PRIME Living's 2015 Holiday Luxe Issue

THE LUXURY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS

dashing FINDS

gold

HOLIDAY STYLE FROM DIOR, LOUBOUTIN, KORS, TIFFANY & CO. + MORE

scent SATIONAL UNWRAP THE WORLD’S MOST LUXURIOUS AND NICHE PERFUME BRANDS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

recipes GALORE SPIRIT AND WINE AUTHORITIES DISH ON THEIR FAVORITE RECIPES

MINE

BEAUTY FINDS MADE WITH 24K GOLD

Setting the standard for the nation’s finest master-planned communities.

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features

23 SCENT sational

NICHE PERFUME BRANDS YOU SHOULD KNOW

28 Cooking with Spirit FIND CULINARY INSPIRATION WITH THESE SPIRITED DISHES

64 The Island Life ESCAPE TO THE COOK ISLANDS—A PRISTINE SOUTH PACIFIC GETAWAY

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER • 2015

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52 48

alsoinside 13 9 • COCKTAILS & CONVERSATION • KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW Talking Points • Style • In the Mix • My Life • Nostalgia • Bucket List • Wealth

Silver & Gold

39 • C ONNOISSEUR • PRIME’S GUIDE TO DISCERNING TASTE Table Talk • Uncorked • Main Dish • Bragging Bites • Entertain

60

72

51 • T HE GENTLEMEN’S ROOM • FOR THE MAN WHO COMMANDS THE VERY BEST Driver’s Seat • Cigar Notes • High Tech • Outdoors • Style

24-karat Prime Finds

59 • ESCAPE • GREETINGS FROM

DESTINATIONS NEAR AND FAR

Enlightened Explorer • Point of Interest 69 • L IVE WELL • FEEL GOOD, LOOK GOOD, BE GOOD Health Buzz • Feel Good • Focus & Function • Look Good • Be Good

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PRIME-LIVING.COM

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76 • P RIME LIST • EVENTS, GALAS AND FUNDRAISERS Head Turning Houston PetSet Fierce & Fabulous Soirée • Watches Fête 2015 • 2015-16 Houston Symphony Opening Night Concert & Gala • La Perla Private Champagne Reception • Wild Things Kickoff Party

Make the season bubbly and bright

www.lushusa.com

publisher’s note the prime living crew

wishes you happy holidays and shares their favorite holiday dish!

KARYN DEAN

ROBIN SUSSMAN

Mom’s homemade turkey dressing and gravy at Thanksgiving

Pumpkin cheesecake at Thanksgiving

TERRY DEAN

Herb-roasted pork loin at Christmas

JENNIFER DEAN-STAVERT

TOM KIRCHER

Turkey at Thanksgiving

Green bean casserole at Thanksgiving

BRIAN STAVERT Blackberry pie at Thanksgiving

JEFF YIP

Holiday Jell-O salad at Christmas

CRAIG VANDERSLICE Pineapple stuffing at Thanksgiving

ANGELA AMBROSE

VICTORIA NOWAK Turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving

Linguini and octopus in a spicy marinara sauce on Christmas Eve

DOUG PIKE

BRUCE FARR

Traditional green beans at Thanksgiving

MARY JO RAPINI

Butter Coffee at Christmas

BRENLEE MCKNIGHT Green bean casserole at Christmas

Tortière - a spiced FrenchCanadian meat pie on Christmas Eve

HALEY SHAPLEY

Krumkake - a Norwegian cone-shaped cookie filled with whipped cream and fruit on Christmas

MICHAEL GARFIELD Homemade potato latkes at Hanukkah

KATHRYN HUNTER

Casseroles associated with both Thanksgiving and Christmas

ERIN LOUKILI

Grandma’s creamed corn for every holiday

JOHN DEMERS

New Orleans style turkey gumbo at Thanksgiving

NANCY MARR

A Texas - Czech tradition of chicken noodle soup at Christmas

WINONA VO

Dad’s famous fried turkey paired with Mom’s mashed potatoes and corn at Thanksgiving

JACLYN THREADGILL

A Japanese tradition - Ozoni (miso soup with vegetables and toasted sticky rice dumpling) on New Year’s Day

S AZINE OF TEXA

STYLE MAG

LIFE THE LUXURY

gold

dashing S

MINE

FIND

BEAUTY FINDS MADE WITH 24K GOLD

FROM HOLIDAY STYLE TIN, KORS, DIOR, LOUBOU + MORE TIFFANY & CO.

scent SATIONAL WORLD’S UNWRAP THE S AND MOST LUXURIOU BRANDS NICHE PERFUME

} $5.95 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

US

Dashing Finds (pages 10, 12, 56) Gold Mine (page 72) Scentsational (page 23) Recipes Galore (pages, 14, 28, 43)

recipes GALORE AUTHORITIES S SPIRIT AND WINE FAVORITE RECIPE DISH ON THEIR

From romantic destinations to a healthy jump-start for 2016.

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PRIME-LIVING.COM

kdean@prime-living.com

PUBLISHER Terry Dean

tdean@prime-living.com

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN LuckyYou! Creative Erin Loukili, Jaclyn Threadgill erin@luckyyoucreative.com

Tom Kircher

tkircher@srgserv.com

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Jennifer Dean Stavert jend@prime-living.com

MARKETING ASSISTANT Winona Vo wvo@srgserv.com

CIRCULATION/ DISTRIBUTION Brian Stavert

bstavert@prime-living.com

CONTACT 311 Julie Rivers Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77498 281.277.2333 EDITORIAL INQUIRIES editor@prime-living.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertise@prime-living.com SUBSCRIBE AT prime-living.com

ON THE COVER

COMING UP...

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karyn Dean

CHECK OUT… Find the recipes for our favorite holiday dishes on prime-living.com

©2015 Prime Living Magazine is a publication of SRG Services, Inc., published bi-monthly. Copies are mailed and handdelivered to households and businesses throughout Texas. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility to any party for the content of any advertisement in this publication. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication.

MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCE TODAY.

Each year, more than 250,000 families come to Texas Children’s Hospital from Houston, across the nation and around the world seeking health care they can’t find at any other specialty hospital. By joining Ambassadors, you can help us serve as a strong voice for those patients and their families through financial contributions, activities and educational events, and social advocacy.

Become an Ambassador for Texas Children’s Hospital.

Visit ambassadors.texaschildrens.org or call 832.824.6900.

Memberships begin at $250.

Compassion

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Philanthropy

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Advocacy

HOUSTON BALLET

Nutcracker Market A Holiday Shopping Wonderland

Putting on the Ritz THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14

10 am - 8 pm

10 am - 6 pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

10 am - 8 pm

10 am - 6 pm

Admission is $20 each at Market or $18 each at Randalls and Ticketmaster beginning October 19.

Half-price admission daily 3 hours prior to closing.

Children under 5 are free.

FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL

713.535.3231

NUTCRACKERMARKET.COM

All proceeds benefit Houston Ballet Foundation, its Academy and Scholarship programs.

NOT ALLOWED: Strollers, wagons, rolling bags, rolling carts and pets

cocktails & conversation

cocktails & conversation HOTEL VAN ZANDT

THE PRIME LIVING GUIDE TO KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW

Newly opened, Hotel Van Zandt is a true Texas charmer that’s a refined riff on Austin’s worldfamous music scene offering up signature happenings and exclusive hideouts geared especially for cultural tastemakers and world explorers.

inside:

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TALKING POINTS WHAT’S TRENDING STYLE SILVER & GOLD IN THE MIX CAMPTOWN RACES MY LIFE ARTIST AT WORK NOSTALGIA TURKEY, TAMALES & TOUCHDOWNS 18 • BUCKET LIST STORM WATCHING 20 • WEALTH VALUES-BASED INVESTING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER • 2015

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cocktails & conversation

TALKING POINTS >> FOR THE SUPER-LUXURY SEEKER

SUITENESS Travelers who have tried to directly book a super-luxury

suite in a specific destination know it can be difficult. It often requires multiple calls to several properties, without any certainty your results will yield full information on all the options available, or comparative pricing. Suiteness is the first and only booking engine dedicated to helping travelers gain access to the hotel industry’s most luxurious suites. In fact, many of the suites on suiteness.com have never been listed online before.

“Everyone aspires to staying in a phenomenal luxury suite.

Now, Suiteness makes it possible for more travelers to have the hotel stay of their dreams by stepping across the velvet rope and gaining direct access to the finest suites available,” Robbie Bhathal, co-founder and CEO of Suiteness, said. suiteness.com #SuiteTalkWillGetYouFar >> FOR THE SPIRIT SEEKER

cocktails, wine, beer or bubbles, Paramour has the best of the best waiting atop the Phipps Building overlooking the San Antonio Riverwalk. This craft cocktail bar has more than 1,000 spirits behind the bar, a wine enthusiast’s heaven and a cicerone’s delight with over 50 worldly beers. There is also an impressive list of the best and rarest spirits that have been collected throughout the years.

Paramour is industrial-chic in design and features a large wraparound patio with stunning views of San Antonio with no expense spared. With a commitment to timehonored traditions and hospitality standards, it allows every client to be whisked away to an ideal of drink and service. paramourbar.com #NeedWeSayMour

>> FOR THE ART-APPRECIATING FASHIONISTA

LEONOR Fort Worth entrepreneur Leonor

Salazar and her niece Ana Maria Plata are recent winners of InStyle magazine’s 2015 Independent Handbag Designer Award. Leonor handbags center their designs on the unique hand-stitched art pieces of fabric. No two are exactly alike so each bag’s pattern is a one-of-a-kind creation and the leather is specially selected making each handbag a unique and exclusive functional piece.

Designed and made in Bogotá, Colombia and using bright colors in modern fashionable designs, these bags carry the distinctive feature of the Indigenous Natives of Panama and Colombia, known as the Kuna.

This is the perfect gift for those who appreciate art and high quality design. handbagdesigner101.com #HandbagsSpeakLouderThanWords

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PRIME-LIVING.COM

>> FOR THE AROMA THERAPIST

DIPTYQUE With a product portfolio that

includes home and personal fragrances along with a body care line, diptyque opened its first boutique in Houston in the River Oaks District. From detailed advice on custom scent combinations to the delicately hand-wrapped products in tri-colored silk paper, all boutique visitors will be treated to a unique journey of olfactory pleasures. A concierge service providing customers with luxury finishes such as hand gift wrapping and same-day delivery is available. diptyqueparis.com #YouHadMeAtBonjour

SLS | SUITENESS | PARAMOUR | LEONOR DESIGNS | DIPTYQUE

PARAMOUR Whether your drink of choice is craft

TALKING POINTS

>> FOR THE WELLTAILORED MAN

BALANI Offering custom-tailored

>> FOR THE ULTRA-RARE GEM CONNOISSEUR

THE ONE AND ONLY ONE The One and Only One is an elite group of GIA-certified gemologists and prestigious diamantaires specializing in ultra-rare, one-of-a-kind Natural Fancy Color Diamonds, the most desired and sought-after gemstones in the world. Each colored diamond selected, equals or surpasses the world-class gems currently breaking records at premier international auction houses and making their way into the portfolios of the savviest collectors and connoisseurs. theoneandonlyone.com #BlingItOn

business wear, formal wear, casual clothing and accessories with a unique, personalized clothing experience, BALANI Custom Clothiers opened its first Texas store.

Fabrics of the highest quality are sourced from Italy and the U.K. and include a large selection of lightweight options ideal for Texas’ climate.

During the consultation process, clients select lapels, stitching, buttons, buttonholes, pockets, monograms, cuffs, collars, lining and more.

“Our clients rely on BALANI for superior quality, impeccable fit and the invaluable confidence they feel when walking into an interview, conducting meeting or closing a deal,” BALANI Custom Clothiers president Christian Boehm, said. balanicustom.com #WhenYouWalkIntoTheRoom #OwnIt

cocktails & conversation

MIXNATURE >> FOR THE BEAUTY DIY-ER

With a unique opportunity to create customized cosmetics ideally suited to your skin and hair, MixNature is giving consumers the creative reins to create their own cosmetics from natural, carefully selected ingredients. Their unique laboratory uses only the highest quality natural ingredients, that are free of chemical additives, enabling clientele to create effective cosmetics, suitable for all skin types.

The website’s intuitive design makes the selection of each element uniquely simple, offering an exciting array of ingredients ranging from sea buckthorn extract and eucalyptus leaf oil, to bio collagen and organic silk protein. For those unsure which ingredients might best suit their needs, hovering over each reveals a corresponding pop-up window that has useful and concise information. mixnature.com #TheSecretIngredient #Natural

VISIT prime-living.com FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A $1,000 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO BALANI!

>> FOR THE LUXURY AIR TRAVELER

THE ONE AND ONLY ONE | BALANI | MIXNATURE | RISE

RISE Rise, the first membership air travel company of

its kind in the United States, has expanded private flight sharing to the “Texas Triangle” with scheduled service between Dallas, Houston and Austin.

This new concept in air travel called Private Flight Sharing allows members to fly all they want on private planes for one fee starting at $1,650 per month. Members can drive right up to the plane, step aboard, take off and get home in time to enjoy their evening—no endless parking garages and no long lines. Rise is a Dallas-based air travel membership company founded to serve the needs of frequent air travelers who appreciate the private air travel experience without the high costs of private plane ownership. iflyrise.com #ARiseAboveTheRest NOVEMBER/DECEMBER • 2015

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