When it comes to community, Forth + Nomad is all about it. Their unique productsranging from apparel and jewelry to home decor and skin care are sourced from localartists, referred to as “makers” by the brand. We sat down with the owners and had theopportunity to learn more about the handcrafted goods shop.The store was established at 714 Yale Street, Suite 1z in February of 2017 whenhusband and wife duo Andy and Morgan Sommer decided to venture out in an effort toshowcase Houston’s local makers and artists.“We got married about two and a half years ago and always talked about kind of startingour own thing. We didn’t know what that would be,” said Andy. “We both workedcorporate jobs, and just travelled a lot, and noticed that the favorite places that wevisited were places that celebrated the people of that city that made it unique andspecial and, you know, a lot of the creatives.” The more the two of them thought about this, the more it inspired them to create something similar in their own city. A community within their community highlighting everything great about Houston. “Just from traveling we were like ‘we want to make a place where people know they can go to find out who and what these people do.’ And kind of came up with the concept of promoting like local makers, focussing on hand-made, small batch and we were just looking to find a space in Houston to just open it for a weekend, just like test it out, you know, like true pop-up style. And Morgan found this space and reached out and the landlord loved it,” said Andy. They found themselves with a spot at the Heights Mercantile. However, there was one aspect of the location that was unexpected. Instead of opening as a pop-up shop for only one weekend, the landlord of the space wanted a long term agreement of at least six months to a year. Also, their entire business plan was due three days from then. “We had just thought of this, you know, maybe a week. And so, we whip up this thing and they liked it. And they kinda gave us a shot and it seemed to really be working,” said Andy. “And about 6 months into that we agreed to take the space across the street. So we’ll expand on the concept there” The new location, catty-corner to their current, will open on May 4, with a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. consisting of workshops, free drinks, music and a live show to wrap up the night. Once the new site opens up, local makers will be able to create from their own space within the store. “So we’ll actually have a psych wall, which is just like a photo wall, all white, that people can rent out. We’ll have a podcast studio and meeting room that you can rent out; as well as like offer branding services and things down the road,” said Andy. Since the initial launch of Forth + Nomad, the Sommers have seen a great outpouring of love from their city. After speaking with a lot of their customers, Morgan and Andy realized that people in the community had been wishing for a locally sourced, handmade goods shop that lasted longer than just one weekend. “The Heights has been the perfect community to be in and like to launch in. ‘Cause like the heights loves local, they love handmade,” said Morgan. “So many of the artists are here in the Heights. So community-wise it’s been great, ‘cause everyone seems to have really jumped on board.” What a lot of people may not realize is that shopping local helps to boost the economy as well as cut down on waste like packaging material. For every $100 spent at a local business, about $70 goes right back into that community. It also gives life and meaning to the products that you’re purchasing. “We believe that the story and people behind every product that we sell is just as significant as like the actual product itself. And when you come and shop at our store you know you’re basically buying something that’s human and something that you can relate to, something that has a story and also it’s going to be quality,” said Andy. “We stand by the quality of everything that we carry. And so we kind of encourage people… from our store, to kind of gain inspiration and just kind of be who they want to be. Our slogan is ‘seek inspiration, live authentic’ because we feel like you can actually express yourself through what we carry at our store.”

2021 Pumpkin Patches in HoustonThe leaves are changing colors 🍂 and the cool breeze of fall is making it’s way to Houston! We’ve got you covered on all the best family-friendly pumpkin patches around town.Dewberry FarmFor many years this traditional Houston favorite has been serving up family fun with their 50+ attractions and over 8 acres of corn mazes! Saturdays 10am – 6pmSundays 11am – 6pmSeptember 25 – November 14Address:7705 FM-362Brookshire, TX 77423United States45 miles from downtown Houston, about a 50 minute drive.You’ll find old favorite attractions (the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch!) and some delightful new ones — plus a whole lotta good things to eat and drink! Wine and beer in the Cantina this year! Our Events Calendar will list special hours, live entertainment, fireworks shows and more! Come visit!!Old Time Christmas Tree FarmOn Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October you can visit the Pumpkin Patch Open: Fridays from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.Saturday AND Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.7632 Spring Cypress Rd. Spring, TX 7737927 miles from Downtown Houston, about a 45 minute drive. Bring the family out on a weekend in October and celebrate Fall in Texas! Entry is $9 per person (age 2+). Once inside, purchase pumpkins or tickets for one or more of our eight attractions. Enjoy some food, shaved ice, and funnel cakes in the shade in our Picnic Area. Take some great photos of your family. Here at the Old Time Christmas Tree Farm, we believe in keeping it simple – spending quality time with your family and getting a real farm experience. P-6 FarmsThis Montgomery farm has 8 acres of corn mazes on land large enough to run regular cattle and hay operation alongside their seasonal events or the community.Open: Oct. 9 – Nov. 7Saturdays and Sundays 10am – 6pm9963 Poole’s Road. Montgomery, Texas, 7735657 miles from Downtown Houston, about 1 hour and 5 minute drive. P-6 Farms is an actual working farm in Montgomery, Texas. We specialize in cattle, hay, hormone free Angus beef & pork, farm fresh produce, u-pick strawberries, u-pick blackberries, and our annual fall festival and corn maze. – P-6 Farms FB Page Blessingtons FarmsSat Sep 18, 2021 – Sat Nov 20, 2021– see all dates Sundays: 9:00am to 4:00pm CTAge:All agesPrice:$20 per person, $15 for senior citizens (65+), free for children under 24 mos Location: 510 Chisolm Trail Wallis, Tx 77485Come enjoy the pumpkin patch and fall festivities at Blessington Farms. Fall activities include hayrides, giant slides, barrel train rides, pedal cars, hands-on animal encounters, gem mining, fossil digs, flower picking, and more. All Farm Funland activities are included in the price of admission with the exception of gems for Gem Mining (prices vary), flower picking and camel and bird feedings, which are $3 each (enough for 2 people to enjoy).Fishing is FREE with admission (bring your own pole, barbless hook and bait).Most pumpkin varieties are $0.50/lb. – don’t forget your camera for some fantastic photo opportunities! We hope that this list of featured pumpkin patches and festivals adds some (pumpkin) spice to your fall family traditions!

I’ve put together this email with tips and detailed instructions on how you can protest your property taxes. Keeping your property taxes low will help you tremendously keep your household budget in check or when you decide to sell! Preparation and Important Tips Locate your “Notice of Appraised Value” letter that you received from HCAD in the mail. If you don’t have this Notice you must contact HCAD directly (713.957.7800)Deadline to protest and submit your paperwork for your informal hearing request is May 15th.You will have to provide “evidence” so begin gathering pictures of outstanding repairs or maintenance items for your home, inspection report, comparable properties etc. Keep these items as you will likely have to protest yearly.Encourage your neighbors to protest also. The more you have fighting, the better. You should try to settle in the informal hearing if you can. This is the easiest place to get your value reduced.Ways to Protest To protest your taxes you can do 1 of 2 things:Protest YourselfHire a Company to protest on your behalfAgain, the deadline for all of these is on May 15th, 2021.Filing a Protest You have 2 options for filing your protest: Option 1: File online using HCAD iFile https://hcad.org/hcad-online-services/ifile-protest/Option 2: File via mail with a Notice of Protest Form, download here.  Using iFile This is where you will need to reference your Notice of Appraised Value letter. In the top right corner locate your iFile number. You MUST have this number in order to use iFile.If this is your first time logging in as an owner on HCAD’s website then you must sign up first. Once you are in your private account you will see the option to iFile a Protest. Click this option and you will be redirected to iFile Online Protest. This is a fillable form that will ask you questions that pertain to your protest.One of the MOST important questions you will answer will be the reason for your protest. You will want to check two things:Value is over market value.Value is unequal compared with other properties.Present Evidence You can present your evidence in two different ways.Option 1: iSettle™- This is HCAD’s online platform for reviewing homeowner’s protests. You can only use iSettle if you filed your protest using iFile. Most neighborhoods are eligible for iSettle™. A few neighborhoods are not due to their complexity. If your neighborhood is not eligible, HCAD will notify you.Option 2: Informal Hearing- You have this option whether you use iFile or the “Notice to Protest” form. HCAD will schedule and notify you of your Informal hearing date by mail. Informal Hearing If you choose or have to attend an informal hearing there a some things to keep in mind:The person you are meeting with in this informal hearing is not “out to get you”. This is just an underpaid regular guy or gal who is trying to make it through a work day without homeowners cursing them out.The best success is negotiating is to be the reasonable, calm, and informed home owner. They want to settle, they want you to go home and they want to take their lunch break. Help them to help you. Hiring a Company-If you are not planning to protest on your own or do not have the time to protest then at least get a company to do it on your behalf.-Property tax companies that do this for a living will keep some (most of the time 50%) of the savings that they earn you.-If you are not fighting on your own then you make no money so it’s best to at least have someone doing it on your behalf in hopes of some savings.I hope you found this helpful. It was written based on the Harris County protest process since that’s where the bulk of my clientele lives. If you live in a different county and need assistance just reach out! Let me know how I can help you or your sphere with their property taxes, call or email me today!