A month ago seeking out Dragon Fruit for a styling project I was working on brought me to two amazing Asian groceries in Dallas, H Mart and Hiep Thai. H Mart is so expansive it’s overwhelming to go without a set list, Hiep Thai is smaller and has a more neighborhood store vibe, but both, I discovered, have a fabulous selection of housewares. It’s a bit of a treasure hunt (if you follow the Instagram then you remember this), but what’s more fun than poking around stacks of painted bowls or discovering circular slab cutting boards for a mere $15 (!)? I decided to build myself an eclectic collection for serving casual tapas for four, all for under $50! Want to see what I found?

Tonight, in honor of what would have been Frida Kahlo’s 110th birthday, the Dallas Museum of Art  set the World Record for most “Fridas” in one location. With evening temperatures in the 90’s and humidity at a truly gross level, all we could do was dab gently at our unibrows while taking in the fabulous and varied interpretations of this Mexican Master Painter.

A quickie collection inspired by Chihuly’s personal (epic!) collection of American trade blankets that kicks off his fantastic, long-term exhibition in Seattle. If you have a chance to visit the show or one of the traveling exhibits, please treat yourself to a ticket. The glass sculptures are arranged by theme and period, in two-story, blackest black rooms, and the impact is epic. Of course, the color, scale, and technological logistics of his works are what Chihuly is known for, but what stuck with me was the narrative it painted by pairing the artist’s collections of pottery and trade blankets with his iconic glass works to convey both process and realization.

We arrived at Pelindaba Lavender Farm about three weeks before “peak purple”, but instead of mourning missing the intense grape-y glow I’ve seen in oh-so-many Instagram posts, we were able to wander the property virtually alone.

more, more, more to follow!