Texas Women Feud is in Full Tilt

Country Music Television (CMT) and Kirby Schlegel threw a bash last night to celebrate the success of CMT's newest show, "Texas Women".  In addition to the cast of Texas Women, a bevvy of cheerleading beauties from "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" and host Evan Farmer from CMT's "Top 20 Countdown" were also in attendance.

The party was held at Kirby's penthouse pad at the W Hotel, which boasts some spectacular views of Downtown Dallas. I found the pairing of CMT and the Schlegel's very odd. When I think of country music, boot scootin' and rodeos - the wealthy, sophisticated, conservative Schlegel family does NOT come to mind.

Apparently, they share the same PR firm, and as one CMT Producer said to me, "Look at this penthouse! There's no way we were gonna turn down a chance to party here!" I had to agree. It was pretty awesome.

I had initially declined the invite because I was already committed to attend another event. But when news of a major scandal and subsequent feud between the girls of Texas Women broke Monday... I reconsidered.  Once I had confirmed that all four gals were scheduled to attend, I decided that this could be a verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting evening.  So, off I went.

I had already met and interviewed Jason and Booke Jeter and Ali Dee a couple of weeks ago, when they were interviewed on WFAA's Daybreak. If you watch the show you know that Brooke's horse, Whiskey, had some injuries and has been out of commission for a few months. Brooke was so excited to tell me that Whiskey is doing great and after a week of aqua-training at the horsey spa (which is like water aerobics for horses) he will be ready to come home. 

When Hannah Helvey and a hobbled Anna Hunt walked in, Brooke and Jason beelined it for the other end of the penthouse. And that's how they stayed for the whole time I was there - all of the girls were like caged cats, circling the room trying to stay as far apart as possible and not make eye contact.  Personally, I was hoping for a smackdown, but alas, twas not to be. 

Click here to see more photos from this event on Facebook

Kirby Schlegel and Levi Crocker

I was actually excited to meet Anna because I really like her on the show.  She's every bit as personable and spunky in person.The first thing I had to ask her was what happened to her foot. It was all wrapped up and she came in on crutches. She sheepishly said that she had been at Hannah's the night before to have a glass of wine, tripped and fell and broke a bone in her foot. I told her that was the most uninteresting story I had ever heard and she needed to make up a better one.

I suggested she say that her bull, Jackson, had bucked her off during a training exercise or something. "Maybe I should say I broke it kicking Brooke's ass," Anna quipped. We giggled for the next 5 minutes, coming up with story ideas. And that, was about as close to we got to talking about the feud. I was too ladylike to ask, plus I knew I would just get a politically correct, CMT-approved spin answer - so what was the point.

I was kind of surprised when Levi Crocker, from the upcoming Logo show A-List: Dallas walked in, until I was reminded that CMT and Logo are a part of the same network family.  Their show debuts October 3 and promises to live up the A-List reputation of lots of Queeny drama. Should be good!!

An hour into the party, I had to make hasty retreat and rush across town to make the VitaminWater Fashion Show. More on that to come. If there was a catfight, I hope it didn't break out after I left. That would be a real bummer...

AFB has an Eye on Fashion

Holly McKnight

The Center on Vision Loss and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) will present Artists with a Vision on September 21, at the Samuel Lynne Galleries to raise awareness and funds to sustain the center’s operations and growth.

Last Thursday, AFB held a Kickoff party at TOOTSIES.  Guests chatted and mingled before AFB Development Director Abi Erickson wrangled guests to take their seats where we were delighted, informed, and inspired by stories of living with vision impairments from Holly McKnight. 

In true TOOTSIES philanthropic fashion, 15% of the sales this evening were donated to the organization.

"Artists With a Vision" will be a cocktail reception and exhibit held at the Samuel Lynne Galleries on September 21 and will showcase works by three internationally acclaimed blind artists.

One of those artists, John Brambitt, was in attendance (see photo above) at the event but the true rock stars of the night were the guide dogs who stayed close to their owners sides but were very curious about what was going on.

This blog is a proud sponsor of Artists With a Vision and AFB. I hope you will help support this wonderful organization by purchasing a ticket and attending this unique event. 

Click here to see more photos 

from this event on Facebook 

Thanks to Uptown Consignment for helping me find this amazing dress by Karen Millen to wear and to Jeremiah Garcia at Salon Pompeo in Uptown for doing my make-up.

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support! 

Photos by James Edward

New Obsession: Chanel's New Denim-Inspired Nail Polishes

Make room in your medicine cabinet!  Chanel will release three new nail polish shades come September 8, making Fashion’s Night Out just a swipe of shiny polish better.  Inspired by denim, the colors are sure to become a nail wardrobe staple, just like their sartorial counterpart. No word yet on if they’ll make our butt look good though. From left, the shades are named Blue Rebel, Coco Blue and Blue Boy.


These bound-to-be-coveted polishes will only be available until the end of September. Though something tells us they’ll be gone faster than you can click your pretty polished finger at, so you’ll have to act fast.

Stop by the Chanel store in Highland Park Village on September 8 for Fashion's Night Out and you can be the first to get your hands on the newest CHANEL Nail Colour Collection with a complimentary mini-manicure featuring these exclusive hues.

source 

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support! 

Simply Summer, Fashionably Fall 2011

Simply Summer... Fashionably Fall took place at Neiman Marcus NorthPark last Thursday.  Event Co-Chairs Kristi Bare, Maggie Cooke-Kipp, Nancy Gopez, Margaret Keliher and Cindy Stager hosted a fabulous evening that included cocktails, delicious bites from NM Cafe, music by DJ Jennifer Miller and DJ Paul Paredes, and an informal fashion show featuring designs by Lafayette 148 New York.

Yvonne Crum, Maggie Cooke-Kipp and Shay Geyer

Designer Edward Wilkerson, Lafayette 148 New York attended the event and was just lovely, wandering around and introducing himself to all of the guests. He spent time with everyone chatting about his inspiration for the Fall collection and pontificating about the latest trends.  A portion of the proceeds went to benefit Turtle Creek Recovery Center.

Designs from Lafayette 148 New York

About Turtle Creek Recovery Center:

Turtle Creek Recovery Center ("TCRC"), a 501 (c)(3) corporation founded in 1968, is the only residential program in North Texas that is wholly dedicated to serving both men and women who have co-occurring disorders of severe mental illness and alcohol or drug addiction. 

Photos by Bob Manzano 

Dallas Designer helps Nate Berkus kick off a new season

Nicole Cullum Horn is a visual artist and entrepreneur, devoted to contemporary design, painting, and sculpture.  She was recently tapped by the Dallas charity Dwell with Dignity to help makeover the apartment of a mother and two young children who were relocating from a homeless shelter. 

 The Nate Berkus Show is highlighting the efforts of this charity to kick off their new season, and flew in their design team to partner on the project.  When the call came Nicole was able to whip up a support team and turned out 8 pieces of furniture in less than a week to meet the Producer’s deadline.

Nicole’s studio, Modern Relics, has gained recognition in Dallas design circles for breathing new life into outdated furniture, and for collaborations with the Fairmont Hotel and Lucia Restaurant.  

In October 2010, Nicole’s revamped dining room chair won 2nd place in a Dwell with Dignity contest judged by a panel of well-known designers and design bloggers including Jonathan Adler and Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge.

“Refinishing a piece of furniture not only changes the piece but it can change the feel of an entire room,” says Nicole. “It allows you to reuse good furniture while creating something new and appealing at the same time. 

Being able to use this approach to make this family’s space feel like a home was truly gratifying.”  In addition to her custom work with Modern Relics, Nicole features affordable, upcycled pieces of furniture at her booth in Indie Genius in Oak Cliff.

Details

What:    Nicole Cullum Horn helps Dwell with Dignity makeover a bland apartment for a Dallas family in need

When:   11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 31^st

Where:  NBC 5, KXAS-TV, Dallas.

New Blood needed for Existing Reality TV Show about Mothers and Daughters

Looks like an existing reality TV show about Mothers and Daughters is slated to come back for a second season. They are "considering" adding some new blood to the mix for next season.  I was asked not to put it in print what the TV show is - so I just hyperlinked it for you.  Which technically is not betraying any requests. If you are a Mother/Daughter duo willing to pimp yourself out for TV stardom - here's the info. Knock yourself out:

Brooke Jeter gives Hannah Helvey the Smackdown

Jeter and Helvey

Brooke Jeter and "Hurricane Hannah" Helvey started off the season of Texas Women thick as thieves. The self-proclaimed besties took a turn for the worse over the last couple of episodes with Brooke seeming to have little patience for Hannah, barely even being able to tolerate her presence.  Hannah seemed to cower in a corner every time Brooke was around, acting nervous and playing with her phone as a means of escape.

The confusing part about this was that you couldn't really figure out WHAT had happened? Today, Jeter took to her Facebook Page to clear things up:

Well, this explains a lot.  Click the photo to enlarge it (if you're old like me and need everything BIG!) Click here to read this post on Facebook and leave a comment for Brooke.  You go, girl!

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support! 

Rock N Runway Celebrates 25 Years for Stanley Korshak

Cynthia Smoot, Matt Nordgren & Courtney Kerr

As part of their 25th Anniversary celebration, Stanley Korshak hosted "Rock N Runway" last night  benefiting the PARK. Dallas' fashionistas enjoyed 3 mini-fashion shows held on a colossal curved runway in the courtyard.  

DJ Lucy Wrubel and BMP Trio got the crowd jumpin', there were bites by Lombardi’s Catering, sips by Stolichnaya and wheels by Aston Martin Dallas.

"America's Sassiest Lifestyle Guru" Steve Kemble, actress LeeAnne Locken, designer Abi Ferrin, Most Eligible Dallas stars Matt Nordgren, Tara Harper and Courtney Kerr and Big Rich Texas stars Melissa and Maddie Poe were among those in attendance.  Also making a rare late night appearance was WFAA Daybreak morning show anchor, Ron Corning.

Click here to see more photos on Facebook

LeeAnne Locken

The soiree was held inside Korshak on the first floor and also utilized the courtyard of the Crescent. Bless their hearts, they tried to cool it off with massive outdoor fans, but it was so HOT that 20 minutes into the event, I went to a girl at the make-up counter and begged her to fin me a rubber band so I could put my hair up in a ponytail.  So much for glamor!

LeeAnne Locken made the most of the outdoor fans and worked her super model skills while keeping cool.  The heat didn't seem to bother party goers who ooh'd and aaah'd over luxe Fall fashions and bopped around to Lucy's techo tunes.

Tara Harper, Abi Ferrin, Laura Flores and Regina Bruce

Congrats to Crawford Brock and Stanley Korshak for an amazing 25 year run. We look forward to seeing what the next 25 years has in store for you!!

Thanks to Uptown Consignment for helping me find an amazing dress by Karen Millen to wear and to Jeremiah Garcia at Salon Pompeo in Uptown for doing my make-up. They made me Rock Star-ready to Rock the Runway!  It takes a village, people...

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!  

What IS Fashion's Night Out?

If you've been on Facebook or read any lifestyle/fashion blogs over the last several weeks, you can't help but have seen the brew-ha-ha over the upcoming extravaganza that is Fashion's Night Out.   But WHAT, you may be wondering, is this event about? Who is it for and what is the purpose? 

Let me 'splain.

"GLEE" & © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Fashion's Night Out, is the brainchild of Vogue's Anna Wintour. FNO was conceived in 2009 as way to gin up excitement about the upcoming shopping season. Times were desperate for retailers and designers; this was a way to lure penny-pinching consumers into stores when the merchandise was at full price. FNO was not about celebrating the runways, high-end designers and rarified goods; instead, it was a wholly commercial endeavor, one that sought the participation of every brand from Giorgio Armani to Zara. And to underscore the point that this was a party to which all were invited, Wintour, whose workday uniform involves Prada and Oscar de la Renta, made a pilgrimage to Macy's in a Queens shopping center to try to pry open the non-designer wallets of the hoi polloi.

Get Your Swag On!

With so much razzle-dazzle, retailers were confident they could stir up excitement and publicity. But would anyone actually shop?  As it turns out, some of the biggest financial gains that first year were made by stores with the least amount of hoopla in their aisles. For example, New York designer Tory Burch spent the evening at her Meatpacking District boutique where she hosted a block party with music and hamburgers. The biggest activity? Burch autographed a tote bag that was a gift with a $100 purchase. While the company wouldn't specify revenue for the night, sales were twice what organizers had hoped and dreamed.

FNO has evolved into a one-day gorge-fest of special guest appearances in boutiques large and small, hipster DJs, indie bands, a mass runway shows, and enough cocktail parties to pickle every liver from New York to Dallas to Los Angeles to London and Milan.

This year's event will be held coast-to-coast on September 8. 

For a list of event and special offerings around Dallas, visit:
NorthPark Center
Highland Park Village
Galleria Dallas
TOOTSIES
Neiman Marcus Willowbend
West Village

This year, the cast of GLEE lent their voices to the annual shopping and style extravaganza that is FNO.  This music video, created exclusively for the FNO event, has already aired during the show on Fox. If you missed it or if you want to see it again, you can watch it in its entirety here, share it with your friends—and get ready for the big night.

Click here to view this video on YouTube

source 

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!  

Elie Tahari Opens September 1 at NorthPark Center

Elie Tahari Ltd. will open their first freestanding boutique in Dallas at NorthPark Center on September 1, 2011. The 2,700 square-foot boutique was designed to complement the modern sophistication of the Elie Tahari brand and will offer the complete Elie Tahari lifestyle and house the women’s, men’s and accessories collections.

The entrance to the store is framed with a floor to ceiling glass and metal façade, while blackened steel hang rails line the store, creating a striking backdrop for the collections. This store will also feature a multi-textured niche wall at its center. European white oak flooring, Venetian plaster walls, silk carpets and vintage Venini chandeliers complete the décor.

“We are thrilled to be opening our first store in Dallas, TX and couldn’t imagine a better place to do so than at NorthPark Center.  The city attracts people from all over the world, so we are excited to introduce the Elie Tahari lifestyle to this area. We are eager to continue to expand the number of freestanding Elie Tahari boutiques and are delighted to be adding the 25^th store in the United States to our growing portfolio,” said Elie Tahari, Chairman.

Elie Tahari will be located on the first floor of NorthPark Center in between Barney's and Neiman Marcus.

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!

North Texan, Stacey Powell, Joins the Cast of Survivor: South Pacific

Stacey Powell

A mortician from Grand Prairie is among the latest group of castaways to hit the beach on the CBS reality television show “Survivor: South Pacific” this fall. The new cast members were officially announced on Monday, with two more to be named later in the week.

Stacey Powell will represent North Texas during the show’s latest season. The mortician from Grand Prairie said that she has no tolerance for pessimism. “I don’t like negativity. I do not like any negative vibes coming in my area,” the 44-year-old said. “If you do, gotta shut you down. Gotta go. Get out of here. Can’t be here with me.”

The 23rd season of “Survivor” takes the hit show back to the South Pacific, where 16 new players will be joined by two unnamed returning players. The group will be split into two tribes – Savaii and Upolu – named for two islands in Samoa, where the series was filmed earlier this summer.

Cast of Survivor: South Pacific

The Redemption Island twist also returns, giving players who are voted out of the game a chance to come back, if they can defeat their fellow competitors in a duel. This new game element made its debut last season, where castaway Matt won nearly every Redemption Island challenge before returning cast member ‘Boston Rob’ Mariano ultimately won the $1 million prize.

The new season of Survivor: South Pacific will premiere on CBS this September 14.


Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Source

The A-List Dallas Trailer is Out!

Logo TV's "The A-List: Dallas" will debut October 3.  Here's the official trailer:

When Levi says, "Don't believe anything you read and only half of what you see," he ain't lying. 

This show won't have the broad appeal that Big Rich Texas or Most Eligible Dallas does. But, for it's target audience, I'm sure it will be well received. Will you be watching?

Courtney Kerr and Oh So Cynthia hit the airwaves to talk about Most Eligible Dallas

Courtney Kerr and I went paid Gene and Julie Gates of KVIL's 103.7 Lite FM a visit this morning to chat about Most Eligible Dallas. For those of you who were getting your kiddos off to school this morning or just sleeping in, here's the audio file:

To watch this video on YouTube, click here.

Tune into Bravo tonight at 9 PM. Here's a sneak peek at what you will see:

Episode 2 -“Take the Bull by the Horns”Drew dives head first into the dating world with the help of a matchmaker, while Tara gives it a go with a popular Texas radio host. Courtney picks herself up by the bootstraps and agrees to resolve the awkward first meeting with Neill. Tara plays neutral and invites Neill and Courtney to a girls’ dinner, but the tension escalates the more Courtney drinks.

H&M Opens in NorthPark Center

Lucky me! I got to attend the VIP launch party for the new 24,000 square foot H&M store at NorthPark Center on Wednesday night. The 2-story store was a sea of recessionistas all there to grab fashionable bargains.

Shoppers will not be disappointed in the offerings by H&M, which include Womens (1st floor), Men's and Children's (2nd floor) clothing, shoes and accessories.

As I was tearing through the store like a mad woman to find bargains, I spotted Rhonda Sargent Chambers chatting it up with Jackson from Barneys, jewelry designer Amber Venz checking out the accessories (no surprise), fellow style bloggers Allison and Courtney Edwards from Where Wear In The City and Elissa Stern from Dress With Courage were prowling the place and Leon & Molly Banowetz who were browsing through the kids department for their two adorable tykes.

(top left) DJ Jennifer Miller, "Oh So Cynthia" Smoot and Bri Crum*  (top right) DJ Lucy 
Wrubel with Hamilton Sneed  (bottom) happy shoppers* 

 And, of course, what would an outing in Dallas be these days without a reality TV star sighting!?  It wasn't exactly shocking to see Courtney Kerr from Bravo TV's Most Eligible Dallas who's a "slave to fashion" alongside gal pal, Tori Gonzales.

So, you might be wondering why exactly, is H&M so popular? 

One of the main reasons is that H&M creates  collaborations every year with top designers, such as Stella McCartney and Versace, and brings affordable collections to the masses. Take H&M×Lanvin as an example, the regular price for Lanvin’s clothes ranges from $1000 and $3000, however, H&M×Lanvin line only ranges from $30 to $200!  They also constantly encourage people to wear their clothes in different ways through their LOOKBOOK which helps to teach customers to wear differently.

H&M is a welcome addition to the Dallas fashion scene and I, for one, will be a frequent visitor.  Check out Lisa Petty's website DFWStyleDaily on Monday. Lisa and fellow blogger, Sean Charles from SeanInTheCity.com attended the public Grand Opening mob scene on Thursday and will have a full report and lots of pics.


PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support! 


photo credit: Peter Wynne/Plano Pete

Celebrity Waiter Luncheon Counts Down to September 23

Family Gateway's "Celebrity Waiter Luncheon" Chairman Shay Geyer and Maggie Kipp hosted a countdown party at TOOTSIES for this year's annual luncheon, which will be held on September 23. Guests enjoyed nibbles, cocktails and informal modeling by this year's Celebrity Waiters featuring designs from BCBG and emceed by Rhonda Sargent Chambers of RSC Productions. 15% of the evenings sales went to benefit Family Gateway.

(top) Shear Genius star/hair stylist Daniel Winson Lewis and "Oh So Cynthia" Smoot, Allison Edwards and Courtney Edwards from Where Wear In The City with fashion designer, Sarah Jones of Status  (bottom) Maggie Kipp, BCBG representative, Victoria Snee, Lisa Garza, LeeAnne Locken, Shay Geyer, Alison Volk of Tootsies and Rhonda Sargent Chambers

Family Gateway's "Celebrity Waiter Luncheon" event is an entertaining and lively luncheon with silent and live auctions featuring celebrities from local business, media, politics, sports and entertainment industries as waiters. 

Each table sponsor hosts a table of 10 generous guests who come prepared to tip their waiters with wild abandon and to bid for the extraordinary and unique auction items.

Waiters seek tips in eccentric ways - pocketing your silverware, withholding your meal, singing, performing and dancing; the antics are endless as waiters will go to great lengths to raise the most money during 90 action-packed minutes. This lively competition between waiters results in important funds being raised for Family Gateway.

Click here to see photo's from this event on Facebook

About Family Gateway: 
Family Gateway breaks the generational cycle of homelessness by providing individualized care to homeless families with children; restoring the dignity, stability and self-sufficiency of the family unit.

Bravo TV dubs "Oh So Cynthia" Smoot "Paparazzi"

Photos from the red carpet premiere party for Bravo TV's Most Eligible Dallas party just landed on their website. And look who made an appearance - ME!  I often joke that for all of the many events I go to, I somehow never land in the "party pic" pages of the local press.  This is the biggest "Where's Waldo" moment yet!  Take that Modern Luxury and Paper City. Ha!

Click the photo to go to Bravo's website and view more pics from this event. Mine is #6.

The most hilarious part, is that even though Bravo was provided my name from the local PR company that took these photos, they chose to dub me as "paparazzi".  But, I'm not complaining.  I was actually acting as a correspondent for WFAA's Daybreak, interviewing the cast on the red carpet. My segment will air Friday, August 19 around 6:20 AM.

If you thought my head was big before... there's no living with me now! Ha!

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support! 

NOSH Introduces Brunch

Courtney Kerr and Cynthia

Award winning Chef Avner Samuel is the creative mind behind NOSH euro bistro and bar. The stylish eatery is located in the space formerly occupied by his ultra lavish Aurora.  The expanded space includes a full bar, additional seating areas and a food bar that has been incorporated into the open kitchen.  The menu features casual European/Mediterranean inspired fare.

Carrie Keep, a chef at Nosh Euro Bistro, has had them in the news of late with her appearance as a contestant on Season Nine of Hell's Kitchen, which premiered on Fox this past July 18.

NOSH is creating a new ripple in the media buzz pond with the introduction of their new brunch service on Sundays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. They've kept the best dishes from their lunch menu and added new brunchy-type items to appeal to late morning diners like myself.

They asked me if I'd like to come in and try their new brunch menu so I grabbed gal pal, Courtney Kerr from Bravo TV's Most Eligible Dallas, and we headed over last Sunday to dine and dish.

Food items from top to bottom: Tartare of Ahi Tuna: avocado, jonah crab & yuzu ($11), Mac and Cheese: smoked bacon, caramelized onions & cheddar gratinee ($14) and Beef Tenderloin Benedict: soft poached eggs, melted onions, bacon & béarnaise ($16)  (Right) Executive Chef/Partner, Jon Stevens

Brunch items on the menu include Roasted White Corn Pancakes, Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Biscuits, Spanish Chorizo Hash, Beef Tenderloin Benedict (pictured above)and a "Traditional" Benedict, along with other more lunchy-type entrees like a Kobe Burger, Seared Diver Scallops, Crispy Duck Confit and Grilled Ahi Tuna.  Courtney and I agreed that the absolute best thing we tried was the Tartare of Ahi Tuna appetizer. It simply melted in your mouth with an explosion of flavors and spices. Unbelievable.  NOSH is also serving bottomless Mimosas and Sangria for $7.  

Some food is meant to be eaten with your hands. Period.

The dessert menu did not overly excite me, until Stevens casually mentioned an off-the-brunch-menu special he could make us that was a bananas foster bread pudding. Screech! Stop the car, back it up and say what?!  It was possibly the best thing I've put in my mouth all week and almost eclipsed the meal. Go in. Order it. You will thank me.

NOSH should fare well with their brunch service. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is casual but upscale and the staff was friendly and attentive. I am looking forward to a return visit to NOSH.

NOSH is located at 4216 Oak Lawn (across from Al Biernats and in the same shopping center as Drybar), Dallas, TX 75219, 214-528-9400

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!

Dr. Oz Wants YOU To Be On His Show!

Yesterday, I alerted you to the fact that The Dr. Oz Show will be filming a segment here in Dallas this Thursday.

The producer just emailed me asking to help round up some folks to actually shoot a video segment that will 100% appear ON THE SHOW. 

"I need a group of 10-15 people to show up with their “toothpastes, soaps and body washes with Triclosan”… they will be standing in front of our dump truck and our producer/crew will direct them in the message around 10:30. They would need to get there at 10:15.

They will all be saying something together like “Dr. Oz, we’re here from Dallas and we’re dumping XYZ!!”The message will be featured in the show… they might also get asked questions by a local newscaster about the event, but nothing crazy!"

If you want to be on the Dr. Oz Show and feel you can represent Dallas for this topic, email Ali Perry at APerry@zoco.com ASAP!!

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!

The Plaza at Preston Center is Expanding

While the temperatures in September may not bring a great deal of change to Dallas, the beginning of the new Plaza at Preston Center certainly will.  In early September, construction will begin on a five-story office and retail building which will house the University Park Library, as well as a multi-level underground parking garage that will add more than 450 new parking spaces to the center.

rendering of new office/retail building

The center is already taking steps to ensure that Plaza customers are minimally affected during the construction process. All stores and restaurants will remain open and free valet parking will be offered at many locations throughout the center. Some stores, including Lucky Dog Barkery, Mel Crews and Park Plaza Salon will add rear access to their locations for the convenience of their customers. Shoppers of all ages will even find intriguing entertainment from the project as they safely watch the construction in action from behind a plexiglass wall viewing area.

Several tenants have relocated within the center to make room for the new building. Corner Bakery Café has a new location between New Balance DFW and Baskin Robbins, with a great patio open just in time for cooler temperatures. Matthew Trent Jewelry Design Studio has relocated to the west side of the center facing Preston Road, as will Occhiali Modern Optics.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed by winter 2012.  For more information, visit www.theplazaatprestoncenter.com.

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!

Most Eligible Dallas: Red Carpet Premiere

Gilt City Dallas and Bravo offered fans inside access to the "Most Eligible: Dallas" premiere with a debut screening at the Highland Park Village theater.  For $30, Gilt City Dallas members got the chance to rub shoulders and watch the premiere episode of the show with the cast and afterwards mix and mingle at an after party at the Marquee Lounge.

 

Drew Ginsburg, Tara Harper, Courtney Kerr, Matt Nordgren and Neill Skylar

This evening was the culmination of the last 6 months of blogging for me. In the first episode, there's a clip where Courtney Kerr says, "I'm a slave to fashion" and it shows them at a fashion show.  That was the August Alexander Spring 2011 fashion show and that was the first night I first stumbled onto this crazy cast of characters.  It's been a wild ride ever since.

Courtney sent me a text on Monday morning, "I feel like it's my wedding day!" I understood how she felt... I kind of felt like a bridesmaid!

WFAA's Daybreak had asked me to cover this event for them, so not only did I get to attend the party, but this was my first time to actually be the reporter and interview people on camera. No pressure or anything!  I will be on Daybreak this Friday to talk about this event and the show with Ron Corning, in case you are up and 6:30 or want to set your DVR!

  Cynthia interviewing Courtney Kerr and Matt Nordgren for WFAA's Daybreak

Other Dallas stylistas who turned out for this par-tay were Cathy Vieth, Gregg Asher (he's the one who helped Tara feed Shaniqua off the Wedgewood china), Lisa Petty, Maxine Trowbridge from PinkMemo and an unexpected appearance from Pamela Martin Duarte of Big Rich Texas!

Click here to see exclusive party pics on Facebook

After a brief red carpet walk and a quick glass of champagne, everyone was gathered in the theater where episode one was shown live. There was lots of hooting and hollering when locals like Pamela Chao, Tori Gonzales and Gregg Asher came on-screen.  It's always fun to play "I Spy" and see who you can spot in the background. That's why it's so fun to have these shows filmed here!

Here's what Drew Ginsburg thinks about my blogging about him.  Just kidding! He loves me.

So, what you saw in episode one was a basic introduction to the cast and a hint of what you will see this season:

• Glenn will be shirtless a lot
• Lots of sexual tension between Matt and Courtney - will they or won't they hook up? We'll have to "watch what happens"
• Tara will save lots of cute dogs
• Drew will be battling Courtney for the funniest one-liners
• Neill will be trying to find a balance between being a 23 year-old single Mom and a rock star wannabe

After the show, guests gathered next door at Tre Wilcox's (another Bravo star) Marquee Grill for cocktails and conversation.  Courtney and I had a great time scrolling through the Tweets that were pouring in. One hater said, "I just joined Twitter so I could say that @TheCourtneyKerr is a bitch!". Courtney tweeted back, "Awesome! Welcome to Twitter!"  By the end of the night, her twitter followers had more than doubled. Obviously, not everyone's a hater!

I finally got to meet the elusive Neill Skylar! If you want to see Neill perform with her band, Kitty LaLa, they will be at Boiler Room on August 26 and again on September 16. Check them out.  Matt and I had a great heart-to-heart about girls you date vs. girls you marry. I can see why the ladies love Matt.. he's a charmer! And I got to meet the woman (Kat Reilly) who knows all of Drew Ginsburg's secrets.  Kat was thiiiiiiiiiis close to joining the cast but decided against it, leaving the door open for Neill.  Sadly, the ripped Glenn Pakulak was in Napa attending training camp for the Oakland Raiders, for whom he is a punter. The ladies were mightily disappointed...

It was an amazing night! So amazing, that it took me all day yesterday to recover. Hence the delay in publishing this post. Yeah.  Tune in every Monday for Most Eligible Dallas on Bravo. It's gonna be a fun adventure!!


photo credit: Bruno (except for the 2 shots of Drew and I with my watermark on them)

Dr. Oz Will Film in Dallas this Thursday

THE DR. OZ SHOW IS COMING TO DALLAS! 

(kind of)

Come dump the toxic items Dr. Oz wants out of your home.
You may appear on the Dr. Oz show!

Thursday, August 18  |  11am - 1pm
    Come at 10:15 to be a part of our special video message for Dr. Oz!
Victory Plaza near the American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Bring Soaps, Body Wash and Toothpastes with Triclosan*!           
*Products with Triclosan or Triclocarban will be listed under ingredients.
When in doubt, you should throw them out!
Wear bright, solid colors with no labels or logos

Shooting Stars Debuts January 2012

Jackson Smoot, Gerald McRaney and Griffin Perotti

I recently had the opportunity to visit the set of "Shooting Stars".  This upcoming series, filmed right here in Dallas, could easily be compared to "Dancing with the Stars," with a format that pairs each celebrity with a professional shooter in a competition for charity.

Consisting of six, 1-hour episodes, slated to air on Discovery’s Velocity network in January 2012, the event brings together three of the top trick shooters in the world and three celebrities. Scott Robertson, Tom Knapp and Tim Bradley will wow the audience of 500+ with their amazing trick shooting skills, while the celebrities, NBA basketball legend Karl Malone, actor Gerald McRaney and actor Cole Hauser, show off their own shotgun shooting skills.

Each shooting event, to be an episode of Shooting Stars, will consist of 3 challenges for both the pro and celebrity shooter and the winning team celebrity of each episode will donate their $5,000 prize money to the charity of their choice. 

Cynthia with Cole Houser

McRaney almost lost his life to lung cancer in 2004 and it was the folks at MD Anderson who successfully treated him. He is looking to repay the favor and has selected them as his charity of choice for this show.

Houser is playing for Camp Patriot. Run "by a buddy" of his, this amazing charity strives to renew the dreams and visions of our disabled veterans for a meaningful future by bringing disabled American Veterans to the great State of Montana for outdoor adventures of their choosing.  Houser also told me that he working on developing a new TV show that, if picked up by a network, will hopefully film in Dallas or Austin. (Fingers crossed!)  

Malone was not present at the media event I attended, so I didn't get to visit with him about his charitable selection.

I took my son and a buddy out to Elm Fork Shooting Sports, where the show was filmed, to watch the action and get more scoop on this upcoming competition show. Here's my recap as originally aired on WFAA's Daybreak:

New Evidence That Courtney Kerr & Matt Nordgren Are More Than Friends

Dallas is all a-buzz with the premiere of Bravo TV's latest franchise, Most Eligible Dallas. The show, filmed over the last 6 months in and around Dallas, will debut tonight on Bravo at 9 PM.

A few days ago, I brought it to your attention that two of the shows stars might be more than just good friends. Adding more fuel to the fire was an interview today on Good Morning Texas with the cast (minus the delectable Glenn Pakulak who is in Napa for the Oakland Raiders training camp).

Host Amy Vanderoef asked the cast, "There are so many dating shows on the air right now. What makes this show a little bit more special than what we are used to seeing when it comes to reality television?"

Matt Nordgren took that one and replied, "What's different in this dating show is that some of the endings will be different than what most people see in these other dating shows."  Now, it's not his answer that was so intriguing... it was the smirk on Courtney Kerr's face and the fact that Tara Harper looked specifically at her when Matt said this.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present exhibit A:

Amy then asks Courtney, "Do you have any boyfriend-relations with any of the boys on the show?" Courtney quips back, "No boyfriends. No boyfriends... lately." and then cracks, "You know I can't tell you!  My hair is so big, because it's full of secrets."

So, was she implying that they did date but now they aren't dating? Or that he's not her "boyfriend", but now her "fiance"?  Hmmm.  The mystery continues... I can't wait to see how this story ends!

Most Eligible Dallas debuts tonight and will air Mondays on Bravo at 9 PM

Meet Ali Dee and Brooke Jeter from Texas Women: The Interview

Brooke Jeter and Ali Dee

WFAA Daybreak's Ron Corning and I chatted on-air several weeks ago about the slew of reality TV docu-dramas and competition shows that are originating from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  One of those shows is Texas Women which is currently running every Thursday at 9 PM on CMT.

The premise of the show is a quartet of friends who work in the rodeo and country music scene by day and party by night. There’s a competitive barrel racer (Brooke Jeter), a lazy wanna-be model ("Hurricane" Hannah Helvey), a stock contractor (Anna Hunt), and an aspiring singer (Ali Dee).

This past Friday, Ron had Ali Dee and Brooke Jeter on the show and I had an all-access pass to hang out with the ladies backstage and chat with them about how life has changed now that their show is on the air. 'Cuz that's how I roll...

Click here to view photos from this 
meet-n-greet on Facebook!

You have to check out the photo's to see first-hand Brooke's addition to bling. This girl loves her a Bedazzler. Her husband, Jason, also tagged along for moral support and hung out with me on the sidelines.

Ali performed her single "World's Gone Crazy" for the crowd gathered outside the WFAA studios in Victory Plaza.  The first 30 seconds is Ron Corning introducing her and you can't really hear what they are saying, so click forward if you want to just get to the singing part:

Even though it was 6:30 AM, both ladies were bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and eager to chat about their experiences both on the show and what's happened since filming ended.  Here's my chat with Brooke Jeter. Sorry for the shaky start. Can you tell I had drunk 2 cups of coffee before I filmed this? Jeez!

I caught up with Ali Dee after her performance for a quick visit to see how her ep - aka. Elvis Presley - was coming along.  (You have to watch the show to get that one...)

Both gals were just charming and I had a great time hanging out with them. We are only to episode 4 and so far Anna has been my favorite on the show, but... after the meeting the ladies today, Brooke has definitely moved up the ladder for me. She and Jason are a great couple and she is full of personality.  She can drop a dead cricket in my lasagna anytime. 

You can catch Texas Women every Thursday at 9 PM on CMT.