(Photo courtesy of Houston Picnics by Deb via Debra Hume)
HOUSTON - When it's not unbearably hot or raining cats and dogs, there are a lot of times in Houston when a picnic seems like a great idea.
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However, if you've been that person who has planned a picnic, you are well aware of the burdens that come along with it, so why not have a professional handle it for you?
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Plan your next date, anniversary, or outdoor activity with Houston Picnics by Deb
If you've been that person who has planned a picnic, you are well aware of the burdens that come along with it, so why not have a professional handle it for you? Introducing, Debra Hume, creator of Houston Pinics by Deb.
Debra Hume, the creator of Houston Picnics by Deb, tells FOX 26 in an interview she started her business during the COVID-19 pandemic but was always the one in her friend's group who would plan and host events.
"I wanted to host a picnic for my bridesmaids, and so I just thought, OK, well, why don't I just create the whole thing myself?" she explained. "So that was the original, and then it just kind of stuck, because then COVID happened, and everyone wanted to be outdoors. And so, my love for hosting meshed with my love for the outdoors, and just seemed like the perfect dream job for me."
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Hume's picnics are not your typical, blanket and basket full of sandwiches though. In fact, the picnics don't even have to be for a date necessarily but for any type of outdoor activity with a group.
"People come to me when they have some sort of dream of, ‘I want to celebrate my loved one, or I want to have a bridal shower, baby shower, whatever it may be,’ I help them choose the theme - that design; kind of bringing their vision to life and communicating through the process of setting up exactly what they want," Hume said. "And then whenever their special magical date comes, I'll show up there and set up the - if it's going to be a picnic, I'll set up their rugs and pillows and all of the decorations that come with it."
(Photo courtesy of Houston Picnics by Deb via Debra Hume)
For anyone who has tried to plan a picnic themselves or with a special someone, it can be burdensome. And if you're organizing an event in general, it can be taxing, but Hume helps to try and take the weight off.
"Hosting as many people know can be very overwhelming," she admitted. "So just having someone to be there to take off anything from your to-do list is kind of my goal to have as many things as you know, I can taking off of their plates."
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For example, figuring out where you're going to have the event.
"I will find whatever park allows us [to have the picnic] so normally, I go to Buffalo Bayou Park because I have a permit there," Hume explained. "
And of course, heaven forbid you found a perfect location for the picnic but have to do multiple trips back to your car cause you forgot something! When Hume's services, all you really need to do is show up.
"I think just being able to show up without thinking because the amount of things you have to bring to a park like you are like, ‘oh man, I wish I had five wagons,’" Hume said. "So I can also set up picnics where there's like things to do like board games, or a lot of times I'll have people do like where they paint the skyline of Houston, so little activity as well embedded into the picnic experience. And then yeah, it just like makes it even. It makes it even more special to be able to just show up and have and be taken care of in that way."
Unless you want to bring your own food to the picnic, Hume also can pick up food from partnering vendors and will ensure it is given the proper care before it reaches you.
"I typically advise people to bring things that don't spoil easily, and then if I'm the one who picks up the food, then I have a basket that's insulated. And then I put ice pack so and then other times people will bring their own food, it just kind of depends," she said.
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Despite all the work and planning that can be taxing for the ordinary person, Hume says the stellar feedback she's gotten from customers is what she lives for.
"Everyone loves it, like everyone is so happy. So it's kind of the best part about my job is I get to be around people that are celebrating in some sort of capacity," she said. "So I'll be with people in very intimate moments like engagements and things like that. So I feel like very connected to people."
"I've gotten the most incredible, sweet notes from my clients that I really made their celebration and their loved one feel special," Hume continued. "And so I always aim to go above and beyond for those situations."
To learn more about Houston Picnics by Deb or schedule an event, visit her website. You can also follow her on Instagram @houstonpicnicsbydeb