Packing a lunch is one more thing you can scratch off your to-do list for this evening. The Butcher’s Son food truck is making its debut in the Dallas Design District tomorrow and residents, employees and neighbors are invited to join them for lunch from 11 am to 2pm at Leslie Taylor Antiques on Slocum Street.

The Butcher’s Son, a “haute sausage” serving gourmet food truck, rolled out in Dallas in October and has been spotted around town at several prominent events, including Big D New Years Eve in Victory Park. This truck is notorious in Uptown for dishing out late night bites across from Primos on McKinney Ave. on Fridays and Saturdays until 2 am. They are also slated to take part in the upcoming Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Celebration Street Fair on March 3, 2012.

Operated by Dain Pool and Jon Wagner, The Butcher’s Son prides itself on its chef-built and chef-tested menu. Sliders are their signature item and they offer three enticing options, including the Longhorn, Southern Bell and New Frontier. Pictured below is the Southern Belle. Now that sure has my mouth watering!!

In addition to sliders, The Butcher’s Son offers many other appetizing dishes. You can see a full menu on their website, www.thebutchersson.com.

Let’s show these sons of butchers a warm Design District welcome by visiting them during lunch so that they’ll want to return to our lovely little corner of Dallas! Cash and credit cards are accepted and tomorrow promises to be a beautiful day, so go ahead and pencil this in as your lunch time plan. I’ll see you there!

If you can’t make it out for lunch tomorrow, worry not. The Butcher’s Son is out and about most every day of the week. Keep up with their whereabouts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thebutchersson or Twitter at www.twitter.com/thebutchersson.

Samuel Lynne Galleries on a Dragon Open Night

The Dallas Arts District gets a lot of love in the press for bringing a diverse art scene to our city, but what most Dallasites do not know is that the city’s hippest art enclave truly resides in the Dallas Design District. About every six weeks, the art galleries of Lower Oak Lawn keep their doors open late on a Saturday evening, welcoming guests to mix, mingle, sip wine, meet artists and browse their latest exhibits.

Socialites and hipsters, art enthusiasts and collectors gather on Dragon Street, abandoning their cars for an evening stroll.
“Things really get hopping on Dragon Street!” explains JD Miller, contemporary artist and co-owner of Samuel Lynne Galleries. “On opening nights, there is an excitement and an energy that is remarkable. The street is full of people walking up and down going from gallery to see all the new exhibits. It reminds me of the experience of walking the length of Canyon Road in Santa Fe.”

With more than 15 galleries to explore, newbies to the Design District art scene might find their first trip overwhelming—so with the help of several LOL art experts, I put together a helpful list of tips and tricks to help you navigate your first gallery night like a pro.

Get Gussied Up

This being Dallas, the first question that always comes up is the ever-important, “What do I wear?” Given the diversity of people in attendance, the attire really runs the gamut. A sort of “smart casual” attire seems to rule the roost, with men sporting dressy jeans and blazers and women donning casual dresses or jeans with nice tops.

Mary Tomas, artist and owner of Mary Tomas Studio Gallery offers some outfit advice: “our guests come from diverse backgrounds and locations and dress up or down according to taste or mood. The atmosphere is fun, casual and lively and all are welcome.”

No matter what garb you opt to own for the evening, it is important to remember to sport comfortable shoes. Many of the galleries are spread out and, though parking is ample, you are sure to spend quite a bit of time on your feet.

Do Your Homework & Make a Plan

For first timers, it’s advised that, before driving down and diving in, you do some research. A comprehensive list of exhibit openings will be posted here on LowerOakLawn.com the week before each event. Also, in the next few weeks the Dragon Street Association will be launching an entirely new DragonStreetDallas.com website, which will host information on what has been recently re-branded as “Dragon.Open.” Patrons will be able to check out the exhibit schedule, as well as find information on the dealers and designers in the district that might be open late on Dragon.Open nights.

“Our goal is to get the word out that everyone is welcome on Dragon Street,” Miller says.

With so many galleries and shops to choose from, it’s almost impossible to hit them all in one evening. Give the list a once over and note any can’t-miss stop. Try to hit these first so you don’t run out of time. Check out LowerOakLawn.com’s Dallas Art Galleries in the Design District page for a map and quick links to information on area galleries.

Get Started Early & Ditch Your Ride

Each gallery maintains their own timing for gallery opening evenings—start times vary from 5 to 6 and last until 8 or 9. To get as many stops in as possible, start early.

Though most of your stops will be concentrated on Dragon Street, there are some great galleries off the beaten path. I like to start at Conduit Gallery on Hi Line before making my way over to Dragon Street, where I can park my car and stay awhile.

I recommend parking at one end of the street and making that your starting point. There are a few main “clusters” of galleries on the street. Some choose to drive between them, but it it’s nice weather and you remember to wear comfy shoes, leaving your car put shouldn’t be a problem.

Buying Smarts

Whether your plan is to just browse, or you’re on an art-buying mission, it’s good to have a good grasp on the buying basics. Some galleries post information or pricing for each work on a placard, but it’s also common to have a book that provides more details on the artist or piece. There are usually a couple floating around, so if you spot one, pick it up to browse or ask the person who is flipping through to see it when they’re finished.

If you don’t see a book and the information isn’t prominently posted, find a gallery staffer to inquire about any pieces that interest you.

“Every gallery owner is enthusiastic to explain to the viewer about the art they show, to provide information about the artists they represent, or talk about why art is important to collect,” Tomas says.

Meeting Artists

Meeting artists is another fun perk to attending gallery nights. Many artists attend to attend their own opening receptions, providing patrons the unique opportunity to get to know them.

“Connecting with an artist on a one-on-one basis is an important part of buying one of their pieces or deciding to collect their work,” Robert Wilborn, gallery manager at Galerie Zuger, says. “Many times, art isn’t just about the art, it’s about the relationships. Artists are excited to have their work be a part of their patrons lives and meeting the artist is an important part of the art buying experience.”

Information about which exhibits will have artists in attendance can be found here on the blog or on each gallery’s website. Gallery staffers will be happy to make an introduction for you, so don’t be shy about asking.

Take your Time, but Take Notes

If you come across a gallery, artist or piece that you love, there is no pressure to buy right away. Grab a business card, or make a note in your phone. Call the next day to get more information, or schedule a time to come view the art again.

Also, most galleries have a clipboard up front so you can add yourself to their mailing lists. Leave your information so you can get inside info on upcoming events for gallery patrons.

Throw your Plan out the Window

I know I told you to make a plan, but also be prepared to throw that plan out the window. There have been several times I planned on sweeping quickly through a gallery and instead stayed there all evening, ogling the exhibit and chatting up the artist.

A lot of the fun and excitement in gallery hopping comes from discovering a new artist or meeting a new person. Go with the flow and you’ll have more fun than if you stick to a rigid schedule. Remember, most of the exhibits will be up for a whole month, so there will be plenty of time for a return trip to the district to hit any places you miss.

Don’t Forget to Bring a Friend

Gallery hopping is a fun group outing or date activity. Though everyone might view the art at their own pace, it’s fun to go with friends and compare notes. And the best part of the deal — it’s free! Well, until you fall in love with a piece of art that you just have to have, that is.

Centrally and conveniently located close to Downtown, the Arts District, West Village, Oak Cliff and the Dallas North Tollway, restaurants and bar destinations are not far away. “Make a night of it,” Tomas says. “You’ll be glad you did!”

In addition to Saturday night’s festivities, two more LOL art galleries are opening new exhibits tonight and tomorrow. Tonight, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art launches their new exhibit, Illuminations by Bruce Brainard, with a reception from 5 to 7pm. Friday night, LuminArte invites guests to join them at 7pm to check out their new group show, Pursuit of Excellence, featuring three rising artists: Nicole Kallenberg of Austin, Delphi of Dallas and Patrick Soulieres of Quebec.

Tomorrow I will feature an article with tips for how to gallery hop like a pro, so print this page and prepare yourself for an excellent evening of art this weekend! 

	Three Artist Exhibit Craighead Green Gallery | 5:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – March 24, 2012 Artists: Leslie Tejada, Jackson Hammack and Chris Mason Jackson Hammack, Peace at Caddo, 60″ x 48″, mixed media on canvas
	AC/OC Cohn Drennan Contemporary | 6:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – March 24, 2012 Artists: Winter Rusiloski, Carmen Menza and Cathy Drennan Winter Rusiloski, Twins, 2011, oil on canvas
	Recent Works // Taos // Album of the Conqueror Conduit Gallery | 6:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – March 24, 2012 Artists: Joe Mancuso, Ludwig Schwarz, and Erin Curtis Ludwig Schwarz, Untitled, 2007, oil on canvas, 72×72”
	Inside Out Holly Johnson Gallery | 6:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – March 24, 2012 Artist: William Betts William Betts
	Group Show Mary Tomas Studio Gallery | 6:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – March 17, 2012 Artists: Jose Cruz, Jonathan Millet, Bill Nimelman, Tom Ortega, and Mary Tomas “3 PINK” by Tom Ortega, mixed media on panel, 40” x 54”
	Border PDNB Gallery | 5:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – May 5, 2012 Artists: Delilah Montoya, Teun Voeten, and Jeffrey Silverthorne Teun Voeten, June 2009, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico.
	Visual Meditations Sun to Moon Gallery | 5:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 16 – March 17, 2012 Artist: Jeffrey Conley Jeffrey Conley
	What A Young Woman Ought To Know Galleri Urbane | 5:30-8:30 pm Showing: February 18 – March 24, 2012 Artist: Forrest Solis Forrest Solis
	Le Nouvel Opera de Paris Folio Beaux Arts | 5:00-8:00 pm Showing: February 18 – March 17, 2012 Artists: Jean Louis Charles Garnier

Find the Galleries:
Find the galleries listed above by visiting a map of Dallas Design District Art Galleries.

Do you know of an art exhibit opening I missed? Email me so I can include the listing and any other upcoming events you have in store!

Red is also one of my favorite colors to decorate with. (If you’ve ever seen my home, you’d know that!) It makes a great accent and can make a room feel colorful and vibrant, yet homey. Red contrasts well with many colors, making it an easy shade to add to any palette. I found three fiery red  fabrics that set my heart aflutter this Valentine’s Day:

1) Thomas Paul Prints for Duralee in Ruby (No. 20876-337)
2) Kravet Soleil Spotlight Poppy
3) Osborne & Little Oscura Stripe at ID Collection

Wouldn’t these look positively pretty as pillows? I think so. Is red your Valentine’s Day color of choice? Or are you a pink person? Share your color preferences in the comments below!

Photo via Pinterest

The diverse collection includes embroidered linens, coordinated stripes, jacquard and plain fabrics in several colorways, perfect for curtains, upholstery and decorative pieces.

Duralee, which reps the brand in the U.S., sent over a bunch of lovely images that truly show off the collection and bring it to life!

The Bukhara Collection is available at the Duralee showroom in the Dallas Design Center. 

Make reservations for Valentine's Day dinner this year. Your date and your dishwasher will thank you!

Still searching for the perfect thing to make for your upcoming Valentine’s Day dinner? This year, ditch the cookbook and make reservations! The restaurants of the Dallas Design District have put together extra special menus for the occasion that are sure to steal your heart and tickle your taste buds.

A Valentine’s Day dinner at Oak, LOL’s newest hot spot, is sure to sweep your lucky lady off her feet. Chefs Maddy and Green have crafted a lovely five course meal featuring such delicacies as Maine Lobster with yukon potato, pea tendrils and lobster glace as well as chocolate mousse. [See the Oak's full Valentine's Day menu]

Dinner at The Moth is set to be a savory four course affair, with menu highlights including Blue Point oysters, filet mignon with vanilla parsnips & blackberry demi, and chocolate crème brulee. [See The Meddlesome Moth's full Valentine's Day menu]

Royal Sixty’s dessert option alone has my mouth watering, with mini dessert trio of dark chocolate nutella decadence cake, tiny raspberry trifle, and a Mexican wedding cookie. Their three course menu is full of choices and comes with a bottle of wine in the color of your choice. [See Royal Sixty's full Valentine's Day menu]

Dining out on this romantic holiday will save you time in the kitchen, dirty dishes and give you more energy for your post-dinner activities – whatever those may be!

Photo via Pinterest

Pinterest

Pinterest has quickly become one of my biggest obsessions. It is the perfect place to store all the great interior design ideas and inspiration I see everyday online. I am a pinning fool!

Lately, several of my friends have been asking me to make a list of people that I like to follow, so I finally took the time to sit down and hand pick my favorite pinners. Doing the choosing was quite a task, but I finally narrowed it down to nine stylish picks. All the pinners listed below have at least 500 pins and a unique eye for beautiful things that caught my eye. All are from Dallas and several are interior designers or have ties to the Dallas Design District!

Trust me, you can’t go wrong by following any one of these lovely ladies:

Kim Turner Follow for: Projects, DIY and Home Decor Boards: 24 My favorites: Project Ideas // Dwell Inspiration	Tiffany Rossics Follow for: Everything! Home Decor, Children, Recipes, etc. Boards: 25 My favorites: Children’s Rooms // Paper + Packaging	Kelly Slott Follow for: All things Fabulous! Fashion & Style, Home Decor, etc. Boards: 20 My favorites: a menagerie of fabulous // lovely living rooms
Sally J Designs Follow for: Home Decor, Color Crush Boards: 81 My favorites: Painted Furniture // Gallery Walls	Amy Lee Follow for: Home Decor & Accessories, Style Boards: 45 My favorites: Dream Home // White White White	Arin Forstenzen Follow for: Fashion & Beauty, Photography, Travel, Interiors, etc. Boards: 76 My favorites: Jetsetter // Interiors
Abbe Fenimore Follow for: Home Decor, Art Boards: 10 My favorites: Outdoor Rooms // Offices	Mica May Follow for: Interiors, Typography, Style Boards: 92 My favorites: Home Sweet Home // It’s Fontastic	Kyle Knight Follow for: Home Decor, Rugs, Art Boards: 40 My favorites: Art // Bathrooms

In addition to personal pinners, several savvy design brands have started to build a presence on the social sharing site, creating curated boards of their products and other interior design inspiration. I found five Dallas Design District showrooms that have started pinning and are worth following. Also, don’t forget to follow me on the Lower Oak Lawn pinterest page!

Lower Oak Lawn Follow for: Designer furnishings, Home decor Boards: 18 My favorites: Fabulous Fabrics // Bedrooms	Duralee Follow for: Fabric finds Boards: 12 My favorites: Show us your Duralee	Ann Sacks Follow for: Tile trends Boards:7 My favorites: Bathroom
Donghia Follow for: Designer furnishings, Decor inspiration Boards: 2 My favorites: Fan Favorites	Henredon Furniture Follow for: Designer furnishings Boards: 5 My favorites: Real Photos	Fabricut Follow for: Fabric finds Boards: 8 My favorites: Maison & Objet 2012

Lastly, I would be remissed if I didn’t include a link to my personal pinterest, bringing the total to sixteen.! I pin just about everything under the sun, so follow me for a great array of inspiration!

Are you on pinterest? Do you have any people or brands that are primo pinners that I should add to my list? Leave your links in the comments below!

If you’re interested in joining Pinterest and need an invitation, post a comment below using your email address and I will send you an invite!

There is something exhilarating about unexpected color.

And exhilarated is just how I felt when I came across the elegant yet flirty dress pictured below.

It immediately called to mind an ad I saw recently for the new Martyn Lawrence Bullard collection for Schumacher. The collection was inspired by Bullard’s “passion for exotic travel, luxurious materials as well as unexpected color and scale.” And it shows. The collection is brimming with playful patterns, iconic ikats and copious color!

As we head into the weekend, break out of the beige, take a cue from the ever chic Kate Spade, and remember to “live colorfully!”

View the entire Martyn Lawrence Bullard for Schumacher Collection online or drop by Schumacher’s Dallas Design Center showroom.

Photos via Schumacher.com and Pinterest

The Splash Media studio was incredibly impressive and Renay was a gracious host. The interview ended up being quick and easy and the video turned out great! Take a minute to watch it and remember back to the beginning days of LowerOakLawn.com and think about how far we’ve come since then! Couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you to Renay and Splash Media for having me!

Source: Splash Cast Blog, SplashCast: Social Media Marketing And The Lower Oak Lawn Story

Last week the developers gave an in-depth interview about the project on the D Magazine RealPoints blog. Instead of recapping the article, I decided to have a little fun and throw all the juicy details into an infographic.

While this is jam packed with fun insights, it is just the tip of the iceberg of the coolness that is 1400 Hi Line. Stay tuned to LowerOakLawn.com for the latest amenity reveals and leasing deets!

[View Larger]

Sources: D Magazine RealPoints,  PMRG Execs Provide Details on 1400 Hi Line