening ($6 at Home Depot for a roll large enough to make 30 earring holders)

-Staple gun ($8 at Hobby Lobby)

First, I cut the screen with scissors to fit the frame. It was pretty easy to cut it with scissors, but if you have a pet or an often-barefooted roommate, be mindful that the screen left behind some small metal pieces that could be painful to step on.

Next, I pulled the screen across the back of the frame and used the staple gun to put in the first staple. Then I moved to the opposite side and put in another staple and continued that pattern until it was stapled all the way around. If I had it to do over again, I would probably staple the screen to the back of the frame rather than the inside lip of the frame (where the glass would press against if the frame had glass) because I think I would have been able to pull the screen tighter that way. Mine wasn’t super tight, but it’s still functional. Also, the staples ended up coming through a little on that inside lip so you can see them from the front. Oops. Luckily my frame is black and my staples are black, so it’s not terribly noticeable. I touched up the staple holes a little bit with a Sharpie, just in case they showed.

I’d hoped that I could put some hooks in the bottom of the frame so that I could have my earring holder double as a necklace holder, but I guess that was a little too greedy because no matter how hard I tried to get those screw-in hooks to go in the frame, they just weren’t budging. Also, as a heads-up, I didn’t realize beforehand that this type of holder isn’t ideal for hoops or post earrings.

But all told, I’m pretty happy with my homemade earring holder. It’s not flashy by any means, but now that I’ve got all my earrings on it, I think it adds a bit of something to the empty wall by my dresser. Check it out:

Thanks to Jamie for the idea! If a crafting newbie like me can do it, believe me, anybody can. Plus it gives you an excuse to buy cute new earrings as ART. Anyone want to hit Forever 21 with me?

24 Diner takes comfort food and puts a sustainable spin on it, a philosophy that makes it a perfect fit for Austin. The farm-to-table approach is writ large across the menu with certified humane, cage-free eggs from Gonzales, all-natural Texas-raised chicken and organic fair-trade coffee. And unless you arrive in the no-man’s-land of the state-mandated dry hours between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., you can order from their globally diverse wine list, chill out with a Fireman’s #4 on tap or pick from the bottle selections that include unique offerings that run the gamut from Brooklyn Brewery Local 1 to Xingu Black Lager.

When I visited, it wasn’t anywhere near breakfast time, but I still couldn’t resist the pull of a waffle breakfast, especially when the waffles are made with butter, raw sugar and Madagascar bourbon vanilla. The waffle didn’t disappoint, but the real highlight for me was the the homemade veggie sausage, which is made in-house with beets, mushrooms, lentils, rice, pumpkin seeds and golden flaxseeds and struck that absolutely perfect balance of savory, spicy and sweet.

If I had one real complaint, I would say that the service wasn’t awesome. It’s probably because I’m part camel, but my water glass sat empty several times for much longer than I’d have liked. Also, unless you land a booth, the seating configuration tends to put you up close and personal with your noshing neighbors, which can be a little awkward (especially after I noticed that one of our adjacent tablemates was my dentist, who hopefully didn’t see the amount of sweet, sticky 100% Grade A amber maple syrup I poured on my waffle).

On most late nights, if I just want to relax and pig out on some greasy grub, I’d probably still head to Kerbey Lane, but 24 Diner is a great option to have. So I guess if Kerbey Lane is your favorite pair of jeans, 24 Diner is like the new pair that make you feel super hip but will probably never be quite as comfortable. But right now, all I can think about is going back to try the bacon gorgonzola burger (sub homemade veggie patty, of course) finished off with a piece of chocolate peanut butter cake. Yum.

24 Diner
512-472-5400
600 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78703

In “A Chorus Line,” 17 hopefuls dance, talk and sing their way through an audition for a part in the chorus of a new Broadway musical. That stage setting is spare, and the realities we come to learn of each character’s past are harsh. From brash Sheila to wounded (in more ways than one) Paul, each character gets their time to shine, be it a song, a dance or a monologue, during the audition process, and by the time the casting director is ready to name the four men and four women who have made it into the show, you genuinely care for all of them and feel bad for the ones who are sent home.

The show premiered in 1975, and in addition to the dancing, features songs from the great Marvin Hamlisch, including the famous “One,” all of which helped it earn Tony awards for best musical, book and score and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. But aside from the accolades and the Broadway setting, as cliched as it sounds, “A Chorus Line” really is for anyone who has ever had a dream to do anything with their lives, whether it’s making it as a dancer in New York or owning your own business or writing that Great American Novel, and how heartbreaking the loss of that dream can be. But as Diana sings in “What I Did For Love,” the dream makes all the hard work worth it, whether or not it ever comes true.

The show runs through Sunday at Bass Concert Hall on the University of Texas campus. Tickets start at $20, and you can find out more here.