Year: 2017

Fig-licious: Recipes to Try with Figs

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Hi friends! Is it cooling off where you live? Not so much here in Houston yet. Though the day time highs have dropped a little bit. I am looking forward to the first cool front to blow through and bring us some cooler temps. I love when that first hint of Fall is here and the season starts to change! Another thing that I love about this time of year is that big, juicy figs are available in the supermarkets and at the local farmer’s markets! As a kid growing up in Louisiana my grandmother had a couple of fig trees in her yard. I realized from an early age how much I loved figs. I’d go right outside and pick them from the tree! I’m pretty sure I didn’t even take them inside to be washed off! After all, it was the 1970’s, we were out in the country, and they were washed by Mother Nature! You can trust her, right 🙂 Figs aren’t just delicious, they’re  nutritious too. They are high in fiber …

Shopping The Round Top Texas Antiques Fair: Tips from a Pro!

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Hi friends! It’s that time of year again! Time for the Round Top Antiques Fair Fall show! And this year marks it’s 50th year of fabulous! In case you haven’t heard, the Round Top Antiques Fair is a bi-annual event with more than 20 venues and 2,000 sellers from all over the country and Europe— it is a mecca for design junkies and collectors attended by thousands of people! Maybe you have seen it on HGTV shows like Fixer Upper and Junk Gypsies. You can find just about anything here! For those of us that live in Houston and surrounding areas it’s an easy hour and half drive. You can literally leave in the morning and come back that same evening! It’s a great day trip to take with your girlfriends! Or book overnight accommodations and stay a while. My good friend Kate Pernoud who is the owner of Maison Pernoud has an exhibit of home decor items and antiques from France and Belgium. You can find her at the Marburger Farm show (Round Top Antiques …

Kate Pernoud of Maison Pernoud: Finding Simple Happiness in Antiques, Travel, and Meeting New People

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So, do you have that friend that travels the globe in search of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind home decor items? She spends time in French villages and eats great food and drinks French wine! Well, I have one of those friends! And while there is some “glamour” to what she does, there is more to it! Read on to hear her story! Today I’d like to introduce you to the beautiful and talented Kate Pernoud (just see her beautiful creations below), someone I am happy to call my friend. Most importantly, Kate is a mom to 2 great children, Grace (14) and Jonathan (12), wife to the handsome Chris, age withheld 😉 and fur baby-momma to Toby the Goldendoodle and Oliver the Maine Coon cat. By all means a happy and fulfilled life, but Kate had a passion all her own (I think we can all relate to that!). A passion for antiques, travel, and meeting new people. Born from that passion was Maison Pernoud, Kate’s own antiques and home decor business. I’d like to mention that Kate …

Hair Loss in Women: Please Tell Me That I Am Not Alone!

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Many people—and women especially—take great pride in their hair. It makes sense, as your crowning glory is just as front and center, just as visible to the rest of the world, as your face. Losing some hair every day is completely normal. It’s a sign your body’s growing new, healthy ones to replace the old. In fact, losing 50 to 100 hairs per day is normal.  You can also kind of get an idea of what’s normal for you by just paying attention to what you typically see on your brush or in the shower drain. So…. lately my hair has been falling out. Like lots of hair! In the shower, on my brush, or even when just walking around the house. Oh hello there 8 random strands of hair on my shirt. Thanks for letting go! Not!! Oh, and there is breakage too!! What the!! I’m getting side-swept bangs without even trying! I am wondering if it is because I go to the gym about 4 days out of 7 and put my hair in …

7 Great Girlfriend Dates That Aren’t Brunch!

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You and your girlfriends have done brunch together, painting parties, spa days, and hitting the farmer’s market together to buy local wares, to name a few. Your girlfriends are a great source of fun, sanity, and relaxation! Are you at a loss for new ideas of ways to spend time together? When it comes to bonding with our besties, these are all great ideas! And, who doesn’t love brunch with friends? But sometimes we need a break away from the usual. Sure, we’ll always appreciate a mimosa (or three) with our gal pals, but there’s something to be said for out of the ordinary activities that make us say, “Remember the time that we…?” Here are 7 ideas for your next gal pals date: Spend part of a day riding bikes through a park. Here in Houston we have the fabulous Buffalo Bayou Park. Stretching from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, the 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park is one of the country’s great urban green spaces. You can take your own bikes or …

10 Things That We Learned From Hurricane Harvey

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We are about 12 days post Hurricane Harvey here in Houston and we are far from being recovered! That will take weeks, months, and as some even say, years… The flooding rains of harvey were unimaginable. There are still roads and neighborhoods under water to this day! There are curbs covered with debris, furniture, appliances, and personal belongings, among other things. There are still people displaced and in need and will continue to be for months to come. We are volunteering our time and giving supplies to those that need it. Our communities have come togehter in BIG ways! And many have come from far away to help us. Thank you! Minimal worries are it’s taking extra long for people to get to work and to get out to help because the roads that ARE open are packed because other roads are closed. There is no denying that there is still a long, long road ahead of us! But I am pretty confident that WE WILL RECOVER SOONER RATHER THAN LATER! Here are 10 things that …

Harvey May Have Destroyed A Lot of Things in Houston But Not Our Humanity!

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Harvey, you suck! You brought unimaginable devastation into our lives! You were scary. You were unpredictable. You were relentless. You wreaked havoc for 4+ long days in Houston and our surrounding areas. You destroyed homes, lives, and infrastructure. People were left stranded on rooftops, in their attics, clinging to anything they could waiting for rescue. No food. No water. No end in sight. You took so much from us! But with all that you brought you also brought out the best in people! You brought out the humanity in people! People in our communities and even people from far and wide have come together to help the thousands in need of rescue. Things that that might normally come between us have been forgotten. Race. Religion. Gender. Political party. Sexual orientation. Socioeconomic status. None of this matters! What matters is human life! Helping your neighbors. Helping complete strangers. Thank you to all the first responders whose “job it is to help” by putting your own lives on the line to help others. And thank you to …

Around Town: Helen In The Heights Brings The Tavernas Of Greece To Houston

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This past Friday my friend Courtney and I enjoyed a late lunch at Helen in The Heights. Courtney and I have been friends for a few years and share a passion for travel, great food, and discovering new places. You should check out her Insta @Hiptrip52 for traveling on trend in Texas! Back to Helen… Nestled in a 5-story red brick building known as 1111 Studewood Place Helen is a modern Greek taverna offering traditional Greek cuisine and regional Greek wines. This sister restaurant to Helen Greek Food and Wine is just shy of 4 months old, but this ‘little sister’ holds it’s own and more with it’s taverna style menu and vast all Greek wine list! Upon entering Helen you’ll feel welcomed by the fabulous interior designed by Erin Hicks. Stained concrete floors, red brick walls, rustic chandeliers, exposed air ducts, inviting banquettes, and even a wall of faux greenery in the rear of the restaurant. Designer Erin Hicks was aiming for “a traditional taverna feel with deep blues, brick, whitewashed wood, and replicas …

What Is Your Rising Sign and How Does It Affect Your Personality

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We all know what our astrological sign is…I’m a Capricorn! But, what about your rising sign? My rising sign is Cancer. What does that mean and why would you want to know? Well, one’s rising sign is a very important piece of your astrological profile. The other day Bridgette and I  were talking and I mentioned that I felt that she and I shared a few similar qualities and I went on to explain the concept of rising signs. Bridgette is a Cancer, and as I said, I am a Capricorn. Very different sun signs. Actually, we are astrological opposites! But, Bridgette and I have discovered over the course of our friendship that we do have some similar qualities –  among other things, we both love being at home; we both crave and need alone time; we both feel affects on our mood based on the weather and the moon; we are both quite sentimental and sensitive. I’m guessing that this is due to the fact that my rising sign is Cancer, the same as …

Take Me Away: Tropical Smoothie

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Hi there! It’s heating up here in Houston, Texas! It’s even hot in the morning when I get up in my beloved city! However, it’s Houston. It’s Texas. It’s July! It’s not like we are not used to this here… In the name of staying cool and being healthy, I wanted a nice mid-afternoon treat to hold me over until dinner, and give me a little boost! Something that would taste like one of those “umbrella drinks” on the beach, but no alcohol. So, I decided to make a smoothie with the ingredients that I had on hand. It’s nothing fancy, but it sure did taste good! This would be great poolside! Here goes… Ingredients: 1 to 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks 1 banana 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup of 2% milk 1/4 cup of coconut water (add more if needed for consistency you like) a few pieces of ice to make it colder Blend all ingredients together. Pour in a glass, close your eyes, take a sip, and imagine you are on a …