Sneak Peek...

The Sculptures By Design Art of Wine: Year of the Rabbit Show @ Hotel Sorella is tonight!

Here is a sneak peek of some of the awesome bunny art that will be there tonight:

Happy Year of the Rabbit
Artist: Kym K

The Red Hare
Artist: Teri Lazardi

And of course, a little shameless self-promotion...

Gong Hay Fat Choy
Artist: Valerie G

The featured artist list includes:

Kym K.
Teri Lazardi
Valerie G.
Salli Babbitt
Suzanne Buckland
Lacey Crawford
Samantha Bahl
Ann McBride
Laura Kramis
Shannon Scarcella

Please stop by and say hi to the bunnies, and have some wine with us tonight...

Hotel Sorella CityCentre
Lobby Lounge (2nd floor)
800 W. Sam Houston Pky North, Bldg. 9
Houston, TX 77024

For further information, please call: 713.973.1600

Critters and Cookies on Bravo!

Last night on Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Telly held their own Quickfire challenge in which the chefs had to create the very best cookie as judged by our furry friends:

This part of last night's episode was totally hilarious- Elmo sweetly requested a cookie "perhaps with some zucchini," to which Cookie Monster responded, "Uuuuuuccckk!" He of course requested a cookie with "chocolate chippies." Telly seemed quite serious, while Elmo had fun goofing around with all of the chefs, and Cookie Monster, who just couldn't wait for the cookies to be done, began to eat the tablecloth! Once he did have some cookies to try, he appeared to enjoy them immensely, and crumbs were flying everywhere! I just loved their "cookie critique," in which Cookie Monster described one of the chef's cookies as "a bit dry," and Elmo explained that while Antonia's cookie was one of his favorites, it looked like cow chips, which he repeated, enunciating very carefully, COW CHIPS!

Dale's sweet and salty cookie won over everyone- I wouldn't mind getting that recipe...

This video will give you a little sample of the antics last night:

Top Chef Season 8 - Sesame Street Visits the Top Chef Kitchen - Video - Bravo TV Official Site

I was rather perplexed that Mike, in his entire career, had never made cookies before! How is that possible?

Oh, and by the way... we learned that coconut milk is apparently good for both human skin AND monster fur!

Valentine's Day is for Critters!

Today I have decided to showcase a few of the fun critters created for Valentine's Day! And a couple who like to take holiday photos...

First up, is Harvey, the Love Monster. Harvey was created by SquirrelMomma, for the Etsy Plush Team Has Heart Fundraiser. The Etsy Plush Team organized this online fundraiser to benefit the International Children's Heart Foundation, an organization that works to bring aid to children in developing countries with congenital heart conditions. 100% of the sales from these critters will be donated to the ICHF. Yay- critters with conscience!

Here is Harvey's story from SquirrelMomma:

Harvey the Love Monster is VERY excited about Valentine's Day (actually, Harvey is excited and hyper about pretty much everything). This little green monster has got his big heart ready, and all he needs now is to find someone to give it to. Someone who understands his major caffeine addiction. And doesn't mind when he jumps up and down on the bed at 3 a.m., singing "We All Live in a Yellow Submarine" at the top of his lungs.

How cute is that? Of course, Harvey has now come to live with me... Several of these adorable critters are still available here, in the Plush Team Shop. Adopt a critter for a good cause!

Next, we have the elusive Rose Vampire vinyl toy, created by Josh Herbolsheimer, produced by Super 7.

The Rose Vampire has become one of the most sought-after vinyl toys in the designer toy community. During each extremely-limited release, this toy sells out within minutes of being posted! I've tried a few times to secure one, but I've been unlucky... until now! Last Friday, during lunchtime, I was poised at my computer, ready to hit the "add to cart" button, and then to zoom through Paypal... I also had My Plastic Heart's window open and ready to go as well. It was all very exciting! I was successful on my first attempt, and was pleased to receive the shipping confirmation, even on the same day. So after all of that madness, there are still some left... UGH! Guess they decided to make a few more available than usual for V-Day... I'm still happy that mine will arrive in a few days.

Oliver wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day:

He's my custom Oh No Sushi originally created by Andrew Bell. Some critters don't always have the best of days:

And last, but definitely not least, Happy V-Day from Holiday Badtz Maru:

Have a fun day everyone!

Adopt a Critter for V-Day!

That's right! I'll have several new critters, perfect for V-day gift-giving, at the Watson Galleries' Valentine's Day Show tonight, from 6-10 pm. There will be oodles of fantastic artwork, jewelry, and gift items from a variety of artists there as well- and of course, complimentary beverages. Come in from the freezing cold and do some shopping, perhaps even for yourself...

Watson Galleries
716 W. Alabama St.
Houston, TX 77006

Here's a sneak peek of two of my new Year of the Rabbit pieces, Fortune Rabbit and Yao Guai:

Stay warm, and hope to see you there!

Time Out for Cupcakes...

I thought I'd take a brief respite from the critters to talk about one of my favorite spots in town, Sugarbaby's Cupcake Boutique!

We've had several cupcake shops open up in Houston during the last few years, but Sugarbaby's is by far my most favorite! Not only are the cupcakes and other desserts both artistic and yummy, the shop decor is beautiful, and it's the perfect place to go relax with friends. Their menu varies each day, and make sure to get there early to insure your favorites will be available!

Of particular interest are the other cupcake-related goodies, such as the Cupcake Bonbons, French Macarons, and the Cupcake Push-Pops, in case you'd like to try something different for a change:

They are of course offering many special Valentine's Day treats, even for pre-order, and they will be open on Monday, 14 February 2011 from 9:00 am until they sell out...

See you there!

Photo credits: Sugarbaby's Cupcake Boutique

It's their Year!

Ok, so I am a little late... Happy Year of the Rabbit! The Chinese New Year began last Thursday, 3 February 2011- a little early this year. Last week was definitely a great week for critters, since it also included Groundhog Day on February 2nd!

Rabbits have always been one of my absolute favorite critters, so I've created five new custom vinyl pieces for this holiday, plus a couple of paintings are in the works as well. You'll be able to see the vinyl critters at the Watson Galleries Valentine's Day Show this coming Thursday, 10 February 2011, and the paintings will be exhibited by Sculptures By Design at the Hotel Sorella, on Wednesday, 23 February 2011. More information to follow regarding both events...

Photo, L to R: General Rusty Bunny, Fortune Rabbit, Count Frankenbunnyskullyrollie. A trio not to be messed with!

Thanks Phil!

Yay! Our furry friend from Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, did not see his shadow this morning and has determined that spring will come early this year. Not soon enough for me- it is freezing in Houston right now, and there are rolling black-outs all over the city due to some type of transformer issues... Ugh!

Check out this website all about Phil- he has his own AccuWeather Forecast and you can even purchase tickets to have breakfast with him!

At least we have something to look forward to... Happy Groundhog Day and stay warm everyone!