Agenda // City Lights

 
Have a great weekend everyone! Here is what's on our agenda:
 
SEE: Holiday season is officially here. As always, Downtown Dallas is taking it seriously with family friendly festivities along Main Street beginning at 6 PM Nov. 15th. The lighting ceremony will be at 7 PM at Main Street Garden. You'll enjoy pictures with Santa, live entertainment, street vendors, and more.
READ: Liv Tyler may be known as the beautiful muse/rocker child/actress, but she's about to be known for her manners. Seriously. Along with her grandmother Dorothea Johnson, Liv has compiled an elegant guide to 21-centry manners for professionals in business and social arenas. You may have your doubts, but it is surprisingly insightful and spot-on. Get it here.
ENTERTAIN: Check out these pretty place setting picked out from the Brides of North Texas team. You'll be itching to entertain or get inspired for setting your holiday tabletops in no time. POSH Place Setting: Scarlet Filigree Charger, Sevres China, Vintage Glass Compotes.
BUY:  The Barneys Holidays Lookbook is the absolute best, y'all. We our especially loving the home for the holidays section. What is the perfect gift for the hostess with the mostess? The Fornasetti Bocca Round Tray from the iconic photographic black and white face collection (love those bright red lips) and a Rablabs Emerald Bottle Stopper for that great bottle of wine you're bringing over. 
INSPIRE: We came across the Amazing Pictures facebook page by chance and are now officially addicted. Seriously, the most amazing pictures you've ever seen and sure to inspire you this weekend.
 

On Our Radar: Jerry Hall to Haim

The days leading up to Fall always seem to get us inspired to, well, get inspired. The back to school bug must stay in us through adulthood. Here is what is on our radar this month; what's on yours?
1.  We spotted these new hand-sewn cotton classics in the September issue of Lucky, and they're already ordered for fall entertaining. Perfect for a Southern hostess. Lucky staffer, Alexis Morgan said, "I want to host a dinner party just so I can use these napkins." We concur. $12 each from Zojora.com. See her other Fall finds here. 
2. Y'all, Jerry Hall is revisiting Ann Bancroft's infamous role as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate. Have we said enough? Reason enough to travel to Australia. Fingers crossed she decides to try it stateside. Read about it and see a click of rehearsals here.
3. Our new favorite band is HAIM (rhymes with thyme), a trio of sisters with serious musical chops. They've already been compared to a young Fleetwood Mac - a serious compliment that isn't taken lightly (and worth it). We first found them when they covered Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough" (go immediately and watch it here). Their album drops at the end of the month, and ours is on pre-order. Girl power, sisterhood, fist pumping - yes! 
4. If the rumors are true, the new iphone will come in champagne and gold. All about it!
5. Top of our reading list: The Lowlands by  Jhumpa Lahiri is on the number one spot. Read about it here.

Agenda: August

August in Texas means triple-digit temperatures and heat stroke, which means we're hitting the road y'all for end of summer getaways - some for fun, some for business. After Jami caught a week-long National Premier Baseball Championship with her oldest son (did you see the adorable - sorry, Joseph, I mean, handsome - picture of him pitching in Lubbock?), she headed to D.C., NYC, and New Jersey to visit family. (Jami, we hope all those Cake Boss pictures in Hoboken means you're bringing us back some serious goodies!) If we were with her, we would make sure to hit all of the Mr.'s restaurants in D.C.: Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers, the award-winning and crazy delicious restaurants on every top brunch and lunch lists you can find in the area. Now, if we can only talk Joe into bringing the chicken and waffles or grilled cheeseburger to us!

Founders Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers award-winning drinks and meals. From left: The best Bloody Mary ever, the Best Day of Your Life brunch featuring chicken and waffles, and the much written about grilled cheeseburger. Yum!

Laurel is striking out too. She's been pounding the pavement to source a uniquely curated selection of vintage tabletop for our new P.O.S.H. Vintage Collection, with goods ranging from Pink Depression ribbed footed sherbet compotes to amber chalices and an eclectic assortment of fine china to make every meal memorable. We can hardly wait to share more with you. Stay tuned!
 

P.O.S.H. Vintage: From left: A selection of the personally curated collection of dinner plates; our exclusive of Robins Egg Blue Limoges Dinner Plates; a quick peek at the Depression-era glassware, from amber and pink to dark blue.

Those of us sticking around for staycations are catching up on our favorite blogs and planning our own alfresco dinners and backyard (or maybe indoor/air-conditioned) happy hours. To get inspired and brush up on etiquette, we've been reading the Bergdorf Goodman blog 5th/58th posts on e-etiquette, David Stark's entertaining tips, and the art of handwritten letters. With Fall just around the corner, it's time to plan before the hectic social season is in full swing. Be sure to follow us this month as we offer tips on transitioning your tabletop from summer to fall, etiquette and tabletop questions, plus a few guest posts from our muses.

From left: E-etiquette, party planning with David Stark, letter writing. Photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

Agenda: Strike Out!

Believe it or not, china collections and beautiful tablescapes aren't the only things that strike our fancy. Think more along the lines of strike outs, hours of innings, and sunflower seeds. Yep, we join the rest of America in loving baseball as one of our favorite pastimes. We have Rangers love, but our hearts go out to the high school players who really put their hearts and souls out on the field. Jaime is out this week in Lubbock, Texas, watching her son at the Premiere Baseball Championship with 1,100 high school baseball players. And us? We're nervously chewing sunflowers seeds in the office waiting for news. We had to take a moment today to wish Joseph Jr. good luck the rest of the week! Here's to beating your sixteen strike-out streak!

Agenda: Balance

BalanceEnergy Health and Yoga studio owner and teacher Lisa Breitenwischer strikes a pose.

Did anyone else get the memo that April was Stress Awareness Month? It should be every month in the event industry, but we digress. With a busy month behind us and the beginning of another wonderful month ahead, we thought it would be nice to take time this May to stop and smell the roses. Cue to our Design District neighbor, BalancingEnergy Health and Yoga. Owner Lisa Breitenwischer's mission is to help people reduce stress, increase energy, and support and coach working women and men with their dietary needs. (Looks like she came to the right neighborhood!) Her 45-minute $5 lunch time flow on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s for those in need of a little stretch and movement during the day. The room is set to 80 degrees as many people who attend go back to their offices. We asked Lisa to share a few tips to stay sane and healthy while working long hours that will be a life savor for those of you (like us) who are tied to the desk. 

BalanceEnergy yoga instructors in the Dallas Design District.

1     First of all, tell us a little about yourself and how you came to BalancingEnergy.

I’ve been interested in health and fitness most of my life. After completing my first (and last) marathon in November 2005, I decided to run less and devote more energy towards yoga by increasing my practice to 4-5 times per week. After several months of practice, I noticed my muscles became leaner, longer, and stronger and my mind became calmer and more focused. What began as a way of staying healthy and fit soon transformed into devotion and a way of life. I became a Certified Yoga Teacher in 2005. Since that time I’ve accumulated 500 hours of teacher training under gurus Rod Stryker and Rusty Wells. In 2010, I became a Certified Holistic Health Counselor through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC and created BalancingEnergy Health and Yoga Wellness. I worked out of my house to support & coach working women and men with their dietary needs. I opened BalancingEnergy Health and Yoga Center in 2012. It is my mission to help people reduce stress, increase their energy, and bring balance to their diet and lifestyle. I feel so blessed to be living the dream!

What kind of yoga do you teach?

The style of yoga we teach is called Vinyasa Flow Yoga. It is a sequence of poses synchronized to the breath creating a flow, or meditation in motion. The room is heated to a comfortable 85 degrees and includes music.  We offer classes for all fitness levels, including All Level Vinyasa Flow, Intro to Vinyasa Flow, Core Strengthening, and Stretch and Restore classes.

What are some ways we can pause throughout the day?  

One of the best was to reduce stress and increase energy throughout the day is this simple breathing technique: Sit up tall, close your eyes, and take a deep inhale in through your nose, filling your lungs from top to bottom and side to side, and then pulling the navel towards the front spine to exhale all the air out through the nose. Repeat five times. Studies have shown this breathing technique can change beta brainwaves (fight or flight- stress) to alpha brain waves, which bring mind and body into relaxation. Not only do alpha brain waves create relaxation, but can also access creative states and enhance problem solving.

What are the best stretches for desk time all day and long nights on our feet for events?

Many of my nutritional clients are professionals that sit at a desk all day and sometimes all night; for them I recommend to get up periodically and walk around as this will help release tight hips and get energy flowing. Walking up and down the stairs if that is available to you or do seated twists while in a chair by placing the right hand outside left knee then twisting torso to the left and repeating on the opposite side. Extending arms overhead, interlacing fingers, then stretching up and over to right then over to the left is great for the upper body as well as interlacing fingers behind low back and extending hands down while drawing shoulder blades together will stretch out the neck and shoulders. You can always lower the chin down to the chest for a deeper stretch. Finally, forward folds with a soft bend in the knees are a great way to release the spine and stretch out the hamstrings.

Anything else you wish to share regarding yoga and your studio?

Our goal is to bring community together and provide ways to bring balance to body, mind and spirit through Yoga, Workshops, Nutrition, and Infrared Sauna. Check us out at www.balancingenergy.com for more info.

Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

Agenda: Laurel Howell

You met Jami, now you can see what inspires the other half of POSH. Co-owner and partner Laurel Howell shares her Agenda.

1. What are you most looking forward to this summer?

    Spending more time with my family while my children are out of school. 

    Also, I love water, being anywhere near it. Oceanside, poolside - it doesn't 

    matter. It all makes me feel like I am on vacation.

2. What event are you most looking forward to?

    Shopping in NYC at tabletop market and taking the family to spend time in 

    NYC. Even though the fall is the most perfect time to visit and summers are

    a bit hot, you can always find amazing stuff to do.

3. - 4. What personal items can you not live without?

    Iced coffees from Starbucks for day and Skinny Girl anything on ice for those 
    rare moments when I imbibe. Watermelon at any time. While at work, I 
    need a fan. It gets really hot in the warehouse during Texas summers. Plus 
    a radio. I really need this all the time. Music just puts you in a better mood. 

5. What's your favorite thing to do with your family?
    Late night and drive-in movies in our pajamas. Nothing like laughing with the 
    fam in an empty theatre.  

Agenda: Jami Goetze

If you're on our mailing list, you know our two POSH owners have good taste--they pick out our latest showroom editions and make sure you have the latest trends as well as the timeless classics for tabletop and chair rentals. While they are tastemakers in the industry that never sleeps, (Delivering on Thanksgiving Day? Yep, they've done that.), they also juggle full-time jobs with being mothers and wives with full families. So what's on their agenda? For the next few days, we will share the agendas and professional inspirations of these two lovely ladies. 

Up first, co-owner and one part Mrs. POSH herself, Jami Goetze. 

1. What are you most looking forward to this summer? 

    I love traveling to New York for the summer. My youngest child spends the 

    better part of his summer there, and I go back and forth.

2. What's one of the best parts of this job?

    I love when we get to travel with designers to work on great and inspiring   

   projects out of town. Off to the East Coast this month!

3.- 4. What personal items can you not live without during Texas summers?

    My sunglasses and Evian spray for the long, hot baseball games and to cool 

    off grumpy teenagers. 

5. What are you most looking forward to this summer?

    Shopping in New York (for work, of course!). Laurel and I go there once a 

    year for more tabletop and chairs to unveil for the coming fall and spring.

Be sure to check back for Laurel's Agenda, plus both of their picks for upcoming rentals trends. 

Missed Meg or Julie's? You can find them here and here. 

Agenda: Meagan Hayes

POSH's Director of Business Development has a thing for travel. When dreaming up escapes for a milestone birthday, we were hard pressed to find somewhere she hasn't been. From Europe to the Bridges of Madison Country, the girl has wanderlust. Whether you're traveling around Texas or abroad this summer, take inspiration from the gal we call on for travel tips. Wheels up!

Meg's Musts: Whether going out of town or having a staycation, these are Meagan's warm weather necessities.