Paper City Article

Spotlight Humane Dallas

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:06:30 GMT

Moet Sex and the City 2 Reception and Screening

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:51:37 GMT

Pierre Deux Opening Benefitting Hermann Park’s Evening in the Park

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:57:28 GMT

Terrific Toile and Coveted Country French
A retail grand opening is always an occasion for revelry, but the experience is amplified when both philanthropic and environmental components are involved. So it was when Country French-inspired home-furnishings destination Pierre Deux unveiled its new Highland Village boutique. Titled %26#8220;A Sublime Night, One Part Paris, and a Splash of Palm Beach,%26#8221; the beguiling f%26#234;te, co-hosted by PaperCity magazine, honored gala chairmen Lucy and William Carl and Anne Carl, vibrant in Pucci (husband Noble was not able to attend). Houston manager Jessica Salmons and assistant manager Kathleen Parish presided, while director of marketing and public relations Naomi Cooper jetted in to join in the festivities inaugurating Pierre Deux%26#8217;s newest store pour la maison, while Sugarbaby%26#8217;s Cupcake Boutique contributed the confections.

Posh Personages in the Park
Toasting the park and shopping Pierre Deux were pals Judy Nichols and Mary Jane Zummo, Conservancy board chairman Tom Downing, Leisa Holland-Nelson, City of Houston director of international affairs Terence O%26#8217;Neill, Stephanie Baker, Susan and Tom McMahan, Cindi and Franklin Rose, designers Jeremy Dattilo and Catheryn Wilson in Chanel, Mary Ann and David McKeithan (she told us emeralds are her favorite green thing), Joann and Bill Crassas, Gina and Devinder Bhatia, ever sartorial George Lancaster, Pepette Mongrain, artist Alessandra di Bagno, Valerie Palmquist with beau Tracy Dieterich, Gittings%26#8217; Andy Cordes, Christina Girard sporting Herm%26#232;s (the only lady we know with her own authentic canopic jar), Conservancy board member Demetra Jones and Conservancy executive director Doreen Stoller with colleagues Eliza Wright, Kelsey Harrod, and Meghan Miller, who got their wish a few weeks later with a dry Evening in the Park.

Electric

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:52:00 GMT

Sweetheart Ball

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:20:50 GMT

Erin Wasson Low Luv Launch at V.O.D.

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:41:37 GMT

Solange Dj's?

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:08:55 GMT

My twitter newsfeed went into a frenzy when Solange sent out a message that she%26#8217;d be dj-ing a 4 hour set at the Big Top lounge in Midtown. The Houston native and younger sister of mega-star Beyonce is making a splash of her own on the music scene with her pop up dj-ing gigs. While working on her latest album she has done shows in New York, L.A. and a few in Houston but I have always seemed to be in the wrong city at the wrong time so this time I was excited when I was in Houston and could go.

Walking up to the venue I saw no line and did not hear blaring music. Instead, I was greeted by Solange, already at the dj booth spinning a set that was filled with casual and melodic R%26amp;B tunes. As the party progressed space became limited, spirits were lifted with upbeat tempos and just down right feel-good music. Tunes by MIA, Tweet and Lil Wayne were all present but noticeably absent from her playlist was her sister. Have no fear though because when she began spinning a record by her brother-in-law, Jay-Z, she threw her hands up and coyly smiled as the crowd went hysterical.

%26nbsp;

MLS All Star Game Celebration

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:26:49 GMT

Hotel ZaZa plays home away from home for many musicians and athletes while in town; so, it was no surprise that they hosted the Major League Soccer All Star Game Celebration Party. Tucked away in the Phantom Ballroom the who%26#8217;s who of US Major League Soccer gathered and welcomed all stars and fans alike.

Rock stars and athletes crossed paths all night long with more than a few musicians enjoying the party. Spotted taking pictures with fans and mingling with guests were Houston%26#8217;s own Baby Bash, Katy native and American Idol Alum Kimberly Caldwell and in from New York for the festivities was Phife of the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest. Caldwell will be singing the National Anthem at the actual game this evening.

Not a detail was spared when it came to the soccer themed decor. Glasses, pillows and even the cupcakes were all outfitted with the official All Star emblem. Chief Operating Officer of the Houston Dynamos Chris Canetti was enthusiastic about the game being held here this year especially on the heels of the World Cup. %26#8220;This is a great opportunity for our city%26#8221; he said. %26#8220;We couldn%26#8217;t have planned this timing any better with the World Cup and everything.%26#8221; Houston Texans president James Rootes was also on hand to show some hometown hospitality. %26#8220;This is going to be a good year for us%26#8221; he told MLS commissioner Don Garber and from the looks of it Houston sports enthusiasts won%26#8217;t be let down this season.

Super Bowl XLV Host Committee Kick-Off Concert Series

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:11:57 GMT

Museum Tower Groundbreaking

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:52:45 GMT

Moët Sex and the City 2 Reception and Screening

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:13:41 GMT

Bastille Day Bash

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:04:29 GMT

Steel Lounge Underground

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:00:42 GMT

Horne %26 Dekker Opening

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:39:13 GMT

Top Hat and Tails

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:05:41 GMT

Appetite for Advocacy

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:07:56 GMT

A Child Can Do All Things Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:35:31 GMT

Symphony Duet

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:34:17 GMT

Kids on the catwalk were the stars when the Houston Symphony League hosted its inaugural Children%26#8217;s Spring Fashion Show, presented by Neiman Marcus at The Junior League of Houston. Chair duet Mary Ann McKeithan and Betty Tutor orchestrated the runway presentation, brunch and even an instrument petting zoo. Angling for the front row: Linda Dewhurst, Nancy Littlejohn, April Lykos, and Aimee Snoots. Neiman Marcus f%26#234;ted Christina Hanson, the wife of new symphony executive director/CEO Mark Hansen. Light bites, informal modeling and favors from Neiman%26#8217;s were on the menu. Well-wishers: Julie Browning, Viviana Denechaud, Kari Brophy, and Zarine Boyce.

The Little Galleria Presented by MD Anderson and The Galleria

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:50:57 GMT

Resplendent Surls

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:31:10 GMT

The unveiling of sculptor James Surls%26#8217; %26#8220;Magnificent Seven%26#8221; exhibition (located on the lush grounds of Rice University through October 15) certainly registered on our radar. The afternoon began with a Surls-led tour of his seven modernist sculptures that previously adorned New York City%26#8217;s Park Avenue in Spring 2009. Afterwards, an HOK-sponsored reception included a speech by Rice president David Leebron, a soundscape commissioned from maestro Dagang Chen and remarks from an illustrious Rice alum, Mayor Annise Parker. The evening crescendoed with an intimate cocktail party at the home of Sara Dodd-Spickelmier and Keith Spickelmier. Sculptural sophisticates: Rice first lady Y. Ping Sun, Rice public art director Molly Hubbard and husband Ford Hubbard with HOK, Minnette Boesel, Surls%26#8217; gallerist Barbara Davis, Judy Nyquist, and Bruce Eames. %26nbsp;

All Things Asian

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:31:57 GMT

The Yao Ming Foundation and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, united for a lavish gala to help rebuild Hurricane Ike%26#8211;ravaged playgrounds while celebrating the MFAH%26#8217;s Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Arts of China Gallery, unveiling later this year. Oriental enthusiasts: Chairman Yao Ming and wife Ye Li, the MFAH%26#8217;s Frances and Peter Marzio, Elyse and Bob Lanier, iTalk CEO Jack Zhao, TV chef Ming Tsai (who demonstrated his recipe for Peking duck) and the museum%26#8217;s Asian art curator Christine Starkman. Asia Society Texas Center%26#8217;s Tiger Ball bestowed its Roy M. Huffington Award upon Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Aussie and Asian admirers: Kim Beazley, Australia%26#8217;s United States ambassador, who accepted the award on Rudd%26#8217;s behalf; %26nbsp;Margaret Williams; Asia Society Texas chairman Charles Foster and executive director Martha Blackwelder; honorary consul general of Australia Nana Booker; Mayor Annise Parker; Phillip Scanlan; and honorary chairmen Robin and J. Michael Yeager.

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:02:18 GMT

Tiny Texans at Tootsies

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:37:28 GMT

Tootsies boutique tossed a baubles- and babies-themed bash to celebrate the Texas Children%26#8217;s Maternity Center, opening in 2011. More than 100 fashionable femmes, including several moms-to-be, gathered for a preview of the state-of-the-art center and greeted Texas Children%26#8217;s senior vice president Cris Daskevich. To launch the new addition, jewelry designer Mindy Lam unveiled a special keepsake pin, while a fashion show revealed that baby bumps deserve more than traditional maternity duds. In the crowd: Sidney Faust, Sandy McElligott, Ann Stern, Roz Pactor, Nidhika Mehta, Linda Kuykendall, and Elsie Eckert.

Norouz Resolution for Education

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:56:53 GMT

%26#8220;Education is the Key to Success%26#8221; proclaimed the annual Norouz Celebration and Scholarship evening hosted by the Society of Iranian American Women for Education, which awards scholarships to young Iranians in Texas. The elegant bazaar and dinner observed the Iranian New Year with dining, shopping and a celebration of culture and community. Chaired by Mehrnaz Gill and Malekeh Nezam-Mafi, the f%26#234;te featured speaker Rice University president David Leebron. Toasting Persian style: opera singer Pari Zangeneh and pianist/conductor Hooman Khalatbari; emcee Lila Sharifian; and SIAWE president Shoaleh Shirvani Nosrati.

Cattle Baron's Ball Trailblazer Party

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:03:39 GMT

Champagne %26 Ribs

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:57:11 GMT

The annual Champagne %26amp; Ribs f%26#234;te lived up to its name, with guests savoring Goode Co. Barbecue alongside flutes of Freixenet, all to support free admission to the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Co-chair quintet Melinda and Felix Chevalier, Naima Singletary, and Wendy and James Rodriguez reigned over the artful evening, down to the jazz stylings of crooner Kristine Mills. Toasting the CAMH: Michelle Cruz Arnold, Sharon Aboussleman and Errol McLaughlin, Diedra and Terence Fontaine, Melanie Lawson and John F. Guess Jr., and Karen and Ramon Manning.

Cyclone Anaya's Riazul Tequila Social

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:49:28 GMT

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Topping Off

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:33:54 GMT

2nd Annual Divot Dash Polo Party

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:14:05 GMT

Horses and Helicopters

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:12:13 GMT

Cyclone Anaya's Riazul Tequila Social

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:00:06 GMT

The Zoo Friends of Houston’s 22nd Annual Zoo Ball

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:15:50 GMT

The Zoo Friends of Houston%26#8217;s 22nd Annual Zoo Ball, chaired by Cristina Buaas and Sheila Hulme, raised an astounding $600,000 to benefit the upcoming African Forest exhibit, set to unveil this December. Houston Zoo supporters in their chicest safari attire mingled with animals and trainers. Dancers dressed as lions, tigers and bears kept the crowd entertained as they noshed on bites from City Kitchen and placed bids on the silent and big board auctions. Party animals: honorees Anne and Charles Duncan; auction chair trio Missy Pacha, Susan Ehrhardt, and Kathleen Panus; Zoo Friend life member Jane Block; Zoo director Rick Barongi; and Houston Zoo president/CEO Deborah Cannon.

Luxury Marketing Leaders

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:16:19 GMT

The Luxury Marketing Council gathered poolside at The Belle Meade at River Oaks, where Helen Perry and Pamela Martin-Duarte led discussions about innovative branding at the sleek new mid-rise to rapt guests including Jimmy Ahmed, Lindsay Aronstein, Paul Winkler, Zahira Coll, Alexander Rogers, and David Fink.%26nbsp;The Luxury Marketing Council convened at Hotel Granduca, where speaker Marti Boone %26#8212; a senior VP with the Greater Houston Partnership %26#8212; led a lively discussion about the business of luxury. Astute listeners: Eleanor Connan, Erika Ferretti, Francie Willis, Maggi Jones, John Benton, and Ann Middleton, in from China.

Jan Showers at The Tower Residences at the Ritz-Carlton

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:50:32 GMT

Crystal Charity Ball Theme Announcement Party

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:27:11 GMT

Caron Texas Inaugural Reception

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:09:23 GMT

The Texas Celebrity Shootout

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:25:15 GMT

March of Dimes Signature Chefs Kick Off

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:43:03 GMT

The American Diabetes Association Luncheon

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:32:37 GMT

Cattle Baron's Ball Theme Reveal

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:16:11 GMT

NFL Welcome Reception

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:32:40 GMT

Society of Young Philanthropists' Debut Gala

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:57:31 GMT

DSO AT%26T Gala Launch Party

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:11:32 GMT

Stanley Korshak Poolside Event

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:46:35 GMT

2010 Cattle Baron's Ball

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:33:02 GMT

Klotz Associates Marks 25th Anniversary

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:23:30 GMT

2010 Go Red for Women Luncheon

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:08:55 GMT

Gables Park 17 Grand Opening

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:34:13 GMT

Dallas Contemporary Wish! Art Auction 2010

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:01:07 GMT

Wilhelm Scholê International dinner and tribute

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:57:02 GMT

Morton Kuehnert celebrates Spanish and Latin American Art

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:26:46 GMT

St. Jude Kick Off Party

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:46:16 GMT

Jaguar Plano Grand Opening

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:33:31 GMT

City Cafe's 25th Anniversary

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:18:56 GMT

National Italian American Foundation Texas Gala

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:15:42 GMT

6th Annual Rosewood Awards

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:10:10 GMT

Wolff Companies Gates Ranch 2010

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:09:42 GMT

The Junior League of Dallas Theme Reveal Party

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:03:41 GMT

13 celsius' Third Annual Pink Party

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:48:57 GMT

NasherSALON Speaker Series featuring Gladys Knight

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:46:04 GMT

Divot Dash Kickoff Party

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:37:36 GMT

Classy Chassis 2010

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:34:39 GMT

The Leukemia %26 Lymphoma Society's "Man %26 Woman of the Year" Finale

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:15:06 GMT

The Dallas Historical Society's Tom Lea Reception

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:56:15 GMT

MFAH Reception for Charles M. Russell

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:54:10 GMT

MFAH Art of India Gallery's Anniversary Celebration

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:43:51 GMT

Jewish Family Service Woman-to-Woman Luncheon with Diane von Furstenberg

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:38:47 GMT

The Bridge Wrap Party

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:26:00 GMT

Park Place Dealerships/Texas Rangers Triple Play

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:54:24 GMT

Feather Your Nest Luncheon and Speakers Series with Harville Hendrix and Helen La Kelly Hunt

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:55:35 GMT

The Old State's Dallas' Top 100 Dinner

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:56:29 GMT

Milagro Tequila Party at The Beat Condos

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:46:04 GMT

SFERRA %26 All The Best by Ronda Carman

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:28:26 GMT

Art Ball Patron Party

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:07:10 GMT

Sweetheart Ball Patron Party

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:49:37 GMT

2010 Doctor Appreciation and Professional Mixer

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:44:41 GMT

Dallas International Film Festival

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:46:15 GMT

Briggs Freeman Spring Party

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:00:07 GMT

Haute for Hope Celebrity Luncheon and Fashion Show

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:27:06 GMT

Shamaine Klein Design Debuts New Line at Donald J. Pliner

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:41:35 GMT

Park Place Volvo's Day at the Races

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:17:32 GMT

Accessible Luxury Event

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:49:46 GMT

Bravissimo: Houston's Opera in the Heights

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:17:10 GMT

14th Annual Strong Smart and Bold Celebration Luncheon

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:44:01 GMT

This Old House

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:36:19 GMT

Azaleas and Antiques

One of America%26#8217;s preeminent house museums, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, celebrated spring with a suite of f%26#234;tes that raised operating funds for the renowned American decorative arts collection culled by the late Miss Ima Hogg and bequeathed to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Talk about blue bloods and pedigrees %26#8230; The four-day series of alfresco soir%26#233;es began with the classic Cocktail Party on a balmy%26nbsp; evening, where the young professional set gathered under a magnificent tent created by McDugald-Steele Landscape Architects. Music by Moodafaruka wafted through the verdant grounds while 300 guest clinked cocktails and perused Bayou Bend%26#8217;s extraordinary period rooms, which span the colonial to mid-Victorian eras. Chairmen Leslie and Mark Hull, Tennie and David Ott, Annie Criner, and Ryan Gordon reigned (chairmen Katie and Paul Barnhart were detained by volcanic ash in Europe), inaugurating a weekend of festivities at this grand repository of important American 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century antiques. Among the soign%26#233; and swell: Nancy Mathe; Casey and Will Hedges; chair mom Susie and Sanford Criner; Patricia and Paul Parker; Kelli Kickerillo and Todd Forester, whose wedding in December was topped by a lavish MFAH reception; Campbell Eifler; Catherine and Scott Winship; Adam Ross; Sarah Dunstall; Laura Morrod; and Courtney Teshoian.%26nbsp;

Dancing Around Diana

The next night, a sumptuous seated dinner catered by City Kitchen and the iconic repertoire of crooner Yvonne Washington were highlights of Bayou Bend%26#8217;s Garden Party. Chairman Marjorie Cain greeted the genteel throng, whose stage was the house and the gardens encircling the Diana Fountain. Among the 400 discerning decorative arts denizens: the MFAH%26#8217;s golden couple, director Peter Marzio and antiquities curator Frances Marzio; MFAH Board chairman Cornelia Long; MFAH associate director Gwen Goffe; architect Ed Eubanks; Carol and Mike Linn; benefactress Jeanie Kilroy (Bayou Bend%26#8217;s new visitor center named in her honor opens this September), escorted by Ed Becnel; Isabel and Wallace Wilson; Laurie and Reed Morian; Michelle and Frank Hevrdejs (his American painting collection is legendary); chair husband Walker Cain; Margaret Williams with Jim Daniel; Lilly and Thurmon Andress; Franci Crane; Christine and Shea Morenz; gallerist Hiram Butler; antiques dealer Andrew Spindler, in from Boston; and Bayou Bend director Bonnie Campbell and curator Michael Brown.

Tykes on the Lawn

Days later, Bayou Bend belonged to the Crayola crowd when the Children%26#8217;s Party unfurled, titled %26#8220;Peaceable Kingdom%26#8221; after the charming Edward Hicks canvas (circa 1826 %26#8211; 1828) in the museum%26#8217;s permanent collection. A luncheon under the big tent, arts and crafts, sack races and even midway games appealed to families and tykes. Chair trio Julie Barrett, Lisa Oren, and Laura Wheless organized the perfect afternoon, which brought out 500 present and future supporters spanning three generations.

Here Comes Five-A

The celebrations wrapped up when Five-A, the MFAH%26#8217;s African American Art Advisory Association, held its biennial spring soir%26#233;e, chaired by Karen and Ramon Manning. The evening%26#8217;s special guest, Oscar-nominated actress Cicely Tyson, received a tour of Bayou Bend and mingled with the crowd of more than 100 guests, including Erin and Adrian Patterson, Galveston Arts Center%26#8217;s Clint Willour, MFAH trustee Sarah Trotty, Greg Shannon, retired MFAH curator Alvia Wardlaw (of Gee%26#8217;s Bend quilt exhibition fame), newlyweds Heidi and Marcus Smith, Michelle Barnes of the Community Artists Collective, Reggie Van Lee escorting Miz Tyson, Joan and John Hughes, Eileen Morris, Andrea and Chris Campbell, Docia Rudley, and Cleveland Browns player Shaun Rogers with Kisha Beard.

Texas Ballet Theater's Ballet + Cabaret Winspear Gala

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:17:00 GMT

Grand Opening of Brownstone Antique Center

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:10:46 GMT

Brownstone Antique Center %26#8212; housing Lewis %26amp; Maese, River Oaks Watch Co. and Smith %26amp; Company Jewels %26#8212; commemorated its grand opening by inviting 350 discerning fashion and design types, who jammed the packed-to-the-brim aisles while ogling and acquiring antique furnishings and accessories, watches, baubles and more. Later, many revelers headed across the courtyard to the clubby lounge, the Red Room. Celebrants: BAC%26#8217;s main men Beau Theriot of Brownstone Gallery and Lewis %26amp; Maese impresarios David Lewis and Ernest Maese; Wayne Smith of Smith %26amp; Company Jewels; Pamela Baker, in from Istanbul; Judith Oudt; Diane Lokey Farb; Anna Dean; Terry Wayne Jones; Brian Jordan of River Oaks Watch%26#8217;s; Stuart Rosenberg; Megan Sutton-Reed and Chris Reed; jeweler Patricia Peckinpaugh; Katherine and Mark Yzaguirre; Red Room GM Brad Stearnes; and BAC manager James Craig.

Houston Premiere of “After Life” Thriller

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:45:32 GMT

The premise may be morbid, but the buzz surrounding the Houston premiere of the psychological thriller After Life was anything but. Producer Bill Perkins and his wife Stephanie attended the unveiling at Edwards Greenway Palace 24, followed by a red-carpet f%26#234;te at the Mercer to celebrate the moody Christina Ricci and Liam Neeson film. Chairmen Lucinda and Javier Loya brought out the bright young things for the occasion, who flocked on the dance floor to bust their moves. Turning out: Heather Hill, Gary Blackshire, Tama and John Klosek, Kelly Bussen, Megan Sutton-Reed, Christie Sullivan, Noell Myska, Robert Sura, and Sarah Alexander.

Architect Bobby McAlpine Speaks at Greenwood King’s The Lobby

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:42:01 GMT

Greenwood King%26#8217;s The Lobby was the place to be when Julie Greenwood and Linda King welcomed nationally published, Alabama-based architect and designer Bobby McAlpine, who came to town to sign his new Rizzoli volume, The Home Within Us: Romantic Houses, Evocative Rooms. McAlpine, the latest in GK%26#8217;s ongoing speaker series, also dished design and underscored his firm%26#8217;s philosophy of embracing history in contemporary homes and interiors. Among the McAlpine fans: Sloan/Hall%26#8217;s Shannon Hall and Marcus Sloan, designer Selena Mackey with daughter Larissa Pineda, Marcy Johnson, Kylie Frierson, Rachel Rosson, Jennifer Wallace, Carol Isaak Barden, antiquarian Jas Gundry and designer Joe Shaffer.%26nbsp;

Materials Marketing’s Grand Opening

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:11:16 GMT

When Materials Marketing on West Gray celebrated its sleek new showroom, the decorating contingent turned out in force. More than 200 guests marveled at beautiful vignettes in all manner of stone, mosaic, tile and marble, while toasting San Antonio-headquartered CEO Jim Rymer and wife Kathy, president Jeff Glasener and wife Lyndsey, VP Tim Roberts and wife Laurie, and Houston manager Holly Pizzitola. Stone gazing: designers Elizabeth Koval, Julia Blailock, Laura Timanus, Amitha Verma, Trisha McGaw, and Jane-Page Crump; Monica Lozano; Theresa and Ryan Engel;
and Sarah Ruiz.

High Wattage Fête

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:05:04 GMT

Let There Be Light

Talk about kilowatts of talent. Circa Lighting recently hosted a cocktail party to f%26#234;te Houston designer J. Randall Powers aka Randy Powers and his new lighting collection for Visual Comfort. Powers, along with designers Michael S. Smith, David Easton, Barbara Barry, Thomas O%26#8217;Brien, Eric Cohler, Alexa Hampton and more, all design luxe lighting collections for Visual Comfort, based in Houston and owned by Andy Singer. Circa Lighting, the retail source for Visual Comfort, was the scene of the power-packed evening, where guests could peruse Powers%26#8217; latest collection of table and floor lamps and sconces named after some of his favorite Houston people and places, from the handsome Cameron (George) in alabaster-colored quartz to the Broad Oaks (neighborhood), with its simple column of crystal, to the Lancaster (George), Hargett (Gerald), Russell (Margaret), Mason (a client) and the Huntingdon (the high-rise). Also enlightening was the benevolent factor %26#8212; that a portion of sales benefitted the Center for AIDS in Houston.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

The Incandescents

In the crowd of 200: Visual Comfort%26#8217;s Andy Singer with wife Gayle and mom Joann; Circa Lighting manager Diane Moore; Bill Caudell; John Bebout dishing with Lisa Pope Westerman; Diane Lokey Farb; designer Michael Stribling, Nicole Gill-Ottinger, who came from Dallas to meet Powers; mom-to-be and designer Kristen Nix; Rosie Meyers; Crawford Renovation%26#8217;s Ben Crawford; photog Steve Henry; Cindy and Mike Neal; Renea Abbott and Greg Manteris; Greg Fourticq Jr.; Powers%26#8217; colleague, designer Catherine Brooks, after whom he named a sleek table lamp, the Brooks; Patrick Brys; Erick Outcalt; and George Lancaster, ever ready with a quip, %26#8220;Where is the Lancaster? I%26#8217;m here to see my lamp. Randy said it has long legs.%26#8221;

Grand Opening of Vieux Interiors’s New Home

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:25:31 GMT

Vieux Interiors inaugurated its new West Alabama home-furnishings and antiques mecca with a high-energy evening where style-seekers swarmed, eager to congratulate owner Marty Bratton and colleagues Nasyim Segal and manager DeWayne Formby. Among the decorating cognoscenti: Dot Dimiero and daughter Dana Aichler; designers Laurie Pearson, Catheryn Wilson, Tami Owen, and Tricia Crane; Found%26#8217;s Ruth Davis with husband Neill and Aaron Rambo; artist Mel DeWees, whose canvases line the walls at Vieux; Karen and Walt Krey; John Flewellen; Joann Klein, chatting with Alexander Noriega; Natalie Faust; and Allison and John Thompson.

Shopping and “Bra-vissima” Exhibition at Memorial Antiques

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:17:37 GMT

Memorial Antiques %26amp; Interiors saw pink %26#8212; literally %26#8212; when it hosted a chic and philanthropic afternoon of shopping to benefit the Baylor College of Medicine%26#8217;s Smith Breast Center and the Pink Ribbon House showcase home, which also raises awareness and funds for the center. The day featured the touring exhibition %26#8220;Bra-vissima,%26#8221; which showcased bras created by designers, survivors and artists for the cause. Benevolent ones: MAI manager Kathy Swartzfager and colleagues Marilyn Maddox, Jana Wright, and Henry Galindo; dealers Kelly O%26#8217;Donnell, Tracy Shingledecker, Janice Culp, and Tamara Moore; Sandy Campion; Lucy Raster; Patricia Reed and daughter Lauren; and physician Karla Sepulveda.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

PetSet Soiree Kick-Off Party at Muse

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:30:31 GMT

Posh Purses, Cancer Crusaders

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:41:00 GMT

Hoorah for Heroes %26amp; Handbags

Among all the galas, luncheons, personal appearances and dinners we attend, one of the most poignant is Heroes %26amp; Handbags, a brunch and silent auction of covetable purses that raises money for families whose children are cancer patients. This Texas-centric charity really rings true when its founders%26#8217; stories are told: Dallas moms Larissa Linton and Jenny Scott both lost young daughters to cancer, then started Heroes for Children to provide for the needs of other families. At the fourth annual Houston benefit at River Oaks Country Club, both co-founders joined chairman Alissa Maples who interjected compassion and energy into making this one of the most successful brunches ever. Rounding out the afternoon was the very real story of cancer survivor Blake, relayed by his father, Jim Lieberman, which brought home again the meaning of the day. Then Houston-based Elaine Turner Designs received the second annual Spirit of Allie and Taylor Award, named in honor of Scott and Linton%26#8217;s late daughters. And kudos to Texas Children%26#8217;s upcoming Maternity Center (opening 2011), represented by VP Cris Daskevich, which gracefully stepped up as presenting sponsor for the cause.

Philanthropists are Always in Fashion

High bidders and do-gooders admiring and acquiring sleek bags donated by retailers Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, Versace, Fendi, MaxMara, Elaine Turner, Tootsies, Gucci at Saks Fifth Avenue, Alexandra Knight, More Than You Can Imagine and more: Carol Isaak Barden toting Tory Burch; Liz Decker; Beth Muecke; Jenny Moore nabbing Fendi, Dior and Gucci purses early for her eight-month-old tyke, Penelope; Christian Dior%26#8217;s Jacqueline Clark (the boutique donating an orange Ave bag); the chairman%26#8217;s husband Kevin Maples and parents Virginia and Dan Steppe; Heather McLeskey with Elaine Turner; Heroes Houston manager Mimi Bates; honorary chairman, PaperCity%26#8217;s Holly Moore; Ursaline Hamilton; Sarah Simon; Elizabeth King; Heroes board chairman Allan Rayson; Mary Lou Fernandez; Sabiha Rehmatulla; Karen Desenberg; Laura Casey; Maryam Mireskandari; lucky Ashley Hopkins, who won the raffle bijoux gifted by DeVille Fine Jewelry; and next year%26#8217;s co-chairmen, Christine Hoffer and Celina Stabell.

AIA Houston’s Les Beaux Arts Ball

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:56:28 GMT

The AIA Houston%26#8217;s Les Beaux Arts Ball was truly a blueprint for a blast. Masked revelers enjoyed a silent auction and a seated dinner capped by dancing amid The Corinthian%26#8217;s columns and coffered ceilings. The fanciful f%26#234;te benefitted Architecture Center Houston Foundation while honoring Jerry Lea with an AIA membership, Jim Evans with the Ben Brewer Young Architect Award, 2010 Fellows Kimberly Hickson and Joe Mashburn, and firm of the year Gensler Houston. Entertained by entablature: chairmen Jo and Jim Furr; AIA Houston director Barrie Scardino; U of H dean of architecture Patricia Oliver; RDA director Linda Sylvan; and architect Bill Stern.

Crossroads School Gala "Fairy Tale Endings"

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:16:47 GMT

On the Auction Block: An Opportunity to Assist

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:34:51 GMT

Pull yourself out of the pool for a second and consider a childhood without summers. For us we no longer really have one without camp, summer trips, Fourth of July fireworks, swimming at night or spending time with friends being, well, just a kid.

For Lucy Schuler, this isn't simply a consideration; it's life. Recently diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Schuler is missing out on what being a kid is all about due to spinal taps, chemotherapy and other treatments.

Enter I W Marks, aware of the toll Lucy's condition must be taking on her parents emotionally, physically and financially they'll graciously host a live auction Thursday, July first from 5 to 7pm at their flagship jewelry store at 3841 Bellaire Blvd. to raise funds to cover Lucy's medical costs. Be there, we know we don't want her and her family suffering the hardships any longer; after all, where's the fun in summer if you're watching it go by from a hospital bed and not a beach chair.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Obelisk Gala and Awards Ceremony

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:19:21 GMT

Abi Ferrin Fall 2010 Unveiling

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:08:27 GMT

Sculpture Reveal Garden Party hosted by Faye Briggs

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:46:01 GMT

Communities In Schools Houston 2010 Gala Kick Off Party

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:31:39 GMT

Pot of Gold Luncheon

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:10:01 GMT

Crown Ball Purple and Gold Party

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:57:17 GMT

A Conversation with Phil Collins

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:06:32 GMT

B.R.M. Watches for Men Presentation with Simona de Silvestro

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:55:35 GMT

WINGS Luncheon

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:25:43 GMT

Louis Vuitton and Neiman Marcus present Cosmic Blossom

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:23:41 GMT

Doing the Most Good With Your Clothes Fashion Show

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:42:27 GMT

Dee %26 Charles Wyly Host a Black Tie Dinner for The Salvation Army

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:22:02 GMT

The Best Little Doghouse in Texas

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:09:14 GMT

Human Rights Campaign Houston 2010 Gala

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:28:02 GMT

Champagne %26 Ribs

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:34:14 GMT

European Wax Center Celebration

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:58:30 GMT

Sugarcane Grand Opening

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:37:40 GMT

Mo's Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:48:45 GMT

Cari Shoemate Release Party

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:42:39 GMT

Art with Heart 2010

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:07:10 GMT

Human Rights Campaign 2010 Gala

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:02:58 GMT

The Paper Runway Opening Reception

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:04:18 GMT

Mad Hatter's Tea Party Luncheon "Divas and Dahlias"

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:46:49 GMT

Yellow %26 Black Tie Gala Kick-Off Party

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:39:01 GMT

eatZis Market and Bakery Grand Opening

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:20:42 GMT

2010 IIDA Auction and Fashion Show

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:26:40 GMT

Lite Dallas Presents The Event

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:32:09 GMT

Partners Card Kick-Off

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:04:11 GMT

Renee Rouleau Product Launch Party

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:03:04 GMT

Dallas Summer Musicals Curtain Call

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:31:47 GMT

Communities In Schools Dallas Region's Dream Big Gala

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:48:20 GMT

Pratham Houston Gala 2010

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:29:01 GMT

The Girl Who Learned Differently Book Launch and Signing

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 05:13:44 GMT

UTHealth's "A Celebration of Transformation and Hope"

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:26:20 GMT

Net-A-Porter Fall '10 Collection Preview

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:49:16 GMT

Junior League of Dallas Sustainer of the Year Luncheon

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:33:29 GMT

LOL with Lily Tomlin Gala

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:45:43 GMT

W.O.W. Annual Memebership Party at Elaine Turner

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:11:49 GMT

Fifth Annual Menninger Community Luncheon

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:05:59 GMT

Dionysus Salon Grand Opening

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:44:50 GMT

Luxury Marketing Council at Belle Meade

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:25:55 GMT

2010 Alley Theatre Jett Setters' Ball

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:20:57 GMT

Tootsies Sex and the City 2 Party

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:05:36 GMT

Exhibition Premiere Honoring Blue Bird Circle

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:00:50 GMT

Tiger Ball 2010

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:56:50 GMT

Nouvea Art Bar Opening

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:32:35 GMT

Italian Art Event at Nest

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 05:14:19 GMT

Fleming's Ultimate Girls' Night Out

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:44:44 GMT

Dine Around Dinner

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:39:09 GMT

Fusion Taco Launch Party

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:21:48 GMT

Meddlesome Moth Grand Opening

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:02:47 GMT

Artemide Bella Notte

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:15:52 GMT

Neiman Marcus Stiletto Strut

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 06:11:06 GMT

When Stiletto Strut and its throng of well-shod supporters take over Neiman Marcus Downtown and the surrounding city block, it's impossible not to be swept up in the high-heeled frenzy. This year, co-chairmen Lynn McBee and Anne Stodghill took the reigns of the American Heart Association fund-raiser, with the NM faces %26#8212; Ken Downing, Shelle Sills, and Jeny Bania %26#8212; on hand to help produce yet another quintessential Neiman Marcus f%26#234;te. The clicking of Ferragamo, Chanel and Gucci heels on NM's historic marble floors was resounding as hundreds of guests filed into the flagship and were greeted by dozens of handsome firemen. Our city's finest were on hand to assist with such tasks as wearing red-heart T-shirts, selling chance tickets, blocking off Commerce and Main streets, and escorting the ladies, should they need a hand while making the one-block parade. The firemen were not the only eye candy, though, as the most enviable gems were on the feet of attendees. Honorary co-chair Jacquelin Sewell, Claire Emanuelson and Sills all sported Prada. Courtney Tennison, Stodghill and McBee all opted for Christian Louboutin. And Nancy Carter, the evening's Heart and Sole Award recipient, went with a classic label as well: "They're cork," she said of her Manolo Blahniks. "I thought they'd be easier for the Strut." The Stiletto Strut "Loafers" %26#8212; including Carl Sewell, Greg Nieberding, Steve Stodghill, Dwight Emanuelson, Allan McBee, Robert Weatherly, and John Lemak %26#8212; caught up in the Shoe Salon turned gentleman's lounge, complete with a bar serving Macallan Scotch Whiskey and a silent auction offering accommodations at Scotland's Skibo Castle. Nearby, Bethany Siggins (in jersey-strap Givenchy heels) and Paige Westhoff (in edgy patent Pollini) warmed up for the strut with help from Equinox trainers alongside honorary co-chair Peggy Sewell and guests Jennifer Tobin, Paige Lane, Bradley Agather, Muffin Lemak, and Elaine Agather. Signaling the start of the Strut was NM%26#8217;s ever-exuberant VP and fashion director, Downing, who commanded: "Ladies: Start. Your. Heels!" Thus, the group exited the store, and the block-long trek began. McBee and Stodghill led Suzanne Droese, Paige McDaniel, D'Andra Simmons, Alex Kelly, Nancy Gopez, and Mary Gill, with the mother-daughter Sewell honorary chairs taking up the rear in a red Lexus convertible pace car. What kept all the vibrant ladies strutting? Encouraging words from Downing, who waved them to the finish line, with PaperCity co-editors Brooke Hortenstine and Rob Brinkley also inspiring the girls with cheers and bons mots. "Where is your fireman? Do you need me to call 9-1-1?" cried Downing.

Ralph Lauren Brunch at Saks Fifth Avenue

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 06:01:14 GMT

Monique Lhuillier Champagne Reception at Impressions Bridal Salon

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:45:29 GMT

2010 Furniture and Art Crawl

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:13:42 GMT

Valentino Restaurant Opening

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:45:52 GMT

Equest Community Service Award Announcement Party

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:35:34 GMT

An Evening with Mike Huckabee

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:13:04 GMT

Lucky Strike Lanes %26 Lounge Grand Opening

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:55:30 GMT

The Real Estate Council's FightNight

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:44:27 GMT

8th Annual Hunger Busters Golf Classic

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:15:56 GMT

"Passion 4 Fashion" Fashion Show with Styles from Saks Fifth Avenue

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:13:34 GMT

Wish Night: The Greatest Wish on Earth

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:11:31 GMT

Chick Lit Luncheon

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:27:44 GMT

2nd Annual Friends for Life Gala

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:53:29 GMT

Wasted Expressions Photography Exhibition

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:51:07 GMT

2010 Dallas Symphony Derby

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:29:39 GMT

The Nature Conservancy's Dallas Spring Party

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:04:21 GMT

This is How We Brunch!

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:06:25 GMT

Houston's Newest High-Rise, Highland Tower

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:55 GMT

Katy Prairie Conservancy Gala

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:36:03 GMT

Stewart Cohen Identity Artist Reception and Book Signing

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:24:35 GMT

2009 Buffalo Bayou Ball

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:54:16 GMT

Fly Away With the Bridge

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:36:49 GMT

Jewish Family Services' "A Night at the Movies"

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:22:24 GMT

2010 Houston Go Red for Women Expo and Luncheon

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:13:06 GMT

Lone Star Region Porsche Club of America

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:58:46 GMT

American Heart Association's Power of Legacy Soiree

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:51:21 GMT

Heart Deco

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:19:08 GMT

Symphonic Soirée

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:15:52 GMT

The Houston Symphony%26#8217;s Maestros Wine Dinner was one of the year%26#8217;s hottest tickets, selling out before the invitations were even mailed. Chair quartet Carolyn and Mike Mann and Kathy and Paul Mann oversaw the repast, which was complemented by precise wine pairings and accompanied by the classical refrains of Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky, all to benefit the Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition. Symphonic swells: Cora Sue and Harry Mach, Joella and Steve Mach, new Symphony CEO Mark Hanson with wife Christina, and Margaret Williams with Jim Daniel.

Voice for Children "Hooray for Hollywood" Gala

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:14:03 GMT

TACA Party on the Green

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:01:12 GMT

An invitation to TACA's annual Party on the Green reads always as one of the most glam house parties ever thrown: notable address (the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek), charming hostess (chairman Ashley Tripplehorn), bountiful cuisine (16 of Rosewood Hotels and Resorts%26#8217; master chefs) and a charitable cause (raising funds for TACA's programs supporting the performing arts). But this year, change was in the air. To start, TACA nixed last year's fall date and selected the spring social season for the rendezvous. And instead of holding the event in the hotel's front driveway, or inside, the Mansion turned over its entire estate for TACA's use %26#8212; thus, it was the first time the party would sprawl throughout the newly renovated patio, restaurant, bar and ballroom. Before entering the moveable feast, our city's brightest arts patrons, including Jennifer and John Eagle, Shannon and Ted Skokos, Diane and Hal Brierley, Barbara and Don Daseke, and Nancy and Clint Carlson were greeted by TACA's board of directors chairman Lynn McBee beneath a canopy of white lights in the driveway. "Isn't it a beautiful night?" she asked. By %26#8220;beautiful,%26#8221; McBee was not referring to the balmy temperature, but to the epicurean adventure that awaited. International and local Rosewood chefs made their gastronomic presence felt throughout the Mansion, with standout samplings coming from Wolfgang Eberle of Saudi Arabia's Rosewood Al Faisaliah Hotel and Hotel Al Khozama; chef Anthony Dawodu of the U.S. Virgin Islands' Caneel Bay resort; chef J. Pablo Loza of Rosewood's Jumby Bay resort in the West Indies; and the Mansion's own Bruno Davaillon and David Collier. Compass markings on the floor led the way, taking TACA president Becky Young, Rosewood Hotels %26amp; Resorts' VIPs John Scott, Bob Boulogne and Duncan Graham, and guests Elisa and Stephen Summers, Skye Brewer, Faye Briggs, Tincy Miller, Kelley McDonald, and Peggy and Carl Sewell past the performing Sammons Jazz Trio and into the ballroom, where emcees Julie and Gene Gates entertained the crowd. Also in the ballroom? A silent-auction spread of chef-donated packages geared toward the jet-setting gourmand. The most sought-after item came from chef Victor Palma %26#8212; three nights in Los Cabos' Las Ventanas al Paraiso resort and breakfast every morning %26#8212; which was so popular that he won the coveted Golden Skillet Award for raising the most money benefitting TACA. A recipe for gastronomic success, indeed.

Carrie Ann Airs “Sex and the City”

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:53:22 GMT

In Uptown Park at Carrie Ann boutique, Sex and the City fans screened the first movie in anticipation of the sequel. Spotted sporting Manolos and cosmos: owner Carrie Ann Sanders, Erica Rose, Nicole Brende, Kelly Crabb, and Ana Diaz.

Persian New Year and Scholarship Dinner

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:44:41 GMT

“Spring into Summer” with Rebecca %26 Drew

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:13:25 GMT

Three recent parties shared one goal: Shop till you drop! Rebecca %26amp; Drew boutique hosted a fabulous %26#8220;Spring into Summer%26#8221; evening of shopping and cocktails. Owner Lindsay Aronstein showcased the latest summer classics while Houston-based handbag creator Mary Nichols displayed her divine designs.

Savor the Arts

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:50:11 GMT

2nd Annual Triple Crown Polo Fundraiser

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:27:23 GMT

Serving a Child's Future

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:49:58 GMT

Memorial Hermann Circle of Life Gala

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:58:50 GMT

2010 Hunting Art Prize Gala

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:44:28 GMT

The Stehlin Foundation 2010 Gala Kick-Off

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:37:14 GMT

"The Carrie Diaries" Book Signing with Candace Bushnell

Thu, 27 May 2010 05:35:49 GMT

Arcodoro %26 Pomodoro 22nd Anniversary

Thu, 27 May 2010 04:07:47 GMT

A small, quiet gathering just wouldn't be a proper Italian celebration, so when it came time to toast Arcodoro %26amp; Pomodoro's 22nd anniversary %26#8212; the first anniversario to be had in its new Crescent Court location %26#8212; it was no surprise that husband/wife owners Lori and Efisio Farris would throw a grand birthday/opening bash. It was a foray into antipasti and cocktail heaven %26#8212; with hundreds of bottles of Efisio's private-label Efix prosecco, large glass jugs filled with cucumber-flavored infused Grey Goose Vodka, and enough Sardinian fare to feed a small army. The likes of Steve Kemble, Angie Barrett, Azadeh Ajami, Judy and Bill Pittman, Myrna and Bob Schlegel, Stephen Giles, and Anna-Sophia van Zweden walked the red carpet and posed for pictures at a step and repeat, causing a traffic-stopping spectacle on the busy Maple and McKinney corner. Once inside, Janet and Jack Nylund, Jessica Olsson, Carolyn and Tav Lupton, and Karen and Horatio Lonsdale-Hands were greeted by buona seras from Lori and Efisio and their children Francesca and Valerio before dispersing throughout A%26amp;P's bar, dining room and patio. Among the partygoers was John Sughrue, with wife Marlene. "Usually, he's in a really great suit," said John of Efisio, who was clad in chef whites. The reason for his culinary duds? Efisio and chef Luciano Salvadore prepared a monumental seafood paella on the back patio, before their benevolent raffle ensued %26#8212; the hot-ticket item was an escape to Sardinia's Colonna Park Hotel to benefit Big Thought and SLANT 45, the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's educational program. Daryl Johnston did the honors, drawing Sarah and Jim Garrett as the vacay winners, leaving us wishing that we could stow away in their Italy-bound suitcases.

The Yes Men Meet the Art Guys

Thu, 27 May 2010 01:57:02 GMT

19th Annual Park Lovers' Crystal Ball

Thu, 27 May 2010 01:25:33 GMT

Art of Conversation

Thu, 27 May 2010 01:25:23 GMT

Building Hope for Children-Casa de Esperanza

Thu, 27 May 2010 12:23:39 GMT

Assistance League of Houston's "Books and Brunch"

Wed, 26 May 2010 06:46:42 GMT

Assistant League of Houston's 42nd Annual Gala

Wed, 26 May 2010 04:03:49 GMT

"Kissed By An Angel" Girls Night Out

Wed, 26 May 2010 03:49:07 GMT

Kroell Patrol at Saks Fifth Avenue

Wed, 26 May 2010 01:41:12 GMT

The ladies of the Hermann Park Conservancy couldn%26#8217;t wait to spend an %26#8220;Evening in the Park,%26#8221; so they began celebrating a day early with a luncheon at Saks Fifth Avenue. New York%26#8211;based designer Devi Kroell imparted fashion advice to the guests %26#8212; she%26#8217;s known for her exotic-skin handbags and sculptural shoes. Admiring her handiwork: gala chairmen Anne Carl and Lucy Carl; Saks%26#8217; Sylvia Forsythe and fedora-wearing GM Terry Zmyslo, Jeannette Doumani, Lisa Holthouse, Ursaline Hamilton, Mary Grace Gray, and Jenine Howard.

Coquette Boutique Presents Fashion of the Titans

Wed, 26 May 2010 01:25:46 GMT

Texas Children's Ambassadors "Date Night" Event

Wed, 26 May 2010 12:57:04 GMT

Pink Martinis and Pinballs

Wed, 26 May 2010 12:36:47 GMT

Making It Better %26 Looking Good Doing It

Wed, 26 May 2010 12:27:34 GMT

Houston Museum of Natural Science Annual Gala: "Do you Believe in Magic?"

Tue, 25 May 2010 06:52:15 GMT

%26nbsp; This $1.2 million ball offered an ode to Harry Houdini and pals, taking its theme from the museum%26#8217;s %26#8220;Magic!%26#8221; exhibit (through September 6). Chair foursome Melinda and Sam Stubbs and Paula and Rusty Walter conjured a hypnotic evening with more than 900 glamorous guests, including museum director Joel Bartsch and wife Susanne, Stephanie and Ernie Cockrell (as in the Cockrell Butterfly Center), Randa Duncan Williams and Charlie Williams, Katie and A.J. Brass, Gem Vault benefactors Sue and Lester Smith, Dana and Trey Strake, Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, Laurie and Reed Morian, and Dorothy and Artie McFerrin, whose fabulous Faberg%26#233; collection is currently on view (through July 25).

Big Bang Catastrophe Gala

Tue, 25 May 2010 05:08:32 GMT

A.W.A.R.E Luncheon

Tue, 25 May 2010 04:54:47 GMT

Houston Grand Opera Gala Hosts a Yellow Rose

Tue, 25 May 2010 04:48:01 GMT

This spring%26#8217;s Houston Grand Opera Gala, chaired by Denise and Philip Bahr, was not just another ball in the big city. Talk about a tribute: 16,000 yellow roses, a pair of live longhorns, indoor fireworks at the Wortham Theater Center, a million-dollar gift to endow %26nbsp;a new artist series and the evening%26#8217;s honoree being the yellow rose of Texas herself, Lynn Wyatt.

It all began with the alfresco promenade along Fish Plaza, where event maestro Richard Flowers introduced the Western theme. %26#8220;This is a nod to my husband%26#8217;s Texas roots,%26#8221; Miz Bahr told us regarding the human-scaled oil-derrick fountains encircled by yellow roses, around which the steers (related to the great Bevo) posed for party pics with the white-tie crowd. Then it was all about a pair of Oscars: Mrs. Wyatt, escorted by oilman husband Oscar Wyatt, made a grand entrance in a stunning hand-pleated yellow gown designed for her by good friend Oscar de la Renta (which required three trips to New York for fittings). The soign%26#233; set rushed her entourage, which included sons Brad Wyatt, Steve Wyatt (in from Washington, D.C.), and Aruba-based Trey Wyatt, their families, and pal Prince Talal of Jordan, in from his kingdom to attend.

Not to be outdone, chairman Miz Bahr tapped NY designer Norman Ambrose for her own golden-yellow couture gown accented by a new Tiffany %26amp; Co. yellow sapphire and diamond on her hand, from husband Philip. Mom Olga Bush, escorted by husband Gerald, wore a coordinating black Ambrose gown with yellow roses ornamenting the back. Among the sea of yellow, two ladies stood out in red: Michelle Hevrdejs in Donna Karan, with husband Frank, and Frances Marzio in Dolce %26amp; Gabbana, with MFAH director/husband Peter.

Two million dollars (a total that included a surprise gift of one million dollars, made by Oscar in Lynn%26#8217;s honor),%26nbsp;a Jackson and Company dinner, fireworks erupting in the grand foyer and performances by mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and the Texas A%26amp;M Singing Cadets made this a night never to be duplicated. %26#8220;Monday morning we start on 2011,%26#8221; HGO%26#8217;s Guyla Pircher said. %26#8220;The theme is %26#8216;My Fair Ladies,%26#8217; and Rudy Avelar will chair.%26#8221;

Luxury Marketing Council at the Dallas Design Center

Tue, 25 May 2010 04:47:06 GMT

Crohn's %26 Colitis Foundation of America’s Winter Ball: Imperial Grandeur

Tue, 25 May 2010 04:33:08 GMT

%26nbsp; More than 525 celebrants reveled in the pageantry of the Winter Ball at InterContinental Houston. The night, christened %26#8220;Imperial Grandeur,%26#8221; benefitted the Crohn%26#8217;s %26amp; Colitis Foundation of America. Chairmen Connie Cooke and Phyllis Williams and honorary chairman Margaret Williams reigned as queens, while Darryl Murchison and Pam Lopez concocted the twinkly paradise. Among the royals: Women of Distinction Joan Dunlap, Harriet Gertner, Melissa King, Traci Lee (back from Fort Worth for the night), Linda Lorelle, Carmen Maria Montiel-Lechin, Patti Murphy, Helen Shaffer, Laura Spalding, Donna Vallone, ambassador Jan Carson (set to chair the 2011 f%26#234;te with pal Virginia Reisman) and youth ambassadors Abigail Cheney and Danielle Nicole White; General Hospital%26#8217;s John York; and Skip Tiedemann of Emirates Airlines, which donated the trips to the Seychelles and the Maldives that were nabbed by, respectively, Penny and Paul Loyd, and Brian Teichman.

Children's Museum of Houston 2009 Gala

Tue, 25 May 2010 03:47:00 GMT

At the Children%26#8217;s Museum of Houston Gala, the adults went wild, reveling in nanotech exhibits, a two-story climbing tower and an interactive alfresco exhibit, FlowWorks, that pulsated with hundreds of gallons of water. Yes, for the first time in memory, the party returned to its home, Children%26#8217;s Museum of Houston, to celebrate the museum%26#8217;s impressive new wing. Nearly 500 revelers turned out for the inventive bash chaired by Jennifer and Lance Gilliam and Courtney and Bo Hopson that mixed black tie and billowing gowns with Power Play installations. Jackson and Company served the lavish seated dinner in the barrel-vaulted Kids Hall, then The Spazmatics got everyone to dance post-dessert. Young at heart: CHM executive director Tammy Kahn; board prez Mike Plank and wife Susan, who donated their Telluride retreat to the live auction; Melissa and Michael Mithoff, who were instrumental in the $35 million campaign for the new wing; Stephanie and Al Walker; Anita and Gerald Smith; Lisa and Russell Sherrill; Laura and John Arnold; Lisa and Michael Holthouse; Greggory and Pat Burk; and auction chairmen Ashley Wehrly and Jared Kearney, whose efforts, along with those of the chair couples, helped hit the $430,000 mark for the museum that serves the Crayola set.%26nbsp;

Society for the Performing Arts Gala

Tue, 25 May 2010 02:14:59 GMT

How do you say %26#8216;legend%26#8217;? In blues territory, just utter the name Bobby %26#8220;Blue%26#8221; Bland. Thus, any fund-raiser headlined by this Rock %26#8216;n Roll Hall of Famer is guaranteed to be extraordinary. Such was the case for the Society for the Performing Arts Gala, %26#8220;Rockin%26#8217; the Blues,%26#8221; chaired this spring by Georgia and Mike Foulard, with honorary chairmen Ginni and Richard Mithoff. Rebekah Johnson transported the Wortham Theater Center back in time for the occasion, via suspended white muslin, a half-dozen towering chandeliers, shaded candlesticks on tabletops and silver centerpieces adorned with magnolia leaves and gardenias. Miz Foulard confided, %26#8220;We wanted a setting like an old R%26amp;B/jazz club, many of which were popular in Houston in the late %26#8217;60s and %26#8217;70s. Also, my favorite bar in the world is Bemelmans at The Carlyle in New York. The atmosphere is the best. In fact, Rebekah knew it well because she had worked there when she lived in New York. We kept it simple and reminiscent of the old club days.%26#8221; %26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

In this sublime environment, the immortal Bland took the stage after a classic Jackson and Company seated dinner and warmup acts by Stevie DuPree %26amp; The Delta Flyers, crooner Annette Metoyer and renowned guitar man Milton Hopkins. The 350 assembled guests were wowed, including SPA executive director June Christensen; benefactress deluxe Margaret Williams, with Jim Daniel; auction chairmen Brenda and Marc Watts; Alton LaDay, who told us Bland had been his parents%26#8217; favorite performer; Houston Arts Alliance%26#8217;s Jonathon Glus; gallerist Wade Wilson; artist Bert Long Jr. with painter wife Joan Batson; Karen and Scott Rozzell; a bevy of past gala chairs, including Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, and Kathryn and Jeff Smith (as the night%26#8217;s auctioneer, he brought in six figures for trips from Napa to Nantucket); and sweet young things, the Blues Bash chair quartet
Beth Bryant, Cortney Cole, Michael Coppens, and John Gerard.

McClain Gallery Fetes David Row and Richard Polsky

Tue, 25 May 2010 12:27:36 GMT

Canvases and Pages at McClain

An acclaimed contemporary painter and a titillating art-world insider made for a memorable palette at McClain Gallery. Featured artist David Row joined author Richard Polsky, whose new tell-all I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) gives the dish on the market. The night celebrated the opening of Row%26#8217;s adroit abstractions, while Polsky signed tomes, tossed off bons mots %26#8212;%26nbsp;%26#8220;The art world is like high school %26#8212; no, grade school %26#8212; with money,%26#8221; and professed admiration for Row. (The artist gets his own chapter and some career advice in Polsky%26#8217;s volume.) Gallery goers: Robert McClain; Bobbie and Stanley Weinstein, who hosted a swell soir%26#233;e later that evening in their modernist casa, where their own Row was on view; long-time Polsky pal Lester Marks; Poppi Massey; Mimi Kilgore; Judy Nyquist; Robert Reid; Laura Casey; Alexandra Weems; Greg Fourticq Jr.; architect Marshall Reid (designer of the McClain space); artist Christian Eckart with wife Jill Davies; Minnette Robinson; top Pop art collector Dorene Herzog; Bruce Badeau; and Kelly and Nicholas Silvers.

The Menil Collection's "Men of Menil"

Tue, 25 May 2010 11:49:13 GMT

Talk about tripping the light fantastic %26#8212; and the perfect cue for a f%26#234;te. The Menil Collection%26#8217;s first-ever gentleman%26#8217;s fund-raiser, %26#8220;Men of Menil,%26#8221; brought out the big boys for billiards, cigar puffing and a seated dinner (steak and chops by Jackson and Company), all while basking in the glow of Dan Flavin light sculptures in the museum%26#8217;s Richmond Hall, which was namesake patron Dominique de Menil%26#8217;s final commission. Co-chairmen Bill Hill and Rick Schnieders presided, while the evening filled the corner pockets of this important museum jewel and generated $250,000 toward outreach and programming (including helping to fund the Kurt Schwitters exhibition opening this October). Modern masters: Menil director Josef Helfenstein, board president Harry Pinson, architect and scion Francois de Menil in from NYC, Mark Wawro, Dan Dubrowski, Ramon Manning, John Guess Jr., Brad Bucher, Jim Kastleman, and%26nbsp; Mathew Wolf, who picked up billiard pointers from champions Dave Pearson, Tom Rossman, and Rise Smith.

Contemporary Arts Museum's Big Wheelin' Gala

Mon, 24 May 2010 07:02:05 GMT

%26nbsp; Making Tracks

%26#8220;Fresh Tread%26#8221; was the theme, and avant-garde art was the motif as the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston%26#8217;s Gala once again returned to the place where it belongs: the CAMH%26#8217;s sleek metal-clad Montrose Boulevard digs. Tri-chairs Judith Oudt and Brittney and Max Tribble concocted a vivid party canvas where socials, artists, gallerists and heavy-duty collecting types came together for a night that was high-octane and high-voltage. Rebekah Johnson of f%26#234;te designers Bergner and Johnson devised the sleek decor, with clever touches such as gigantic tires as table bases, violet-hued lighting, blooms sprouting from rubber treads and flashing slides displaying modern and contemporary masters whose work incorporates tires as subject or material. The inspired evening reinforced the CAMH%26#8217;s role as the arbiter of all that%26#8217;s cool and important in the contemporary arena. Natch, Bill Arning %26#8212; who just celebrated his first year as museum director and is a whip-smart prognosticator %26#8212; was on hand, soaking in the vibe and admiring the performance art of Francis Giampietro (who rolled a monster-truck-sized rim around the CAMH floor in the barest of attire, garnering plenty of attention during the cocktail hour). Jackson and Company did catering honors, including a simple and sublime filet mignon followed by timeless strawberry shortcakes. The evening went late, late, late thanks to the entertainment: Skyrocket!, now our favorite dance band, who came in from Austin to play for a packed floor. Guests only took breaks to peruse some spiffy silent-auction art and bid ferociously on live-auction goodies from the roster of CAMH-exhibited contemporary greats. (More on that in a bit).%26nbsp;

%26nbsp;

Social Sculpture, Bid-A-Rama

%26#8220;Did you get the piece with the gold tongue?%26#8221; Lacy Baird inquired of Marita Fairbanks as Christie%26#8217;s Steven Zick auctioned off Marilyn Minter%26#8217;s sexy C-print photograph (number two in an edition of five; another one is Gold Tip, currently on view in %26#8220;Hand+Made: The Performative Impulse in Art and Craft,%26#8221; through July 25). In case you wondered, yes, Marita%26#8217;s husband J.B. Fairbanks was the high roller on the Minter. Zick, in from Chicago, also took brisk bids on coveted lots including Mel Chin%26#8217;s Security Shovel for Operation Paydirt sculpture and an engaging mixed media by The Flower Man, aka Cleveland Turner, which cobbled together salvaged materials. Meanwhile, taking a break from the dance floor, Studio co-founder Leslie Ballard Hull scored a Sharon Engelstein cookie jar through her waiting-game strategy in the silent auction.

%26nbsp;

Stalwart CAMH supporters: Susie and Sanford Criner; Judy and Scott Nyquist; Sissy and Denny Kempner; Leigh and Reggie Smith; Heidi and David Gerger; Becca Cason Thrash, bidding up many of the works in the live auction, goaded by pal Mickey Rosmarin (%26#8220;he offered to kick in a $1,000,%26#8221; she told us); architect Lauren Rottet with Kevin Stolle; Kelli and Eddy Blanton; Jose Sol%26#237;s, Beverly and John Berry; Molly and Ford Hubbard (she, shaking up Rice%26#8217;s public art scene); last year%26#8217;s gala chairmen Suzette and Darrell Betts; gallerists Kerry Inman with music impresario Denby Auble, Wade Wilson, Deborah Colton, Laura Rathe, Wayne Gilbert, and Sandy Parkerson; top Texas visualists including Aaron Parazette, Joseph Cohen, Michael Manjarris, Art Guy Michael Galbreth with Glasstire wife Rainey Knudson, JoAnn Park, Artadia winner Nathaniel Donnett, and naughty lensman Jay Rusovich escorting Miz Baird; CAMH curators Valerie Cassel Oliver with husband Christopher Oliver and Toby Kamps; as well as Lisa and Michael Holthouse, John Jamail Jr., Monsour Taghdisi, Susan and Mike Plank (she in Zac Posen), sleek Liz Glanville in Halston with husband Tom, Sarah and Ron Simon, Kristi in Oscar and John Schiller, and Janet and Leonard Tallerine, joining After Party co-chair foursome Susan and Philip Berry, Sara Strohmeyer, and Philip Beck, and budding collectors Susanna Kise with Andy Parker, Jessica Phifer, Laura Medard, Dylan Moore, and Lindsay McMackin with fianc%26#233; Matt Sturm. Three hundred and fifty guests and $415,000 later, this night was a fabulous performance piece indeed.

2010 Men of Distinction Annual Luncheon

Mon, 24 May 2010 06:01:45 GMT

10th Annual Tables of Content

Mon, 24 May 2010 03:55:33 GMT

BB1 Classic + Dominic Walsh

Mon, 24 May 2010 02:00:04 GMT

Coastlines, Art Ball

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:21:36 GMT

The scene at Art Ball 2010 %26#8212; themed %26#8220;Coastlines%26#8221; and benefitting the Dallas Museum of Art %26#8212; seemed plucked straight from a Eugene Louis Boudin French coastal painting. For the cocktail hour in the Hamon Atrium, triangular-shaped sailcloth was suspended from the ceiling, white cabanas were filled with Neiman Marcus Luxury Silent Auction merchandise, and guests such as DMA director Bonnie Pitman, Catherine and Will Rose, Linda and Bill Custard, Betty and Brian Schultz, and Jennifer and Coley Clark sat for a spell against blue-and-white striped canvas pillows on outdoor teak furnishings. A burled-wood square bar %26#8212; worthy of a Hinckley yacht %26#8212; centered the room, with bar tops groaning under gigantic clamshells overflowing with iced seafood and manned by bartenders decked out in nautical blue-and-white-striped tees and short red neckerchiefs. %26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

%26#8220;The Ball decor was inspired by the design of the building and the collection of paintings in Coastlines: Images of Land and Sea, which opens tonight,%26#8221; said ecstatic ball chairman Melissa Fetter. For the first time in Art Ball history, an exhibition opening coincided with the gala evening %26#8212; a collection of sea-inspired paintings and photographs that stylishly infiltrated the design of the invitations and the decor of the minimalist museum space. %26#8220;Nelson Robinson of Stageworks and Rusty Glenn did a beautiful job,%26#8221; said Fetter, referring to the Low Country-esque lanterns running down the hallway spine of the museum and the striped canopies billowing from the ceilings of the Barrel Vault and Quadrant galleries. And in another Ball first, Neiman Marcus curated the entire luxury silent auction with such stand-out biddables as a Balenciaga woven Tressage Arena handbag with crocodile trim, a personal consultation with jeweler Nicholas Varney and $10,000 towards a Nicholas Varney piece of custom jewelry, a home freshening by Bill Mackin (senior merchant for home decor and gifts), as well as chandeliers, tuxedos, more and more. %26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Seated for an imaginary ocean-side dinner with natty striped French linen napkins monogrammed in red with the initials %26#8220;DMA,%26#8221; were Marcy Sands, Nicolette Woodburn, Neiman Marcus%26#8217; Karen Katz, Joanne Stroud Bilby, Nancy Dedman, and Lindsay Kincaid Ganz, all wearing Oscar de la Renta; DMA grande dame Margaret McDermott; Ann and Lee Hobson; Forty Five Ten%26#8217;s Brian Bolke; Kit and Kemp Sawers; Goss-Michael Foundation%26#8217;s Kenny Goss and Joyce Goss; Ana and Sherrill Pettus; Tracy and Rick Brown, she in an Ann Demuelemeester sheath, he the architect for Hotel ZaZa; Deborah Scott and Rosewood%26#8217;s John Scott; 2011 Art Ball chairman Lisa Runyon and her husband, art consultant John Runyon; Robert Hallum; Gonzalo Bueno; Australian-born jewelry designer Margot McKinney, who donated a $55,000 18K gold and cabochon gem necklace to the live auction; and committee members Cathy Kincaid Hudson, Ann Fielder, Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich, Shelle Sills, Gina Betts, Marie Dean, Cindy Schwartz, Lynn Brooks, Sandy Marple, Gabrielle de Papp, Robyn Siegel, and Jean Coleman. %26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Sotheby%26#8217;s auctioneer Maarten ten Holder conducted the live auction, with Sotheby%26#8217;s chairman Warren Weitman and Sotheby%26#8217;s associate Eve Reid beaming over high bids. Desired lots included a Parisian art excursion with DMA senior curator Olivier Meslay and his wife Laure, and a NYC trip donated by the dashing Oscar de la Renta and Rosewood Hotels %26amp; Resorts, with two tickets to de la Renta%26#8217;s Spring 2011 runway show and lunch in his atelier afterwards. De la Renta also offered a perfect package tailored to this year%26#8217;s allegiance to the sea: a week stay in an ocean-view villa he decorated for Punta Cana%26#8217;s Tortuga Bay, paired with a lunch at the home of John Rosselli and interior decorator Bunny Williams.

Champions for Children Spring Luncheon

Mon, 24 May 2010 11:38:05 GMT

Decorative Center Houston's 2010 Spring Market

Fri, 21 May 2010 05:24:32 GMT

Texas Children's Ambassadors Family Reach-Out Day

Fri, 21 May 2010 05:22:59 GMT

An Evening with Texas Legends

Fri, 21 May 2010 04:42:26 GMT

Off to the Races for The Health Museum

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:16:58 GMT

Young professionals donned spring finery for the 2nd Annual Triple Crown Polo Fund-Raiser for The Health Museum. The alfresco afternoon chaired by Sharon Aboussleman and Errol McLaughlin featured, in addition to the polo match, fine fare from restaurants including Quattro, Strip House, Ruggles Green and Brio Tuscan Grille; derby-inspired cocktails; a vintage photo booth; and a hat contest judged by Gabriela Dror, Elizabeth Younger, Sharron Melton, and Hasti Taghi. Ponying up: Tracey Ferguson; Pam Ulmer; and hat contest winners Montrice Malone, Ashley Allen, and Chalice McGee.

A Swell Spring Party at Rienzi

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:11:47 GMT

F. Scott Fitzgerald, eat your heart out. The Rienzi Spring Party was a swell affair that had it all: glamorous gals and genteel gents, a marvelous pool, sublime drinks and the breathtaking house that inspired it all. Nothing else will do when the lifestyle of Carroll and Harris Masterson III %26#8212; the couple who built Rienzi and amassed its extensive European decorative arts collection, now part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston %26#8212; is being celebrated. The night was a record-breaker, raising $87,000 for Rienzi%26#8217;s operating budget. Chair triad Courtnay and Mark Elias, Stacy and Michael Ellington, and Blake Tartt III enjoyed the ambiance alongside Lisa and Will Mathis; Carroll Goodman; Isla and Tommy Reckling; siblings Kate, John Luke, and Isla McConn; Cabrina and Steven Owsley; and Amy and Hardy Murchison.

A Knight in Verona

Thu, 20 May 2010 05:56:12 GMT

The Grand Wine and Food Affair

Thu, 20 May 2010 05:18:44 GMT

BB1 Classic Unveils Times Past

Thu, 20 May 2010 05:15:44 GMT

A few doors away at BB1 Classic, Donae Cangelosi Chramosta and Rob Chramosta entertained trendsetters with a fashion show, light bites, Suffuse Rooibos green-tea lemon martinis and mojitos as they unveiled their new venture, Times Past %26#8212; a luxury collection of vintage jewelry, purses and accessories. Couture crowd: BB1 Classic owners Calli and Julian Saitowitz, Elizabeth Koval, George Allibone, Jill Hood, and Christina Huston.

University of St. Thomas' Mardi Gras Gala

Thu, 20 May 2010 04:59:17 GMT

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston's 2010 Tapestry Gala

Thu, 20 May 2010 02:28:54 GMT

2010 Spring Fashion Event

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:41:07 GMT

65th Pin Oak Charity Horse Show

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:40:56 GMT

Kick-off Event for Evin Thayer's "A Face for a Cause"

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:03:52 GMT

Neiman Marcus helps Pin Oak celebrate 25 years

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:54:18 GMT

The Heritage Society Presents Picnic in the Park with Sam

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:01:59 GMT

Designing With A Vision Reception Welcoming Sergey Ermakov

Wed, 19 May 2010 06:48:11 GMT

Bubbles %26 Barbeque

Wed, 19 May 2010 06:32:35 GMT

Centerstage 2010

Wed, 19 May 2010 06:22:39 GMT

The Dallas Theater Center's Centerstage Gala packed the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre with entertainment. Salsa dancers, tapas and Spanish cocktails spiced up this %26#8220;anything but black tie%26#8221; affair, where chairmen Pilar and Jay Henry, honorary chairs Bess and Ted Enloe, and guests including DTC%26#8217;s managing director Mark Hadley, theater namesakes Dee and Charles Wyly, Ann Swisher and Michael McGehee, and Rebecca and Barron Fletcher enjoyed a comedy performance by the group Whose Live Anyway. Just when everyone expected the curtain call, live music signaled the start of the after-party %26#8212; a perfect encore for an ovation-worthy fund-raiser.

Neiman Marcus' Recipe for Success

Wed, 19 May 2010 06:00:17 GMT

Michelle Obama isn%26#8217;t the only one who%26#8217;s a fan of Gracie Cavnar%26#8217;s Recipe for Success Foundation. The nonprofit benefitted from Haute Hip %26amp; Hot, a David Meister fashion show and dinner at Neiman Marcus, chaired by Jeff Shell and Neiman%26#8217;s Bob Devlin. Guests feasted on Meister%26#8217;s runway creations while learning more about Recipe%26#8217;s drive to reform children%26#8217;s eating habits. Trend-setting foodies: Rebecca Spera, Amy Popp, Karen and Roland Garcia, Roz Pactor, Monsour Taghdisi, Sharron Melton, and Suzanne and Paul Getty.%26nbsp;

13th Annual Racing for Sight

Wed, 19 May 2010 05:41:25 GMT

The 2010 One People, One World Gala Kick Off

Wed, 19 May 2010 04:55:05 GMT

Women's Auxiliary to Children's Medical Center Board Kick-Off Party

Wed, 19 May 2010 04:38:03 GMT

9th Annual Houston Hospice Butterfly Luncheon

Wed, 19 May 2010 04:18:32 GMT

Belle Mariée Bridal's Unveiling

Wed, 19 May 2010 03:11:49 GMT

Love and marriage were in the air when Belle Mari%26#233;e Bridal celebrated its grand opening in River Oaks. Owner Erika Ferretti and managing partner Jillian Plachy drew upon the pedigree of the shop%26#8217;s environs to fashion their French-inspired nuptial HQ, which bewitched brides-to-be at the unveiling with an array of contemporary gowns by designers such as Ines Di Santo, Jorge Manuel, Aquachiara, Selia Yang and Badgley Mischka. Walking down the aisles: Christina and Alan Knust, Andrea and Donnie Blanton, Linda King and Les Allison, Brooke Malone, and Russell Green with Karen Hendrix Couture, in from Nashville. %26nbsp; %26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Elizabeth Toon Fourth Annual Memorial Concert

Wed, 19 May 2010 02:58:50 GMT

Fifth Anniversary Art 4 Life Fund-Raiser

Wed, 19 May 2010 02:55:32 GMT

It%26#8217;s easy to love art %26#8212; especially when it promotes vital causes. AIDS Foundation Houston clearly understands this, as its Art4Life fund-raiser just celebrated its fifth year. Benevolent supporters gathered at the New World Museum to peruse the evening%26#8217;s auction of enviable artworks from national and Texas creative types whose subject matter addresses HIV/AIDS prevention. Co-chairs Alton LaDay, Jonathon Glus, and Deborah and Bill Colton beamed at high bidders including CAMH director Bill Arning, Judy Nyquist, Carolyn Farb, Jeff Shell, George Lancaster, and art guru Clint Willour.

The Face Foundation at Saks

Wed, 19 May 2010 02:05:13 GMT

Saks Fifth Avenue brought Dior Beauty global medical advisor Neil Sadick to town for a f%26#234;te benefitting physician Russell Kridel%26#8217;s Face Foundation %26#8212;%26nbsp;a nonprofit that helps victims of domestic abuse overcome the physical reminders of their mistreatment through reconstructive facial surgery. Among the mod munificent: Saks%26#8217; Terry Zmyslo and Sylvia Forsythe, Elizabeth McMillian, Cheryl Kridel, Mary Ann and David McKeithan, Natasha Turner, artist Andrea Bianconi from New York, Lindsi Lane, and Meda Abernathy of Haute Box Meals, which catered the evening.%26nbsp;

English Speaking Union's Antique Appraisal Luncheon

Wed, 19 May 2010 01:46:18 GMT

Zoo Ball 'A Way to Africa'

Wed, 19 May 2010 01:11:41 GMT

Bill Dinerstein Memorial Golf Tournament

Wed, 19 May 2010 11:58:34 GMT

Best Cellars Kick Off Wine Collector's Reception

Tue, 18 May 2010 05:21:16 GMT

Heroes and Handbags Underwriter's Party

Tue, 18 May 2010 05:06:31 GMT

Cocktail Party Kick-Off for 2010 Grand Gala Ball

Tue, 18 May 2010 04:32:04 GMT

Samuel Lynne Galleries and the Dallas Film Festival Welcome Michael Kalish

Tue, 18 May 2010 04:24:02 GMT

Neuhaus Education Center 30th Birthday Celebration Luncheon

Tue, 18 May 2010 04:20:40 GMT

The Family Place Escapade 2010 Kick-Off Party

Tue, 18 May 2010 04:11:44 GMT

SEEDS Foundation All-Star Benefit

Tue, 18 May 2010 03:02:02 GMT

Houston Children's Charity Walk of Champions

Tue, 18 May 2010 02:39:42 GMT

Consular Forum Kick Off Event

Tue, 18 May 2010 02:31:54 GMT

Where Fashion Meets Philanthropy

Tue, 18 May 2010 02:05:47 GMT

Small Steps Ultimate Wine Classic

Tue, 18 May 2010 12:48:41 GMT

United Way 'City Lights' Event

Tue, 18 May 2010 11:51:24 GMT

It's off to the Races

Tue, 18 May 2010 11:49:39 GMT

Heroes and Handbags

Tue, 18 May 2010 11:21:08 GMT

Hundreds of It bags (ready for bidding in the silent auction) and more than 600 It girls (carrying their own chic handbags) filled The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, at the Heroes %26amp; Handbags brunch benefitting Heroes for Children. All of our fave designers %26#8212; Prada, Chanel, Elaine Turner, Valentino and the like %26#8212; stocked the auction bag boutique, where chairman Jennifer Dix and Heroes for Children co-founders Larissa Linton and Jenny Scott placed bids on clutchable goodies, all to fund programs supporting families battling cancer. Socials selected pieces from their own purse collections to be auctioned off at this benevolent brunch. Whose haute handbags made the cut as most desired? Pat Smith's Gucci shoulder bag, Toni Duclottni's Isabella Fiore shoulder bag, Lori Jones' black patent-leather Tod%26#8217;s handbag, Elaine Agather's black patent Ferragamo, Skye Brewer%26#8217;s Tory Burch bag, Nancy Rogers%26#8217; Judith Leiber, and a Chanel and Fendi from Rebecca Farris. After the silent-auction items were snagged, honorary Staubach family chairmen Jennifer Gates, Michelle Grimes, Amy Mentgen, Stephanie Phillips, and grande dame Marianne Staubach took their brunch seats alongside Leisa Street, Jennifer Tobin, Paige Westhoff, Tina Craig, and Lisa Moore. The crowd applauded as Jennifer Houser received the Spirit of Allie and Taylor Award, and heard Annette Leslie%26#8217;s story of losing her youngest son to cancer. A purse parade for a philanthropic cause? One could not ask for a more perfect equation.

The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary Runway Show and Luncheon

Mon, 17 May 2010 06:28:17 GMT

The Endeavor for Hope Foundation's Annual Fundraising Gala

Mon, 17 May 2010 04:17:01 GMT

Jai Ho Kick-Off Event Honoring A.R. Rahman

Mon, 17 May 2010 04:10:58 GMT

10th Annual Bear the Load Luncheon

Mon, 17 May 2010 02:36:55 GMT

16th Annual Celebrity Waiter Gala

Tue, 11 May 2010 05:47:03 GMT

From fashion designers to famous foodies, singers and football stars, the waitstaff at the Celebrity Waiter Gala would have given any Michelin-rated restaurant a run for its money. To benefit the Child Abuse Prevention Center, local celebs including Abi Ferrin, James Yarbrough, Wendy Krispin, Janie Fricke, and Kris Clinton scurried throughout the Hotel Palomar's ballroom, serving up a divine seated dinner %26#8212; all while entertaining diners for their charitable tips. Chairmen April and Sam Spicer, along with honorary chairs Julie and Steve Rado and Sharron and Al Gonzalez, applauded award recipient George Ellis, while celebrity chairmen Diane and Daryl Johnston bid big at the live and silent auctions.

The 2010 Root Ball-La Noche de los Arboles

Tue, 11 May 2010 04:44:41 GMT

Houston Symphony League's Children, Spring, Fashion Show and Brunch

Tue, 11 May 2010 04:05:14 GMT

David Yurman Cocktail Reception benefitting Cattle Baron's Ball

Tue, 11 May 2010 03:38:40 GMT

Shining supporters of the Cattle Baron's Ball traded their cowboy boots and ranches for cocktail dresses and NorthPark Center's David Yurman boutique for an American Cancer Society fund-raising soir%26#233;e. Ravishing jewels and flowing champagne set the scene as benevolent ones including Jennifer Dix, Kristi Bare, Mary Gill, and Kristen Johnston shopped with help from store manager Alex Laynor, with a portion of sales benefitting the Cattle Baron's Ball. Also spotted in store: Yurman regional director Chris Kimbrough, Jennifer Burns, Paige Westhoff, Charlie Vargas, and Cynthia Bomeste.

Theatre Under the Stars Gala

Tue, 11 May 2010 03:00:33 GMT

Anti-Defamation League's 2010 Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Awards Luncheon

Tue, 11 May 2010 02:59:20 GMT

St. Tropez Soiree at Hotel ZaZa

Tue, 11 May 2010 01:22:39 GMT

Thousands of miles from the Mediterranean, the sparkling scene at Hotel ZaZa's St. Tropez Soir%26#233;e channeled chic parties of the C%26#244;te d'Azure. Christophe Charrier, Benji Homsey, and Charlie Givens were spotted poolside at ZaZa's Urban Oasis patio, where Veuve Clicquot flowed, Dragonfly's foie gras torchon bites were passed, and models posed in Brunello Cucinelli looks from Stanley Korshak. Gazing at a shining Maserati car display and champagne bottles turned fireworks were Karina and Horatio Lonsdale-Hands, Filippo Tattoni-Marcozzi, Azadeh Ajami, Summer Guerra, and Carol Sonnenberg.

The Center 9th Annual Luncheon

Thu, 06 May 2010 04:18:51 GMT

Cherish the Children Luncheon

Wed, 05 May 2010 12:07:56 GMT

Crisis Intervention of Houston, Inc. Annual Gala

Tue, 04 May 2010 04:08:04 GMT

The Juanita %26 Henry S. Miller Jr. Founder Awards Luncheon

Tue, 04 May 2010 01:27:37 GMT

"Classy" Book Launch with Derek Blasberg

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:53:58 GMT

Young Friends of the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas "Speakeasy"

Mon, 03 May 2010 04:52:25 GMT

2nd Annual Greater Houston Conference for Women

Mon, 03 May 2010 04:26:00 GMT

Artbridge Houston "Picture the Possibilities" Luncheon

Mon, 03 May 2010 03:00:08 GMT

Vaughan Christopher Gallery Celebrates "Bold, Bright and American"

Mon, 03 May 2010 02:17:34 GMT

Cite 81 Launch Party

Mon, 03 May 2010 01:20:38 GMT

Forty Five Ten's 10 Year Anniversary

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:44:23 GMT

An enormous swath of snowy white carpet topping the valet area was the first sign of the striking details in store at Forty Five Ten%26#8217;s 10th anniversary bash. How did co-owners Shelly Musselman and Brian Bolke celebrate 10 years of stocking exclusive labels, Parisian buying trips and adoring clientele? With flowing Dom, a step-and-repeat, Maison Martin Margiela%26#8217;s pop-up shop with all proceeds benefitting Two x Two for AIDS and Art, whitewashed party decor by Todd Events, $1.5 million of fine jewels on display from Phillips de Pury%26#8217;s upcoming auction and appearances by internationally known fashion darlings Doo-Ri Chung, Narciso Rodriguez, and Thakoon Panichugal. The aforementioned were just some of the highlights, of course, of a party held perfectly on 4.05.10. %26#8220;This is the most exciting Monday ever!%26#8221; said Bolke, in a Moschino tee emblazoned with %26#8220;SHOP!%26#8221; and a sparkly gold D Squared tux jacket. Bolke and Musselman %26#8212;%26nbsp;she in a vintage mirrored Maison Martin Margiela top (%26#8220;Margiela literally deconstructed a disco ball,%26#8221; Musselman said while tugging the metal ring atop her shoulder) %26#8212; made the rounds to much loved clients proclaiming, %26#8220;You look amaaaaaazing!%26#8221; They did so in spades, because many did: Claire Emanuelson; Muffin Lemak; Elaine Agather and Bradley Agather, both in Narciso Rodriguez; Judy Aldridge; Deborah Scott; Patti Crews; Kristi Bare in Proenza Schouler; Naomi Aberly; Cindy Rachofsky in Viktor %26amp; Rolf; Karla McKinley; Sharon Young; Ceron; Ann Hobson; Stephanie Roberts; and, in from Houston, Becca Cason Thrash in Alexander McQueen. While smoothing his light-blue leather John Galliano jeans, Faisal Halum said, %26#8220;Forty Five Ten was the only store in the country to have these, and they just happen to be my size!%26#8221; Like Halum, there was no shortage of Forty Five Ten fans %26#8212; Gonzalo Bueno, Courtney Sinelli, Lisa and John Runyon, Dennis Thompson, Pilar Hubbard, Kristie Ramirez-Hoitsma, Alise and Carter Wilson, and Darlys Michaelis %26#8212; most of whom wouldn%26#8217;t be caught dead in the store that evening without something that had once hung on the 4510 McKinney Avenue racks. %26#8220;I bought this Christian Siriano here,%26#8221; said Cameron Stone. %26#8220;In fact, everything I have on is from this store. I%26#8217;m a religious Forty Five Ten shopper.%26#8221; Heidi Dillon, in a billowy black dress, said, %26#8220;I%26#8217;m wearing a runway piece from Proenza Schouler from three seasons ago. I%26#8217;ve never worn this, I guess because of the [economy] crash. Now it%26#8217;s time to wear it to celebrate tonight.%26#8221; Angie Barrett, fringe-laden in Alexander McQueen, gave us a shimmy, saying, %26#8220;I wore this dress in tribute to Alexander, and it shakes!%26#8221; Katherine Mathes noted, %26#8220;There%26#8217;s eye candy everywhere!%26#8221; of the creative ones who traveled in to applaud Bolke and Musselman: jewelry designers Kimberly McDonald, Melissa Joy Manning, Tito Pedrini, and The Woods%26#8217; Shawn Hecox and Samantha Hitchcock; artisan Jan Barboglio; author Julia Reed; handbag designer Raven Kauffman; Decades%26#8217; Cameron Silver; and model Chandra North. Some guests had the pleasure of swilling champagne in the same room as the designers who made their accessories or clothing, such as Jo Marie Lilly with her Ippolita bracelets, Katherine Perot in Koi Suwannagate, and Suzanne Droese in Christian Cota. %26#8220;I put these on in honor of her,%26#8221; said Lilly, gesturing to her gold bangles, then to Ippolita, who was raving from across the room, %26#8220;Tonight could not be more fabulous!%26#8221;

Bayou City Art Festival "Walk in the Art"

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:40:48 GMT

CAC Spirit of Spring Luncheon and Fendi Fashion Show

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:01:47 GMT

The CAC and Fendi Spirit of Spring Kick-off

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:08:09 GMT

Intime Dinner with Monsieur Hennessy at the Thrash House

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:30:56 GMT

Champagne and spirits czar and luxury-brand leader Gilles Hennessy, as in Mo%26#235;t Hennessy of LVMH, jetted in from France with stops in New York and Texas, where he was f%26#234;ted at an intime party at the home of John Thrash and Becca Cason Thrash. (Wife Luziah, one of Becca%26#8217;s best pals in Paris, was not able to be there, detained on Mustique where the couple have another house.) Table for 24, please: Two dozen personages took their places for the seated dinner at a loooooong table, while Jackson and Company did the culinary honors, enlisting elixirs from the guest of honor%26#8217;s liquor cache, including a flight of Dom P%26#233;rignon champagnes and Hennessy Paradis and Hennessy X.O cognacs, passed at dessert to the approval of Kip Forbes, in from Manhattan (he and Miz Thrash both serve on the International Friends of the Louvre board of directors); distributor Bennett Glazer, who is based in Dallas; and glamour gals Laura Casey, Christina Girard, Karen Pulaski, and Holly Waltrip.

UNICEF Gala at the Thrash House

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:08:33 GMT

Records were set: Can you say %26#8220;international%26#8221;? East met West, turbans and saris abounded when 250 guests came together to raise $750,000 at the UNICEF Gala chez John Thrash and Becca Cason Thrash, setting a new UNICEF Southwest record. Benevolent ones: Guest of honor UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu, UNICEF%26#8217;s Sonya Renner, Caryl Stern, and Tony Pantaleoni; chairs Becca Cason Thrash and Monsour Taghdisi and host husband John Thrash; singer Steve Tyrell making a performance PA; Susan and Mike Plank; Ann Holmes; Karen Pulaski; recent Houston arrival Rosemarie Johnson, high bidder on the Hong Kong trip, and husband Matt; Nidhika and Pershant Mehta; Susan and Dan Boggio; Wade Wilson; Sarah McConnell; big man, retired Rocket and honorary UNICEF board chair Dikembe Mutombo; designer Naeem Khan; editress Pamela Fiori; Greggory and Patrick Burk, who snapped up the auction package to L.A. to attend Sir Elton John%26#8217;s AIDS Foundation party; Marathon Oil%26#8217;s Adel Chaouch, who pledged $50,000 prior to the live auction, instantly matched by Richard Fant and wife Jana; Jaleh and Bruce Sallee, nabbing the five-day stay at the weekend casa of Ben Bourgeois in Mexico; and Elizabeth Petersen with husband Gary, she the lucky winner of a%26nbsp; New York package, including custom frocks by Naeem Khan and Angel Sanchez.

Fêting Hamish Bowles at the Thrash House

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:25:24 GMT

The clubby vibe: Veddy upper crust, thank you, edged with glamour and fearless fashion to match Vogue%26#8217;s European editor Hamish Bowles. John Thrash and Becca Cason Thrash threw a bash, and 200 guests listened up as Hamish crooned Noel Coward ditties, twisting his dapper %26#8216;stache and arching a lavender-clad cowboy boot sketched out by Christian Louboutin, made by Houston%26#8217;s preeminent bookmaker Jimmy Morado and gifted to Bowles by Miz Thrash. Insider report: Dapperly dressed gentleman Steve Hamilton said it better than we ever could, in a next-morning note to Miz Thrash: %26#8220;I was literally Bowled over by your delightful guest and already long for more of him. Could you convince the Almighty to conjure a few more Hamishes to enjoy here in the wit-hungry Gulf state? Treacherous as it is to take on Noel Coward and even more to present your charms to a rowdy Texas group of party people pre-fueled with margaritas, Hamish managed to transport me to the now-disappeared Savoy in the days of Vera Lynn and Gertrude Lawrence and remind me why those British deserve such credit in seeing the humor in their own culture%26#8217;s many forms %26#8230; Meeting natural gentlemen who are as articulate as they are considerate, cute and puckishly well-dressed should not be an experience we need to wait overly long periods for, sooo, just have him back soon.%26#8221; Easy listeners: Greg Fourticq Jr., Randy Powers, Bill Caudell, Susan Plank, Greggory Burk, Judith Oudt, Ceron, Milton Townsend in a big cowboy hat, Shannon Hall, Diane Lokey Farb, Annie Amante, Elizabeth Petersen, Liz Decker, Laura Casey, Mark Sullivan, and Juicy Couture co-founder Gela Nash-Taylor, in from L.A.

Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award Luncheon

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:38:03 GMT

Knights of Momus Coronation in Galveston

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:39:57 GMT

First up, Knights of Momus, the island%26#8217;s oldest krewe (dating back to 1871), rolled out a coronation fit for a monarch at The Grand 1894 Opera House. More than 500 revelers turned out for this old-guard ball catered by Jackson Hicks. The lavish evening, chaired by Cara and John Koza, toasted the newly crowned Queen of Momus, Havard Lambert, accompanied by King Frivolous XCV, Steve Salch. Seventeen young duchesses represented cities across Texas, including Houstonian Katy Mayell, whose parents Karen and Mike Mayell were there to applaud. Toasting the royal court: Momus prez Kelley Parker and wife Cindy, honorary founding trustee Dancie Ware and husband Jim, honorary royalty trustee Joan Williams McLeod, Momus VP and parade marshall Larry Gillaspia and wife Karen, Vincent J. Tramonte, and mistress of the robes Jennifer Dominguez with husband Frank.

San Luis Salute in Galveston

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:27:28 GMT

Paige and Tilman Fertitta chaired a glamorous bash for 800: the annual San Luis Salute at The San Luis%26#8217; Galveston Island Convention Center, which was transformed by Richard Flowers into an otherworldly set in keeping with the ball%26#8217;s %26#8220;Blue Moon%26#8221; theme. The fantastical fund-raiser honored heroes of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston %26#8212; UTMB prez David Callender, Texas House of Representatives%26#8217; Craig Eiland, and UTMB senior VP, Ben Raimer. The Philadelphia Mummers put in a PA, as did high-voltage band Party of the Moon (renowned for playing at the Presidential Inauguration). Entranced guests: Galveston mayoral candidates Joe Jaworski and Betty Massey; Liz and Bill Decker; Carol and Tom Sawyer; Cindy and Jim Earthman; space shuttle commander Scott Kelly; Susan and Gary Becker; and Jennifer and Thomas Pickens and Elizabeth and James Frost, whose daughters Joyce Pickens and Katherine Frost did duchess duties for the court of Momus.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

The Tremont House 26th Annual Mardi Gras Ball and Parade Viewing Party “A Chinese New Year”

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:10:36 GMT

The Tremont House topped off the festivities with an East-West f%26#234;te, drawing on the confluence of the Asian New Year and Mardi Gras for an evening that paired masks and beads with lion dancers and costumed performers from Lee%26#8217;s Golden Dance Troupe. Hotel owner George Mitchell, the man credited with preserving Galveston%26#8217;s past and reviving Mardi Gras 26 years earlier, played host, joined by family members including son Grant Mitchell and wife Tiziana, daughter Sheridan Lorenz and husband Perry, and sister Maria Ballentine. In the party brigade taking in the Momus parade: Penny and Bill Ross; John Augelli of the Rosenberg Library; Texas A%26amp;M prez R. Bowen Loftin; Galveston Chamber prez Gina Spagnola; Gayle and Lloyd Bentsen; Renee Adame, who crafted the Chinese-infused soir%26#233;e; as well as Sheryl and Joe Rozier, Roxanne and Larry Kriticos, and Gayle and Aristides Koutrouvelis.

A Pop-Up Bazar at Belle Meade

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:32:49 GMT

Curated Curios, Smoooth Cocktails, a Dash of Morocco
It was all about good gifting when Curated Curios %26amp; Cocktails unveiled %26#8212; a lush, edited shop-a-thon at The Belle Meade at River Oaks with a dash of the casbah. PaperCity magazine coaxed our editors%26#8217; top home design and boutique stops to set up shop for a one-night bazaar in the hot new luxury residential mid-rise, while event designer and caterer Elizabeth Swift improvised an exotic Moroccan vibe. Balancing cranberry Grey Goose martinis in one hand and innovatively wrapped packages in the other, souk seekers strolled through The Belle Meade%26#8217;s model units, all decked out to shop. Among the swell retailers: %26#192; Bient%26#244;t, Brown, Casa de Novia, Elaine Turner, Found, Indulge, Kuhl-Linscomb, Mecox, Moo Boo%26#8217;s at Tootsies, Muse, Nobility Studio, Objects ... Lost and Found, Peel Gallery, P%26amp;E for Table/for Home, River Oaks Bookstore, River Oaks Watch Co., Sloan/Hall, Tootsies and Vieux Interiors. Whew!

Discerning Types
Spotted among the 300-plus shoppers: The Belle Meade%26#8217;s developer Jeff Gray with wife Susan and adorable daughters Lauren and Emily; architects Bill Stern and Scott Ziegler, dropping by to congratulate Gray on his new residential building; designer Lisa Epley McCord; Brad Hensler; Neal Hamil, loaded with goodies from Objects, Mecox and Found; Adam Adams, snapping up a sculpture of a stallion from Mecox for his mid-century ranch; Molly Hubbard, giving us the latest dish about public art at Rice, with mother-in-law Patty Hubbard; Frank Herzog, aka Mr. Pop because of his fabulous 1960s-era art collection; Denzil Hollingsworth; Elegant Additions%26#8217; Julie Koch and Heather Domingue; artist Alexandra Weems; Carol Piper; Barbara Vilutis; Greg Fourticq Jr.; Found boutique%26#8217;s Ruth Davis and Aaron Rambo; Luvi Wheelock; Joshua Espinedo; Claire Cormier Thielke; Luxury Marketing Council%26#8217;s Helen Perry, with pal Dallas Hill; art dealer Laura Rathe; Ann Wilde, leaving with a peacock; Tootsies main man Mickey Rosmarin; Phyllis Hand; Mary Beth Aspromonte, who has recently moved in to The Belle Meade; and Gracie Cavnar, who summarized the evening perfectly: %26#8220;Cute stuff. All the best people.%26#8221;

Making a Difference Luncheon

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:08:08 GMT

The Dallas Opera's Annual OnStage Dinner

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:48:07 GMT

Houston Ballet Ball "Surreal Movement"

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:09:30 GMT

Tick, Tock, Blink, Blink
At the Wortham Theater Center this spring, it looked as if there has been a surreptitious heist at the surrealist galleries of The Menil Collection. Dal%26#237;-esque melting watches were everywhere, even topping the chocolate dessert confection. Perfect green Magritte-like apples stood guard, placed on the stairs leading up to the Grand Foyer, on salad plates and alongside a bowler hat or two. Most startling of all, suspended gigantic spheres flashed video projections of blinking eyeballs, redolent of contemporary great Tony Oursler, as guests savored the masterfully crafted dinner by Jackson and Company. All these artful touches %26#8212; cleverly concocted by Bergner and Johnson%26#8217;s Rebekah Johnson %26#8212; made Houston Ballet Ball 2010 an over-the-top fantasy f%26#234;te.

The artists behind this modern masterpiece night titled Surreal Movement? Chair quartet Jana and Richard Fant and Laura and John Spalding presided with the leading ladies donning, respectively, midnight-blue Christian Dior and silver-and-black Alexander McQueen. The dreamy soir%26#233;e saluted John and Becca Cason Thrash, who were introduced by board member Jay Jones as %26#8220;the couple who make things happen.%26#8221; Monsieur Thrash quickly injected humor, quipping, %26#8220;Becca truly deserves this. What is most surreal here is that they included me.%26#8221; When taking center stage to accept the couple%26#8217;s accolades, Miz Thrash was pressed into auctioneer duties. In a performance rivaling a Sotheby%26#8217;s CEO, she produced $74,000 in mere minutes by igniting John Blaisdell %26#8212; high bidder on a British excursion to Old Battersea House on the Thames, complete with a stay in the venerable 17th-century mansion designed by Christopher Wren, now owned by the Forbes family (Continental Airlines donated airfare while the honorees gifted the lavish stay) %26#8212; and chair husband Richard Fant, nabbing a maquette created by internationally renowned French sculptor Bernar Venet specially for the ball, donated by the artist and McClain Gallery.

Beatific Balletomanes
In the crowd of 460 danse disciples: Houston Ballet%26#8217;s main men, artistic director Stanton Welch, managing director C.C. Conner, and general manager James Nelson (who briefed us on progress for the company%26#8217;s $53 million Center for Dance, set to be the largest in America, coming spring 2011); Lynn Wyatt in a surreal toque by British milliner Philip Treacy, escorted by another Brit, Vogue editor Hamish Bowles, in patent-leather Christian Louboutin shoes sprouting gold spikes; Libbie Masterson, embracing the theme by pairing a leopard pillbox hat with a birdcage construction, exclaiming %26#8220;I%26#8217;m a closet surrealist!%26#8221;; always elegant Jacqueline and Leon Kinloch, he on the Houston Ballet board of trustees; Anne and Albert Chao; Tena Lundquist Faust in Galliano and Tyson Faust; Nidhika and Pershant Mehta; Margaret Williams with Jim Daniel; Kelli and Martin Fein, who would chair the Symphony Ball weeks later, she in Rochas; Karan and James Robinson; Jean and Henry May; past ball chairs Vanessa and Perry Sendukas, and Kimberly and Frank DeLape; Diane and Phil Bazelides; Diane Lokey Farb, gliding on the dance floor with Mark Sullivan; Beth and Bryan Muecke, she in diamond and pearls from Katie Decker; Greggory and Pat Burk; Ginni and Richard Mithoff; Randy Powers; Bill Caudell; Hattie Parker and Aaron Ball; Sara Dodd-Spickelmier and Keith Spickelmier; Molly and Ford Hubbard; Greg Fourticq Jr.; Sunny and Mac Haik; Kate and Steve Gibson; Marsha and Michael Bourque; Sharin Gaille in Andrew Gn; Houston Art Alliance%26#8217;s Jonathon Glus; Alton LaDay; Ruth Davis in Etro with husband Neill; Phoebe and Bobby Tudor; artist McKay Otto with collector Janet Blocker, who%26#8217;s just moved back from New Orleans; and Sloan/Hall boys Marcus Sloan and Shannon Hall, who warned, %26#8220;Don%26#8217;t eat the rocks%26#8221; about the dangerous-looking appetizer, Coquilles Man Ray, which featured a scallop shell on cobalt-blue sea salt; and principal dancer Melody Herrera in body paint, which proclaimed %26#8220;Ce n%26#8217;est pas une danseuse%26#8221; in a racy ode to Rene Magritte.%26nbsp;

Houston Symphony Ball "What a Wonderful World"

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:26:09 GMT

Making Beautiful Music
The classic refrains of %26#8220;What a Wonderful World%26#8221; cascaded throughout the ballroom of the Hilton Americas%26#8211;Houston, which was decked out like a Crescent City garden aerie by design maestro Darryl Murchison for Houston Symphony Ball 2010. The theme reflected chair couple Kelli and Martin Fein%26#8217;s nightly bedtime tune sung to their little ones, and Richard Brown%26#8217;s Orchestra, assisted by crooners including Bob Luna and Sharon Montgomery, captured the ambiance of another era. The night got a special assist by guest vocalist Troy %26#8220;Satchmo%26#8221; Anderson, a ringer for the legendary Louis Armstrong, who performed the gala%26#8217;s theme song while the dance floor filled with swirling socials: Sue and Lester Smith, she in Valentino red; honorary chairman Margaret Williams in crimson-hued Oscar, with Jim Daniels; Andrew Dewhurst, nephew of Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, with best gal Chiharu Homan; Melissa and Bill King; Beth Madison with Dick Kuriger; Lorraine and Ed Wulfe; Diane Lokey Farb escorted by Ceron; Gucci-gowned Diane Gendel with husband Harry; and Liz and Tom Glanville, she sleek in chartreuse Zac Posen.

Melodious Ones
To inaugurate the evening, the chair couple %26#8212;%26nbsp;Miz Fein in an exquisite diaphanous Christian Dior gown from the Spring 2010 collection %26#8212; took center stage to introduce the gala%26#8217;s honorees: Cora Sue Mach, touted for her leadership in education, with husband Harry; Aileen Gordon, receiving the Symphony%26#8217;s Ima Hogg Philanthropy Award, applauded by daughter Frann Gordon Lichtenstein and granddaughter Jill Deutser with husband Brad; and Jeanie Reckart accepting the Maurice Hirsch Corporate Citizenship Award on behalf of Fidelity Investments.

More swell personages: golden couple, Symphony board prez Bobby Tudor with wife Phoebe; Saks Fifth Avenue contingent Terry Zmyslo and Sylvia Forsythe, she in Naeem Khan, he in %26#8220;always Armani from Saks%26#8221; (the retailer was the host of a lavish underwriter dinner weeks earlier); Susan Krohn with Jon Vague; Joanne King Herring in Cesar Galindo; Darlene and Cappy Bisso; Helen and Jim Shaffer; gallerist Sandy Parkerson, just back from the Armory Show, with Christina Girard, who wore a fabulous embroidered Egyptian caftan; the ball%26#8217;s Red Rose committee chair Julia Frankel with husband Russell; auction chair Nancy Littlejohn (chair of last year%26#8217;s Casablanca-themed gala) and husband Erik; auction chair Sharin Gaille in Reem Acra; Rochelle and Max Levit; Beth Bryant; Alton LaDay: a visual contingent including Houston Arts Alliance%26#8217;s Jonathon Glus, art dealers Linda Darke with husband Don Swaynos and Wade Wilson, and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft director Julie Farr with Bob Lordi; and underwriter chairmen Tara and David Wuthrich, who helped this ball exceed the $900,000 mark.

Another highlight was the appearance of the fresh-faced new Houston Symphony executive director/CEO, Mark Hanson. Most recently executive director of the Milwaukee Symphony, Hanson begins his tenure here on May 1. %26#8220;He looks like he%26#8217;s going to be a hit,%26#8221; whispered my tablemate, gallerist Austin James, while the usually decorous guests went wild as Hanson strode to the mike and addressed the crowd.

The young and restless arrived around 11 pm, while after-party ambassador Lindsey Love and chair Ben Harwood Rose, with adorable date Erin Finger (fellow chair Erica Rose, Ben%26#8217;s sis, was in L.A. on a TV project), geared up for a long night at the casino. (We glimpsed flip-flops in a corner.)

The Fay School Gala

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:06:02 GMT

The Fay School Gala drew 340 devotees to the Houstonian Hotel for an evening of cocktails, silent and live auction goodies, and a seated dinner, all led by chairmen Megan Pond and Kimberly Coan. The evening wound down in the Copacabana Lounge%26nbsp; with Fay School head-of-school Bob Meyer and wife Julie; Fay founder Marie Fay Evnochides and husband Steve Evnochides; Bella and Gordon Gsell, Paula and Hal Mentz, Lori and Martin Shellist, Patti and Jonathan Kagan, Benjy and Erica Levit, Karen Desenberg, Karin Allmendinger, Margarita and Emilio Vicens, Brooke and Witten Stuckey, Lisa and Greg Westerman, and Rame and Russell Hruska.

MFAH Dinner Celebrates Alice Neel: Painted Truths

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:53:36 GMT

Art is reason enough to celebrate, but when the exhibit involves 68 stunners by the late Alice Neel %26#8212; one of the 20th century%26#8217;s most noted portrait painters %26#8212; it%26#8217;s time to break out the champagne. Eighty art cognoscenti attended a private exhibition viewing of %26#8220;Alice Neel: Painted Truths%26#8221; at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (through June 13), capped off by a seated dinner and a lecture by co-curator Jeremy Lewison, formerly of London%26#8217;s Tate Gallery and now a curator and advisor to the Neel estate. At the cultivated commencement: MFAH curator of modern and contemporary art, as well as the show%26#8217;s co-curator, Barry Walker; MFAH dynamic duo Frances and Peter Marzio; Neel%26#8217;s sons Hartley and Richard; the artist%26#8217;s grandson, filmmaker Andrew Neel; MFAH chairman of the board Cornelia Long and husband, famed Houston gallery owner Meredith; and, in from Sweden, Magnus Jensner, director of Moderna Museet Malm%26#246;, where the exhibit will travel this fall.

Maurizio Cattelan Opening at The Menil Collection

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:26:17 GMT

When a new exhibition of Maurizio Cattelan%26#8217;s work drew the city%26#8217;s elite to The Menil Collection on a recent evening, the museum buzzed with creativity of the highest level. Cattelan%26#8217;s sculptures (on view through August 15) are clever, sardonic and fresh; this show marked the first Texas solo for the international sculptor, who flew in from New York for the occasion. Artistically inclined admirers: the Menil%26#8217;s Josef Helfenstein; exhibition curator Franklin Sirmans (formerly with the Menil, now with LACMA); Francesca Valente of L.A.%26#8217;s Italian Cultural Institute; top gallery brass Cody Ledvina, Steven Hempel, Apama Mackey, and Barbara Davis; and major collector Lester Marks.

Passion for Fashion Luncheon

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:08:22 GMT

Friends of Trends Luncheon

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:10:52 GMT

Park Cities Quail Award Dinner and Auction

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:14:33 GMT

Between the Braniff flight attendant uniforms designed by Pucci and artifacts from the Hindenberg, Park Cities Quail made the Frontiers of Flight Museum home on the range for its inaugural dinner and auction, all to benefit the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch and youth hunter activities. Chairman Matt Perry-Miller joined Collectors Covey%26#8217;s Bubba Wood, WFAA%26#8217;s Pete Delkus, board chair Joe Crafton, and honorary chairman T. Boone Pickens to honor Bob Carter %26#8212; the big shot of the evening who took home the T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award for his dedication to conservation. Guests Trevor Rees-Jones, Mark Murray, Rusty Rice, Ray Harvey, Patrick Sands, and Walker Royal kept the live auction bulletproof by bidding high on exotic trips, private dinners and art.

An Affair of the Art: Great Impressions

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:49:47 GMT

Wistful works from Monet, Courbet, Manet and other legendary impressionist painters caught the eye of an impeccably dressed group of socials at the Junior Associates Circle's An Affair of the Art gala benefitting the Dallas Museum of Art. During the picture-perfect evening, chairmen Renne and Bill Lokey and Lisa and Wayne Moore took a private tour of %26#8220;The Lens of Impressionism: Photography and Paintings Along the Normandy Coast, 1850-1874,%26#8221; before being seated with fellow art patrons Seth Bame, Susannah Wallace, Meredith and Vince Kallaher, Brittney Pardue, Bryan Woodward, and CeCe Turner.

TITAS Command Performance and La Fête Du Ballet

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:36:58 GMT

With tickets in hand to what some say is spring's hottest curtain call , dance enthusiasts swarmed the Music Hall at Fair Park for TITAS' Command Performance. An all-star ballet was just the beginning of the two-part event kicking off TITAS' spring season and honoring arts patroness Rebecca Enloe Fletcher, with chairman Gabrielle de Papp and honorary chairman Caren Prothro. Finding his seat inside the theater, TITAS co-founder Tom Adams proclaimed, %26#8220;Every dancer loves Dallas %26#8212; If asked to perform here, they don't say no." Starring roles went to dancers David Hallberg, Yuan Yuan Tan, Rubinald Pronk, Clifton Brown, Sarah Lane, Jose Manuel Carreno, Drew Jacoby, and Gillian Murphy, who performed excerpts from Giselle, Swan Lake and the world premiere of Among the Stars. After a champagne-fueled intermission, Ethan Stiefel and Paloma Herrera shone in a Don Quixote grand finale, bringing audience members Cece Smith and Ford Lacey, Bess Enloe, Janie Cooke, and Carolyn Fonberg to their feet. Post-performance, VIP guests including TITAS executive director Charles Santos made the short trip from Fair Park to Neiman Marcus Downtown for the La F%26#234;te du Ballet black-tie dinner. The fashionable landmark was cleared of Chanel handbags and Manolo Blahniks and furnished with pink tulip and peony bouquets, candlelight and waiters passing savory bites from The Zodiac. "Neiman Marcus loves to link with the arts," said NM CEO Karen Katz, who was mingling with fellow NM luminaries Ann Stordahl and Shelle Sills. The night's star performers %26#8212; now donning gowns and tuxes instead of tutus and tights %26#8212; %26nbsp;also made the foray downtown and were greeted with bravos from guests Kenny Goss, Keri Kaiser, Lysa and Greg Rohan, Capera Ryan, Wendy Weinman, Gracia and Bruce Perlstein, and Thomy-Sue Toledo.

A Special Evening with The Pointer Sisters Hosted by Alliance Data

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:23:15 GMT

The Crystal Charity Ball's Ten Best Dressed Women of Dallas Announcement

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:07:28 GMT

Feather Your Nest Luncheon and Speakers Series with Pamela Fiori

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:46:01 GMT

%26nbsp;In the language of chic getaway spots, few are as well-versed as Town %26amp; Country's contributing editor Pamela Fiori. The eloquent editrice discussed one such destination %26#8212; the subject of her new book, In the Spirit of Capri %26#8212; during the Feather Your Nest Luncheon and Speakers Series at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. Luncheon co-founders Kim Whitman, Ashlee Kleinert and Colleen Rickenbacher took their seats with Deedie Rose, Jan Showers, Elizabeth Showers, Robin Ladik, and Elisa Summers, while Fiori inspired daydreams of Limoncello and well-tanned yachters. %26nbsp;

Hooch %26 Pooch

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:16:09 GMT

Fashioning their Roman Holiday wardrobes, modern-day Princess Anns and Joe Bradleys flocked to The Apartment for Kitchen Dog Theater's Ciao! Hooch %26amp; Pooch bash. Hosts Todd Fiscus and Rob Daily's party props oozed mod Italian (red and white lights, a Paciugo gelato cart and a Rosemary Clooney%26#8211;filled soundtrack), while food and drink played starring roles %26#8212; think vodka-spiked libations and pizza from Superfly Pies' wood-fire oven trailer parked outside. Placing bids at the silent auction and picking their prize-filled "doggy bags": Rob Wilson, Christopher Carlos, Tina Parker, Amy Hawken, Martha Hinojosa, Bill Lengfelder, and Lee Trull.

Paige Denim Cocktail Party at F.I.G.

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:04:07 GMT

To show the latest collection for the eponymous line Paige Denim, Paige Adams-Geller swooped in to Fashion Industry Gallery for a cocktail party in her honor. "I call them my Krystle Carringtons %26#8212; You know, like in Dynasty," described the glamazon designer of her Swarovski-studded black jeans. At dusk, F.I.G's fashion contingent convened in the modern concrete courtyard, where flutes of Barefoot Bubbly and models in Paige Denim awaited the likes of Marlene and John Sughrue, Bekah McKee, Jessica Baxter, Lauren Toliver and Mallory Smith.

Kraus Rodeo Party

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:35:13 GMT

11th Annual Hats off to Mothers Luncheon

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:46:22 GMT

Hats Off for Camp For All

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:13:12 GMT

Art with Heart Kick-off Party

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:03:14 GMT

David Bates: Themes and Variations Opening Reception

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:58:24 GMT

10th Anniversary Eye Ball

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:24:40 GMT

When it came time to plan the Eye Ball's 10th anniversary gala, chairmen Karen and Dave Dealy selected the grand dame of downtown hotels, The Adolphus, for the elegant event locale, chose the luminous Linda Marcus as honorary chair and gathered an impressive list of black-tie-attired invitees %26#8212; all to benefit UT Southwestern's Department of Ophthalmology and Prevent Blindness Texas. Noble Nash, Deborah Brown, Lillie Young, Caroline Rose Hunt, Charles Simmons, and Tincy and Vance Miller swept through the baroque ballroom before taking their dinner seats. After the last course was devoured, all made a dash to the dance floor to waltz and twirl to the sounds of the Brent Van Sickle Orchestra. A glamorous sight to see, indeed.

Super Bowl XLV Host Committee Kick-Off Concert Series

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:43:07 GMT

Live Consortium's "Live Better - Be the Cure"

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:41:44 GMT

The Luxury Marketing Council at the Azure

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:34:59 GMT

Shoe Addicts and Simon Doonan

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:47:05 GMT

Some Cinderella stories involve Prince Charming and a glass slipper. But for five lucky partygoers at Barneys New York last week, the story entailed Simon Doonan and free stilettos. The tale begins with Barneys' dandy creative director hosting an exclusive spring shoe soiree and giveaway at the NorthPark Center store. Throughout the evening, guests talked footwear with Doonan and put their names into a straw Balenciaga tote with hopes that they would be among the chosen winners. An hour into the event, Doonan stood atop a shoe display and readied the group for the momentous drawing: "Now, you're all going to have to try and stay calm. I hope you took your meds!" he playfully advised. The first name Doonan drew from the bag was the fashionable blogger Judy Aldridge. She picked the blue satin Manolo Blahniks made famous in the Sex and the City movie. Bethany Siggins was the second to score new heels and chose a Givenchy pair. I was shocked to hear my name next (I took home Yves Saint Laurent's Tribute sandal) and Lisa Moore followed suit picking from the Pierre Hardy collection. The most darling winner was youngster Cassie Polley. She and her sister Alexandra had accompanied their mom, Tomima Edmark, to the party and brought along their French bulldogs Josephine and Jacqueline. Much to Doonan's delight, Cassie shrieked loudly with child-like zeal before selecting a ruffled Giuseppe Zanotti flat %26#8212; making for a perfect "happily ever after" to this shoe fairytale.

Women of Wardrobe "Splash Into Spring"

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:22:09 GMT

To start the season, Women of Wardrobe (W.O.W.) toasted summer at Anya Tish Gallery when more than 150 guests joined chair duo Liz Schaffner and Isabel David and sponsor Momentum Audi%26#8217;s Jared Lang for a night of art with Barcelona-based Bego%26#241;a Egurbide%26#8217;s lenticular photographs, and vibrant resort wear from La Mode Swim and M2M. The beachy art evening benefitted Dress for Success Houston, the nonprofit that provides career looks for women entering the job market. Making a splash: DFS co-founder and president Nancy Levicki, Kim Brown, Cara Morales, Allison Bagley, Stephanie O%26#8217;Keefe, and Melissa Fair.

Project Row Houses 15th Anniversary Celebration

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:13:03 GMT

Project Row Houses revived its gala this past season after a four-year hiatus, returning to where it all began: the leafy campus enveloped by a suite of historic shotgun dwellings in the heart of the Third Ward. More than 250 revelers came out for this alfresco f%26#234;te while Mother Nature provided perfect weather to celebrate 15 years of internationally acclaimed community and art programming, toast the vision of co-founder Rick Lowe, meet new executive director Linda Shearer and exceed the evening%26#8217;s six-figure fund-raising goal. Crooner Trudy Lynn provided the bluesy musical vibe, while Cheryl and Percy Creuzot%26#8217;s Creuz%26#243; Cuisine catered the down-home dinner.

Chair Rebecca Trahan joined co-chairs Bert Bertonaschi, Cheryl Creuzot, Julie Greenwood, John Guess Jr., Bill Hill, Demetra Jones, Anita Smith, and Phyllis Williams in welcoming supporters, including co-founding artists Bert Long Jr. with Joan Batson, Floyd Newsum, Jesse Lott, Bert Samples, and George Smith with wife Thelma of The Menil Collection; Erin Rice Patterson and Adrian Patterson; theater man Adam Adams, who contributed to PRH%26#8217;s wish-list garden project; architect Bill Stern; Melanie Lawson; and art restorers Jill Whitten and Rob Proctor, kicking up their heels on the improvised dance floor in the PRH garden.

DiverseWorks Gala: "Debutantes Run Wild"

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:45:43 GMT

DiverseWorks%26#8217; raucous, exuberant %26#8220;Debutantes Run Wild%26#8221;%26#8211;themed gala would have made River Oaks matrons tremble. Held at our favorite new venue, The Bell Tower on 34th, it lured the artful and the social including Capital One%26#8217;s gone-goth Paul Pettie (we loved his silver moon boots); DW co-director Sixto Wagan in an Imelda Marcos%26#8211;inspired getup, squiring co-director Diane Barber; gallerist Linda Darke Swaynos (quipping, %26#8220;Tonight, cross-dressing is encouraged%26#8221;) with husband Don Swaynos; Warhol-wigged Marshal Lightman with wife Victoria, both bearing (we hope temp) tattoos advertising their Looking at Art classes; gal pals Eleanor Williams, Claudia Schmuckli, and Christina Sol%26#237;s as wayward prom queens; former debs tapped for the protocol committee including The Menil Collection%26#8217;s Emily Todd; honorees/ patrons Melanie Lawson and John Guess Jr., Community Artist Collective%26#8217;s Michelle Barnes, artist Molly Gochman (cutting a rug with Mark Haukohl), and sculptor Dan Havel (celebrating his birthday with collaborator/fellow honoree Dean Ruck and his sweetheart Debbie McNulty, the trio making an entrance in their Fur Mobile); Bell Tower owner Chuy Terrazas; dealer Arturo Palacios with dual dates, artists Elaine Bradford and Kia Neill; and chairs Tracey and Patrick Keegan, who get kudos for cooking up this mad, mod affair.

Houston Grand Opera's Competition for Young Singers

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:37:56 GMT

Houston Ballet Ball Kickoff at Versace

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:23:31 GMT

En Perfect Pointe
To toast the Houston Ballet, Versace put its best foot forward this spring %26#8212; not en pointe but in towering stilettos %26#8212; to kick off the 2010 Ballet Ball, themed Surreal Movement. A swell suite of socials flocked to the Italian luxury retailer%26#8217;s Galleria boutique for an evening of cocktailing and shopping the spring/summer collection. In support, Versace donated a coveted Couture Intreccio Bucket handbag to the gala%26#8217;s silent auction coffers.

To welcome the devoted disciples of danse, Versace marketing and events manager USA Dana DePierro came in from Manhattan to join Houston store manager Rene Chapman-Wood; Houston Ballet notables artistic director Stanton Welch, managing director C.C. Conner, director of individual giving/events Patsy Chapman, and general manager James Nelson; and, of course, the quartet of the evening, gala chairs Jana and Richard Fant and Laura and John Spalding, both chair girls sporting Versace.

Danse Plus Dal%26#237;
Patrons included Jo and Jim Furr (she in a frock bearing a scene straight from Salvador Dal%26#237;);%26nbsp; Hattie Parker and Aaron Ball; Hines exec Claire Cormier Thielke; Lacy Baird, Judith Oudt (set to co-chair her own artful night, the CAMH Gala, next month); Patti Murphy sporting a fabulous Versace handbag, with husband Don; Houston Downtown Alliance%26#8217;s Heather Pray, arriving with David Rassin; Melissa and Michael Mithoff; Cindi and Franklin Ross, she in a rose-motif Versace frock; Joann and Bill Crassas; Roseann Rogers with husband/doc Aashish Shah; Samira Salman; Edward Sanchez; dapper Floyd Griffin; Bulgari Houston directress Karen Turner-Smith and husband Robert Smith; Kristy Junco; Polly and Jerry Gauthier; Mary Alice and Michael Parmet; Valerie and Will Dittner; Denise Ozene; Mary Ann and David McKeithan; politico Jeffrey Welch from Peter Brown%26#8217;s staff; balletomane Jean May; Lafe Bauer; Roland Maldonado; Roche Bobois%26#8217; Paulina Garcia; Ira Brown; Shiva Rafferty; Jessica Osorio; Charlotte Hill; and Pamela Mouton with adorable daughters Elizabeth and Rachel Leonards %26#8212; all setting the stage for the lavish and Dal%26#237;-esque Ballet Ball weeks later.

Moores School of Music Society 23rd Annual Dinner Concert

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:02:28 GMT

Bring on the Band

%26#8220;I Got Rhythm%26#8221; was the apt title for this spring%26#8217;s Moores School of Music%26#8217;s annual dinner concert, which saluted the supper clubs and big bands of eras past at a beautiful, beguiling black-tie benefit single-handedly chaired by Chanel%26#8217;s directrix Eleanor Connan. More than 300 swell socials and benevolent music lovers packed the Hyatt Regency Houston for a night harmonized to the strains of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and, of course, George Gershwin. The evening honored patron Margaret Williams, whose passion for clef notes goes back to her training as an opera singer, and melodious Moores supporters Beth Madison, who served as honorary chair; Moores Society prez Cathy McNamara; and director David Ashley White, who also presided. But the true stars were the Moores%26#8217; accomplished orchestral musicians, conducted in concert by Franz Anton Krager, with guest pianist/Moores grad Richard Dowling. Guests swayed to the big-band standards arranged by composer Robert Nelson, a long-time Moores faculty member. After a lavish seated dinner (the menu: shrimp cocktail, steak, and petits fours, an ode to American culinary classics), ELS Show Band electrified the audience.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

%26nbsp;

Emerald City

Emerald-hued lights bathed the room in a tribute to the glory days of the Shamrock and in homage to green moolah %26#8212; as in dollars. After all, the event set an all-time fund-raising record, with proceeds benefitting music scholarships and special projects. In keeping with the theme, vintage photos of the bygone hotel had been enlarged as inspirational backdrops. Members of the McCarthy family dropped by, too %26#8212; Glenna Picton, Christi and Walter Beard, Angela Picton, Carthy Picton, Leah McCurry, Leah Croxton, and Rachel Baker %26#8212; as did school namesake John Moores, joining glamorous ones including Diane Lokey Farb, escorted by Ceron; Cynthia and Tony Petrello; Phyllis and Cornel Williams (one of the auction chairs); chair husband Andr%26#233; Connan; Sallymoon Benz and Alan Bentz; Rose and Harry Cullen, she in Chanel; Julia and Russell Frankel; Diane and Harry Gendel joined by architect son and doctor daughter-in-law Keith and Liz Gendel, who have recently moved back from L.A.; Betty and Jess Tutor; Carolyn Farb with Mark Pickard; Dick Kuriger; violinist and conductor Dagang Chen, a Moores grad; Zarine and Meherwan Boyce; Joanne King Herring; UH brass prez Renu Khator and professor husband Suresh Khator, as well as provost John Antel with wife Susan, and regent Carroll Ray; and Mary Grace Gray with the Granduca, which hosted several sumptuous kickoffs leading up to the big night.

British Invasion at Elaine Turner benefitting Heroes for Children

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:07:28 GMT

Elaine Turner's %26#8217;70s-era British blowout showcased the designer%26#8217;s new collection and supported Heroes for Children, which helps families of children undergoing cancer treatment. Among the mod squad: Jennifer Frazier, upcoming Heroes Brunch chair Alissa Maples, Jillian Plachy, Andrea Mitchell, Nicole Fertitta, and Shere%26#233; Granger.

Tory Burch Cocktail Party benefitting Camp for All

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:58:43 GMT

Tory Burch enthusiasts and supporters of the special-needs nonprofit Camp For All enjoyed shopping and cocktails at Burch%26#8217;s Galleria boutique. Chairs Liz Rigney and Kelly Peterson Cliburn doled out the retail therapy to guests including Meredith Rigney, Andy Hall, Niki Smith, Susan Walker-Spalding, and CFA%26#8217;s Pat Sorrells.

Legacy Community Health Services’ Cabaret for a Cure

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:23:38 GMT

The ballroom at the Hilton Americas%26#8211;Houston ballroom twinkled for the third annual Cabaret for a Cure, which brought in a chart-topping $250,000 for Legacy Community Health Services. Chairmen Anita and Gerald Smith and Paul-David Van Atta joined honorary chairs Debra and Mark Grierson and honorees Trini Mendenhall Sosa and Frank Sosa and corporate honoree Shell Oil%26#8217;s Jani Lopez for the evening of dinner and dancing, while headlining performers Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. brought the crowd to its feet. Sparkling in the audience: physician Shannon Schrader, Brian Teichman, Liz Zaruba, Bob Devlin, Mayor Annise Parker, Diane Lokey Farb, Astrid and Gene Van Dyke, and Legacy CEO Katy Caldwell.

In Love with Fashion

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:17 GMT

Guests fell %26#8220;In Love With Fashion%26#8221; all over again when Tootsies showcased Joan Hornig%26#8217;s jewelry collection at a night of bijoux chaired by Jeff Shell of the Neal Hamil Agency. Tootsies%26#8217; showed the best for spring, and Hornig, whose lush gold baubles are inspired by art history and travel, donated 100 percent of the evening%26#8217;s proceeds to Recipe for Success, a charity dedicated to combating childhood obesity. In the crowd: Recipe for Success founder Gracie Cavnar, Tootsies%26#8217; Mickey Rosmarin and Shelley Taylor Ludwick, Isabel Cowles Murphy, Alton LaDay, Gabriela Dror, and Sharon Brier.

MFAH’s Dinner Celebrates Launch of an American Season

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:36:48 GMT

Life imitated art on a recent evening at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, as the city%26#8217;s aesthetes celebrated the opening of three momentous American-themed exhibitions: %26#8220;Prendergast in Italy,%26#8221; %26#8220;Sargent and the Sea%26#8221; and %26#8220;Houston%26#8217;s Sargents.%26#8221; Cognoscenti mingled, cocktails in hand, as they previewed the canvases before enjoying a seated dinner catered by City Kitchen in the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Gallery. Discerning eyes included MFAH power couple Frances and Peter Marzio; triumvirate Cornelia and Meredith Long (she, MFAH board chair; he, pioneering American art dealer) with daughter Martha; Courtney and Christopher Sarofim; Charles Butt; Leslie and Brad Bucher; Lisa Corrin, in town from Williamstown, Massachusetts, where she%26#8217;s director of the Williams College Museum of Art; and curator Sarah Cash from Washington D.C.%26#8217;s Corcoran Gallery of Art. The evening went out with a bang as MFAH curator Emily Ballew Neff, celebrating her birthday, was serenaded by all.

Insight Complete Eye Care Grand Opening

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:34:12 GMT

The Joy School Annual Luncheon

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:20:06 GMT

Hermann Park Luncheon on the Lawn

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:23:22 GMT

On a balmy afternoon this spring, the historic 1920s-era Clubhouse at Hermann Park was festooned with chapeaux extraordinaire%26nbsp; %26#8212; creations from Philip Treacy to Gabriela Dror %26#8212; as their chic owners turned out for Luncheon on the Lawn, a rite of the season that raises green for the Hermann Park Conservancy (this time, to support the beautification of the Grand Gateway park entrance). Chair duo Jana Arnoldy and Linda Hunsaker joined honoree and advocate Ann Hamilton (who gave a poignant speech about the park%26#8217;s meaning in her life) and HP executive director Doreen Stoller in this bright and buoyant occasion that brought out leading ladies including mom-to-be Karen Farber of the Mitchell Center; Hines executive Claire Cormier Thielke; Ann Short; Kelli Blanton; Nidhika Mehta; publicist Maggi Jones, whose client Tiffany %26amp; Co. donated a posh raffle prize and the fund for the new Tiffany %26amp; Co. Bridge; Out of Africa%26#8211;inspired Nancy Littlejohn in Ralph Lauren, with gal pals Sharin Gaille and Paula Fyhr; plus some very sartorial gents, including Peter Brown, Joe Nelson III, Bill Coats, HP Conservancy board chair Tom Downing, architect Jay Baker, Ceron, Jackson Hicks (who did catering honors, in a boater from Chapeaux Motsch in Paris), and Milton Townsend, with mom Ana Maria McDonald.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:11:39 GMT

Discovery Green was again in the limelight, this time as the site for an ecological art convergence when %26#8220;Cool Globes%26#8221; rolled into town. The exhibition of 50 gargantuan fiberglass globes transformed by prominent international, national and Texas talents was unveiled with a lively cocktail fund-raiser at The Grove, topped off by the presence of then-mayor Bill White and special guest speaker Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who wowed the crowd with his impassioned plea for a new American energy policy. The evening also included a silent auction of mini globes transformed by Houston talents, all to support education and environmental awareness. In the eco-conscious crowd: Susan Bono with the Mayor%26#8217;s office, who got Cool Globes to Houston; Cool Globes founder Wendy Abrams with husband Jim, the couple in from Chicago; underwriters Jack Fusco with Calpine (who acquired artist Susan Plum%26#8217;s glass-encased globe) and Jason Few with Reliant; mini globe artists including Bert Long Jr., Weihong, Wayne Gilbert, and Robyn O%26#8217;Neil; sculptor-painter Sharon Kopriva, tapped for a major globe by Vestas; and silent auction curators Gus Kopriva and PaperCity%26#8217;s Catherine Anspon.

Memorial Park's 85th Anniversary Gala

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:56:44 GMT

Houston%26#8217;s other oasis, Memorial Park, was not to be outdone, commemorating its 85th anniversary with an old-guard gala at the Bayou Club, co-chaired by Wendy Hines and new parents Meg and Nelson Murray, and honoring Diana and Bill Hobby (she was out of town). Executive director Sally Tyler and board chair Jeanie Connell also presided over the alfresco evening under a big tent that extolled the history of one of our city%26#8217;s most-beloved and used green spaces, which was created in 1924 to honor the World War I soldiers who once trained on its grounds. Posh people for the park: chair husband Jeff Hines, board member Shelly Lemelle Anello, theater man Adam Adams, daughter and son-in-law of the honorees Kate and Steve Gibson, Regina and Peter Garcia, politico Mike Skelly, Kathy and Harry Masterson, Hallie and Gordon Carver, State Representative Ellen Cohen, Carole Ann and Lee Hamel, Andrea White, Mavis Kelsey, Ann Coco, Carol and R.O. Hunton, Odette Mace, and horticulturist, environmentalist and author Sadie Gwin Blackburn.

Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball 2010

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:51:58 GMT

Discovery Green Gala on the Green presented by HEB

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:32:54 GMT

Our newest and most noteworthy addition to Houston%26#8217;s parks, Discovery Green, toasted its second year with a verdant-hued biennial benefit, %26#8220;Gala on the Green,%26#8221; presented by H-E-B. More than 750 joined chairs Carolyn and Matt Khourie and Bobbie and John Nau in the colorful black-tie night, which began with a stroll through the LEED-certified park grounds bathed in green light and illuminated by a mammoth chandelier (some party magic from The Events Company), before segueing into a seated dinner by Jackson and Company, and dancing to the high-voltage sounds of Fried Ice Cream. The environmental evening exceeded the million-dollar mark ($1.4 million, to be precise) to support diverse and free parks programming, thanks to enlightened supporters including conservancy board chair Brady Carruth, park prez Guy Hagstette, programming director Susanne Theis, Eileen and Kase Lawal, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Margaret Williams with Jim Daniel, Mayor Annise Parker, Andrea and gubernatorial candidate Bill White (who was instrumental in establishing the park), Nancy and Rich Kinder (she directed its private fund-raising), H-E-B honcho Scott McClelland with wife Soraya, MFAH power couple Frances and Peter Marzio, and art patrons extraordinaire Cornelia and Meredith Long.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

UPPA Spring Market Kickoff at Tootises

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:56:52 GMT

Vine %26 Dine

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:46:32 GMT

Cantoni's All Star Weekend Party with Kenyon Martin

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:15:36 GMT

St. Luke's Friends of Nursing Luncheon

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:35:26 GMT

On the Move MS luncheon

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:23:33 GMT

Houston Symphony's The Planets World Premiere

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:58:20 GMT

Houston Symphony's LINN Energy Private Rehearsal

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:37:01 GMT

Rice Design Alliance Gala Underwriter's Party

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:15:03 GMT

Leukemia %26 Lymphoma Society Saint Valentine's Day Luncheon %26 Fashion Show

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:14:46 GMT

Rice Design Alliance Membership Party

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:36:29 GMT

UNICEF's TAP Project at The Goss-Michael Foundation

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:25:31 GMT

Savor Dallas

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:37:51 GMT

Sophistication %26 Sleekness at Highland Tower

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:48:02 GMT

Oscar Night America

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:41:07 GMT

Louis Vuitton NBA All-Star Shopping Brunch

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:54:06 GMT

Of all the star-studded parties during the NBA All-Star Weekend, Tracy and Alonzo Mourning's shopping brunch at NorthPark Center's gargantuan Louis Vuitton boutique topped our list of must-attends. French-toast bites were passed, mimosas sipped, and plenty of monogrammed goodies purchased, with a portion of sales benefitting the Alonzo Mourning Charities' Honey Shine Mentoring Program. All-star shoppers: Cookie and Magic Johnson, Katherine Parker, and Dianne and Daryl Johnston, along with store manager Kelly Gates and LV VP Kim Harrington.

Alley Theatre Wonderland Bash

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:19:36 GMT

A trip down the rabbit hole was never more intoxicatingly fun than at Alley Theatre%26#8217;s Wonderland Bash, named for composer Frank Wildhorn%26#8217;s Alice-infused world premiere. Guests at Winter Street Studios sipped specialty cocktails, sampled bites by T%26#8217;afia (I admit to my own tryst with the mini burgers!) or abandoned timidity for a round on the dance floor with the evening%26#8217;s aural curator, DJ John Sims. Nonconformist fashion flaunting was plentiful, such as Holly Waltrip in her reinterpretation of the fairy-tale rabbit, complete with bunny ears nestled in a perfect afro pouf and oversized watch around her neck that would be the envy of any Flava Flav wannabee. Also worthy of mention: Edward Sanchez%26#8217;s pitch-perfect, orange-eyebrowed Johnny Depp Mad Hatter. Mr. Sloan and I had the good fortune to host the evening%26#8217;s festivities with three lovelies, Elizabeth Abraham, Ursaline Hamilton, and Isabel David. Wonderland wanderers: Jeff Shell, Don Mafrige Jr., Beth Bryant, the always chic Fred Smith, Rob Rutherford, Cathy Echols, and the ever-beautiful Maria Vilchez and her escort, Yotam Melichar. (Save the date: The Alley Theatre Jet Setters%26#8217; Ball is May 15 at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport. Info 713.315.3389.)

Ports 1961 Event with Tia Cibani

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:09:36 GMT

Designer Tia Cibani created architectural silhouettes and modern-day kimono cocktail dresses inspired by a journey to Kyoto for her Ports 1961 spring collection. To showcase these designs, Cibani traded in her globetrotting lifestyle for domestic travel. The destination: Nordstrom at Galleria Dallas. Hostesses Tracy Madans and Nordstrom store manager Sally McDevitt showed the new wares at a trunk show and private viewing soir%26#233;e, with help from Vogue's Anne Vincent. Glenda Bulger, Piper Wyatt, and Kim Whitman dreamt up their own spring excursions, with Nordstrom's Gene Vance assisting with their travel trousseaux.

Heroes and Handbags Underwriter Party

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:39:22 GMT

Judith Leiber's diamond-encrusted Ladybug bag was just one of the coveted items up for bid at the Heroes and Handbags underwriting and live auction party. Honorary chair Marianne Staubach and Roger Staubach opened their stunning villa to toast Heroes for Children supporters and daughters Jennifer Gates, Michelle Grimes, Amy Mentgen, and Stephanie Phillips, who serve as honorary chairs. Spotted: chairman Jennifer Dix and founders Larissa Linton and Jenny Scott discussing %26#8220;It%26#8221; bags that will go on the auction block at the upcoming Heroes and Handbags brunch with Maggie Cooke Kipp, Carol Holmes, and Abi Ferrin. %26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Redesigning Downtown

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:15:15 GMT

Underwriter Dinner for Music Matters! What A Wonderful World

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:42:51 GMT

After Saks Fifth Avenue treated this year%26#8217;s Houston Symphony Ball underwriters to dinner at Grille 5115, gala chair Kelli Fein brought the evening to a crescendo with a speech touting honorees Aileen Gordon and Cora Sue Mach, as well as honorary chair Margaret Williams and corporate honoree Fidelity Investments, represented by Jeanie Reckart. Melodic ones: Viviana and David Denechaud, Nancy and Bob Peiser, Anna and Hal Holliday, Saks%26#8217; Terry Zmyslo and Sylvia Forsythe, maestro Hans Graf and wife Margarita, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, and gala chair Martin Fein.

Dallas Stars Casino Night

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:39:13 GMT

AOA Underwriter's Party for An Affair of the Art

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:04:23 GMT

Men of Menil Night

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:23:56 GMT

TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:57:36 GMT

When it comes to exclusive affiliations, few groups are more resplendent than the TACA Silver Cup Award recipients. This year, Cindy Rachofsky and John T. Cody Jr. joined those revered ranks %26#8212; Rachofsky for her tireless hosting of Two x Two for AIDS and Art and her patronage of contemporary art, Cody for his unprecedented volunteer work for The Dallas Opera. Chairman Rebecca Fletcher and admirers including Lynn McBee, Rebecca Young, and Lisa Kazor gathered at the Hilton Anatole to watch the charitable duo receive their awards. Rousing entertainment included emcee Lee Cullum's eloquent witticisms and a powerhouse opera performance by Juan Jose de Le%26#243;n.

Ceron Salon "Shampoo" Grand Opening

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:03:33 GMT

Houston%26#8217;s hair apparent, Ceron, has taken his shears on the road, cutting and coiffing Dallas ladies and gents in his sparkling new salon, Ceron Salon, in the venerable Neiman Marcus Downtown. The Neiman%26#8217;s brass were so happy about his new outpost that they, along with business partners Gina Betts, Craig Weinstock, Gigi St. Pe, Roz Colombo, Neiman%26#8217;s directrice Shelle Sills, and PaperCity magazine threw him a sexy little grand-opening f%26#234;te: %26#8220;Shampoo and Shampagne,%26#8221; a riff on Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in the %26#8217;70s classic hairdresser romp, Shampoo. Neiman%26#8217;s VP and fashion director Ken Downing dreamed up caftan-ed and coiffed models, scented with Est%26#233;e Lauder%26#8217;s Youth Dew, who wrapped themselves around a restored 1970s Triumph Bonneville motorcycle just like the one Beatty rode, on loan from Lost Antiques. DJ Lucy Wrubel puffed on bubble-gum ciggies, and more than one blow-dryer was spinning like a Colt 45. Zodiac chef Jeff Dains served iconic %26#8217;70s spiffed-up bites: pigs in a blanket, Swedish meatballs in spoons, smoky deviled ham salad in celery sticks, Bugles and mac-on-a-stick, and, just as in any era, guests swizzled cocktails %26#8212; in this case, Grey Goose Original martinis. %26nbsp;In the crowd: Dawn Weeks-Spalding, Kristi Hoyl, Nancy Gopez, Olivia Kearney, Jenna Turner, Kate Rose Marquez, Lisbeth McNabb, Helena Wall, Marjon Zabihi, Penny Sadler, Lisa Bachman, Alicia Wood, Tanya Foster, Lisa Ogle, Joey Vallone, Jim Williams, Lynn McBee, Gregory Dunbar, Mary and John Gill, Teffy Jacobs, Cara French, Daffan Nettle, Jennifer Simons, and Neil Toler. A pack of Ceron%26#8217;s devoted Houston women also made the trek, including Karen Mayell, Diane Lokey Farb and Becca Cason Thrash.

Jimmy Choo 24:7 Party in Highland Park Village

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:18:25 GMT

To launch the new Choo 24:7 collection, Jimmy Choo's Highland Park Village boutique stayed open late for a debut party, with Elisa Summers, Heather Washburne, and Sarah Seay as the chosen party hostesses. While showing off the versatile heels, Jimmy Choo's Johanan Merino explained the spectrum of colors and heights. "It's your go-to shoe wardrobe," he raved. Searching for a perfect pair with help from Christi Houser and Margaret Cho: Ann Carruth, Laurie Connell, Janna Lewis, and Martha Lou Beaird.

Luxury Marketing Council at Bailey's Prime Plus

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:45:56 GMT

Visiting Nurse Association "Wheels for Meals and More" Gala

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:40:15 GMT

"I've brought my AAA card just in case," said co-chairman Nita Clark about driving her 1959 Fiat to and from the Visiting Nurse Association's Wheels for Meals and More gala. She and her mother, Caren Prothro, lent their family's vintage Italian wheels to be displayed outside the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre during the annual fund-raising event, as did Jim Augur. He loaned his 1960 Mercedes 300d and shared pavement with the 1950 Mercury on loan from Jay Hull's garage. Honorary chairs Bess and Ted Enloe admired the shiny trio before heading into the cube-shaped theater for one of the first non-arts benefits held in the Wyly. The theater's seats and stage were hidden, per the building's transformable design, resulting in an enormous space within a glass fa%26#231;ade, filled with green tablescapes. At the end of the night, Nancy Gopez, Lynn McBee, Marianne and Roger Staubach, Mary Templeton, and Lori Whitlow watched as Nita and her co-chair husband Cullum Clark fired up the Fiat %26#8212; with no roadside assistance necessary.

Stiletto Strut Kickoff Party

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:33:06 GMT

"I just finished picking out my stilettos!" announced co-chair Anne Stodghill of her chosen Stiletto Strut heels %26#8212; Louboutin, naturally. She wasn't the only one shopping Neiman Marcus Downtown's venerable shoe salon during the American Heart Association's Stiletto Strut kickoff party: Nancy Carter slipped on a pair of Manolos, honorary chairs Jacquelin Sewell and Peggy Sewell eyed Prada pumps, and Bradley Agather loved the Chanel ballet flats. Guests took their seats to hear Shelle Sills and co-chair Lynn McBee speak, before Jeny Bania cued a spring fashion presentation. %26nbsp;

FashionRules! with Nicole Richie

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:58:01 GMT

More than 600 partygoers buzzed around Neiman Marcus NorthPark, anxiously awaiting any sign of the Hollywood starlet mentioned on their invitation. At the party co-hosted by PaperCity magazine, celebutante and clothing designer Nicole Richie flew in to launch her new fashion collection, Winter Kate, meet and greet swarming fans, and sign the latest Fashion Rules! puzzle.

Blues Lounge Bash
Per NM VP and fashion director Ken Downing's declaration that navy, cobalt and turquoise are chic for spring, the designer sportswear salon on the third floor was transformed into a fashionable blues lounge for a swank pre-party %26#8212; a hub for those wanting a sip of bubbly before meeting Miz Richie. PaperCity co-editor Brooke Hortenstine hosted this smart little soir%26#233;e where socials sipped Nicolas Feuillatte One Fo(u)r Brut from petite blue champagne bottles and munched mini-burger sliders and cerulean candied popcorn. "I have to go downstairs and see the collection," said Hassie Harrison before spotting the honoree of the evening. Richie appeared from a back dressing room in gray skinny jeans, a black-and-white kimono-style top and platforms, and parted the pre-party sea of fans to ride the main escalator down to the second floor. Elena and Steven Boss, Mary-Jane Harris, Emily Steed, and Steve Kmetz followed close behind. %26nbsp; %26nbsp;

Celebrity Jigsaw
On level two, the lengthy queue for those wanting Richie to sign their Fashion Rules! puzzles wrapped through the racks of fashion, around the cases of sparkling baubles and in between tables of designer handbags. "We bought three!" said Paige Lane of the game depicting makeup artist and photographer Mathu Andersen's portrait of Richie channeling Twiggy %26#224; la 1966. Richie took her seat at a table surrounded by a wall of ivy foliage, adjacent to models and racks showcasing her hippie-chic Winter Kate collection, and greeted the swarm armed with iPhone and BlackBerry cameras. Amy Power, Renee Rouleau, Amber Venz, Elizabeth Rhoades, Jon Tutulo, Courtney Sinelli, Katelin Smith, John Rasch, and Kary Brittingham all pondered staking a spot in the signing line. Doris Jacobs was sandwiched in, waiting for Richie's signature all in the name of fashion. "I just thought it was a fun idea,%26#8221; said Jacobs. %26#8220;It's such a fashion statement.%26#8221; %26nbsp;

Our Brooke Hortenstine sat down with demure designer Nicole Richie to talk kimonos and Winter Kate before Richie faced her mass of adoring fans.
How involved are you in the design process of your clothing and accessory lines?
NR: I design it, I do everything. %26nbsp;

A must-have item from Winter Kate?
NR: The kimonos because they%26#8217;re great pieces to throw on over jeans, over anything. You can make it your statement piece %26#8212; it%26#8217;s so easy to wear. %26nbsp;

How did your collection land in the venerable Neiman Marcus?
NR: I created a dream list, and Neiman Marcus was at the top of that list. It%26#8217;s a huge honor for me to be at Neiman%26#8217;s %26#8212; I%26#8217;ve been shopping here with my mom since I was little. %26nbsp;

What%26#8217;s next?
NR: I%26#8217;m expanding into shoes with House of Harlow, and eventually to bags. %26nbsp;

Anything different regarding your own style after having two babies?
NR: I%26#8217;ve always dressed for comfort, so I would say my style has stayed the same.

Your shoes don%26#8217;t look very comfortable %26#8230;
NR: Well, you know %26#8230;

Dallas Art Fair Preview Gala

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:41:14 GMT

Nite SPA Presents Mark Morris Dance Group

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:22:26 GMT

Art Abounds at Venue Museum District

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:53:59 GMT

The 2010 Inprint Poets and Writers Ball

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:30:04 GMT

YPO Dallas at the 52nd Annual Grammy Award Show

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:57:51 GMT

Bailey's Prime Plus Opening honoring 2009 Cattle Baron's Ball Committee

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:34:34 GMT

Artin's Grill Grand Opening

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:27:38 GMT

Australia Day Gala

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:38:25 GMT

Michael Craig-Martin Private View

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:41:18 GMT

"A Hole in One"

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:44:53 GMT

Camp Aranzazu

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:45:27 GMT

15th Annual Celebration of Families Luncheon

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:51:11 GMT

Conversations with Leaders in Luxury Luncheon

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:51:08 GMT

When the Luxury Marketing Council%26#8217;s Houston chapter hosted a tony working lunch downtown at III Forks restaurant, the subject on everyone%26#8217;s mind was %26#8220;Marketing to Women of Intelligence, Influence and Affluence.%26#8221; Such was the message served up by consumer marketing leader Nancy Bauer of Atlanta%26#8217;s Fleishman-Hillard to an audience aptly described by the title of her speech. Symposium sophisticates: LMC%26#8217;s Houston representative Helen Perry; LMC Texas ambassador Pamela Martin-Duarte in from Dallas; Michelle Leigh Smith; Bonnie Likover; artist Christy Karll McWhorter; and the manager of Valentino%26#8217;s Houston boutique, Monica Pantoja.

Artists for Haiti

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:37:42 GMT

60th Harvest Party

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:24:14 GMT

1st Annual Savor the Hope Gala

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:23:09 GMT

El Koval Designs at Crawford Renovation

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:16:06 GMT

McKay Otto Reception %26 Opening

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:30:32 GMT

Brice Beaird CD Release benefitting Mental Health America

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:18:10 GMT

2010 A.W.A.R.E Luncheon Kickoff Party

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:40:18 GMT

Casa de Novia Bridal Couture

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:57:21 GMT

Defining a Movement: Mom 2.0 Conference

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:24:04 GMT

William Noble's Classic Christmas Evening

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:18:21 GMT

Wine %26 Roses Kick Off Party

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:57:51 GMT

HOK Reception: Booksigning

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:36:49 GMT

The BeatLeukemia Ball

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:57:20 GMT

Good vibrations filled the Hilton Anatole during The Beatleukemia Ball's fab evening benefitting LeukemiaTexas Patient Aid and Research. Chairmen Cynthia and Brice Beaird caught up with honorary chairman Lindalyn Adams during the lavish pre-dinner champagne reception. But the ball's main event came via The Fab Four, a Beatles cover band whose performance caused a bit of Beatlemania among Paulette and John Krause, Barbara and Bob Bigham, April and John Chamberlain, and Janet and Jack Nylund.

7th Biennial Ben Qurrah Award Gala

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:01:39 GMT

Venue Paint Project

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:45:51 GMT

Hotel ZaZa's Dragonfly and Marquee Circle Dinner

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:58:31 GMT

Yellow and Black Tie Gala

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:26:52 GMT

The Yellow %26amp; Black Tie Gala's honorary chair Pat Smith and her football-star husband Emmitt Smith set the trend of giving at the Marriott at Legacy Town Center during the Methodist Richardson Cancer Center's fund-raising soir%26#233;e. It was truly "A Night in the Mediterranean" %26#8212; the party decor channeled the isle of Capri, and a silent auction piazza entranced browsers including chairman Lee Nagel and Linda Armstrong Kelly. A divine seated dinner and live auction roused the crowd. Bidding high: Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Hayley Hamilton, Ed Kelly, and Liz and Justin Broderick.

Houston Heart Ball "Keep the Beat"

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:51:12 GMT

Realcity: Literacy - Mixing People, Letters %26 Cocktails

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:36:26 GMT

It was all child%26#8217;s play at the Realcity Literacy high-voltage cocktail at 13 Celsius. More than 200 big kids at heart, including chairs Stephen Brown and Jessica Potts, played games to raise money for the nonprofit Youth Development Center%26#8217;s new summer enrichment program, which was created for disadvantaged youth in Houston%26#8217;s Fifth Ward. Guests sipped spiked Capri Sun and pink lemonade snow cones while playing pinball machines and Nintendo. Recapturing their youth: Diane Barber, Peter Brown, Jason Fuller, YDC director Mary Nell Jones, and Sixto Wagan.

The Stewpot Alliance Soups On! Luncheon

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:48:41 GMT

A flavorsome aroma of boiling bisques filled Union Station during the Soup's On! Luncheon, where top chefs stirred pots and partygoers grabbed spoons %26#8212; all to benefit The Stewpot Alliance's programs to feed the hungry. During the seated luncheon, specially prepared soups from chefs including Park's Marc Cassel, The Capital Grille's Keith Hanks and Neiman Marcus Restaurants' Kevin Garvin filled the first-course bowls of chairman Charlotte Ball and honorary chairmen Ruth and Ken Altshuler. Soup-savvy guests: Martha Lou Beaird, Tom Leppert, Robyn Conlon and Shelle Sills.

The Fashionistas Celebrate "The Bolter" by Frances Osborne

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:05:53 GMT

5th Annual Grape Escape Benefitting Heart House Dallas

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:32:16 GMT

Light the Lantern Campaign Dinner

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:43:21 GMT

El Centro de Corazon Kick Off Party

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:44:57 GMT

Passion of Fashion Kick Off Party

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:04:29 GMT

Three Cups of Tea

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:27:33 GMT

Montessori FOCUS

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:47:28 GMT

Toast to Texas

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:14:40 GMT

Fifth Anniversary Art4Life Auction

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:12:08 GMT

The 28th Annual Orange Show Gala

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:43:37 GMT

%26#8220;I%26#8217;ve knocked over three drinks already with these wings. Now I see why it%26#8217;s definitely better to be a devil,%26#8221; Paul-David Van Atta exclaimed as he navigated the wicked and wonderful throngs at David Adickes SculpturWorx, once again HQ for the Orange Show Gala, themed %26#8220;Angels and Demons on the Bayou.%26#8221; Van Atta fit right in, as did the other 550 revelers, many outfitted in outrageous splendor, including chair quartet Victor Juarez, Wayne Blosat, and Shelley and Jim Rice, who channeled a black-tie night down under (and we don%26#8217;t mean Aussie land). Orange Show founder and chairman of the board Marilyn Oshman got in the spirit, too, sporting a lavish headdress punctuated by a big horn, with decided empress overtones.

Other sightings involved plenty of red-blooded devils and other naughty types, such as Becky Birdwell in a bustier and bondage boots; Jo and Jim Furr, fabulously masked; visionary art collector Stephanie Smither and son John Kerr Smither in coordinating golden robes straight from the Old Testament; Karen Desenberg as a devil-may-care flapper; angelic Lisa Epley; Orange Show board prez Bob Schultz and adorable wife Lane; Tootsies%26#8217; Mickey Rosmarin; devilish Don Mafrige Jr.; new Orange Show director Lynette Wallace at her first OS Gala; gallerist Barbara Davis dishing with artist Joe Mancuso (whom she represents) about his generous donation of a pair of canvases to the big board; C.C. Conner of the Houston Ballet; silent auction artists Ann Stautberg and Frank X. Tolbert 2; dealer Wade Wilson as a %26#8216;70s disco devil; Penelope and Lester Marks, wearing crimson horns with great aplomb; and Delise Ward, reading the runes to husband, Tootsies%26#8217; Craig Lidji. All in all, the demons outnumbered the haloed ones at this saucy art bash.

Be The Ball

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:38:04 GMT

Pappagallo Bermuda bags, cable knits in palmy shades of green and pink, crisp oxford button-downs, tons of argyle, madras plaid everywhere and sporty navy captain%26#8217;s blazers were some of the country club-ish wardrobe cues at this season%26#8217;s fun fund-raising f%26#234;te, Be the Ball benefitting Glasstire and Fresh Arts Coalition. It was literally a Lilly Pulitzer%26#8211;rama, reprised from an earlier date that had been thwarted by our big snow. The venue remained unchanged %26#8212; not ROCC, but Bushwood Country Club, aka Hermann Park Golf Course Club House channeling the zany attitude of the 1980s comedic romp, Caddyshack.

Scene on the greens: argyled-out chairs Julie Kinzelman and Christopher Tribble joined by fellow chairs Karen and Harry Susman (chair Lea Weingarten was unable to attend), pretty-in-pink chair Careen Plummer posing with Kasi Kubiak, who concocted a jaunty demi-hat resembling a putting green paired with an AstroTurf-covered miniskirt; the co-founders of Glasstire and Fresh Arts Coalition, respectively Rainey Knudson and Marita Fairbanks, in matching %26#8217;80s looks composed of big hair and hilarious, poufed plaid frocks; Knudson%26#8217;s husband, Art Guys%26#8217; Michael Galbreth in a mad madras ensemble; Fairbanks%26#8217; husband J.B. all prepped out; Jenni Rebecca Stephenson of Spacetaker, encased in a Gopher mascot suit, also the attire of choice for legal eagle Will Stukenberg; Fresh Arts executive directress Mandy Graessle in Bushwood logo threads; honorary chair trio Martha Finger, Michael Landrum, and Pepper Paratore sporting nifty berets; artists Kelly Klaasmeyer, Michael Bise with Moody Gallery%26#8217;s Adrian Page, and Bill Davenport, all contributing to the silent auction; and veddy old-school Veronica and Andrew Rentz, Liz and Tom Glanville, Lisa and Russell Sherrill, Karen and Stephan Farber, Samira Salman, and Bill Goldberg, proclaiming, %26#8220;The party combines my fave pursuits, golfing and art.%26#8221;

The Junior League of Houston's 62nd Annual Charity Ball Themed Abracadabra

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:20:28 GMT

Nancy Mathé Donor Awareness Soirée

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:46:42 GMT

Mixing altruism with fashion, trendsetting philanthropists gathered at 310 Rosemont for the second annual Kidney Donor Awareness Soir%26#233;e. Chair and kidney donor recipient Nancy Math%26#233; welcomed a sea of socials who shopped Rosemont%26#8217;s well-stocked racks of women%26#8217;s and men%26#8217;s hipster styles to benefit the organ donor awareness initiatives of the National Kidney Foundation. Taking home a swag bag: Liz and Anthony Referente, Cari and Ben Shoemate, Rebecca Spera, Allen Hill, James Glassman, and chair husband Joe Math%26#233;, welcomed by 310 Rosemont%26#8217;s Kenna Gibson and Kahia Cardona.

Houston Arts Alliance's Arts Reception Honoring Newly Elected City Officials

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:45:09 GMT

Houston Arts Alliance's recent f%26#234;te for newly elected city officials gave the leaders of both political and artistic fields an opportunity to get acquainted. Headliners at the reception held at the Hobby Center's Founders Club included Mayor Annise Parker, who professed a love of museums, and City Controller Ronald Green, who expressed his desire to see the Houston arts scene diffuse to the suburbs and inner city. As the early evening elapsed, the mayor noted that the arts are good for business %26#8212; something this group has long known.

Meredith Long %26 Company Welcomes Barbara Hines

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:13:40 GMT

Meredith Long %26amp; Company pulsated with cocktails and curated compositions as Cornelia and Meredith Long and daughter Martha Long welcomed a bevy of posh patrons into their blue-chip RO space. This masterpiece evening saluted artist Barbara Hines on the occasion of her first solo exhibition, which featured tonal plein-air canvases in the grand tradition of 19th-century American landscape painting. Hines graciously donated the proceeds to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Aishel House, a housing and meal service for Texas Medical Center patients and their families. In the art-smart set: Gerald Hines, Pat Breen, Celina Hellmund Brener, Brenda Duncan, Lynn Wyatt, and Hines honcho George Lancaster.

Visiting Nurse Association's Legacy Luncheon

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:39:43 GMT

The Center's Halloween Bash

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:34:07 GMT

More than 300 devilishly disguised partygoers packed Autry Park for a bash benefitting The Center. Chair foursome Leisa Dillon, Margaret Fitts, Anna Moss, and PaperCity%26#8217;s Monica Bailey Bickers welcomed costumed kids and their parents to this f%26#234;te fit for a make-believe king or queen. The tykes enjoyed a scavenger hunt, trampoline, and bites courtesy of Chick-fil-A (Holcombe and Buffalo Speedway) and H-E-B Buffalo Market, while Palmer Packaging treated everyone to ghostly goodie bags.

Houston Zoo "Ambassadors" Inaugural Winter Gala

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:23:09 GMT

Frigid weather didn%26#8217;t faze the animal lovers at Houston Zoo%26#8217;s inaugural Winter Gala, chaired by Kirstin and Craig Feazel. Some 200 guests found refuge from the cold with a smorgasbord of morsels and handcrafted cocktails, all to raise funds for Houston Zoo Ambassadors. Zookeepers worked the room with their charges in tow, including a porcupine, cheetah and a bald eagle, to the delight of guests including Zoo prez and CEO Deborah Cannon, Julie Martin with Will Thomas, Kathy and Neal Davis, and Jennifer and Steve Shellist.

Houston Symphony's Young Professionals Backstage "Rhapsody in Blues"

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:13:21 GMT

After a jazz-infused concert of Gershwin%26#8217;s %26#8220;Rhapsody in Blue%26#8221; at Jones Hall, more than 200 music lovers traded symphonic sounds for a delta-inspired experience at House of Blues. The Houston Symphony%26#8217;s Young Professionals Backstage %26#8220;Rhapsody and Blues%26#8221; post-concert soir%26#233;e was a harmonious success as virtuosi jammed to the bohemian tunes. Among the cultured ensemble: Farrah Akhtar, Adam Dinitz, Kiju Joh, Heather Pray, Samira Salman, Lauren and Brian Swanson, and Melodie Wade.

Houston Symphony's Magical Musical Morning: “Rockin’ Through the Holidays”

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:54:21 GMT

The Houston Symphony Society and the Houston Symphony League hosted their annual Magical Musical Morning at the Houstonian. Chair quartet Traci Lee, Dixie Meynier, Trish Whitcomb, and Katherine Yzaguirre beautifully orchestrated the family-focused brunch, complete with an instrument petting zoo and musical games. Seen backstage: chair kids Barrett Lee and dad Richard, Ryland and Walker Whitcomb and dad Ty, Morgan Meynier, and Elizabeth Yzaguirre with dad Mark.

The Menil Collection Celebrates the Dallas Art Fair

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:35:39 GMT

Art Hearts Commerce
Houston%26#8217;s illustrious art contingent %26#8212;%26nbsp;museum directors, curators, collectors and artists %26#8212;%26nbsp;came together to clink cocktails for the coming of the Dallas Art Fair. The Menil Collection opened up one twilight evening to stage a perfectly curated party, co-sponsored by PaperCity magazine. Against a backdrop of works by Andy Warhol, John McLaughlin, Brice Marden and Robert Gober, 120 rapt guests listened intently as Fair co-founders Chris Byrne and John Sughrue, joined by art advisor Cindy Schwartz, invited one and all to the second annual Dallas Art Fair. (Stay tuned for our complete Fair coverage next month, and read our blog at papercitymag.com.)

Party Palette
Veuve Clicquot (presenting sponsor of the Fair) flowed, as did Belvedere Pure Vodka and Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay. Tony%26#8217;s had the catering honors and passed bountiful bites.

Social Sculpture
Among the art aristocracy: Menil director Josef Helfenstein, engaged in a t%26#234;te-%26#224;-t%26#234;te with Sughrue; Menil curator Michelle White; Contemporary Arts Museum Houston director Bill Arning and curator Valerie Cassel Oliver, who would head to the Fair to see Donald Moffett%26#8217;s installation at Anthony Meier%26#8217;s booth in preparation for curating a major Moffett show; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston curator Barry Walker, who was honored at the Fair%26#8217;s dealer reception; Marlene Sughrue, accompanying her husband on her first visit to the Menil; Jim Harithas of the Station and ArtCar Museum; exhibiting gallerists Fredericka Hunter, Barbara Davis, Carolyn Farb, Deborah Colton, Kerry Inman, Patrick Reynolds, and Wade Wilson; collector types Lester Marks (whose Fair tour was quickly filled to capacity), Jereann Chaney, Poppi Massey, Judith Oudt (who is chairing next month%26#8217;s CAMH Gala), and Mrs. and Mr. Pop, Dorene and Frank Herzog (he, AXA Art Texas representative); Menil Contemporaries leader Adrian Patterson; Ballroom Marfa co-founder Fairfax Dorn in town for an Exit Art fund-raiser at Colton %26amp; Farb; Lori and Efisio Farris, whose Arcodoro restaurant was the destination later for an intime dinner party honoring Byrne and Sughrue hosted by PaperCity%26#8217;s Jim Kastleman and Holly Moore; Mo%26#235;t Hennessy%26#8217;s Rhonda McDonald; and artists Bert Long Jr. and Joan Batson, Sharon Engelstein and Aaron Parazette, Elaine Bradford, Ken Mazzu, Howard Sherman, crooner Zo%26#235; Jackson-Jarra, and Selven O%26#8217;Keef Jarmon, dropping by before returning to his nonprofit project in South Africa.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Ceron Salon "Shampoo" Grand Opening

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:33:45 GMT

Houston%26#8217;s hair apparent, Ceron, has taken his shears on the road, cutting and coiffing Dallas ladies and gents in his sparkling new salon, Ceron Salon, in the venerable Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas. He%26#8217;ll never forsake his Houston royals, so not to worry %26#8230; this suave stylist burns up I-45 to and fro. The Neiman%26#8217;s brass were so happy about his new outpost that they, along with business partners Gina Betts, Craig Weinstock, Gigi St. Pe, Roz St. Pe Colombo, Neiman%26#8217;s directrice Shelle Sills, and PaperCity magazine threw him a sexy little grand-opening f%26#234;te: %26#8220;Shampoo and Shampagne,%26#8221; a riff on Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in the %26#8217;70s classic hairdresser romp, Shampoo. Neiman%26#8217;s VP Ken Downing dreamed up caftan-ed and coiffed models, scented with Est%26#233;e Lauder%26#8217;s Youth Dew, who wrapped themselves around a restored 1970s Triumph Bonneville motorcycle just like the one Warren rode, on loan from Lost Antiques. DJ Lucy Wrubel puffed on bubble-gum ciggies, and more than one blow-dryer was spinning like a Colt 45. Zodiac chef Jeff Dains served iconic %26#8217;70s spiffed-up bites: pigs in a blanket, Swedish meatballs in spoons, smoky deviled ham salad in celery sticks, Bugles and mac-on-a-stick, and, just as in any era, guests swizzled cocktails %26#8212; in this case, Grey Goose Original martinis.

A pack of Ceron%26#8217;s devoted Houston women piled in the Mayells%26#8217; flying machine and high-tailed it to Love Field for the party. In the cockpit and in control was Karen Mayell, who has a pilot%26#8217;s license tucked in that Chanel minaudi%26#232;re, and in the passenger seats were Diane Lokey Farb, Shelby Hodge, and Mark Sullivan. Mary Beth Aspromonte, Kelli Blanton, Lindsey Love, Mary Jo Hatfield, and Becca Cason Thrash made it there under their own steam, as did Phyllis Hand, who snapped pictures just like it was 1977. Moi was there, of course, as were transplanted Houstonians Joey Vallone, Alice Moore, and SMU student Katy Mayell. Also in the crowd: NM%26#8217;s Jeny Bania and 150 chic Dallas socials.

Ruffian Book Signing

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:35:51 GMT

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston's Another Great Night in November

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:24:07 GMT

Femme-Fueled F%26#234;te
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston%26#8217;s Another Great Night in November is one of the season%26#8217;s most elegant affairs, with nary a gentleman in sight. This year, the fund-raiser strayed from tradition when a man did stop by the River Oaks Home of host Eliza Stedman %26#8212; CAMH director Bill Arning. But he didn%26#8217;t stay for dinner. (Nor did Stedman%26#8217;s husband Stuart, who was at the MFAH's One Great Night in November.)

Chair duo Cabrina Owsley and Leslie Sprague joined Miz Stedman in presiding over the evening, this year dubbed %26#8220;Una Notte Sotto le Stelle,%26#8221; which translates as %26#8220;A Night Under the Stars%26#8221; %26#8212; a nod toward all things Italian. In a tribute to the evening%26#8217;s luxe retail sponsor, all three ladies were perfectly attired in Bottega Veneta, down to Stedman%26#8217;s diamond earrings. The Italian fashion house, you see, contributed iconic Veneta bags as loot for the lucky winners of the hotly contested Treasure Hunt. Rebekah Johnson%26#8217;s Bergner and Johnson Design concocted the decor, transforming the outdoor tent with draped fabrics and dramatically swathed contemporary chandeliers. City Kitchen carried forth the Tuscan motif via a seated dinner starring vallegeti di vitello (veal packages filled with prosciutto and robiola).

More than 250 guests made for a sold-out soir%26#233;e, while adding a significant six figures to the CAMH%26#8217;s coffers. In the swell set: Carol Ballard, one of the major underwriters, with her daughter Leslie Ballard Hull, CAMH Studio%26#8217;s co-founder; Fresh Art Coalition%26#8217;s Marita Fairbanks; new mom Kelly Silvers, dishing with pal Natalie Ariz; CAMH curator Valerie Cassel Oliver, attired in BV and acting as emcee; Tatiana Massey, who was not at the winning table, quipping,%26nbsp; %26#8220;Another year without a BV bag!%26#8221;; Judith Oudt, who%26#8217;s set to co-chair this spring%26#8217;s CAMH Gala, planned for Friday, April 23 at the museum; stalwart museum supporter Sissy Kempner; Leigh Smith; Jereann Chaney; a glamorous group from Bottega Veneta, including Houston store manager Liz Marsh, Roxanne Paschall and Kristen Bensen, in from New York, plus Milan-based Francesca Bellettini and Stefania Nebuloni; Kelly Hamman; Martha Finger; Marsha Cross-Beeson, head-to-toe in BV; and the astute team that captured first place in the Treasure Hunt %26#8212; Henrietta Alexander, Cristiana Anderson, Louise Riddell Bland, Gisela Cherches, Heidi Gerger, gallerist Kerry Inman, Betty Newton, Judy Nyquist, Terry Smith, Lea Weingarten, and Ann Wilde.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Treasure Hunt Topics:
Name the largest island of the Tuscan archipelago. (Answer: Elba)
Name the French emperor exiled there in 1814 (Answer: Napoleon I)
What is the famous English language palindrome associated with that island? (Answer: Able was I ere I saw Elba.) %26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's One Great Night in November

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:22:09 GMT

Big Boys, Bold Cigars, Important Art
H. Lee Godrey chaired last year%26#8217;s the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's One Great Night in November. At the august f%26#234;te, nearly 250 Y-chromosome guests raised almost three-quarters of a million dollars towards new works of art for the MFAH, with the acquisitions democratically voted upon from offerings proposed by the museum%26#8217;s curators. European painting and sculpture curator Edgar Peters Bowron officiated, while Jackson and Company crafted the four-course seated dinner. Bowron%26#8217;s submission was fortuitously the top vote-getter:%26nbsp;a pair of circa-1700 oil paintings by Italian master Marcantonio Franceschini. Noble notables: gallerist Meredith Long, Lenoir Josey (who selected the wine pairings), Bob McNair, Les Ballard, Devinder Bhatia, Tony Petrello, John Duncan, Harry Reasoner, Pete Coneway, Charles Duncan Jr., Tom Glanville, Jack Blanton Jr., Harry Gee, American art collector Frank Hevrdejs, and tobacconist Jeffrey Stone, who contributed cigars to the cause.%26nbsp;

amfAR Reception

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:06:45 GMT

Stanley Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:46:35 GMT

The thought of encapsulating Neiman Marcus%26#8217; great trailblazer, Stanley Marcus, between two covers is daunting, but author and former NM marketing director Thomas E. Alexander accomplished just that. Excitement over his book, Stanley Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince, drew members of the NM family including Barbara Womble, Deborah Fugit, Ruth Altshuler, Nancy Halbreich, and Barbara Boettigheimer to the Hall of State at Fair Park for a t%26#234;te-%26#224;-t%26#234;te between Alexander and journalist Rena Pederson. Orchestrating the event were the Dallas Historical Society's Diane Bumpas and Jack Bunning, who recounted their own NM memories with the likes of Shelby and Lawrence Marcus, Caroline Rose Hunt, Capy Alexander, Marjie Rozell, and Carolyn Cobb.

Dallas Historical Society 2009 Awards for Excellence in Community Service

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:29:56 GMT

The Bishop's Gala for Catholic Charities

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:29:29 GMT

Yao Restaurant %26 Bar Grand Opening

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:14:03 GMT

Plush Holiday Celebration

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:29:28 GMT

The Jive and Swing 2010 Gala

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:42:21 GMT

The African Experience

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:27:27 GMT

4th Wall Opening

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:12:43 GMT