CBS Segment

Mother's Day has come and gone, but if you still need a gift for the health conscious lady in your life, check out the creative gift ideas we shared on KHOU 11 last weekend for healthy, fit Mommies (or ones that just try to be...like myself).  Let me know what you think!:)

xoxo

B

Custom Smokies @ Tootsies this week!

Interview with Jonathan Adler

Photo via startle.com

Still reeling over the sit down interview with Jonathan Adler.  Those of you that know me well, know that he is pretty much my #1 when it comes to designers of the interior variety.  We even struck Angelina Jolie poses together..

Well..you can't see our lower halves, but if you could you'd see that we're totally doing the Jolie skirt-slit leg pose.  I'm telling you, we're destined to be besties for life.  You can read my sit down interview with him here.

xoxo

B 

Tootsies Shopping Soiree with Cornelia Guest

Cakewalk Style Event Thursday May 9th

You check their blogs religiously, you follow their every meal and #ootd on Instagram, and this Thursday you can shop and mingle with all of your favorite Houston bloggers at Cake Walk Style's Houston's Top Bloggers Event.  Find a little something for Mom (or you), and enjoy  bites from Coreanos,and macarons by Patisse.
xoxo
B

BHLDN: Dress & Suits Cocktail Soiree

Crawfish for a Cause

If you had to stuff yourself with crawfish, and indulge in all you can drink beer to raise money for charity, would you do it?   It's a tough job, but I think Houston is up for the challenge. Saturday, May 11th Goode's Armadillo Palace is hosting a crawfish boil benefitting Make-A-Wish from noon to 4:00. There will be live zydeco and Texas country music, tickets are $25 pre-sale and $30 at the door, all benefitting Make-A-Wish.

**Brass crawfish above will not be in attendance, we just thought he looked pretty.

Kelly Wynne Handbag Launch

Every now and then a fresh designer comes along that gets me all giddy inside.  This is exactly how I felt when I was first introduced to the smashing handbags by Texas entrepreneur Kelly Wynne White.  First of all, Kelly graduated from Ole Miss, which automatically made me love her, but then I got a look at her handbags and I was totally sold.  Luxurious materials, gorgeous green lining, and I adore her signature KW logo that looks like the letter "W" and chevron had baby. A really sophisticated on-trend baby.

May 2nd, Kelly is having a lovely launch at The Tasting Room on Alabama hosted by several of my favorite local fashion bloggers.  A little birdie also told me that you can find some of her goodies at French Cuff Boutique..who of course you know is one of my faves.

For more info, go visit her FB page, and become her fan for goodness sake:)

I Want Candy!!

This past week, I received by far the sweetest event invite that my mail man has ever delivered. It was for a candy-coated event at Saks in celebration of Guerlain's brand new Gloss d'Enfer, their new lipgloss

and lacquer collection. Starting the week of April 24th, the ground floor of Saks Fifth Avenue will light up with color for Guerlain's "I Want Candy" event.  

Bonus- The first 200 customers will receive a mini d'Enfer in Candy Strip, and each customer will have the chance to get their "candy look" makeup done by their color experts, along with a souvenir photograph.

So...after I went all Augustus Gloop on my box of candy (courtesy of Sugar Wish), I tried out Guerlain's gloss and polish, and can't wait to stock up on some more.  The gloss was lightweight, but extremely hydrating, and not too transparent.  Lots of deep saturated color. The polish is just the perfect shade of high shine red.  

I am officially a Guerlain fan.    

Elizabeth & James at Tootsies

Moving Sale at Casa de Novia

A cute little birdie told me that there are some serious designer mark downs going on at Casa de Novia this week.  Definitely worth your while to stop by:)

The Kate Black Glitz at Heroes for Handbags

One more "glitzy" perk of attending Heroes for Handbags this year:  Elaine Turner's Kate Black Glitz clutch. Inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge, this bag is available for purchase by attendees of the event, and of course all proceeds go straight to Heroes for Children.  Purchase your ticket, and pre-order your exclusive clutch here:) 

Heroes and Handbags March 28th

Squeee!!!  It's that time of year again my friends.  Hands down one of the sweetest and swankiest charity events in Houston, Heroes for Handbags combines Heroes for Children (seriously one of the BEST charities around), with one of my other passsions: handbags.

If you aren't familiar with the organization, Heroes for Children is a nonprofit supporting families affected by childhood cancer. This Thursday, March 28th will be their 8th annual Heroes and Handbags brunch and auction from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the River Oaks Country Club.  The drop dead gorgeous silent auction showcases smashing designer handbags donated by Houston-area socialites, retailers, and designers.

Want in on the fun? Snag a ticket here.  

P.S. This year’s event will feature an exclusive handbag by Elaine Turner only offered to attendees. Tune in tomorrow for the deets.

BHLDN & Sarah Copeland

In the mood for something swanky?

Shelly Kidney & Kathy Bracewell at Tootsies Feb 22-23

What to do this weekend....?

Well Houston Press Artopia of course!  Come play with the hippest of the stylish hipsters this Saturday at Winter Street Studios for an evening of of culture, fashion, art, music and food. Enjoy three musical performances, two fashion shows, live performance art and works from over 25 local artists. Whew! 

Artopia will also feature the 5th annual Houston Press Mastermind Awards where a $2,000 grant will be awarded to three progressive individuals or small organizations that have made an impact in the local art community.

Ticket prices include complimentary food, wine, cocktail and beer sampling.

AND...

Since all of you are so incredibly fabulous, use the promotional code ART2013 and receive $20 off General admission tickets (Reg. $55- with the discount $35)

A portion of the event proceeds will benefit Houston PBS!

The party will continue even after Artopia is over at the official Artopia After Party at Hughes Hangar, where guest will enjoy an aerialist and a fire dancer!  How cool is that?

See you there chic friends!

Encore for Jason Wu

Very excited for Jason Wu this morning. Can you imagine if you were chosen to be worn by the First Lady for two consecutive inaugural balls? What did you guys think of Michelle's choice of gown last night??

Interview with Kevin Clark

©Richard Leo Johnson

Well happy Monday friends! As you may have seen last week, Kevin Clark, co-author of Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House is coming to Mecox Gardens this Wednesday, January 23rd.  Lucky for us, he took the time to give us a little interview about the book, and how it relates to Houstonians.  Thanks Kevin!  Here you go...

When you come to Houston, TX, what angle will you be taking with the crowd here to engage their interest?

My visit to Houston is a sort-of “coming home” in itself. With my wife born and raised in Houston and my mother from Beaumont, I’ve often referred to myself as “half-Texan”. In all seriousness, Houston has been home to some incredibly talented traditional architects, including John Staub and Birdsall Briscoe. It is a great city with some beautiful neighborhoods and a lot of historic character that should be celebrated and improved upon. My hope is to introduce Historical Concepts and Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House to the area and engage those who appreciate authenticity and detail, and value quality over quantity.

Is there a part of the world where the Southern vernacular can't be translated?

Certainly there are many common elements of a southern home that would not be applicable in other regions. For example, the classic deep porch, while ideal in the South for combating harsh summer sun, would not necessarily be a fit in a northern setting where sun capture is critical for warmth throughout the year.
That said, the idea of ‘coming home’ really speaks to our design philosophy and our desire to create homes that feel rooted in the past. This approach transcends region, and because of our focus on authenticity rather than a particular genre or style, clients are now hiring us to design homes throughout the country. We’ve worked in many locations outside the south - Maine, The Hamptons, Texas, Montana, and even in the Caribbean. We are not trying to bring “southern” architecture to the world, but instead we are translating the ideas behind some of these homes beyond the southeast.

While there may not be a universal style seen throughout our homes, I would say there is a commonality among our clients. Many come to us to because they desire something handcrafted and well detailed, and comfortable yet sophisticated. More often than not, our clients tell us that the most important thing is that we design a home that “looks like it belongs”. That missive allows us to dive into the traditions of each locale to create architecture that feels authentic to its place, nestles well on its site and satisfies our clients’ vision.

Houston is known for knocking down the old to build new. Do you have any thoughts on how we can preserve older constructions (though we don't have many left), while also satisfying the need to build bigger/better/newer?

Houston is not alone. Unfortunately, many towns – big and small – are facing the same challenges. These towns have existing neighborhoods with incredible character which are a big draw to buyers; however the homes, typically from the early to mid-20th century, do not accommodate today’s lifestyle. As older homes can have inherent issues, the result tends to be people tearing down the old homes and replacing them with builder plans which are more suitable for suburban locations, and often lack the architectural character.

A few years back Atlanta put a brief moratorium on building permits because of this “McMansion” problem. In my opinion “no progress” is not the correct answer. Instead, I think communities that value their historic roots can come together and promote appropriate infill development. This can be done through pattern books that codify the architectural character of the existing homes and create a guide for new development to follow. There is no reason a new home cannot feel every bit as good as an older home, it simply takes an attention to detail, proportion and massing.
In addition, the scale is tipped in favor of tearing down old homes (it’s cheaper to start from scratch and no value is put on the existing homes). To level the playing field, cities could offer tax incentives for people who restore an older home, or at least retain the majority of its character. One town passed a law that if you purchased a home in a historic neighborhood and rehabbed it, your property taxes would freeze for 10 years. There is also a sustainability aspect to using existing structures, called “embodied energy,” which is completely lost in a teardown.

For those who don't know a ton about architecture (myself included), what can we learn or take away from Coming Home?

In my opinion, many people are drawn to southern architecture because of the familiarity and sense of warmth that it conveys. That feeling is what so many of our clients really want to capture – whether building in the South, or elsewhere. This attention to precedent and detail, while blending the old with the new, can be applied to any project, no matter the size and style. From the Greek Revival mansion to the small vernacular cottage, comfortable, well-crafted spaces can be created by incorporating local traditions, and the character that historic precedent provides. This study allows us to create a sense of place and authenticity no matter where we are working, and that makes residents and visitors alike feel as if they are in fact “coming home”.

Coming Home Book Signing with Kevin Clark

Book Signing Event to Take Place at Mecox Gardens, with Kevin Clark of Historical Concepts

Renowned architect Kevin Clark will be signing purchased copies of his firm’s new book entitled, Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House at Mecox Gardens on January 23rd from 5-7 p.m.

Clark will answer attendee questions about how to continue Texas architectural traditions, while simultaneously designing and building homes that accommodate the needs of today’s 21st century homeowners. He will also answer questions about how Historical Concepts’ partners collaborated to co-author the awe-inspiring coffee table and gift-oriented book. Attendance will be free for the public, and books may be purchased on site to be signed upon request. 

Each home or building pictured and described in the book showcases meticulously designed exteriors and interiors with unified elements, resulting in a display of homes that are aesthetically pleasing from all vantage points and floor plans that reflect the various homeowners’ lifestyles. The firm’s partners co-authored the book to feature residences, buildings and neighborhoods that were designed by drawing on the South’s thematic style. Each chapter provides a look at homes or communities that pay homage to America’s architectural heritage.

For nearly thirty years, Historical Concepts has designed country houses, mountain retreats, and coastal cottages that showcase the South’s deep sense of place. Whether drawing from the refined residences of Charleston and Savannah; the rural farmhouses and rustic cabins in the Blue Ridge Mountains; or historic houses throughout the South, the firm specializes in award-winning, regional architecture and design. The homes featured in the book capture the spirit and essence of southern-style. Beautifully photographed, it enlightens readers with a wide range of design inspiration, beautiful homes that represent today’s relaxed lifestyle, and insight about blending elements of Classical design with southern charm. Event details are as follows:

Mecox Gardens, 3912 Westheimer Road 

Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, from 5-7:30 p.m.

Photo credit: Richard Leo Johnson