It should come as no surprise that two of my go-to distractions – I mean, blogs – are well-versed authorities on two of my favorite subjects: Texas style and Texas-made products.

Thanks to Texas Style & Substance, which is penned by the Dallas-based writer and style maven Kristie Ramirez, it’s easy to keep up with the latest offerings from Texas’s most creative designers and to stay hip to the state’s steady stream of boutique and restaurant openings.

Kristie’s posts have tipped me off to everything from (clockwise from top left) Be Inthavong‘s leather-woven handbags; Tiny’s No. 5, in Houston; native Houstonian Alexandra Knight’s handmade leather shoes and accessories; and the opening of Timothy Oulton’s Dallas showroom. [Full disclosure: Kristie is one of Texas Monthly's writers-at-large and she's the fashionable mastermind behind our Essentials page. Read her October and November installments here and here.]

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So too has the Diego Files quickly become a fail-safe source whenever I’m in need of a little Texas travel/lifestyle inspiration. Its curator-in-chief, Vincent Friedewald, has a nose for sniffing out cool under-the-radar hideaways and wish-list-worthy products (always beautifully photographed) from artists, designers, craftsmen, and inventors who hail from this great state of ours.

Plus, Vincent’s write-ups/reviews – of places like the Hideout on the Horseshoe, near New Braunfels (top left), and Terlingua’s Far Flung Outdoor Center (bottom right) and made-in-Texas finds like Canoe’s Tool and Tack Gift Box (top right) and Paris Texas Apparel Co.’s Lone Star–themed neckties (bottom left) – always shoot from the hip and are entertaining to boot. [Full disclosure: I'm completely unable to resist the charms of the Diego Files' ridiculously photogenic namesake (that face!)].

Tagged: Austin, Dallas, Kristie Ramirez, Made in Texas, shopping, Texas Style & Substance, The Diego Files, Vincent Friedewald

This time last year, I was leaving the Cotton Bowl along with thousands of football fans who’d made the annual pilgrimage to watch the 106th Red River Rivalry, one of the highlights of the State Fair of Texas. While throngs of UT fans were making a beeline for the parking lot, dejected after their loss (a scene that was played out again today), I noticed many of the OU faithful heading straight for the fried food stands, eager to celebrate their victory by eating something—anything, everything—dipped in batter and dunked in hot oil. Naturally, I joined them. (Full disclosure: Although I am a native Texan and, thus, feel obligated to root for the home team even though I did not attend UT, my brother is a faithful OU alumnus, and I feel obligated to extend my unconditional sibling support even though he decided to go to school in Oklahoma. Plus, I went to school in Illinois, so I have no room to talk.) In between yells of “Boomer!,” the celebratory Sooners popped doughy balls of fried beer into their mouths and hoisted paper boats filled with golden Oreos into the air like they were brandishing the Golden Hat itself. (more…)

Tagged: Dallas, Fletcher's Corny Dog, football, fried food, Longhorns, OU, Red River Rivalry, Sooners, State Fair of Texas, UT

As a recent study of hotel booking trends pointed out, us Texans prefer to vacation in Texas. Since our last roundup of the state’s most notable lodgings was in 2004, I thought it was high time to revisit the subject. So I drafted a list of 44 hotels that have opened or undergone significant renovations in the last 8 years. I then winnowed that list down and booked rooms (anonymously) at 24 properties across the state to determine my favorites.

Although my full reviews will be available next week (the November issue goes live on TexasMonthly.com on Wednesday and hits newsstands on Thursday), I wanted to go ahead and share my ten favorites (plus the five that nearly made the cut)…

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Tagged: Austin, Comfort, Dallas, Galveston, hotels, Houston, Marfa, Round Top, San Antonio, Talpa, Terlingua, Washington, Where To Stay Now