Dallas Home Design Bites The Dust

Or so I have been told from a very reliable source who received this note today — names removed to protect sources:

Hi XXXXXX:

I just received your fax for the subscription….I am sorry to say that the magazine has been closed as of today 12/5/07.

Thank you for your interest.

Shirley Lozano

Circulation and Distribution Manager

Dallas Home Design/Guest Informant Magazines

Morris Visitor Publications

8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 100

Dallas, Texas 75251

214-522-0050 ext 233

214-522-0504 Fax

 

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I Heart Williams-Sonoma Home

I just received a copy of Williams-Sonoma Home’s Spring Preview. Here’s the deal: I need to find a spring fling who doesn’t mind buying me some of this stuff—it’s amazing. My apartment is sad. It might be a happy place with a gorgeous James chair in green ($1,550), the lovely and amazing Madison lamp with a hole in the center ($450), and the whimsical linen Zardozi pillows adorned with butterflies and dragonflies ($78 each). I would link to pics, but it’s new! Anyway, go check it all out yourself. Unless I find a sugar daddy, the only thing my budget will allow at the moment are the lattice tea light holders ($36 each).

Dallas Designers for Children

We are actually shipping our January/February issue at the moment, so I don’t have time for my requisite snark. And that’s okay, because the Dallas Designers for Children party shouldn’t be associated with snark. Designers Brooke Rydman, Amanda Sterett, Caroline Blankenbeckler, and Larry Whitley unite to offer you a great shopping experience at Marguax’s tonight from 5 to 9 p.m. Shop for scarves, jewelry, and sculpture while you have snacks—and feel good about it. Proceeds benefit Scottish Rite Hospital.

Re: Christmas Catering and Dallas City Market

After you pick up your holiday meal, swing by Empire Bakery. While stopping by just before Thanksgiving, I spotted a picture-perfect apple pie. The flaky, sugar-coated crust looked no less than amazing. Apparently they only whip them up for holidays—better snag one up fast.

Mod Gifts at Chiasso

Looking for a cheap yet chic gift for your contemporary comrades? Try Plano based Chiasso. The online retailer has plenty of choice offerings in its modern art decor section. I especially like this vinyl shadow chandelier black decal for only $42. It adds nice graphic pop and a dash of whimsy to any room.

Christmas Catering and Dallas City Market

The Inwood Village gourmet-to-go hot spot just released its 2007 Christmas menu and it’s a tasty one featuring goodies such as iron skillet creamed corn, poached asparagus, cranberry orange relish, and six meat choices including honey glazed ham, herb roasted beef tenderloin, beef wellington, salmon, garlic rosemary shrimp, and — but of course — turkey. To download the full menu, go here. Oh and don’t miss DCM’s popular tamales. They go on sale Dec. 20.

Vintage Christmas

I’m not particularly an old fashioned girl, and probably no one calls me sweet, (that’s reserved for Laura), but these vintage ornaments are so lovely and, well, sweet. Check out the wonderful displays of vintage ornaments, cream china and antique silver and linen at Country Garden Antiques at 147 Parkhouse. It’s about as far away from Who-ville as you can get.

Hard Rock Re-born?

Does it surprise you just a little bit that this is taken at East & Orient Co. on Slocum St? Of course, you can find the very finest in collectable art, porcelains and fine 18th century antiques there, why not modern art in the form of custom painted guitars? Hey, they’re already valuable - one that graffiti artist Crash painted for Eric Clapton sold at auction for $500,000. Talk about mixing it up - only someone like Betty Gertz could make this display look right at home in her exquisite store.

Redress of a Design Book’s Error

D Home: 0, Beverly Field: 1. We’ve been calling designers to confirm some details for our Best Designers list. After verifying the spelling of her name and her ASID membership, Beverly Field said, “One more thing, I like your magazine, but…” Always a bad sign. She told me that we’d published this photo of her work in our 2008 Design Book and hadn’t given her credit. In her kind manner, she told me that she was letting me know so we’d be aware in the future. (We will.) It’s her way of protecting us. If we’d done that to Josie McCarthy, she said, she would have sued us. Snap! If  you want to read the original story about Beverly Field’s work, see it here.

Childhood Memories at Alessi

I finally visited the newly opened Alessi store at Preston Royal. With more than 2,000 products, there’s lots to love in the largest flagship store this side of Europe. Still, since it’s new to Dallas, I figured it was new to me. But then I saw this tea kettle (on the left). It reminds me of being in the kitchen with my mom. As a child, I thought it looked like a chicken. (anyone see it?) Designed by Richard Sapper, it whistles in the keys of E and B–I never knew that–but I remember its unique alert. The $155 price tag surprised me. So fancy, mom. But she’s had it for years and years, so it must be well-made. If you want the latest Alessi teapot (right), this Michael Graves-designed number is pretty cute, too. (Business Week teapot story here)

A Peep at a Haute Private Shopping Party

Just when I thought I had seen it all…I wander into a neighborhood holiday jewelry party/luncheon and realize my radar screen isn’t picking up some fairly major signals.  I should have been tipped off by the private policemen standing in the driveway, or the burly man checking off names at the door, but I was truly caught by surprise at the array of jewels and avid shoppers inside.  Buying bracelets, rings and necklaces like they were muffins at Starbuck’s, ladies were four deep at a large, heavily stocked display table.  Guessing I was really out of my league, I picked up the smallest item within reach - a very thin bracelet.  $32,000 (no mistake with this comma).  Excuse me, is this the twilight zone?  Dodging women delicately picking at sculpted carrots, I rapidly consumed a large plate of chicken salad and three petit fours. After all, some of us need extra strength to fight the lines in the mall.

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Feeling Festive

The buyers at Root Candle Studio in Inwood Village never fail me. I love what they’ve brought in for Christmas—feather wreaths, lots of shiny glass, decorative bark trees, and, of course, their signature holiday candles. At more than $4 apiece, their silver-dipped walnuts, which would gleam in one of my wooden bowls, are a bit pricey—I’m going to make my own. Not so when it comes to the pretty hand-painted bird tiles imported from England. My cardinals would look more like this.

Re: Who-villes

Boy, have we hit a nerve in Dallas.  Amanda writes that she took her kids out to see the lights and the Jack in the Boxes scared them to death - nightmares.  And this, from Park Cities People. If they are so obnoxious, who uses them?  Why put them up?