Colorfly Studio: Paper Dreams

Man it's great to be a woman! This is how you'll feel when you peruse the charming paper creations by Jennifer DeDonato of Colorfly. Inspired by vintage matchboxes, as well as her extensive collection of design paper, Jennifer uses the (literally) old school method of cut, paste and collage.

Don't be fooled by the sound of its grade school simplicity. There is nothing elementary about Jennifer's vibrant designs (other than her occasional ingestion of paste, of course). Her style has a whimsical, dream-like quality, which is no surprise, since many of her pieces were imagined while Jennifer was catching some zzz's. Each piece is over flowing with personality, color, and celebration of life. We also adore her attention to detail with musical instruments, that are perfectly orchestrated with brilliant, harmonious hues. Colorfly just makes you want to yell: I am a woman, and I am freaking fantastic!!

Colorfly can be seen this Sunday, August 3rd at the Vox Culture Houston event Global Cafe from 2-6 p.m.

Chateau Crystale

2517 S. Gessner

Houston, TX 77063

You can also purchase Colorfly prints on Etsy or visit her fabulous Blog

The All-American Rejects: Go Get Rejected

Juste un petit chic...

Get in touch with your inner-punk this week. This Tuesday, July 29th you can see the All-American Rejects at Katy Mills from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sponsered by Simon dTOur Live, you can also enter online for a chance to win a VIP meet and greet with the All-American Rejects, as well as a $250 Simon Visa Giftcard. Maybe you could use it to add some color to the Rejects wardrobe.

http://www.simon.com/dtour/

Maryland Wedding

After a small hiatus, the Weekly Chic editors are ready to go back to work! Thought you guys might like to see what I was doing on my week off. I got to witness all that is wonderful and chic in Annapolis, Maryland while Holly (my "sister from another mister") got married. After a week of decorating, bow tying, bustling, and at least 2,500 miles of driving, we are finally back in Houston!

Thanks for your patience with us while I attended to my wedding duties. Let us now resume blogging of the fabulous-ness that is H-town:)

Pictured above: Holly and Brian Battle
Pictured Left: The hot bride, and myself

Muse Boutique: Vino Thursdays at Muse

Imagine sitting on one of these cozy arm chairs, delicately sipping a glass of vino, while picking out new threads and accessories that are 50-75% off their regular price.

Every Thursday in July, Muse is offering their wine of the week during extended shopping hours through 7ish p.m. I know by this Thursday, I will definitely need a glass.

The Centre at River Oaks

2411 West Alabama (at Kirby)

www.musehouston.com

Ecologie Bags: Totally My Bag Baby

It seems like every time we read a suggestion for "going green" in style, it requires us to plop down a crap load of money. Thank goodness for eco-friendly (and pocketbook-friendly) retailers like Ecologie Bags.

This Houston, Texas company is a woman-owned national wholesaler and retailer that makes simple, classic, yet adorable reusable shopping bags. These bad boys are made of non-woven polypropylene, which just means that they are super light, hardy, and resistant to water and dirt. They can also hold up to 35 lbs of groceries (equal to about 4 plastic bags worth), and are so much more mod than the blah bags with grocery store logos! Are you ready for the best part? Every single designer bag sells for only $3.

What's the big deal about reusable bags? Well, try this on for size. The United States plows through about 100 billion plastic bags yearly. As we know, plastic is not biodegradable, and while waiting in landfills, it gradually pollutes our soil and waterways. You may think you're safe asking for paper not plastic, but think again. According to the EPA, the manufacturing of paper bags is actually worse for the environment than plastic. So..the less bags you use, the cleaner our little planet will be. Still not sold? Check out www.ecologiebags.com for more information. But as for us at Houston's Weekly Chic...it's in the bag.

Crave Cupcakes: Crave your Cake, and Eat it Too

Memories of your first encounters with sweets can hold a magical, almost Charlie and the Chocolate Factory nostalgia. Maybe you had a grandmother who made the best apple pie your taste buds have ever laid tongue on. Maybe you have a mother who miraculously pulled a different delicious treat out of the oven daily (thanks for the chocolate addiction Mom). Whatever your story, you will no doubt feel that same giddyness in your tummy, when you enter the clean sleek wonderland of Crave Cupcakes.

The style concept of this place is perfection down to the very last minty logo detail. There's something so aesthetically pleasing about their sleek, modern stainless steel architecture, balanced out by vintage touches like perfectly displayed retro Mixmasters. They even carry the design into the ladies room, where I found antique hand mixers adorning the walls. The bakery's huge windows allow you to drool over the 20 varieties of cakes being prepared. Wondering what makes the taste of Crave Cupcakes so special? Their ingredients are no joke. They use only premium quality like American artisan butter, local Texas dairy products, the best chocolate Europe has to offer, and vanilla straight from Madagascar.

I'm pretty confident that every cupcake in this joint is delicious, but I would sell my first born child to have another one of their red velvets right now. In fact, I'd really like to finish this blog, but the red velvet has suddenly become more important. Hmmm...this has become awkward. Sorry guys...I'm headed to Crave.

Just a Little Inky

Have you ever seen a piece of artwork that draws you in, gets under your skin, makes you want to see more, but you’re not quite sure why? This is how we felt when we first laid eyes on the edgy works of Chris Beekman.

Though this indie-style artist is obviously well seasoned, he didn't actually start his painting career until 2002. He found himself partying in a warehouse in the backwoods of Austin (like you do), where everyone was painting on a giant canvas, and thus a bad ass painter was born.

Make no mistake, this work is not for the hoitey toitey "everything costs ten thousand dollars a pop" art gallery groupies. Each piece is like a fantastic, well written film. Thrilling, full of life, with unexpected twists and turns. We were also impressed by his powerful, smart, yet delicate representations of women on his canvases. It's no wonder that the notorious Lot 8 Boutique, Soak, and Vertigo salons, all have his work gracing their walls. If this guy knows women as well as his paintings, somebody needs to snatch him up fast! I seriously doubt Mr. Beekman needs us as a dating service, so just snatch up some of his work through his contact information below.

Website: Beeks' Art

e-mail: colinzeal75@gmail.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/colinzeal

B. Patriotic

Go celebrate your patriotism by saving some money at B. Ellen, my favorite little boutique in Cypress, for their fantastic fourth of July sale! If you haven't checked out this adorable, happy niche, this place is a must see (yes, even for you inner-loopers).
B. Ellen has a mix of the latest and greatest in clothing, handbags, shoes, gifts, and scrumptious bath and body products that will satisfy even the pickiest of customers. Cypress is very lucky to have them.

Receive 20% off of your entire purchase
July 3rd-6th

Holiday Hours: OPEN July 4th from 10 - 5
Store Hours: Monday - Thursday 10-6, Friday and Saturday 10-7 and Sunday 12-4

www.shopbellen.com

281-304-7767

The Retrochique Recycling Program

When somebody finds new uses for old things, which would otherwise end up in a landfill, it always makes us feel fuzzy and green on the inside. This is why we love the earthy, child-like simplicity of Retrochique.

According to the online urban dictionary, the definition of Retrochique is: something classic or old without being old fashioned. There couldn't be a more fitting description for the creations of Jamie Drumwright. Retrochique’s sole artisan uses a variety of vintage cotton fabrics, adds eco-spun felt, and turns them into fresh, retro-licious gear that you can use on a day-to-day basis. Jamie's pieces include various sizes of zippered pouches, bags, hot pads, coasters, and beyond. Her materials and fun fabrics are pulled from resale shops, and flea markets. Sometimes she even uses swatches of vintage clothing in her work. Talk about carrying around a piece of history.

With a degree in fashion design, as well as inspiration from 60’s handbag guru Enid Collins, Jamie creates bold graphic statements, with witty wordplay. Retrochique's goal is to provide something practical that you can use, but will make you smile in the process. Mission accomplished Retrochique. Mission accomplished.

To see more Click Here for the Retrochique Etsy Page