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
Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

Keep Reading Show less

Rachel Gardner with her flower necklaces and, at left, Calla Lilly necklace

ON SATURDAY JULY 27, Foltz Gallery presents Endless Summer, a lively, playful exhibit of works by a multi-generational group of 28 emerging and established Texas-based artists. Taking its name from the 1974 Beach Boys double-album, which compiled the group’s early 1960s hit singles, the show is a visual “mixtape” of colorful paintings, prints, photographs, wall-based installations, ceramics and sculptures, installed lovingly throughout Foltz’s spacious and sunlit galleries. Among the works in Endless Summer are several examples of handmade “sculptural jewelry” by artist Rachel Gardner — a series of wearable wildflowers and fruits, including olives and strawberries.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Aesha Scott, Jack Vielhauer, Courtney Scott

AFTERNOON SHOWERS DIDN'T stop a gorgeous gaggle of yo-pros and creatives from filling downtown’s Z on 23 rooftop lounge to meet Aesha Scott, the standout star of Bravo’s Below Deck reality show.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties