parties

‘Blooming’ with Excitement, 600 Gather for Laughs and Lunch in the Name of Literacy

Daniel Ortiz & Jacob Power
‘Blooming’ with Excitement, 600 Gather for Laughs and Lunch in the Name of Literacy

Carolyn Mohsenzadeh and Gina Saour

MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO Gina Saour and Carolyn Mohsenzadeh chaired the seventh annual Power of Literacy lunch, held in the ballroom of the Post Oak Hotel and attended by an astonishing 600-some guests.

The event, which benefits the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, this year adopted the theme “Blooming with Books.” Floral and harvest-inspired décor set the tone for a festive meal of salad with grilled chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and goat cheese, followed by a cinnamon-spice dessert.

Jeannie Gaffigan — actress, mom of five and wife to comedian Jim Gaffigan — joined KPRC anchor Lisa Hernandez onstage. The featured speaker shared stories from her best-selling book, When Life Gives You Pears, which chronicles her diagnosis, surgery and recovery from a pear-size brain tumor. While she kept things light yet heartfelt, Gaffigan also stressed the importance of women taking time to take care of themselves and “not ignore the signs that something else may be wrong.”

A raffle with items like jewels from Tenenbaum and a Gucci handbag, plus a silent auction with more purses, helped the day’s total till top $575,000.

Allison Schulze, Lisa Jakel, Emily George

Betty Hrncir, Donatella Benckenstein

Blanca Jolly, Raquel Lewis

Cathy Trask, Amber Alonso

Deborah Duncan

Elizabeth Dansby, Ashley Gentry

Hilary Purcell, Cathy Cleary, Caroline Dace

Kime Smith, Lynn Forte

Leah Rauch, Rebecca Linn

Linda Linder, Mary Sage, Deborah Deford Dunkum

Stephanie Mays, Laura Weaver

From Your Site Articles
Parties
promoted

For Realty Pro Sarah Callaway Sulma, ‘Real Estate Is a Relationship Business’

For Realty Pro Sarah Callaway Sulma, ‘Real Estate Is a Relationship Business’

HOW DID YOU get to where you are today? I was raised by a family that had a strong work ethic coupled with high moral standards. I was pretty much given the groundwork - I just had to put it in play!

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places
food

Októ Joins Mi Luna and Marmo as Hot Spots at Mediterranean-Marvelous Montrose Collective

Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna

THOUGH IT'S BEEN in Houston less than a decade, Sof Hospitality has made major inroads with foodies and critics alike. Its concepts include Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa and Badolina Bakery, all of which deliver the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in complex, photogenic and delicious dishes. Its newest, Októ, opened earlier this year, one of several energetic restaurants to bow in the Montrose Collective, just in time for the holidays.

Keep Reading Show less
Food
art

Five Fabulously Diverse Exhibits Are Arriving at Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH

THE ARTIST WHO ushered in the expressionist movement in the early 20th century was not, in fact, Picasso or Matisse. It was Paul Gauguin, whose career spanned the decades just preceding the turn of the century. The French painter is the subject of the Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, Gauguin in the World, which was organized by Henri Loyrette (formerly of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris). The show, just one of the museum’s diverse winter season shows, debuted in Australia in June and will be on display through Feb. 16, 2025, at the MFAH, the only U.S. venue for the survey.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment