I’m so excited that this luncheon will feature my precious friend, Carley Seale, owner of The Gypsy Wagon in Dallas. You’ll love her story about how she grew-up going on adventures to Round Top with her beloved mom and how it influenced her life today. I adore Carley and you will too!
This event will be the third Round Top blogging event and it just keeps getting better! We always look forward to Bud Royer‘s delicious fare with the highlight being Bud’s world-renowned piece of decadent pie for dessert!
My third trip to the Design Bloggers Conference was the best! I’m delighted to finally sit down and tell you about my time there this year!
My soul sister, Amy Lee, of House of Wentworth and I kicked off the week with a dining experience we’ll never forget! Having dinner with Adam Japko, founder of the Design Bloggers Conference and writer of WineZag wine blog, is always a treat, but this time it was extra special! We were joined by one of the speakers at the conference, Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie, who happens to be a Certified Sake Professional…a dream dinner companion when you’re headed to LA’s hottest Japanese restaurant, n/naka.
I knew when we walked in the door and Richard started speaking Japanese to the waitstaff that we were in for a treat! We enjoyed a 3.5 hour tasting menu that was visually stimulating and full of taste and texture combinations. Simply splendid! A night to remember, for sure!
Before the conference kicked off, I paid a visit to the flea market on Melrose with Kim Turner of Dwell With Dignity. This year I went more to people-watch than purchase and I wasn’t disappointed.
This year’s conference kicked off at HD Buttercup, LA’s brick and mortar emporium full of goodies from around the globe…both modern and classic…all displayed in the old Helm’sBakery building. As wonderful as HD Buttercup’s collections are, we were all distracted by reuniting with friends that we had met at past DBC gatherings or were meeting for the first time, yet virtually visit daily on their blogs. Imagine the chatter!
Look what happened for two days during the conference on Twitter! #DBC2013 trended No. 1! Very cool, no?
I’ll never forget the words that flowed from Barbara Barry , one of my favorite speaker, as we all sat mesmerized by her melodious voice and inspiring thoughts on beauty. There’s no doubt that she has us all viewing the world in a different way…
Amy and I had lunch at The Ivy after the conference was over and Barbara’s influence had me finding beauty in the seeds and grain of the roll on my plate…
…and finding much more vibrance in the roses on the table… Thank you Barbara!
Another highlight was having the privilege to meet Grammy winner, Patti Austin. I have such fond memories of listening to her music as a teenager and young adult. She has one of those voices that causes rememberance to resurface and sends chills down your spine.
I was delighted to find that her gorgeous voice is second to her warm spirit and generous heart as I learned of her non-profit, Over My Shoulder Foundation. Founded by Patti and Dawn Carroll, lyricist and Executive Director of OMSF, their mission is to promote mentoring and “mentorology” (the art and science of mentoring) through music and design. Find out more about this non-profit here and see the video she shared of a 2011 performance of Dawn’s song performed at a Martin Luther King Celebration in Boston. Warning: Could induce goosebumps!
It was a trip to remember. New friendships formed…reunions happened…and inspiration flourished…
I now have a new soul-sister…Irene Turner. What a delight to give her a physical hug instead of communicating online!
The connections are strong at DBC and I’m so thankful that I was able to go back for the 3rd time! Next year we all head to Atlanta and I can’t wait to see what is in store!
When Bud Royer learned of the devastation that Hurricane Sandy dealt the East Coast, he immediately started to plan how he could delivery some Southern
The cost of delivering 650 pies was steep and Bud knew that he would need an underwriter. Bill Winsor, CEO of Dallas Market Center and owner of one of the biggest hearts in Texas, quickly agreed to be the underwriter.
I am so blessed to know these guys and personally witness their joy of
some fun things planned this trip and I can’t wait to report back when I return!! You can find my ramblings about previous Round Top adventures here, here, and here. Can’t wait to make some more memories this weekend!
After having HUGE success at a recent Fab.com flash sale, she used the funds to produce a cd featuring local musicians in an effort to help them gain exposure. This compilation features fifteen songs by local musicians compiled by Dallas’ producer extra-ordinaire, Salim Nourallah.
You can purchase a copy of “Change The World” on cdbaby, iTunes, Eye On The Sparrow Designs website and locally at Good Records. Abbie said, “My goal is to give away as many copies as possible through jewelry sales. I’d rather give the cd’s away in an effort to have as many ears hear it as possible.” I love her passion!
Pat Smith is among a group of women that I truly admire. She’s the real deal! Sure…it’s pretty cool that she married one of the most well-known Dallas Cowbo
y legends, Emmitt Smith, but there’s SO much more to Pat. She’s most known for her philanthropic efforts on behalf of women and children and her active involvement in church, civic and community activities.
I’m convinced that Pat wakes up drop-dead gorgeous every morning. She is the definition of sophisticated style and today through August 29th you have a chance to nab a piece of her wardrobe from the online re-sale shop, therealreal.com. Proceeds from the sale will go to Smith’s non-profit, “Treasure You” where she serves as Founder/CEO. This organization’s mission is to mentor, inspire and uplift women to pursue their passions in life despite their circumstances or setbacks.
Items from the sale includes a full range of luxury lines including handbags, shoes and apparel from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, Jimmy Choo, and Alexander McQueen just to name a few. Also contributing to the sale is Pat’s husband, Emmitt Smith. (Did you know that Emmitt will soon be back on Dancing With the Stars as an All-Star? Go Emmitt!!)
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Pat Smith is among a group of women that I truly admire. She’s the real deal! Sure…it’s pretty cool that she married one of the most well-known Dallas Cowboy legends, Emmitt Smith, but there’s SO much more to Pat. She’s most known for her philanthropic efforts on behalf of women and children and her active involvement in church, civic and community activities.
I’m convinced that Pat wakes up drop-dead gorgeous every morning. She is the definition of sophisticated style and today through August 29th you have a chance to nab a piece of her wardrobe from the online re-sale shop, therealreal.com. Proceeds from the sale will go to Smith’s non-profit, “Treasure You” where she serves as Founder/CEO. This organization’s mission is to mentor, inspire and uplift women to pursue their passions in life despite their circumstances or setbacks.
Items from the sale includes a full range of luxury lines including handbags, shoes and apparel from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, Jimmy Choo, and Alexander McQueen just to name a few. Also contributing to the sale is Pat’s husband, Emmitt Smith. (Did you know that Emmitt will soon be back on Dancing With the Stars as an All-Star? Go Emmitt!!)
Sign up here to get the goods!
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I wanted to give you a peek at her newest “Moxie Collection” that she debuted last weekend at the New York International Gift Fair. This collection is a collaboration with Alexandra Von Furstenburg, designer of lucite adorned in brilliant colors. I love the transparency of these Asian-inspired designs. They seem to glow!
