RHOA's Phaedra Parks to Host Creation of Fashion on June 1

You guys know how I love my reality stars so I plan to be sitting front row on Sat, June 1 at Creation of Fashion benefiting Keeping Families Connected. The event will take place at the Westin Galleria and feature a fashion show produced by Willie Johnson. The evening's celebrity host will be Phaedra Parks. This sassy southern belle is a successful attorney, businesswoman, author, mortician, television personality, motivational speaker, social activist and mother to two sons. Her co-host will be Michael Molthan, host of the digital show M2 The Rock, which provides motivation and support to those in seeking recovery from addiction. Keeping Families Connected provides free transportation to and from correctional facilities for families of incarcerated loved-ones. The organization was birthed out of a desire to make meaningful contributions to the lives of those who are incarcerated and the family members they are separated from. At KFC they believe the bars don't have to become barriers from your family. Tickets range from $45-$125.

Kandi Burruss Brings Burlesque Dungeon Tour to Dallas On May 25

Welcome To The Dungeon. 

Did you catch Kandi Burruss' Welcome to the Dungeon burlesque show on The Real Housewives of Atlanta Sunday night and get a major case of FOMO? Due to the overwhelming response, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Grammy Award-winning, singer, songwriter, TV personality, and entrepreneur is taking the wickedly entertaining variety show on the road this May and will make a stop at the Bomb Factory in Dallas on Saturday, May 25! Inspired by Kandi’s mega-popular show, Kandi Koated Nights, Award-winning adult line, Bedroom Kandi, and a rumor stemming from an episode of RHOA, fans will get a chance to experience Kandi’s adult-only world of fantasies in the exotic show critics exclaimed, “should not be missed!” Fans can expect special guests in select cities, and a best costume contest in each city with a grand prize of $1000. Tickets start at $65, are on sale now and can be purchased at www.welcometothedungeon.com

Dallas Designer Venny Etienne to Appear on Bravo's Project Runway

Designer Venny Etienne with model

The wait is over as the iconic fashion competition series “Project Runway” returns to its original home on Bravo with supersized 90-minute episodes beginning Thursday, March 14 at 8:00pm ET/PT.

Having someone you know adds an extra layer of fun to any reality/competition show, so I am SUPER EXCITED to see that our own Venny Etienne is slated to be one of the designers! This Haitian-American designer knew he had a desire to be immersed in the fashion industry when he started styling for local fashion shows in his hometown of Brooklyn at the age of 20.

He attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and later transferred to Wade College in Dallas. He graduated Salutatorian of his class, receiving a BA in merchandising and design and the Founders Award, the highest award given to a student of the graduating class. However, he credits most of his initial creative expertise to Milan-based designer and pattern maker Shingo Sato. Currently residing in Dallas, Venny credits this move for his evolution as a designer. While many thought leaving New York would be detrimental for his career, he was quickly embraced by the Dallas fashion scene and made a name for himself through networking and local fashion shows. In 2018, Venny won the 2018 Fashion Group International (FGI) Rising Star in Dallas. FGI also gave Venny a full scholarship to attend the Paris American Academy in Paris to further his development. To date, Venny has dressed some of today’s trendiest celebrities, including Cardi B and Michelle Williams. He travels to garner inspiration for his Levenity brand, which is part of recognizable American sportswear. Always sophisticated, with an edge that makes it extremely special.

Casting Call: Below Deck: Mediterranean Sails To The South of France

Last season of Below Deck: Mediterranean saw several Dallasites cruising the High Seas with Captain Sandy and her crew. Dallas obviously lived up to its reputation of larger than life characters, because casting is back again searching for groups of 6-8 people to appear on the upcoming season. Travel dates are in September and October and groups can be friends, couples, families (kids included), or coworkers that would be interested in chartering the 150ft + luxury yacht and have the entire trip offered at a huge discounted price. Yep, you read that right. Not only do you not get paid to appear on the show - you pay for the trip. I guess this what some people would call the "price of fame"?? If you are interested in getting all the details, or know anyone that would, email the casting office and they will send you the guest packet. Bon voyage! 

Kim Zolciak Biermann debuts new song WIG at Stoli Key West Cocktail Contest 2018

Brielle Biermann, Cynthia Smoot, Kim Zolciak Biermann

On June 9, 2018 Kim Zolciak Biermann (and her brood) made a surprise appearance at the Stoli Key West Cocktail Contest to debut her new song WIG. The event was emceed by Real Housewives of Dallas star, LeeAnne Locken, and Stoli's Patrik Gallineaux.

After Kim's appearance, Kim, Kroy led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to LeeAnne, who's birthday was June 7th. Cameras were rolling during the Bravo Housewives collision, so look for this evening to make an appearance in the upcoming season of Kim's Bravo show 'Don't Be Tardy'.

Many national outlets picked up my video, including People Magazine, Jezebel, Access Hollywood, Yahoo, and Perez Hilton.

Bravo's Below Deck Mediterranean To Feature Dallasites

According to Bravo's website, if you thought the inaugural season of Below Deck Mediterranean was full of drama, just wait until Season 2 premieres on Tuesday, May 2 at 8:00 CST. There's something for everyone this season - from the stunning sights of Croatia and beautiful bods, to hook-ups and fights of the verbal and physical variety. You won't want to miss what's in store, primarily because this season the passengers hail from right here in Big D! Tuesday's premiere episode features Melissa Rountree, owner of Level 3 Active, and her "tribe" of gal pals which includes Marzia Prince, Sharon Demko, Summer Smith, Monika Anderson, and Fiona Kirby. Future episodes will feature The Hair Bar's Gina Ginsburg among others. Tune in for the drama, laughs and some stunning scenery of Croatia and the Mediterranean!

LeeAnne Locken To Visit Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen On May 2

Cecily Strong and LeeAnne Locken will appear on Watch What Happens Live on Monday, May 2

I've said it before. There are two measures of success when it comes to the hierarchy on a Bravo reality TV show: One, is the seating order at the shows reunion episode. The most important characters are seated closest to Andy Cohen. The further away from him you are on the couch, the least impact Bravo feels you had on the season. The other, is getting invited to appear on Andy's nightly talk show Watch What Happens Live to represent your series. Brandi Redmond was the first Real Housewife of Dallas to sit on the WWHL clubhouse. Last week, Cary Deuber and her "magical junk" got to take a seat. And next up in the Watch What Happens Live clubhouse will be LeeAnne Locken!  Joining LeeAnne and Andy Cohen will be Cecily Strong from Saturday Night Live. I wonder if she will do an impression of LeeAnne? LeeAnne's boyfriend, Rich Emberlin, and I are going along for the ride so stay tuned for some behind-the-scenes pics!

Real Housewives of Dallas Cast Party

photos c/o Thomas Garza Photography


On Tuesday, April 5, Bravo threw a swanky sneak peek soiree at the Chandelier Room in the Design District to introduce the ladies of the Real Housewives of Dallas to Dallas media. Oh So Cynthia Editor, Cynthia Smoot, was on the red carpet with Jane McGarry to interview the cast of the show for Good Morning Texas on WFAA/ABC. All of my favorite local media VIPs were there including Lauren Przybyl from FOX's Good Day Dallas, FOX's Jenny Anchondo, Dish Nation and KISS FM's Kellie Rasberry, and CultureMap's Dawn Neufeld. Guests sipped and noshed and also got to watch the first episode of the show, which was met with much laughter and applause. The general consensus among those who were there? We have a hit on our hands, people. Tune in to the premiere on #RHOD on Monday, April 11 at 9PM CST.

Erika Jayne Shows Dallas What It's Like To Be A Pretty Mess. And It's Pretty Spectacular.

Like myself, the dynamic Erika Girardi  has an alter-ego. By day, Erika Girardi is the wife to billionaire attorney Tom Giradri and the newest cast member on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. By night, she becomes Erika Jayne, a sultry, sassy sex-kitten who performs dance club hits across the country (primarily in gay bars). She hit Dallas on Friday to run the media gauntlet, appearing on Good Morning Texas and co-hosting KVIL's afternoon radio show - which is where I caught up with her for some quality Bravo babe time. The highlight of our afternoon together was the dance lesson she gave everyone in the KVIL studio, which included Real Housewives of Dallas stars LeeAnne Locken and Tiffany Hendra, Steve Kemble and KVIL's Leigh Ann Adams and Courtney Kerr. Click here to see her teach us all her signature "pat the puss" dance move.

To read more about the Real Housewives of Dallas, CLICK HERE!

Erika Jayne Girardi Teaches RHOD Stars To Pat The Puss

Erika Jayne Girardi and Cynthia Smoot

This past Friday, I found myself in the KVIL 103.7 FM studios to meet Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Erika Girardi a.k.a Erika Jayne. For those of you who are not RHOBH watchers, let me fill you in: Erika is the newest cast member of Bravo's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Season 6. Erika is an American singer-songwriter, dancer and television personality. Since 2007, she's had a total of eight number one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. She's also married to a billionaire attorney (more on that later in the article).

Described as being sassy, fun and provocative when performing on stage, Erika has said that she originally created the alter ego "Erika Jayne" to keep her stage persona separate from who she really is. She describes Erika Jayne as being "a fantasy character", despite being "a real part of me, but not 24 hours a day." She's become a breakout star on RHOBH this season for her cool demeanor and "I don't give a f*$k" attitude.

She is performing her act at The Brick tonight and came into town a day early to do some media.  She started her Dallas stop Friday morning at Good Morning Texas, then headed over to KVIL to co-host the Uncorked afternoon show with Leigh Ann Adams and Courtney Kerr. That's where I caught up with her. KVIL purchased several tables for Erika's show and invited me, LeeAnne and Tiffany to join them. When we heard she was going to be at the station, we batted our eyes and pleaded to come over and take advantage of the opportunity for some quality time with Erika.  I think it all worked out because she was scheduled to co-host the show from 3:00-4:00, but ended up staying until 5:00 because we were having so much fun! I even got her to give the studio a dance lesson and teach us her signature "pat the puss" move (see video below):

To read more about the Real Housewives of Dallas, CLICK HERE!

RHOBH's Erika Jayne To Perform in Dallas On February 27

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills newest vixen, Erika Girardi a.k.a. Erika Jayne, is making an appearance in Dallas on February 27 at the Brick. Since 2007, she's had a total of eight number one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Described as being "sassy, fun and provocative" when performing on stage, Jayne has said that she originally created the alter ego Erika Jayne to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. Girardi describes Erika Jayne as being "a fantasy character", despite being "a real part of me, but not 24 hours a day." Doors open at 9:00 pm. Show at Midnight. Special Appearances by Nicole O’Hara Munro, Unshante DeFoxx, Raquel Blake and Leyla Edwards. Cost: $150 VIP Tables (includes 3 General Admissions, Champagne and 3 Meet & Greets), $20 General Admission (21 and up in advance) standing room only $40, General Admission (18 to 21 standing room only), $40 Reserved Table (off dance floor). Table accommodates 3. Each patron will also need to purchase a General Admission ticket. Meet & Greet Photo Shoot tickets available at door. http://onenightinbangkok.org/event/erika-jayne/

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...

Andy Cohen reveals how Ladies of Dallas became Real Housewives of Dallas

Click to head over to Bravo to watch this video interview

On a recent edition on Bravo's The Daily Dish, Andy Cohen revealed that Real Housewives of Dallas has been a long time coming. "We've been tinkering around with Dallas for, I want to say seven years we've been thinking about this. We cast there. We cast in Houston. We didn't get it right in either place," Andy explained. "And then this casting happened, I want to say, maybe a year ago. (Try a year a a half, Andy) I don't even know. We thought this could be good. Is it a Ladies of Dallas? Is it a Housewives? And then we we saw it we thought... This is a Real Housewives of Dallas" To which I say, "Yaaaaaaaas!" Andy goes on to say that the ladies that have been cast remind him of Orange County and New York in the early years. When asked to elaborate, he said, "It's the way they communicate with each other. It's about how they live their lives, it's about families, it's very grounded... and it just harkens back to early Housewives." Andy is clearly infatuated with the cast of RHOD and I'm sure we will be too! Bravo has yet to announce the cast of RHOD and speculation is rampant among both local and national media outlets. Even I have been fingered by many as a possible candidate here and here and here. Aw, shucks... You sure know how to flatter a girl. Like Andy loves to say, we will just have to "watch what happens" but you know you will here it here first - so stay tuned!

To read more about the Real Housewives of Dallas, CLICK HERE!

Watters Bridal Helps Launch Manzo'd With Children On Sunday

Real Housewives of New Jersey's Caroline Manzo and her loud and crazy family will debut their Bravo spinoff "Manzo'd With Children" this Sunday, October 5, 2014 at 8pm CST on Bravo. Dallas-based Watters bridal house will make an appearance in episode 1 titled "The Princess Bride".  Lauren Manzo is approached to do a bridal dress photo shoot for Glamour Magazine's website. Lauren’s “bridesman,” Greg Bennett, comes to visit and give his opinion on the wedding dress. The episode was filmed in June of this year at Jaehee Bridal Atelier in Englewood, NJ. You will see Maria Prince, Executive Vice President of Watters, and Kimberly Fusaro from Glamour Magazine, guide Lauren as she tries on wedding dresses for the first time. Lauren tries on the following dresses from the Watters collection: Watters Guilia gown (style 6081B), Watters Carina corset (style 5018B) + Ahsan skirt (5089B) (pictured on the right side in the photo above) and Wtoo Agatha gown (style 13704 - pictured on the left side in the photo above). You can view more from Watters at http://watters.com.

Meet Bravo TV's Patti Stanger's at Whole Foods in Lakewood this Friday