Madeline has a special place in my heart. For the longest time I wasn’t a fan of that little French girl with the cute blue coat and signature yellow hat—precocious children tend to get on my last nerve. But here’s the thing: I have a niece, Madeline. She’s a rough-and-tumble…

Newsflash: Trains are more than those big yellow and white things that dart you around town when you don’t feel like driving–there’s a history and a love of all things locomotive, and The Trains at NorthPark, benefiting Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, is here to fuel that love. Featuring more…

A long overdue trip to IKEA can act as a reminder that there’s a designer in everyone–if they can make a 200-square-foot space livable, just imagine what you could do if you were given a shot. Now you get your chance to show your flair for interior design as the…

From what I recall, Sylvia was this chick who used to hang out at Trees, or at least that’s the story David Garza liked to tell. We’ve all known our fair share of Sylvias in the world, but there’s a new expert on the subject and, love Garza as I…

Fairy tales seriously screwed us up–the amount of disappointment and cynicism in our lives is directly related to the amount of Mother Goose we were exposed to growing up. We were all taught that ugly ducklings can grow up to be beautiful swans, frogs can become princes and poisoned apples…

Anyone who knows anything about this country of ours knows that it’s a fusion of different cultures, locations, ideals and lifestyles. It’s obvious, even deep in the heart of Texas, as ethnic neighborhoods bump up next to each other and spill over freely, and it’s visible in the hodgepodge of…

There are few people out there who are as badass as Anthony Hopkins–excuse me, Sir Anthony Hopkins to us layfolk. Right now his résumé reads like every aspiring actor’s wish list: With more than 100 screen and stage credits to his name, the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe/Emmy Award-winning actor has played everything…

The days get shorter, the air colder, and the monsters come out to prey this time of year, so be on guard. Zombies, vampires, werewolves and Sarah Palin–they’re all harbingers of doom and gloom, and you’re bound to see their faces around every corner, at least for a couple of…

Being a Top Chef fan in Dallas, you were forced to make a tough decision during Season 3. With two locals playing for top honors, you had to pick your pony early on; was it going to be Casey Thompson or Tre Wilcox? Well, it’s time to choose once more,…

There are two types of sports fans out there–the fair-weather fan and the die-hard (we’ll put the bandwagon jumpers in that first category)–and Dallas isn’t lacking in either category. So which one are you? You can either head out and support Your! Dallas! Stars! as they take on the Columbus…

Here’s the scenario: You decide that you’re hungry, so you round up your dining pals and try to figure out where to go, an exercise in futility that can take upward of half an hour in some cases. Once a decision is made, the loser gets to collect the funds,…

Despite the general preconception, quilting isn’t just for little old ladies. It’s a labor of love for anyone who attempts the craft–after two years, thousands of little squares, a countless number of spools of thread, and probably a pint of my own blood, sweat and tears, I made a quilt…

What do flip-flops, scoundrels, cheese and opera have in common? Beats the heck out of me, but The Dallas Opera has combined these things (along with cooking lessons, movie screenings and lectures in bed) as a way to pique the public’s interests. This summer they’re bringing us “Figaro in Flip-Flops,”…

Chick flick and timely throwback to the sounds of dancing queens, the film version of Mamma Mia! opened to impressive box-office action, but is it really any surprise? The stage version of Mamma Mia! has been an international hit since its West End debut almost 10 years ago, so it’s…

Mark your calendars, because God’s birthday is coming up, and it’s time for a celebration. No, I’m not talking about Jesus’ dad. Rumor has it he’s not really the partying type, and who knows when his birthday would be anyway. The birthday boy in question is the one and only…

It seems like there’s nothing original anymore. Case in point: Nine, the Tony Award-winning musical closing Irving Community Theater’s 2008 season. It’s inspired by Federico Fellini’s classic film 8 1/2, which was about a director suffering from “director’s block” and was autobiographical in itself. Got it? Oh, and take note–to…

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been around in some form since 1884. This was back when this country only had 38 states and everyone loved circus clowns. These days, it seems like there’s a clown hater around every corner, and for the life of me I can’t…

A self-proclaimed bibliophile, I’m a champion for the tangible text–eBooks are a cop-out and most book-to-film adaptations just plain blow. The only time something beats out a book is when the real deal’s right in front of you, so don’t worry about tracking down a copy of People’s Lives: A…

During a recent trip to Chicago, I spent an insanely excessive amount of time checking out new art. Whether it was one of the many galleries I happened upon or the public works all over town (get with the program, Dallas!), I saw loads of local Chicago talent, which led…

Libby Mae Brown said it best in Waiting for Guffman when she said, “I’ll always have a place at the DQ,” and Catherine Grace Cline would have to agree. As the voice of Susan Gregg Gilmore’s coming-of-age story Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, Catherine Grace’s dream of moving…

One reason I don’t want kids—having to get them ready every morning. I’ve seen the ordeal that parents go through every day, and my heart goes out to them. Many brunches have been missed because of morning tantrums, wardrobe malfunctions and lost sneakers, but the crew at Sweet Tomatoes has…

When you think of “graffiti” and “trains,” you probably imagine some subway station tagged to hell, but rail graffiti is a tradition that goes back to a time way before Sharpies and spray paint. Before there was Haze and Banksy, there was Bozo Texino, the mysterious hobo(s) who tagged boxcars…