rodeo cowboy father + barrel-racing mother = pioneer chic designer daughter

From the sounds of it, quite the interesting upbringing led Katie Hatch into fashion design. Her line is called Harvey Faircloth and interestingly enough it's named after a man, it seems she knew only in passing, who encouraged her to follow her dreams. Love the background, but even more I love the designs and materials she uses!

I spotted a great bag via Calypso that would be perfect for summer which coincidentally can't come soon enough!! Worth checking out and from the looks of it she sells to many great stores around the US! Who knows, you may have already seen Harvey in your area!

http://harveyfaircloth.com/ss11/ss11.html

http://harveyfaircloth.com/ss11/ss11_stockists.html

Paper Party!

I went to the most adorable "Paper Party" today featuring Merry Maps and Frontier Paper Company. They did such an amazing job showcasing their talents. For example, Merry Maps had samples printed up not only of their signature maps, but also of labels for holiday jars (jam, fudge, etc.), stationary, save the dates, and the list goes on. And to put the icing on the cake, the home the party was at was beautiful and all the flower arrangements were spectacular and very reasonably priced. All the arrangements were by another up and coming company called Stems and interestingly enough both owners got their degrees in horticulture! So they really are flower experts.

I highly recommend all three companies: Merry Maps, Frontier Paper Company, and Stems. They are all young Dallas girls that have started their own companies and are really talented. They have my business!

http://merrymaps.com/

http://frontierpapercompany.com/index2.php#/home/

http://stemsofdallas.com/

Supporting the Locals

I love that using local produce has become so popular when dining out. Of course, the novelty of it if over emphasized can be utterly obnoxious and almost a turn off, but in the case of places in Dallas like Parigi's then have done an excellent job of sharing with their customers where their produce comes from in an unobtrusive way, in turn making you feel better for eating local! So eat up foodies!

Parigi's "Farmers & Friends"

Tassione Farms...............................................Stephenville, Texas
Dominion Farms………………………………….………Denison, Texas
Lemley Farms……….....………….……………………..Canton, Texas*
Veldhuizen Family Farm..……………………….…...Dubln, Texas
Mozzarella Company.…… ………………………….....Deep Ellum, Texas
Henry’s Ice Cream…… ………………………………….Plano, Texas
Becker Vineyards………………………………………...Stonewall, Texas
Dallas Youth Village…… ………………………………..Hutchins, Texas
Jimmy’s Market……………………… …………….……..Dallas, Texas
Village Garden..................................................Dallas, Texas

*Hands down best tomatoes! Lemley has a stand at the farmers market and it's a MUST!

Parigi's
http://parigidallas.com/
3311 Oak Lawn Avenue
Dallas, Texas TX 75219

Stella Dallas
4346 Lovers Lane

214-691-0000

I went into Stella Dallas again yesterday. If you recall, the shop opened more than a year ago by former GM of Stephanie Anne's, Amber Davidson. Interesting bit of info: the name of the store came from her great-grandmother love of the radio soap called Stella Dallas. Did you even know such a thing existed? Fun fact!

Anyway, every time I'm in the area I'm always tempted to stop in no matter what the parking situation is like. They do such a great job with the window displays and really putting quality pieces on their floor instead of quantity. There's a limited selection but even so I still found 4 pieces I immediately wanted. Price in several instances was the roadblock, however. I took a few pics while on my last visit of some of their reasonably priced items. For instance , I loved these glass balls as table topper decoration and they were under $15/each. That table they are sitting on is fabulous as well and it's on sale too as a floor sample for I believe around $900 which isn't bad at all considering the size and construction.

I also loved these profiles of animals and humans which go for around $125. I think I saw these on Daily Candy a while back, but it's always nice to do the transaction through a store just for piece of mind.

Lovers Lane really has some fun unique shopping that isn't run of the mill that you see everywhere else. I actually ventured down West Lovers on this visit and found some fabulous finds, but that's for another post!

J.CREW Who Knew?

J.CREW to me is light weight t's, cardis and pleated shorts. I haven't kept up with them in a while but I flipped through their August 10 Catalog the other day and was impressed with their merchandise but especially with the styling! I almost feel like their sister company Madewell has made them a bit cooler, at least in my eyes. Still hard to shake the do-gooder attitude I had about J.CREW U instilled over the years, but it's getting a much better rep these days for staying up to date on trends.

Check out my fav tears from their new catalog. They still have their core pieces like their classic carids but they are pairing them with more stylish pieces. In other words it's not all so matchy matchy, but rather the tones match...the mixing of hard and soft is a refreshing perspective from this company.

Custom Shirts Online Under $100

I saw this on Thrillist today (got to give credit where it's due) and thought this was such a cool idea. We all know the custom shirt companies started popping up a few years ago to make custom shirts a staple in a mans closet. But the luxury to do it all online, why is this just now coming out?! Maybe its not and I'm just hearing about it, but still I think it's a fabulous idea! Luxury and convenience-what's better!

Second Button currently only offers men's shirts in the following styles: classic, alternative, western, military and utility. Once you pick a style, you then get to customize the fabric, collar, cuffs, buttons, placket, pocket, back, bottom of the shirt and for between $70-$85! If you're nervous to drop around $80 on shirt online you can also schedule a Skype appt with a representative to help with measurements etc. We are so digital these days!

http://beta.secondbutton.com/

Turqs & Fashion

LOVE this for summer! Turquoise and all shades of blue for that matter are so amazing this time of year! One word: DREAMY!

http://www.ysl.com/us/en/onlineBoutique/Women/Handbags/Logo/P-Large-Patent-YSL-Clutch-in-Multiple-Colors.aspx $425

48 NIGHTS | DALLAS

I've been on a Dallas kick as of late, but I'm honestly just so impressed with what activities have been going on this summer!

Last night a girlfriend and I went to 48 Nights over in the Bishop Arts/Kessler Park area and it was FABULOUS! The owners of Bolsa and Smoke partnered with SYLVAN | THIRTY to raise awareness and funding for the Mass Care Task Force; an organization that helps increase North Texas’ level of disaster preparedness. The restaurant will be open only for six months (ends July 27th so email them if you want to try and get in...they said last night there may still be a few openings even though their website says sold out). There are two seatings for dinner at 6:30 & 8:30 on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week and they're located in a small building called SYLVAN | THIRTY. The atmosphere is eclectic; think grandma's house meets Austin. There's approx 30 seats at communal tables. Before the seating there is a 30 minute happy hour, essentially. If you don't want to get stuck at a table with duds, as we did, beat the rush and find some cute, young and fun people to share a table with!

It's $75 for this prix-fixe meal but that doesn't include tip so don't forget to bring cash. Their goal is to raise $1,000 per night for the cause. Last night they told us they exceeded their goal which is always wonderful to hear! Don't forget it's BYOW...as the duds at our table did! The chef each night is surprise up until you walk into the restaurant, but their menu does get posted online before the event so you can use their wine pairing recommendations.

Eating for a cause. A win-win in my book!

http://www.48nights.com/

I took these pics on my iPhone and lightened as much I could! They don't give Chef David Uygur, formerly of Lola and soon-to-be of Lucia in Bishop Arts if I heard it all correctly last night, any justice!

JUST OPENED: Torchy's Tacos, Dallas

Austinite's know and love Torchy's and lucky for us Dallasite's they've decided to branch up to the Big D. Taco joints, especially those in Airstream's, seem to do especially well down in Austin. Up here we don't seem to get the cool Airstream-vibe, rather the traditional restaurant in a shopping center, but not complaining since Dallas finally is getting its fair share of taco joints! Other local favs since we're on the subject: Taco Joint, Fuel City, Rusty Taco, Urban Taco...the list goes on but we're always on the lookout for the best around so keep 'em coming!

Torchy's Tacos, opened today in Preston Forest Shopping Center so check them out!  An added bonus, they have Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap! Located next to Potbelly.
http://torchystacos.com/

Intermix: Big W for Spring/Summer '10

I haven't been this impressed by their merch in it feels like 2 years! So thank you Intermix buyers for getting it right this season...certainly makes window shopping via the World Wide Web more interesting and perhaps a purchase or two in the mix! Here's a few of my favs. I've seen most of these in store and they're just as wonderful as they look in the pics! Again, excellent job!

L to R:
Rebecca Minkoff - Foldover Crossbody Messgner (brown) $395

Jenny Bird - Leather Ruched Clutch (nude) $360

Equipment - 2 Pocket Sleeveless Sig Silk Shirt (blush) $168

Josephine - Rosegold Cotton Lurex Pointelle Cardi $295

ALC - Chiffon Hook & Eye Cami $235

Elizabeth and James - Two Pocket Artist Shirt (chambray) $225
Eugenia Kim - Max Mini Fedora (ivory) $285
Oliver Peoples - Zooey Sunglasses $350

Something Else - Peace Print Scarf $78

Current Elliott - Trouser Roll Shorts (white) $180 

For WOmen Only: CARGO

Cargo pants for women is one thing...mainly because they aren't disgustingly baggy, but somewhat form fitting. Cargo pants on men is still a big fat NO and hopefully that trend will not come back anytime soon; I'm not ready at all for it's return and don't know if I EVER will be! Ekks :)

Off The Beaten Path in D

In the interest of keeping things lively and not visiting the same bar-scene every weekend, here's a few options for other entertainment around Dallas this summer.

Dallas Arboretum
8525 Garland Road
Dallas, Texas 75218
http://www.dallasarboretum.org/concerts.html
Twilight Tuesdays:
Feature the best of Big Band, Jazz and the Rat Pack
Tuesday evenings from April 13 - May 25 (over for this year already)
Cool Thursdays:
Feature a wide assortment of music from Country to Rock and Roll
Thursdays (Spring/Summer) April 15 - July 29
Thursdays (Fall) September 16 - October 28
Price:
Member $8 | Non-Member $16 | Price breaks for groups over 20

Belmont Hotel
901 Fort Worth Avenue
Dallas, TX 75208
http://www.belmontdallas.com/happening/special-events.aspx
Barefoot at the Belmont:
This poolside concert and movies series goes from May-August and is free! Typically held on Thursdays, but check out their calender because pretty much Thrus-Sun has something going on including pool parties hosted by local DJs.
http://www.belmontdallas.com/PDF/BelmontMay.pdf

Lee Harvey's
1807 Gould Street
Dallas, TX 75215
http://leeharveys.com/pages/about.html
Divey inside, but the huge open outside lawn is great for big groups looking for something different than the Uptown scene! Think gravel, pit bulls and Harley's and that sums it up! Fridays and Saturdays are great spent here with free concerts almost every weekend. They also have fun other incentives to go here, like their Happy Hour beginning at 3pm Mon-Fri (wells and domestic all $2.50), and Dog Day/HH on Sundays starting at 1pm...needless to say dogs are always invited to "Flea Harvey's"!

Adairs Saloon
2624 Commerce St
Dallas, TX 75226
http://www.adairssaloon.com/
Free concert most week nights and weekends. Down in Deep Ellum, which doesn't get frequented enough these days! Great burgers, cheap drinks, a little divey, but this is the "Off The Beaten Path" list!

Restaurant Alert: The Common Table Opening in Lola's Space

Taking over Lola's former house off Fairmount will be a tavern-style restaurant called The Common Table. I'm channeling a Neighborhood Services-type of vibe. It opens this week and I'm sure will be successful considering who's involved. In the sense of time, lets just say the people linked to TCT have had connections to The Ivy (London), Loft 610, Nick & Sam's, Nick & Sam's Grill, and the soon-to-open Marquee Club in HPV.


The Common Table
2917 Fairmount Street
Dallas, TX 75201
http://thecommontable.com/ (website stillin the works)

Trashy = Cool...and I'm Speaking Purely in Polish Lingo!

It makes me laugh out loud when I try, and see others trying out, new colors that in years past would have been considered social suicide, now cool. But in the interest of cyclical fashion trends those crazy nail polish colors have made their comeback to the cool kids crowd so get on board quick!

That Chanel Jade was all the rage this past Summer/Fall, but we're now moving into more vibrant electric marine hues (sidenote: I'm still on board with neons because lets face it, they can always accentuate a great tan!). For a shade in between muted and electric, try Essie's Turquoise & Caicos! Sephora's Teal We Meet Again is great find for a smoking-hot summer weekend!

I honestly like the idea of translating this marine hue on the eyes, obvi not in unison with the nail polish for fear of being too matchy-matchy, but on another day, yes! Chanel has a jade eyeliner that's darker than the polish and would look fab this summer!

The "Double Double" Comes to Dallas!

We've all head the rumors that the famous California-based chain is moving into this great state, but until now it's all been hearsay. The latest is that In-N-Out has opened a distribution center in the Dallas-area to accommodate the new openings; the first in areas surrounding Dallas. I think it will be interesting if it catches on like it has in Cali. I mean, we do have quite a few local spots that have pretty high fan-fare....Jack's Burger House, Angry Dog, Maple & Motor, Goff's, Kellers, Twisted Root, Who's Who, Chip's, Jake's, and although not as QSR or Dallas original as those previous mentioned I can not help but mention that Houston's has the all-time best (hickory) burger in Dallas since we're on the subject of best burgs in D!

Look for the first of the In-N-Outs in Texas in the Firewheel Town Center in Garland and apparently start looking forward to 5 more in the Dallas-area...the next rumored to be near Jerry's World which sounds like a great place, actually! Strange In-N-Out hasn't updated their site for these "Grand Openings"??

Articles:
http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2010/05/24/in-n-out-burger-comes-to-dallas-details-developing/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/in-n-out-to-texas-burger_n_591188.html
http://www.in-n-out.com/pdf/locations_printable.pdf

A splash of Harrods in the Plaza Hotel

I read this morning that The Plaza Hotel in New York is introducing the European "food halls" into it's establishment next week. I couldn't be more excited because the food halls at Harrods are completely fabulous and it's about time we got something even half as cool in our country! Dumpling bar, sushi bar, a seafood joint, panini stands, dessert bars....I mean it's all the food you could want!

For those who have never been to a food hall, like in upscale Euro spots, picture 5 or so small restaurants on one floor that you shop and walk and stop to eat if you so desire. Super convenient to say the least! They'll even have little pre-made picnic baskets to take in the park! Good thinking Todd English!

More info/articles on this fab subject:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/dining/26plaza.html
http://www.thrillist.com/eat/plaza-food-hall-todd-english
http://www.examiner.com/x-2969-NY-Drinks-Examiner~y2010m5d27-Sneek-Peak-Plaza-Hotel-Food-Hall
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/food-court-is-set-to-open-in-the-plaza-hotel/

DVF Maxi's

There's a serious 60's tribal vibe going on with the prints on DVF's new Spring maxi dresses. A little of this goes a long way, but a fun look for a day-to-night shindig!
If you're interested try Saks, Neimans or even DVF.com

Diane von Furstenberg

Ethyl Linen Wrap Gown

Diane von Furstenberg

Basmati Silk Dress

Diane von Furstenberg

Macrame & Tribal-Print Darina Gown

JORTS!

H-O-T for summer are the infamous jorts. Here's a few looks that are fab for a quick Sat throw on this summer! Easy breezy cool, what's better?!

Acne - Acid Wash Denim Shorts $240 Blue & Cream NYC
Joe's Jeans - Ex-Lover Burke Cut Off Shorts $128 CUSP

Blank - Studded Cut-Off Shorts $78 CUSP 

Current/Elliott - Scout Shorts- Bleach Out Night Destroy $182 Barneys

Current/Elliott - The Roll Short - Sun Shadow $204 Barneys

AG - Race Ex-Boyfriend Shorts $138 Anthropologie

Paige Denim - Jimmy Jimmy Cut-Off Shorts $130 Piperline

Gap - Destructed Jean Shorts $24.50 Gap

-------------------------------------------------------

PAIR YOUR DENIM WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS.....

Wildfox - Leopard Love Top $78 Otte NYC

Gucci - Ballet Flats $360 Bluefly
I think this top is great with a pair of cut off denim shorts and even better with black "preppy" style flats. Unexpected and keeps it interesting!

La Mariposa Puebla Blouse  $34
(Completely love mexican shirts!)
Patterson J. Kincaid - Oversized Antique Lace Tee - Black $88 Revolve

DVF - Sahara Wide Bangle $62 Blue & Cream NYC

DVF - Beaded Sweater Kimono $790 Blue & Cream NYC
I mean I'm loving both these pieces! The lightweight kimono look is fab for spring and this bracelet is so fun and super reasonable for DVF!

Elizabeth & James - Maryl Cut-Out Heel $375 Otte NYC

Elizabeth & James - Zip Back New Cohen Shirt  $225 Shopbop 

LOVES and this comes in that bright hunting orange too sold at Neiman's but not online yet!
(6/4 update: Just saw this E&J hot pink number entering NM Last Call!)