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Bryan’s House Adds To New Board Members

Bryan’s House has added two members to its board of directors. Serving two-year terms will

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  Photo provided by Bryan's House

  A. Shonn Brown (pictured), who is a partner of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell  where she focuses her practice on commercial litigation. She has represented clients in an array of complex litigation matters, including banking and financial services, class actions, and construction, telecommunications, software, trade secret and debt collection practices and holds substantial experience in both trial and arbitration. Ms. Brown is named as a “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly Magazine and among “Best Lawyers under 40 in Dallas” by D Magazine. Ms. Brown is a graduate of SMU School of Law.

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  Photo provided by Bryan's House

  Antonio Rocha (pictured), who is a tax manager with Weaver and Tidwell, L.L.P. His professional experience includes nine years in state and local tax with six years experience in public accounting. He is a former independent contract auditor for the Comptroller of Public Accounts and a former State of Texas Tax Auditor. Mr. Rocha is a graduate of the University of North Texas.

Weather Watch For Saint Valentine’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show

Thursday is starting to worry some folks. Seems that the weather experts are predicting possibly two inches of snow starting Wednesday night. Besides being the eve of the NBA All-Star festivities, Thursday’s also the date for one of the absolute most favorite fashion shows around — Saint Valentine’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Anatole benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Now, if we were betting folks, our money would be on St. Val’s Day mom/dotter chairs Rainey and Natalie Fogiel (pictured from the left). (Those meteorologists are like that little boy in junior high who got your hopes up for a Valentine and then was a no-show.) The Fogiel gals will either work their inside connections with Mother Nature, or they’ll have sleighs warmed up to get guests to the event. Also, knowing the loyal and gorgeous ladies who attend the event, they’re not going to let a couple of snowflakes stand in their way.

We’ll keep you posted on developments.

Dallas Opera’s Women’s Board To Honor Marnie And Kern Wildenthal

With the recent death of Henry S. Miller Jr., it seems like the glory days of The Dallas Opera’s founding mothers and fathers had come full circle. Juanita Miller, Elsa von Seggern, Larry Kelly, Nicola Rescigno, John “Cute Curmudgeon” Ardoin, and so many others, who strove to bring the best of La Scala to the dusty plains of North Texas, are long gone.

Photo provided by the Women's Board of The Dallas Opera

We have now moved into the next generation of leaders for the opera. These are the people who took the dreams of their predecessors and turned them into reality. Need an example? Drive on over to the Winspear Opera House.

While there are individuals who have been part of the driving force for the opera’s growth, it’s become a true passion for certain couples. With as much concern as parents of a child, they have nurtured the opera to its present position. One of those couple is Marnie and Kern Wildenthal. They have used their individual strengths to help so many organizations in our community. For instance, Continue reading "Dallas Opera’s Women’s Board To Honor Marnie And Kern Wildenthal"

Bacall And The Fonz Will Be Just A Block Away On March 11

March 11 is going to be a very busy day for people who like Hollywood types. Within a block of each other will be two legends — one of the silver screen and one of the plasma screen.

Lauren Bacall will be the Nasher Salon featured speaker at the Nasher Sculpture Center for lunch and evening chats. Married to Humphrey Bogart and Jason Robards, Bacall at 85 has appeared in over 60 films including The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, Key Largo, How To Marry A Millionaire, Written on the Wind, Murder on the Orient Express, The Shootist, and Dogville to name just a few. Known as “Betty” to her friends, she made famous the line, “You know how to whistle, don’t you? You just put your lips together and blow” (To Have and Have Not). Sorry, but the evening segment is sold out and there are only a handful of tickets available to lunch with Lauren.

Across North Olive at the Belo Mansion, Henry “The Fonz” Winkler (pictured) will be part of the St. Philip’s School and Community Center’s 2010 Destiny Awards Luncheon.  Besides being the legendary “Fonzie” of Happy Days, Henry is a producer, director, and best-selling author of over a dozen children’s books. You probably know Henry majored in drama and studied child psychology at Emerson College, and earned his Masters of Fine Arts from Yale School of Drama. But did you know that he didn’t realize that he suffered from dyslexia until he was in his 30’s? Heavily involved in various children’s projects, he co-founded the Children’s Action Network in 1990, which provides free immunizations to children. For additional info, call Anyika McMillian-Herod at 214-421-5221, Ext. 238.

Folks, get your autograph books out and give them a real work out on March 11.

UPDATE: Henry has just been added to the cast of “Royal Pains.”

Let’s Breakfast With Bill Lively And June Jones For Communities In Schools

Did you know that football season never really ends? That’s right especially in Dallas. If you have any question about that, reserve a seat for the 7 a.m. Communities in Schools Dallas Region breakfast Wednesday at Prestonwood Country Club. No, they won’t be tossing a pigskin around. Better! North Texas Super Bowl XLV President/ CEO Bill Lively (pictured) and SMU Head Football Coach June Jones will be the featured speakers.

Trust us. Having Bill and June talk to you first thing in the morning is better than three shots of espresso in your latte with a Red Bull chaser.

But they’re not going to be pitching folks for sponsorships or tickets. Rather they’re going to share “stories about achieving their dreams.” You see, the breakfast is just the first of three “Dream Achiever Breakfasts” held in connection with the year-long CISDR’s 25th anniversary celebration.

According to Jeff Morris, President/CEO of ALON USA and CISDR Endowment President, “The CISDR model is proven to be successful and makes the future much brighter for thousands of young people. ALON USA has committed to supporting CISDR’s yearlong 25^th birthday celebration and we look forward to seeing what the organization will accomplish in the future.”

Dallas’ Red Cross Dresses Up With Beads For Mardi Gras Masquerade 2010

Bourbon Street may be in trouble. There are no beads or masks left for Mardi Gras thanks to the Saturday night’s “Mardi Gras Masquerade 2010” at the House of Blues benefiting the Dallas Chapter of the Red Cross.

You know how most people dread costume parties? Those folks stayed at home. Just as well. They wouldn’t have stood a chance with the likes of Hank Keller and John Coffman (pictured right, with Hank and Marisa Allen). Sure to all the world, they appeared to be a couple of cute guys, but say “Where’s your costume?” and the masks came out. Seems the boys dropped by Pier One to pick up their “look.”

And looks were in abundance thanks to the welcome committee that draped everyone in beads, beads, and more beads. VIP’s reception guests were easy to spot. They sported the gumball-size pearl  beads with red crosses. One hesitant guest upon seeing the pearl necklace coming his way said, “It looks like something to ward off vampires.”

And speaking of “looks,” that’s exactly what Mary Lucille Coffman (pictured) got as she walked by on her oh-so high platform shoes and in an interesting dress with cut-out back. No one seemed to notice if she was wearing a mask or not.

Red Cross Executive Director Cheryl Sutterfield decided to take a different angle to the attire in her multi-colored flowing gown topped off with still more Mardi Gras beads. Even her earrings matched the beads.

Continue reading "Dallas’ Red Cross Dresses Up With Beads For Mardi Gras Masquerade 2010"

Thank You Note From SweetCharity

SweetCharity headquarters received a very kind note this morning from a much-respected member of the blogging world. In the note she stated,

“I love how civil your blog is – it’s so refreshing. I certainly get in my share of snark on other blogs but there’s no place for it in yours – it’s nice.”

Thank you.

Let me take this opportunity to thank the members of the SweetCharity community for encouraging and nurturing this blog environment. Because you are intelligent, articulate, and appreciative of the nonprofit efforts, you expect a blog that will be accurate, informative, and timely. For this reason we make every effort to honestly report information in a manner that meets your expectations.

While there is no room for “snarkiness”  in the SweetCharity world, we will not sugar coat information, people, and/or events. If you feel we are off target, you must help us set the record straight. . .  in a constructive fashion.

Again, thank you for being a part of the SweetCharity community.

Despite Nasty Spill, The Catholic Foundation Salutes Rev. Phil Postell

Friday night we were still living on NyQuil, but have learned the following took place at The Catholic Foundation’s 28th annual award’s dinner at the InterContinental Dallas:

Photo by Kristina Bowman

Even before invitations were sent out, the event was not only hitting an all-time record attendance (1,400), but was more or less sold out. Organizers even had to move the location due to the growing number who wanted to attend. The reason for this dramatic growth in attendance was the honoree — Rev. Phil Postell (pictured), head of Jesuit Preparatory School of Dallas. The Jesuits love their Fr. Postell. They should. He has served as president of Jesuit Dallas since 1992.

The day of the event even the weather cleared up, so it looked like any problems were non-existent. Then it happened — an 18-wheeler with hazardous waste toppled over on LBJ closing the highway down for three hours creating a traffic migraine for the entire area. And that was the lead-off topic as guests arrived for the event — “We got stuck in all the traffic in Far North Dallas caused by the chemical spill!” or “It took us two hours to get to the hotel!” Continue reading "Despite Nasty Spill, The Catholic Foundation Salutes Rev. Phil Postell"

Winter White Was Quite Right For Clayton Dabney’s 2010 Kissed By An Angel

Cub reporter/D CEO editor Glenn Hunter subbed in for the SweetCharity sniffling home team at the 2010 Kissed by an Angel event. Here is his report:

It was only raining, not snowing, the night of the 10th Kissed by an Angel benefit party for Dallas’ Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer. But inside the spacious Bluffview home of Jenney and David Gillikin Thursday, it seemed like a snowy blizzard had hit as some 200 fashionable women dutifully turned up in “winter white” attire for an evening of food, fun and fundraising.

The dress code may have been a challenge for some who discovered “they had nothing to wear” and were forced to go shopping, smiled John Owen, the foundation’s executive director (pictured). “So, we feel like we were helping the economy!”

The fashion dictate wasn’t a problem for Lynn Johnson and Rose Lafferty (pictured from the left flanking Rich Hippie’s Nikki Solomon), however. Rose looked adorable in a white cowl-neck sweater, while Lynn was a head-turning knockout in a long white embroidered coat. Continue reading "Winter White Was Quite Right For Clayton Dabney’s 2010 Kissed By An Angel"

DallasDirt’s Candy Evans Covers The Champagne Gala Of Dallas Art Fair

Girl reporter Candy “DallasDirt” Evans, who seems to know everybody, filed the following report Friday about Dallas Art Fair’s Thursday night gala with 600 guests in attendance:

Despite the chilly February drizzle, last night’s second annual Dallas Art Fair “cliqued” to perfection as art lovers poured out to get the first look at stunning works from fifty primo galleries AND support Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Champagne flowed thanks to presenting sponsor Veuve Cliquot who, along with Neiman Marcus, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Sotheby’s, the American Visionary Art Museum, Paper City and the Fashion Industry Gallery (F.I.G., where the event was held) put their artistic heads together to create the three day arts event in Dallas. Qualifying Booker T. Students will receive scholarships ranging from $5000 to for college tuition, educational summers and travel; past recipients are already working on degrees at some not-too-shabby places like Harvard and Cal Arts. Sotheby’s has also developed an internship program at Booker T. that includes a VIP visit to the New York City auction house. This year’s event was noticeably larger than last year’s collection of 35 galleries and featured multiple media that filled F.I.G.’s 70,000 square feet to the brim, and many people came by to personally thank co-founders John Sughrue and Chris Byrne. Perusing the art: Christophe Charrier, Senior Vice President, Moët Hennessy USA, and major Dallas art honchos types Bonnie Pitman, Jeffrey Grove, Charlie Wylie, Jeremy Strick, Joan Davidow, Christina Rees Patterson, (who once worked for D Magazine), Richard Patterson, Michael Craig-Martin, Kenny Goss, Ken Downing, Mary Ann & Bob Marshall, Eve Reid, who looks about 35 and husband, Warren Weitman, plus Kary & Eduardo Brittingham, Jennifer & John Eagle, Dan & Lizzie Routman, Jim & Jan Showers, Jan just back from L.A., and Bob & Laura Wilson. Modern art aficionados Erin Mathews and David Nichols were there along with many Dallas designers. John Bobbit said heloved the “earnest-ness” of the space — the display evoked the feeling of a museum.

Photo provided by Dallas Art Fair

Sherry Hayslip and Cole Smith (ed. note: pictured) practically closed the party, Cole wanting to scour every single exhibit: “outrageous and beautiful” was how Sherry described the work, urging me to buy a Joan Bankemper sculpture from Nancy Hoffman Gallery (NY). But the best quote of the night came from a beautiful thirty-nine something blonde on the arm of a handsome investment banker, who looked wistfully at a David Hockney: “Ohhh, I had a Hockney,” she sighed over two paintings by one of the most influential British artists of the twentieth century, “But I lost it in my divorce.”

Loved that last anecdote. A champagne toast to your efforts.