TIME TO PAINT the town! This season, a trio of art fairs hits Houston, beginning with the Houston Art Fair (formerly the Houston Fine Art Fair), where nearly 50 local and international galleries exhibit Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at Silver Street Studios. On the same weekend, the Texas Contemporary event is held Downtown at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Opening-night festivities include a collaborative performance with the Houston Ballet’s Oliver Halkowich and multi-media artist Chris Doyle. And a week later, the semi-annual Bayou City Art Festival returns to the streets of Downtown with hundreds of outdoor booths.
Debbie Festari, Ann Carl, Alicia Smith and Edward Sanchez (photo by Jacob Power)
The event, which featured handsome auctioneer Johnny Bravo dressed in a pink suit and helping raise $36,000 from a Jared Lehr necklace, raised a total of $700,000.
ABC 13’s Gina Gaston served as emcee. Honorees included Myrtle Jones, Leila Perrin, Brandi Sikes, Rick Smith and Gaye Lynn Zarrow.
“Later in the program, previous honoree Janette Marx shared her journey with breast cancer to an attentive room as guests listened in awe,” said a rep for the luncheon’s organizers. “Keynote speaker, Shannon Miller, seven-time Olympic medalist and cancer survivor, closed out the program as she spoke from the heart about her own story of triumph, encouraging guests to overcome any personal challenges.”
Pink Champagne flowed right through lunch, with ended with decadent cheesecake. But the sweetest bit was learning about the impact of the day’s fundraising. Per Jenny Todd, vice president of the American Cancer Society Houston area: “Events like the Tickled Pink Luncheon have led to a 44 percent decline in the female breast cancer death rate by helping to directly fund a cure. In fact, the American Cancer Society is currently investing $84 million in breast cancer-specific research. Fourteen of those grants are right here in Houston, totaling $9 million.”
VIPs guests included Cheryl Byington, Yvonne Cormier, Nancy Dinerstein, Lesha Elsenbrook, Tena Faust, Debbie Festari, Cyndy Garza Roberts, Daniel Irion, Brigitte Kalai, Kirk Kveton, Julie Longoria Chen, Tama Lundquist, DeeDee Marsh, Kim Moody, Patti Murphy, Roz Pactor, David Peck, Amy Pierce, Elizabeth Stein, Phoebe Tudor and Betty Tutor.
Brigitte Kalai, Farida Abjani and Cindy Bendy (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Sippi Khurana and Phoebe Tudor (photo by Jacob Power)
Brandi Sikes and Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman (photo by Jacob Power)
Ann Bean, Beth Wolff and Kairy Barkley (photo by Jacob Power)
Guest speaker and Olympian Shannon Miller (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Kelley Lubanko, Sheri Gross, Ellie Francisco, Denise Monteleone and DeeDee Marsh (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Leila Perrin, Brandi Sikes, Rick Smith, Myrtle Jones and Gaye Lynn Zarrow (photo by Jacob Power)
Jared Lehr (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Donna Lewis and Christy Lynn (photo by Jacob Power)
Some spa experiences are more relaxing than others, though. Let's face it: Facials involving noisy ultrasonic machines, extractions, hydrotherapy, et cetera, might achieve great results, but that hour-long experience in the treatment room isn't nearly as pleasant with all those extra sensations going on. At the Thompson Spa, estheticians use products by prestigious Swiss skincare brand Valmont Cosmetics, which are designed to be applied sans steam or extractions — which means nothing but supreme rejuvenation and relaxation awaits.
It's worth noting that the spa also offers clinical skincare, peels, hydrafacials, deep-cleansing facials, and more (plus massage therapy and body treatments, of course).
Valmont, known for using powerful natural resources like glacier spring water and proprietary cellular-anti-aging ingredients, has designed two signature facials for the Thompson Spa: The Vitality of the Glaciers, and the Lift From the Peaks. The first stimulates cell oxygenation, employs a "dual massage" technique, and leaves a radiant glow. The latter smooths wrinkles, alleviates tension, and utilizes fasciatherapy to gently transform the planes of the face.
Before receiving a Valmont facial, guests are invited to enjoy the steam room and hang out in the Grounding Room, an indoor-outdoor space with chaise daybeds, blankets, pillows, snacks, champagne-rose tea (hot or iced!) and retractable window shades letting spa-goers choose their views. The spa amenities aren't fussy or over-the-top, but they're thoughtful, practical and, most importantly, restorative.
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