Virtual VIPs

List of 30 bloggers you should be following includes two hip Houstonians

The editors at Southern Living love a good list, and the latest, 30 Bloggers You Should Be Following in 2015, is Texas-heavy, naturally. The roundup includes enthusiasts from the worlds of fashion, food and interior design.

Houston claims two spots on the list: Caroline Harper Knapp of House of Harper and Paloma Contreras of La Dolce Vita. Knapp is a new resident of Houston; she just relocated from New York City. The Texas native's blog has become less fashion-heavy and more lifestyle-centric with the birth of her adorable son Knox, who often appears on the blog.

Houston claims two spots on the list: Caroline Harper Knapp of House of Harper and Paloma Contreras of La Dolce Vita.

Contreras is an interior designer who has been inspiring people to live a beautiful life via her blog since 2007. Props to her for blogging before blogging was cool.

From Dallas, Amy Havins' Dallas Wardrobe makes the list for her ability to discuss personal style and "beautiful things that inspire her." According to the article, Havins places the highest of values on aesthetics, and judging by her 60,000ish followers on Instagram, it is much appreciated by her fans.

Dallas' Josyln Taylor makes the cut for her home and design blog Simple Lovely, which "celebrates the often overlooked aspects of everyday life." Readers learn how to acquire special pieces for their homes that place value in the simple things. We like that she blazes her own style trail as opposed to following more popular trend paths.

Camille Styles' Austin-based blog is a no-brainer. Her blog is so big, in fact, that she has a team of 16 people, who help make it run smoothly. Content is more lifestyle than fashion-focused, and topics range from executing original recipes to creating inspiring DIY projects to everything in between.

Perhaps not as popular in the blogosphere but also from Austin is Pam Penick, whose Digging explores life in the garden. The photographer and owner of Penick Landscape Design also wrote a book called Lawn Gone! Digging is not a typical blog from an aesthetics standpoint, but it does inform those who want to get out and plant something unique in their gardens.

Last but certainly not least is Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Homes blog. The Waco-based Gaines and her husband are stars of the hit HGTV show Fixer Upper. The pretty, fun-loving designer enjoys posting helpful tips and DIY projects, and she has made an appearance or two on NBC's Today show, spreading the good word of home renovations.

Caroline Harper Knapp of Houston's House of Harper.

Caroline Harper Knapp of House of Harper

Photo via House of Harper

Caroline Harper Knapp of Houston's House of Harper.

unspecified

Closure News

All remaining Houston Big Lots stores host going out of business sales

dallas.culturemap.com

Big Lots might be closing.

Discount retail chain Big Lots is hosting a massive "GOB" — going out of business — sale, in anticipation of a possible company-wide closure.

The Columbus, Ohio-based chain has not come out and said it is going out of business — but instead that is holding the going-out-of-business sales to protect the value of the company.

"We all have worked extremely hard and have taken every step to complete a going concern sale," Big Lots president and CEO Bruce Thorn said in a statement. "While we remain hopeful that we can close an alternative going concern transaction, in order to protect the value of the Big Lots estate, we have made the difficult decision to begin the GOB process."

The sell-off comes after a stalled sale of Big Lots to Nexus Capital Management, which was in motion after Big Lots initiated bankruptcy proceedings under Chapter 11 in September.

At that time, they executed a first round of closings — a total of 344 stores that included four in Houston. They followed that with another round of closures in October that took five more Houston-area stores.

On December 19, Big Lots determined that the sale would not be moving forward.

According to Fast Company, Big Lots did not explain why it was unable to complete a sale to Nexus, other than reports that an appraisal of Big Lots' inventory came in below expectations, which would make it unviable for Nexus Capital Management to buy the company.

While they continue to look for alternatives, the plan now is to do the GOB sale in anticipation of a company shutdown.

Fans will miss Big Lots for their good-quality furniture, household goods, seasonal items, and gourmet foodstuffs, as well as basics like cleaning products and cereal.

There are currently nine stores remaining in the greater Houston area:

Conroe, 1404 N Loop 336 W
Houston, 919 N Shepherd Dr
Houston, 9795 Westheimer Rd
Houston, 5807 E Sam Houston Pkwy N
Humble, 9669 Fm 1960 Bypass Rd W #500
Pasadena, 6804 Spencer Hwy
Porter, 23741 Hwy 59
Sugar Land, 3410 Highway 6
Webster, 1201 W Nasa Pkwy

closings