I've been exploring coffee shops lately to find some that help patrons stay warm. Since it's hot (or what we call "normal") for the majority of the year, it doesn't make sense for places which serve Hot Drinks to also have a hot environment with fireplaces, heaters, and anything else people in the north have to stay warm. 

I was surprised to not really find many places in Houston which offer fireplaces + coffee. How strange is that? There was only 1 place I found which offered both coffee + a fireplace (Backstreet Cafe), but I hardly call it a coffee shop, even though I recommend it to everybody reading this article. 

I created this list based on: do they serve coffee, is the space big enough so you won't freeze every time someone new walks inside, and the place must not have the initials SB. 

If you have warm places for me to visit this week, please let me know in the comments!

Photo by @BrasilHouston

Photo by @a2ndCup

This list is in no particular order. However, if you haven't been to one of these places, I highly recommend adding it to your Houston Bucket List!

Cafe Brasil
This is one of my favorite places in town and their backyard is one of my favorite hidden gems in Houston (even though it's not the season nor the post for that). I recommend getting Hot Cocoa and some tamales if you're hungry. There are a few corners where you can avoid the outside... but typically this place is best when it's a bit warmer out. 

Common Bond
Another very tasty place. I'm not sure I recommend going here so quickly after New Years Resolutions are made because it's nearly impossible to go through the line without ordering a cookie. So if you're there, do yourself a favor and order a dang cookie. Any of their lattes are delicious and I usually get mine with almond milk because I'm a hippy. 

Red Dessert
Located in the Heights off Studemont, this place always pops up in my Instagram feed because of their beautiful latte-art-master-pieces. It's not the biggest place in town, but it'll warm you up as soon as you walk inside. 

Agora
If Cafe Brasil is a little too chilly for you, (quickly) make your way across the street to Agora. Agora is 2 stories, and since we all know hot air moves up, I'd advise finding a cute little seat upstairs. This location is also great for people watching. I'd recommend just getting the drip coffee here since it's free refills and their espresso isn't really anything to write home about. You'll definitely be warm inside Agora. 

Fellini
This seems to be one of the favorite places for people living in West U/Rice University area. Is it because there aren't other good places south of 59? If there's a good place near the area that isn't Fellini, please let me know! If you do make it to Fellini, I recommend the Hot Cocoa. Also, I'm definitely not discouraging you from going to this area, I just hardly travel that far south :P

*Update: The Museum of Fine Arts is South of 59 and also offers tasty coffee! (but still no fire place).

Revival Market
This place is small, so not exactly toasty if you're near a door. However, this place is usually packed, and therefore you should be able to stay warm easily. Everything from here is great, but when in doubt, just ask for "a taco and flat white". You'll be full, hydrated, and hopefully, still warm. 

Catalina
It's definitely not the computers keeping the place warm, since they don't offer public wi-fi, but the location is cozy and coffee is (sorry-if-you-don't-agree) THE BEST IN TOWN. If you haven't been to Catalina, put it on your bucket list. 

Tout Suite
You love it, you hate it, or you've never been. You cannot be indifferent towards this coffee shop. They supply @GreenwayCoffee and have tons of great food and pastry options. You can go for lunch and get a sandwich and coffee, or dinner and get some protein and a beer or wine. There's plenty of seating so you don't need to worry about feeling the cold breeze whenever people walk inside. 

Backstreet Cafe
This is one of my favorite brunch spots in town and on the list not only because of their all-star Chef, Hugo Ortego, but also because they have a fireplace upstairs! It's the only spot in town I was able to find a fireplace inside and also enjoy some coffee. 

If you know of any warm coffee shops in Houston, or another with a fireplace, can you please let me know in the comments?!

Photo by @TheHoneymoonHTX

Photo by @ericozco

It's Official: The New Black Swan Yoga opens today at 5310 Kirby Dr. Ste. #101. It's between Einstein Bagels and Verizon Wireless, on Kirby, just south of Bissonnet. 

While the studio has been open for a couple months, January 1, 2018 is the official grand opening party. Black Swan is celebrating by offering free yoga classes all day!

Also, if you go to Black Swan 31 times in January, your membership in February is free!

If you can't make it out today, maybe you can still join my yoga class Tuesday morning at 6am or 7:30am at Black Swan Yoga Houston - Kirby. 

Namaste.

Photo by @BlackSwanYogaHouston

Thank you, 2017

2017 was an incredible year for the city of Houston and I am happy to be a part of the history that took place this past year. My year was filled with many trips, changing living situations, getting a big promotion, graduating from Yoga teacher training, making lots of friends, and I can’t wait to see what all 2018 has in store. 

This is the first photo I took this year: January 3, 2017 along Buffalo Bayou.

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January 

The first trip I took in 2017 was to Cleveland Ohio. It was a father-son trip to visit my grandma and cousins in Ohio. We were able to see some snow, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (pictured in the background), and eat some really good pizza. 

January (con'd)

Following Cleveland, I spent a week in Colorado and skied for the first time! It was a lot more fun than I could have ever imagined and I can’t wait to go back in 2018!

January Super Bowl

Super Bowl 51 was no doubt the biggest event happening in Houston in January. Several restaurants and hotels opened just days before the Super Bowl, and the city was a wonderful host for the big game. 

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February 

I moved from EaDo to the Buffalo Bayou area and upgraded the view big time. I've caught so many sun rises, sun sets, rainbows, floods, snow, and have loved the new perspective on Houston. 

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March

I came back to Colorado! I couldn’t stay away… and coming back soon. 

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April

After 2+ years working for one of the biggest retailers, Academy Sports + Outdoors, it's time that I say goodbye because my new job is just around the corner.. 

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June

I was invited to be the featured speaker at the Greater Houston Partnership's luncheon. My topic was on User Experience and how every business can benefit from listening to their customers. The talk awarded me with plenty of cool job opportunities. 

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July

I started as Creative Director at Decode Digital, a traditional + digital advertising agency based in Montrose. I help oversee the developers, designers, and creatives at this booming agency and love the people I'm getting to work with!

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August

We learned what #HoustonStrong meant when Hurricane Harvey flooded our city. 

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August

This group of 31 fellow swans helped me live my fullest life this summer, participating in 200 hours of yoga teacher training. Love to all of these people. 

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September

I turned 30 years old and celebrated with family and friends. I also started teaching yoga at Buffalo Bayou Park, Spring Street Beer and Wine Garden, and Black Swan yoga.

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October

The Astros are World Series Champions and the city has a a huge smile after a rough summer with the hurricane. #HoustonStrong

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December 

Closing out the year with snow... The first time I've seen this much snow in Houston, so I build a little snow man. 

I'm looking forward to 2018 and can't wait to see what all it brings!

My Grandma lives in a beautiful small town an hour west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country called Kerrville. I've been to Kerrville dozens of times, and if there's one thing I've learned: Go to Mamacitas. 

This time was also spent visiting Stonehedge II, a replica of the original Stonehedge. This version is in a small town next to Kerville called Ingram. 

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We also got plenty of family time in during the holidays in Kerrville. 

Kirby Ice House is one of Houston's largest bars (over 1 acre) and has a huge selection of top quality beers, wines, and liquors, but in 2017 was lacking a website. Their Instagram account had over 1,000 followers and their bar was PACKED during the World Series and just about every other day of the week. 

Not having a website didn't prevent patrons from visiting their establishment, but created a big bottleneck when it came to running the business. Kirby Icehouse's owners were constantly being asked for party reservations for small groups of people that would have plenty of options once arriving to the bar with more than 1 acre of seating space. 

Gibson designed and created Kirby-Icehouse.com to help patrons and future visitors know bar specials, special event information, make reservations online, and view the environment through virtual tours and drone videography. 

The result is a beautiful website, friendly for customers, and easy for the business to update. 

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There really aren't many days Houstonians can claim that it snowed. I remember a photo my dad had at the house growing up when he was able to write his name in the snow (ice) on the back of his 1985 RX-7 way back in the day. 

There was another time on Christmas Eve 2003 that it snowed just enough that we could collect snow from the back of pickup trucks in the church parking lot and throw some tiny snowballs. But this year, to cap off an epic year for Houston, it finally snowed!

I woke up early in the morning, discovered snow outside my house, and immediately went for a walk along the bayou. Here are some of my favorite shots for the day. 

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Let's face it, everybody knows somebody that can make you a website. From your weird neighbor down the street to blaring TV commercials, it's now easier than ever to get your website up and running. WRONG. With so many options, it's hard to even begin. This guide is meant to guide you through everything you need to know to get a website up and running in 2018. 

PICK YOUR GOAL

What is the reason you are building your website? Is it to gain social media followers, sell products, get people into your shop, or something else? Defining your goal will make everything else much easier. 

PICK A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)

There are many CMS options available that allow a beginner to get everything they need from the beginning. The only CMS's I recommend to people without any prior skills: 

• WordPress.org — this is made primarily for bloggers. You have lots of content, plan to post often, and don't plan to sell very many goods. This is great for people trying to increase their social media presence as well.

• SquareSpace — this option is great for small businesses that need to share content. You don't have as much fresh content as a blog, but do need to share some crucial information with potential or current customers. You can sell some products on here, but not looking to open a full Ecommerce store.

• Shopify: this is THE only option for people looking to create a store with more than 20 products. If you have less, you can get away with other CMS options. If you're looking to grow your store over the next year, I highly recommend starting with Shopify.

Open a Word Document

Content is one of the most difficult and time consuming parts of creating a website. I recommend opening a blank Word document, and allow your content to pour out. Make a bullet list of the pages you want on your website (Home, About, Services, Contact) and then type up text for each page and section. If you need to include case studies, type those in this document as well. 

Create a new Folder and Move Photos in It

If you have photos already, you can move these to the folder for quicker access when building the website. 

Create Pages

Based on the bullet list you created, start building pages by added content and photos. Don't forget to proof read your content after hitting save. 

Share with Your Friends

The best part of creating a website is sharing it with the community. Get feedback, make updates to your website, and keep growing it. The more practice you have with your website, the better it will be. 

Call Gibson

If, at any point, you get a headache, frustrated, can't finish reading this article, send me a message! I am happy to help you from wherever you leave off. 

If you're wondering how to find peace on a Saturday morning in Houston, do yourself a favor and take a trip to BAPS: a traditional Hindu temple in Southwest Houston, near Stafford. The building is made of hand-carved Italian marble and limestone. 

Pictures can't do this place justice, and they actually do not allow for photos inside of the temple. 

If it's your first time visiting BAPS, it's good to know you must wear clothing that covers knees (no skits for the ladies), and you have to take off your shoes before entering the temple, so you might want to wear socks. They have a shoe room next to the temple where you and your boo can separate to store your shoes before entering the temple. 

Before leaving, check out the gift shop. There are many books about Hinduism for less than a couple dollars, and also lots of food to eat or take home to make. 

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#MayorsHolidayHou

I was invited by the City of Houston Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to attend the Holiday Lighting Ceremony and share the event through the hash tag #MayorsHolidayHou. 

It was great seeing so many Houstonians in good spirits for the event. Mayor Turner says we're about to "light it up"!

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The new year is always filled with resolutions: eat better, exercise more, complain less, and be a better person. But, what are you doing to improve your digital self? After all, your online profile is likely where any potential employer or even suitor (Hello, @Bumble) will find you and that will be their first impression. 

Not only should you be cautious about what you're telling the digital world about yourself, but you should be aware of the information you are feeding it. Take 30 minutes to improve your digital presence in 2018 by doing the following: 

1. From an Incognito (private) browser winder, Google yourself. Find your Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram, or any other social media profile you have out in the wild. Take inventory about what people see whenever they search your name.

2. Look at the public information you are giving on Facebook and your social media websites. Maybe there is a photo of you from college that you no longer want people to see, or maybe you're still in a relationship even though you meant to click single! Whatever is wrong, take a couple minutes to update it.

3. Use Unroll.me to unsubscribe from unwanted email newsletters. You sign up for plenty of things with your email address throughout the year, and chances are, your email address has also been shared a few times. Take a couple minutes to unsubscribe from all of the news letters you no longer need to read.

4. Update all of your passwords. You've probably been using the same password for the last couple of years, and it probably wasn't safe then and is definitely not safe right now. Take some time to update your password for key accounts, and then consider investing in 1Password.com. Passwords aren't going anywhere in 2018, so might as well make it easier on yourself.

5. Clean our unwanted apps. This is probably easiest and perhaps most fun to do. Open your phone and go screen by screen looking at the apps you've downloaded. If there's some app you have that you didn't use in 2017, chances are you can live without it in 2018. Not only will removing the apps give you less information while looking at your phone, it'll also save some battery power.

What else are you doing to ensure your digital presence is set up for success in 2018? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Organizer of Hue Mural Fest, Gonzo247

#HueMuralFest is in its second year painting the streets of EaDo, Houston. There are so many great photo opportunities with all of the new murals. If you find more that aren't listed here, feel free to leave a comment below because I'd love to see more! 

#HueMuralFest goes on for the next week! 

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Houston is packed with so many opportunities for fun. You can check out my Houston Bucket List guide for more fun things to do around Houston, but here is a round up of some of my favorite free things in the city. 

• Visit the Museum of Fine Arts (free on Thursday)
• Walk, run, or bike (if you have one) along Buffalo Bayou
• Walk, run, jog in Memorial park
• Bring a deck of cards and play your favorite game in Memorial Park
• Watch movies outside at Discovery Green
• Take a stroll through nature at the Arboretum
• Watch a play at Miller Outdoor Theater
• Catch a light show during sunset at Rice University's Turrell Light Exhibit
• Visit the Contemporary Arts Museum
• Go to The Menil Collection
• Go on a Street Art Tour
• Take a picnic and go to the Water Wall
• Visit the Zen Gardens next to the Zoo

Do you have ideas for other free things to do in Houston? Let me know in the comments below!

UP Art Studio and Gibson Hall are proud winners of the Mayor's Keep Houston Beautiful Award. We won for our work with Mini Murals, and bringing color and light throughout the city of Houston. 

Mattress Mack also won an award for all of his help with Hurricane Harvey. It's cool to have 2 of my favorite web clients both win such great awards for the city. 

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The smell of sweet victory looms over Houston.

From the Super Bowl in January, to Harvey in September, there's no better way to cap off the year than by having our home town Houston Astros win the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The City of Houston was awarded the day off (literally, the Mayor cancelled public school) and a little over 1 million people gathered downtown to cheer on the Astros players as they paraded through downtown on firetrucks. 

Congrats to the Houston Astros! #HoustonStrong

It wasn't until I met an out-of-towner that I realized the importance of having a bucket list. My friend just moved to Houston from another state and every time someone would say, "you better check out ____", she'd add it to her bucket list. 

I was able to review the bucket list and was reminded not only of places I have been, but haven't been to in over a decade. There are hidden gems hidden all over the city, and sometimes right in our backyard. 

Use this list as starters to create your own bucket list or even work on it with your spouse or friend so you can knock stuff off together. Whenever you have free time in your weekend, reference this bucket list and cross something new off the list!

1. Rent B-Cycles and ride bikes along Buffalo Bayou
2. Have a picnic at Hermann Park, followed by a show at Miller Outdoor
3. Visit Galveston. Bike along the sea wall and shop the strand
4. Visit the turtles & nature at the Arboretum
5. Watch the bats off Waugh Bridge
6. Visit the Livestock Show & Rodeo in the Spring
7. Visit James Turrell light exhibit at Rice University
8. Go to a play at The MATCH (Catastrophic Theater)
9. Go to the Museum of Fine Arts and visit the Turrell Exhibit (it's free on Thursdays)
10. Watch a midnight movie at River Oaks Theater
11. Shop for produce (in Spanish) at Caninos
12. Run the Memorial Loop
13. Hit golf balls at Memorial Park
14. Volunteer at the Houston Food Bank
15. Visit one of Houston's many breweries
16. Take a trip to BAPS Temple
17. Visit the Water Wall (another great place for picnics)
18. Walk through Glenwood Cemetary
19. Kayak Buffalo Bayou
20. Visit Urban Harvest Farmers Market on Saturday mornings

Have other bucket list ideas for Houston? Let me know them in the comments. 

The Museum of Fine Arts invited me and other Digital Ambassadors to preview the new Oscar de la Renta Exhibit. It was filled with beautiful dresses worn by (ladies of Houston) Lynn Wyatt, Carolyn Farb, and Barbara Bush. Each dress was paired with a painting from the country that inspired Oscar de la Renta. 

Video captured at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston during #MFAHafterhours, part of the museum's Digital Ambassador series.

The exhibit goes through January 28, 2018 and you can learn more here.

2018 will be the year of "Doing it for the Gram". With a steady increase in digital influencers, lots of new Instagrammers want an opportunity to cash in and start making money on Instagram. But, how do people get so many likes on Instagram? Well, it takes time, but here are some best practices: 

• Make sure your account is set to Public. It's hard to get new followers if you're not allowing people to preview the content you offer.

• Make really good content. Great content will help you win organically. Pay attention to picture quality and don't overuse filters.

• Write great stories and captions. Tell viewers why you posted the photo or what the photo means to you. A really compelling story will get your more likes, comments, and shares.

• Use relevant hashtags. I know they may seem annoying to put on lots of hashtags, but now that people can follow hashtags, it's important for you to use them.

• Interact with other influencers by commenting on their posts or tagging them in yours. They'll eventually reciprocate the favor and you'll get a lot of followers in return.

• Use a strong call to action on your posts such as "like this if you agree" or "double tap to show your support". Sometimes a simple message goes a long ways.

These are just a few ways you can build more followers on Instagram. Are there any practices you've been trying that give you good results? Share them with me in the comments. 

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