Man, it was so hard to narrow down three Houston businesses we’d spend our 3/50 Project bucks on, there were simply too many honorable mentions to, well, mention. I encourage you to please mention your favorites in the comments, for the more we all spread the word about spending local, the better our communities can and will become…
If you’re lucky enough to live in Houston, you now have regular access to Oh My! Pocket Pies – offering mobile, local ingredients packaged into neat little pies at a very reasonable price. They’re our first pick because spending your 3/50 dollars here means you’re supporting myriad local growers! They also just recently held a contest for local artists to bid on re-painting the old truck they use for driving around the pies, so consider them a supporter of local artists, too. In addition to seasonal pies, Oh My! Pocket Pies include: Salisbury Steak- Natural, free-range ground beef bundled with shrooms, onions, and brown gravy. Turkey Pot Pie- Ground turkey, carrots, peas, potatoes, and onions- swimming in yummy traditional gravy. Shrimp Dumpling- Ground shrimp, plump peas, scallions, and sesame seed. NOM! They’re a brand new outfit, so be sure to follow them on Twitter to find out where they’ll be on any given day.
Next on our list, a sweet boutique we wrote about last month, Hello Lucky. Again, shopping here and spending your 3/50 bucks means supporting multiple local artisans and community projects. Owned by installation artist Teresa O’Connor, Hello Lucky is home to locally made goodies like handmade soaps, housewares, O’Connor’s own screen printed tees and slap-you-upside-the-head-how-stinkin-cute-are-those Squirrel, Alligator, Rabbit and Fox in a can scarves by Rachelle Vasquez. Teresa has made a home of Hello Lucky for the wares of over 25 other local artists and she does it while giving back to the community. Proceeds from her own ‘You Are Amazing’ tees go to benefit Houston’s animal shelter Friends For Life, while the ever popular ‘It’s Okay to Heart Houston’ t-shirt, designed by artist Dean Haddock, benefits Spacetaker, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Houston artists and small non-profits access to economic, educational and networking resources.
Finally our third pick is jewelry designer Tara Levitin. At 26, Levitin has an uncanny ability to take remnants of the past, discarded items, and, at times, repulsive things, and breathe new purpose into everyday miscellany by transforming them into inspired jewelry. And while her designs certainly aren’t for the timid and introverted, each creation is a conversation piece, a dialogue with the past, and a work of art. Where else could you stumble across and own a piece of Texas history in the form of a necklace fashioned from a forgotten, now obscure Texas giant – literally, a giant? Or how about wearing a little bit of memorabilia in celebration of one of Texas’ most hated – and beloved – love struck crime spreeing duo known as Bonnie and Clyde? Texas history not your thing? That’s okay. Levitin has something for just about anyone. Some of our favorites are large statement necklaces fashioned primarily of great, glorious beetles and bees and whimsical farm animals. Her work also often leans towards music, movies and the literary, paying homage to the likes of Johnny & June, Anne Sexton and even John Waters. From six shooter earrings to bracelets made from old movie seat tags, there are creations for anyone who happens to be looking for something uniquely their own.
