Thanks a Bunch

Happy Holidays and thank you to all of you lovelies that have been supporting Houston's Weekly Chic for the past couple of years. I entered the blogosphere with zero expectations, and because of you lovely readers, it has truly been my pleasure clicking the 'publish post' button every day. Thank you, and warm, fuzzy holiday wishes to all of you and your families!
B

Where am I?

First, the random.org winners from the Drink Me Label Giveaway are: Heather (theoneredhead) and Megan (from a day in Meg's life)!! Congrats ladies!

Can you guess what part of the country I'm in right now? I'll give you a hint, you can barely drive down the street...

I'm Famous!!

Okay, not really. But my friend Dallas is, and that's why a photo of my office wall is featured in this month's Cleo Magazine (it's the one with the white stag)! The picture to the left of Sydney (that's my deer's name, yes I named him, don't judge me) is a Dallas Shaw print.

Pump Up Your Christmas Tree

Was at a girlfriend's Christmas Party over the weekend, and I knew you guys would all adore her tree. She didn't feel like hauling out her decorations, so she found the prettiest little size sixes in the house to glam up her evergreen.

One of these..
A couple of these...


Don't forget this one
And voilà! Holly & her shoeriffic Christmas tree!

Hang it on a tree

I always love finding beautiful ways to display baubles. Here are some lovelies from Red Envelope. I hope Santa brings me one of these.

A Gift For Him: J. Hilburn

Lets face it, dudes are difficult to buy for. Most of the time if they need something, they just go out and buy it for themselves! Wouldn't it be nice to surprise them with a pampering, yet practical gift? Enter J. Hilburn. They are a company out of Dallas that creates custom luxury dress shirts at an absolute steal.

Here's how the J. Hilburn experience works. A style advisor will go to their home or office, take their measurements, help him pick out the perfect fabric from hundreds of gorgeous swatches, and in a couple of weeks a magical chocolate brown gift box will appear containing their new custom happiness. Their new shirt will be made from fine Italian woven fabrics, cut specifically to your guy's measurents, and will even have his initials embroidered on the inside collar. Love the details!

Though it is a little late for a custom shirt for Christmas, there is still plenty of time for a J. Hilburn gift card. AND, if you purchase a gift certificate before December 24th, the recipient will also be able to get $20 off their choice of clothing or other accessories. For gift card information, and how to get your $20 off coupon, email us: beth@treschicorganizing.com.

Drink Me for You!

A lovely surprise from Drink Me tags today! They are putting two of their chic wine tag collections up for grabs for Houston's Weekly Chic readers! To enter, go to their website, then leave a comment below about which tag is your favorite. There will be 2 winners, each will win 1 collection.

As always, you can add 1 extra entry for each of the following:

Become a follower of Houston's Weekly Chic
Become our fan on Facebook
Become a fan of Drink Me on Facebook

*Contest ends Dec 22nd

**The randomly chosen winner from last weeks Vintage Poppy Ornament is Vittoria. Congratualtions!

Atelier Minyon sneak peek

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to preview a line of jewelry so unique, it will make your head spin! They are Atelier Minyon, and here is a little glimpse of the wonderfulness that they have to offer. Expect to hear (and drool over) much more about them in the near future.

Drink Me.

I'm a big fan of gift wrapping. While many dread the pile of naked holiday presents to wrap, it makes me giddier than a Who in Who-ville. However, I do face one gift wrap challenge: the wine bottle. Do you use a mess of tissue? Ribbon? Should I pay even more money for a box to put it in? Humph. This is probably why this lovely little company Drink Me Tags caught my eye. They were newly founded in 2009 by the mother-daughter team Val and Sara Rossi, who envisioned making wine tags that people would be truly proud to give. Their simple, classy tags "enhance your gift instead of covering it up.” Although they have many clever, witty tags, they also just launched a sweet holiday line (my favorite is the reindeer), just in time to adorn all of those hostess gifts! Go see more of their tags here.

I Love Sweet 'n Sassy

A big hug and thank you to Jennifer at Sweet 'n Sassy Baby for featuring us on her blog yesterday. If you've got a modern Mom on your shopping list, might I suggest you pop into her shop for this...

and maybe one of these too...

Sweet 'n Sassy Baby Boutique

Thought I'd share the happiness...

...that was Gus' first snow day. Hope you all enjoyed our rare Houston snow as much as we did!

Don't forget to enter our Vintage Poppy Giveaway. It ends on Wednesday, and your gonna want that pretty little ornament hanging from your frasier fir (or your pre-lit artificial from Garden Ridge..whichever).

Find me under the mistletoe this Saturday...

...at the 4th annual Mistletoe Madness!! Houston's best little outdoor monthly arts festival is back again this Saturday, Dec 5th. If Santa still has a few gifts to check off his list, hopefully he will send some elves to shop at Mistletoe Madness ! There will be 50 painters, wood & metal sculptors, fiber artists, jewelers, steampunk, pottery and much more.

The Heights neighborhood will also be glittering with live music, fashion, art, gallery hopping, dining and drinking. Such a lovely way to spend a Saturday. For more event details visit MistletoeMadness.com.

Vintage Poppy Giveaway

It's that time my chic friends! As promised, we have a festive holiday giveaway from Vintage Poppy. The giveaway is for this adorable red and lime green ruffle ornament, that will just look darling on your tree.

***Comment below for your chance to win!***
Want extra entries? Get an additional entry for each of the following:

Become a follower of Houston's Weekly Chic

Become our fan on Facebook

Blog about this giveaway

Follow Amanda K's Photography Blog

(Just a reminder that you must leave your email address to be considered. Giveaway ends 12-9-09)

For the Green Girl Who Has Everything

I adore this.

Platform Succulent Planter
Giddy Spinster

Amanda K Photography & Upcoming Giveaway

The amount of photography talent that can be found in Houston is fantastic. The adorable Amanda Kirkwood is no exception. The more of her photos I see, the more convinced I am that we would instantly become best friends upon meeting. She has a sharp eye, a wild sense of humor, and a cat named Piper who is the reluctant subject of many a picture. In addition to fab photos, Amanda also has a crafty side (how we discovered her on etsy at Vintage Poppy), which she will soon be sharing with us! Later on this week she will be giving away one of her treasures, so be sure to check back!

Amanda was kind enough to join us for an interview, which went a little something like this...

How did you choose the name Vintage Poppy?

I'm really not sure how I chose that name. It just popped into my head! I thought it sounded cute and I figured it would cause people to be curious of my shop and what I might offer.

When did you start Vintage Poppy?

I opened my shop in April of 2007.

How did you get into photography?

I've always loved photography. I love the arts in general. When I went to college, I started out in the arts. Photography was one of my big interests but unfortunately couldn't afford the equipment. A few years later after I had graduated {in something not even arts related}, someone saw that I had a talent for it, bought my first camera and other basics on the promise that I would "take it and run with it." I am forever thankful for that person and their generosity!

You have quite an eclectic shop! Tell us about the style of your work, your favorite pieces to create, etc.
Yes, my shop is very eclectic. Mostly because I have an idea, try it, then come up with a totally different idea! I have a hard time picking one medium... Although, felt is definitely my favorite medium to work with because of the versatility. I love the look of hand-stitching as well. As for style, I love vintage inspired pieces as well as funky, brightly colored pieces. It just depends on what mood I'm in at the time!

Fill in the blanks:
When I'm not busy crafting, I like to... read photography blogs, browse Etsy {of course!} watch movies, shop and... spend time with my husband and Piper, our sweet cat.
(Piper pictured left)