Showing posts with label Just Another Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just Another Day. Show all posts

It's official! I lost my young gene!




Going to the House Of Blues was a delightful experience; I enjoyed the live music, bragged that Marek is on stage doing a fabulous job playing Dave Matthews Band songs.


I think that I saw the concert from every single angle and floor possible, and I was loosing and finding friends all night long!



After the concert we decided to stick around and say hi to Marek...



Did I mention that I absolutely love the decor at the House of Blues?  I tried to figure out who the interior designers were, but couldn't find any information online about it... so sad..



I enjoyed a bit of acting like a goofball with a bunch of friends, after which we all decided to join a birthday party at what I'm assuming is a Russian Club in Deep Ellum; that's where we learned who still had the young gene and who lost it.
I lost it.



We met a few people we knew, also standing in line, and robbed one of them of the hand made meringue puffs, which were actually a hand made present for the birthday girl, and quite delicious!



After standing in a line, which never seemed to move, we finally entered, Truth & Alibi, otherwise known as T&A (yea, I'm not kidding.)



Holy smokes! This place was so packed that we literally had to squeeze our way through an ocean of bodies; sardines in a tin can pretty much sums it up nicely!  All I kept thinking was if there was a fire in here, 50% of people or more would go bye bye. There were two doors, the front was so skinny that only one body at a time would pass through (it said, not an exit), and the back exit door was so hard to find that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.



A group of guys appeared, with eyebrows so sculpted that they must have been an envy of every woman in town... (here's where I will assume that at this point I am "old fashioned")  I was trying desperately not stare at what seemed ridiculously funny.  I mean, don't get me wrong, a drag queen or what ever needs to sculpt them, but  I'm talking Jersey Shore!  (I tried to find a photo which compared to the level of browscaping, but apparently even the Jersey Shore guys aren't as precise as this particular group from Dallas.)  On top of the eyebrow issue, they sounded like a male version of a valley girl: "Oh my god! I bet my x is in there!" ...as if it's the end of the world... a high school drama. All this coming out of what otherwise would have been an attractive, handsome, tall man.  At that point I decided that this was just a bit too much for me... The decision to grab some sushi instead was clear;)



Of course while a few of us were trying to squeeze our way to the exit, we kept running into happy and bouncy faces we knew well; you know, the ones whose young genes were obviously still in tact. At some point I felt cold liquid trickle down my leg and into my fabulous high heel... someone managed to spill their drink down my back, the stench of which reminded me why I don't drink this bubble gum junk in the first place.  After pushing our way though the endless sea of sardines, we finally made it to the exit door;)



Deep Ellum is currently a fabulous mess! Brightly lit entertainment places are stacked up next to each other, reminiscent of the sardine can issue inside the club, with parking which is pretty much impossible to find, or better yet, fishy as hell, as you could be handing over money to a random thug, who takes off after he made enough, while your car is being hooked up to a tow truck.  There isn't a place without road work, and generally speaking, it's a different kind of world. A very magical world! I absolutely love it. Buildings as sardines are okay in my book;)



Turns out that although we could still walk into the sushi bar, no one will serve food at 2 am... So we ended up in a pizza joint, sprinkling our cheap pizza slices with crushed hot peppers and watching Sharknado while the colorful life around Deep Ellum kept doing it's thing.

The LinkedIn blue bubble incident

You know that blue circle which keeps popping up on your page... the one demanding that you "finish your profile"... well, I finally got sick and tired of it, and I thought, Okay... let me get rid of it.  I took a look as to what its demands are, and, of course,  the demand ends up being "ask for recommendations."  I don't particularly like doing this, and it's why I still have not done it, but I thought, if it will help me not see that darn blue bubble, I will do it.

I clicked on the link and ALL of my LinkedIn connections popped up on the screen! Overwhelming much? YES!  I thought... well, that is a lot of work... Okay, I will simply say "please recommend me, and if we have not worked on a project together, here's a link to my work"

Sounded like a great idea at the time, but... let me give you a heads up, don't ever do this!
Apparently people whom I know thought it was spam because I said "if I don't know you", and the people with whom I have not done a project thought it was spam because I said "please recommend me." LOL

The Moral Of The Story:

Leave the blue bubble alone,
even if it's driving you crazy!





Ps.
I have 1 recommendation from Sandra Prater (thank you for taking the time Sandra:)
a bunch of "Izabela, is this spam?" letters
and One Blue Bubble, which just won't go away:)

Luk, the garden tornado...

Luk, the tomato gardener is a difficult character to deal with.  I planted all sorts of goodies in my planter boxes, and he decided that he'll be super helpful... by digging up every single little bush of blueberries, blackberries, rosemary, and the list just goes on.  Thank goodness he's not interested in smaller pots... he's only a level 10 tornado in areas he can fit into.


Believe it or not, I grew these out of a single heirloom, organic, purple tomato.
They've been growing in the flower pot for a while now, but I think it might be time to place them in the garden... it's getting quite warm outside, and they are at the point when more room will be required quite soon.


The roses are looking gorgeous already, and there are still so many little buds on the rosebush... in a few more days all you'll see is the rich color of the flowers... can't wait!


I took this photo when the peach tree started blooming, and darn! I forgot to snap another one when it was absolutely overflowing with pink... next year...


In any case, the smaller peach is overflowing with baby peaches... hoping they won't drop off like they did last year.


So what's better then a pretty pear? A pear which smells and tastes like a real fruit should.  I got these from Natural Grocers... they were so juicy that I pretty much had to stand back when taking a bite... yummy...




A trip to White Rock Lake

Now that's a tired dog;)
Luk and I went to the dog park and he had tons of buddies to run around with today.
I was actually pretty excited when I saw a Doberman enter the park, because that's where he gets his love of being chased from, but apparently they were not interested in each other at all.
So we decided to walk around White Rock Lake... It's the perfect weather for going, so I would highly suggest dropping what ever you are doing and getting some relaxation time;)
The grass is absolutely perfect for sitting in the sun.

Luk's First Bike Ride

SUCCESS!!!! Luk and I went on our first bike ride together!!! He did sooo good;)))) We ran into another dog and he just kept going;)))) ...all the way around the neighborhood! Poor thing is dead tired;)

How to quickly train your dog not to bark

Luk, my Doberman mix, happens to be quite the vocal puppy when he wants something, like to go outside, again, and again, for no good reason.  Why? because he'll come back two seconds after; he just likes to make rounds on his squirrel territory.

It's become quite a pesky thing, this thing he does.

One day I decided to borrow a trick out of "Mom's Book of Tricks" and put my index finger up in the air saying "ONE".
Then, after he barked again, "TWO"
and again: "THREE"
At which point Luk was grabbed by the collar and calmly walked over to the guest bathroom.

After he came down, he was let back out.

After several trips to the bathroom he put two and two together:

bark = finger in the air
three fingers in the air = time out


Now, I only count to ONE
TWO tops:)
Okay, okay, once in a while THREE is used as well:)

The Squirrel Incident

Well, Luk finally did it.
He was chasing the squirrels all this time and he finally got one.
The poor thing was pinned to the ground when Laimis and I ran outside to rescue it.
Luk's damages: bleeding from squirrel bites.
Squirrel's damages: freaked the hell out and slobbered on.
The little squirrel finally got up enough courage to move and made it for a tree, but was barely holding onto the bark from breathing so hard and being so shaken by the ordeal. Slowly it went up the tree, barking at me; I made sure it wasn't hurt otherwise. So glad Luk was just "playing" with it like a lion playing with a mouse to show the kids how it's done... I just don't think I could handle a squirrel death by mauling.

I guess it's true what they say about rescue dogs...

I guess it's true what they say about rescue dogs...

I adopted Luk from the SPCA.  The owners had surrendered him; he was an "issue" dog.
The minute he got here, he turned the house up-side-down! ...destroyed 5 pairs of shoes, ate my graphic pen, even nibbled on my couch.  God help those holding the leash if he saw a dog, cat, or squirrel... oh boy... an arm out of socket, a leash pulling kind of dog. Worst of all, a never look you in the eye kind of dog.
 ...with lots of potential.

We have been going on walks, out jogging, to the lake, we learned how to play fetch and learned the meaning of STAY.  Jogs became a pleasure, walks became relaxed, Luk became a companion... a buddy everyone wants.

Today, we went for a jog on a 30' lead; I didn't even have to say 'stay' when he got to the street... he just stopped and waited, I picked up the leash and simply said 'Heel.'  Most importantly though, I can now look him in they eyes and he won't tear away; he'll look right back.

He had so much pinned up energy, he didn't know how to play; he was hurting everyone around him and now he can play... with a two year old... gently.

So yea... I guess it is true what they say about rescue dogs; they really are great.

Can't wait to see what two more months will bring:)

Back from the lake...


"I'm not happy with you right now... I specifically told you that I wasn't ready to go home yet."

Finally!

Took Luk to the park today.
He kept circling around and keeping one eye on me today.
When I was leaving, I just got up and started for the gate...
He was next to me in a split second and heeling all the way out!!!! ;)))
This pup is smart;)))

Another Visit from the El Centro Interior Design Students





Our now annual visit from the El Centro Interior Design Class was a blast as always.
We got lots of very intelligent questions from the students, they were amazed at the level of artistry at Potter Art Metal Studios, and the class left with smiles on their faces and comments such as: "This was our best field trip of the year, thank you!" ...and who can ask for more then that?  They especially enjoyed the huge tree gate we are currently working on.
A few days later the most adorable card came from the entire class, with a "Thanks a latte" Starbucks gift card... I just about died... isn't it sweet?  I love our precious students, and even worked with one on a project already!
A big thank you to Anita Watson of El Centro for organizing yet another fabulous trip!
Hugs!
Izabela




Meet the newest member of our house!


Meet the newest member of our house!
Isn't he adorable?

Puppy sooo tired after a run which ended in a mud bath...

I think that perhaps I'd like Luke to be spelled Luk.
In any case, Luk and I went jogging this morning and he was politely running right next to my leg most of the time.
(What an improvement from yesterday's super bad leash manners he had straight out of SPCA... Poor thing finally got to relax and not sit cooped up in a cage all day long;)

And so we happened upon an Art Gallery...

Taco Diner: Taken from Taco Diner's web page.











I had yet another wonderful evening with Ozzie; I just love our almost weekly philosophical discussions peppered with silly gossip and other fun talk while enjoying a wonderful meal.  One of our favorite spots?  The West Village Taco Diner off McKinney.  They have THE best avocado salad ever!  Anyway, I was just looking for a photo so I looked up their website and found out that the Taco Diner is co-owned by Dick Washburne, who also owns Mi Cocina.  So crazy!  He's a really good friend of Richard Potter's, an excellent cook (the Christmas meals at his home are to die for!), and I even had the pleasure of designing a few metalwork pieces for his home.  Small World!

But anyhow, that's not the story.  This story is about an art gallery.

BUNI: Taken from Ro2 Art's Facebook Page.















After the splendid meal, we headed to Paciugo's for some sinful goodies and decided to walk off a few calories around the West Village.  While doing a little window shopping, I noticed a very familiar shape; it was BUNI, by the late artist Mike Kury.  I got super excited and started pointing to the artwork behind the glass.  My excitement was apparently noticed by Jordan Roth, the owner of Ro2 Art, who was busy sitting on the floor of the gallery, preparing artwork for display.  He got up from the task at hand, walked over to the door and opened it, smiling at us.  This was such an exciting little present as the gallery won't actually be opened till June 18th, so we got a lovely preview!  I've seen the Ro2 Art gallery in Downtown Dallas, so seeing another one opening in the West Village was a pleasant surprise.  Ozzie and I got to examine each piece up close and since Jordan was right there, we basically got a personal tour with lots of nifty information about the art.  I especially enjoyed learning about the pieces "painted" with gunpowder... as in setting it on fire on top of paper, which, with the skillful drawing, cutting, and pyro-work of the artist, created amazing shapes and colors on the paper beneath the gunpowder.  It was a pleasure meeting Jordan; I wish him the best of luck on the opening of his new gallery... and if you're looking for something to do on that date, support the arts and visit Ro2!  As soon as I got home, I put the June 18th date on my calendar! 



Dallas: The City Living Tour

Richard and I went to The House at Victory Park tonight, where the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League was proud to present the City Living Tour.  It was a designer show-house in a high rise setting.  All of the pent houses on the 18th floor were on display... fully finished by local designers.  We had a great time checking out what's new and hot in the design world.
Here are all the fabulous designers who worked on the About City Living Tour... many of them we have worked or are currently working with so it was extra fun spending time with them.
Check out whose work was on display:
Amy Thomasson, April Warner, Catherine Dolen, Charlotte Comer, David Cadwallader, Jaynelle T. Ip, Jessica Savage, Joanie Wyll, John, John Holstead, Julie Reynolds, Kathy Adcock-Smith, Kay Trout, Linda Fritschy, Margaret Chambers, Meri-Kay Star, Michelle Meredith, Peggy Zadina, Rhonda Vandiver White, Richard Trimble and a special presentation by Dwell with Dignity.

October 27, 2010: View from The House at Victory Park

Earth Day Dallas 2011


I got a sweet message from Lanny at Earth Day Dallas and thought to pass the good news along.
I hope to see everyone downtown on April 22nd and 23rd in the Arts District.  The Earth Day Dallas festivities will begin at 10 a.m. on both that Friday (the official Earth Day) and Saturday.




The festivity packed days will be full of
 EXHIBITS, FUN, FOOD, and ENTERTAINMENT:


There will be live music at the Annette Strauss Artist square and One Arts Plaza.

I know Laimis is excited about this one: a bike rally on Saturday at One Arts Plaza! Oh Yes!

The Dallas Film Society will be presenting film shorts for your education and entertainment.  You can even suggest an environmentally focused and engaging film by e-mailing to info@earthdaydallas.org

You'll get to hear the thoughts and insights of environmental experts and advocates.  See the Event Calendar for specific times.

You'll have fun and learn how to be more environmentally conscious at the family picnic that Saturday, in the central portion of the Arts District.

There will even be Free Earth Day yoga classes!!!