Thursday, October 9, 2008
Urban Street Bazaar 10/11/08
I don’t know about you, but I have reached my saturation point where dismal national news is concerned. If life is ending as we know it, then we need to start enjoying the little things like the upcoming Urban Street Bazaar in the Bishop Arts District.
http://www.urbanstreetbazaar.com/
I kind of hate the website because I think it is waaaay too busy, but that’s not the point. The point is that this Saturday from 10am – 8pm, you can escape the troubles of this world (political, financial, and otherwise) and stroll the streets of the Bishop Arts district as you talk and laugh with 40 vendors hawking their handcrafted wares.
The beautiful thing about a flea market (let’s call a spade a spade) is that it hearkens back to a different time when there were no behemoth discount stores stocking mass-produced versions of everything we could think of (I’m looking at you Wal-Mart and in fairness, I have to look at Target as well). Instead, you walked to the market; you shook the artisan’s hand; and you walked away with a one-of-a-kind product. It reminds us that relationships are what really matter in life - not the things we buy, the titles we hold, or the size of our 401Ks. Speaking of newly deflated bank accounts, another great thing about flea markets is that sometimes you can find unique, inexpensive gifts, and considering that I’ve already decided to have a “poor” Christmas this year (no gifts over $25), the Urban Street Bazaar is right up my alley.
Update: The Urban Street Bazaar was great fun. There was jewelry, clothing, personal care products, accessories for your favorite pet, and more. I learned that the Bazaar will happen again in December. Be on the lookout for it. Also, I wandered into a boutique called Indigo 1745 while in the neighborhood. If you're ever in the market for "upscale" denim, they've got some great styles. Ask for Denise; she was friendly and very knowledgable about the inventory and which cuts work best for different body types. You can tell her that I sent you, but she'd probably look at you with a blank stare as the Lady of Leisure remains a woman of mystery to most. Cheers!
http://www.urbanstreetbazaar.com/
I kind of hate the website because I think it is waaaay too busy, but that’s not the point. The point is that this Saturday from 10am – 8pm, you can escape the troubles of this world (political, financial, and otherwise) and stroll the streets of the Bishop Arts district as you talk and laugh with 40 vendors hawking their handcrafted wares.
The beautiful thing about a flea market (let’s call a spade a spade) is that it hearkens back to a different time when there were no behemoth discount stores stocking mass-produced versions of everything we could think of (I’m looking at you Wal-Mart and in fairness, I have to look at Target as well). Instead, you walked to the market; you shook the artisan’s hand; and you walked away with a one-of-a-kind product. It reminds us that relationships are what really matter in life - not the things we buy, the titles we hold, or the size of our 401Ks. Speaking of newly deflated bank accounts, another great thing about flea markets is that sometimes you can find unique, inexpensive gifts, and considering that I’ve already decided to have a “poor” Christmas this year (no gifts over $25), the Urban Street Bazaar is right up my alley.
Update: The Urban Street Bazaar was great fun. There was jewelry, clothing, personal care products, accessories for your favorite pet, and more. I learned that the Bazaar will happen again in December. Be on the lookout for it. Also, I wandered into a boutique called Indigo 1745 while in the neighborhood. If you're ever in the market for "upscale" denim, they've got some great styles. Ask for Denise; she was friendly and very knowledgable about the inventory and which cuts work best for different body types. You can tell her that I sent you, but she'd probably look at you with a blank stare as the Lady of Leisure remains a woman of mystery to most. Cheers!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Cheap Date Alert #9: FREE Theatre Tickets
If you have spent any time on this blog, then you know that Cheap Dates are one of my favorite things. I like to think of my “cheap date alerts” as my little way of encouraging men to practice the art of wooing women. The art of romance need not require a lot of money. It just takes a little research, a little creativity, and frequent visits to this blog if you live in Dallas.
This year Dallas is participating in Free Night of Theatre 2008. In 2005 Free Night of Theatre started its national campaign to attract new audiences to live theatre and to make theatre accessible to all by offering free tickets to the public. Over 600 theatres are participating throughout the country. Today in Dallas, more than 3000 (absolutely FREE) tickets were made available for reservation at 26 participating theatres throughout the metroplex. Tickets are available for shows October 16 – November 10, 2008. For a complete listing of participating theatres and show times please visit:
http://www.freenightoftheater.net/shows/
Update:
I have failed you, my dear readers. Though I learned of Dallas' Free Night of Theatre days ago, I did not alert you until just now. I thought nothing of this delay as tickets were not made available until 12noon, October 1st (today); however, I just checked the website to reserve my own tickets only to discover that ALL of the shows in Dallas were already "sold out." Apparently, good news travels fast.
This year Dallas is participating in Free Night of Theatre 2008. In 2005 Free Night of Theatre started its national campaign to attract new audiences to live theatre and to make theatre accessible to all by offering free tickets to the public. Over 600 theatres are participating throughout the country. Today in Dallas, more than 3000 (absolutely FREE) tickets were made available for reservation at 26 participating theatres throughout the metroplex. Tickets are available for shows October 16 – November 10, 2008. For a complete listing of participating theatres and show times please visit:
http://www.freenightoftheater.net/shows/
Update:
I have failed you, my dear readers. Though I learned of Dallas' Free Night of Theatre days ago, I did not alert you until just now. I thought nothing of this delay as tickets were not made available until 12noon, October 1st (today); however, I just checked the website to reserve my own tickets only to discover that ALL of the shows in Dallas were already "sold out." Apparently, good news travels fast.
The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!
At least, that’s the way I’ve been feeling for the last two weeks. Every morning, I wake up to news stories on the radio predicting the collapse of the U.S. economy and life as we know it. Pretty soon, we’ll be rationing rice and rioting in the streets. I hope and pray that what I just typed is pure hyperbole and nothing more, but the last two weeks have me on edge largely because it’s so hard to understand what’s going on. What does it mean when someone says the market lost $850 billion dollars in a single day? How do you interpret the ups and downs of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and what is the Dow Jones Industrial Average anyway? Thankfully, I have found an outstanding resource to educate myself on the nation’s economic crisis. NPR’s money blog is dedicated to providing up to the minute coverage of the nation’s market woes in straight-talk English for those of us who didn’t graduate from the Wharton School of Business or receive doctorates in economics from [insert fancy school name here].
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money
Be sure to check out the September archives section because what you see on the home page is just the tip of the iceberg. There are links to articles from various newspapers and magazines, podcasts from NPR programs, and answers to questions posed by regular Joes and Janes like you and me.
And since this blog is about all-things Dallas, here’s a link to a story on Mayor Leppert’s speech to the Dallas Regional Chamber addressing how Dallas will weather this financial storm (courtesy of Dallas Morning News).
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100108dnmetleppertspeech.c928393b.html
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money
Be sure to check out the September archives section because what you see on the home page is just the tip of the iceberg. There are links to articles from various newspapers and magazines, podcasts from NPR programs, and answers to questions posed by regular Joes and Janes like you and me.
And since this blog is about all-things Dallas, here’s a link to a story on Mayor Leppert’s speech to the Dallas Regional Chamber addressing how Dallas will weather this financial storm (courtesy of Dallas Morning News).
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100108dnmetleppertspeech.c928393b.html
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Play Date Dallas - an alternative to the club scene?
www.playdatedallas.com
Even during my prime club-hopping years (21-26), I never enjoyed the “club scene.” The lines, the smoking, the people wearing sunglasses at night, the expensive cocktails, the crowds, the scantily clad 20-somethings, and the unfortunate pick-up lines always left much to be desired. Now that I’ve hit the big 30 and 31 is fast approaching, not much has changed. I still dislike the club scene for all the reasons mentioned; only now I flat out refuse to attend. Instead, I search tirelessly for social alternatives to the club scene and when I find them, I try to mention them in this blog.
A new alternative has come to Dallas: Play Date Dallas (PDD). Originating in Atlanta, GA, the Play Date concept is simple. Instead of going to a club on Saturday night, go to a local lounge/bar and play all the games that you loved as a child in a relaxed atmosphere with all the other 30-somethings who have tired of going to nightclubs. Enjoy food, drink, conversation, and laughter as you meet new people over games like Hungry Hungry Hippo, Operation, and Connect Four.
I attended my first PDD event on Saturday, at Boston’s restaurant in Irving. My sister and I arrived to a packed restaurant at 10:40PM. Once inside, it was standing room only. Each table/booth was occupied with a group of people playing cards, a board game, or the like. Those of us not fortunate enough to get a table, were left standing along the walls. Event organizers floated around the restaurant passing out 18-inch cardboard panels reading “I Got Next” to patrons standing along the walls. Apparently, when my sister and I were ready to play a game, we were to approach the table with the game we wanted to play, show the current players our sign, and stand there until their game finished and they vacated the table. With patrons packing the aisles and waitstaff trying to navigate their way through the crowds, staking our claim on a game was next to impossible and quite frankly, a little rude. Who wants their first meeting with a stranger to be the result of having to kick them out of their booth?
My sister and I continued to hold up the wall, as we listened to a DJ playing music from the 70s and early 80s so loudly that we could barely hear ourselves. I suspect, however, that the tunes being played were released long before most of the attendees were born. That brings me to another observation. I would guess that the typical patron that night was 25 – still in his/her prime club-hopping years. This observation isn’t inherently bad and wrong; it’s just not what I expected.
After about 20 minutes, I told my sister that I was ready to leave whenever she was. As far as I was concerned, the writing was on the wall. No matter if we stayed 20 minutes or 2 hours, we were going to spend the whole time standing against the wall because the people sitting were never going to relinquish their prime real estate. We called it a night after one hour.
As we walked across the parking lot to the car, I was crestfallen. I had been so excited about Play Date Dallas. I was ready to love everything about it, but in the end I was disappointed. The same things that turn me off about nightclubs were present at PDD: sunglasses at night, crowds, and unfortunate pick-up lines. As my sister put it, “It’s just a night club with the lights turned on.”
Still, I want to believe in Play Date Dallas because conceptually, it has many social elements that I like: a relaxed venue without the pomp and circumstance of a nightclub, a smoke-free environment, games, and the opportunity to meet new people. Maybe if we had arrived earlier and gotten a table, maybe if the venue had been better suited to interaction, maybe if the music hadn’t been so loud, and maybe if the games had been more age-appropriate (e.g. Taboo and Scattegories) my opinion of the night would be different.
Because of all these “maybes” I’m willing to give Play Date Dallas another shot. I was told there would be another event at Boston’s in two weeks. I’ll be there with bells on. Wish me luck! Expect an update on this post soon.
Even during my prime club-hopping years (21-26), I never enjoyed the “club scene.” The lines, the smoking, the people wearing sunglasses at night, the expensive cocktails, the crowds, the scantily clad 20-somethings, and the unfortunate pick-up lines always left much to be desired. Now that I’ve hit the big 30 and 31 is fast approaching, not much has changed. I still dislike the club scene for all the reasons mentioned; only now I flat out refuse to attend. Instead, I search tirelessly for social alternatives to the club scene and when I find them, I try to mention them in this blog.
A new alternative has come to Dallas: Play Date Dallas (PDD). Originating in Atlanta, GA, the Play Date concept is simple. Instead of going to a club on Saturday night, go to a local lounge/bar and play all the games that you loved as a child in a relaxed atmosphere with all the other 30-somethings who have tired of going to nightclubs. Enjoy food, drink, conversation, and laughter as you meet new people over games like Hungry Hungry Hippo, Operation, and Connect Four.
I attended my first PDD event on Saturday, at Boston’s restaurant in Irving. My sister and I arrived to a packed restaurant at 10:40PM. Once inside, it was standing room only. Each table/booth was occupied with a group of people playing cards, a board game, or the like. Those of us not fortunate enough to get a table, were left standing along the walls. Event organizers floated around the restaurant passing out 18-inch cardboard panels reading “I Got Next” to patrons standing along the walls. Apparently, when my sister and I were ready to play a game, we were to approach the table with the game we wanted to play, show the current players our sign, and stand there until their game finished and they vacated the table. With patrons packing the aisles and waitstaff trying to navigate their way through the crowds, staking our claim on a game was next to impossible and quite frankly, a little rude. Who wants their first meeting with a stranger to be the result of having to kick them out of their booth?
My sister and I continued to hold up the wall, as we listened to a DJ playing music from the 70s and early 80s so loudly that we could barely hear ourselves. I suspect, however, that the tunes being played were released long before most of the attendees were born. That brings me to another observation. I would guess that the typical patron that night was 25 – still in his/her prime club-hopping years. This observation isn’t inherently bad and wrong; it’s just not what I expected.
After about 20 minutes, I told my sister that I was ready to leave whenever she was. As far as I was concerned, the writing was on the wall. No matter if we stayed 20 minutes or 2 hours, we were going to spend the whole time standing against the wall because the people sitting were never going to relinquish their prime real estate. We called it a night after one hour.
As we walked across the parking lot to the car, I was crestfallen. I had been so excited about Play Date Dallas. I was ready to love everything about it, but in the end I was disappointed. The same things that turn me off about nightclubs were present at PDD: sunglasses at night, crowds, and unfortunate pick-up lines. As my sister put it, “It’s just a night club with the lights turned on.”
Still, I want to believe in Play Date Dallas because conceptually, it has many social elements that I like: a relaxed venue without the pomp and circumstance of a nightclub, a smoke-free environment, games, and the opportunity to meet new people. Maybe if we had arrived earlier and gotten a table, maybe if the venue had been better suited to interaction, maybe if the music hadn’t been so loud, and maybe if the games had been more age-appropriate (e.g. Taboo and Scattegories) my opinion of the night would be different.
Because of all these “maybes” I’m willing to give Play Date Dallas another shot. I was told there would be another event at Boston’s in two weeks. I’ll be there with bells on. Wish me luck! Expect an update on this post soon.
Monday, September 15, 2008
State Fair of Texas - September 26 - October 19, 2008
Fair Park, Dallas
I have attended the State Fair of Texas (the largest state fair in the country, thank you very much) for most of my life. Even when I lived several states away, I made it a point to fly home for the Fair every year. Attending the Fair reminded me that no matter how far away I lived or how long I stayed away, Texas would always be in my heart. Now that I've moved back home to Dallas, the Fair hasn't lost its appeal. In fact, it has only risen in my esteem.
I've learned that there is more to the Fair than fried food, free concerts, livestock competitions, the auto show, and college football. There are museums, educational exhibits, cultural events, bird and dog shows, petting zoos and a mini-farm for the kids, and much much more.
I like to think of the State Fair of Texas as the great equalizer in Dallas. No matter the color of your skin, the language you speak, the amount of money in your wallet, or the year of your birth, the State Fair of Texas has something for everyone.
I invite you all to come out this year. Big Tex and I will be looking for you!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Book Review: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler
Nevermind that this book was published by Bloomsbury Publishing June 2005 and that I’m more than three years late on this review. Chelsea Handler’s My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands is a delightfully guilty pleasure that is well worth the read.
As the title implies, the book is a collection of essays about some of the funnier one-night stands that Ms. Handler endured during her twenties. Whether the essays are completely true, partially true, or not true at all is irrelevant. All that matters is that Handler’s sarcastic wit and complete shamelessness in retelling not-so-flattering stories about her conquests (real or imaginary) are a winning combination. I’m not talking profound prose here. Reading the book is like having a conversation with Handler herself, albeit a really long, one-sided conversation. Her informal, conversational tone is what allows you to suspend disbelief and to live vicariously in a world where men scurry out of windows to avoid detection and Handler gets stuck in windows while doing the very same thing.
It is hard to believe that Handler made it to her thirties undaunted and unscathed, but as a reader, I am so glad that she did. I will admit that I was tempted to have a one-night stand with Handler’s book - reading it in one night and tossing it aside for my next literary conquest; but a book this good should be savored so I invited it to stay for breakfast the next morning.
As the title implies, the book is a collection of essays about some of the funnier one-night stands that Ms. Handler endured during her twenties. Whether the essays are completely true, partially true, or not true at all is irrelevant. All that matters is that Handler’s sarcastic wit and complete shamelessness in retelling not-so-flattering stories about her conquests (real or imaginary) are a winning combination. I’m not talking profound prose here. Reading the book is like having a conversation with Handler herself, albeit a really long, one-sided conversation. Her informal, conversational tone is what allows you to suspend disbelief and to live vicariously in a world where men scurry out of windows to avoid detection and Handler gets stuck in windows while doing the very same thing.
It is hard to believe that Handler made it to her thirties undaunted and unscathed, but as a reader, I am so glad that she did. I will admit that I was tempted to have a one-night stand with Handler’s book - reading it in one night and tossing it aside for my next literary conquest; but a book this good should be savored so I invited it to stay for breakfast the next morning.
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