I Live In Dallas

What to Do in Deep Ellum this Weekend: Yelp’s Passport to Deep Ellum

Frances — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:41:48 +0000

On May 7th 2012, something wonderful happened. Yelp Dallas infiltrated Deep Ellum for Yelp's Passport to Deep Ellum – a two week long celebration of the historic, effervescent, and unique neighborhood.

Among countless locally friendly community activities, Yelp will be hosting a Cash Mob at an undisclosed Deep Ellum business. A Cash Mob happens when a group of people go on a collective spending spree in support of a favorite local business. Yelp's set a time, a meeting place, and a secret spending location for community members to descend on the business and spend $5 or more dollars at the store. Canadian city Halifax received a rave response from their wildly successful Cash Mob.

Be sure to join the fun here!

Additional compelling community events include:

Yelp's Passport to Deep Ellum Retail Walk: Join Yelp Dallas Community Manager Saturday May 19th as we hop from shop to another picking up something special while sipping and noshing on something special at every stop, too. There will be bottomless mimosas at Factory Girl, wine & cheese at Mid2Mod, The Home Concepts Spring Art Show featuring more than local 30 artists, and other discounts at Aubergine.

Other discounts and activities include:

$5 Infused Vodka and Bourbon at Black Swan Saloon: Fruit-Infused vodkas and bourbons for $5 during the Yelp's Passport to Deep Ellum.

Free Kettleball classes at Psycho Gym: May 19th at 9:00am , stopping by Psycho Gym to get your ass kicked, in a good way.

Yelp Sponsors the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market: Yelp will be there in full force. Complete with Yelpstick (chapstick), Yelp t-shirts, Sunscreen, Bottled water and more. You can peruse the local vendors and stop by the Yelp booth to say hi and for a chance to win some goodies.

Yelp's International Eating Challenge: In conjunction with celebrating all things Deep Ellum, during the Yelp's Passport to Deep Ellum, we've created an exciting and yummy way to eat your way through Deep Ellum.

Local art group, ArtLoveMagic even joined in on the community love by producing a Yelp-customized mural in honor of Yelp's Passport to Deep Ellum and even captured the creation in this upbeat and inspirational video: Yelp Passport Mural Video.

Dine, drink and discover from May 7th thru May 20th, with daily deals and hook ups that you can only find here. Get involved, help support local business and the local community by experiencing the vibrant, one-of-a-kind neighborhood, Deep Ellum. For further support of the neighborhood and ways to be involved, please visit Deep Ellum Community Association.

Uptown’s First Walking Food Tour Highlights Best Cuisine

Submitted Event — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:40 +0000

Uptown Dallas' first walking food tour will take place Saturday, June 9, and offer participants a delicious sightseeing experience.

Locals and tourists, alike, will receive an insider’s view of Dallas’ most pedestrian-friendly areas with a special focus on the best local cuisine – from down home favorites and Tex-Mex specialties to made from scratch desserts. In addition to generous tastings at several hand-picked eateries, each fully-narrated walking tour includes historical attractions and anecdotes as guides share the stories behind each locale.

Participants of the Uptown Dallas Food Tour can expect delicious sit down tastings at a collection of area restaurants, historic commentary, and a scenic stroll down McKinney Avenue to the West Village Shopping District. The walking tour also includes a look at community theaters and art galleries, and the State Thomas Historic District, which contains the largest collection of 1880’s Victorian homes in Dallas. The tour ends with an optional ride on Uptown’s antique trolley cars. Restaurants on the tour are Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery, The Stand, Sfuzzi, Primo's Tex Mex Grille and Bailey's Uptown Inn.

Highlights

Generous restaurant tastings, enough for lunch!
Entertaining stories of the rich history and culture of Dallas.
The McKinney Avenue Trolley of Uptown, a restored antique rail car system with the oldest running trolley car in the nation.
The West Village Shopping District, the heart of Dallas’ Uptown Neighborhood.
The State Thomas Historic District – Dallas’ oldest surviving neighborhood and largest collection of 1880’s Victorian homes.
Dallas’ oldest and most notable cemeteries.
Independent community theaters and contemporary art galleries.
Food Tours of America, locally owned and dedicated solely to food tours!

Uptown Dallas Food Tours will begin on June 9, 2012 and occur each Saturday and Sunday and some weekdays. Tours last approximately 2.5 hours with brief, scenic walks in between tastings. To ensure a personal, high quality experience, each tour is limited to 16 participants. Food Tours of America can provide up to seven guided tours daily, and specializes in customized private events for corporations, wedding and event planners, and individual groups of any size. Food and beverages tastings, as well as cultural attractions are all included in the $45 cost per person. For more information, or to book a tour, please visit www.FoodToursOfAmerica.com or call (888)-871-2052.

Food Tours of America was founded by three adventurous women with a passion for great food, southern hospitality and unique experiences. “We believe that first-hand experiences of culture and cuisine are the best ways to absorb and appreciate a city,” said Director of Sales and Marketing Jodi Philippson. “Food tours are sweeping the nation, but so far, Dallas’ food scene has been unrepresented. By offering Uptown Dallas’ first walking food tour, we hope to provide a unique opportunity for visitors and locals alike to enjoy the diverse cuisine and rich history and culture that drive our vibrant city.”

What: Uptown's First Walking Food Tour
When: Starting Saturday, June 9, 2012, and continuing on weekends and some weekdays
Tours begin late morning to early afternoon and last approximately 2.5 hours
Where: Uptown - meeting location information is sent with ticket purchase
How Much: $45 per ticket
Where to Purchase:

Pecha Kucha Night Dallas, Vol.9! -Urban Renewal, Dallas 2.0

Submitted Event — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:10:28 +0000

Pecha Kucha Nights, an international phenomenon brought to Dallas for the ninth time on May 10th, 2012 at 7pm in the registered historic landmark David Crockett School in East Dallas. The event is $5 and tickets can be bought online in advance at http://pkndallas9.eventbrite.com/. Tickets will be $10 at the door.

Discussion around some of makes our city great is important & timely. It's been a sobering week in the Dallas civic & cultural news. Time for some clarity ...& a Beer Break.

Confirmed presenters:

Ken Good (Good Signature Properties), Owns & currently renovating the David Crockett School
Jason Roberts (Congressional candidate, Better Block Originator, Bike Friendly Oak Cliff & Art Conspiracy Co.founder, Oak Cliff Transit Authority Founder & President...)
Noah Jeppson (Dallas Parking Day)
Wanda Dye (University of Texas at Arlington), Professor of Architecture
Diane Collier (West Henderson Neighborhood Association), Designer & Community Organizer
Patrick Kennedy (Carfree Dallas), Urban Planner & writer
Shannon Driscoll & Kayli House Cusick (Oil & Cotton), Small Business Owners & Artists
Samuel Stiles (Dallas Parks Foundation), Director of Development
Jim Anderson, Historic Preservation Consultant

What: Pecha Kucha Night Dallas, Vol.9! -Urban Renewal, Dallas 2.0
When: David Crockett School, 401 N. Carroll Street, Dallas, TX
Where: Thursday, May 10, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 9:20 PM
How Much: $5 online/$10 door
Purchase Tickets: http://pkndallas9.eventbrite.com/

About PechaKucha: PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. For more information, please visit www.pecha-kucha.org orwww.pkndallas.org.

Photo above by Dave Wilson via Pecha Kucha Dallas

DFW Rocks Social Media Day Expert-Packed Marketing Conference Coming this June

Submitted Event — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:10:42 +0000

Dallas' first annual celebration of Social Media Day and conference featuring ten social media and marketing professionals, speakers, authors, and coaches teaching business owners the latest strategies in social media and online marketing, will take place Saturday, June 30, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Social House in Addison.

This event is for everyone, no matter what your skill level or technical ability. You will walk away with pockets full of new skills, tips and ideas. All small business owners, consultants, and individuals are invited to attend.

In short, this conference will provide you with ROCK solid information and tips how to be a Social Media POWERHOUSE.

Presentation Topics:

Facebook Marketing for PAGES, Andrea Vahl
ROCK Your Twitter: Tweet Like a Pro, Lissa Duty
YouTube Video for the DIY, Robin Moss
Six Figure FOLLOW UP: Connections to Clients, Patty Farmer
The POWER of Being LinkedIn, J.R. Atkins
YOUR Business Interest in Pinterest, Fred Campos
What is RIGHT for Your Business? Social Media Sites & Tools, Lissa Duty
Social Media PROS Question & Answer Panel, Giovanni Gallucci, Neil Lemons, Mike D. Merrill
Presentation Details

Read speaker bios

What: The first celebration of Social Media Day in Dallas & Marketing Conference
When: Saturday, June 30, 2012
Social Media Day Conference - 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
After-Hours Networking - 4:00-9:00 p.m. (Cash Bar)
Where: The Social House (Map)
How Much: Early Registration $30
Registration after May 31 $50
How to Purchase:

This conference will give Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs and Professionals the information, education and resources they need to effectively manage their Social Media Accounts and Social Media Campaigns. Or, if they hire someone to do it for them, they’ll know what they want and if they are getting the results they are paying for.

Coffee, tea, water, continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon sweets will be provided! You will also be able to purchase soft drinks or alcoholic beverages as well.

More Conference Info:

Check out the registration & schedule, presentations, meet the speakers, meet the sponsors and the venue for detailed descriptions, speakers bios and sponsor information.

About Social Media Day:

June 30 was declared Social Media Day in 2010 by Mashable. Shortly thereafter, the city of Victoria, Canada officially also declared their Social Media Day as June 30. Cities and even countries across the globe have joined in the celebration by having educational events, meetups and tweetups.

Frontiers of Flight Museum to Feature Abstract Aviation Art Exhibition

Submitted Event — Sun, 06 May 2012 02:09:57 +0000

The Frontiers of Flight Museum will open the art exhibition Vectors: Abstractions in Aviation Art by Don Parr, an abstract collection of single artist paintings and constructions with aviation themes, Friday, June 15 and will run through September 21st.

Photo by Love. Wins. on FlickRiver.com

Don Parr is a Dallas financial advisor and artist. While living in New York City in the 1970s, he was inspired by the contemporary artists in the abstract impressionist, minimalist and color field genres and created his first paintings. After a 35-year hiatus he returned to his art, using color field and abstract impressionist techniques with aviation themes. Many of his current works employ aluminum panels and constructions with aircraft designs and are the focus of his 2012 show, Vectors, at The Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas.

Parr’s works portray the functional aesthetics of aircraft design —an elegant balance of strength, weight, and aerodynamic efficiency. His art captures the essence of this balance with artistic abstraction that facilitates appreciation of the underlying uncontrived, pure aesthetics. He focuses on early airplanes with fabric covered wood frames as well as those with all-metal construction with riveted aluminum panels. Parr constantly seeks new methods to celebrate this extraordinary expression of function rarely found in man-made products.

Who: Don Parr
What: Art Exhibition - Vectors: Abstractions in Aviation Art
When: June 15 through September 21
Mondays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays 1-5 p.m.
Where: Frontiers of Flight Museum (Map)
How Much: Regular admission rates are $8 for adults; $6 for seniors (65+); $5 for children/youth ages 3 through 17; and free for children under age 3.

About the Museum

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is located on the southeast corner of Dallas Love Field Airport at 6911 Lemmon Avenue (at University). Over 25 aircraft and space vehicles are on display, including the Command Module from the Apollo 7 space mission, a complete Southwest Airlines Boeing 737, and the one-of-a-kind Vought V-173 “Flying Pancake.” Comprehensive and engaging exhibits include thousands of rare aviation artifacts, photographs and memorabilia. For more information, call (214) 350-1651 or visit www.flightmuseum.com.

Business Council for the Arts Accepting Nominations for 2012 Obelisk Awards

Submitted Event — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:30:26 +0000

2011 Obelisk Awards Designed by David Hickman - Photo by NTBCA.org

Business Council for the Arts, an organization that fosters strategic corporate investment in the arts & culture of Dallas, is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Obelisk Awards through Tuesday, May 15 at 5 p.m. The Obelisk Awards, established in 1989, publicly recognize and honor businesses and business leaders in North Texas whose support has had significant impact on the region’s arts and cultural growth.

Obelisk Awards - Photo by NTBCA.org

Obelisk Awards will be awarded to businesses in the following categories: New Initiatives, Arts Education, Arts Partnership, and to an individual business professional for Arts Leadership. Nomination forms are available at Obelisk Award Nomination. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, May 15 at 5 p.m.

The award competition is open to companies headquartered in the United States or abroad that have supported one or more nonprofit cultural organizations in North Texas. An independent panel of judges will select the winners based on the information submitted.

The Twenty-Fourth Annual Obelisk Awards Luncheon will be held on November 1, 2012 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas.

Nomination Categories

New Initiatives Award
The New Initiatives Award recognizes businesses for a new initiative with a single focus that benefits one or more North Texas arts and cultural organizations. This award is applicable to programs initiated within the last three years. Given in the following categories: Small Business, Midsize Business, and Large Business.

Arts Partnership Award
The Arts Partnership Award recognizes businesses that have demonstrated leadership and provided outstanding overall support for at least three years to one or more North Texas arts and cultural organizations. To be eligible, a business must have supported the arts continuously since 2009 (or earlier) and must presently support the arts. Given in the following categories: Small Business, Midsize Business, and Large Business.

Arts Education Award
The Arts Education Award recognizes outstanding business support for arts education programs supplementing and enhancing the core curriculum of North Texas schools. Given to one company only.

Leadership Award
The Leadership Award recognizes exceptional long-term leadership, vision and commitment in the cultural sector by a business professional. To be eligible, a nominee must be a chairman, vice chairman, president, chief executive officer, owner or principal partner of a business.

Who: Business Council for the Arts
What: Accepting Nominations for the 2012 Obelisk Awards
When: Nominations due by Tuesday, May 15 at 5 p.m.
Where: Nomination Form

About Business Council for the Arts:

Business Council for the Arts (BCA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating partnerships between businesses and cultural institutions in North Texas. BCA serves as the united voice of business leaders who believe that economic prosperity, quality of life and cultural excellence are interdependent.

Mother’s Day Celebration at Nasher Sculpture Center

Submitted Event — Sat, 05 May 2012 22:40:53 +0000

Nasher Sculpture Center - Photo by WolfgangPuck.com

The Nasher Sculpture Center and Wolfgang Puck catering are hosting a gourmet brunch and mimosa bar Sunday, May 13th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in celebration of Mother's day.

Guests will enjoy a lavish brunch and mimosa bar at Nasher Cafe by Wolfgang Puck, as well as the opportunity to explore the new Ernesto Neto exhibition, discover the Nasher collection with a family-themed scavenger hunt, and enjoy special performances by The Dallas Opera.

Six Reasons to Celebrate this Mother's Day at the Nasher:

A gourmet brunch and mimosa bar at Nasher Cafe by Wolfgang Puck
Live performances by The Dallas Opera
A family-themed scavenger hunt depicting women in the Nasher Collection
Mother’s Day card coloring activity
Family photos
The opportunity to view special exhibitions

Seatings at 11 am and 1 pm: Brunch at Nasher Cafe

Wolfgang Puck’s signature brunch items including chicken and waffles, short rib sweet onion hash, crab cakes, smoked salmon croque monsieur, as well as traditional brunch items and children’s station, including mini pancakes, hash browns and scrambled eggs.

What: Mother's Day Celebration at the Nasher Sculpture Center
When: Sunday, May 13
11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Galleries and Garden open; Special exhibitions open; family-themed, self-guided scavenger hunt available from the Admissions Desk; Mother’s Day card coloring activity available from the Nasher Café.
12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm: Dallas Opera Performances, Nasher Hall
Lyric Soprano Julie Dieltz and Lyric Tenor Zach Hess perform works from The Dallas Opera. Free with admission.
Where: Nasher Sculpture Center (Map)
How Much: $45 for Members; $55 for Non-Members (Half price for children 6-12, 5 and under free), includes admission
Purchase Tickets: Reservations are required and can be made by calling 214-242-5144

Tech Cocktail’s Dallas Mixer & Startup Showcase

Submitted Event — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:45:45 +0000

The Tech Cocktail team is coming to Dallas looking to showcase some of the area's most interesting early-stage startups both online and off. Join them for an evening of fun mingling with other technology enthusiasts, investors, bloggers, and entrepreneurs as they showcase local technology companies and take a closer look at their latest achievements.

When: Thursday, May 17th, 2012 - 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. CST
Where: Tech Wildcatters HQ - 2700 Fairmount, Dallas, TX 75201
What: A cocktail of tech enthusiasts
Price: Free! Registration required (Register Here)

Tech Cocktail will offer a handful of startups an opportunity to show off in an expo-style to the rest of the Dallas entrepreneurial community for free. If you have a startup you would like to show off at Tech Cocktail's Dallas Mixer, submit this form. TC will contact you if your startup is selected. Space is limited.

At Tech Cocktail events you are bound to connect with potential new employees, developers, designers and more. This could be the place where you meet your next employee, co-founder or even get a date. If you are a company looking to hire, you can also leverage the Tech Cocktail Job Board to get the message out early.

What is Tech Cocktail? TC is a media company focused on startup events, news and entrepreneurial resources - hosting mixer events and writing about technology startups and entrepreneurs across the country with the focus of helping to amplify the local technology signal since 2006. Tech Cocktail has hosted large events in Chicago, D.C., NY, San Francisco, Boston, Boulder, San Diego, Detroit, Boise, Austin, Barcelona and more.

The Inaugural CoHabitat Oktoberfest

Mother’s Day Gifts with Purpose by Dallas Designer and Humanitarian Abi Ferrin

Rania Batrice — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:57:37 +0000

There are two facts about me that are always true: 1. I hate shopping and 2. I'm a human rights loving, tree hugging, granola-at-heart kind of person. I have two brothers and no sisters (none that were actually born to my mom and dad anyway), so my mother has been stuck with a daughter who would rather get a root canal than go shopping and one who would never wear makeup (ever) if she could get away with it. I don't know exactly how many grey hairs I've given her, but I know it's been a lot.

I do try to make my mom feel special each and every day, and extra special during the holidays, especially Mother's Day. This year I've found the perfect solution to Mother's Day because I don't have to go shopping, it fulfills my humanitarian needs and tendencies, AND my mom will be getting an extra special gift -- a gift with purpose, if you will.

Sak Saum for Abi Ferrin is the first collaborative line to come from the Freedom Project and efforts in Cambodia. People rescued from human trafficking and abusive employment hand craft each item in the collection in a both healthy and restorative work place. The mother's day gift packages included in this line are not only gorgeous, but also continue the support and growth of these amazing individuals. The mother's day packages, which include collections for moms with babies, moms with toddlers, and moms in general, are a gorgeous and thoughtful way to show mom you care!

Spoiler alert [Mom, don't read this part]:

My mom is getting a coral colored silk clutch, printed apron that comes in the most gorgeous packaging, a turquoise Sak Saum for Abi Ferrin 5-way tshirt, and the Legacy journal (that includes the amazing story of the brave young woman who created the journal after having been rescued from sex slavery).

Flowers are nice, a spa visit is sweet, but these Sak Saum for Abi Ferrin pieces are more than just "nice and sweet..." They make Mom feel extra special while also giving to someone else, someone who may not have had a chance at life, the gift of freedom.

Click here to check out these packages and the rest of the Freedom Project Collection and make sure you watch the video! You might see someone you recognize!

**Disclosure** Rania is currently the Marketing and Executive Director of The Freedom Project and is helping to spread this message of "freedom and purpose."

Dallas Fashion Bicycle Company to Appear on ABC’s Shark Tank Friday, May 4th

Randy Z. — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:16:37 +0000

This Friday May 4th, Dallas entrepreneur Fleetwood Hicks will appear on ABC’s hit television show Shark Tank to pitch his luxury cruisers business for a chance to get funding and get his business to the next level.

Shark Tank has changed several budding entrepreneurs dreams into money making reality by giving them the opportunity to pitch, market and even develop their dreams in front of eager investors; one of the featured Shark Tank investors being Mark Cuban.

Many business owners are using custom design to allow customers to express their personalities and make products their own, why should a bicycle be any different? Cue Villy Custom Luxury Bicycles, a Dallas-based company that knows expressing yourself can be as freeing as the feeling of wind in your hair as you coast about town on a luxury cruiser. Villy Customs is supported by Deville, the owner’s Bullmastiff and company’s namesake, who proudly sports his mug on every custom design.

Deville, as well as the owner Fleetwood Hicks understands that fashion should not be limited to art you wear, but that fashion can be ridden as well! Fleetwood has combined his love for fashion and style to develop his vision of providing luxury cruiser bicycles to those interested in transforming an age old activity into a piece of moving art. It is this vision that Fleetwood aims to inspire investors with on the upcoming Shark Tank episode.

Villy Customs provides its fashionable riders with a myriad of color palettes, from sunny tangerine to rose petal pink. They have an innovative website that allowed me to design a custom cruiser bike to fit my style.

These fun bikes quickly bring back a feeling of childlike nostalgia. With the turn of a pedal I quickly recalled the essence of my first sweet taste of freedom cruising down my block as a kid. A Villy Customs Luxury Cruiser may not be a bicycle built for two, but it will certainly be one that is built for you! These fun bikes will certainly turn heads.

You can choose different colors for handlebars, neck stems, seat post, seat post clamps, fender braces, seat hardware, wheels and more. They offer brightly colored “balloon tires” in 12 colors choices, custom fender pin-striping combinations, seat covers, different chain colors, luxurious screw on grips, sweet accessories and more.

While Villy Customs is headquartered in Dallas, TX, luxury cruisers can be designed and order directly online at www.VillyCustoms.com, a fun interactive website that allows you to easily create and mold your vision of a dream bicycle into a reality. While building your dream ride, don’t forget to tune in to ABC to support Fleetwood as he jumps into the tank on Friday, May 4th.

Custom Cruiser Bike Builder