You must go see this

The Bend Yoga Studio periodically has concerts at their studio with local artists and traveling indie musicians. Now they have concerts at the Belmont Hotel on Thursdays called Barefoot at the Belmont. On October 2, 2008, David Garza will be playing. This is a show not to be missed. Plus you get to enjoy wonderful music within in the confines of the Belmont Hotel, designed by local Dallas architect, Charles Dilbeck. My suggestion is show up early and grab a cocktail on the patio or have dinner at the Cliff Cafe.

Tickets for Barefoot at the Belmont here.

Info about the Belmont Hotel and Cliff Cafe here.

Listen to David's music here.

Learn about the architecture of Charles Dilbeck here.

Things to do this weekend

1. Break out the lederhosen and head to Addison for Oktoberfest. There will be yodeling, dacschund races and more beer & brats than you can shake a stick at. Find all the info here.

2. Friday check out Rhett Miller and Sarah Jaffe at House of Blues. It should be a crime for a man to have such gorgeous hair!

3. CADD (Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas) Art Lab Gallery opens Saturday in Downtown Dallas. Listen to a review about the Art Lab Gallery here.

Thursday Night Lights

Curious about what those uber-expensive condos look like at One Arts Plaza? Now is your chance to check one out and get some free wine. One Arts Plaza was designed by local modern architect, Lionel Morrison.

From the One Arts Plaza blog:

"Join us and Briggs Freeman Real Estate Brokerage for Thursday Night Lights from 8 to 10pm. Guests can enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and enjoy the view of the Dallas night sky from a twenty-second floor residence. Then treat yourself to dinner and live entertainment in the Plaza, or take a serene walk through the Arts District.

“With only sixteen condos remaining at One Arts Plaza, it’s a critical time for buyers to come down and see the opportunities that are here.” Says Becky Frey of Briggs Freeman Real Estate Brokerage, the exclusive broker for One Arts.

Thursday Night Lights will run tonight through the fall."

Architecture Discussion on Think

I am a NPR junkie. I listen to it in the car and it is almost always on at work. It helps to drown out the noise at my office since my walls are paper thin. Actually they are made of plastic, but that is a whole other discussion.

Today on KERA 90.1, Krys Boyd on Think talked with Edward Keegan & Thom Powell about architecture and how it is transforming Dallas. From the KERA website:

"Everyone's buzzing about architecture in Dallas these days. And appropriately, the new Dallas Center for Architecture officially opens October 7th. We'll discuss the trends and happenings this hour with Edward Keegan, Editor-At-Large for Architect Magazine and Thom Powell, chair of this year's AIA Dallas Design Awards."

Listen to a podcast of the show here.

Things to do this weekend

1. Dallas Art Dealers Association Gallery Walk - Spend the day wandering galleries around Dallas and maybe pick up an art piece or two. Find a map and info here.

2. Spend the day outside the bubble at Grape Fest.

3. If hard liquor is more your thing, check out the bourbon tasting at Victory Tavern.

4. Find a new furry friend at Highland Park Village's Dog Walk.

5. Or stay in and watch 24 hour news coverage about Hurricane Ike while drinking one of these.

Cheap and Easy Modern Updates for Your Home

Here are four ways I updated my MCM home on the cheap:

1. Upgrade your house numbers



I purchased these numbers from Home Depot for less than 10 bucks each. They look very similar to the Neutra house numbers from DWR but I was able to purchase all four numbers for less than the price of one number at DWR.

2. New outdoor lighting





I do have to admit the Architect scored this light fixture for free from one of his lighting reps. But it does add some polish to an otherwise nondescript doorway and ties in nicely with the house numbers. Now if I could only get rid of the metal grating...

3. New indoor lighting



This light hangs in our entry way. It is the fl/y pendant lamp from Kartell. We purchased ours from Lights Fantastic here in Dallas but you can see the colors and purchase on line here. We got ours in sage to match our turquoise brick floor in the entryway and the turquoise tile of our fireplace. While the light is not exactly the cheapest around, compared to renovating your bathroom or kitchen, this is a nice instant gratification upgrade. An electrician put in both the interior and exterior lights and new light boxes for around $300. I do think we might have been overcharged, but it sure beat one of us electrocuting ourselves.

4. Get a new rug! I love Flor carpet squares. You can create any size rug you want. If one square gets dirty, you pick it up off the floor and rinse it off in your sink. If you get tired of them you can send the squares back to Flor and they will recycle them for you. We have a nice MCM mix of Toy Poodle squares in our living room.

Things to do this weekend

1. Saturday Night in the City at the Nasher Sculpture Center.

2. Live jazz Sunday afternoon from 3:00-6:00pm at Times Ten Cellars in Lakewood.

3. Go see The Who's Tommy at the Dallas Theater Center and check out the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Kalita Humphreys Theater.

4. Grab your bike or your dog at hit White Rock Lake.

5. Savor the last patio friendly days with a good book and a cocktail. I'll be poring over this while drinking this or maybe that.

Wine + Design at DWR this Thursday

While I think Design Within Reach is a bit deceptive about their furniture being "within reach" they do host many design events throughout the year. This Thursday the Dallas DWR Studio on McKinney Ave. will have the following event:

Wine + Design
Thursday, September 4, 6–8pm
DWR Dallas Studio

Drop into the Studio to sample wine, chairs, stools and tables from around the world to kick off our Seating and Dining combination sale. Taste test a variety of fine wines while our knowledgeable staff assists you in mixing and matching the right set of chairs and tables in plenty of time for the holidays.

RSVP to dallas@dwr.com by September 2

They have never had a guest list at the door, so don't worry if you fail to RSVP. I think the RSVP is more of a guide on how much food and wine to buy. See you there!