Advice For The Real Housewives Of Dallas From Fellow Dallas Celebrities

Dallas is a virtual HOTBED for TV casting. Any major reality or competition show worth its salt makes a stop in Big D when looking to cast interesting or talented characters with big personalities. We've seen our citizens dominate and humiliate in shows like The Bachelor, Dancing With The Stars, Top Chef, Biggest Loser, The Voice, American Idol, Fast & Loud, Texas Women, Big Rich Texas, Most Eligible: Dallas and many more. Last fall Bravo announced that the Real Housewives of Dallas would be the latest addition to their juggernaut franchise and ever since then Dallas has been buzzing with guesses about who would be in the cast. Even I have been fingered as a possibility, which is oh so flattering! While the cast remains in debate, what I know for sure, is that these ladies have NO IDEA what's about to hit them smack upside the head. I've been covering reality TV and celebrity news in this town for a looooooong time and have become friends with many of the stars that make these shows fun to watch. So, I reached out to a few of them to ask, "What do you wish someone had told you before you started your reality/competition TV journey?" Here's some sage advice for the new cast of #RHOD from those who have been there before:

Big Rich Texas star Melissa Poe Ties the Knot

photo: Thomas Garza Photography

Congrats to Melissa Poe of Big Rich Texas and Doug Carson who tied the know Friday night in an intimate ceremony. The reception was held poolside at SISU in Uptown and apparently someone didn't think to tent the place, so guests got rained on. But as you can see from the video below, the rain didn't dampen Melissa's excitement. Plus, it's good luck for it to rain on your wedding!  In attendance were BRT cast mates Bon Blossman, Connie Dieb, Cindy Davis, DeAynni Hatley and new cast member (you'll meet her in season 4 - if it ever airs) Donna Parker Smith. 

Melissa looked amazing in a grecian gown by Dallas-based bridal company Watters. The Leonor gown featured an ivory alencon lace scoop neckline and bodice with Blush silk satin organza a-line skirt. The couple departed the next day for a honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas.  We here at OSC wish the happy couple all the best for a wonderful future together! 

Click the "Read More" link below to see photos and video from the wedding:

Big Rich Texas stars gather to celebrate the engagement of Melissa Poe

Friday evening, friends and cast members of Melissa Poe gathered at Dee Lincoln's Bubble Bar to celebrate her engagement to Doug Carson.  The couple glowed when talking about their upcoming September 20 nuptials. The wedding will be an intimate affair with a honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas.  Big Rich Texas cast members Connie Dieb, Wendy Walker, Bon Blossman and DeAynni Hatley attended the cocktail soiree. Missing from the party was BRT star Cindy Davis, who was involved in some real life drama last week (not the scripted kind we see on BRT) when her boyfriend was shot right in front of her during a dispute.  NBC5 has the story here.  Thankfully, he is going to make a full recovery but Cindy was unable to make the party.

To see photos from the evening, click HERE.

Reality TV stars take big screen leap with "Faith"

Cast photo from Facebook

Several local reality stars have been cast in an upcoming film set for a February 2013 release. Faith is a short film that follows the lives of six young adults whose paths cross through a central character - causing their outlook to be determined by their reaction to circumstances, thus demonstrating that sometimes, you just need to have a little faith.

The cast includes some names you might recognize, including:
Jennifer Besser, actress (Founder and CEO at Athena Pictures)
Melissa Poe, executive producer (Big Rich Texas star)
Maddie Poe, actress (Big Rich Texas star)
Donny Boaz, actor (Larry Birkhead in Lifetime's The Anna Nicole Smith Story)
Neill Skylar, actress (Bravo’s Most Eligible Dallas)
Kendall Morris, (Miss Texas 2011)
Wendy Walker, executive producer (actor on Big Rich Texas )

Melissa Poe says of the experience, "I started out thinking it would be “fun” to help make a film, which it was, but ultimately it turned out to be an experience of a lifetime. I found that I actually liked being behind the camera a little more than being in front of it. It’s so rewarding to see a story on paper come to life through the actors and knowing that you helped them shape and see their role/character as you see them. I hope that people come away from watching this short film with the message that Faith is simply believing in something great than you, even if you have no tangible evidence to support it and that everything that happens in our life is for a reason….it’s up to us to have Faith that HE’s working everything out for our purpose."

Halloween 2012 - Big D Style

Halloween isn't just for little kids. This past weekend, Big D held some spooktacular parties to treat us big kids. Here's a look at how some of Dallas' most colorful characters and notable names celebrated Halloween 2012:

Big Rich Texas vixens Connie Dieb, Melissa Poe and DeAynni Hatley at Sambuca
photo Plano Pete/Pete Wynne Photography

The ladies of Big Rich Texas head to Los Angeles to tape a reunion show for Season 3

Cindy Davis, Connie Dieb, DeAynni Hatley, Shay Hatley, Melissa Poe, Maddie Poe and Alex Davis
at LAX Airport (photo: Melissa Poe/DeAynni Hatley via Facebook)

The gals of BRT (minus Wendy Walker) flew to La-La land this weekend to film the reunion show and talk about the drama that was Season 3 of Big Rich Texas and I can't wait to see what comes out since they are NEVER all in one room together. We are only 2 episodes into the season and already the blogs and social channels are buzzing over the "slap heard 'round the world" from last week, courtesy of DeAynni Hatley. (Personally, I think Style loved the attention the slap got last season and "encouraged" DeAynni to keep the drama going... but I could be wrong. Just a guess)

Big Rich Texas: Episode One

BRT stars Melissa Poe, Bonnie Blossman and Connie Dieb at Prime Bar

Last night was the premiere of Season 3 of Big Rich Texas. The cast (sans Leslie and Kalyn) held a private party at Prime Bar in Dallas to celebrate with family and friends.  Personally, I do not recap episodes on this blog like other sites do. If you are interested in the show, I'm guessing you've already watched the episode? I do, however, love to take to Facebook and Twitter to see how fans and the stars are reacting as the show airs. Here are some of the highlights from the social networks about last night's debut episode:

Get social with the cast of Big Rich Texas, Season 3

Set your DVR's!!  The third season of Big Rich Texas will air this Sunday, October 7 on the Style Network. Here's how you can Tweet, Follow, Fan, Like, interact or just follow along to learn more about the "stars" of this soft-scripted Dallas-based docu-drama:

Big Rich Texas

Website

Official Facebook Fan Page

Twitter

Celebrity Fashion Experience Vol. 4

Last Thursday, I was at my son's lacrosse game. The 5/6 grade Highland Park Scots were in the playoffs for the season victory and I couldn't miss that! Across town, my good friend, Dawn Neufeld was all dolled up and emceeing the Celebrity Fashion Experience Vol. 4. I asked her to share her evening with us and here's her recap of this reality TV star-filled evening!

____________________________________

The Dallas fashion scene was abuzz last Thursday night for Celebrity Fashion Experience Vol. 4.

Wearing a dress designed by designer Linda Rowe Thomas in a stunning royal blue in tribute to Autism Speaks, I hosted the event for the second time. St. Louis designer and Project Runway (Season 9) top-five finisher Laura Kathleen opened the show with gorgeously patterned dresses and jackets.  After presenting her line, Laura Kathleen joined her friend and Project Runway All Stars winner Mondo Guerra to watch the rest of the show.

Project Runway designers Laura Kathleen and Mondo Guerra

Dawn Neufeld with Linda Rowe Thomas

Heidi Dillon, president of TheFashionistas and cast member of Big Rich Texas, sat front row with cast mate Connie Dieb and Taylor Garrett from Logo TV's A List: Dallas, as six seasoned and upcoming designers featured their fall/winter 2012/2013 lines on the u-shaped runway at Lofty Spaces. This year’s event was special in that Front House Management teamed up with a charity for the first time.  Proceeds from the event benefited the Dallas/Ft. Worth chapter of Autism Speaks.

Front House Management CEO Karen Michelle then debuted her inaugural Key Resort & Swimwear, followed by newcomers Angelica Sandoval of Geisha, Inc. and Nayra Guerrero. Chicago-designer Horatio Nieto then presented his women and men’s collections.  The men’s collection was inspired by coal miners and featured a rustic yet structured and sophisticated look.  The women’s collection was gasp-worthy!  Many of the designs were very wearable – very sleek and what I like to call “work chic.”  The collection was capped with a stunning gown that would turn heads at any of the Dallas high society black tie events.

Taylor Garrett, Connie Dieb, Brandy Voirin and Heidi Dillon

The show’s finale was presented by Celebrity Fashion Experience alum Linda Rowe Thomas.  Romás collection featured stunning Jackie Onassis-inspired classic pieces.  America’s Next Top Model alum Furonda Brasfield expertly navigated the runway in a stunning black evening gown to conclude the collection and show. The Celebrity Fashion Experience has quickly become one of the not-to-miss fashion events in Dallas!

About Dawn Neufeld:
Frisco resident Dawn Neufeld was a cast member on VH1's Football Wives.  Married to retired NFLer Ryan Neufeld and mother of two children, Will and Bryn, Dawn is an attorney and television personality.  Follow her on Twitter @DawnNeufeld and on her blog, The Gridiron Goddess.

Photos courtesy of Lujo Media. To see more photos from this event, click here.

Big Rich Texas' Connie Dieb: Season 2, Episode 7

Connie Dieb

In this week's episode of Big Rich Texas, Mr. Scoma, the General Manager of the Country Club, put Connie and DiAynni together to Co-Chair the annual fundraising gala at Woodhaven Country Club. Connie doesn't like to share anything, much less titles.

Best line of the season so far happened tonight when Connie Dieb said to DiAynni Hatley,

"We may be Co-Chairs... but my chair's bigger than your chair."

That was very GCB, Connie, and made me laugh out loud.

Big Rich Texas: Season Two Premier Party

Hotel Zaza was the place to be Sunday night as over 300 style-setters, celebrity stalkers and A-list wannabes jammed into a soiree hosted by Heidi Dillon and Jarrod Fresquez benefiting The Fashionistas to kick off the latest season of Big Rich Texas.  Almost all of the cast was there, making it a head-turning event for fans who turned out to catch a glimpse of their favorite cast members.  So, who was missing? Let's see, because Pamela Martin was there, you can pretty much guess that Bonnie and Whitney and Leslie and Kalyn stayed far, far away. Which was very unfortunate because there was plenty of room in the space for the tigers to just circle the room and avoid each other.

(left) Melissa and Maddie Poe  (top) Grace and Connie Dieb
(bottom) Hannah Gelbart Martin and Pamela Martin Duarte

When I first walked into the VIP area ('cuz that's I roll, baby) there were two tubs with probably 8-10 bottles iced down in each one. Pamela Martin came over and was fiddling with them and I said, "Dang, Pam! You guys are totally planning a drunkfest for tonight!" (see photo above and you can see how I mistook them for vodka bottles) She was very excited to tell me that she and Hannah have been signed as the new spokesman for Seven Water (a high-end bottled water competing with Voss) and that's what she was serving.

Click here to see more photos on Facebook

Sipping champagne from my perch in VIP, I spied VH1 Football Wives star Dawn Neufeld, CW33 morning show host Danielle Vollmer, The A List: Dallas star Taylor Garrett (with his new cutie patootie boyfriend, Jeff), floral designer extraordinaire Shane Walker, Bling is the new Black T-shirt Queen Caitlin McConnell, Gina Ginsburg (who was launching The Hair Bar in Southlake the next day!), and good Lord, you couldn't miss Steve Kemble who came decked out in his BRT finery complete with a sequined vest embellished like the flag of Texas, a cowboy hat and the BIGGEST belt buckle known to man. Hilarious!

Cast Members of Big Rich Texas:  LeeAnne Locken, Heidi Dillon's assistant Linnea Thulin (aka "The Rakk"), Heidi Dillon, Pamela Martin Duarte, Hannah Gilbert, Maddie Poe, Connie Dieb, Grace Dieb, DeAynni Hatley, Shaye Hatley and Melissa Poe. Photo courtesy of Jarrod Fresquez.

They attempted to air the episode, but it was so loud in there, you couldn't hear a thing that was being said on the telly. Good thing I had the foresight to tape the show so I could watch it in gleeful detail when I got home later that night! So, did you watch?! Goodness gracious, they certainly kicked off the season with a BANG! Literally!  In the first 5 minutes, Pam and Bonnie were practically brawling over plastic-surgery accusations.  10 minutes later Bonnie is having to be pulled off Leslie. Note to self: do NOT get on Bonnie's bad side. She's small but is not afraid to kick your ass.  I don't recap episodes, but if you want a blow-by-blow, click over to read my friend Merritt Patterson's hilarious article.

(top) Heidi Dillon and Taylor Garrett, new BRT star DeAynni Hatley (in the middle) flanked by pals
(bottom) LeeAnne Locken and Steve Kemble, Dawn Neufeld and Hamilton Sneed

There are some changes to the show this year that should make this season fun, fun, fun!  I'm not going to give you any spoilers - although trust me, I have plenty of them!! First off, is the addition of a new Mother/Daughter trio: DeAynni, Amber and Shaye Hatley from Colleyville. I published a Q&A interview with DeAynni yesterday if you want to learn more about her.  In Episode 3, America will be introduced to two new fantastic "secondary cast members" Heidi Dillon and LeeAnne Locken. 

Let me clarify what I mean by "secondary" because I am so sick of everyone who has every walked onto this show calling themselves a "cast member" on their websites and in Bios for charity events and listing it in their Twitter bio. It's ridiculous. If this is the criteria, then I am a full-fledged cast member myself having appeared in multiple episodes last season and - oh yes, you will see me this season as well.  Here's MY criteria: if the Style Network does not have you listed on the Big Rich Texas website as a cast member. You are NOT a cast member. Making an appearance in a scene does not make you a cast member. Appearing in a scene and saying a couple of words, does NOT make you a cast member. This just means you have made "appearances". THAT'S IT.

LeeAnne and Heidi are "secondary characters" this season, meaning they are being introduced to the cast as "friend's of Pam's" this season. You will see them in many episodes. With lines and playing a part in the storyline.  (Oh and what a part they play!!!!  I so wish I could tell you more but I don't want to ruin it.)  If people react well to them, well then, we may see them upgraded next year. Time will tell.  So, hang on tight people. Last night's episode one was a little taste of the drama that is to come.

Tune in to Big Rich Texas on the Style Network every Sunday at 8PM/CST.

Big Rich Texas Sneak Peek: Season 2

Get ready, because Big Rich Texas is coming back for another season of cat fighting, name calling, back stabbing, lies and innuendo! Mark your calendars for February 19, 2012 for the premiere of Big Rich Texas on the Style Network.  Here's a little sneak peek at what we have to look forward to:

Fashionistas Holiday Soiree Sparkled with Stars

LeeAnne Locken, Danielle Vollmar & Pamela Martin

Cathy Vieth, Dr. Aneeta Goomar and Dr. Sandy Sule, Susie Straubmueller and Janet and Rick Fresquez hosted a holiday shopping event and Christmas party for the Fashionistas last Thursday at the showroom of local designer, Prashe.  

The party atmosphere was rockin' courtesy of DJ Gumbo and later in the evening, we got a special "surprise guest DJ" in Heidi Dillon!

There was lots of sipping and nibbling and milling about.  Natalie Solis from FOX News, Taylor Garrett from Logo's A List: Dallas, Danielle Vollmar from CW33 new national morning show, Eye Opener, Terri Provencal, Jorge's Tex-Mex owner Michelle Mireles, former Dallas Cowboy Ryan and his reality TV-star wife, Dawn Neufeld, were among the stars glittering in this high-voltage crowd.

Good thing I had visited Jared Reed at Salon Pompeo in Uptown to get my hair and makeup done because this was a star-studded event! It takes a village to keep up, people...

Heidi Dillon took control of the dance floor as the evening's guest DJ

The main reason I was there was to observe the filming that was taking place for Big Rich Texas.  Connie Dieb, Pamela Martin, Heidi Dillon and LeeAnne Locken were there filming a juicy scene about... oh, you know I'm not going to tell you what the story line was! That would ruin all the fun. You'll just have to wait and see.  And I may, or may not, make a background appearance. Depends on how they edit the scene.

Click here to see more photos on Facebook

(top) Cynthia Smoot with Connie Dieb, LeeAnne Locken with Natalie Solis

(bottom) Taylor Garrett, Pamela Martin, Heidi Dillon, Linnea Thulin, ??? and Hamilton Sneed

Big Rich Texas Gears Up for Season 2

Heidi, Connie, DiAynni, ??? and Melissa

Will Pam finally find out if Leslie has the millions she claims to have?  Will Kayln finally win a crown...and Leslie's love?  Are Connie's ex-husband and Leslie going to hook up?  Can Melissa become a success in the modeling world again? Will Pam and Bonnie ever kiss and make up or are they destined to be mortal enemies?

All of these cliff-hanging mysteries will be solved (or at least addressed) because the ladies of Big Rich Texas are coming back for another season!!!  Filming started several weeks ago on Season 2 of this "docu-drama" and the new episodes will air beginning mid-to-late February 2012 on the Style Network.

Word has it that a new cast member and her two daughters will be joining Pam, Connie, Bonnie, Leslie and Melissa.  Sure, throw a couple more cats in the fight!  I don't have all the details on the new additions to the cast, but here's what I do know:

• The new Mother/Daughter trio is from Grapevine
• Her name is DeAynni Hatley
• One of the daughters is in college at TCU. Which means we probably won't see much of her.
• They have "the most amazing home of anyone on the show" and producers are hoping to film there

The photos used in this post were taken at the recent FGI "Night of Stars" Gala. I was there, but didn't have an opportunity to go over and meet DeAnni.  She kind of looks like a grown up Snookie.  Don't you think? I mean look at that attitude?! Yeah!

Do you know more about our new cast member?! Leave a comment and fill me in! Or email me if you want to remain anonymous!

One thing is for certain. They are still filming at the Country Club as seen in this tweet from Kayln:

And in case you thought this season was going to be boring... it looks like day one of filming started out with a BANG! I would link this post, but Bonnie's already removed it (probably because the producers had a freak out). Thanks goodness for screen shots!  I wonder what Bonnie did to piss off Ignacio?  I can't wait to find out!

UPDATE (Dec. 8, 2 PM) Bonnie left a comment to say that she never removed the post and she provided me with a direct link. Click the image if you care to see the original post and subsequent comments.

I love these ladies... It's like a train wreck and you just can't look away!

Pam, LeeAnne and Heidi

I am super excited to announce that we have at least two "secondary" cast members joining the show this season. What does that mean, exactly? That they will make several appearances, but won't be listed as main cast members. I am guessing that if they add to the storyline and readers respond to them there's always the possibility that their roles could grow in Season 3... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

Making their introductions as Pam's new best friends, will be model/actress (and occasional Guest Contributor to this blog) LeeAnne Locken and Fashionistas founder and stylista extraordinaire, Heidi Dillon.

Both ladies are forces of nature with massive followings, so this is an incredibly smart move on the part of Pam and the show's Producers to bring these two ladies on board.  Bonnie better watch her p's and q's because Pam is not messing around. She's got some serious back up this season with these two by her side. Of course, Bon does have Whitney. And I'd put Whitney up against anyone in a girl fight.

I cannot wait to see what Season 2 has in store for us.  The countdown is on...



photos courtesy of QC Cong of XO Photography

A Night of Stars and Fashion with FGI

Cynthia Smoot & LeeAnne Locken

Terri Provencal of Provencal Consulting and Maxine Trowbridge of PinkMemo, co-chaired the annual ‘Night of Stars’ award gala, presented by Fashion Group International of Dallas on Friday, November 18th at the Dallas Market Center, The Grand Pavilion at the Trade Mart.

The 2011 A Night of Stars paid special tribute in honor of Shelly Musselman the Founder of Forty Five Ten.  The runway show was produced by Jan Strimple and featured an opening selection from the Shirin Askari Fall 2011 Collection, with a grand finale carefully curated by co-founder of Forty Five Ten, Brian Bolke, presenting rare museum-worthy pieces from Ms. Musselman’s closet.

Tony & Tamara Casillas with Janet & Rick Fresquez

Dancing to the tunes from D.J. Lucy Wrubel—this year’s philanthropic Fashion Police, include eight individuals who strutted their stuff on the runway, in recognition of their individual contributions to the FGI Dallas scholarship fund.

Johnny & Carley Seale      James Valenti & Mina Chang      Chris Baldwin & Shirin Askari

Judy & Jane Aldridge

My dates for the evening were LeeAnne Locken and Steve Kemble - two of the most fun and outrageous people I know! My stomach hurt at the end of the night from laughing so much!  I was lucky enough to sit at the table of my friends, Rick and Janet Fresquez, to cheer on their son Jarrod as he grooved down the runway as one of this year's Fashion Police.

Click to view more photos from this event on Facebook

As we were walking into the gala, we encountered a camera crew there to film an episode of Big Rich Texas. They were about to shoot cast members, Connie Dieb and Melissa Poe, walking into the event. They asked me, Steve Kemble and Janet Fresquez if we would trail behind them as they entered. Of course, we happily complied.  We will see if that actually makes it into the episode!

The FGI Night of Stars Gala is always one of my favorite events. Anytime you are attending a fashion industry event, the ladies are guaranteed to turn it out! This year's party was no exception.  Special thanks to Watters for putting me in such a gorgeous gown, to Uptown Consignment for letting me wear a vintage mink stole and to SWAG for loaning me amazing jewelry from Virgins, Saints & Angels. I felt like a Grecian goddess!

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

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Lifetime Achievement in Fashion: Shelly Musselman - Founder, Forty Five Ten
Lifestyle Achievement Award: Alberto Lombardi - Founder of Lombardi Family Concepts
Career Achievement Award in Photography: Tim Boole - Fashion Photographer.

RISING STARS

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Fashion Design: Shirin Askari – Designer of Shirin Askari.
Jewelry Design: Elizabeth Showers – Founder of Elizabeth Showers Jewelry.
Beauty: D’Andra Simmons – Founder Hard Night Good Morning Skin Care.
Fashion Communication: Jane Aldridge – Founder of SeaofShoes.com Blog.
Retail: Carley Seale – Founder of The Gypsy Wagon.

FASHION POLICE:

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Cathy Williamson, Jarrod Fresquez, Mina Chang, Pamela Martin Duarte, Sarah Blacketer, Scott Kehn, Suraj Jagannathan, Susan Posnick.


About FGI
The Fashion Group International is a global, non-profit, professional organization with 5000 members in the fashion industry including apparel, accessories, beauty and home. The FGI mission is to be the pre-eminent authority on the business of fashion and design and to help its members become more effective in their careers. To do this, FGI provides insights on major trends in person, online and in print; access to business professionals and a gateway to the influence fashion plays in the marketplace.

Big Rich Texas Season One Finale

Season One of Big Rich Texas is officially over.  Like any good "reality" show, there has been laughter and tears, cat fights and bear hugs, friendships formed and relationships torn apart. The girls gave us a lot to talk about over the last 8 episodes and it all culminated in a finale watching party hosted by Bonnie and Whitney on Sunday, October 2 at the Drama Room. 

A gay bar was an interesting place to hold a party for a show called Big Rich Texas, a show that revolved around life at a Country Club. But, that's Bon and Whitney for you. They sneer at protocol and thumb their nose at social expectations. It's part of their charm, so I can't say I was surprised.

This choice of venue prompted Dena Miller (who was originally cast on the show but bailed prior to filming) to post on Facebook, "I would love to plan your events in the future. I imagine red carpet class events for a show called Big Rich Texas with a cast of elite country clubbing socialites with much media in attendance. It was a fun party, but not what is to be expected. Would help if Style would actually host the events for you all like Bravo does Tara's show (Most Eligible Dallas). Something to be negotiated, perhaps?" Meow.

In attendance were fellow Mother/Daughter cast duos: Melissa and Maddie Poe and Connie and Grace Dieb.  When I asked Melissa if Pamela Martin-Duarte was coming, she said, "Ummm, no. In fact, Bonnie has told the club that she is NOT to be allowed in. She is banned from this event."  Really?!  There has been a lot of drama and accusation between Pam and Bonnie on the show. Honestly, I though they were playing it up for drama and ratings.  Apparently not.

During the commercial breaks, there was entertainment from drag queen, Dallas Sheraton.  Bon started the party by sashaying up to the dance floor with a handful of dollar bills for Dallas.  Not to be outdone, Grace and Whitney took their turns in a dance-off style performance as Dallas lip synced to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way".  Gotta love a good Drag Queen...

Click here to see lots more photos on Facebook

While all of the ladies have given Style their verbal wishes to return for Season Two, no one has actually signed a contract. Like I reported recently, they were definitely not compensated well for their time this season and now that they have proven themselves in the ratings, the ladies will be looking for some love... Pony up, Style Network! Let's keep our fingers crossed that it all works out.

The network has already cast one new Mother/Daughter duo to keep it fresh for next season  My sources tell me that they are from Grapevine, but I do not know exactly WHO it is.  As soon as I can figure it out... you will be the next to know!

Filming for Season Two begins in just a few weeks, so stay tuned!!

Crescent Fall Celebration 2011

Held as a part of the Crescent's 25-year Silver Celebration, the annual  Crescent Fall Celebration 2011 was held in the Rosewood Crescent Fountain on Friday, September 30, 2011.   Chef tasting stations lined the outdoor courtyard as guests grazed on delicious nibbles from the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Rosewood Crescent Hotel, Arcodoro & Pomodoro, The Conservatory, Capital Grille, The Crescent Club, Nobu, and Palomino.

The weather couldn't have been nicer for this outdoor event. The ambiance was enhanced by live entertainment by the Dallas String Quartet and Emerald City.  I am in love with the Dallas String Quartet!! They play violins, cellos, etc but their instruments are electric and they played pop hits like Katy Perry, Adele and ABBA. They were fantastic and I am so hiring them for one of my client events soon. Here's a little snippet of their greatness:



There was also an art auction by Linearis Institute for Works on Paper, a silent auction, cork pull benefiting Les Dames d'Escoffier Dallas Scholarship Endowment Funds, fashions by Stanley Korshak, and mini spa experiences by The Spa at The Crescent.

Click here to view more photos from this event on Facebook

The only thing that would have made it better was more people!  The crowd was a little light and I'm not sure why there wasn't a better turnout. But, you know me, I'm a reality TV star magnet so I was not surprised to run into Connie Dieb from Big Rich Texas and her sister Camille Umland who is her partner in their upscale consignment shop Uptown Consignment. Just another day in the life!

Big Rich Texas: Blinging for Charity

Fans of Big Rich Texas had the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with many of the cast members this past Sunday at a signing at Uptown Consignment - an upscale resale store owned by cast member, Connie Dieb.  For $35, you could purchase a blinged out Big Rich Texas Tee (as seen on Pam below) and have it autographed by the cast.  All proceeds from the sale of these shirts and a portion of sales from the store, went to benefit the Austin Street Centre.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to chat up the ladies about what's been happening on the show this season and get their thoughts on a Season 2...

Pamela Martin-Duarte, Connie Dieb, Grace Dieb, Maddie Poe and Melissa Poe

I was talking to Melissa Poe about Fashion's Night Out when a woman came up and said, "I just love your character on the show!". To which Melissa smiled and said "Thank you" and talked with her for a bit about the season. After the woman walked away, I asked Melissa and Pamela Martin (who had walked up on the conversation), "Is to weird to have someone say they like your "character"? I mean, you're playing yourself on the show - even though you are kind of acting and it's not really 100% you. Right?"

Melissa and Pam both agreed that it is a bit strange to be putting yourself out there when you are given scenarios to work with and a direction to aim for with each scene. They are being themselves, but sometimes they say things they wouldn't normally say or do things they wouldn't normally do because the Producers want the scene to go a certain way or for them to play up a certain dynamic.  Make sense? It can be confusing. Even to them!

Click here to see photos from this event on Facebook

Pam's probably the one who is most different from her TV persona. I have a great affinity for strong willed, ball-busting women to don't take any smack off people - but are very genteel about their approach. Think Steele Magnolias. That's Pam. She told me she's been watching old episodes of "Dallas" and using J.R. Ewing as the inspiration for her character.  She has a great sense of humor about the whole thing and said, "If you don't come into this (TV world) knowing who you are, you can get lost or confused pretty quick."

She was very excited to tell me that she is about to send off her second novel to her Publisher for release in the Spring. If you follow the show, you already know that she published her debut novel earlier this year. A political conspiracy thriller called "Hard Whispers".  This new book will be the second in the trilogy. 

Since Pamela and Hannah were cast right before they started filming, they weren't a part of the promotional photo shoot for the show. Hence their absence from this photo. I like that Pamela signed the bull. Sort of fitting...

Casting has already begun for Season Two of Big Rich Texas, so of course, I had to ask who had plans to return.  Connie, Melissa and Pam all raised their hands and said they were more than willing to return IF they could come to terms on their contract. And you know what that means.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!  

You know how Ashton Kutcher just got signed to replace Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men for $700,000 an episode? You hear these things and you think that everyone on a TV gets paid oodles of moola. Well, you would be mistaken. It's not polite to talk about money, so I'm not going to say exactly how much they are getting paid, but you know that $700,000 figure I just told you about? Well, take off 2 decimal points and divide by half. Now, divide by half again and you know what ballpark they are playing in. With no gas, car or clothing allowance.

So, you can understand how, after a season of proven ratings, the ladies are looking for some love from the Style Network.  I hope that they all find the love they are looking for.  Because the Country Club just won't be the same with out them!   You can catch Big Rich Texas on the Style Network every Sunday at 9 PM.

About Austin Street Centre

The Centre's primary purpose for existence is to offer emergency shelter and related services to the homeless person in a compassionate Christian community, so that the person in need might be better able to make responsible choices and changes in their lives. The Centre has a particular ministry of caring for those who suffer from various physical and mental disabilities, unable to care for themselves, with few or no available alternatives. This includes 24-hour shelter care for those persons recovering from serious illness or injury.

Big Rich Texas Stomped the Runway in Episode 3

Tonight's Big Rich Texas, episode 3 was SO fun to watch....

Not because of the cat fight between Connie and Leslie:  Connie was being a little sensitive.  I mean, Leslie is a pageant expert, so her helping Bonnie pick out her outfit and showing the girls how to stomp the runway is just second nature to her! Connie, she was just trying to be helpful... Bless her little heart.

And it wasn't the cat fight between Pam and Leslie: Listen, change is good! Sometimes you gotta shake things up... literally! Like, with a Zumba class. Try it, Pam!  I bet Ignacio would like to see you shakin' your money maker around the mansion. I'm just sayin'.

 Kalyn and Whitney scrap down over Tyler's affections

And it wasn't even the cat fight between Whitney and Kalyn over Tyler (although that was really good): Kalyn, sweetie, you will soon learn that teenage boys don't want nice girls. They want sluts who will have sex with them.  And even if they like you, it's not because you are a nice girl. It's because they see a girl who might have sex with them. It's ALL they think about.  On the positive side, you will soon learn that sex is your greatest weapon asset and when you learn how to harness your powers, the world is your oyster! Take a lesson from Whitney.

No, although all of those fights were pretty entertaining, this was my favorite episode so far because so many of my friends made cameo appearances! Including me!! Let's break it down and give some of the unsung style stars in this town a shout out:

At the rehearsal for Connie's show, we saw Eric Oliver, Jr. and Juan Lerma (with some random dude).  Eric and Juan operate Amrel Revilo Productions and were the producers of Connie's fashion show. They are new to the fashion scene but have impressed Dallas fashionistas with their style savvy and passion for fashion.

Remember when Pam called in to cancel on Connie's show because "Spain is too lovely to come back to muggy Dallas"?  Connie was flipping through a rack of clothes... and, hey! Recognize those pants? They are the Burberry trousers I now own and wore last week for my WFAA Daybreak appearance to talk about this show (among others).  I had to give them a nod.

See that blurry face on the left? That's ME! Whoo hoo! In a cameo with pageant Queen, Leslie Birkland, I got a few seconds on the telly at the Uptown Consignment fashion show. 

Who was that man in the turquoise shirt caressing Melissa's tresses at the fashion show? That's none other than Christian Iles, the self-proclaimed "Beauty Architect" and "Dr. Hair" of Dallas.

My gal pal and DFW Style Daily creator, Lisa Petty, never misses a fashion show. No fashion moment happens in this town without her and Connie's show was no exception.  I love Lisa's point-of-view and thoughtful approach to fashion. Check out her new website to get in the know on all the latest style news.

Spotted in the audience of the fashion show was Dora Chu. Chu calls herself a "recessionista" and is a personal shopper who has a flare for finding designer duds at consignment and resale shops. She has a knack for making her clients look like a million bucks without spending a hundred bucks! She writes a blog called Cheap and Chic by Dora.

Also on the fringes of the show, was stylist extraordinaire, Jim Duran. Unlike Dora, Jim's style is champagne wishes and caviar dreams. He's all about luxury and keeps his clients in designer couture. You can catch Jim's style musings at DFW Style Daily where he is a regular Contributor.

My second appearance of the night came as Leslie slithered down the runway. The camera caught me at the end of the catwalk (where I usually am) taking photographs. 

And my last shout out goes to Camille Umland (pictured right),  She's Connie's sister and partner in Uptown Consignment. Connie may be getting all of the glory from being on this show, but Camille is just as much a part of the store's success and deserves big kuddos for keeping the stocked, styled and running smoothly while sis busy being a TV star.  So, shout out to Camille!

Did I miss anybody? Who did you see in this episode?

Big Rich Texas: Weigh in on Episode Two

Last night's episode of Big Rich Texas was all about the beauty pageant circuit: Leslie is a pageant coach and one of her star pupils is her god-daughter, Kalyn.   Maddie and Grace decided they wanted a shot at a crown and decided to let Leslie teach them how to sparkle and shine on the pageant stage.

One of the first things Leslie instructed the girls to do was to lose 5 pounds.  Grace's Mom, Connie, mouthed to Melissa, "She can do it." Melissa, on the other hand, visibly recoiled at the idea.  The rest of the episode revolved around the three girls preparation of the event and their diet.

I knew this theme would strike a chord with female viewers, so I asked Melissa this morning how she felt about the episode.

Melissa and Maddie Poe

Q: I knew the topic of weight would be a hot topic among female viewers of this show. You were clearly uncomfortable with Leslie's suggestion that Maddie "lose 5 pounds" so that she would "look her best" for the pageant. How do you feel about the episode?


A:  "Overall, I'm very happy with Episode 2. As a society there's constant pressure our entire adult lives to look good, lose weight, etc, and then to have Leslie suggest to Maddie and the other girls to lost 5 lbs for a pageant was ridiculous.

Our teenagers shouldn't have to start at an early age being body-conscious...they'll learn those pressures soon enough in college. I never wanted Maddie to enter the pageant because that's not her, but she seemed excited to do it with Grace and Kalyn. So I gave in and let Maddie have that experience exactly the way she was without losing any weight. A few days before the pageant I could tell Maddie was having 2nd thoughts about it and I told her she didn't have to do the pageant but she seemed resigned to it. Once we arrived to the hotel on the day of the pageant, I was horrified at the ridiculousness of it....it was a joke of a pageant.   It felt like I was in a scene of another reality show called Toddlers & Tiaras which is a vulgar display of moms living vicariously through their little girls. (I'm with ya there, Melissa. I had the same thought!)

As the pageant day unfolded Maddie was even more set on leaving the pageant...she just didn't want to hurt Leslie's feelings. Once Maddie said the words 'I don't want to do this' I jumped on that opportunity to tell Leslie we would not be competing."

Q: Leslie gave you a lot of flak for not finishing to something you had committed to.  How do you respond to being called a quitter?

A: "I think, and would hope that any mom would support their child's feelings/decisions and have their back no matter what. Two lessons were learned in this episode: a)  For me, I learned that I know my daughter best and should never allowed her do the pageant because she is not a "pageant" girl and never will be. b) Maddie learned that she has the right to say no/change her mind even at the expense of disappointing an adult. Maddie felt good walking away from this episode because she remained true to herself.

What are your thoughts on this week's episode? Was it okay for Leslie to tell the girls that they could all stand to lose 5 pounds? Was it okay for Melissa to let Maddie bail on the competition after she had committed to it? Chime in!