The Staggering Rise in Teenage Plastic Surgery

HEY MOM, CAN I HAVE A JUICE BOX AND SOME BOTOX?
When I was a teenager, my biggest tools in the beauty arsenal consisted of cans of Aqua-net hairspray, a pair of skintight Jordache jeans (that could only be worn after a fierce struggle involving me lying flat on my back and kicking my legs to [...]

Walking the Red Carpet

by Jo Barrett
I’m admitting something here, and I don’t want it to come back to haunt me. Like, I don’t want people coming up to me and saying, “You’re old news, lady.”
Okay, here it goes …
I had my fifteen minutes of fame. There, I said it. The limelight, I’m afraid, has faded into pale limey-ness.
I’m [...]

Resorting to Luxury, Capella Pedregal – NOW OPEN

By Jo Barrett
Capella Hotels and Resorts— following up on its successful hotel launch in Telluride, Colorado and Ixtapa, Mexico— has recently unveiled its latest luxury escape in Cabo San Lucas.
The Capella San Pedregal is the first luxury hotel within walking distance to the town of Cabo, and the resort itself is a feat of architectural [...]

Portugal

Discovering the Essence of Portugal
Although an international gateway to Europe boasting a rich history and heritage rivaling that of its European neighbors, Portugal is often overlooked by American tourists. Which is a shame because unlike the cookie-cutter tours to Rome, Paris and London, the country which gave us some of our greatest explorers including Ferdinand [...]

Houston Restaurants Serve up a Blank Canvas

FEAST YOUR EYES
Houstonians may eat out more than residents of any other major U.S. city, but it’s not all about the food. Ambiance adds to the dining experience and many Houston restaurants offer distinct art exhibits to compliment their cuisine.
Prego, the casual, Italian Trattoria in Rice Village commissioned Gremillion &Company to do a permanent installation [...]

Houston’s Best Chefs Dish Up Romance

Food For Lovers
Saint Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th in the Americas and Europe. Traditionally, lovers express their admiration by sending flowers, confectionary, or Valentine’s cards. The holiday is associated with two early Christian martyrs named Valentine, and its connection with romance developed in the High Middle Ages when practices of courtly [...]

Cupcake Fever Strikes Houston

(No known cure for icing fixation)
What is it about peeling away the pastry wrapper on a warm chocolate cupcake, and then deftly biting into it without getting your nose covered in icing that evokes childhood memories? Nearly as poignant as holding a vanilla ice cream cone, we feel like a kid again balancing a cupcake [...]

Starving in Style

Models strut the runway as people dine on lettuce.
There’s an old saying. Really old. And it goes like this: “What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others.” — Lucretius. 95-55 B. C.
I prefer a newer saying by one of my favorite suicidal authors: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, [...]

DEC My Room

From Hospital Room to Hello Kitty
DEC MY ROOM helps kids with cancer smile
Some people may not see the healing force of magic markers and Scotch tape. But volunteers for Dec My Room are deeply touching the lives of Houston’s sickest children. Inside the bone marrow transplant unit of Texas Children’s Cancer Center, patient rooms are [...]

I Will Now Perform A Trick Called “The Balancing Act.”

Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one, come all! It’s The Greatest Show on Earth! Watch as the Magical Splendini balances a cocktail plate in one hand and a fork in another!
Okay, Houston party people. It’s time to get down to business. Let’s talk plates.
I’ve recently become aware of a frightening trend at parties: the itty [...]

Will Someone Please Pass the Chardonnay

Will Someone Please Pass the Chardonnay?

Dear Kind H Texas Readers: I’m a red wine drinker. I tend to stray away from the hard stuff, because I morph into Faye Dunaway in Barfly. P.S. Do you remember the tagline from that phenomenal film?
“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”
Oh, it’s [...]

My Cell Phone Is Magic!

Last Tuesday night, something happened. I saw a UFO. I’m kidding. It was just a plane. Southwest, I think. (I could tell because peanuts rained down on my head, and I heard singing.) But something else did happen, and it was freakier than a UFO.
My Blackberry spoke to me.
It was last Tuesday night. I was [...]

Have Fear. The World is Ending

Have Fear. The World Is Ending.

Have you turned on the news lately? Neither have I. Actually, this isn’t true. I’ve become shamelessly addicted to CNN. And to the doom and gloom the actors (oops! I mean newscasters) are hurling our way.
The other evening I tuned in to Anderson Pooper on CNN. Now, I realize his [...]

I love your dress! And could you please pass the Bazooka?

Dear Ladies Who Lunch,
I love gum. Gum is playful, and I feel like a kid when I’m chewing it. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m plowing through a pack of Dentyne Ice, Arctic Chill.
I started chewing gum a few years ago when I noticed hordes of thin, gorgeous Texas women chewing lots of it. [...]

I Own a Ranch, Don’t You?

I’m a Texan. You may not think it at first glance. Sometimes I wear scarves tied tightly about the neck. Or flat, sensible shoes during the day. Even worse — I don’t wear makeup at the gym. Yes, I have the East Coast thing down to a tee. And I should. After all, I’ve spent [...]