I was working in the studio when I received a call from Lisa Robinson from Dwell with Dignity.  She was bubbling over with excitement about their latest opportunity. The Nate Berkus Show had seen their work and wanted to partner with them on a project.  She hinted that she had mentioned my name and that I might be getting a call from their producers to help with the furniture for the installation.  Well, who can focus on work after a call like that?

The project was to collaborate with Dwell with Dignity and Interfaith Housing to completely redesign an apartment for a young mother and son who had fallen on hard times. The Nate Show had chosen several furniture pieces from the Dwell with Dignity donation warehouse to give them a new look to compliment their design.   The only catch? They needed eight pieces of furniture to be finished in about 5 days.

After doing a small victory dance around my studio and an ecstatic call to my mother, I quickly assembled a team to assist me.  We sanded, we primed, and we painted as fast as the paint could dry and then hustled them over to the apartment.

I was so excited to meet the producers and designers of the Nate Show.  They had picked the colors, ordered the accessories and had everything ready to go.  Even under such a time crunch, they were so graceful under pressure.  I was happy to be a part of their team and helped with last minute changes and additions before Nate arrived for taping.

It was exciting and gratifying to be a part of project that had a direct impact for good for a family in need.  I hope that I can be a part of future projects that have a real life positive impact in my community and Dwell with Dignity is leading the charge.  

Lisa Robinson and Kim Turner head up the very unique Dallas charity, Dwell with Dignity, whose mission is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design; one household at a time. 

For the past 5 years my wonderful husband and I have had the pleasure of featuring Dallas' best local artists at our gallery in the Magnolia Theatre in Uptown. We are very pleased to bring over 23 artists together to take a look back at our creative past. 

Guest Curators Nicole Cullum Horn and Scott Horn present A Magnolia Gallery Retrospective at the Ross-Akard Gallery, inside the Fairmont Hotel at 1717 N. Akard in Dallas from April 30 – May 27, 2011.  The reception is Saturday April 30th, from 7-10 PM.  Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing during gallery hours, or by contacting Bryan Embry at Bryan@rossakard.com, or visit www.rossakard.com for more info.

The Magnolia Gallery is an alternative art space inside the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas, Texas.  The gallery was born in 2002 when Sarah Jane Semrad convinced the management of the theatre to allow her to put fresh art on the walls every month.  In late 2006 she handed the reins to Nicole Cullum Horn and Scott Horn, two curators she met through Pigeon-Stone Project. Since then the Horns have had the pleasure of curating shows with over 40 artists working in a variety of media, from photography and painting to yarn and bike frames.  The gallery's unique exposure to the Magnolia's thousands of movie-goers every month draws a lineup of artists who punch far above the weight of this non-traditional space, benefitting the artists and the community in equal measure. The Magnolia has shown the work of storied veteran artists and has also held the first solo shows for artists who have gone on to other galleries and achievements. This retrospective show attempts to catalog the talent that has crossed our paths, some 22 of whom are represented in this collection from the four years the Horns have been at the wheel.  The gallery continues to focus on spotlighting local talent in the Dallas areas, and holds new shows every month.  For more information email magnoliagallery@gmail.com or go to www.magnoliagallerydallas.com. 

            Featured artists, in alphabetical order:

-Tony Bones

-Jonathan Brooks

-Frank Campagna

-Robb Conover

-Van Ditthavong

-Erica Felicella

-Brian Gibb

-Sally Glass

-Corey Godfrey

-John Gonzales

-J. Gordon

-Ben Hancock

-Dylan Hollingsworth

-Tania Kaufmann

-Lisa Lindholm

-David Lyles

-Cathey Miller

-Mark S. Nelson

-Jayme Nourallah

-Richard Ross

-Clint Scism
-Tramaine Townsend

I just delivered a beautiful pair of head boards to the local Dallas charity, Dwell with Dignity. Dwell with Dignity's goal is to bring good design to those in need to inspire positive living and give low-income families a home they can be proud of. For this project, I met with Lisa of Dwell with Dignity to see the color palette for their latest installation. They had arranged a sleek modern color scene that included charcoal blacks, grays, high gloss whites, and a sharp yellow. We picked two headboards out of their treasure trove of a warehouse and I set to work priming, basing, pin-lining, and glazing. Now these two gorgeous Gustovian gray headboards will be turned into a day bed for one of DwD's families. I am so happy to help to set my skills to a good purpose. I believe that charity and good work is the foundation to having a positive impact on the world around you.  I encourage everyone to find a giving group that they can dedicate their passion towards in your own community. I can't wait for the next project! Thank you Dwell with Dignity for giving me the opportunity to have a positive impact on my own neighbors. I truly have gotten back more than I gave. 

I am so pleased to announce that Modern Relics will be participating in the Dallas Flea again this season! I have a whole new crop of hand-painted artisan furniture and accessories from the latest trend styles to the classic and timeless. 
The Dallas Flea has become a heckuva lot more than any regular flea. They have rounded up 70-plus Texas creatives and companies under one roof (yep, they're indoors) to unload new and vintage goodies and grub.  Since this isn't your average flea, they will also have live music and a free vitaminwater zero for everyone that joins the fun.  If that wasn't enough, the first 100 shoppers score a nifty canvas swag bag.  Five bucks gets you in the door (kiddos 12 and under are free) and parking is on the house. So please come join me March 26th from 9-4 and search for this seasons latest treasures. 

I am tickled pink to announce that Modern Relics has been featured on the national design style online magazine, PinkMemo! PinkMemo takes trend spotting to the next level with detailed, city-specific reporting of the latest designers, events, and exclusive shopping hot spots. Be sure to visit Modern Relics new booth at Indie Genius and get the memo!

Hooray! I am very honored and excited to announce that I won 2nd place in the Dwell with Dignity, Ready Aim ReDesign “Before & After” contest.  I had such fun taking a dusty old dining room chair and dressing it up with a snazzy color, some gorgeous fabric from CityCraft, and a touch of gold glitz. A big thank you to the esteemed judges and everyone who voted. I could not be where I am today with out your amazing support! I have been awarded with the Container Store  $1,000 elfa Makeover and I’m already dreaming of all the beautiful storage solutions.  

Thank you to the dedicated members of Dwell with Dignity for hosting such a lively contest! Please check out this inspiring organization to see how you can change someone’s life through great design. 

I am so pleased to announce that Modern Relics has been chosen as a top ten finalist in the Ready Aim ReDesign Before & After contest! Dwell with Dignity is a wonderful charity organization who's goal is to bring good design to those less fortunate, inspiring them to maintain a standard of living they can be proud of and thrive in. The contest is being judged by the nation's top design style bloggers, Jonathan Adler, Grace Bonney, Samantha Reitmayer Sano, Rebecca Sherman, Ronda Carman, and Crystal Gentilello. I am so fortunate to be included in the Dwell with Dignity community. For more information about the Modern Relics entry and the other contestants please visit their blog.

Dwell with Dignity is hosting a Before & After ReDesign Contest called Ready, Aim, ReDesign, to benefit their wonderful mission of helping families escape poverty and homelessness through design. They believe that if you raise the standard of living through thoughtful design to those less fortunate, it will inspire them to maintain a quality of life that they can be proud of and thrive in. This contest is a perfect chance to help raise the necessary funds to provide deserving families with a comforting and uplifting home. As an added bonus, it's going to be judged by the BEST of style bloggers: Jonathan Adler, Grace Bonney, Samantha Reitmayer Sano, Rebecca Sherman, Ronda Carman, and Crystal Gentilello! 
Since Modern Relics is all about Before & Afters, I have entered the contest! Which piece do you think has the winning potential?  Please check out this inspiring organization and thank you for your support!
Voting starts November 22nd, you can learn more here: