• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Pick Five (Plus)

    Your weekly guide to Houston: Lights in the Heights, Glassell art sale &gingerbread house build-off

    Joel Luks
    Dec 8, 2011 | 1:00 pm
    • There's lots to love about anything pretty and everything delicious. Both cometogether at this year's Gingerbread House Build-Off at Market Square Park.
      Photo by Gary Fountain
    • Still have shopping left to do? For unique one-of-a-kind artsy gifts, try thestudent art sale at Glassell School of Art on Friday and Saturday.
    • The Heritage Society 49th Annual Candlelight Tour allows guests to reliveforgotten traditions, perfect for the whole family.
    • Mercury Baroque continues the Messiah tradition, but on original periodinstruments, bringing back the aesthetic of the 18th century.
      Photo by George Hixson
    • Ivy Castle, Elissa Levitt and Jessica Janes in the Catastrophic Theatreproduction of Lisa D'Amour's Anna Bella Eema
      Photo by Anthony Rathbun

    A little rain didn't deter Houston Heights residents and design aficionados from forming long lines to soak in the charm of Houston's oldest suburb. At the 2011 Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour "Deck the Heights," six delightful homes, some dating back to the early 1900s, others newly built in the style of the period, were open to curious folk hungry for decor inspiration.

    For those partial to a modern interpretation of retro design, a 2008 David Weekley home on Allston custom-built for Thomas Gribble and Phil Eaton was filled to the brim with cozy allure amidst open spaces and exquisite ceiling details. A tablescape lined with domed terrariums was the highlight of the dining room — Gribble is a landscape designer — opening to a kitchen with soapstone countertops.

    It was the soft turquoise accents throughout the home that modernized the otherwise classic space. The outdoor living? Homey and deliciously stylish.

    The home of Kristal Kirksey, owner of Jubilee boutique, and drummer Kevin Tate on Arlington captured smiles and nostalgia with a kitschy display of vintage Americana collectibles and Coca Cola tchotchkes. Every nook and cranny was overloaded with happy trinkets, vinyl furniture, a complete collection of plastic Santas, all flanked by vibrant, unusual colors.

    Lot's to love.

    Handel's Messiah marathon started Saturday with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) and Houston Chamber Choir at the Church of St. John the Divine. Actor Rutherford Cravens took on the persona of the composer at the premiere of Messiah for Kids!, an arrangement by Shepherd School of Music composer Karim Al-Zand. Little ones and larger little ones — like me — learned the intricacies that have made the piece a holiday staple for almost three centuries, like text painting, affect, melodic contour and dynamics through audience interaction.

    That same evening, the two classical music forces crowded the sanctuary — Houston really loves ROCO and Houston Chamber Choir — and performed the complete oratorio, along with Franz Schubert's and Joseph Fux's Magnificat. As with all ROCO concerts, there was a surprise, that being a lovely and barcarolle-style arrangement by John Leavitt of the holiday traditional, Greensleeves.

    If you can't get enough of all things holiday-ish, I've highlighted a number of events. If the Scrooge in you needs a rest from all things red and green, I have just what you need. Read on for this week's recommendations.

     2011 Bowl Selections Soiree at Momentum Audi

    It's true that the holiday season is filled with concerts, ballets, dinners, socials, cookie exchanges, weight gain, family drama and reckless spending. So I think a little change of speed with something sporty is just what the doctor ordered. Let that be the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas set for Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. at Reliant Stadium, pitting Texas A&M against Northwestern.

    But why not start the festivities early with 2011 Bowl Selections Soiree at Momentum Audi. The Sideline Soiree Committee and the American Cancer Society's Victory Gentlemen's Committee have put together a social on Thursday at 7 p.m. that melds good tunes with light bites and beverages, with proceeds from the affair benefiting DePelchin Children's Center.

    Football and good doing, that's in the spirit.

     The Heritage Society 49th Annual Candlelight Tour

    With so much new and sparkly around us, a reminder of how things used to be is necessary to have better perspective of how lucky we are today. The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park does just that at its Candlelight Tour, a tradition alive and well for the past 49 years.

     On Friday and Saturday, stroll through the grounds of Sam Houston Park where costumed re-enactors will conjure up the traditions of yesteryear, like promenading carolers, children's crafts in Santa's workshop and characters from the city's past. It's a wholesome good time for the young and the young at heart.

     Handel's Messiah presented by Mercury Baroque at Wortham Theater Center

    Everyone knows the culminating chorus of this masterpiece, now a holiday tradition that dates back to 1742 in Dublin. But do you know the whole, complete work? It's quite a whirlwind of a spectacle filled with succulent baroque virtuosic vocal and instrumental writing.

    We often hear Handel's Messiah with instruments of today. That just won't do for the folks at Mercury Baroque. The ensemble plays on period instruments, in essence, bringing back not just the music, but the ethos of the baroque as it was practiced back in the 18th century.

    Better yet, you can sing along at Friday's performance (bring your own score of purchase one at the concert for $10) or hear the whole thing on Saturday with the University of Houston's Moores School of Music Concert Chorale, led by Betsy Weber, with soprano Shannon Mercer, countertenor Lawrence Zazzo, tenor Colin Ainsworth and bass Joshua Hopkins.

     Glassell Studio School Student Art Sale

    Another art market? Yes, please! As my holiday shopping list continues to dwindle, I am left with a few folks that have just about everything. Challenged with the task of finding something meaningful and unique, the solution can be found at one of Houston largest art markets.

    That's the Glassell School of Art studio sale, during which students put out their sculptures, paintings, prints, ceramics, photographs and mixed-media works. There's a lot of stuff, though, for best selection, I recommend shopping earlier. The artsy bacchanal is on Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

     Third Annual Gingerbread House Build-Off at Market Square Park

    Not for the weak and hungry, this event mingles two of my favorite things: Anything delicious and everything pretty. This fierce competition of icing, gumdrops and candy canes will entice over 20 teams to craft an architectural delicacy deserving of the coveted Grand Prix de Show. Other categories include Best Architectural Icon, Tallest Standing Structure, Best Traditionally Themed, Best Non-Traditionally Themed and Most Creative Use of Materials.

    Sponsored by Architecture Center Houston and the Downtown District, the festive feud begins at Market Square Park at Saturday 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. If you didn't register, you can come and offer a cheer or two, or build your own mini structure at the spectators table.

     Towers and Trees Downtown Walking Tour

    If you are tired of all the holiday-esque events happening around you, take a break from Santa and eggnog and meander around downtown Saturday morning exploring the many changes to downtown Houston over the decades.

    That includes learning about the history of buildings on Main Street, plans around Hermann Square, the civic center now known as Houston Center and how Discovery Green came to be. Meet at Houston City Hall Saturday at 10 a.m. The tour is organized by Architecture Center Houston.

     Associate editor and nightlife expert Caroline Gallay's pick: 24th Annual Lights in the Heights

    Caroline says: "My obvious pick this weekend is Lights in the Heights! Despite much chatter about overcrowding, I've found the event to be a blast each year expect no different this Saturday. I suggest a rolling cooler and, if you're able, a dinner party home base for bathroom breaks and purse drops. Dog and kid friendly!"

     Photo editor and design junkie Barbara Kuntz's pick: 2011 Winter Holiday Native Tree and Shrub Sale at Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

    Barbara says: "I'm going Texas-native with my landscaping, replacing key sidewalk and entryway plants that perished from the drought to enliven our home for holiday guests. The 2011 Winter Holiday Native Tree and Shrub Sale, a nine-day shopping extravaganza, offers more than 60 different species of Texas native trees, shrubs and vines. And to top it off, no pun intended, organic compost and mulch are available, too."

     Arts smarty pants and beer lovin' lovable gal Nancy Wozny's pick: Catastrophic Theatre production of Anna Bella Eema

    Nancy says: "When the three characters in Lisa D'Amour's Anna Bella Eema chant, 'To be more than another set of bones wandering across the earth is to realize that you are just another set of bones wandering across the earth,' you get the idea that what will follow will be not your usual linear play. Catastrophic Theatre's production of D'Amour's breathtakingly original play is both spoken and sung by Ivy Castle, Jessica Janes and Elissa Levitt in a tour de force performance.

    "Levitt's raw portrayal as the trailer park matriarch known as 'one' will haunt your dreams. Directed by Jason Nodler, Anna Bella Eema, is one dangerous and exhilarating night at the theater. Chris Sidorfsky's melodic music punctuates D'Amour's prose, coming and going in surprising ways. Kevin Holden's eerie lighting and Jodi Bobrovsky's barren dirt set add to the creep factor. I should add that D'Amour just won a Steinberg Playwright Award. Anna Bella Eema runs through Dec. 23 at DiverseWorks."

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    Flood Relief News

    Houston company gives back with free cleanings for Hill County families

    Natalie Grigson
    Jul 15, 2025 | 4:34 pm
    Cotton Holdings restoration team
    Photo courtesy of Cotton Holdings
    Cotton Holdings Restoration Station team helping residents in Central Texas.

    Cotton Holdings, a Houston-based disaster relief company, has been on the ground daily in Central Texas since the July 4 floods, clearing debris and cleaning up spaces. The company has deployed two "Restoration Station" vans, fully equipped with cleaning teams and professional-grade supplies, to help people recover and preserve their belongings.

    For residents of Kerrville, Hunt, and Comfort, this service is being offered free of charge through July 19.

    Residents in these areas can schedule a free two-hour appointment to have family heirlooms, jewelry, collectibles, or other keepsakes and valuables that may have been damaged by the floods professionally cleaned and restored.

    The website notes that Cotton Holdings is currently only accepting "hard, nonporous items," and recommends throwing away soft belongings that were damaged in the floods. Some of the items they'll accept include:

    • Wood furniture
    • Sculptures
    • Mirrors
    • Jewelry
    • Dinnerware
    • Musical instruments
    • TVs
    • Gaming devices

     Cotton Holdings item cleaning Most items can be cleaned within 15 minutes, a press release says.Photo courtesy of Cotton Holdings

    Each home visit includes two hours of cleaning, plus a dedicated team member to offer emotional support, according to a press release.

    "This effort aims to preserve treasured memories and renew hope within the community during this challenging time," says the release.

    Aside from its work in Central Texas, Cotton Holdings has been at the forefront of disaster relief across the country since its founding in 1996. They've recently helped residents in the California wildfires and in Asheville, North Carolina, post-Hurricane Helene.

    natural disastercharityfree
    news/city-life

    most read posts

    More than 20 deals and specials celebrating Houston's 713 Day

    Houston is one of America's most overpriced cities, study finds

    Award-winning NYC chefs join Houston rising star for pop-up dinner

    Loading...