Coming to Houston, even though for a short time, was a great idea! I sat outside with a short sleeve tee, ate crawfish and got to spend time with my favorite people and pup. The night before the Super Bowl LI I wanted to experience at least one event. Being gone made me really sad, there were so many cool things going on around the city. I made my way into one of the largest events of the whole Super Bowl with the help of our friend Dom... THE MAXIM PARTY! If I had to only get into one thing, this was a great option. Downtown was over capacity and Maxim was in Sugarland. It was like the stars were all aligned.
Kyle, Mara, Dom (IE: Best friends forever)
Dj Khalid, DNCE and Travis Scott performed making the vibes major key by default. Chamillonaire brushed past but other "stars" like Nick Cannon, Carmen Electra, Fergie and Ludacris were in the building.
DNCE, Maxim did not allow professional photography so I couldn't get any good ones of Travis Scott or DJ Khalid.
For the actual Super Bowl we headed to Kyle's brother's house for a crawfish boil. It was great being outdoors in a short sleeve tee having my pick of the 90lbs of crawfish that were sacrificed for the game. Since there was an ice/ snow threat / cold and rain situation in Portland I was glad to just not be wearing a jacket and see sun. Crazy how something that simple makes me very happy.
They also bought a new puppy named Domino, a cute Dalmatian pup. He is so cute right now but he's going to get really big!
Overall Gaga did great, the game featured the first overtime ever and largest deficit comeback. Houston was pretty flawless when it came to the events and got MAJOR praise from attendees. This is the city that runs the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo, we got big events on lock.
I am so happy to have been in Houston to feel the vibes in person. Heading back to Portland Tuesday then Wednesday morning.....
I'M OFF TO NEW YORK annnnd its Fashion week!
Whirlwind to say the least.
This year Fashion X came to Houston to present an amazing 4 days of runways, charity, and local shopping sponsored by Cadillac. I attended night one because I am super busy getting my life together! It was also great to run into a few of the wonderful girls in my community of Bloggers. I am really going to miss going to events with them! It is really unique in a space like blogging to find a group of girls that are willing to support and collaborate with each other. A lot of people are very egotistical about blogging, so I am thankful to have found a group of girls that aren't like that!
Night one consisted of shows from Miles David, Jimmy Burner, SixChel, This is Sloane, Rask, Daniel Esquivel, Sean Kelly and Mysterious by NPN. Daniel Esquivel and Sean Kelly are designers that have been on Project Runway. Local Designers included Miles David (David Peck), Jimmy Burner (OMG he is 17! So talented) and Mysterious by NPN. Nicholas the designer behind Mysterious by NPN also was the Bernina Fashion Fund Award Recipient. He received two awesome sewing machines! I saw him a couple years back at Artopia and he is still as innovative and impressive.
This is Sloan is a designer from Austin, she debut her first collection at 19.
Rask was full of really cool denimwear. The designers are two sisters from New York.
THIS WAS EVERYTHING! Mysterious by NPN was so beautiful.
And thats a wrap! It was a good night of shows and Silver Street was a smart place to have it. Glad I got to attend a one last fashion show before I move :)
I'm also wearing one of my favorite dresses from TOBI! It is the ADRIANA WRAP DRESS. Tobi sent it along with a couple other dresses to share with you all. You are going to DIE when you see the maxu dress.
If you follow me on snapchat you saw that I toured Houston's Cistern over the weekend. Named the Cistern for his resemblance to ancient Roman Cisterns in Istanbul, the Houston Cistern was originally Houston's underground drinking reservoir. It was built back in 1927 and was closed in 2007 after it was found to have an undetectable leak. The cost to repair/find the leak was not comparable to our modern day usage output capability so the city decided to close the reservoir completely. After a survey of the space, generous donors put together a plan to renovate and repurpose what is now known as the Houston Cistern. After seeing this damn Cistern was popping up on travel blogs not HTX based, I decided to pay $2 and see what this thing was really about.
The tour is constantly sold out but you can try to get tickets here. Its about 30 minutes long and we learned a ton of water facts that are mostly useless but very interesting. Back in the day when the cistern was Houston's only water usage there was a point where the water was deemed unsuitable for use by anyone, including the fire dept. The cistern did not only supply drinking water but was also very important to the HFD. The government knew for a while that the water wasn't always good to drink but they let it slide... proving the government has always made poor decisions regarding public safety.
We had really awesome high quality images that got lost when our SD card reformatted... switching from sony to cannon cameras is apparently a no-no. It corrupts all of the images. To see this beauty, you might have to pay 2 dollars for a tour... It's also free on Thursdays, but reservations are required.
They will be holding tours in its current state for a few more months and then it will undergo an awesome transformation. The city will be transforming the space into a light and sound themed exhibit. They hope to have it together by the Superbowl. I can't wait to go back again once the installation is complete. It's a beautiful must see literally underneath the heart of Houston.
Last week the newly renovated Saks in Houston had a fun beauty event! It follows the suit with the dedicated store spaces within Saks but there are also open counters in the open layout of the department.
It was fun learning more in depth about all of the brands. Here are 3 things that I am pretty enamored by at the Saks Beauty Department in Houston:
Chanel approached the female perfume in a way that can be translated as unisex. The perfumers idea was to do a females perfume that was the equivalent of wearing your boyfreind's shirt. What would a perfume smell like if you rocked something that belonged to your boyfriend? This perfume was that. I don't even like Chanel perfumes but this one is stuck on my mind. NEED.
So this was the last Artis brush kit left in gold. Only 1000 were made and they are really interesting. It was also $500 so I won't be purchasing this anytime soon but OMG. They are the evolution in makeup application. They are ergonomic so they actually can apply makeup more precisely as well as use less product during application. Each brush is soooo soft but precise and they are less harsh on your face.
Every instagramers favorite candle. Diptyque also has a storefront at the ROD but if you are at Saks Diptyque has a large display available. For most holidays if you spend $100 there is a lady that will paint your perfume bottles or candles. I think that is a cute gift idea for the holidays, girrrlll BRB while I learn how to paint on some candles.
On Thursday I had the pleasure of being on a Panel for my friend David of FromNYtoTX. Along side David Rodriguez the head chef at one of my faves, Tout Suite; and Kalan Laws of Senor Guapo.
Photo by Imani
Don't we look great in our Kit and Ace? My top is available here. Deep Eddy Vodka poured the libations, and DJ Anarchy had a really chill playlist that helped set the vibes for the night. With a nice little turnout and great light bites, we discussed all things fashion, culture, travel, and lifestyle.
Photo by DJ Anarchy
Below in Kyle's vlog there is a small clip of us and the space. Kit and Ace is really dope for letting us do this in this space.
We start at around 1:15! Its a small clip.
I don't know what I'm telling Jessica but she looks concerned. Probably my work shenanigans.
from the event here are a couple questions I wanted to feature here too:
Photo by K.Dot
Is being fashionable or trendy a negative statement you can put on someone?
-I think Fashionable is fine, calling someone trendy is kind of shady. I call people trendy when all they wear is what what is cool at the moment. If i don't see a personal spin I think its trendy.
In the last couple of years, Athleisure has been very popular, what are your thoughts behind it?
-I actually love it. I think its great to dress comfortable especially here in Houston. Its hot as hell give me some tech fabrics over anything. I think with society being as relaxed and casual as it is, athleisure isn't a surprising trend to me. Being as quick serve as we are, I can see how fashion has become a reflection of that.
Living in Houston, you all have seen the fashion grow. Do you like where the fashion scene in Houston is going and do you think that Houston can ever compete with larger fashion cities?
-I think the scene here is high fashion. Galleria and River Oaks district have the stores they do because that is what the buying power is spending money on. We are into labels but unfortunately the street style you find in Seoul, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and New York isn't what you see here. There are some groups in Houston that look dope and really have that satorialist look, but its still not accepted. People still look at you funny and call you weird for having a sense of individualism. I hope Houston gets there but that old Oil money isn't going to change.
Can you remember your first fashion item you purchased or can you tell us about a horrible outfit memory?
-This is embarrassing. In middle school I had a Uniform and the only way you could really individualize your look was by wearing cool shoes and accessories. I had a ton of crazy colored shoes and sneakers... most of them were questionable but the most regrettable pair were my pink KSWISS. Yes. I no longer have them, but man. I thought I was a so cool for not wearing adidas like everyone else. I bought like all puma, kangaroo, and Kswiss.
Photo by K.dot
I can't.
Thank you to everyone that came out and thank you David for this opportunity.
If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram you know I got the opportunity from DriveShopUSA and Mazda to test drive the 2016 Mazda 6i Grand Touring. The Mazda 6 comes in three trim levels and the Grand Touring is the flagship. Complete with a 7inch display, heated seats, spoiler, Bose speakers, navigation and drive assist this car is the perfect stylish ride for a girl like me on the go.
GIRL ON THE GO:
When it comes to the interface, its pretty user friendly. The 7 inch display can be controlled through a rotary center console to drill down submenus ( basically a knob/joystick), as well as touchscreen option on the display screen. The only ones I care about are music and navigation. The Music submenu is actually lengthy since it features almost every possible music option from AM/FM/XM (and HD versions) to stitcher, but my bluetooth is what I'm used too. Streaming Spotify was my go to option.
The Navigation screen also detects speed, and turns red to let you know you are truly on the go because you are speeding, and being on time is a problem for you because you are always in a hurry. There is a unique active driving display that is basically a clear panel that pops out of the dash that projects MPH. I like it since its in your eye line while driving, it also shows some of the lane assist features. Although there is also an analog version of the MPH, I found myself only looking at the heads up display. This car seems to marry old school and new school very well by giving users traditional as well as advanced functionality. The user function options don't force the consumer to go completely enthusiast at any point.
Included in the Driver Assist attributes is Smart City Breaks (which slows the vehicle when going under 18mph), Lane Departure warnings, and blind spot monitoring. If you live in Houston and have driven on 290, all of these things are super helpful. The lanes a little uneven in the construction riddled stretch of roadway, so the lane assist can be kind of annoying but you can turn it off.
This surprised me, but the Mazda is actually a 4 cylinder model vehicle. It boasts 32MPG EPA combined but it looks like my car averaged 26. It has also been driven less than 2k miles so that might be part of why the average is a little off. The four cylinder is rather quick and smooth. I am used to driving a fairly new 2.5 4 cylinder vehicle, and it's pick up is a little slower than the Mazda 6. This Mazda is a little more stiff due to the 19in wheels. Aren't they pretty though? Sporty chic!
Other wins include heated seats and a sunroof. With how bi-polar Houston weather is, I got a chance to use both. I even drove this car in part of Hurricane Patricia's aftermath, so I can honestly say the safety features are serious.
The sticker price on this car was just over $33,000, but the Mazda 6 starts around $21,000. Its been a fun week running the town in this Mazda.
This post was sponsored by MazdaUSA and DriveShopUSA. The vehicle was driven for testing and evaluation purposes over a period of time. Thank you for your support in supporting my sponsors! Without them this blog is not possible :) As usual, all opinions are my own.
I have been to Miyako maybe a million times, but a random Kirby roll craving led me there for a quick stop. If you haven't been, its probably my favorite roll. It is: SHRIMP TEMPURA, AVOCADO, JALAPENO AND MAYO TOPPED WITH PEPPERED SEARED SALMON.
I'll probably crave it again this weekend but there is a gnarly hurricane headed this way. I'll be preparing a hurricane kit and finally catching up on blog posts. I'm back at it!
Did you know that Twisted shotz is giving away a chance to win a block party?
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If you follow me on any of my other social media channels you have seen that I got the great pleasure of viewing the Hello Kitty plane as soon as it landed here in Houston, TX.
I pretty much died and went to heaven. I felt like I was in a Hello Kitty theme park for a little while.
Before the plane arrived from Taipei we spent time in an indoor area with music, exhibits, and lots of food! I tried a little bit of everything, dashing from food stations to selfie booths. I was basically at my own personal Disney Land, but much better. SANRIO LAND.
