Update- BBBS Young Professionals Networking Happy Hour

Hey guys, Just wanted to give you all an update about the Networking Happy Hour I went to last night. It was at Lucky's Pub downtown benefiting Big Brothers/Big Sister of the Greater Houston area. So much fun. I met a few new friends. Hi Albert and Sagar! Hope ya'll had as much fun as I did. If you missed out on this event stay posted and I will let everyone know about the next event..

Hot Website

Hey guys,
I just came across an awesome website that sells beautiful jewelry. All of it is handmade so each piece is unique and one of a kind. The site has a lot of what I call "statement" pieces. There is nothing more sophisticated than wearing a simple dress accented by a beautiful piece of jewelry. Check it out and let me know what you think! www.sugarblushjewelry.com

Volunteer Opportunity - Big Brothers/Big Sisters

If you are interested in joining a new organization there is a perfect opportunity coming up this Thursday. Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Greater Houston Area is having a networking happy hour for young professionals at Lucky's Pub. It starts at 6pm. Its a really casual atmosphere where you can learn more about the organization and meet new people who are also socially aware. I have been a part of the organization for approx. 2 years and I have really enjoyed it. Email me if you have any other questions. Hopefully I will see you there!

Fake - n - Bake vs. Spray Tan

Skin color has been tied to societal views of beauty since the beginning of time. In the 1800's tanned skin meant that you were of a lower class. Women of high society went to great lengths to protect their skin from the sun. Now, less than 200 years later society has the complete opposite view on skin color. Tanned skin is highly coveted. Americans pay tons of money to sit in tanning beds and use self tanning products to reach their desired levels of "tan-ness". I am seeing younger and younger women going to the tanning bed as regularly as they are brushing their teeth. I will admit I spent a fair share of time in a tanning bed during my college years. Ah, to be young and stupid again. But, as I have started to get older I have become increasingly cautious of my tanning habits. I started noticing that I get brown spots on my face and upper chest every time I get in the tanning bed. This completely freaked me out. It is one of my greatest beauty fears that I will be a middle aged lady covered in leathery brown skin sprinkled with brown dots. Gross! Also, every time you visit the tanning bed you increase your chance of skin cancer and wrinkles. So after coming to all of these realizations I decided that my tanning bed days are over and I will have to stop fake-n-bakin' and start using some form of self tanner. I have seen many friends get a spray tan from the tanning salon and wind up looking orange and uneven. With that image in the back of my brain I decided that I would have to come up with an alternative tanning plan. My first stop was the drugstore. I tried many generic products with little success. All of the products that I tried had one common denominator, they smelled awful. Just when I had given up a good friend recommended a product from Lancome called Flash Bronzer Airbrush. It is awesome. It gives a pretty even color. You can spray it all over your body but I would avoid your face because it is only formulated for your body. I find it works best if you spray it one and then shower it off after one to two hours. It lasts for about four days. If you want a darker color spray a layer on two days in a row. I really like it because it looks natural and not orange. You can purchase this product anywhere Lancome cosmetics is sold. Right now Lancome is having a gift with purchase at Saks so you may want to buy it there. So ladies and gentlemen, the next time you have the urge to jump into the tanning bed think twice.

Hilarity at its presidential best

I just saw the most hilarious parody of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video. It was a Barack Obama impersonator doing a impersonation of the "Single Ladies" video with different words but very similar dance moves. Its a very innocent parody. I think you will like it.

Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that my grandma made it through her aortic valve surgery and it was a success. The doctor told my Dad that she was a strong woman and had every hope for a full recovery. Thanks for all the random thoughts, well wishings and prayers. I truly believe every ounce of positive energy counts!

Life and Death

Today I went to visit my grandma in the hospital. Now, usually when I go to the hospital it is me who is the patient. This time is was a whole other experience. After walking through the crazy maze of hallways I finally made it to the intensive care heart center of St. Luke's hospital. I walk in the door and I am faced the reality of things. My grandma looked so tiny and frail in her hospital bed. It was very hard for me not to cry but I didn't want to upset her so I put on a happy face. I talked with my aunts who have been keeping her company throughout the day and night. I tried to cheer her up by getting her a gift. She couldn't even tear the gift wrap off the present so I opened it for her. I got her a bed jacket, which old people always like because for some reason old people are always cold, even if it is 80 degrees outside. It put a smile on her face for just a minute. I wasn't planning on visiting her until Friday but I changed my plans when my Dad told me that she was having open heart surgery tomorrow morning. I just wanted to see her one last time in case something went wrong. Now I will be at peace no matter what happens. There is such a fine line between life and death. I unfortunately have had to deal with the deaths of two very close friends. Their families will never be the same. They are permanently scared. But, is it any easier to deal with the death of someone who has had a long fulfilling life? I want to say that I wish no one got old and died but that is just me being selfish. Also, I really believe that we as humans have no control of when our lives expire. When its your time, its your time whether you like it or not. So please send all of your positive energy towards me and my family and I will keep you all updated.

La Cantera Shopping Center - San Antonio TX

This weekend I visited the La Cantera Shopping Center in San Antonio Texas. Overall I was very impressed. It was basically an open aired mall. This concept is great for the fall through spring seasons in Texas but I can't image going there in the dead of summer. The mall is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Dillards, Nordstrom and Macys. The rest of the mall was an assortment of low to mid priced specialty stores. My favorite of the specialty stores had to be Free People. For those who are not familiar with the Free People brand it is best described as feminine, hippy chic. The employees were very helpful and easy to work with. One of my favorite things about the store was the way it was decorated. The walls were hand painted with flowers and all together very vibrant. Even my sister who is completely opposite from myself found things that she liked in the store. Basically there was something for everyone. For lunch we decided to eat at Kona Grill. We started with edamame, which were great. They were very fresh and were absolutely delicious. We each had a different type of sushi roll. The rolls were good but we noticed that they were rolled very loosely and kind of sloppy. This made it a bit difficult to eat because each time you picked a piece up it would fall apart. On a positive note all of the ingredients were fresh unlike other sushi restaurants I've recently visited. The service was good but a bit slow because the restaurant was very crowded. Overall I rate La Cantera high on the hauteness scale. I will definitely be visiting this shopping center again.

Restaurant Review - Nori Bistro Houston, TX

Today I stopped in to pick up some edamame from Nori Bistro in the Town and Country Village in Houston Texas. I have stopped at this restaurant a few times before and have yet to be impressed. The first two times I ordered sushi rolls. Both orders were very average, leaning towards the poor end of the spectrum. How hard is it to make a Philadelphia Roll? Today is what prompted this scathing review. I was running in to pick up a small order of edamame. I've been eating healthy lately and I though it would be a better snack than picking up some fast food. Boy, was I wrong. The edamame was completely disgusting. They were soggy and brown on the edges. I think they were re-warmed from another day. This is the last straw. I will not be eating take-out from this restaurant unless they undergo a complete transformation. If anyone has had a good experience at this restaurant please comment.

The First Lady of Houston Texas

Before last night I can honestly say I had no idea who the Mayor of Houston, Bill White, was married to. Yesterday I had the honor of listening to Andrea White, wife of Houston's TX Mayor Bill White, speak about her life. I came to find out that Mrs. White was way more than just the First Lady of Houston TX. In the short time that she spoke I learned so much about her. She is a lawyer, children's author, community volunteer, education activist and a mom. She grew up in Houston and received her law degree from the University of Texas. She is a published author. Her first book is called Surviving Antartica. It is a fiction novel aimed at young teens. Most of all what I got from Andrea is that she has a very large imagination. I really doubt that Surviving Antartica will be the last book that Andrea has published. So Houstonians, it is time to realize that there is a very independent woman behind our Mayor. I am anxious to see what she does next.

The Relationship Game

The reason I call it a game is because you never know what is going to happen when you start a new relationship. I use to get really excited when I met someone new. You know the feeling of "butterflies" in yours stomach, etc. Now, I almost stop myself from getting excited because you never know what kind of "game" the man is into playing this time around. I'll tell you one thing, men always amaze me with their bulls**t. What ever happened to meeting someone and falling in love? Call me jaded, but I don't feel like people want to be in love anymore. So many people just want to date around and hook up with whomever is available. Its getting tougher and tougher to find a real, healthy relationship. I'm not the only one who feels this way. I am constantly hearing the same thing from many of my girlfriends. So is there a right way to play the "game"?

Society, Marriage and Women

This use to be an easy answer. Society told women we only had one acceptable pathway in life. It was to meet a man, get married, have kids and be a housewife. Granted, society has changed its view of a woman's place in the world. Women are allegedly equal in society. We can do whatever or whomever we want but with this freedom I can't help but feel that it comes with a price. I am a single woman who has never married. I literally have all the freedom in the world. I travel with my friends, attend social events, and date. For a long time I never thought I would be the girl to just settle down. I hate that phrase "settle down". To me it just sounds like after you've been dating someone for awhile you just "settle" for a life with them. I'm sorry, but I don't want to settle.
I come from a very traditional family. I am harassed at every family social event that I attend about why I don't have an engagement ring. Hey, newsflash, I would love a big diamond ring. Lets be honest, who doesn't. But I don't want to just marry someone just so I can get a ring. I really want to be in love with the person that I promise to spend the rest of my life with. Also, the wedding business is a big money maker. So of course we will be bombarded with all the hoopla of it all. As I continue to "buck" the traditional pathway in life it doesn't come without reasoning. For now, I will keep those reasons to myself. I do want to fall in love, get married and have a family but I want to do it on my own time, on my own terms. And you know what, that's ok.

Music Review - Lady Gaga

On recommendation of my hair stylist I decided to check out the new Lady Gaga cd. Yes, I bought a cd. I think I might be the only person in the world who doesn't have a ipod but that is another story. The cd is titled "The Fame". Everything is haute about this cd. The cover art is quite original for a pop artist. Usually pop artist have a pic of themselves in a sexy dress striking a seductive pose. Boring! This cover stands out as sleek and a bit mysterious. It is a close up of Lady Gaga's face but she is wearing dark sunglasses. The first track is her breakout single " Just Dance". Its your typical catchy pop song but as the cd continues the tracks become anything but typical. This woman can actually sing. Amazing, right? My favorite track has to be " Boys Boys Boys". It is my new soundtrack for a girl's night out. Just listen to it once and I guarantee you will fall in love with it. The overall impression of this cd is rated Ultimate Hauteness. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Restaurant Review - Red Onion

Last night I ate at the Red Onion restaurant off Eldridge. Overall it was a good experience. As soon as we sat down a busboy dropped off chips and 2 different types of salsa. One of the salsas were the typical red type that you would encounter at most latin inspired restaurants and the other was a sweeter green salsa. I personally enjoyed the red salsa way more over the green salsa. Looking over the menu I noticed that it was composed of a number of meat inspired dishes. This is definitely not a place for a vegetarian. For my main course I order a dish called Pinche Mixto. It was a kabob of chicken, steak and sausage complimented with savory rice and black beans. The chicken and steak were both very savory. The sausage I could do without. If I were to order the dish again I would request the sausage to be substituted for chicken. Overall the dining experience was very good. It did surprise me that the restaurant was so empty on a Friday night. Only four tables were occupied the entire time we were there. Suspect in my eyes because a empty restaurant on a weekend is not the best for business.

Service - Average
Food - Good
Atmosphere - Average
Price - Average

Cosmetic Surgery in Houston Texas

Did you know that Houston is one of the top ten cities in the United States where cosmetic surgery occurs? Now you can interpret this in two ways. Either Houston is full of incredibly vain people or Houstonians just care more about their appearances. I am personally all for cosmetic surgery. I don't see it as any different that dying your hair or getting solar nails. I think if something makes you feel better then you should do it as long as you aren't hurting anyone else. Now, there are a few things that you should consider once you have decided to get a cosmetic procedure.

1. Research the doctor's credentials. I recommend that you choose a doctor who is board certified as a cosmetic surgeon. You will be surprise to know that any surgeon can perform cosmetic surgery. Surgeons that are board certified have continued education on new procedures, therefore they stay up to date on newest techniques.

2. Find a doctor that you feel comfortable with. If you don't feel comfortable with the first doctor get a second opinion or even a third. Remember, this is an elective procedure therefore it is your choice.

3. While you are visiting the doctor check their before and after photos. These are photos of prior clients who have had successful results. Each doctor has a different area of strength.

4. Don't choose your doctor based only on price. Board certified doctors are usually more expensive but they usually have more experience and education than those doctors who aren't board certified. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Fabulous Cosmetics on a budget

I know that we are all feeling the pinch in our pockets after the holiday season. So I am here to recommend some great cosmetic products that you can get for under $10! You would be surprised how great some of these products are.

1. My new favorite Mascara is from L'OREAL. Its official name is Double Extend - Beauty Tubes Technology. This is a really great product for people with contacts because it doesn't smear. Its dual ended and it tells you on the tube which side to use first. To get the best results do both steps on one eye before starting on the second eye. Removal is very easy. All you do is soak a cotton pad in eye makeup remover and hold for 30 seconds or hold a wet washcloth to your eyes and it the "tubes" come off easily.
Price: approx. $9
Bonus: Look for coupons in the Sunday newspaper or inserted in your favorite magazine. Last week I found a $2 coupon

2. E.L.F. cosmetics have a few great products and the best part is nothing is over $3! Amazing I know. My favorite product from them is their Eyebrow Kit. I personally don't like to use a pencil on my eyebrows because it looks like you've penciled them in. Each kit comes with two colors that you can blend to get the perfect shade. Also, it comes in a mirrored black compact and includes a small dual ended brush. This product is only $3. My second favorite product is the All Over Color Stick. They really give a youthful dewy look. This product works best on those who don't have super oily skin. The product is very similar to Nars' product called The Multiple. My two favorite shades are Persimmon and Lilac Petal. This product is probably the most thrify of them all at only $1 a piece. E.L.F. products are only sold in Kroger stores in the south but the best way to get them is online at www.eyeslipsface.com. The last good thing about this site are their makeup brushes. These are great brushes for someone who is just starting to work with brushes or wants a set to keep in their office. Again, each brush is only $1.
Bonus: Register with the site and you will recieve a number of offers ranging from free shipping to sales on the products

3. Lip Gloss, every girls best friend. I think the main reason women love lip gloss so much has to do with the fact that it was one of the first makeup products we all started to wear as a teen. I remember having cartoon inspired chap stick, which I thought of as lipstick. Now all grown up I have so many glosses I have to keep them in their own area just so I can keep up with them. Despite this fact I am always on the lookout for the next great gloss. My favorite budget lip gloss is made by N.Y.C. (New York Color). It comes in a tube that looks exactly like the MAC lipgloss tube. You know the one, black applicator that screws into a clear bottom half. My favorite color is 24kt, a shimmering gold. This is great to layer over your basic lipgloss for extra shine. I wouldn't wear it alone. This product can be found at most grocery stores and drugstores.

4. Wet and Wild cosmetics have two different products that I really like. The first product is the Mega Glo Face Illuminator. I like the colors Blushing and Toasty. I use Blushing when I don't have a tan and I use Toasty when I have a bit of a tan. The second product is also from the Mega Glo line but it is called Illuminating Powder. This is a better option for those with oily skin. My favorite colors are Catwalk Pink and Strike-A-Pose-Rose. These colors are very versatile. These products are $4 apiece. You can find them at all Walgreens stores.
Bonus: Walgreens often has these products on sale

I hope you enjoy these great beauty finds. Let me know if you come across any other awesomly cheap products so I can share them with everyone else.

Everybody's Favorite New Years Resolution

This should be an easy one ladies. What is the major thing that we all vow to change with the new year? Lets say it all together, " WEIGHT LOSS"! Suddenly you find yourself wearing Spanx everyday to counteract all the junkfood you consumed over the holiday season. Now, don't get me wrong. Spanx are great. I love the Spanx dresses which are a crucial part of my wardrobe. Even us skinny bitches can benefit from them! They really give you smooth lines especially under those knitty dresses which show ever imperfection. For those of you who haven't discovered this miracle garment please run to the Saks Intimate Apparrel department and ask either Jean or Samira, both awesome sales associates, to show you Vita's favorite Spanx dress. They will know exactly what you are talking about. Ok, I am off my Spanx soapbox. Now back to the serious stuff. Before the holidays started I began seeing nutritionist Michael Florida at Keith Kleins Institute for Eating Management. I must say I was very skeptical. I figured he would want to put me on a strict meal plan and a stringent workout schedule. Luckily my instincts were wrong. Michael inforced that I could lose weight just by tweaking my diet. This was great news for me because I hate working out. Within two weeks I started to see my body change. Michael is really great. He is prepared for anything and has a very motivating persona that really helps you stay positive. Plus, he is a bit of a hottie, so that always helps. But really ladies, it is time to take care of yourselves. I know the holidays wore everyone out but now is the time to recover and really change your habits. This is what I really like about the Institute for Eating Management. They really make it easy to live a healthy life. Just remember, its never too late to change your lifestyle.

The New and Improved Saks Fifth Avenue

Saturday I stopped off at what some people may consider a fashion mecca, Saks. Now we all have our favorite luxury store. For me its always a constant battle between Saks and Neimans. Prior to my Saturday visit to Saks I considered Neimans as the superior shopping location. Sorry to break it to you Neimans but Saks is in a state of transition and it is slowing starting to kick your ass. I noticed the change when the new shoe salon opened. As a women with a countless number of shoes I was of course instantly enamored with it. It was truly drool worthy. Then Saturday I stumbled upon a mini Louis Vuitton boutique which I hadn't seen before. So of course I had to go in. It was the typical LV boutique, very clean lines, sleek and smooth but it was the outside of the boutique that stopped me. Its almost indescribeable. It is an optical illusion that looks like something that was created by a computer image of streaming video. I was facsinated and nauesous all at the same time. Damn that motion sickness. After shaking off the uneasy feeling that was starting in my stomach I explored the remainder of the new and improved hangbag department. It was awesome! Each brand was portioned off as if they were mini boutiques similiar to the LV one but on a smaller scale. I am especially partial to the Gucci section. But then you have to realize that it is one of my favorite handbag brands. The only thing that I noticed was missing was a mini Fendi boutique. I love Fendi. I think my love for Fendi slightly surpasses my love for Gucci but it is a very close call. Now, for my favorite new part of Saks. Drumroll please...... the Chanel cosmetic boutique. Its KILLER! Its small but designed efficently. I love how there are two vanity areas where you can test out new cosmetics or get your makeup done. I am a sucker for retro inspired vanities. I have my own retro inspired vanity at home and it is where I sit each day to apply my makeup. One thing you should know about me is I am a product whore. I love cosmetics. Later I will let you in on some of my favorite cosmetic products. I was invited to an event later this month and I will get back to you with the details. Overall it was definitely a step up for Saks. I am told renovations will continue throughout the year. Now if Saks could just improve on their inventory... but that is a whole other blog.

Welcome to Haute Times in the City

My name is Vita and this is my blog.

So first off let me tell you a bit about me
I'm a twenty- something in Houston Texas. I work part time for the family business and in the rest of my time I just enjoy life. I started this blog due mostly to the coaxing of my brother, internet entrepreneur Michael Provenzano and an old high school friend Marla Jasko. They both thought it would be great to start a blog about the things I love most. So here are the top components of interest in my life....

1. Fashion- clothes, makeup, and accessories. I cannot get enough of them.

2. Traveling

3. Socializing

4. Community Service- Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Greater Houston Area, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Susan G. Komen Foundation

I live a bit of a crazy life but I promise above all things it will be entertaining.