Mary Elizabeth Pennington

Each month, Coast Monthly visits with some of the most charming people on the Texas Coast to chat about their style.

Photo by Chris Kuhlman

Mary Elizabeth Pennington moved around a lot as a young girl, but when her family settled in The Woodlands, she discovered a love for weekends in Galveston.

So, four years ago, she moved to the island and eventually bought a circa 1886 historical house close enough to walk to the beach and downtown.

“I love my house,” she said. “It has a good vibe and there’s even a few ghosts hanging around.”

A sales representative for a medical devices company, Pennington spends her free time doing yoga, paddle boarding, meeting friends at Mod Coffeehouse and going to the farmers market.

“I love the attitude of the Galveston coast and the relaxed vibe of island time,” she said.

A former Kilgore College Rangerette, she’s been dancing since she was 3 years old, she said.

She describes her fashion style as “laid back, but preppy.” Her seasonal likes for summer include lots of sundresses, yoga pants, swimsuits and cover-ups.

Here are a few of her favorite things:

1. Kilgore College Rangerettes photo: Me and my “Big Sister” Rangerette when I was in my freshman year at Kilgore Community College, before I became an officer.

2. Kilgore Rangerettes jeweled boot: I made this boot replica to remind me of the boots I wore during my memorable Rangerette performances.

3. Yoga pants: I’m certified to teach Buti — a style of yoga that includes dancing — and I’ll be teaching at Island Salt Air Hot Yoga Studio in Galveston. These have a real retro feel and the design has my favorite flowers, daisies.

4. Starfish trinket box: I keep some of my favorite treasures in this box, which is very special to me.

5. Painting: This is a Galveston street scene from Heard Gallery. It was a gift from my great-aunt’s friend after I moved into my house.

6. Swimsuit cover-up: This is a great cover-up for going to the beach or the pool. It’s pretty fancy, has some bling and I love the bright orange color. I can even wear it as a top.

7. Pearl ring box: A gift from my mom, given to me at my sister’s bridesmaids’ luncheon. All the bridesmaids got ring boxes, but mine was a little different since I was maid of honor, and I love pearls.

8. Aggie ring: I had my Aggie college ring blinged out with these diamond ring guards to make it a little more personalized. I’m very proud of it.

9. Tennis shoes: I got these leopard print tennis shoes at Dorothy May’s on The Strand and they are my very favorite pair.