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.

I recently jumped at the offer to attend a tequila seminar and dinner at Twin Liquors Marketplace and found it a wonderful escape from the Texas heat! A Don Julio representative used a PowerPoint slide show to explain what qualifies as tequila, the painstaking process of making tequila, and the various types of tequila. We then sampled four types of tequila and she helped us identify the different aromas and flavors. It was very educational, but so much fun at the same time. We then dined on a delicious dinner catered by Iron Cactus. Not a bad way to spend a summer evening!

I discovered that Twin Liquors offers lots of great events like this. While the event I attended required an admission fee, some of the events are free, such as Wine 101 Class, which is held every other Wednesday (all you need to do is RSVP). On July 18th from 2-6 p.m., there is a free tasting tour at the Marketplace, with 20 different wines you can sample. On some evenings, you can sample Russian vodka along with authentic Russian bread and pickles. If you want to get out of the heat as badly as I do, one of these events at Twin Liquors is a great way to cool off and relax.

Actress Farrah Fawcett, most famous for her role in television hit "Charlie's Angels" and her gorgeous '70s hair, passed away last Thursday. She lost a long battle with anal cancer, which was documented in a moving television special called "Farrah's Story." Reuters has announced that her funeral will be held tomorrow.

Despite her Hollywood fame, Fawcett's roots were here in Texas. The Corpus Christi native attended the University of Texas and studied with a major in microbiology and minor in art. She was named as one of the most beautiful people on campus in the school yearbook. An agent who noticed her beauty encouraged her to pursue acting, so before graduating, she moved to L.A., where her career took off.

The actress was well-loved and fought bravely during her final years. What are your best memories of Farrah?

Photo by Brenda Chase/Getty Images

If you think it's been feeling hotter than normal at this time of year in Austin, you're not just imagining it. While our summers always get hot, this June, Austin has been experiencing record temperatures.

According to the Statesman, temperatures reached 107 degrees at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport and 106 at Camp Mabry today. That makes today the second hottest day in June in Austin...ever. The last time our city ever hit temps this high was on June 14, 1998.

Is it global warming? Some kind of fluke? Either way, remember to wear sun screen, drink tons of water, and don't spend too much time outdoors. Too much sun exposure in this weather can cause heat stroke, which is potentially fatal. Don't forget that dogs can get heat stroke, too.

On Sunday, June 28, at 9 pm., recently-opened Max’s Wine Dive ((207 San Jacinto Blvd. ) will be hosting a Moonlight Tasting event in partnership with Australian winemaker Penfolds. The event fill feature the debut of a 99-point Grange Shiraz 2004.

Attendees will have the chance to taste the vintage Shiraz in addition to six other Penfolds wines. There will also be appetizers, an auction featuring Penfolds products, and a live simulcast from Australia of the tasting with Penfolds' Senior Red Winemaker, Steve Lienert.

This wine tasting event is limited to 75 guests, and according to the publicist, this may your only opportunity to purchase these Penfolds wines all year. A non-refundable $100 credit card deposit is required to reserve a place, and it will be applied to the purchase of any Penfolds products that night.

Guests planning to attend are asked to RSVP to Nicole Fabian via email or (512) 904-0111.

This Thursday, an Austin-based charity, Water to Thrive, is holding an Independence Day BBQ and Silent Auction benefit event. Water to Thrive’s mission is to provide clean safe drinking water to those living in rural Ethiopia, where only one in three people has access to clean drinking water. You can learn more about the group by watching this video.

The benefit is at Lambert’s Downtown BBQ on June 25 from 6:30 p.m.-9 pm. It will feature live entertainment by singer-songwriter Gary Clark, Jr. and there will be a cash bar available. The tickets are $25 per person or $40 per couple. You can call (512) 413-9123 or email Melissa to buy tickets.

Friday: Steve Earle Solo & Acoustic
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter performs at the Paramount Theatre at 8 p.m. Earle grew up in Texas and sings many songs about our state. He performs country, rock n’ roll and a mix of both. I’ve seen him live and he puts on a great show!

Saturday: 1st Annual Party at the Moontower
Celebrate local movie “Dazed and Confused” with this ‘70s-themed party hosted by Torchy’s Tacos at the South Austin Trailer Park starting at 7 p.m.. There will be ‘70s music, clips of ‘70s movies and “hazing.” There will be prizes (donated by “Dazed” actor Matthew McConaughey’s non-profit, j.k. livin) for best ‘70s outfit, best legs in cut-offs, best mustache and best Wooderson look-alike. Some proceeds go to charity.

Sunday: Bridal Extravaganza
Explore over 250 exhibitioners with everything from cakes to dresses to DJs. You can also win prizes such as honeymoons and wedding packages. From 12-6 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center.