Julia Gabriel Studio SS15: Perimeter Series

Photographed by Joshua Anderson
Directed by Tyler Swanner
Styled by Julia Gabriel

I first noticed Julia Gabriel's work at an art show which featured her architectural yet whimsical embroidered backpacks. So cute yet so practical, and so sad I didn't get my hands on one of them. She has since moved on to perfecting her proportionate line of unisex bags based on minimalism, geometry, and the "elegance of ballet."  The bold pops of color in the trim adds a quirky touch that shows off her sense of fun and attention to detail. On Julia's Instagram, she even had her followers help pick out colors for her spring line.

Julia Gabriel will be debuting pieces from her Perimeter Series at a trunk show hosted by one of Houston's top indie boutiques, Myth + Symbol, on March 14th from 4-6pm. I'll be there to check out the structured bags in the flesh and in case you wanted to take a peek too, there will be drinks and light bites to keep you refreshed as you soak in the goods.

How Was Your Halloween?

Because mine was friggin' awesome.  No really, I think skipping out on Halloween last year helped make it doubly fun this year.

Because Hello Kitty has been on my mind ever since Sanrio formally announced she was NEVER a cat and has been a British girl all along, I happily embodied the "girl" version of her. Goodbye Kitty was Bryan's idea. Originally a joke, but then I made him actually dress the part.

Out & About: It's a Bánh Mì World

For those who have a preconceived notion that Houston has no soul, I've decided to add an Out & About feature that will not only motivate me to break out my camera again (yay!) but also show why I love this city more and more each day.

Last night I got to experience what could only be called the city's largest bánh mì fest. The Great Bánh Mì Cook-Off packed 11 chef booths in the original Kim Son in Downtown.  

The lineup was as follows: 

(1) Chef King & Co. - Darius King
(2) Copper Chefs - Conor M. & JP
(3) Culinary Creations Catering - Cristian Gonzalez
(4) Fat Bao - Pak Tsui
(5) Flying Saucer - Ben Rabbani
(6) Fung's Kitchen - Hoi Fung
(7) GiAu Bar n Bites - Nick Nguyen
(8) Hearsay Gastro Lounge - Edwin Chanas
(9) Kim Son Restaurant - Kim Son Chef
(10) R&D Barbeque - Dale Ellington
(11) Taco Nuts - L.J. Wiley  

Here's how it went down:

The ingredients...

Who doesn't love some Jack and butter?

Mmm... fried pork belly...

R & D BBQ

Chef King & Co.

Hearsay Gastro Lounge

 

The winner!  R&D's BBQ Bánh Mì was both the Judge's and People's Choice! It's true- we Texans can't have enough of our barbeque.  

The food scene has really exploded here, and this was a creative way to bring some notable chefs together to raise money for charity.  This fundraiser helped to support BPSOS, which has done great things for minority communities including spearheading efforts to cut down human trafficking.  BPSOS hosts a large fundraising event every year, and I'm excited to see if they can top this fun and scrumptious event! By the way, I did have a taste of every single entry, and my two favorites were the pork belly and quail egg bánh mì by Giau Bar N Bites and the sardines and watermelon bánh mì by Fat Bao.  Creative concoctions for the win (at least in my book)!  

Young Girls

     When was the last time you stepped foot into a record shop?  I'll admit it's been awhile for me.  Ok, a long while.  I remember those days of sifting through CDs and LPs and being ecstatic after finding that rare gem.  So when our friends from Young Girls had their EP release last weekend, it was nice to finally set foot again in a real record store.  Cactus Music to be exact, which has been a Houston institution for as long as I can remember.

     

     Young Girls' current line-up includes brothers, Pete (Springfield Riots) and Charlie Tijerina (The Factory Party), and Nick Dudek (The Watermarks).  They rock out with harmonious pop melodies with surf influences.  If I hadn't known they were Texan, I would have easily mistaken them for some Cali boys.  If you haven't checked out one of their live shows yet, they always play a fun set!

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Album cover art by Carlos Pozo

  You can listen to their tracks here.  If you like what you hear, you can also purchase the digital downloads or pick up the record EP at Cactus (which includes a CD version).   

Another Chapter

     Lately, there's been a lot of Houzzing, flipping through pages of Atomic Ranch, and browsing of Design Sponge.  Why, you might ask?  Bryan and I just plunked down a nonrefundable deposit on a new home meaning there's no turning back now.  Our house search kicked into high gear last month after finding out our duplex of five years was about to be sold.  We decided it was finally time for us to move from a rental to a house of our own.  Although the contract on the duplex fell through, we continued our search and laid claim to an under-construction townhome in the Heights neighborhood of Houston.  The Heights is known for its adorable bungalows but with the hot real estate market and increasing values in the area, any bungalow meeting our space requirements sadly exceeded our first-time homeowners' budget. 

See, so cute, right?

Craftsman style bungalow

Queen Anne style bungalow

     Instead, we opted for an energy efficient townhome by a reputable builder with one thing I've always wanted- a walk-in closet.  Our balconies are not too shabby either, but they'll get their time in the limelight in another post.  As the home gets built, we're able to watch its progress (currently a weekly visit) and make adjustments as necessary.  We also purchased it just in time to make our interior design choices.  We're excited to see the final product but also crossing our fingers it doesn't turn out to be a horrible mess. 

     This blog has evolved in the past years, but I have a strong feeling it will soon be very home centric.  If you're curious to see what I'll be doing with the new house, I'll be adding a "House & Home" link in the menu bar to merge all of my home updates and inspiration.  

The Passion Party

I know it has been a little quiet 'round here. Just been busy working on an event I'm hosting tomorrow called The Passion Party (no, get your head out of the gutter).  The event will feature local artists and makers, live music, and delicious food all while benefiting Project Row Houses, a non-profit cultural and art organization.  If you're in the Houston area, please drop by and check out all the lovely vendors!

Wards in Color Bike Tour

     In April, my friend, Troy, will be starting an art-focused bike tour showcasing the Houston wards in all their glory.  The weather was just too beautiful not to do something outdoorsy, so Bryan and I decided to give it a test run.  This is how our day went:

Tour De Hood is not Troy's bike tour but we thought the background was rather fitting

Project Row Houses

Doshi House coffee shop and vegetarian/vegan yumminess

Had to make a pit stop at the oldest wine bar in the city, La Carafe

I think the boys had way too much fun at the playground.

Ok fine, I did too.

Discovered that Dan Havel and Dean Ruck of the sorely missed Inversion installation have another beautiful sculpture in the
Fifth Ward!

Ahhh, I love you Houston.

I was famished at the end of the tour.  Thankfully, there was Bohemeo's to save the day!

     I had so much fun on the bike tour. I seriously can't wait to do it again! Troy will also be operating van tours of the city. If you're interested in getting in on the action, you can find his upcoming events here.