HometownGeorgetown.com

The city announced this week that bus service will start tomorrow. Seven times throughout the day, Monday through Saturday, the bus will start at the Sun City Social Center, and will stop at the HEB on Williams Drive, downtown, St. David’s Hospital, Wolf Ranch Mall, Wal-Mart on Rivery Blvd, and City Lights Theatres. Click the link above for a bus schedule and route map.

I don’t usually write about stores and events south of the Georgetown/Round Rock border, but I had to make an exception in this case because I’m so proud of my friend, Sue Gordon, owner of Classy Concepts Design. Sue is my customer service idol. Seriously. She used to work for the custom builder who built our home. We lived overseas while it was being built, and Sue uploaded thousands of pictures so we could watch the progress online. I’m not exaggerating. We really do have more than a thousand pictures of our house under construction. Sue struck out on her own years ago, establishing Classy Concepts in Round Rock. Her business was featured this week in the Round Rock Leader.

Classy Concepts rents formal wear, including wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and even flower girl dresses. (You can rent prom dresses, too, and they have tuxedos for the menfolk.) For a fraction of the cost, you can wear a designer wedding gown. They’ll even do alterations!

The other arm of their business is window coverings. We purchased all of our custom blinds from Classy Concepts. Sue has an amazing portfolio of curtains and other window treatments that she has designed and sewn, including some in the house that won the People’s Choice Award in a recent Parade of Homes.

Just Right Homes, a local company that installs the coolest central vacuum system I’ve ever heard of, could see a bump in orders after the November 24 episode of Little People, Big World on TLC. Ron Marullo, President of Just Right Homes, told me that one of the central vac products he distributes is going to be installed in the house on the reality show. What’s so cool about this system is that it features retractable hoses at each vacuum port throughout the house, so there’s no need to lug a hose from room to room. The system can be retrofitted into existing homes, or installed during the construction process.

Just Right Homes is based out of Cedar Park, TX and serves the greater Austin area. They also install home theatres and surround sound.

I ate lunch today at Catfish Parlour on Williams Drive here in Georgetown, TX, and I have to tell you, they have the best fried okra I have ever tasted. (And I’ve tasted some good fried okra in my lifetime.) It was crispy and hot. The Express Lunch is a pretty terrific deal. For $6.95 plus tax, I got a small catfish plate. This came with four small fried catfish fillets and unlimited vegetables, fries, and hush puppies. You certainly could never go hungry. Frankly, I forced myself to leave as soon as I finished my first helping. I didn’t trust myself in the same room with that okra.

For the same price, I could also have gotten shrimp, or a combination of shrimp and catfish. The service was excellent, too. Owner Chris Kerbow chatted with customers as we came out of the line, and our waitress was friendly and right there whenever we needed her.

Late last week, I went to look at homes with a friend of mine, and I drove by to check the progress of an incredible home in Escalera Ranch, a prestigious subdivision west of town. You may remember, I had a couple of lots listed there a short time ago. The custom home was built on a fairly steep hill by Brad Marshall Homes. It’s finished, and it is super. Brad Marshall Homes build awesome homes, and I mean “awesome” in the sense that they truly inspire awe. Around every corner, you find another surprise. Gorgeous work. You can see some pictures of their homes - exterior and interior - at their website.

They’re having a special promotion right now that I think really proves how confident they are in the quality of their work. If you want to build in a neighborhood where they haven’t yet established a presence, they’ll build a home for you at cost. The neighborhoods are subject to approval, of course, which only makes sense. But think about that. The reason they’re offering this deal is that they know that once others in the neighborhood see their homes, they’ll get more business. So if you’ve been thinking about building a custom home, now’s the time to get started. If nothing else, contact the folks at Brad Marshall Homes for more information. Knowledge is power, and there’s no risk in asking questions. Even if you don’t own a lot yet, they can help you find a lot in a prestigious neighborhood where they’d like to build and where you’d love to live.

The City of Georgetown’s Convention & Visitors Bureau has put out a nice newsletter with details on all the holiday happenings here in Georgetown. First up is the Lighting of the Square on November 28, the day after Thanksgiving. (Which means, for those of you doing your math, that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!) For a handy one-page calendar, click here. Doesn’t the little boy holding a Williamson County Courthouse snow globe make you smile? That graphic was designed by Georgetown’s own Nick Ramos of Graphismo.