It was a far cry from her cousin Jacqueline’s Oscar de la Renta outfits and pillbox hats, but Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale had a style all her own. If by “style” you mean haphazard turbans and layers of clothing in various stages of disrepair. We have to admit that…

Author Rick Bass’ works are so intellectual that their overriding theme is a homonym. Nature, as in “the nature of the human heart” and environmental nature. The point where nature and nature intersect is where Bass’ stories lie. Blending detailed accounts of his natural surroundings with rich, informative narratives, Bass’…

Forget about the Ugly Duckling. It’s not that hard to morph from one bird to another. The really impressive transformation story belongs to the butterfly. It starts out as a caterpillar, inching along and not doing much besides chewing. Then after a brief time of solitude in the cocoon, it…

Do you consider Ferris Bueller’s Day Off a classic movie? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? We do. After all, like most of John Hughes’ other movies, we’ve been quoting it for more than 20 years. It’s a film cornerstone of a pop culture genre that features some put-upon teen rallying the troops…

What do you do when a major life change occurs and you’re not happy about it? There are many negative ways to handle change. But when artist Gary Perrone was diagnosed with HIV 20-years ago, he ignored them all in favor of exploring his creativity. His mixed-media “mindscapes” (drawing, painting…

We love book clubs, but most of them are speculative. We really don’t know what the author meant by certain turns of phrase, or how the story was originally conceived. Since it gives us a headache to think about it too much, our book clubs end up with lengthy snack…

We’re healthy. We’ve watched television shows, read magazine articles and counted footsteps and calories in pursuit of a better us. Now, we’re ready to commune with like-minded individuals. The Health & Fitness Expo features fun, family-friendly activities with health and fitness organizations, free health screenings from medical professionals and a…

We’re over British boy wizards. Bored with angsty teenage vampires. But romantic Christian sci-fi? Color us intrigued! Mesquite author Frank Lewandowski ventures into this uncharted literary territory with his novel Light Years From Paradise. The book centers on an isolated space colony having to deal with unexpected celestial visitors, including…

It’s a known fact that some clothing stores hold back the best stock for V.I.P. customers. But did you know that some art galleries do? Now you don’t have to be a V.I.P. to get some for yourself. Cash and Carry is a rotating show of various artists, whose works…

Chick lit–love it or hate it, it’s here to stay. ‘Tis the season of the “beach read,” and Dune Road, by Jane Green, fits that mold marvelously, right down to its beach town setting. The story follows a single mother who works for a novelist with a dark secret while…

Nic Nicosia left Dallas for Santa Fe, but that doesn’t mean that he’s churning out photos of pueblos and ambiguous desert flowers. His work still speaks to his reputation as one who captures and chronicles American life in all of its seediness, urbanity and multifaceted beauty. See for yourself with…

Hoodwinking the government–or attempting to–is a common fantasy. But in reality, it’s not so great. The government always wins. Trust us. But you can experience that fantasy vicariously and consequence-free through Cash on Delivery, a theatrical British farce that centers on a con artist whose jig is finally up after…

Think the country is divided now? You should have been around during the Civil War. That time period makes molehills of modern-day gripes. In those days, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee commanded American infighting of epic proportions. But they were both Americans and had more in common than…

The onset of summer (and accompanying Texas heat oppression) inspires us to do a little California dreaming. And they’re not dreams of just any California. We’re imagining the chilled-out, laid-back, Southern California vibe that is synonymous with cool culture. Luckily, to make our dreams reality, we don’t have to go…

Sometimes a goose is just a goose. Not so for Mother Goose. Local artist Marilyn Parrish delves deep into the work of the feathered friend who introduced us to Baa Baa Black Sheep, the mulberry bush and the Muffin Man and finds plenty of artistic fodder for sculptures and multimedia…

Gentleman, start your engines. Ladies, start yours too. This goes double for ladies and gentlemen who have embraced the smoking-hot pin-up and burlesque scene. From burlesque dance classes to professional pin-up photography, taking it all off–or taking most of it off–is the thing to do. And whether your interest in…

Remember when your homemade Mother’s Day meals were marginally better than mud pies? That’s not cute anymore. Luckily, as an adult, you can enlist the help of a celebrity chef. This year, Tre Wilcox, a contender on Bravo’s Top Chef, demonstrates dishes inspired by his mother. The menu includes marinated…

Are you behind on your gallery-hopping? We understand. Dallas has a whole lot of galleries, and checking out all of the best ones isn’t always easy. Luckily The Dallas Art Dealers Association (DADA) helps out a bit with its annual Spring Gallery Walk, along with Panel Discussions and a student…

You know that guy at every party who claims to have a degree in “mixology” while turning out the foulest concoctions ever, trying to impress the ladies? He’s probably not a real mixologist. But they do exist, and they can teach us a few things. Mixologist Sten Lilja hosts Friday…

With recent news of dog attacks and chimp maulings (OK, just one chimp mauling, but even that seems excessive to us), we would like a refresher on teaching our furry, feathered and finned friends to behave. So, we’re excited to learn that the University of North Texas is offering a…