The Most Beautiful Homes of San Antonio 2007

I know San Antonio is surrounded by acres of multi-million dollar McMansions, but these cookie cutter developments just don't float my boat. I've always harbored a soft spot for older homes with character. Maybe I've watched too many British dramas on PBS or have a secret crush on Bob Villa from "This Old House"?

Antonia's home with the charming turret and green roof

One of the great things about this town is that it has an abundance of historic homes. This isn't the disposable So Cal culture I grew up in, where yesterdays relics are regularly bulldozed in the name of "progress". Aaaand, since the holiday house parties are in full swing, I've been fortunate to receive several invitations to actually visit these gems and see what they look like on the inside.

Antonia y sus admiradoras

First off is Antonia Castañeda's house. She heads a wonderful women's group called MALCS and is one of the brave souls helping to revitalize the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.



It was such a pleasure to see the loving attention to detail displayed throughout Antonia's home.



Everywhere one's gaze fell, there was a beautiful figurine or gorgeous vignette.



I especially loved the modern steel shelves in her traditional kitchen. It gave the whole room a chic and edgy vibe.



Aren't these Mexican tin folk hearts flanking "Que Bonito Amor" ("A Beautiful Love") just precious? And the bathroom terracotta tortoise was also a charming touch.



Later that week, I got to visit the home of Roberta Hassle, a business woman and arts patron who sits on the board of the Martinez Street Women's Center.

Roberta's cool Frida Kahlo nestled among the branches

I love Roberta's Frida glass ornament and her eclectic mix of furniture, especially the divine mid-century dining room ensemble.



Hassle's awesome art collection was an inspiration as well. My New Year's Resolution will be to get more of our artwork properly framed.



This woman has an excellent use of color throughout her home. I luvit!



My final soiree in San Anto for 2007 was at Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark's lovely Woodlawn home. She was kind enough to chat with me a bit after the party about San Antonio gastronomy. Now I know where to get the best torillas. ;-) Plus, I got to explore Ellen's lush courtyard and garden.



A bewitching moonlight walk led me to the glowing embers of a bonfire...



...and a twinkling fairy shrine. Pure magic, from deep in the heart of Tejas.

Mom visits the Alamo City

Riverwalk illuminated for the holidays

San Antonio is what is known as a "destination city" -- meaning that each year hoards of tourists and convention attendees come out to visit it's many picturesque locals. The Alamo, Sea World, annual Fiesta celebration and the Riverwalk. Since I grew up in Orange County, with a father who worked at Disneyland, I kinda O.D.'d on the whole manufactured "amusement" park experience at an early age. Even now, when my husband wants to drag me out to oohhh and ahhh at a fireworks display, it's hard to pull myself out of my 80 or so memories of Tinkerbell suspended on wires above Disney's Matterhorn, illuminated by pyrotechnics. Then as now I just want to put my hands over my ears and wait for the predictable spectacle to wind down.

Mom and me

My mom doesn't share my jaded sensibilities when it comes to 1st World amusements. She loves the flash and garish spectacle of places like Vegas and Miami. A visit to the annual Riverwalk Lighting Ceremony was definately in order. It was mom's first night in the Alamo City, so we braved the traffic and crowds to share a slice of wholesome and silly X-Mas fun.



Amidst a blaring rendition of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" featuring a boatload of tweeny future Texas pagent queens...



...and costumed holiday soldiers, we did our duty as San Antonio tourguides to dear Mamaw. She loved it. A lifetime of Bolivia's muted earthtone palette with pretty llamas wandering afoot and condors soaring above has given her the abilty to appreciate these "plastic" pleasures. I of course having grown up in the shadow of the Mouse house, always yern for wilderness and ecological splendor. We're a bit of yin & yang mother daughter pair. It amuses Payan tremendously.

Mom loves Rosario's cactus tuna margarita

Thankfully, we're both fans of good food and my favorite spot for dining out is currently Rosario's on the edge of King William and Southtown. I like to head over on weeknights, before the loud salsa band starts playing. Maybe I'm becoming a bit of a grump in my old age, but I like heartfelt conversation at dinner, as opposed to clublike yelling over loud music. Rosario's salsa is to die for and their cactus tuna margaritas are as potent as they are tasty. Everything on the menu is fresh and flavorful.

Martha and Pocha at the swank Tower bar

We topped off the week with a visit to San Antonio's "space needle" - the Tower of the Americas. Since the terrain here is flat, I often long for the kind of perspective being up high gives you. In LA I used to love driving up to the Griffith Observatory and taking in the breathtaking view.

Thankfully Texas' tower bar -- glamourous, plush and serving a generous array of cocktails -- is a great alternative for my Griffith park nostalgia. Mom had the hot chocolate and I savoured a yummy pomogranate creation. Mi madre totally enjoyed her stay deep in the heart of Tejas.

San Anto's biggest huevos...

Last Saturday we attended our first Huevos Rancheros Gala. Huevos is San Anto Cultural Arts -- www.sananto.org -- big annual fundraiser which honors local activists in San Antonio. Their invite reads..

"Many years ago, before borders were invented...there lived a proud people known as Hueveros, people who celebrated the egg -- the egg as the symbol for all acts of creation, especially artistic creation. The Hueveros were known far and wide for their art, their resourcefulness, and the artistic materials they produced from eggs...(they) were also known for their festive creativity. Each year the Hueveros held a celebration in honor of the egg and to express their caring for each other. A feast of huevos rancheros was served to everyone and cascarones with yellow and white confetti made the event lively..."

And so this year, San Anto Cultural Arts crowned artist Cruz Ortiz and activist Patti Radle as King and Queen Huevo.


Heavy is the head that wears the crown.


A candid moment with egg-static royalty...


...who makes sum intense and playful art...


...and exhibits thru-out the land!


Payan bidding on a piece...


...from Chikle, a fellow San Diegan.


San Anto's Christina enjoys a bite of eggy goodness...


...and San Anto co-founder, Manuel Castillo, celebrates with his mom.


Amidst all my recent sewing on the new line, spending a day beneath San Antonio's gorgeous pouffy clouds and turquoise blue skys was a welcome interlude.


Puro Westside!