Houston Snapshots

The Social Book 2020 Launch Party

  • Sami Shbeeb, Warner Roberts, Jeff Henry and Scott Evans (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Scott Evans, Page Parkes, Stephen Brunelle (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • David Wuthrich, Margaret Williams, Molly Crownover, Rebekah Johnson (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Ashley Smith, Dr. Peggy Smith, Marijo & Denman Moody (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Edna Meyer Nelson, Judy Otto, Andy Delery (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Frann Lichtenstein, Scott Evans (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • John Evans, Warner Roberts, Cliff & Angie Roberts, Sharon Abercia (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Susan Vick, Jeff Henry, Diane Kingshill (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Ryan Ruppert, Laura Ruppert, Stacey Swift, Stephen Brunelle (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Justin Garcia, Ana Chaverria (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Dr. Yvonne and Rufus Cormier (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Karen Henry, Fran Fauntleroy, Bill Stubbs (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Brooks Ballard, Lynn Zeid (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Pam Lockard, Chris Swanson, Warner Roberts (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Roz Pactor, Elsie Eckert, Tamara Klosz Bonar (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Gayla Gardner, Merele Yarborough, Sharon Owens (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Bob Bowman, Leisa Holland-Nelson, Edna Meyer-Nelson, Charity Yarborough, Walter Cox (Photo: D. Jones Photography)
  • Jeff Henry, Stacey Swift, Scott Evans, Miami Johnson, Kat Creech, Glenn Guiler (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • David and Mary Ann McKeithan (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • John and Betty Hrncir (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Sanford Dow, Kelly Amen, Joy Authur (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Warner Roberts, Glenn Guiler (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Carl Kuykendall, Stacey Swift, Linda Kuykendall, Lenny Matuszewski and Michael Bickham (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Scott Evans, Miami Johnson (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Page Parkes Texas model during Neiman Marcus fashion show (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Page Parkes Texas model during Neiman Marcus fashion show (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Ross Freeman, Janine Cooper (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Kat Creech, Laurette Veres, Sonia Soto (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Justin Garcia and Elizabeth Purpich (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Travis Wilson and Jordan Schorlemmer (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Scott Evans, Stephanie Wilcox, Clay Ardoin (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)
  • Ryan Zaletel, Justin Hoefling, Jonathan Bordelon (Photo by: D. Jones Photography)

Photography: D. Jones Photography
Event: Gala
Event Date: January 19, 2020
Location: Neiman Marcus
Beneficiary: Houston non-profits
Number of Attendees: 600+
Chairpersons: Scott Evans, Jeff Henry, Sami Shbeeb and Warner Roberts
Catering: Benjy’s, The Classic, Local Foods, ROMA, Cakes by Gina, Williams-Sonoma, Mariposa at Neiman Marcus, DR Delicacy & Truffle Masters
Sound, Lighting, Staging and Video:
360 AV Design, Jason Fajkus
Models and Fashion Show Production:
Page Parkes Texas and Neiman Marcus
Entertainment: 
Richard Brown Music and DJ David Rojas
Décor, Florals & Linens:
Kirksey Gregg Productions, Flowers by Nino and EB, Inc. Event Rentals
Interactive Art Studio:
#LIQUID_N_LIGHTS, Artist Justin Garcia
Interactive Cancer Awareness Campaign: 
#CancerBelowtheBelt, KGA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“En Vogue Celebrations-Marking Milestones Houston Style”

Designed and produced by Kat Creech Events
By Scott Evans, Publisher

The Social Book marked the 25th year of publishing its comprehensive calendar of Houston fundraising events with a fashionable soiree co-hosted by Neiman Marcus (in the 50th year at its landmark building) and talent agency Page Parkes Texas‘ (40th anniversary). The Social Book‘s owners Scott Evans, Jeff Henry and Sami Shbeeb and Neiman Marcus Galleria GM Stephen Brunelle welcomed 600+ guests for “En Vogue Celebrations─Marking Milestones Houston Style.” The Social Book partnered with renowned event coordinator Kat Creech and her company Kat Creech Events for a chic and stylish night filled with food, song and merriment galore. VIP guests gathered prior to the main event for a private reception inside and outside Neiman Marcus’ Mariposa Restaurant to welcome sponsors and to introduce The Social Book’s 2020 “Houston Treasures” honorees [see list below], which were introduced on-stage by celebrity socialite and television personality Warner Roberts, creator of the “Houston Treasures” Awards. Guests nibbled on hors d’oeuvres by Mariposa, sipped estate wines by Cuvaison and Brandlin and enjoyed Richard Brown Music’s string quartet playing romantic selections. 360 AV Design produced the VIP experience light, sound and video. The 2020 “Houston Treasures” honorees, previously presented at a gala dinner on December 8th at C. Baldwin Hotel, (all of whom were in attendance with the exception of Hon. Annise Parker) are: Yolanda Adams, Lauren Anderson, Penny & John Butler, Jo & Jim Furr, Monica Hartland, Bill Meek, Edna Meyer-Nelson, Malcolm Morris, Honorable Annise Parker, Page Parkes, Dr. Peggy Smith & Mr. Ashley Smith, and Tara & David Wuthrich. Meanwhile, guests arriving for the main event were greeted by red opera-gloved arms emerging through red curtains offering flutes of champagne─a whimsical Kirksey Gregg Productions production. Partygoers’ first luscious morsels were truffled cuisine from DR Delicacy & Truffle Masters. Tables beautifully dressed by EB Inc. Event Rentals were graced with red and white roses arranged by Flowers by Nino. Live dance music drew partiers to the second floor Couture area, where the festivities amped up. Food stations from Sushic, Roma, Benjy’s, Local Foods & The Classic, Williams-Sonoma and Cakes by Gina were complemented by silver, gold and ruby linens from EB, Inc. Event Rentals and topped with red/white long-stemmed roses with silver and gold leaves. Renowned interior designer Kelly Gale Amen of KGA created a stunning tableau to raise cancer awareness of those cancers “below the belt”, known as the “Dirty Dozen,” featuring textile art and decorator pillows. His campaign─aptly named #CancerBelowtheBelt─earned guests’ attention, and photographer Bhavin Misra and models from Page Parkes Texas offered fun-lovers a souvenir. 360 AV Design showcased the event participants and photos of Houston Treasures honorees on beautifully designed and edited videos throughout the party. 360 AV Design’s technology also was responsible for the aforementioned music amplification, as well as dramatic staging and lighting excellence throughout the event. As always, the inimitable Richard Brown Music and his orchestra played all evening and gave guests a vast array of musical styles. DJ David Rojas, new to Houston’s social scene, collaborated with Neiman’s Stacey Swift and event producer Kat Creech to create a fashion show that showcased not only the amazing clothes from this iconic store but also celebrated 40 years of Page Parkes’ models (which included modeling legends Lenny Matuzewski and Karen Payne). To the sounds of music from the five decades, the models descended the escalator in groups from those different decades for a loop around the second floor and then back up. The 15-minute fashion extravaganza ended with cheers and a standing ovation. The Social Book was proud to unveil a new “must have” for social events: #LIQUID_N_LIGHTS, a pop-up interactive artistic studio, complete with lights and alcoholic drinks inside pipettes placed strategically to create a painting, logo or other graphic image. Artist Justin Garcia creates paintings, customized for an event or from his own creativity, that blend seamlessly into any event, employing a concept reminiscent of the 1960’s toy “Lite-Brite.” His team creates cocktails poured into 3” long, colored pipettes that are placed into the back-lit “screen” to create the image. A 6 ft. square design, like the iconic “Kool-Aid Man” at this event, contains approximately 10,000 drink-filled pipettes. Wines and bubbly courtesy of The Social Book were a hit. 360 Vodka served its top-shelf eco-friendly traditional product, their soon-to-be-released Pineapple, as well as favorite flavors Peach, Lime, Vanilla and Double Chocolate.  360’s award-winning vodka inspired the creation of the signature cocktail called  “The Stanley,” a classic martini, which honored Neiman Marcus owner Stanley Marcus. “The Gatsby,” a kicked-up Broker’s Gin & Tonic, honored The Social Book and “The Runway,” a classic Margarita-style blend, honored Page Parkes, and was enhanced with Hussong’s TequilaRon Rio Rum, Triple Crown Whiskey, Hudson Baby Bourbon, Glenfiddich and Monkey Shoulder Scotch rounded out the bar offerings. Faust Distributing‘s nods to the event theme were anniversary editions of its Heineken, Miller Lite, Dos Equis, Peroni (an Italian beer) and Texas-themed craft beers. Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur Coffee Bar was another highly prized area. Five Farms teamed with ice sculptor Reverend Butter to commission an large ice carving of a cow that contained a luge. The liqueur was poured through an opening in the top of the cow and the cream liqueur was dispensed through the cow’s udder into the guest’s coffee. The line to get this special coffee was always long!

Socially present and not previously mentioned were: Stephen Brunelle (Neiman Marcus GM), Margaret Alkek Williams, Frann Lichtenstein, Molly Crownover, Andy Delery, Dr. Carolyn Farb, Brooks Ballard, Walter Aymen, Carol and Dr. Tom Sawyer, Betty & John Hrncir, Yvonne & Rufus Cormier, Carolyn Faulk, Cliff and Angie Roberts, Elsie and Les Eckert, Judy Pryor Otto, Hon. Bill King, Hallie Vanderhider, Leisa Holland-Nelson and Bob Bowman, Vicki Rizzo, Mary Ann & David McKeithan, Gigi Huang, Merele Yarborough, Sharon Michael Owens, Gayla Gardner, Alan & Roz Pactor, Hon. George & Annette Strake, Linda Lorelle & Lou Gregory, Brittany Zucker, Stuart Rosenberg and Jose Ocque, Nino Shbeeb, Pam Lockard, Curry Glassell and Nate Glassell, Denman & Marijo Moody, Neal Hamil, Jerri Duddlesten Moore, Diane Kingshill, Diane & Harry Gendel, Karen Henry, Fran Fauntleroy, Bill Stubbs, Sharon Staley, Linda Kuykendall, Lenny Matuzewski & Michael Bickham, Rebekah Johnson, Milton TownsendShannon Hall, Curry Glassell with son Nate, Adrian Dueñas & Marcelo Saenz and many others.

 

 

 

 

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