Whats New with the Lifestylist

Today many of us gathered to say goodbye to a great man – Norman Brinker. Most people know of Norman as the mind who started and refined the trend of casual dining and the founder of Brinker International, but to me Norman will always be a horse lover, polo player and wonderful father first.

In my horse days I had a barn behind Norman’s equestrian center – Willowbend Polo Club. We would ride back and forth between barns and most of my horses came from owners at Willowbend that owned horses that were too much for them and wanted to unload them. Those were wonderful days and how fortunate we all were to be able to watch Norman streak across the polo field doing what he loved. Norman had an uncanny knack of knowing and remembering everyone’s names from the grooms to the owners and he treated everyone equally.

When I had two very young children I decided to work as a waitress at Steak and Ale – a concept that Brinker owned and was fairly new at that time. I helped open the Plano location and Norman spent an amazing amount of time with us learning what worked and what didn’t. He also wanted to make sure that we knew our jobs inside and out and we did a lot of wine tastings to learn about what we were serving. That was my first exposure to wine and it’s an experience that I still enjoy. His passion about the company made us passionate about what we were doing, and we took our jobs personally and wanted to make Norman proud of us.

Our lives continued to intertwine – my sister was married at Willowbend and went on to work at the corporate offices at Brinker International. Being a “Brinkerhead” she loved being a part of that culture and was always amazed when she would visit a Chili’s and Norman would be there often by himself just enjoying a burger. He always remembered my sister and made her feel special.

What Norman and many great self-made leaders understand is that to succeed it has to be personal. Your own integrity, how you treat people and love of what you do  is not a small part of why these people have succeeded and why so many people people love and respect them in return. I wish I had taken a pen and notepad to the service because the wisdom and stories that were shared were incredible. Ross Perot and Mr. Brinker were good friends for many years and I can understand why – they are a lot alike, and both have a great, dry sense of humor that I love. Mr. Perot spoke and he was able to capture what made Norman so special. Even though he had been in a coma and had health issues from a polo incident and had other obstacles, nothing was going to keep Norman down and no matter what he did it was always with an amazing positive attitude and a love for life and everyone around him. Thanks to those special moments at Willowbend, Steak and Ale and our love of horses I have lifelong friends and memories for which I’ll always be grateful.

We’ll miss you Norman, but know that you are happily playing polo on the most heavenly fields any of us have ever dreamed of.

I was looking thru some of my photographs the other day trying yet again to organize them and came across the amazing photos that Lisa Stewart Photography shot during the 5 years of Savor Dallas. It is such a fun event, and I swear I go into Savor withdrawal during the 51 weeks until the event.

Jim and Vicki White do such an amazing job orchestrating the event and bring some of the finest wine and spirit makers and restaurants to Dallas. The education that I get every year is amazing and it gives me a year’s worth of new wines and restaurants to try out until the next event. Plus the Savor Dallas website features tasting notes that are a tremendous resource that can be used year round.

The Whites also believe in giving back and supporting our community. HomeAid is a very special group that is very close to my heart – I’m involved in the chapter that is part of the Dallas Home Builders Association. HomeAid raises money and support to help build housing for abused children and families – it would be a dream if this type of housing wasn’t needed, but unfortunately it seems we can’t build housing fast enough to help this escalating part of our population. When I asked Jim if Savor Dallas could donate an auction item for our upcoming event he didn’t even hesitate but immediately offered whatever we needed. I know bidding is going to be fierce on this item, and if you would like to try and outbid the others on this item, please contact me and I’d be happy to add your bid.

Please also take a look at the Savor Dallas website and help me to thank Jim and Vicki for all that they do. And also be sure to mark the dates for Savor Dallas 2010 on your calendar – we’ll see you there!

With grocery costs going thru the roof and concerns about the safety of the food that is available, this is the perfect time to think about incorporating edible plants into your landscaping.

I’ve had great luck with basil in my gardens, and when discussing with the lead gardener at Gaylord Texan what would be good choices for this years plantings she recommended going with plants that do well in my soil and light which amazingly enough are tomatoes, basil and mint. Even in my shady areas the mint seems to be happy as can be and is a welcome addition in my infamous Texas Tea and Mojitos.

Basil actually is beautiful when it blooms, and I’ve been known to give people bouquets of my blooming basil which are as fragrant as they are pretty.

My tomato plants get to be the size of a typical bush, and even the ones that don’t produce very good tomatoes contribute a great splash of green. Rosemary is another great addition that takes a while to get started, but gives green and scent all year long in my climate.

How many times lately have you actually enjoying the flying experience? It’s become a dreaded task, and dealing with security, airline employees that hate their jobs and other disgruntled travelers just compounds the pain.

I’m at the airport in Las Vegas at the Southwest terminal, and the oddest thing just happened – the sound of laughter was echoing thru the halls! I didn’t catch all of what was said, but the gate agent acted like he had a message for a traveler and he cracked everyone up. As I look around I actually see smiles. The woman behind me is on the phone to someone and it sounds like this might be her first Southwest flight and she is raving about it! Always one to do research, I’m picking up on the fact that she loves that there isn’t a baggage fee, your drinks and snacks are free and you can chose who you sit next to. It sounded like a true positive testimonial for the airline.

After giving two speeches to two different groups this week, I can only hope that I left such a favorable impression with my audience. Life just has too much going on to be in a bad mood, and thanks Southwest for putting a smile on this face and a little left in my wallet!

This has been a great week – we got 3 kittens adopted and have a wonderful neighbor that’s willing to adopt a German Shepherd! It feels great to find loving homes for these animals and to educate people about adopting instead of buying pets from puppy mills and pet stores.

While I was looking for a dog for my neighbor I was shocked at how many purebred animals there are out there looking for a home – even more of a reason to get the word out about adopting.

Lily is one of our rescue pets, and she loves walking the neighborhood and seeing all of the kids. She’s a big ham and is always up for dressing for the occasion!

Next week is going to be a really fun week – I’m off to Las Vegas to speak at the Manufactured Housing Congress and at the meeting for the Las Vegas High Rise and Condo Association. It’s really beginning to feel like the housing market has hot bottom and people are starting to think about buying their dream home again.

The Vegas market is amazing, and I love visiting the new high-rise communities and learning more about vertical living. There are so many advantages, and I’m excited to see the latest and greatest. They are fascinated with my Lifestylist brand, and I’ll also be sharing with them what the heck a Lifestylist is and how we approach the design and marketing process.

I am a huge believer in karma, and you just never know where karma will lead you at the most unexpected times. Holiday Builders seems to be my hot topic of conversation this month, but I feel like I have stumbled upon an unearthed gem and it’s getting ready to shine in all of it’s brilliance. You heard it here first!

My blogs are a way for me to share new trends and ideas I see as well as a place to comment on observations I make about the world around me. One thing that I have noticed lately is how many people who are lucky enough to still have jobs seem to be miserable in them, and that lack of interest in customer service rubs off on the customer. When you are dealing with people in a bad mood it’s easy for their attitude to rub off onto you and then you are drawn into the same pattern.

After attending the Holiday Builders Open House in Ft. Worth last week I was invited to their opening in Royce City. I’m still deep into researching the entry level housing market so I was thrilled to be one of the first to see their new homes and get a feel for what Realtors® thought of their new community. It truly was a party, and again I was impressed with the support of their corporate team. They are obviously taking the Texas market seriously, and it showed in the attention to detail and how they rolled out the red carpet. When I entered the home I was amazed to see a legend standing in front of me – Nancy Lieberman! She was amazing – funny, down to earth, and made a point to spend time with I think almost everyone that was there. We are a very serious basketball family, and my niece and nephew hope to play college ball. I was sharing some issues that had come up with the coaching of my nephews team, and Nancy shared with me that what is most important is that you play because you love the game. There will be good times and bad, but if you are playing because you truly love what you do that’s all that matters. Nancy loves the game, and I can’t think of a better spokesperson, especially with all that she gives back with her kids camps and coaching. It makes me wish I would have had her when I was in school.

Timing is everything, and speaking with her helped to put things into perspective again. I’m a lifestylist® and I’m in housing because I love everything about it. Helping people find their new homes, experiencing their inner-stylist and fulfill their dreams -  there just isn’t a better career out there. And it’s not just my career, it’s my passion, and I felt that passion about housing from all of the Holiday Builders team. They obviously love what they do – that’s just something you really can’t fake. And even though some of them had only 2 hours sleep the night before with other obligations and traveling, they loved sharing their company’s story and they were beaming with pride. They truly seemed to be a team, so having Ms. Lieberman as a coach seemed like the perfect fit and message.

Life is too short to not love what you do. Find out what you are passionate about and share that gift with others. You’ll never regret it. Many thanks to Nancy for reminding me of this important lesson. Take a trip out to Verandah in Royce City this weekend to experience the Holiday Builders difference for yourself!

One of my favorite activities that keeps me sane is gardening, and every year I can’t wait for the weather to start warming up so I can get my gardens in. With our crazy economy and the new quastions about where our foods are coming from and how they are grown, vegetable gardening is a great activity. I’ve gotten much better about growing the thinsg that I love or my friends ask for, and I’ve also learned what grows better where. I had soil brought in for my raised garden, and it has produced beautifully.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and dill are my favorites, and I started a little too early this year – we got a frost after I planted my first few plants – but the last planting was timed perfectly and we got a week of rain shortly afterwards – something we hadn’t had yet this year.

I may live in the city, but by making the best use of all of the areas I have and buying plants that are designed for smaller areas my garden rivals many. I also love romantice, fragrant old-time flower gardens and my hollyhocks now come up every year with my sunflowers and daisies. They are just starting to green up – I’ll share photos when they start blooming.

The much needed rain also turned my yard into a sea of emerald green instead of the dreary brown that’s it’s been all winter – I think Spring may finally be here!

I’m so excited that it’s almost time forSavor Dallas! This is the 5th year for the event, and I’m proud to say that I’ve attended every one and wouldn’t miss it this year for anything.

This two day event features the best in food and wine, and it’s the perfect opportunity to sample those wines that you’ve always wanted to try. As aLifestylist® I always view this as a great opportunity to find out what the latest trends are in food, wine and beverages as well. Last year there was a grapefruit infused vodka that they mixed with grapefruit juice that was fantastic – not too sweet, and the perfect option for a unique spin on a Mimosa.

Photographer Lisa Stewart is responsible for the photography of this event – be sure to take a look at her images from previous year and I promise you you’ll wish Savor started tomorrow!

Alas, the event won’t be held until March 6th and 7th in the Victory area, Arts District and downtown Dallas. If you can’t wait until then to sample what will be offered this year be sure to take a look at th elist on the Savor Dallas site of who will be attending.  There are also “Tasting Notes” by some of the wines that will be offered that will give you a preview of what to expect. Tickets can be purchased on the website for all of the events.