Our weekend in Houston with Beyoncé

We had an amazing weekend trip to Houston – and to be honest, we’re still recovering! The Bestie Chronicles live for weekends of music and great friend fun. This was another epic trip for the memory books! We want to share our trip with you and give you some ideas of things to do when you visit Houston!

We stayed right outside the Houston Galleria at Hotel Indigo. First, the hotel is gorge and we felt like we rolled up to a hotel in Cali. Second, convenient is an understatement. We were within walking distance to the Galleria and parking at the hotel was never overcrowded. Third, the beds were lush. It took forever to wake up from our little slice of bedded heaven. Hotel Indigo, you are the real MVP!

Hotel Indigo Houston at the Galleria

Once we checked in Friday afternoon, we met up with a college friend for Happy Hour at the Grand Lux Café! With Tahitian Pineapple cocktails, fried pickles, and Buffalo Chicken Rolls under our belts, we took on shopping for hours! A brief intermission in our hotel room after shopping was in order because let’s face it; we’re not as young as we used to be. We had a quick wardrobe change then headed to dinner. We wanted to hear some live music to get us ready for our Saturday night with Beyoncé. We came across The West End – A Public House Pub. An amazing patio, a live band playing, awesome atmosphere, and good food (quesadillas and chicken egg rolls); what wasn’t there to love?

The West End – a Public House

We ended the night at Spotlight Karaoke Bar, which was such a good time! The crowd had so much energy and showed so much love to the brave singers who did not come to play around. These people were singing for their lives and we loved every minute of it! We were singing along at the top of our lungs to some of the old hits like Babyface’s “Whip Appeal,” SWV’s “Weak,” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

Spotlight Karaoke

Saturday we hit the Galleria, and what a beautiful mall! Three floors of just life-providing goodness! Of course we had to make a stop at The Cheesecake Factory for lunch before the marathon shopping event could begin. We visited TOPSHOP to look at Bey’s new Ivy Park clothing line. As soon as we walked in the store, we could see that it was basically Bey-day! Every song played over the speakers was a Beyoncé song and we immediately understood that at that moment we were among family. The Ivy Park section was filled with cute shorts, sports bras, leggings, bodysuits, tanks, and jackets. We both got a pair of shorts, and will most likely be doing a little more damage in the very near future!

Then on to the main event: The Formation Tour! There is nothing like the energy that comes along with a Beyoncé concert. As soon as the car is parked, the fun begins on the walk towards the arena with swarms of loyal Bey fans. One of our favorite moments was a girl hanging out of a sun roof with her bat singing “I got hot sauce in my bag!” We believe she had more than ‘hot sauce’ in her bag but we don’t judge. People were decked out in their Ivy Park gear. There were groups of people with custom made shirts with different sayings from Beyoncé songs like “I slay” “I ain’t thinking ‘bout you” or simply “Lemonade!”

We’ve both seen Bey perform multiple times, and it just never gets old! She continues to change it up and tries new things to keep us entertained! This was different, though. This was her hometown and the love and support the fans gave her was beautiful. There were several times you could see Bey stop and take in the moment that THIS is where it began, THIS is her hometown, THIS is her life! What a reception to have! One thing we won’t be doing is spoiling the concert for you! So we will not go into details of what songs she sang, what she wore, or when to take a bathroom break but we will tell you we had our whole lives snatched and slaughtered only to be handed back to us renewed, refreshed and revived! Slay Bey!

Concert time! Hotel Indigo, in the car, NRG Stadium

On Sunday we finalized a few purchases and then choked on the reality that our weekend was ending. We did manage to ask some people to take our pic in front of a gorgeous mural in the Houston Galleria that says ‘Houston Is Inspired,’ and we are leaving Houston inspired. We may not get the Beyoncé reception in Memphis when we step off the plane but we are inspired by a little girl from Houston to work hard and to dream BIG!

Houston Galleria Mural

Are you going to see Beyoncé on tour?  Have you already seen one of her shows? We want to see your pics. Join us on Instagram @thebestiechronicles. Post your pics and use #BeyhiveBesties and #TheBC.

 

 

Doing the Do

Ever had a GREAT idea, but forgot all about it? Maybe you’ve had a ton of amazing ideas and dreams in your head but can’t seem to get going on any one particular thing. Maybe you’ve actually gotten started but have found yourself at a standstill. Nothing is worse than having a great idea for your career, your blog, or even your decorating project, but then losing your focus and motivation! We’ve all been there, haven’t we?Here at The Bestie Chronicles headquarters, we’ve determined that it is time out for procrastination. It’s time to start “Doing the Do!”

We’ve come up with five easy steps that will help you do less talking and more DOING:

1) Write it down!
So here at The BC, we are constantly coming up with new ideas and fun things we want to try EVERYDAY!! This is great, but the only problem is that on the “Completion Scale” of 1 -10 we are sitting at a raggedy 3! We’ve come to realize that the best way to get started is to simply write it down! Jot down what you’re thinking even if it’s just a few words. Don’t let those good ideas go to waste! You can always go back and…

2) Organize your ideas!
Now this is a tricky one. Organization means different things to different people. Some people prefer to create to-do lists, while others prefer “was that due today?” lists. Whatever your preference, take your list of ideas and prioritize what should be done and when it should be done. This will help you to stay on track, and ease your chaotic mind! Projects won’t complete themselves, so start organizing.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu

3) Research resources and knowledge needed to succeed.
This isn’t always fun, but you must do your homework, friend. Babies crawl before they walk, and you’ll have to gain the knowledge needed to succeed at your venture. Research your project. Become familiar with the pros and cons, as well as the potential obstacles that may come along with what you’re doing. Take the time to determine expenses tied to your project and the time commitment it may require. We know, we know…there goes your social life! But don’t think of it that way. Didn’t your mom tell you nothing comes easy? No? Just our moms? Well, you get the point. Just don’t sell yourself short. Whatever it is you want to do be the best at it, and equip yourself with the tools to succeed.

4) Get feedback and find inspiration.
Once your amazing idea or project has taken shape, consider getting some feedback from friends or those who have experience in your area of interest. Be sure to ask for honest feedback, nothing like having good old constructive criticism. The internet is also a perfect place to go to find inspiration and information. We love CYBERSTALKING (insert evil laugh) on Instagram and Pinterest to see what kinds of things other people are doing and to get fun tips and ideas for our own projects.

5) Just do it!
Sounds cliché, right? But seriously, you can spend so much time trying to make everything perfect, but sometimes you just have to jump! Start your business, publish that book, create that product you’ve been dreaming of, write that screenplay, start selling sea shells by the seashore! Whatever it is, just do it! You’ll be amazed at all you will learn about yourself and be proud that you’ve finally followed through on something!

Best friends – What have you been talking about but have not found the motivation to DO?

Leave a comment and let us know if these tips were helpful. We’d love to hear any tips you may have as well!