Amber Elliott

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Amber Elliott

Mac Dunwoody happened to be in the right place at the right time last summer, when he stumbled across a herd of 100 life-like elephants migrating along the scenic cliff walk on Newport, Rhode Island. He had visited Africa before, and yes, he loved nature. Something about these carved creatures stopped Dunwoody in his tracks. "You walk up and see how real they are. And the level of perfection and effort required to make them," he told the Chronicle. "We just knew we wanted them to go to Hermann Park.

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Amber Elliott

My phone vibrates at 8:17 a.m. In girl-world, that's kind of early. The text is urgent - in fashion girl-world, at least: "I want to go to Salvation Army today! Do you know anyone I can contact to get in before opening to the public at 3 p.m.?"The sender show humane signs of remorse. She feels badly for pleading to access a charitable sale early, though in her defense, the stakes are high.

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Amber Elliott

A new public art installation has danced into town, blooming seemingly overnight within Houston Botanic Garden. A chorus of 29 life-size figures, sculpted from steel rebar by contemporary artist Kristine Mays, tell the stories of ancestors who toiled the land before us. "Rich Soil" was inspired partially by the late, Texas-based choreographer Alvin Ailey's best-known work, "Revelations," which premiered when he was 29 years old.

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Amber Elliott

If y'all thought you had seen the last of cowboy boots, hats and turquoise until the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - or at least the 2025 Fall Round Top Antiques Show - think again. On Wednesday and Thursday, the tennis set slipped back into their western wear for Tootsies' "Serves and Spurs"-themed fashion and lunch at River Oaks Country Club to coincide with the annual Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Mens Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club.

3 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Amber Elliott

Add two stops to your Round Top trip this spring: Sapana and the Round Top Designer Show House. There's such a thing as the "Round Top uniform.'" To nail the look, pop into Sapana, near historic Henkel Square, to shop store owner Jolie Helm's eclectic mix of bohemian glamour. She unveiled four new styles during the 2025 Spring Round Top Antiques Show: unisex barn coats, patch coats, Rani vests and dusters, plus camp shirts for women.