Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Top 10 Most Read Posts of 2015

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This blog is my love letter to the city of Dallas. I LOVE shining a spotlight on the people, places, events and businesses that make it a great place to live, work and raise a family. Because I write about the many faces of Dallas, I'm always curious what people are drawn to. I thought it would be fun to look back at the traffic and see what my most read posts of 2015 were to give me a direction for how to proceed as we enter 2016. Reality TV and celebrity coverage led the pack, which is not that surprising considering that stories about national topics tend to lead to clicks from around the world and not just my usual Dallas-based readers.

So, what topics had readers talking this year?



Top 10 Most Read Posts of 2015

#10: Oh So Artsy: Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots opens at the DMA on November 20
Personally, I am shocked that this post made the top ten. According to the Dallas Museum of Art, Pollock is "the greatest painter this country has ever produced". According to me, his work is complete crap. My philosophy on art is that anything I could create myself - is not art. But, clearly Pollock has his supporters because critics have hailed his work as “sensational," "exhilarating," "genius," “revelatory,” and “revolutionary”.  Is it interest in Pollock's work that led to the large number of clicks on this post or the fact that it was published the same day as my post announcing Bravo's Real Housewives of Dallas? Hmmm. One can only wonder.

#9: Andy Cohen reveals how Ladies of Dallas became Real Housewives of Dallas
In March 2015 Bravo announced that Ladies of Dallas was in the works, which would be a spin-off of their highly successful Ladies of London series. 8 months later, they shocked the world when it was announced that what was in the can would NOW be released as the newest city in the Real Housewives franchise. But why? And how in the world...? On Bravo's Daily Dish web series, Andy Cohen 'splained all...

#8: Jane McGarry to replace Amy Vanderoef on Good Morning Texas
In March, I was devastated when Amy Vanderoef announced she was leaving WFAA's Good Morning Texas after 10 years of co-hosting the morning talk show. The next day it was revealed that my good friend, Jane McGarry would be replacing her. McGarry had been the evening news anchor at NBC for 25 years and is a legend in this town. The move had tongues wagging and mouses clicking to get the scoop!

#7: FGI of Dallas Announces Rising Stars Nominees for 2015
In January, Fashion Group International of Dallas (FGI of Dallas) announced its annual Rising Stars honorees. The Rising Stars event shines a spotlight on Dallas’ up-and-coming fashion leaders, who are already breaking into national fashion headlines. As web traffic indicates, fashion matters in Dallas.

#6: What Canceled Dallas Reality TV Show Would You Like To See Return?
It was January 2, and on a whim, I asked readers to tell me what canceled Dallas-based reality TV show they would like to see return to the airwaves.  The contenders were Big Rich Texas, Courtney Loves Dallas, Most Eligible: Dallas, The A-List, Texas Women, and Texas Multi Mamas. The result? Well, you'll just have to click through to the post to find out...

#5: Dallas Dweller: LeeAnne Locken
As my Dallas Dweller series points out, "Dallas is full of colorful characters. There are those you see monthly in the society pages, whose stories are legendary in this town. But, this feature is inspired by the people that I think you should know more about because of their fabulous style, interesting back-story or amazing accomplishments. There are many in the ladies-who-lunch crowd tend to say (Locken) is too pretty, too loud, has too much personality. She's just.. too much. This bigness makes her an easy target for jealousy and ridicule from some, and on the flip side, makes her adored by many. Read more about the woman who clicked her way to the #5 most talked about position on this blog.

#4: The Most Anticipated Charity Events in Dallas for 2015
In this post I stated, "When I say these are the "best" charity events in Dallas, I am not talking about the most worthy charitable endeavors. Every non-profit organization has great intentions towards an admirable cause. But let's face it, there is only so much time and money one can give. At the end of the day people are looking for an event that not only provides them with a way to give back to a cause or their community but also provides a great experience, delicious food, great people-watching and an amazing experience that still has you talking about months later." See what event made my year and stay tuned to a revamp of this post for 2016 coming soon!

#3: See How Dallas Celebrities Spent New Years Eve
BOOM! Right out of the gate, my first post of 2015 took off like a rocket. Because, let's face it, everyone wants to know what their favorite celebrities, sports stars, journalists and TV personalities are doing - especially on the biggest party night of the year! You'd better believe that on January 1, 2016 I will be publishing another post showing you how Dallas' most famous faces brought in the New Year.

#2: Bravo TV adds "Ladies of Dallas" to their lineup
By now, we all know that Ladies of Dallas is not happening and that Bravo took a right turn with this production and will be debuting it as Real Housewives of Dallas in 2016. But back in March, all anyone could talk about was the announcement that BRAVO had a show in the works. There was buzz all over town (and the internet) about who would be on the cast. Ten months later, Bravo still hasn't put us out of our misery and officially announced the cast but that hasn't stopped the speculation...

And my NUMBER ONE most popular post of 2015???
Is it really any surprise?!



#1: It's official! Bravo announces Real Housewives of Dallas 
This post had more click-thrus than all other nine posts combined proving that the thirst for the Real Housewives of Dallas is real and cannot be quenched! Casting for a docu-drama began in August 2014 and the pitch was for a show tentatively titled "How To Make It In Dallas". In March, Bravo shocked everyone (including the cast) when it announced Ladies of Dallas to their lineup as a follow-up to their smash hit Ladies of London. So how and when did it change to Real Housewives? Click through to the post for more on this story and get ready for some tea, my loves, because 2016 is going to be juicy and delicious!!

I so much appreciate everyone who reads my stories, retweets my posts, and shares my articles to your Facebook Friends. I hope they inspire you to get up off the couch and discover all of the people, places and events that make our city unique, special, and SO MUCH FUN!