Austin Fashion week begins tomorrow, July 13, and ends July 19. According to the Web site, it is "a showcase of Austin's fashion forward elite."

Throughout the week, many boutiques and salons in Austin will be hosting free and public events that showcase local designers. These include trunk shows, fashion shows, cocktail hours, parties, open houses, and more.

On the final day of Austin Fashion Week, the Austin Fashion Awards will take place at the Long Center, and tickets are $43. Bands such as Alpha Rev and Octopus Project will be performing, and you can check out new designs from Kayne (of Project Runway's third season) and graduating UT fashion design students. It will be hosted by Sublime Stitching's Jenny Hart.

For $100, you can attend the Austin Fashion Awards After Party. It is "semi-invitation only" and will be at Sky Lounge at AMLI. Mike Relm will perform music and there will be an open bar. There will also be free food from 2nd Street District restaurants.

Buy tickets to the awards and after party here.

Shuggies, a burger shack housed in the popular outdoor eatery South Austin Trailer Park, has failed. Shuggie's is owned by the same folks who own Torchy's Tacos. Rather than shutting down quietly, they have chosen to have fun with it and remember Shuggie as a real person who has died.

According to the hilarious press release, Shuggie was killed by "a drive-by" from "national chain gangs," alluding to McDonald's, Jack 'n the Box and Burger King. Torchy, cited as Shuggie's cousin, is quoted as saying, "Participating in drive by's during this financial pinch, there may not be any local businesses left when this recession ends and life resumes. It's a shame to see a good business die like this, it sucks."

The public is invited to come out to the South Austin Trailer Park (located off S. 1st St. and Elizabeth St.) this weekend for Shuggie's 'Last Brunch' and Sunday for a makeshift memorial before shutting down for good. Says the press release, "Shuggie fans have already started placing flowers, candles, and gifts honoring the noble and brave attempt of serving another great burger out of a hot trailer to the hungry folks of Austin."

It's sad to see a local business lose out to the big guys. Do you anticipate this happening more often?

Forbes.com recently named the best and worst cities for recession recovery. Cities in some states, such as California, could take years to recover. But Forbes says Austin (including Round Rock) is one of the country's cities best poised for a quick recovery.

Forbes calculated which cities were best geared for recovery by analyzing unemployment levels, projected gross domestic product, incomes and affordability data.

Forbes says one reason why Austin (and several other Texas cities) have survived well is because we were not involved in the housing bubble that occurred in states such as California, Nevada and Florida, so we didn't experience the burst they did. The fact that we have a diverse economy with growth in the education and health care fields gave us a great advantage. "From now to the end of 2010, the economy of Austin is projected to grow by $5 billion," Forbes says.

In April, Forbes also declared Austin as the best big city for jobs. Are you job searching? Read this list of the best places to find Austin jobs online.

Happy 4th of July, Austin! Independence Day in Austin comes with plenty of celebrations, so be sure to go out and enjoy yourself. Whether you want to see fireworks, hear live music or watch cannons fire, there is a July 4th celebration in Austin this evening that you will enjoy! Have a wonderful Independence Day.