Shelby About Town
Local townhouse featured in national magazine, a TV news star parties & J.J.Watt's family feasts
J. Randall Powers (Randy to his friends) is over the moon with Architectural Digest's coverage of the swell townhouse that he shares with his partner Bill Caudell. Ten pages of color photos of the stunning interiors grace the November issue.
What designer wouldn't love the exposure and the lead-in to the article titled Revise & Conquer: "With bespoke millwork and ennobling details, Houston decorator J. Randall Powers recasts a generic 1990s house as an ultra-refined, art-filled triumph." As Powers said in his Facebook posting: "I am truly on Cloud 9."
It's been a very good year for the talented Powers, who was named one of the nation's Top 10 designers by Elle Decor in June. The list of clients that have benefited from his sophisticated talents includes Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin (he is currently working on their River Oaks home),Gayle and Andy Singer, Leslie and Mark Hull, Marsha and David Solomon, John and Becca Cason Thrash and Marita and J.B. Fairbanks.
Check out some of his projects here.
Birthday bash at ZaZa
On the heels of her Puerto Vallarta marriage to Assistant DA Gene Wu and subsequent bash in H-Town, Channel 13 news ace Miya Shay was partying once again Friday night with a birthday bash at Hotel ZaZa with 30 of her nearest and dearest.
Monarch Bistro chef Jonathan Jones whipped up a load of specialties for the group and concluded the feast with a special Miya birthday cake topped with sparklers. Helping blow out the candles were Channel 11's Courtney Zubowski and fiancé Dr. Eric Haas, publicist Kim Padgett, Channel 2 News' Mary Benton, the mayor's press secretary Jessica Michan and Thomas Davis, Suzy Bergner and City Councilman James Rodriguez.
In the bright lights
Team building became a reality check for Theatre Under the Stars board members who recently did their thing in New York City at Broadway Fantasy Camp. The day-long activity included a seminar with Tony Award winner Judy Kaye, Jeffrey Schecter and Jennifer Smith, all from Broadway’s Nice Work If You Can Get It and a talk-back titled “The Business of Show Business” with Kristin Caskey, Ken Silverman and Kate Elliott. The latter discussion was moderated by TUTS very own John Breckenridge.
Among the TUTS family rubbing elbows with Broadway’s biggest names were TUTS artistic director Bruce Lumpkin, Jenée Jongebloed Bobbora, Melissa Edwards, Meredith and Raffi Tcholakian, Amy Pierce and Leticia and Steve Trauber.
Running with the big dogs
That would be H-Town's K9s4COPs team that was in Los Angeles for the second annual Hero Dog Awards, sponsored by the American Humane Society. K9s4COPs was teamed as the charity partner with Jynx, the winner in the Law Enforcement category.
More than 10,000 dogs were nominated in eight categories for the honors and more than three million votes were cast online in the national competition. Jynx, who as at the table with the Houston crew, is a member of the Berks County (Penn.) Sheriff's Department.
Representing K9s were founder and board chair Kristi Schiller, executive director Liz Lara Carreño, Harris County Sheriff's Office's Mike Thomas, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Officer Ted Dahlin, Brenda Tuttle, Ryland Holmes, William Miller and "Wild Bill" Stanton who flew in from New York for the evening.
Sight 'ems
Paris Review editor Lorin Stein and deputy editor Sadie Stein (no relation) making the rounds at The Menil Collection with their Houston hosts Kathryn and David Berg. The Stein duo were in town for a book signing (Paris Review Fall and Object Lessons) at Brazos Bookstore . . .
Triniti chef Ryan Hildebrand greeting tables throughout the night which included Bill Phelps, as well as part of the KHOU news team — Len Cannon, Lily Jang, Katherine Whaley, Chita Johnson and Ron Trevino, seated at the community table and enjoying an eight-course tasting . . .
Several dozen members of J.J. Watt's family feasting at the Houston Texans Grille before Sunday night's game at Reliant Stadium. On Friday night, Texans offensive coordinator coach Rick Dennison and family and quarterback coach Karl Dorrell had an early dinner in The Owner's Box and watched football and the show Shark Tank.