Everywhere: HTG81

Hooray for those of us who oft times wince at overpaying for our kids clothing (exception: Flora and Henri. I just can't help myself). Tomorrow Forever21 launches its line, HTG81, aimed at 6-14 year olds.

xx,

kr

Austin: Eliza Page

Eliza Page is hosting one of Austin's favorite designers, Kendra Scott on Thursday, February 4 from 6 to 9 pm. Scott will have her new spring collection on hand and - this is a big and - all jewelry by Austin designers is 15 percent off now through that evening. Her earrings, above, are making me daydream about India - Jaipur specifically, home of Gem Palace and Hot Pink. Did I tell you? It's confirmed. Tickets have finally been purchased and October 18 begins my adventure.

xx,

kr

San Antonio: Bistro Bakery

Excited that Amy over at Road to Wonder has posted about Bistro Bakery in San Antonio. It's a chic little place to pop into for fresh French pastries or to sit down with your take-out order for lunch (there's no table service, but get there early if you want to sit down - there are only a handful of tables). Damien Watel's French mother, Lucile, runs the bakery and she's super nice and an incredibly talented pastry expert. Read Erin's post about her experience here.

xx,

kr

Dallas: Neimans and Frederic Fekkai

I have hair issues. Always have. So many products out there that I just get overwhelmed and stick to Pantene. But I often wonder if I had the right shampoo and conditioner, would it make a difference? So I'm curious about the Frederic Fekkai hair consultations coming up at Neimans (NorthPark NM Feb 12 and 13, noon to 6 pm, level one). Seems that FF has designed a tool, The Fekkai Experte, that profiles your hair cuticle and automatically recommends a hair care regiment. It's supposed to tell you exactly what your hair type needs and what you should use to get great results.

xx,

kr

Houston, Dallas: Kuhl-Linscomb, Grange Hall

There's a nice feature in the Home and Garden section of the New York Times today with some of the country's best home stores giving readers their top picks for 2010. It's not a surprise that both Kuhl-Linscomb in Houston and Grange Hall in Dallas were both asked to submit their favorite products (you can read about Grange Hall here. I chose them as one of my favorite places to shop for Texas Monthly's Best of Dallas issue). Above are Tom Dixon's Screw dining tables available at Kuhl-Linscomb.

xx,

kr

For the Love of Luxury

For my dear mother's birthday we celebrated Texas style. Chili-rubbed pork tenderloin, salad and ice tea. Others celebrated Italian style (that'd be me.) Olives, wine and LAFCO's Carta D'Armenia sweet burning incense paper for Mom. It's more church fire than post-college apartment and it's chic red box looks grown up next to your US Weekly. xx bbl

Everywhere: Annebet Duvall

Just got an email from Annebet Duvall of Doucette Duvall saying that her website is now live! Annebet was born in Austin, raised in Houston and went to UT. She's now in New York City where she started with an internship at Nylon, was Andre Leon Talley's asst. at Vogue, and was an associate fashion editor at Jane. She went on to style photo shoots and now, along with styling, she designs her namesake line of feminine dresses, blouse, and jackets. Check out her website with her styling portfolio - the pictures are moody and gorgeous, she is so talented - her cheeky blog, and a link to Doucette Duvall's site.

xx,

kr

Photo courtesy of AnnebetDuvall.com blog

Everywhere: MAC lip conditioner

I've been meaning to tell you about this since I received this product from MAC back in October, but I wasn't able to until it hit stores...that was three weeks ago. Better late than never. This tinted lip conditioner is the only thing I've been wearing since the fall and I get gobs of compliments on it all the time. It's sheer enough to wear simply as a balm - say for a run - but has enough pigment for an au natural lip sheen other time. The color I have is Close for Comfort, a looks-good-on-everyone pinkish beige. $14.50.

xx,

kr

San Antonio: Amar

The best place to buy cosmetics in San Antonio is Amar in the Quarry Village. The owner, Deborah Amar Schneider, a professional makeup artist, always has hard-to-find pro favorites lines like Kevyn Aucoin, Besame, Lipstick Queen, and skincare from Natura Bisse, Darphin, and Somme Institute. But here's what else is newsworthy: Schneider is now offering in-store birthday parties where guests can peruse all the wonderful lines and makeup artists will do everyone's makeup. Such a great idea for a pre-dinner party, night out on the town. Bring your own drinks, apps, and music and you're set. Cocktails and cosmetics. What could be better?

Right now, these Holy Mud Company masks are some of Deborah's favorites. She said the Pumpkim Glycolic smells so good you want to eat it.

xx,

kr

Clean Living

I've been trying to eat less red meat lately and eat more organic greens. I'm in love with the new Whole Foods 365 Whole Catch. Individually wrapped fish including tuna, salmon and mahi mahi (recipe for killer fish tacos on the back) make it easy to whip up a delicious meal in no time. Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP has a fine Asian tuna sandwich with soy mayo that will rock your lunch mate's world as well as a Vietnamese salad that will have you planting your own greens. Easy killer.

Speaking of growing greens, North Haven Gardens has classes on doing just that. They will set you up with a Garden Coach to help you make your garden runneth over. Don't miss the Gardening 101 class Jan. 31. As soon as I get a house I'm doing just this. Natural, just like Chanel for Spring. Right!?

xx,

bbl

Austin, Dallas: Madewell

Did anyone else get this email today? Are you also dying to get a pair of these pants? My friend Gigi Guerra, who I used to work with at Lucky Magazine, is now the brand marketing director for Madewell and these so look like something she'd have in her closet. I interviewed Gigi last year for the fall issue of FASHION from the Publishers of Texas Monthly. You can see a digital version of it here.

xx,

kr

Austin: Fashionably Austin

Wanted to let Austin readers know that tomorrow, Wednesday, January 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Fashionably Austin will host a networking party for Austin fashion designers, boutiques, and media at Aloft Austin at the Domain. It's a great way to stay connected to colleagues and other industry insiders in the city.

xx,

kr

Guest blogger: Bonnie Basham Lance

This week jewelry designer Bonnie Basham is guest blogging on Texas Style and Substance. Bon has done jewelry for everyone from Lucy Liu and Nicole Richie to Harper's Bazaar and Elle magazine photo shoots. She is again based in Dallas after getting married, living in Iowa City, and having two kids. Here are few shots from her current collection.

Turquoise glass with gold-filled beads, $100
Multi-stone ethnic necklace, $145 each. So Dries, no?
Green agate bracelet, $200.

Ft. Worth: Jane McGarry's home

Jane McGarry is my go-to news gal. Love her, watch her every night on NBC 5 and always will. I like her even more now that I've seen the Ft. Worth home she shares with her husband, Kevin, and their teenage son. D Home and Garden did a great feature on her in the issue that's out on stands now. She has a real adoration of color and is fearless when it comes to mixing up textures. Her hacienda-style home feels as if it's so comfortable and lived in.

Photos by Aimee Herring for D Home and Garden.

Dallas: Bolsa: New fave cocktail

Last night I had what is possibly the best libation that's ever passed over these lips. It's called a South on 75 - love the name because that's essentially how you get to Oak Cliff or East Dallas from anywhere north in the city - and it's a Texas version of the ever so chic French 75 cocktail. At Bolsa they mix it up using Texas strawberry-infused Tequila (those strawberries are probably from Poteet, Texas, y'all), St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur, and Champagne.

RefineStyle.com

Well, I'm officially depressed. I just got an email about this new Dallas-based website, RefineStyle.com and I'm kicking myself that I didn't come up with this idea myself. It's essentially an online consignment boutique that reaches people coast-to-coast. Sellers of pre-owned designer goods can create an account and sell their wares to a national audience. Buyers looking for a great deal can go online and shop for killer deals on great clothing. The brand new Theory top above is $45. The site is super-easy to navigate and has an ebay-like option where you can bid on clothing or buy at the list price. Going to kill myself now.

Last days of sales

We're heading into the last days of fall sales around town and tomorrow begins the 75 percent off markdowns at Forty Five Ten, while Saturday is the last of the fall merch sale at Barneys.

William-Christopher Design

Ty Burks and Christopher Ridolfi opened their first foray into retail today, William-Christopher Design (2933 N. Henderson Avenue, 214.528.3434). In the former Stacy Hyde space, the shop is brimming with pieces that evoke their signature patrician meets rustic meets modern. I know it sounds like a kooky description, but it works. The super chic Brooke Hortenstine, co-editor of PaperCity, had her home down by them as well as the abode of candle man Niven Morgan and interior consultant Shelby Wagner.

Love the framed African headdress in the background. And I'm always a sucker for a turq foo dog.
Bamboo Chippendale chairs
Incredible lamp
Some of the furniture is vintage, some designed by them, some found at markets around the world.
Those silver bowls are food bowls for a sophisticated canine
John Robshaw. There is a swatch notebook with every delicious pattern all ready for you to order.

Arteriors Warehouse Sale

The Arteriors warehouse sale is in full swing, folks, and lemme tell you something: you better race your Beamer down there asap before all the good stuff is picked over. There are 1000s of lamps, 1000s lampshades, hundreds of tables, and it's nuts. Ran into Arteriors founder Mark Moussa outside the sale - who BTW is so divine - and he was directing throngs of SUV-driving mamas to the correct parking area. Click here for an article I did on Mark a couple years ago for F!DLuxe.

Orange, anyone?
Groovy 70s-esque brass lamps
Pretty white glass lamps
Gorg gold screen

Bows and Arrows

I was at Pearl Cup this afternoon getting my latte and while waiting I saw some postcards about a flower design workshop in February at Bows and Arrows on Greenville Avenue (not to be confused with Bows and Arrows in Austin). Hold up. I live around the corner. I stop by and have the biggest pang of envy I've had in a long while when I step inside and discover the coolest little indie flower studio amongst the bars and pawn shops on the nightlife strip.

The owners are wife and husband Alicia and Adam Rico who moved here from Brooklyn where she worked as a floral designer. She's now bringing that chic urban aesthetic to East Dallas.
Two-headed lamb. Love.
You know from this post I've had a serious case of floral design obsession and I think I've found a spot to make all those ranunculus dreams come true. The next workshop is Feb 11 (which I'm signed up for. Who's in?) and one more is March 4. $100, materials included.
Milk glass

Which Wich

Our friends Courtney and Jeff Sinelli just celebrated the opening of their 100th Which Wich store, the coolest concept ever in the food/restaurant biz. They've worked their tails off for the past six years and their concept has skyrocketed in the last few. A mind-blowingly good banana chocolate chip cake from AJ Bakery on Oak Lawn was washed down with champagne and margaritas to honor the crew who've helped them get this off the ground. In Courtney's other life, she's a talented writer - with one screenplay under her belt - and you can read about her fave spots, gifts, shops, etc. on her blog Life-Content.

Kuai Dumplings and Soup

Had the best lunch today with Jennifer Chininis from D Magazine. JC was my editor for three years when I was on staff at D and we continue to work together and maintain a great friendship. Now that D's office are downtown, she's discovered the underground tunnels and all the yummy food offerings down below.

We went to Kuai for dumplings, soup, and spring rolls and it was so satisfying. We entered the tunnels through Renaissance Tower on St. Paul and meandered through the subterranean hallways filled with office drones from the assorted corporate farms above.
I ordered four chicken dumplings, $3.
Dipped them in spicy ginger and soy sauce.
And ate a perfectly proportioned cup of fro yo. It's free to everyone who eats at Kuai. Click here to find a tunnel entrance closest to you so you can eat for yourself.

Another one bites the dust: Gardens

What the? I'm so sick of this economy. Being laid off sucks, having to find freelance work sucks - you try making a viable living at 75 cents a word - and to make everything just a tad bit more bitter for me Gardens in the West Village has jumped ship. Seriously. According to West Village sources they packed their gear up three days ago and hightailed it out of Dallas. The retail landscape continues to suffer with no end in site.
If you're in retail, don't read this or you'll hang yourself with your Hermes belt.

More Rachel Rachel Roy

Rachel Rachel Roy is so good for spring. I can't help posting more pics. It has a very Zero + Maria Cornejo feel to it which, of course, gives me a serious case of the I-want-them-nows.

I have a Zero blouse that I purchased at VOD last summer that is very similar to this one above- the pattern, the slouchy silhouette.
This reminds of me some of the technicolor print silk dresses Maria did for fall 09.
These barbwire earrings kill. Already sold out.
A must-have layering piece.