RITZY TIMING

Note that while the W opens this week, today the Ritz managed to snag a good chunk of ink with the announcement today of the new 23 story Regency-style tower and the 4 Regency Row homes. I got my press announcement kit in such a pretty cornflower blue envelope I almost did not want to open it. I’ll scan the rendition photo in for you later.

I ache for the Mavericks — what a bummer — but at least we have the Ritz in Dallas, finally after all these years. A championship next year is in the air… so they can stay at the Ritz! Or W. Or Palomar. Or Mandarin O. Dear Lord, we need a championship just to fill all those hotels!

CONSOLE YOURSELF WITH SOME COOKWARE

Still reeling from the Mavs’ loss last night? I say gather up all your credit cards, dip into the savings, cash the bonds, and go shopping. (The kids didn’t really need higher education, did they? Street smarts. Yeah — that’s what they need.) There are loads of sales going on right now at all your friendly big-box retailers. Linens n’ Things is having a big white sale. All the Knox Street brethren — Pottery Barn (loads of outdoor entertaining stuff), Restoration Hardware (great patio finds), and Crate & Barrel (dinnerware everywhere) — are practically giving stuff away. And Sur La Table is getting ready for its summer clearance. Their sale starts Friday, June 30. Wow. That should soothe your fractured soul and make you forget all about Dirk. At least until next season.

A GLOVE TO LOVE

I’m not one to pitch products in this space, but I’d feel remiss if I didn’t let my fellow gardeners know about a cool new glove I’m trying out. A lot of gardeners are familiar with the Bionic brand of gardening gloves, but the company recently sent me its new rose gloves to try out, and I’m enjoying them as much as I liked my original gardening pair.

The rose gloves are a lot like the original–great gripping action, soft leather and other breathable materials to keep your hands cool, extra padding in all the right places, and a tight fit to help with dexterity. The gloves also come with an extra long gauntlet to protect your forearm from pesky thorns. Nice.

At $44.95, they’re a bit pricey, but if you’re a serious gardener, you’ll find their comfort well worth it.

PHOTOS OF DOGS, I LIKE

The real thing at the moment…not so much. But every good puppy dog needs a loving home. Just make sure the adoption comes complete with a leash, okay?

BEAUTIFUL COLORS

Cheer up. If the Mavs‘ loss has you in a black funk, go to the Conduit Gallery opening on Hi Line Drive this Friday, June 23. If seeing Rex Ray’s exuberant collages don’t make you smile, nothing will. Says Ray, “Luckily, I’m not the only one who sees beauty as still relevant to the fine arts, and despite the countervailing tendency to embrace ugliness, being beautiful is again on the rise in art circles.” Smile.

BUNGALOWS GONE

I was walking along the 4400 block of Edmondson this morning, observing how the houses, mostly ’40s bungalows, (although some were newer), just seemed to grow on the lots with a certain rightness of scale. Then I saw it, the dreaded empty lot–the initial scaling of the wall. I saw the bungalows with (ravenous) builders’ eyes–small, out-of-date houses on valuable lots. Shame.