Cabe Nowlen (photo from @cabenowlen on Instagram)
SEXY, SOUTHERN-FRIED charmer Cabe Nowlen wears many hats, including that of committed singer-songwriter. And then sometimes he doesn’t wear a hat at all, or anything else, describing himself as a “naked hippie” on his popular Instagram page, where more than 15,000 follow his colorful, occasionally bod-baring posts. He’s also proprietor and top stylist of Montrose’s venerable Craft Salon. Here’s what he had to say in our quirky Q&A. You won’t believe what he gets up to on Wednesday nights!
What accomplishment are you most proud of? Being an entrepreneur.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A famous singer-songwriter.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Love and support from my family.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? Joy. Maybe in the form of an inflatable unicorn costume.
Favorite holiday tradition? Ugly gelatin molds.
Santa already knows, so you might as well tell the truth. Were you naughty or nice this year? A total mixed bag but mostly nice!
Best way to warm up on a cold winter’s night? Cuddles in my big marshmallow bed, of course!
Finish this sentence: I’m gonna get me some mistletoe and… Show you how badly everyone else kisses in comparison!
Your elf stripper name — of course, that’s a thing, duh — is a beloved childhood toy plus a dessert your grandmother used to make. Go! Puff-a-Lump Maple Balls.
Where’s the best place to find holiday cheer in Houston? Michael’s Outpost on Wednesday Nights with Jerry Atwood at the piano and me, a few cocktails in, on the microphone!
Tell us about your closet. Something old you love, and something you hope gets stuffed in you stocking? I love my vintage big brown teddy bear faux fur coat scored a few years ago at Pavement. Hoping someone leaves a professional organizer in my stocking to help me clean that dang closet out!
Name-drop time: Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met (and how did that happen)? Diane Keaton. I was a photographer at the time. I was shooting a runway show in a building on the street where she was shooting the movie Mad Money. I was being escorted through the set and into the building. I came through the rotating door and almost ran right into her. She was just standing there, cute as can be, in her scarf and Velcro rollers in her hair waiting for here scene. She looked up at me and smiled and said hi as I awkwardly fumbled and stuttered and mumbled hello! Embarrassed, I continued and tripped going up the steps toward the elevators and dropped my equipment and landed in a splat! I’m sure she would never remember it, but I was not only embarrassed by my own awkwardness but also equally impressed with her grace, friendliness and overall badassness. Big fan!
Name three things on your bucket list. Dinner with Jennifer Coolidge. Have a significant part in a major movie. Finish another album of my original music.
What’s your most useless talent? Jump-roping my arms!
If you were arrested without explanation, what would your friends and family think you had done? Oh bless, I don’t even want to know!
What would you choose as your last meal? Filet with garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms, goat cheese. And several dirty martinis!
What’s the closest thing in life to real magic? Sharing a meal and visiting with people you love and realizing how happy you make each other.
Is there a charitable cause you support, and why that one? Montrose Center. They do so much for seniors with a focus on LGBTQ+, giving them a sense of community, feeding them, helping them with other needs when they sometimes have no family to turn to. I would encourage anyone to check out all the great things they are doing including the new Senior Housing Facility.
What’s something about you people would find surprising? I can actually be sort of shy and very anxious with people I don’t know super well. I think I’m more introverted than people see.
In five words or less, what’s your advice for living a happy life? Gratitude. Do good. Seek more!
Whom do you credit? Firstly, God, but also the amazing individuals who came into my life to help show me the way: Jessica Castellano - who took a chance on me and started Zapatero + Bucaram PR with me, her 26 year old business partner — and my sister, FullyRaw Kristina, for allowing us to tell her story! Along the way, every client I have ever had or colleague I have worked with has left me with indelible memories and lessons, and helped me gain a deeper understanding of our ever changing industry!
What lessons have you learned that might enlighten and inspire others? I show up with kindness for all I meet and give more than I expect to receive. I work with passion and persistence, and always try to connect the dots for individuals who need it. I feel strongly that women should support each other, and don’t be afraid to fail. It’s part of the fiber of learning.
What’s new in your life or work that you’re excited about? Recently, I have been working with many nonprofit organizations who have given so much to our society. I work with the Global Empowerment Mission who helped bring over $800,000 to Texas during the winter storms, and now has raised over $20M in aid for the Ukrainian Crisis -- acquiring national media such as the Today show, CBS Nightly News, NBC Nightly News, FOX, CNN, and also specials on Anderson Cooper. I am honored to work with celebrity musicians and their non-profit organizations, such as Marc Anthony’s nonprofit, Maestro Cares, to bring opportunities for children to live, play, and learn — across Latin and Central America, and I am also very blessed to have influencers such as: FullyRaw Kristina, Internationally Renowned Multi-Genere viral Violinist, “DEMOLA the Violinist,” Nationally acclaimed beauty Influencer Marlena Stell, disease reversal specialist and MD - Dr. Brooke Goldner, and many more! Excited to expand my international and national portfolio and continue working with celebrity contacts as well as musicians!
Jim Crane and Lynn Wyatt at CityBook's 'Leaders & Legends' party
A WHO'S WHO of Houstonians — from the arts, big business, the media, philanthropy, pro sports and much more — came together to celebrate CityBook and Gittings Photography’s 2022 “Leaders & Legends” portrait series, presented in partnership with Residences at The Allen and Bentley Houston.
The annual event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, so the VIP guests were thrilled to gather in person for the occasion, in Residence’s at The Allen’s sunny hospitality space, in the shadow of its rising hotel and condominium tower. Along with CityBookExecutive Publisher Lisa Holthouse and Editor Jeff Gremillion, The Allen developer Roberto Contreras, himself among the Leaders & Legends honored, welcomed guests with warm remarks.
Many other honorees, all of whom were featured in the magazine’s mid-spring issue, were also on hand, including Astros owner Jim Crane, society doyenne Hallie Vanderhider, fundraising legend Carolyn Farb, popular locavore restaurateurs Benjy Levit and Aaron Lyons, noted gallerist Mimi Sperber-Wasserberg of Off the Wall and Marilyn Oshman, founder of the Orange Show organization and the Art Car Parade.
China and Roberto Contreras IV
Lisa Holthouse and Ray Childress
Connor Walsh and Chae Eun Yang
Hallie Vanderhider, Fady Armanious and Ally Shell
Lucinda Loya and Felicia Stone
Randy Hale, Michael Holthouse, Kim and Dan Moody
Amanda Mills and Mark Sullivan
Carolyn Farb and Danny Nguyen
Katelyn Leonard and Jack Vielhauer
Demola the Violinist and Bianca Bucaram
Leslie Siller and Cheryl Byington
Mario Gudmundsson and Marcelo Saenz
Hamilton Rowan and Mimi Sperber-Wasserberg
Karen deGeurin and Peter Remington
Kathy Flanagan and Lloyd Gite
Leisa Holland Nelson and Marilyn Oshman
Chris Hendel and Beth Wolff
Lisa Gochman, Chloe Dao and Lindsey Word
Leaders & Legends is an annual portrait series that seeks to honor both icons of the city, responsible for its growth and prominence, as well as Houston’s current leaders, charting the path forward.
Guests enjoyed fun, fabulous treats from Monarch Hospitality including lobster “corn dogs,” timber-smoked Wagyu carpaccio under glass, caviar “twinkies,” foie gras and cognac mousse served in little ice cream cones and adult Cosmopolitan popsicles. DJ TK kept the scene lively.
Father-and-son UH basketball coaches Kelvin and Kellen Sampson were also among the community luminaries featured in the 2022 “Leaders & Legends” collection.
WHEN TEXAS PHILANTHROPIST Kristi Schiller had crippling migraines, bouts of transient amnesia and speech problems at age 50, she chalked it up to old age. But the incidents got worse, and one time she forgot how to get home.
“After the issues continued a while, I thought I had a brain tumor,” says Schiller. A few weeks later, she noticed loss of motor skills and coordination, and after experiencing a serious fall, an MRI revealed she had suffered from multiple strokes. “It was 2021 and in the wake of Covid-19, so it took 12 hours waiting at Methodist Hospital to be admitted, but I was glad I was getting treatment,” says Schiller. At that point, she didn’t even remember her name or how to write.
With help from her doctors and through daily medication, Schiller has made almost a full recovery and hasn’t suffered another stroke since her diagnosis. In addition to her life as a Quarter Horse breeder and operating a non-profit organization, she now uses her social platform — with 165,000 followers — to advocate for stroke awareness and prevention.
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the No. 1 cause of death in women, with one in five experiencing a stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Schiller is determined to share her story in hopes of raising awareness about the warning signs of strokes and how to prevent them. “If there’s anything I love, it’s being a pundit!” adds the former media personality.
Schiller says it’s always important to know your family’s medical history. “I had no idea that my grandmother died of a stroke until I talked to my cousin about the details,” says Schiller. There are many signs and symptoms of a stroke including numbness on one side, issues with speech, chest pain and more, so she advises women to stay on top of their check-ups, communicate with their doctor and to not ignore symptoms. “Most people associate stroke with cardiovascular disease but after weeks of testing, my neurosurgeon discovered that my multiple strokes were most likely caused by a heart murmur I was born with.”
After months of recovery, testing and speech therapy, she’s happy to be at home at Schiller Ranch near College Station, where she and husband John Schiller, “a big Texas Aggie fan,” breed Quarter Horses for racing. “I’m in charge of all things tangible like our farm-to-table menus, but I have to watch myself because I still get exhausted and there is always a chance of another seizure,” says Schiller.
Schiller took a hospital selfie as she recovered from a series of strokes last year that left her, for a time, unable to recall her name
Schiller, a dog lover, founded a nonprofit that pairs canine cops with law enforcement.
Schiller — who had some fun with CityBook last year, giving colorful answers to the mag's influencer questionnaire — is still involved with the non-profit she founded, K9s4COPS, an organization that provides K-9s trained in narcotics, explosives and firearms detection to police across the country. She knew she needed help during her recovery and found some key players for assistance. “We run on a skeleton crew, but we have grown the organization tremendously and now operate in 38 states.”
She prides herself in the fact that the non-profit has confiscated $2.5 billion in contraband nationwide by using trained K-9s. “All of these recent school shootings are so frightening and sad. Our K9s4KIDs initiative has given 28 school K9-s to 15 schools and universities across the U.S. and kept over two million students safe each school year.”
Now, that’s something to be proud of!