A Hip Start

Mom 2.0 Summit gets groovy for the Mad Men party

Party-goers greet each other at the conference.

It was bright and sunny Thursday, which was pretty fitting for the first day of the fabulous Mom 2.0 Summit. There wasn’t much on the schedule for Thursday – just registration and a certain, much-anticipated, '60s-themed Mad Men Party – so on this day, I focused solely on connecting with some of my online friends who I knew were attending the event.

After getting some work done in the morning, my first stop was to Hobby Airport to pick up Mir Kamin, author of the personal blog, Woulda Coulda Shoulda, and shopping Web site extraordinaire WantNot.net. As I was sitting waiting in the arrivals hall, I looked up and saw none other than Alice Bradley, writer of the immensely popular site, Finslippy. After exchanging surprised greetings, Alice decided to forego the cab and join us for the ride to the hotel.

Since Mir and Alice hadn’t ever visited Houston before, I figured I needed to represent and give them a proper welcome to the city. So before heading to the hotel, I took them to my favorite coffee house, Brasil. Both Mir and Alice flew in from the east coast, so they were escaping recent snowstorms – the least I could do was let them enjoy Brasil’s great outdoor patio and fantastic java libations.

Finally, it was time to get back to the hotel and get ready for the Mad Men Party. On arrival, we bumped into many of our online friends, including Heather Armstrong (parenting blogger supreme of Dooce.com), Maggie Mason of the MightyGoods franchise, designers Laurie Smithwick and Gabrielle Blair, Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess), Laura Mayes and Carrie Pacini (founders of the Mom 2.0 Summit) and so many others. It turns out that when these women decide to break out the '60s attire, they don’t mess around – vintage fashions appeared out of nowhere, and there were even makeup artists and hair stylists on hand, available to tease hair to astronomical heights.

Finally, the moment we were all waiting for: the Mad Men Party in the Four Seasons Lounge. The party was sponsored by Volkswagen, and the crowd was positively fabulous as everyone greeted each other like old friends. Past attendees eagerly told those who were attending for the first time how valuable they found the sessions in the first conference, and this year’s panelists got together in impromptu meetings over cocktails to discuss the upcoming sessions.

It’s going to be a great conference.

Karen Walrond is a writer, photographer and the creative mind behind Chookooloonks.com. Her book, The Beauty of Different, will be published this fall by Bright Sky Press.

A hair stylist works on Gwen Bell's hair for beehiving purposes.

unspecified

Stepping Up

RodeoHouston teams up with Texas bootmaker for limited edition collab

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lane Boots

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) concert lineup has been announced, and concert tickets have gone on sale, which can only mean one thing – it is time to get rodeo ready. For 20 days in March, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is taking over the NRG Stadium complex, where Houstonians will display their best Western-inspired attire.

This year, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo collaborated with popular Texas-based brand Lane Boots on a one-of-a-kind limited edition collection. Muffy King, director of marketing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, designed the boots with help from a team of experts at Lane Boots. Together, they looked at what is trending in existing boot designs and the fashion industry as a whole to come up with a unique look.

"It was important to us that the boot meant to celebrate the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo be representative of the 'Cowboy Core' aesthetic that is a major influence in fashion right now. These fundamental choices were a natural way for us to incorporate and represent our mission-driven pillar – Western Heritage," King tells CultureMap.

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of HLSR. The round braid on the sides represents the ropes used in competitions. The starburst effect around the star and the state of Texas symbolizes the lights on the RodeoHouston stage. The Texas on the back of the boot highlights HLSR's focus on supporting education in the Lone Star State. Departing from Lane's recognizable blue-soled boots, these feature a distinct orange sole with the HLSR logo stamped on the bottom, reflecting the branding seen across Texas ranches.

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

"We wanted to showcase the unique feature Lane has become known for in Western fashion, but with our own Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo flare," said King. "For both the Rodeo and Lane Boots, this was a real testament to the partnership and collaboration that took place to make these boots a reality."

The boots were released online earlier this month, and according to King, they are "flying off the shelves quickly" and have been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Lane Boots produced 2,025 pairs of boots at their factory in Leon, Mexico. Each pair has an individual stamp and a special message on the inside of the boot shaft.

"The story behind the boot naturally lends itself to being relatable to many individuals across all walks of life," King says. "It was a very seamless process that resulted in an aesthetic that allows whoever wearing them to incorporate their own story and personality into the boot."

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. If any inventory remains when the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins, they will be available at the Lane Boots location in NRG Center.

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

boots western wear western style rodeo houston