Silo House

Check out this reformed silo set up in Gruene, Texas...









You can stay in it! Summertime is a'commin and I want some river. If I have work off this Friday, I'm headed to San Marcos with BF. I dream of visiting the Root Cellar, Zen's pizza and the Tap Room.

Small Houses X9

The 2009 Rice Design Alliance Architecture Tour will highlight innovative examples of small houses, under 2,000 square feet. This year's tour will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m

Reminders for the Lazy

Austinite Erin over at Recovering Lazyholic has taken some fun pictures and turned them into magnets. They're all little reminders to go out and enjoy life. Such a cute idea and great web site!

Cook-Off!

So, cook-off was a total blast. Boyfriend's uncle had a tent, so we started off there which was great, we got to hang out with his family, sip on some margaritas.. and then we checked out the Channel 2 tent which was large, in-charge and very crowded.

The best had to be the Texas Monthly/Red Bull tent.. they had a regular bar, a coffee bar and a GREAT band, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. I was fortunate enough to know someone in the band, so he hooked me and my entourage up (boyfriend, his mom, plus two of our friends from school). If it wasn't for him, we would have not got into that tent. It was a blast, we danced, drank, ate BBQ. Overall great night. So cold though!

I highly recommend seeing Black Joe Lewis if they ever come around your area-- I'm not just trying to support a friend's band. They really are one of the best band I've seen live. Jim Eno of the band SPOON just finished producing their record which was released Jan. 27 on Lost Highway. CHECK IT OUT!

Yeeee-HAW!

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Cook-Off is this weekend! ( The world's biggest rodeo, biggest BBQ cook-off..biggest deal in Houston). One of the perks of my job is free passes to the cook-off from various radio and TV stations. Also, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears are playing tomorrow night at one of the big tents! Double bonus points.

Wish I could have a reason to buy these cherry blossom boots from caboots.com and wear them more than once a year. So pretty and not cheesy cowgirl style--which always is in abundance at Rodeo.

CC Band Camp

If you are a graphic designer, PR practitioner, writer, web developer or creative professional and want to help out Houstonians going to SXSW:

GO TO CAROLINE COLLECTIVE BAND CAMP!

Cappy Pics

Austin, Texas was hot hot hot yesterday. I actually got a sun burn. Here's the PINK Capitol building from the lawn, and another from the underground basement.

The trip was fun and informative. Sixth Street was INSANE because it was Fat Tuesday. I did not see any college students--mostly thugs with tattoos on their face, which surprised and scared me.

Got to get back to work... xo

Off to the Capitol...(of TX)

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...and this is the money-is-no-object version of what I'll be wearing. I'll probably look more like Liz Lemon from the first episode of 30 Rock: frumpy, stains, toothpaste on the face. Kidding, kidding.

Our agenda is nuts! here's just a taste of what we'll be doing:

-touring the capitol, meeting with Gov. Rick Perry
-eating at Stubbs BBQ (yummm)
-eating and staying at The Driskill (!!)
-watching a film at Bob Bullock Texas State Museum
-meeting the Attorney General, some senators and commissioners
-going to a cemetery (!?!?)
-6th Street (for any non-Texans, it is similar to Bourbon Street)

Sounds like lots of walking! We're all leaving on a bus at 5:30 am and we were slightly encouraged to bring alcohol on the bus. I don't think I will partake, and I can't imagine who would want to drink that early.

I hate that I'm going to a city where I have so many friends, but I literally won't have a moment to see any of them. It's okay though, the group I am going with is very diverse and a ton of fun and I love any excuse to go to Austin.

Weekend..

Breakfast I made for my Valentine:) (he got me flowers, replenished my my tea & chocolate stash! perfect.)

Abandoned Cupcakes from Aerosol Warfare Gallery :(

Our Place

Pictures are from realtor web site... I'll have better ones in a few weeks.

Okay, so we signed a lease for a cute four-plex in Houston. My amazing BF found the place last week and within 24 hours it was ours. We move in on Friday and I cannot wait. We'll be out of Sugar Land in right between River Oaks and Montrose, two great Houston neighborhoods that have amazing restaurants, shopping, parks, you name it!

I look forward to visiting these places and sharing them with all of you :)

Lawndale Art Center

In the space of absence | Kathy Kelley

John M. O'Quinn Gallery

“This project is composed of a series of visual explorations toying with the ideas of continuous consumption, the stunting of growth via unending wanting, the never ending suckling of consumer goods without fulfillment, in conjunction with some of Melanie Klein's object relations theory on personality development, envy and gratitude or lack thereof, her referencing of the experience of breast feeding as being determinant in much about who a person becomes (old theory coming on the heals of Freud but interesting). The work is a visceral response to this dissection of the incessant wanting of consumer culture on the self with each element becoming referential of the shadow self.” – Kathy Kelley

found sound (Public Music Reconnaissance) | Patrick Renner
January 23 – February 28, 2009

Mezzanine Gallery

Patrick Renner will present an installation consisting of found telephone poles with attached sound-harvesting devices. These mechanisms, based on the function of the standard music box, will be activated by all the leftover nails, staples, and hardware used to hang public notices of garage sales, lost pets, property listings, et al. The random melody the devices produce is the reinterpretation of imbedded information that we see all the time as we pass through the urban landscape.

The President

Barack Obama

Photography by Calle Shell

Frock Your Closet

When I was in college, I came home one summer and worked at Frock Boutique in Houston. Frock carried pieces from smaller, foreign designers that became a huge hit with River Oaks ladies (both young and old). I LOVED working in such a calm space with the most friendly customers.

This past year, Frock closed it's doors but its owner, Marianne Mayeux has come up with a brilliant "GO GREEN!" idea for anyone who wants to keep up their look without spending a fortune.

Here's her new plan, straight from the horse's mouth:

Who says your wardrobe has to be in a recession, too?

Not I! Times are tough but we still want to look and feel great without breaking the bank. And those who really understand fashion know that a lot of money is not necessary for great style or an enviable closet.

Most of you know me from my boutique, Frock, which I closed recently. I am happy to announce that I'm venturing into personal styling and wardrobe/closet consulting. Although I'm no longer buying for a store, I'm now available to you personally and at an affordable hourly rate.

I started my first fashion business over 7 years ago, importing up-and-coming designer's creations from Milan and then in 2005 I opened Frock. These valuable endeavors, which taught me so much, along with my fashion expertise and organizational skills make this a natural fit.

In times like these it is ideal to optimize what you already own by repairing, altering or remaking garments, or by simply filling in some pieces to make your look current. Even adding a statement piece of jewelry may be all that's needed for a lift. You will be amazed at how far your wardrobe (and dollar) can stretch! But the absolute best thing about getting organized is how your mind also becomes clean; our closets and drawers can be symbolic of what's going on in our heads and in our lives.

I am pleased to offer the following services:

* Closet cleansing/wardrobe consultation
* Personal shopping
* Travel wardrobe shopping and/or packing
* Special event outfit coordination and/or shopping
* Outfit coordination

My fee for closet/drawer reorganization is $50 per hour with a 2 hour minimum. For all other services the fee is $40 per hour with a 1 hour minimum. I am flexible, with availability during the week and on weekends. Please feel free to pass this on to your friends and family.

Happy New Year-

Marianne Mayeux
Mobile: 713-412-7623
Email: mariannemayeux@yahoo.com

Reject, repair, recycle, renew!

Cool huh? I can tell you personally that she has a phenomenal sense of style and will make you flourish with your own.

Always In Great Taste

While BF and I were apartment hunting last weekend (Houston, Seattle, Chicago? Where am I going to live in six weeks????), we came across the adorable Sugar Babies Cupcake Boutique. Okay, so the uber-girly decor may nauseate your male companion, but you can get the cupcakes to-go!

You must check it out if you're in the Kirby/Montrose Area. It's also next to a fantastic design shop with plenty of stationery goodies that will tug on your letterpressed heart strings.

Sugar Babies Cupcake Boutique
3310 S. Shepherd
Houston, TX 77098

And It Was Love

A couple week ago when Chelsey was in town, we stepped into Kuhl-Linscomb, the amazing lifestyle store in Houston that will have everything you could ever want to put into your home, kitchen, office, etc. There was this gorgeous desk that we pretty much died over.

You're probably thinking it looks like an air-hockey table but it's quite divine. It can be found at Herman Miller which means it's expensive but worth it and not in my near future.

Thank Heaven for Little Dogs

1. Boyfriend is back in town.. we made our first stop at Japaneiro's, always the most amazing food!

2. Went to Houston ArtCrawl, had a great time drinking wine with friends. We didn't get to too many studios, but I really liked this one. Patrick Medrano is the name. That's the sweet dog who inhabited studio TwentyTwenty. The painting in the very right hand corner of the dog picture is called Pig Toss. The full version is the sea foam green photo. It must be 10' x 7'? Massive.

3. Tried a new restaurant, Bluefish sushi in Houston. I was surprised to find that they had fried ice cream! I only noticed this as we were leaving, so I will have to go back.

4. I'm dog sittng a big hairy dog named Scout. He's going to get me back on the working man's schedule.

5. I got a LOT done with my little project. Still keeping it on the hush.

Lake House Scene

Here's what I drove away from this morning.

We had a great weekend at the lake house. I hated getting up early to drive into Houston. It was so cold. Girl has got to work though-- I'm temping right now. Still looking for jobs in the right city.

Mexico is still an option, just not as strong. Turns out I would need a lot of money or already be fluent in Spanish to live there. It's not off the table though. I'm exploring options in other cities such as Austin, Chicago, San Fransisco, Portland, Seattle, etc..

Neon Slicees

How could you go wrong with these neon Wilmotte Forge de Laguiole knives from France?? The ones shown here are a ridiculous $750. We came across some Forge de Laguile knives (characterized by their sweet little bee details) while we were in Champagne in September. It caught our attention because my Mom had given Jon some for Christmas last year, based on the advice of her Williams-Sonoma-loving boyfriend.

Knowing my Mom's budget, she didn't shell out loads and loads of money for the knives. She found them at Marshall's! It's funny because they have a cult-like following in France, but some people in the US are like whatevs--which is why you can find these fancy knives on the cheap and that is awesome. Win Win.

The Menger Hotel

My favorite stop in San Antonio was the Menger Hotel (1859) located downtown, next to the Alamo. In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt used the bar to recruit Rough Riders which fought in Cuba in the Spanish-American War.

The first picture is from the bar, an exact replica of the House of Lords Pub in London. We had a couple of drinks there and chatted with the bartender, who dispelled the rumors we had heard about bullet holes in the wall from Teddy Roosevelt. The hotel also holds the unofficial title of "The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas" and claims to host 32 different spirits including Richard King of the King Ranch.

The second two pictures are of the lobby:

1.My feets and the tile.
2.My pixelated face and the lobby. Kinda creepy, right?

Click on the lobby picture and you might get an idea of how fabulous the wallpaper is. Reminded me of the movie Atonement.

Colors of San Antonio

Just when I thought I jinxed myself to a weekend without air conditioning and power , I had the opportunity to head toward San Antonio for the weekend with my Dad (+Jon). We shamelessly hit all the major touristy spots:








1. puppets in El Mercado
2. pastries at Mi Tierra-- the most awesome 24-hour Mexican Restaurant EVER!
3. lasers on the Riverwalk
4. umbrellas in El Mercado
5. pinatas at Mi Tierra
6. little girl and her fuzzy friend on a mechanic bull