Celebrating Courtney Hopson's birthday over dinner and 'ritas at Armandos just wasn't enough for hosts Melissa Mithoff and Neal Hamil and their crew of friends. No. After running up a sweet tab at Armando Palacios' popular eatery, the crew headed to Stereo Live, formerly Bar Rio, where party girl magnifiqueHolly Waltrip brought in hotter-than-hot New York DJ Leon Koronis.
"It's all about Jesus, the Frog and Music!!!" Waltrip posted on her Facebook invitation to friends. "Come out of your cozy caves for this one, trust."
Koronis delivered with the partying throng going fairly mad for the music particularly Hamil and Becca Cason Thrash, who danced with the abandon of twentysomethings. Need we say, there were aches and pains the next day. And this was no ordinary disco scene. Waltrip commissioned a Moroccan-style tent to cover the dance floor.
Joining the party were the birthday girl's husband, the dashing Bo Hopson, plus John Thrash, Kara and Aaron Howes, Joyce and Hugh Echols, Susan and Mike Plank, Greggory and Pat Burk, Monsour Taghdisi and Christopher Mendel, Katherine Phelps and Leigh Williams.
High honors
Applause, applause for attorney Roland Garcia — recipient ofthe Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Bar Association. Mayor Annise Parker presented the award to Garcia, a Greenberg Taurig LLP shareholder, before a sellout crowd of 300 at The Houstonian.
Garcia, a past president of the association, was recognized at the annual dinner for his service to the Hispanic community and his leadership in the legal profession.
Joining in the celebration were Garcia's wife, Karen; his parents, Annie and Roland Garcia Sr. from Corpus Christi; brother and sister-in-law Gilbert and DeeDee Garcia; and his sister and brother-in-law Rose and Wade Moriarty.
Others offering congratulations represented powerhouses of the Hispanic community including Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina, State Representatives Ana Hernandez and Armando Walle, Hispanic Bar Association president Diana Perez Gomez, president-elect Johnny Garza, District Court Judge Michael Gomez, Alex Martinez, David Arpin and City Attorney David Feldman.
A rollicking good time
Engagement announcement parties for grown-ups can be such fun — particularly when the happy couple consists of the effervescent Susan Krohn and the rock-solid Patrick Gehm. Hosting the dinner on the enclosed patio at Ciao Bello were members of Tony's Literary Society, a ladies book club, and their husbands.
Putting together the seated affair were Sandy and Dr. Barney Barrett, Alina and Roberto Garcia, Carol and Mike Linn, Soraya and Scott McClelland, Ileana and Michael Trevino, Donna and Tony Vallone, Randa and Charlie Williams and Sheridan and John Eddie Williams.
Dancing to the music and feasting on the family style Italian meal were 70 guests including Mickey Rosmarin, Joanne King Herring, Gene Van Dyke, Franco Valobra, Brian Teichman, Judith Oudt, Ellie and Michael Francisco and Connie and Clayton Cooke.
Big departure
Rice University's loss is TIAA-CREF's gain as the New York-based firm overseeing $400 billion in pensions for teachers lassos Scott Wise, Rice's chief investment officer. Wise's 31 years with his alma mater will be celebrated Wednesday when Rice president David Leebron hosts a reception for him in the Brochstein Pavilion. Wise officially launches the firms' expansion into investment management for endowments on Monday.
Wise is Rice's long-time treasurer and chief investment officer and current president of Rice Management Co. He is only the fifth treasurer in the university's history.
The fact that Wise convinced TIAA-CREF to open the new investment wing in Houston is a credit to his strength in the field. And the fact that he remains in Houston couldn't make his wife, Geraldina Wise, more happier. She has her own business here with Casa Concept Design.
Only in Texas
It was a Lone Star-sized baby shower for Kristen Nix on Saturday when 22 women hosted a luncheon event for 160 of the family's nearest and dearest lady friends. No one was more proud than the honoree's mother, Sheridan Williams, and sister Lauren Clark. Among the hostesses helping organize the fete at Sheridan and John Eddie Williams' River Oaks home were Diane Connally, Diane Lokey Farb, Donna Vallone, Karen Johnson, Sylvia Dorsey and Terry Rambin.
And who were all those well-dressed women pouring in with gifts in hand? Susan Plank, Phoebe Tudor, Dr. Cindy Blizzard, Soraya McClelland, Lilly Andress, Vicki West and Cynthia Petrello.
No time for opening gifts at this two-hour event. Instead, it was all about socializing and nibbling on ladies lunch from Catering by Culinaire. And did we mention the bountiful flowers and beautiful linens all in baby blue? It's going to be a boy for Kristen and Lee Nix. Delivery date: Early August.
Courtney and Bo Hopson celebrated her birthday with dinner at Armandos and dancing at Stereo Live.
