Farm Fresh! Inside Recipe for Success’ Al Fresco Fundraiser — on the Prettiest Day of the Year

Daniel Ortiz
Farm Fresh! Inside Recipe for Success’ Al Fresco Fundraiser — on the Prettiest Day of the Year

Sippi Khurana, Lisa Sadoughi and Gracie Cavnar

This weekend brought with it perfect weather, the kind of days Houstonians spend all summer longing for. It was fitting, then, that Recipe for Success's annual fundraiser, Fashion in the Fields, took place al fresco on Sunday, at the foundation's Hope Farms venue.


Founder and CEO Gracie Cavnar, clad herself in the prescribed "farm-girl chic" attire, welcomed hundreds of guests for cocktails and brunch. The festively fall meal — centerpieces included colorful pumpkins — was preceded by a fashion show featuring looks from Neiman Marcus accessorized with items by featured designer Lele Sadoughi. Neiman's also popped up a shopable boutique on-site!

Brunch included items from popular restaurants including Bistro Menil, Eunice and Bludorn.

At the event, Cavnar announced the foundation's new initiative, Delivering Hope to Sunnyside, a partnership with Kids Meals to deliver Hope Farms' produce to food-insecure families in the area.

Between a paddle-raiser for the Sunnyside project and a raffle featuring items like a cooking class and dinner package at Hope Farms, the event garnered $185,000 for Recipe for Success.

Sheree Frede and Mary McMullen

Aaron and Kristin Blomquist with Isabelle

Amber Hicks and Jennifer Roane

Melissa Sugulas, Audrey White, Julie Longoria Chen and Bethany Buchanan

Chris Hendel and Lisa Sadoughi with models

Bailey Dalton-Binion, Debbie Bernstein and Nancy Mathé

Betiana Bumpass and Jennifer Henry

Maggie Sheridan and Amber Mees

Maricella Metzler and Cathleen Fishel

Priya and Brad Coffey

Ashkin and Sonali Mittal

Shantel Williams, Myrtle Jones, Travis Torrence, Brandon McClendon and Shari Williams

Stephanie Fleck and Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl

Tammie Johnson and Alice Mao Brams

Parties
Cool for ‘Schools’! CIS Wants to Transport You to a Whimsical ‘Wonderland’ at Milestone Gala

CIS 2024 Gala Honorary Co-Chair Judy Tate, Co-Chair Lauren Brollier, Co-Chair Cassie Milam, Honorary Co-Chair Kirby McCool

WHETHER YOU PREFER Alice, the Mad Hatter or the Queen of Hearts, Communities In Schools of Houston’s A Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary GalaA Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary Gala is not to be missed! Join in the celebration for a whimsical good time on Thursday, April 4th, at the luxurious Post Oak Hotel.

Keep Reading Show less

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less