We first met while waiting tables and attending college in Austin, Texas, in the mid-'90s, but our paths diverged after graduation. Krystal left for Chicago to pursue her dreams of becoming the next big thing in journalism (ha!). Jen found herself in the trenches of law school, before tackling the high-glamour dual roles of interior designer and mom. Flash-forward to 2006, when we found ourselves -- completely by happenstance -- working together again in our "grown-up" jobs back in Austin.

Since then, we’ve reconnected over our mutual love of live music, art, culture (high-brow and pop), mid-century modern design and all things vintage. Now, using Krystal's modest-paycheck-induced thriftiness and Jen’s interior-designer eye for quality, we scour local estate sales and thrift shops looking for unusual, unique, classic and just plain beautiful vintage pieces.

Our motto is "buy what you love."

Oh, and the name? "Moontower" is a nod to Austin's past, when the towers began providing artificial moonlight on city streets. Rumor has it they were erected in 1895 in response to a serial killer (sometimes referred to as the "Servant Girl Annihilator") who wreaked havoc 10 years earlier. More than a dozen moontowers still stand today -- that's one of them in our shop banner. (Original photo courtesy of Matthew Rutledge.)