BEFORE I GO HOME TO CLEAN MY HOUSE FOR THE HBA PARTY TONIGHT

Hostess with the Mostess is having over friends from the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas tonight. We’re doing Mexican. Anyway, I just wanted to say that Jacklyn Butler, who did the floral and party design, is a genius. She is a person who for example “did” Tom Hicks’ 50th birthday party. And does Eleanor Mowry Sheets’ Christmas house, which is one of the most elegant and beautiful I have ever seen. For us she brought in painted pottery, santos, black Madonnas, roses and marigolds. It is enchanting and happy.

Hasta manana. Late. As I am serving margaritas.

POP QUIZ FOR PEGGY

I am from New York. Maybe we do things differently there. But we spell weird W-E-I-R-D. Even when describing places like Austin.

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Belmont lobby, in Oak Cliff.

RE: BELMONT DALLAS

More like “Keep Oak Cliff Small-town.” That’s a lot of the area’s charm: historic homes, Jefferson Boulevard, the Bishop Arts District. All parts of Oak Cliff that are free of big-business mentality (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Many of the new developments — the Belmont, Kessler Woods, the Lake Cliff Tower — are sensitive to the neighborhood and its funky, diverse charm. I know some are concerned about the Perry Homes townhouses on Bishop Street and the Trinity River townhouses. And some hated to see the Bronco Bowl be replaced by a Home Depot (though I wasn’t one of them). As long as projects are unique and not homogenous, they will be welcome to the Cliff.

BELMONT DALLAS

So finally Dallas has a funky, hip hotel, check it out at www.belmontdallas.com. It sort of reminds me of the San Jose Hotel in Austin. So is Oak Cliff the new Austin? And, instead of the motto “Keep Austin Wierd”, what is the Cliff’s? “Keep Oak Cliff Wild”? What do you think, Todd, our resident Cliffie?

TRINITY DESIGN

Like Christine, I was so enthused by Ed Oakley’s passion for this project. He has spearheaded it and clearly loves to explain it to the probably 90% of the population that don’t really get the scope of it. Go to www.edoakley.com to find out more of his projects.

Industrial Blvd - brings to mind car parts, auto salvage and large oil cans full of industrial waste. They just don’t fit the new Trinity image, sorry, you’re history! And sorry, too, to see the demise of all those nude modeling studios. Who speaks for them??

The Industrial meeting will probably go on for about 40 days, can you imagine all those people trying to decide on a name? But, I loved the idea of including area school children in choosing the right name. Any ideas, anyone??

THE RESURRECTION OF THE BELMONT

Those of us who live in North Oak Cliff have been closely following this project. The Belmont was a long neglected motel that sat at the corner of Fort Worth and Sylvan Avenues. It was designed by renowned architect Charles Dilbeck in 1947 and boasts grand views of Downtown Dallas. Many of us in the OC see the Belmont as a key element to the revitalization of Fort Worth Avenue — a major thoroughfare that skirts along the edges of West Dallas and North Oak Cliff. The area is rough. But the newly redone Belmont is a beauty. Very hip. Very mod. Dilbeck would approve. A restaurant and townhouses are soon to follow. Read more about the Belmont as well as recent Oak Cliff developments here.