Auto + Marine

Art on the Road

The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Article and Photography by Travis Hager By July in Texas, the instinct to explore becomes less of a suggestion and more of a summons. The highways stretch out under hard blue skies, the evenings turn gold, and the best drives begin just as the heat loosens its grip. On the approach to America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante feels unusually fitting: a British grand tourer built for the very American idea of movement, distance...

Travel

When in Rome

Traveling Beyond the Bucket List on Your Vacation to Italy Article and Photography by Laura L. Green Traveling to Italy for the first time? Your initial excitement may be followed by a wave of anxiety as you think about putting together an itinerary. Who knows when you’ll visit again? You’ve got to make it count! But jamming your dream trip with too many bucket list items is the reason some visitors return exhausted and with mixed feelings. Overtourism is also a factor—thousands of visitors...

Travel

From a Grateful Traveler

Thank You Notes to the Cities of Greece Article and Photography by Heather Davis Dear Greece,  From the moment the New Testament letters spoke of you, I knew this would be a place of peace, faith and movement. Long before stepping onto your streets, I had imagined your mountains, seas and ancient cities as a place where history and belief naturally intertwined. As my friends and I planned the trip, excitement steadily grew as we realized that we could experience something larger than...

Life + Culture

Seeds of Victory

Victory Gardens Honor Patriotic Spirit on America’s 250th Birthday Article by Michelle Leigh Smith | Photography by Stock There’s a divine glory in nurturing. Victory gardens, also known as “war gardens” or “food gardens for defense,” were planted in fruit, herb and vegetable plots, on rooftops, in window boxes, public parks and ultimately, the White House lawn during World War II. This July, in honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, we have a new opportunity to plant for a cause. Unlike the...

Entertainment

Sky High

Pyrotechnics Past and Present Article by Carol Mowdy Bond | Photography by Various You can probably thank the people of China for fireworks—well, and the Italians, French, English and John Adams. Ancient Chinese innovators tossed hollow bamboo stalks into fire and voilà—firecrackers. Later, they stuffed gunpowder into paper tubes for a bigger bang. Fireworks traveled globally and into Europe, where they evolved into spectacular festivities (and unfortunately, caused some disasters). The...

Arts + Culture

The Summer Escape

4 Hobbies to Ignite Creativity and Inspire Community Article by Aunika Anderson | Photography by Stock Summer, with its slower rhythms and longer days, offers the perfect opportunity to explore new hobbies. This season, consider embracing one of these charming activities that invite you to slow down, cultivate community and ignite creativity.  Mahjong From the brightly colored tiles to the sense of community it naturally creates, there is something endearing about mahjong. As it has grown...

Life + Culture

Interior Motives

The July heat shows no mercy. Good news: cool, indoor escapes abound. Article by Dawn Allen | Photography by Various Entwined | The Woodlands Arts Council Step out of the heat and into a love story told in thread and paint. Entwined, TWAC’s first exhibit featuring a married couple, presents the work of Bob Mosier and Karen Fearon, partners of 32 years and former educators at The John Cooper School. Mosier builds with thread—geometric forms that begin flat, with three-dimensional sculpture...

Style + Beauty

Beachy Keen

Tommy Bahama's Summer Collection Just Washed Ashore to Get You Beach Ready Article by Alex Gray | Photography by Tommy Bahama We all know Tommy Bahama as the sartorial home of the chic island dweller—and according to its origin story, "the island mindset is how it all started." From the first restaurant-and-retail oasis in Naples, Florida to our very own Woodlands location, the brand has managed to make beachwear acceptable, well, everywhere. (You don't have to travel across the Atlantic to...

Home Services

Why Doesn't My Home Feel as Good as It Looks?

Have you ever walked into a room and thought, Nothing is technically wrong in here, so why doesn't it feel right?I hear some version of that question all the time.Recently, I encouraged a client to let go of a piano she had purchased years earlier. She had every intention of learning to play, but life got busy and the lessons never happened. The piano remained - not as a source of joy, but as a reminder of something she meant to do and never got around to doing.The piano wasn't the problem.It...

Food + Beverage

Kirb Appeal

You Can Have Your Big Screen and Eat Well Too Article by Laura L. Green | Photography by Provided Every community should have a go-to gathering place, one that can be counted on for great food, a thoughtful beverage list, and the kind of comfortable atmosphere that invites guests to settle in to watch their sporting event of choice or simply hang out and catch up with friends. That kind of spot is familiar to residents of Houston Heights, Upper Kirby and other Houston watering hole epicenters...