From glittering holiday soirées to sweltering backyard barbeques, there is an event to attend in every season. While many take for granted the seamless nature of these events, every successful gathering has one common key component: a hard-working host or hostess. Between preparation and planning, circulating with guests, and cleaning up long after everyone has gone home, a good host makes an event successful. Gift […]

With the holiday season upon us, it is time to consider how to wrap the pile of gifts under the bed! Instead of being one more thing on the holiday to-do list, the gift-wrapping process has the opportunity to be an authentic expression of creativity. The presentation of wrapped gifts can be like an additional gift itself, reflecting the imagination […]

This fall marks 25 years of the Texas Book Festival uniting Texas readers with authors, spreading books and smiles all around the Texas State Capitol. Usually, the weekend festival erects tents down the streets surrounding the capitol, full of author panels, cooking demonstrations, book sales, activities for kids, book signings, and more. This year, however, the festival will inspire book lovers around […]

With vineyards encompassing hundreds of acres of the rolling Texas Hill Country, winemaking in the Lone Star State is quickly becoming a widely practiced profession. In a highly concentrated industry, how does a winemaker stand out from the rest? One Texas woman is crafting French wine and creating magic by combining classic Southern charm with […]

As autumn descends in Texas, the new season highlights a pivotal shift from fruity seltzers and cocktails to all things pumpkin spice-infused. From coffee to pastries, introducing spices to your favorite cocktails is a simple and easy way to tailor drinks to the fall season. Pear and seasonal spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom are […]

For Jim Koehn, the vast and seemingly endless Texas highways and roadways offer more than a means from point A to B. The artist, drawn to locations with historical and sentimental value, has captured countless Texas restaurants, movie theaters, and live music venues through watercolor and acrylic paintings. Specifically, his more recent collection of 5×7 […]

One West Texas woman has unlocked the recipe to success, and it all started with a pair of red cowboy boots and a 40-acre pecan grove. Her success is evident through her 2016 induction into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame as well as her thriving confectionery business, Susie’s South Forty Confections, located in Midland, Texas. Susie Hitchcock-Hall’s first career, in the mid-1970s, […]

There is nothing like a piping hot cup of coffee on a cold day. For lovers of this flavorful, complex beverage, a little cup makes the world go ‘round. Freshly brewed grounds kickstart mornings, stop a midafternoon energy dip dead in its tracks, and basically make any day complete. Likewise, at Summer Moon Wood-Fired Coffee, coffee is a way of […]

For Bobby Lackey, it seems, it is not the third time – but the first – that has always been the charm. Now in his 80s, the Weslaco native set the stage for a standout collegiate career in football at the University of Texas at Austin when, in 1957, in one of his first games as starting quarterback for the Longhorns, he […]

This home is filled with smart design choices that make each space both chic and family-friendly. As the homeowners were relocating from out of state, they relied upon Etch Design Group principal designers Stephanie Lindsey and Jessica Nelson to put finishing touches into the newly built Texas Hill Country residence. While the home was already built, it fell to the design […]

There is nothing Texans love more after a hearty Southern meal than a homemade, sweet dessert, especially if it is a fresh-baked pie. While pecan pie is the official pie of Texas, everyone has their favorite. There are endless flavors, from peach, cherry, and everything in between, that will surely please all taste buds. Many recipes were passed down from one generation […]

Reading for leisure is a lifetime hobby. For many readers, books can provide an escape from reality, regardless of genre, and the novelty of a new book is exciting with every turning page. But book clubs bring readers back down to Earth. Convening and conversing about a recent read provides the essential human element of […]

If you have ever pondered or perhaps doubted the power of one, look no further for affirmation than a humble gardener in San Antonio. Stephen Lucke of Gardopia Gardens is clear validation that, as an American historian said, “One individual can change millions of lives.” A young man with big dreams and, indeed, a powerful plan, he is well on […]

Scenic blue skies, tall palm trees, rich red gravel, and five retro trailers: A stay at the Blue Skies Retro Resort is like visiting a real-life Instagram post. The vintage trailer resort in Willow City, Texas recreates the feeling of traveling to Palm Springs, California circa 1960, exuding realistically retro vibes down to every last […]

Beautiful and lovely, scented candles are often used to create a cozy atmosphere. The following information strives to break down some of the components that work synergistically to create them. Waxes The type of wax from which a candle is made dramatically impacts how that candle performs. The melting point is important, determining the number of burning hours that it will […]