Shoe Heaven...Is that Redundant?

Am I dreaming?

You will not believe this...a chic trolley, filled with the most gorgeous shoes, pulled up, down the street from The Bunny Bungalow!  Here it is,  the Shoe Bar, Houston.

These belong in my closet...no, on my feet.

As do these...

and these....

and these.

Coryne, the owner of Shoe Bar, will even bring her trolley to a party at your place for a very reasonable fee.  I think our kind of party is taking shape...all trolleys and food trailers.  What fun!

Link: www.shoebarmobile.com

The 6th Annual Heights Bicycle Rally & Scavenger Hunt

Dust off you bikes and get in gear! This is what we all love about our neighborhood, Houston Heights...there is always something interesting and entertaining happening. Here's information from Donna Bennett, Chair, 2011 Heights Bicycle Rally & Scavenger Hunt:

The 6^th Annual Heights Bicycle Rally & Scavenger Hunt is scheduled for Sunday, October 2, 2011. This is a fun way to explore your neighborhoods on 2 unique routes! Riders can choose between a 20 mile ride and scavenger hunt, and a shorter 5-mile ride and scavenger hunt perfect for families. Pick one route or do both!

The Rally starts and finishes at Marmion Park, 18^th Street and Heights Boulevard. THIS IS NOT A RACE! Bicycle helmets are required for every rider to participate. Each rider receives a rally map, rally card and scavenger hunt clue list. Prizes are awarded to the riders who correctly identify the most mystery sights along the route. To be eligible for prizes, the rally card must be validated by a rally volunteer at the Official Bike Rally Check Point & Water Station on the route.

After finishing the ride, return to Marmion Park by 4 pm to turn in completed Rally Cards and Clue Sheets. All riders are invited to celebrate at Marmion Park for the Post Ride Party. Enjoy entertainment, fabulous door prizes, and great refreshments!

Don’t miss the Awards Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. You must be present to win!

All proceeds from this event benefit Houston Heights Association Community Projects.

For more information or to register, visit www.houstonheights.org or call 713-861-4002 extension 6.

P.S. I'll remind you later with a link in the right-hand column of this blog.

Flipping Out

Tall Husband and I are flipping out. We are so excited that The Bunny Bungalow and the garage/studio are to be on the Houston Heights 2011 Spring Home & Garden Tour...but as you can see...the bungalow is not yet ready. The kitchen (above) shows promise,

the old clawfoot tub is waiting in the dining room.

The Stickley bed has been under wraps for awhile,

and from the upstairs screened porch of the studio, Scooter is keeping a worried watch on the progress. Stay tuned to see if we make the April 2, 2011 deadline! We may have to hand out hard hats.

A Bunny in the Hood

Street art is by Coolidge, in the Houston Heights, on Rutland Street at West 19th.

Ralphie from the movie A Christmas Story.

The first day of the New Year, Tall Husband, Cute Dog and I hit the pavement to check out a new piece of Houston Street Art here in the Houston Heights. We find it a sweet coincidence that a boy in a pink bunny costume has been left on a corner, just two blocks from The Bunny Bungalow. Thanks, Coolidge...what a wonderful surprise.

Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead

Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, was celebrated in true Mexican style in Houston Heights last week. Día de los Muertos is observed by many Mexicans and some Mexican Americans. The procession, marigolds, incense, dancers, sugar skulls, food and personal altars to honor deceased family members were part of the Houston Heights celebration, organized and hosted by Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery.

A celebrant.

Día de los Muertos procession headed down 19th Street in historic Houston Heights.

Dancers honor the deceased on Day of the Dead.

A gigantic, colorful skull dominated the procession, then was parked outside Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery.

Day of the Dead altars honor the deceased.

Sugar skulls for adding to personal altars.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Fire on 22nd Street

A motorist makes a hasty u-turn.

From our driveway, I watch as the fire fighters put out the truck fire.

Fire fighters use bars and power saws to open the hood.

Fire's out! Thanks, Houston Fire Fighters.

There is always excitement in the Houston Heights, our neighborhood, and today was no different. On 22nd street at the corner of Rutland, a truck burst into flame. Tall Husband ran out with my cell phone...he never has his own phone handy. While he was on the phone to 911, I was running down the street with our kitchen fire extinguisher (Tall Husband later teased me.) The Fire Fighters arrived with their equipment just as I was about to pull the pen on my extinguisher...so I ran back home to grab my camera, having missed a photo op of the really big flames.

No one was injured, as the driver seems to have hastily left the scene.

Is This Storybook Heaven?

As if this cottage, which is tucked away in the Houston Heights, weren't cute enough, it has flowers to match...masses of them. If you are not from Houston, let me tell you: these flowers aren't supposed to grow in this zone, but here they are.

I wonder if the homeowners have problems with bunnies nibbling at their greens?

Have you ever seen kale so large? Forget the bunnies, one must wonder if the neighbors help themselves to a nibble or two.

So, I've got to say, Pinch me, for I think I've stepped into a fairytale!

Behind the Garden Gate

Behind the Garden Gate has moved.

The other day, Tall Husband and I went looking for Felix Hernandez's Houston Heights shop, Behind the Garden Gate. We found him in his new space, a jewel box of a shop with sea grass floors and bright jewel-toned walls. He wouldn't let us leave without a gift box of some his new products: an orange blossom candle, Houston Honey, and soap from Provence...a bee theme!

Next Saturday we get to go back and shoot some photos so you can see Behind the Garden Gate for yourself.

Our Neighborhood

The Bunny Bungalow in Houston Heights

We are so proud here at The Bunny Bungalow, as we have just learned that our neighborhood has been chosen by This Old House as one of the Best Old House Neighborhoods for 2009. They only chose one neighborhood in each state and we are it for Texas. You can see the Houston Heights, Houston, Texas listing here.

Who knew that we are Urban Suburbanites? That's what This Old House calls us. Yep, that's US...Urban Suburbanites. Around here, we just call it small town living in the big city.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

"Seeds of Peace"

This recent painting, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., is by Sharon Kopriva at Redbud Gallery in Houston, Texas.

Martin Luther King, Jr
January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968


Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and is designated as a day of service.

Update: Vietnam Restaurant

Vietnam Restaurant in the Houston Heights

Our world is set straight again. Danny Luong's popular Vietnam Restaurant in the Houston Heights has re-opened this week. The restaurant is doubled in size and has been redesigned with a sleek minimalist interior : Pale gray, steel, dark woods and white leather. They kept the hip concrete flooring with all its patina. There are also new pieces of art on display, including pieces by artist and gallery owner Dan Mitchell Allison. The food is still wonderful. Tall Husband and I had the spring rolls and the orange beef.

P.S. Tonight, Becki and Jur, proprietors of Installations Antiques were at a table next to ours: They get "honorable mention" here for passing over a dinner knife to Tall Husband so that he could eat his orange beef.

Related Post: Vietnam in The Houston Heights

Ivory Tower

The old Oriental Textile Mill's tower and smokestack in the Houston Heights

Towers have always fascinated me. Some how, I've often lived near one; from the time I was a young teenager, where I spent my summers in an old tower, reading my favorite writers, to a tower near my home in a small village in Germany. Now there is another tower in my life: A short walk from The Bunny Bungalow in the Houston Heights there is this 114-year-old magnificent tower that once overlooked a mattress factory, then the Oriental Textile Mill moved into its building. Today, the old building is home to three upscale businesses: Textile, a restaurant; Krafts'men, a wholesale bakery and Installations Antiques; but the tower is vacant.

On all four sides of the tower are ornate clocks and, as you can see in the photo, there is also a bell at the very top. I have yet to visit the tower but I have fantasies. The neighbors could always use a clock with the correct time, plus the sound of a distant bell would be welcome, I'm sure. When I'm not winding the clocks or ringing the bell, wouldn't that tower be an inspiring place from which to blog?

Note: This building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Update on "Warning this is Not a Pretty Site"

This is an update on the response to Warning:This is Not a Pretty Site: several local blogs picked up and posted the story with my photos; formal complaints were filed with the Neighborhood Protection Corps (NPC) and the Houston Police Department; neighbors stepped up their civic action and as you can see (above) the City of Houston NPC issued a Violation Notice.

The grass has been cut.

The piles of debris and garbage have been removed from the rear of the property.

However, the garbage and debris were merely consolidated into a large pile on the North side of the property.

The buildings are still unsecured. Neighbors report that vagrants are still seen entering and leaving the property. One parent reported that inside one of the houses, a chair is situated so that whoever is seated in that chair has a view of her backyard where her children play. Also she noted that a pornographic magazine was next to the chair. I think this should concern any parent.

A reliable City source states that the owner and contractor have "failed to bring their permits to code standards and as a result nine citations were issued." This source further stated that "the process for abatement to tear these locations down has begun."

Note: These photos were taken this morning, October 19, 2008.

In Houston, Texas: to report a dangerous building, like these above, call 311 or click here: Neighborhood Protection Corps for on-line reporting.