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On Monday night, MommyQ attended the Hair Affair Fashion Show and it was totally intriguing. From the moment I walked behind the red velvet curtains to conduct my interviews and take pictures, I was in eye candy heaven. The 18th Century French inspiration was vivid enough to make Marie Antoinette order a French Cosmso (3 oz. pineapple juice, 1 1/2 oz. vodka, 1/2 oz. cassis, garnish with pineapple slice or leaf) and party like a rockstar.

Waterstone Aesthetics and LegitArt Entertainment came together to oragnize the event and it was magnificent. Not to mention, 100% of the proceeds benefited Locks of Love, a non-profit for children under the age of 18 who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.

The wigs and hair pieces for the runway show were jaw-dropping. You must see the pics to truly understand how grand they were. I spent mots of my time backstage, watching the model prepare and get final touches on hair and makeup. I was totally impressed with how calm the folks running the show remained, even three minutes prior to the opening of the curtains. The models did a wonderful job bringing personality to all of the outfits. It was also great to see the look of satisfaction on the stylists’ faces when their model’s look came together. Pay special attention to the model with the birdcage on her head.

Experience the full story on News 8 Austin and visit Austin Eavesdropper for even more info, pics and goodies. Plus, find out which Texas model is destined for greatness on the reality show America’s Next Top Model.

Last weekend, the second annual Austin Fashion Week began with a huge party and fashion show at Idea City, the place GSD&M calls home. Partygoers and fashionistas did their best to beat the heat and as the sun went down and a cool breeze entered the equation, it was time to get serious about style.

What Bloggers are Saying:
You can see what local fashion bloggers like Indiana Adams (AdoredAustin), Joanna Wilkinson (KeepAustinStylish) and Tiffany Diane (AustinIsBuning) had to say about the runway show and Austin’s unique aesthetic in a News 8 Austin blog complete with video.

80s Pop Star, Tiffany
One of the hightlights of the evening was definitely 80s pop star, Tiffany, belting out her famous tunes. Part of me was expecting to see a redheaded teenager in an acid-washed denim jacket and big hair walk out on stage.  No, Tiffany is all grown up like the rest of us now. But she did an amazing job and really engaged the crowd. It was impossible not to sing along when she sang ‘I Think We’re Along Now.” See how Tiffany dazzled the crowd on News 8 Austin.

Austin’s Fashion Talent
A Project Runway contestant who competed in Season 6 , Louise Black, is participating in Austin Fashion Week this year. You can read about more of Austin’s notables on News 8 Austin.

My Fashion Blunder…
I have to tell a quick personal story, because it’s just to hilarious not to share. I wore a totally unique dress to this event – a Marc by Marc Jacobs red-striped linen dress. After the fashion show, we went to grab a drink at a local bar called Townhouse. After we walked in, we realized my dress matched the red striped fabric on the furniture exactly.  What are the odds of that? It was hilarious and just goes to show fashion is totally unpredictable.

Here are a few pics from the evening:

Last week MommyQ was lucky enough to take a trip to Portland, Oregon, to witness a “behind-the-scenes” movie experience.  Walmart and P&G invited me to attend, so I could see the guts and the glory it takes to produce a television movie. The movie, “In My Shoes,” is a clever, compassionate and family-friendly project that proves the notion of family movie night is not forgotten.

When I was a kid, I remember sitting with my parents and my sister once a week, usually Friday night, to watch television together. I have to admit, I don’t remember exact titles of the movies we watched, but I do recall the laughter, giggles, communal popcorn tub and the fun. I also know my parents didn’t have to jump up and run to the TV (we didn’t have remotes back then) to change the station because something non kid-friendly was interrupting our viewing pleasure.

From the wonderful folks at P&G and Walmart to the producers to the actors, EVERYONE working on this project is totally aware of the need for family-friendly television entertainment. Even the youngest actor on the set, 11-year-old Jackson Pace, mentioned how important it is to be able to watch television together as a family. (BTW, what a cute little guy.)

I also got to meet some phenomenal women/mothers/entreprenuers as in @MomStart @mamaspohr @eightymphmom @BettyBuzz @OurOrdinaryLife – funny, fantastic and talented, who could ask for more?

Get a taste of what the new and improved family movie night is by watching The Jenson Project on July 19th on NBC. And if you haven’t seen Secrets of the Mountain, you’d better get to watchin’ because it was incredible. Stay tuned!

Tucked away in Westlake, you will find a little slice of heaven for mom’s tired body. Need an hour of relaxation? Thirty minutes away from your iPhone? An escape from your adorable, yet loud, children? Check out Massage Harmony and take advantage of their Mother’s Day Special!

I had a Swedish Massage there today with a sprinkle of Deep Tissue. My massage therapist, Colleen (who has many clients who are professional hockey players) did a fabulous job. It’s an upscale massage spa with affordable prices. The rooms are small, but clean and comfortable. I love the heated massage tables.

If you prefer a different style of massage, they have that too. They even offer Ashiatsu Bar Therapy and pregnancy massages. You can see of their services by clicking here.  Massage Harmony has two locations in Austin — one on S. Lamar and the other in Westlake. If you go to Westlake, I highly recommend Colleen. Okay, enough reading. Go book your massage today and for goodness sake, RELAX!

I’ve been a big fan of Craigslist for many years. Yet sometimes there are things about Senior Craig that I don’t like. Let’s say I’m trying to sell a baby stroller. By the time I get my ad posted, 20 more stroller are already ahead of mine in about 24 hours. Not to mention, I’m not a huge fan of how the ads look and the time it takes to create them. Don’t get me started on the shady personals. Ew.

I’ve heard friends talk about Adbirds which is like Craigslist, but it has many more capabilities. I checked it out today and I’m hooked! I created a few free ads and it was such a breeze. The interface is fast, easy and sophisticated. You can add lots of pictures, links, video clips – whatever you want – and it’s seriously simple. As a mommy, I appreciate the ability to do stuff online as quickly as possible. I’ll have to be changing a diaper, reading a story or wiping crayons off the walls any minute.

I’m going to do more research on Adbirds to figure out all of the neat stuff it does. They have an affiliate program and from what I’m hearing, it ROCKS. Adbirds is also extremely eco-conscious as the company is all about local shopping, community and saving everyone gas. Think of it as more money in your pocket for diapers, formula and wipes! The company tagline is “Better Online Advertising” and they speak the truth.

Drop me a comment if you’ve already discovered Adbirds and let me know what you think. I’m an instant fan and excited to learn more. Click here to post an ad and see for yourself!

Tired of the same food experience charity event after charity event?  Chafing dishes slowly drying out the rubbery gray chicken breast. Another boring crudites platter with sad carrots, and boring canapes. Yawn.

Yes, that’s my little logo. MommyQ is sponsoring this event with a bunch of other great businesses and I can assure it will be AWESOME. We scouted out the location and discussed details today. I was excited about it before, but I’m even more excited about it now. Details about the scrumptious menu will be coming soon.  Also, if you’re a mom here in Austin and you haven’t been to Underwear yet, shame on you! This shop is a little slice of heaven!

Go ahead and buy your tickets to Star Light, Star Night today before they’re gone.

Tomorrow my family will be wearing blue – will PROUDLY be wearing blue. Myself, my husband and our two children will help promote the incredible, international, Light It Up Blue campaign that kicks off World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month.

Iconic landmarks around the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City and Willis Tower in Chicago along with the CN Tower in Toronto and Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia – as well as airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, restaurants, and retail stores, are among more than 100 structures in over 16 U.S. cities and nine countries around the world that will light up in bright blue tonight.

As the parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I cannot express how much this campaign means to me personally. I would wear blue every day of the year if it would help promote autism awareness! To me, the reason autism is so tricky is because we get a diagnosis of it and advice about  improving it, but we get nothing solid about what it means for the future.  People ask me how we deal with it and I always explain we take it one day at a time. If we sat around and worried about what the future may hold, we’d drive ourselves crazy.

On the bright side, things like speech therapy, OT therapy, family support, patient parents and loving teachers make it all better. Our autistic children make huge strides forward every single minute of the day. My heart goes out to the undiagnosed children who are struggling, the families who can’t afford the help they need and the “distracted ducks” that are living in an odd, isolated world.

Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, is launching this campaign. Since its inception only five short years ago, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $142.5 million to research and developing innovative new resources for families through 2014. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

What can you do? How can you make a difference? Wear blue with pride tomorrow.

Read more about MommyQ’s life with autistic child:

- Living with Autism Diagnosis: One Year Later

- Autism Rides Off Into The Sunset