What You Missed: Twerking, the Limbo and Crooning at the 2013 Celebrity Waiter Luncheon

LeeAnne Locken and Candy Evans give Ron Corning a twerking for charity
photo Allyson Aynesworth

Celebrity Waiter Luncheon 2013
as recalled by Candace Evans of Candy's Dirt

Jamie Singer & Lindsay Jacaman
photo Shana Anderson

It’s Monday, and I am still trying to recuperate from this year’s Celebrity Waiter Luncheon benefiting, as it always does, Family Gateway. Family Gateway is a wonderful local charity that breaks the generational cycle of homelessness by providing individualized care to homeless families with children, then restoring the dignity, stability and self-sufficiency of the family unit.

Did you know that families with children are the fastest-growing homeless group in our city? Celebrity Waiter is one of many events throughout the year that raises money for Family Gateway, now in its 27th year. At the kick-off party last spring, held in the penthouse of Museum Tower, Jill Herz, board chair of Family Gateway, talked about the agency’s dream of ending child homelessness in Dallas by 2017. After Friday’s event, I’d say they are well on their way!

This year’s luncheon took place on September 6, at the newly decked out Joule Hotel in the heart of downtown Dallas. The organization was beautiful, as guests were greeted as soon as they emerged from the endearing valets – mine told me, unsolicited, how nice I looked! (He got a HUGE tip!) Garry Potts directed and produced a super video and PSA spot for Gateway as a donation in kind, and talented Shane Walker, who is opening a fab new store down in Trinity Groves, created all of the centerpieces that were available for purchase.

Top Hats & Tails 2012

(top left)  Monica Greene and Cynthia Smoot  (top right)  Tara Harper and John Brodrick 
(bottom) Father and his kiddos enjoy the event

Host Preston Pearson and Master of Ceremonies Scott Murray were back again to help Paws In The City raise funds to rescue dogs and cats set to be euthanized at the city shelters in last Saturday's 5th annual Top Hat & Tails Gala.

The event featured a silent auction and seated dinner but the real entertainment was a dance competition that paired local celebrities with Arthur Murray dance instructors ala ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Each couple performed one dance routine. Steve Kemble, Drew Pearson and Claudia Marshall from Arthur Murray Studios comprised a celebrity panel of judges awarded scores based on style and performance. Guests could also vote for their favorites.  The female contestants wore dazzling costumes actually worn on the ABC hit show.

Ron Corning, Melissa Newton, Monica Greene and Shelly Slater

(top left)  Linda Armstrong and partner  (top right)  Steve Noviello and partner  (bottom)  Rodney Anderson and partner

This year's celebrity dancers were:

1. Rodney Anderson, Executive Director of Supreme Lending
2. Ron Corning, host of WFAA's Daybreak
3. Lynae Fearing, co-owner of Shinsei restaurant
4. Monica Greene, owner of Monica's Nueva Cocina and Mi Lounge
5. Linda Armstrong, Mother of Lance Armstrong and motivational speaker
6. Melissa Newton, CBS 11 reporter
7. Steve Noviello, Fox 4 consumer reporter
8. Shelly Slater, WFAA anchor/reporter

Congrats to WFAA's SHELLY SLATER who took home the "Lucy Trophy" this year with fantastic performance!!

Click here to see a gallery of photos from this event on Facebook.

photos courtesy of Peter Wynne aka "Plano Pete"

Mad Hatter's Tea 2012

The 24th annual Mad Hatter's Tea benefiting the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s A Woman’s Garden is always one of the most fun charitable events of the year.  This year's event was held on Thursday, April 12, 2012. And just like last year, the day started off with gray skies and a smattering of raindrops. Fortunately the rain was short-lived and this year's Chairman, Carmaleta Whiteley and Barbara Daseke greeted guests as the sun broke through the clouds and ladies in their fabulous chapeaus waltzed into the Ginsburg Plaza.

Barbara Daseke (with a stuffed chipmunk on her shoulder!) and Carmaleta Whiteley
with their hat designer, Todd Fiscus

The divine Hunter Sullivan crooned Big Band tunes as ladies flitted about the outdoor Plaza ooh'ing and ahh'ing over the amazing array of millinery creations, sipped champagne and snapped photo after photo. This is one event where everyone has their cameras out!  I was on one side of the Plaza when I stopped dead in my tracks - across the way I spied a hat with a working fountain on it! I dashed over to see who had such a fantastic creation.  Of course... It was Mad Hatter's legend Jill Rowlett, there with her trusty sidekick and BFF, Yvonne Crum.

Jill Rowlett (with a working fountain on her head!) and Yvonne Crum

Not to be outdone, Jocelyn White had live butterflies on her hat. She explained that their wings had been misted so they couldn't fly away. As the day progressed and their wings dried out, they would flutter off into the skies of the Arboretum. She had a big bag of them and was handing them out to everyone. It was super cool. Look at the photo above and you'll spot a big yellow and black butterfly on Yvonne Crum's arm.

(top left)  Joclyn White with live butterflies   (top right)  Guest with D'Andra Simmons
(bottom left)  Shay Geyer is pretty in pink  (bottom right)  Doris Jacobs and Lee Bailey

We moved into Rosine Hall for a fashion show produced by the incomparable Jan Strimple, featuring designs by local retailers Betty Reiter, V.O.D., Forty Five Ten and Cicada.  Then it was time for the awards! Emcee Ron Corning, along with this year's judges, announced the winners and handed out prizes. And the winners were....




After the fashion show and awards presentation, everyone went back outside for a beautiful lunch under a tented pavilion. Since its inception in 1982, the Women’s Council has supported the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden overall and through the creation, development and on-going funding of the world renowned A Woman’s Garden and now, through funding the garden’s enhancements that will continue to draw visitors to our great city from all over the world.

Shane Walker and Cynthia

The main topic of conversation at the luncheon was everyone wondering when next year's theme would be announced. Let the planning begin!!  For more information, visit the website at www.womenscouncildallasarboretum.org.

Click here to see a complete gallery of photos from this event

Special thanks to Shane Walker of Shane Walker Design for creating my over-the-top amazing hat and to Lela Rose in Highland Park Village for styling me in the perfect frock to accompany such a magnificent creation!

Bottles, Bling and Blogs. I got the Gossip!

Cynthia, Lisa, Erica Nicole & Raya

The Hilton Anatole may be old school, but it sure doesn’t look or feel that way anymore!

Decked out in chic cocktail attire and Amanda Sterett jewels, Raya Ramsey of D Magazine, Lisa Petty of DFW Style Daily, Erica Nicole of YFS Magazine and ME - Cynthia Smoot of Oh So Cynthia sipped Savvy Vodka and Red Bull cocktails last Friday night, November 4^th at Bottles, Bling and Blogs hosted by the Hilton Anatole’s chic and newly relaunched Gossip Bar.

Over 400 of Dallas’ swankiest socialites flocked to the Gossip Bar for a soiree flourished with a dazzling array of handmade sushi, delectable appetizers by the hotel’s Media Grill + Bar and tasty Deep Eddy Sweet Tea-ni vodka cocktails.  Red Bull’s own Chocolate Groove provided beats to keep the party bumping, along with a live percussionist and saxophone performer.

(Did I get all the sponsor mentions in there... I think so.)

(left) Janet Fresquez and Pilar Sanders (top right) Ron Corning, tara Harper and Phillip Willis (Bottom left) Camille Umland, Dan Pritchett, Tyler Kerbyson and Juan Lerma

Notable guests engaging in gossip that evening included Pilar Sanders of Football Wives and Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love, Phillip Willis of A List Dallas, Tara Harper of Most Eligible Dallas, Shirin Askari of Project Runway Season 6, Ron Corning from WFAA's Daybreak, Janet Fresquez, Camille Umland, Elise Daniel, Regina Bruce, David Lopez and Dan Pritchett (who arrived in a swanky full-length mink coat).

Those of us who were tech-savvy had a lot of fun with the live Twitter gossip that was broadcast for everyone to see on five 60-inch flat screen TVs located around the bar, as guests created a nationwide trend for the #GossipBar event by Tweeting and posting photos in real-time from the event.

So, what gossip did I get at the Gossip Bar?  Well, Phillip Willis told me that the cast of A List Dallas is going to be on the Wendy Williams Show on November 16, so set your DVR's!  And I got some scoop on Big Rich Texas, which just started filming Season 2 - look for a post later this week! 

Click here to see more photos from this event by Thomas Garza Photography

Hot Picks for Fall: The Making of a TV Segment

Last Friday, I appeared on WFAA's Daybreak with Ron Corning to chat about my "Hot Picks for Fall". Here's how the segment turned out:

It seems like I just showed up and talked 3 minutes - so effortless, right?! Um, so not!

I thought I'd share with you some of the behind the scenes chaos that goes into producing a segment like this.  It always starts with a text or a call from Ron Corning, the morning show anchor for Daybreak, "Hey, wanna do something ____day?" To which I always reply back, "Heck yeah! What 'cha thinking?"  And we brainstorm from there.

Since Friday, September 21 was the first day of Fall, we decided to create a segment based on my "Hot Picks for Fall" and touch on fashion, food and events.

Since we didn't have the time or budget for live models, Ron says, "Can you come dressed in something that represents some of the trends we will be talking about?" Hmmm. I immediately pick up the phone and call Alison Volk at Tootsies and say, "I'm coming over to talk about Fall trends."

I decided to play this game with myself called "How many Fall trends can you fit into one outfit"?  So I ended up picking out bootie shoes, wide-legged pants, a sheer blouse with a geometric pattern, a fur vest and a snakeskin bag. 6 trends covered in one outfit. Not too shabby!

My next stop was Centennial Liquor. I've worked with the Centennial Beverage Group marketing peeps in the past, so I called them up and said, "I'm doing a piece on "Skinny Cocktails". Can I come pick up some options?"

But, of course, it wasn't that easy. I had to go to two different stores to find all of the choices I wanted to showcase:  Bethenny Frankle's SkinnyGirl Margarita and Sangria, Firefly Skinny Sweet Tea, Jose Curevo Light Margarita Mix, Voli and Veev Vodkas and a few others.

The event coverage was easy, just a few emails for copy and photos from the Granada Theater about the Blondie show and to the Dallas Arts District about their Art in October program.

What a happy coincidence that one of my clients is Cafe Brazil and they just happen to be ready to roll out their Holiday Menu the first week in October, which includes Pumpkin Pancakes.

So, on Friday morning I get up at 4:30 AM to get dressed and schlep all of my clothes, shoes, handbags and liquor over to the WFAA studios in Victory Plaza.  Thankfully, it all fit in a small rolling suitcase so I didn't have to carry boxes.

Cafe Brazil/University Park Manager, Chad Martin, showed up at 6 AM and started flipping Pumpkin Pancakes... and you can see how it went from there on the video.

I would've gone home and taken a nap, but I had to attend the Celebrity Waiter Luncheon benefiting Family Gateway.  But that's another blog post...

Meet Ali Dee and Brooke Jeter from Texas Women: The Interview

Brooke Jeter and Ali Dee

WFAA Daybreak's Ron Corning and I chatted on-air several weeks ago about the slew of reality TV docu-dramas and competition shows that are originating from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  One of those shows is Texas Women which is currently running every Thursday at 9 PM on CMT.

The premise of the show is a quartet of friends who work in the rodeo and country music scene by day and party by night. There’s a competitive barrel racer (Brooke Jeter), a lazy wanna-be model ("Hurricane" Hannah Helvey), a stock contractor (Anna Hunt), and an aspiring singer (Ali Dee).

This past Friday, Ron had Ali Dee and Brooke Jeter on the show and I had an all-access pass to hang out with the ladies backstage and chat with them about how life has changed now that their show is on the air. 'Cuz that's how I roll...

Click here to view photos from this 
meet-n-greet on Facebook!

You have to check out the photo's to see first-hand Brooke's addition to bling. This girl loves her a Bedazzler. Her husband, Jason, also tagged along for moral support and hung out with me on the sidelines.

Ali performed her single "World's Gone Crazy" for the crowd gathered outside the WFAA studios in Victory Plaza.  The first 30 seconds is Ron Corning introducing her and you can't really hear what they are saying, so click forward if you want to just get to the singing part:

Even though it was 6:30 AM, both ladies were bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and eager to chat about their experiences both on the show and what's happened since filming ended.  Here's my chat with Brooke Jeter. Sorry for the shaky start. Can you tell I had drunk 2 cups of coffee before I filmed this? Jeez!

I caught up with Ali Dee after her performance for a quick visit to see how her ep - aka. Elvis Presley - was coming along.  (You have to watch the show to get that one...)

Both gals were just charming and I had a great time hanging out with them. We are only to episode 4 and so far Anna has been my favorite on the show, but... after the meeting the ladies today, Brooke has definitely moved up the ladder for me. She and Jason are a great couple and she is full of personality.  She can drop a dead cricket in my lasagna anytime. 

You can catch Texas Women every Thursday at 9 PM on CMT.