J. Mendel trunk show at Tootsies

What are Houston Women Wearing?

So last week, I collaborated with Shecky's to track down the latest & greatest fashion trends in H-town, and boy did I fall into a gold mine! There were tons of surprises! Want to know what I found, and vote on your favorite Houston trends? You can find our trend report here.

Happy Birthday Peace!

The iconic peace sign is about to turn 50. Dimensions is the only place (that I know about) giving it a formal Birthday party of all shapes and sizes. So lets go eat some proverbial cake! Some of the peace loving brands you will find celebrating at Dimensions are Awake, Twisted Heart and Lisa Freede.

"From tie-dye to stripes and scarves to stone, there is peace at last at Dimensions. "

I guess being over the hill isn't so bad when you are a sign.

6100 Westheimer, just west of the Galleria.

Monday through Friday, 10am – 6:30pm

Saturday, 10am – 6pm.

Shecky's Girls Night Out Houston

CLICK HERE for 2009 SHECKY's Girls Night Out info!

Few things shake my inner girly girl into a twitter, but this upcoming party makes my soul smile. Pay attention ladies, this is an event that will make you want to pull out those Manolo Blahnik's (you know, the ones you haven't worn since Sex and the City went off the air), and trot on over to the Crystal Ballroom. Oh yeah, and the tickets are totally and completely FREE...so read on.

What the heck is it?
Shecky's Girls Night Out is a five-hour shopping/socializing experience, that includes:

• Unique up-and-coming designer fashions at 75% off
• Open Bar provided by Chambord (hellooo...free booze...you know that means I'll be there)
• Free spa services
• Shecky's swag bags (two deluxe goodie bag tickets for $25, but the contents are worth $100+)
• Much, much more!
  

When is it?
Tuesday Nov. 18 and Wednesday November 19 from 5p.m.–10p.m.
Where is it?
The Crystal Ballroom at the Rice Hotel
909 Texas Ave. (Travis & Main St.)

What is Shecky's?
They are a national media company that hosts these fantastic soirees across the country, for the sole purpose of you having a killer time.
Shecky's rocks my proverbial world. RSVP HERE or email me if you have further questions!

Vaughan Christopher Gallery Grand Opening!

The art scene in Houston just got even awesome-er...in a priceless sort of way. Tonight is the grand opening of the Vaughan Christopher Gallery on South Shepherd. Even if you know zilch about art, you will definitely recognize some of these big names. Favorites such as Picasso, Warhol, Matisse and Dali are all represented. Check out their info. below for specifics. I will be there with cocktail in hand.

VAUGHAN CHRISTOPHER GALLERY
Friday, November 14, 2008
7-10 pm
1217 SOUTH SHEPHERD HOUSTON, TEXAS 77019
COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Works by Chagall, Dali, Francis, Haring, Hirst, Kaufman, Lichtenstein, Manes, Matisse, Miro, Moore, Murakami, Picasso, Quinn and Warhol are brilliantly showcased in the intimate space. “We have a large quantity of very high quality works,” said Amy King. ” Because our collection is so diverse, I think anyone could find something here that intrigued them, and I find that possibility extremely exciting.” Among the 100 pieces in inventory, we have iconic works such as Warhol’s Marilyn and Lichtenstein’s Bull Profile series to less familiar treasures like Picasso’s Picador et Chevral and Chagall’s Romeo and Juliet.

Jimmy Ferry Show at Xnihilo Gallery

If you want to see some fantastical art work that is like nothing you've seen before, go see our friend Jimmy Ferry's show in the Xnihilo Gallery at Taft Street Coffee. He's got 15 brand spanking new prints up (including the one above), that will be sure to knock your socks off. They are only up through Turkey Day, so be sure drop in.

Free Snapfish Book...Thanks Oprah!

Thanks to Oprah and her new "Clean Up Your Messy Home" tour, Snapfish will give you a free 8x11 bound photo book. It would typically be $29.99, but thanks to the richest woman on earth, all you have to pay is shipping ($6.99). You have to request your coupon from snapfish.com by this Friday, November 14th, and then you have until Sunday to use that bad boy. Just in time to make a holiday gift for someone special.

Chic Organizing Tip: If you didn't catch Oprah today, the snapfish album was used for a Mom who was drowning in her kids artwork. They scanned their favorite pieces, uploaded them to snapfish and voila! Instant art coffee table book. So start hitting that upload button.

Chic-E Beauty Reviews

Many of us have that girly girl in us that loves splurging on expensive beauty/make-up products. However, most of us also have that cheap ass inside of us that just wants that $4 mascara to do the trick. We've all been burned by drug store beauty products, but there are also some great ones out there that save us from dropping mad Benjamin's on our hotness. This is why I've decided to periodically do a Chic-E (get it..cheeky) Beauty Review. This will mostly include drug store buys, but also occasionally some pricier finds. Sure, I get screwed because I'm the one spending the doe, but at least you can learn from my mistakes, and gain from my experience. I'm starting this series with a bit of a dud. Here's the deal...

Rimmel's Flash Volume Mousse Mascara
Pros: It doesn't have clumping tendencies, and it does give your lashes "flash" volume
Cons: Within hours I had little specks of black mascara dust on my cheeks. I'm able to avert this if I put on a second coat with a more reliable mascara.
Verdict: It gets the job done, but I would definitely not buy it again..black specks?? Who has time for that?

Fall Fashion 2008: 5 Easy Ways to Make your Man Stylish this Fall

To be perfectly honest, I pay little to zero attention to men's fashion trends. As many of us already know, men(cough...straight men..cough) are relatively clueless about fashion. Yeah, they can probably put together your basic boring business shirt, tie, and pants, but they often keep the same style for decades. Can you imagine if you still wore that hypercolor shirt from 1989?

So what in the world is hot for menswear this fall? I was presented with this challenge when my husband, King of casual dress, recently started a new job that that requires him to wear a shirt and tie, almost everyday. Here are my favorite 5 runway inspired ideas, that your dude can adapt to his everyday repertoire.

1. Dark Colors - a palate reminiscent of the 50's, dark colors such as blacks, grays, browns, and mossy greens.

2. Accent Colors - amongst the dark palate, you can add in a dash of color with burnt oranges and deep reds. Gray and black look especially stunning with an orange scarf or tie.

3. Skinny Ties - originally for formal use only, this is my favorite fall male accessory. Black trim ties are especially popular, but really any contrasting color would look fantastic.

4. Chunky Knit Sweaters - Probably not wearable in Houston until February, but still ruggedly handsome.

5. Black Leather - also pulling from the 'Rebel Without a Cause' era, black leather in the form of jackets, vests, and pants are popping up all over. Warning: It takes a special man to pull off leather pants. Know when you are not that man.