Holiday Pop-up Party

5 reasons every merry Houstonian needs to stop by Holiday Pop-up Shop

Hillary Barwick at CultureMap Holiday Pop-up Shop 2014

Don't miss the CultureMap Holiday Pop-up Shop on December 13. You'll be as happy as she is.

Photo by Kristie Holt

Houstonians will have the most fun ever shopping for gifts at the second annual CultureMap Holiday Pop-up Shop, which takes place on Sunday, December 13, at Silver Street Studios. Here are five totally scientific reasons to prove it.

1. You can find a gift for absolutely everyone on your list.
Technically you could go to a mall and find a greater assortment. But do you really want that traffic and parking headache? Besides, we know you like to shop local, and our event is the only chance you will have to browse these particular brands from more than 30 cool vendors in one place (see full list below). The goods include jewelry, clothing, home decor, paper goods, kid stuff, pet essentials, and edibles. More on the edibles in a minute.

2. You can drink while you shop.
Admission — which is free, by the way — includes access to the Lexus Lounge for bourbon and bubbles (11 am - 2 pm) and wine tasting (2 pm - 4 pm). Or warm up at the hot chocolate bar courtesy of Bounce Energy. Shopping is way more fun this way.

3. You will not go hungry.
If you are going to power shop, then you need to keep your energy up. Stop by foodie-friendly pop-up vendors like Good Dog Houston, Macaron by Patisserie, Slim Ritas and PUCS Pop Up Coffee Shop. Grab a sandwich, salad or salami stick at Revival Market's pop-up bistro or visit Common Bond's pop-up place for standout signature items like chocolate chip cookies and the addictive Kugelhopf, a sugar-dusted brioche cake soaked in an orange blossom syrup and spiked with brandy-infused raisins. Wash it all down with a hot chocolate or non-alcoholic wassail.

4. You will be entertained.
DJ Narcissus will be spinning tunes, so dance while you shop. And both kids and kids at heart can drop by the photo booth to pose for a zany photograph or visit the crafts station to make holiday cards and gift card holders. Another bonus: Get that holiday glow at NuMe Express, Houston's first medical-mobile cosmetic facility (pre-book your appointment now).

5. You can support a good cause.
You didn’t think we would throw a party without showing the community some love, did you? This year our beneficiary is PledgeCents, a flexible #crowdfunding platform that allows anyone to raise funds for any Pre K-12 school/classroom need. Drop off an unwrapped toy at the Lexus Lounge. The first 50 elves to do so will take home a $25 Tiff's Treats gift card.

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The CultureMap Holiday Pop-up Shop runs from 11 am - 4 pm on December 13 at Silver Street Studios. Admission is free, but we ask that you RSVP. Valet parking (for $5) or complimentary self park are available. For one day only, you can shop all of the following:

Aspire at Brookwood Leather Products
Andrea Montgomery Designs
Baanou
Bartaile
beDESIGN
Brenda Grands
Briggs True
Cakewalk Style Shop
Common Bond
DePetra Art in Jewelry
Dripped Nails
DYI
Fig Tree
French Cuff
KB Kasuals
KISSUE
Kelly Kathleen Design
Macaron by Patisse
Manor
Monkee's of Houston
NuMe Express
Olivia and Cate Jewelry
Paris Texas Apparel Co.
Pomp & Circumstance
Revival Market
Rowdy Design
Saint Cloud
San Cristobal Guyaberas
SlimRitas
Souk Chic
Texas Beer Bus
Tres Chic
VAHA
Venom
WildBloom Boutique
Women's Home Cottage Shop
Zayver Jewels

shopping event-planner holidays

Movie Review

George Clooney shines in Jay Kelly, a sharp and heartfelt look at fame

Photo by Peter Mountain/Netflix

George Clooney in Jay Kelly.

The life of a celebrity is paradoxical in that your life is lived in the public eye, yet who you really are is almost unknowable. Movie history is littered with films that try to dig into the private lives of real and fictional actors, with varying results. The latest film to try to unearth what it means to be famous is Jay Kelly.

In a perfect bit of casting, George Clooney stars in the title role as an actor who’s still world famous even if he’s edging toward the downside of his career. His coterie of helpers, including manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern), make sure he is taken care of at every turn, often anticipating his needs before he realizes it.

A run-in with an old friend, Timothy (Billy Crudup), sends Jay spiraling, questioning not just the meaning of his 35-plus year career, but also his relationships with his two daughters, Jessica (Riley Keough) and Daisy (Grace Edwards). Jay’s attempt to manage the crisis pits his identity as a celebrity and as a father and friend against each other.

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, and co-written by Emily Mortimer (who has a small role), the film has to walk the tightrope of making the audience like Jay even as he does and says things that might make him unlikable. There’s a very thin line between the character of Jay Kelly and the real life George Clooney; each is seemingly infinitely charming when dealing with the public, but they lead very different private lives.

Baumbach takes a light approach to the story, occasionally dipping into more serious territory but never going too deep. For some, this may seem like a copout, as if he’s merely pretending to want to explore what celebrity truly is. But as you see Jay navigate his way between his work, his family, and being out among the public, little details emerge that make him increasingly complex.

A lot of the film’s pleasure comes from the strong actors cast in relatively minor roles. There are not enough words to express what it means to have actors like Jim Broadbent as Jay’s mentor, or Greta Gerwig as Ron’s wife, or Stacy Keach as Jay’s father, or Patrick Wilson as a fellow longtime actor. Each of them and more lend an instant air of excellence to the film that elevates the story beyond its simple premise.

Clooney may be playing a version of himself, but as the film notes on multiple occasions, playing yourself is more difficult than it seems. He is deserving of an Oscar nomination, as is Sandler, who doesn’t give off even a whiff of insincerity as a man who has given perhaps a bit too much of himself in aid of another man’s career.

Jay Kelly is not a world-changing film, and some may accuse it of being another navel-gazing Hollywood story. But the forcefulness of Clooney’s performance, the long line of strong supporting actors, and the subtly effective storytelling by Baumbach and Mortimer (making her feature screenwriting debut) help it become much more than might be expected.

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Jay Kelly is now playing in select theaters. It debuts on Netflix on December 5.

movies film

Holiday Pop-up Party

5 reasons every merry Houstonian needs to stop by Holiday Pop-up Shop

Movie Review

George Clooney shines in Jay Kelly, a sharp and heartfelt look at fame

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