Greetings, my precious litter of nightlife kittens, I must express how deeply flattered I am that this newsletter is adored by some of you enough to notice its absence and request it to return, so without further ado, it’s back. I promise, publicly, that I will not abandon you all again. Should any of you feel I deserve a spanking for my 10-month hiatus, I welcome it. The Queen likes spankings. I have much scoop to dish from my “Glitter Box” this new year, so let me scratch the surface this month.

As those of you close to me know, my degree is actually in Fashion Merchandising but my heart belongs to the Hospitality Industry, which explains my ongoing career in the restaurant and nightlife business for well-over a decade now. Erotic Cabaret Boutique, a veteran in the fashion arena of Houston for over 25 years, will host their pre-Valentine's Day shopping event in the original store location at 1222 Westheimer on Thursday, January 31st from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM. The event will include models wearing fashions sold by Erotic Cabaret, sweet romantic appetizers compliments of Nooky's Erotic Bakery, hot and spicy “aphrodisi-snacks” from Cyclone Anaya’s, a guest appearance by Painter Yvonne Zepeda whose work features images of women and wine and there will be an abundance of door prizes for our guests. Erotic Cabaret was Houston's first and foremost sexy store established in 1982, when they introduced the thong to Texas, hence the title of this event, "Wine, Women and Thong."

Employing the best in customer service specialists and the biggest selection of sexy clothing for the office, the cocktail party or just for being "you," the boutique offers clubwear, dancewear, lingerie, adult novelties and toys, hosiery, shoes, boots, purses, smoking accessories, swimwear, costumes, jewelry and body jewelry and Valentine's Day gifts galore. The store decor has celebrity memorabilia on display that features undergarments WORN by celebrities like Madonna, Cybill Shepherd, Elvis Presley, Karen Black, Zsa Zsa Gabor and historical Burlesque personalities like Blaze Starr and Candy Bar. Local music artist ROYAL LUSH will be at the event as a model and he will unveil his personal addition to the celebrity undergarment displays. Join the fun on January 31st. Festivities get underway at 6PM and who knows, maybe even Cupid himself will make an appearance! We hope you will too. Of course I will be hosting the event.

HOUSTON CELEB SCOOP: For those of you in the know, Gary Murphy, founder of 6 Degrees Lounge, Mach 5 Couriers and Houston Court Services, and one of Houston's legends in the nightclub industry moved to Las Vegas earlier this year, but will be in town February 6th through the 9th.

Gary has drawn upon his nearly seven year relationship with Asia to launch a new visionary company in the next couple months, called Arisa Global. In Gary's own words, here's what his new company is about... “After many trips to China in the past 7 years I just could not stop thinking about a way to bridge China and the U.S. My first trip to Shanghai was in 2002, since that trip I knew I had to figure out a way to do business with China, and I have found the way. My new company, Arisa Global, will be a full service import export solutions company, with a focus on importing custom engineered products for new construction on hotels, casinos, restaurants and night clubs in Las Vegas, and other commercial and residential developments in Houston. Arisa also provides a liaison service for American companies wanting to find the right factory to produce their parts or product - or open an office, retail store or food franchise in China. We'll be based in Vegas, but through strategic partnerships, will also have offices in Houston, Shanghai and Beijing. Please contact us ASAP if we can be of service. Xie xie ni! (‘Thank You’ ~ in Mandarin)” Gotta love Gary and if you miss him like I do, drop him a comment at www.myspace.com/garyat6. I miss that boy to pieces and can’t wait until he visits in February.

Looking for a bar management position? The Alden-Houston Hotel is looking for someone who can sell and market their award-winning bar, a+. This person needs to have a good knowledge of wines and the ability to create new signature drinks for the bar and hotel. This person would also work a bartender shift. If you are interested, please contact Peggy Schrodi, Director of Human Resources for the Alden-Houston at 832-200-8802 or visit www.aldenhotels.com.

HOT SPOTS: Kiki Dikmen just bought Status at 2404 San Jacinto. The place is gorgeous and has VIP sections as well as a Celebrity Room. They are open Thursdays through Sundays, preview the place before you visit by clicking www.myspace.com/statushouston or www.statushouston.com. The venue boasts a really cool staff and great DJ line-up. The Drake and Zeppelin are also being talked about and are heavily populated by the cool population. Drake is located at 1902 Washington, across from the Corkscrew. Lost? Call 713-861-8600. I strongly recommend reservations because the line is wicked. For reservations, call 713-865-1723. If you are an amateur, let me educate you; “reservations” translates to buying a bottle, which is THE way to go because you get a table to sit at and enjoy said bottle. Zeppelin is in the old Eden locale at 3101 San Jacinto. Treat yourself to a visit to all three of these places.

LIVE MUSIC: Dertybird and SkyBlue72 will play at the Mucky Duck on January 25th. Both bands are on myspace, by the way. Next month I will start a new section featuring a “band of the month.” If your band would like to be mentioned, you can send me your info at houston_queen_of_clubs@yahoo.com. The band of the month for February will be Virus, see www.myspace.com/spreadthevirus. They will play on January 25th at the 19th Hole (202 Sawdust Road) and will have a show at Warehouse Live on February 20th.

Next month will also be an encore 2008 edition of my INS and OUTS for Valentine’s Day. I did it in 2005 and I think it’s time for a new version this year, so tune in to find out where to go, what to give and what is hot or not for V-Day ’08. Join me at the Flat (1701 Commonwealth) on Friday January 25th for the Young Active Professionals Monthly Mixer. This will be huge, as we have over 150 RSVP’s. Join YAP today at yapclub.com, it’s free and they host great events that include trips, parties, sporting events etc and it’s a great way to meet new people. If I haven’t seen you in a while, I expect to see you at the Flat on the 25th and Erotic Cabaret on the 31st. Otherwise, you’ll have to come see me at Cyclone Anaya’s in midtown because I am there more than I am at home!
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