Dallas Farmers Markets

Not all markets are as "dealer"-loaded as the downtown sheds of the Dallas Farmers Market. The Dallas Morning News has a good summary of the options in the Metroplex, but here's the list:

CITY OF DALLAS FARMERS MARKET: Daily, 7 a.m. to

6 p.m., year-round. More farmers, including organic, sell on Saturday mornings than any other day. Also pasta, beef, Alaskan seafood, pastured meats, cheese, eggs, butter. Many small markets buy local produce from farmers at the Dallas market. 1010 S. Pearl; 214-939-2808. If you are going to the market for a specific item, call 214-670-5879 for availability.

COLLEYVILLE FARMERS MARKET: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Season opens in March and closes at Christmas. 5409 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville; 817-427-2333.

COPPELL FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 8 a.m. until sell-out. One of the area's best small markets, with farmers (including organic), pastured meats and chicken, Gulf seafood, Alaskan salmon, cheese and more.

455 W. Bethel Road (between Denton Tap Road and Freeport Parkway) in Old Town Coppell; 972-304-7043; www.coppellfarmersmarket .org.

CORSICANA FARMERS MARKET: Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to sellout. Season opens Saturday and closes at the end of September. Run by Navarro County Farmers Market Association. State Highway 75 Business at Sixth Avenue, Corsicana; 903-874-2670.

COTTON'S PRODUCE MARKET: Monday through Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to

5:30 p.m. Mom-and-pop stand that shops the Dallas Farmers Market for local seasonal produce. 4200 Broadway, Garland; 972-240-8810.

COX FARMS MARKET: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to

7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. A small natural-foods market that sells local produce in season as well as locally produced meats and pastured chicken. 1026 S. Main, Duncanville; 972-283-8851.

COWTOWN FARMERS' MARKET: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to sell-out. When season gets going, may add Wednesdays. Besides farmers, it has an artisan bread baker, coffee beans, natural granola. Part of North Central Texas Farmers Markets. The market's Fresh Line tells what's going to be at the market and any changes due to weather. Closes after the first fall freeze. State Highway 377 at Southwest Boulevard, Fort Worth (east side of Weatherford traffic circle, parking lot in front of Texas Outdoors); 817-462-1426; www.simplyfreshfw.com.

DENTON COUNTY FARMERS MARKET: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to sellout. Season opens Thursday and continues through Sept. 15. Farmers from Denton County only. Fruit, vegetable, herb and flower show in mid-June is open to all growers; cash prizes. Mulberry at Carroll, adjacent to Bayless-Selby House Museum; 940-891- 0051.

EDEN'S ORGANIC GARDEN CENTER: First and third Saturdays of each month,

9 a.m. to noon. Small organic farmer's market with eggs, meats, chicken, plus fruits and vegetables. For products such as meat, it's best to order in advance through the vendor. Get the contact number or e-mail from Eden's, 4710 Pioneer Road, Balch Springs; 214-348-3336; www.edens organicgardencenter.com.

FAIRVIEW FARMS MARKETPLACE: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to

9 p.m. Year-round produce market with produce from local farmers through October. 3314 N. Central Expressway, Plano; 972- 422-2500; www.fairview- farms.com.

FRISCO FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or sell-out, through first Saturday in September. 6048 Frisco Square Blvd.; 214-538- 8161; www.friscofarmers market.com.

GEORGIA'S FARMERS MARKET: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starts bringing in locally grown produce this weekend or shortly thereafter.

916 E. 15th St., Plano (east of Central Expressway); 972-516-4765.

GRAPEVINE FARMERS MARKET: Thursday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. to sell-out. Season opens May 24. Part of North Central Texas Farmers Markets. 325 S. Main St. (behind the gazebo downtown); 817-410-3185 or 1-800-457-6338 (toll-free).

GRAND PRAIRIE FARMERS MARKET: Thursday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to sellout. Opens May 22, with grand opening May 24, and continues through Nov. 1. Part of North Central Texas Farmers Markets. City Hall Plaza, south side of city hall, 317 College St.; 972-237- 8000; www.gptx.org.

LAKE WORTH FARMERS MARKET: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Run by Fletchers Produce with several local growers. 7601 Jacksboro Highway at Surfside Drive (on Azle side of the bridge); 682-238-7864.

McKINNEY FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon. Local produce (including organic), pastured meats, chicken, eggs, farm butter and more. In Chestnut Square Historic Village, about three blocks south of the main square at McDonald and Anthony (park in lot on McDonald); 972-562-8790; www.chestnutsquare.org.

OLD TOWN LEWISVILLE FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or sell-out, through Oct. 27. Wayne Ferguson Plaza between Main and Church streets; www.cityoflewis ville.com. (Old Town Business Association)

RIDGMAR FARMERS MARKET: Sunday through Thursday,

8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Year-round market operated by Parker County peach and vegetable growers; Cowtown Barbecue inside. Selection includes local produce.

900 State Highway 183 North (across from Ridgmar Mall), Fort Worth; 817-246-7525.

RUFE SNOW FARMERS MARKET: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Year-round produce. Shops at Dallas Farmers Market for local fruits and vegetables. 6871 Rufe Snow Drive, Fort Worth; 817-281-4313.

WAXAHACHIE DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Opens May 31, closes Oct. 18. Local farmers plus organic gardeners, kitchen tools and more.

Franklin Street between Rogers and College on south side of Ellis County Courthouse. 972-937-7330, ext. 198.

Sale Time at Scott + Cooner (again)

That's one of my favorite headlines to type in (here and here before)! Scott + Cooner and McGannon Showrooms are having a “cleaning out of the warehouses” sale this weekend. Pieces from Cassina, Moroso, Poltrona Frau, etc will be marked down drastically. At the Decorative Center showrooms, open to the trade this Thursday and Friday (9am-5pm) and the public Friday (9am-5pm) and Saturday (10am-4pm).

Dallas Design(*Sponge) Guide

Featured yesterday on Design*Sponge, the design guide is a pretty comprehensive categorized directory of hot spots for fashionable living in the Big D. A few of my favorite haunts made the list, a few not. Look here for some of the places I've featured over the past year.

Nest

Congratulations to Heather Wiese-Alexander on getting a little NY Times attention. The proprietor of Nest, the home accent store in Snider Plaza, was interviewed on the hottest bets and worst bombs in recent modern design:

“People here do not have the trend-set mentality they might have in New York or Miami,” said Ms. Wiese-Alexander, a former art director for Neiman Marcus. “They latch onto trends after they’ve already been shown in all the magazines.” But she chose a neighborhood populated by what she calls the “height of Dallas society,” and filled her shop with clean-lined furniture and accessories that fit in both modern and traditional interiors.

Smink Floor Samples

The fabulous modern furnishings store in Inwood Village is featuring the lowest prices of the year in order to move out stale sofas and make room for all the new Market finds. While prices still run close to a month's salary (for those who have to work), the quality and durability make up for it. While the sale began June 8th, some pieces are still out for the selling. Manufacturers include Minotti, Knoll and Living Divani.
Thanks to D Home's Blog for the tip.

Lights Fantastic Clearance!

Lights Fantastic on Greenville Avenue has long been selling fabulous modern light fixtures and fans.

Their adjacent clearance center, Lights Out, is closing down, and all remaining items must go this weekend, with an extra 20% off to help it all move. While hit or miss on the selection on clearance, the store's full inventory is without compare.

BoConcept in Dallas?

BoConcept is known for "urban design", but unless you're traveling often to DC or NYC, you're out of the scene here in the Metroplex. There is a "studio" collection at By Design in Arlington, but the nearest Brand Store is down in Houston. Some design bloggers have been very pleased with the selection and the pricing (see Gradon, Michelle, Kevin, and Joel), but others see BoConcept as a somewhat modern-bland step up the quality ladder from IKEA and Target (see Maxwell). Like its close kin West Elm and Design within Reach, the company is on the rise. In 2005-2006, profits were up 19.6% to 951.1 million DKK ($173 million).

A global retail firm based in Denmark, BoConcept's first store opened in Paris in 1993. The company is currently in the midst of expanding the number of Brand Stores and Concept Studios in 43 countries from Denmark to Dubai. According to their company site and some press, the company's goal is to open 5-6 new studios and 2-3 new stores per month. In the past year, grand openings have been held in Boston, Philly, and 5 stores in NYC, most recently in Dumbo, and the growth of the brand this year is focused on the US, Spain, Germany, and Japan.

All of which brings me to this advertisement (apologies for the photo quality) from Metropolitan Home's most recent issue. Sure it's a nice modern chair. But the intriguing thing is the text at the bottom. "Dallas (coming Spring 2007)". An internet search couldn't get me any more details, but I'd love to find out where to be for the opening. North Park? Victory? Design District? Alpha Road? Anyone have an idea?


The catalog has some nice samplings, but it's all pretty until you give it a trial sitting. It seems that soon we'll get ours.

DWR Pick-a-nick

At the McKinney Avenue Design within Reach studio, there's a patio burger party this Sunday, April 22nd. Take this opportunity to become familiar with the DWR outdoor furnishing line, meet some of the planners of the new Arts District downtown, all while sampling juicy burgers and beers.

"Spend an evening at DWR with burgers and beer and the best in modern outdoor furniture. Mary Ellen Cowan and Tres Fromme from Mesa Design Group will be on hand to discuss their recent and upcoming projects, such as the 30,000 square foot open air plaza at One Arts Plaza in the Arts District. Check out DWR's recently expanded assortment of outdoor furniture and receive tips on the best way to design your outdoor space. The Hamburger Man will be grilling burgers onsite and beer will be served."

Nadeau Imports Wholesale Open House

Nadeau Imports is opening its doors to the public this Saturday March 10th, offering the lowly consumer an opportunity to purchase imported items at wholesale price. An importer of furniture from Indonesia, India, and China, their offerings include all sorts of indoor and outdoor wood and reed furniture including chairs, tables, case goods and accessories.

When: Saturday March 10th 10am-4pm

Where: 1128 Longpoint Ave, Dallas TX 75247 (map)

Contact: Misty 214-655-1440, e-mail dallas@nadeauimports.com, or see their Craigslist posting.

Frank Gehry meets Tiffany

Tiffany and Co launched a collection of pieces by Frank Gehry that it bills as "exquisite jewelry, years in the making, born of a revolution and steeped in a new and daring sensuality. Chic. Glamourous. Fashionable. Defiantly so."

The Orchid drop pendant (left) is one of a series of pieces designed by the architect including earring and brooches. The most extravagant ($6,800) of the pieces features round brilliant diamonds and a 16" chain.

The small drop pendant in sterling silver on a 16" chain is $150. A nephrite green jade pendant on a chain is $350. Nearly one hundred different pieces are in the collection, sure to satisfy many admirers of modern, sparkly things.

DWR's Eames Film Festival

This Thursday evening December 7th, DWR at Travis/McKinney will feature several short films (including Powers of Ten and The Lounge Chair) by the Eameses along with refreshments and an opportunity to browse the store. Other stores have already hosted the event with good response.

The legacy of Ray and Charles Eames extends far beyond their classic furniture pieces. Taking a multidisciplinary approach to design long before that was the norm, the Eameses created over 100 short films between 1950 and 1982. Join DWR, in conjunction with the Eames Foundation and Herman Miller for the Home®, as we celebrate their film legacy. We’ll be screening seven films ranging from 1–30 minutes in length. Attendees are encouraged to stay for a discussion following the screenings. Refreshments will be served.

Eames Film Festival
Thursday, December 7, 6–9pm
Design Within Reach
4524 McKinney Ave, Suite 103
Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: 214.521.0100
Powersof10.com

Off-the-beaten-path gift sources

Art is Art (which I've blogged about before) has art, funky furniture, and handmade jewelry offerings that make unique and affordable gifts. The assortment of sculptures, canvases and hand-crafted furniture pieces fills the two-room store.




The Dallas Museum of Art's Store features its annual Holiday Spree from December 2 through the 9th. Members enjoy 20% off throughout the store on all its books, prints, jewelry, and gifts.

At the MAC next weekend, enjoy the 10th annual Blue Yule Holiday Party and Ornament Sale fundraiser. Handmade ornaments by local artists, music and food and an auction promise a fun and artsy opportunity to pick up a gift or two, one artist had a fun time in 2005, though this artist's review of a the 2002 "Blew Yool" event is a little more pessimistic and .

Next weekend is also the Urban Street Bazaar at the Dallas Farmers Market. Over sixty booths featuring handmade jewelry, clothing, and accessories and a slate of fifteen bands will make for a festive shopping experience. There will also be an auction and raffle of items from participating vendors.

For gift giving that helps others, consider this article from the Dallas Morning News: More and more Americans are changing their approach to holiday wish lists. A lot of people are saying, 'You know what? I don't want any more stuff,' and a charitible donation in their honor may be just the ticket. A wide variety of charities offer donation gift options: UNICEF, the North Texas Food Bank, the Emergency Artists Support League, and La Reunion are a few to consider.

What I've been waiting for

This item from the Shopping blog is music to my ears: an annoucement of Scott + Cooner's semi-annual warehouse clearance sale! The last time I visited their sale, a fabulous Foscarini pendant fixture and two Flos sconces were mine for a fraction of their cost.

Need a lunch break?
Then hurry and head over to the Scott + Cooner warehouse at 1400 Turtle Creek (not the showroom location). Through Sunday, the modern decor company is slashing prices on sofas, beds, lighting, desks and chairs to make space for new merchandise.
"We just don't have the real estate to keep things that long," says company rep Rebecca O'Dell. "Some of the pieces were showroom samples other might be new but have a slight scratch."
Expect savings from 20 to 70 percent she adds, and, best of all, to see prices dip as Sunday approaches to clear it all out! They're open until 5:30 p.m. tonight, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Mark and Larry's Retirement Sale

Deep Ellum perennial Mark & Larry's Stuff has announced its closing. As Mark-Brian's theater and acting commitments have kicked up, the time available to run the store has dwindled down, and the store will close its last sale on December 23rd. Voted Best Gift Store in 2001 and Best Place to Buy Stuff You Don't Need in 2002 by the Dallas Observer, the store has offered a mixture of design pieces, jewelry, gifts and gags in two Deep Ellum locations for the past decade. They describe it as:

"This store specializes in 'Stuff.' We don't carry anything you need to have, but you sure do want it. Everything we buy has to make us go 'oooh' and 'wow'. We're both very picky. We try to keep our prices reasonable (80% of the store retails at $35 or less) but every now and then we find something that is so extraordinary that we must carry it....well, the 'stuff' we carry tends to be unique, most is not really mass produced, and therefore not as readily available. We carry an excess of 2,000 unique items for you to choose from, along with a vast card selection with well with over 1000 images. We highly recommend you come visit us!"

Right now, everything at the Deep Ellum landmark is at least 10% off, and a large selection of funky candles, bath products, Blenko glassware, cards and books is available.

Furniture Quality Reprised

Good Morning America has jumped on the consumer-protection bandwagon with their own expose on furniture quality, just a few months after Smart Money hammered on mid-price furniture outlets like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware (see my prior post). The GMA gumshoes examined several products: Martha Stewart's "dark cherry" K-Mart line accent table, Ashley Furniture's "horizon maple" nightstand and "brown cherry" desk, and World Market's "Taylor split cowhide" dining chair and found rampant use of laminated fiberboard, thin veneers and fake plastic 'all-leather' chairs. On the heels of the investigation, World Market posted an apology on their website and offered to replace the fake chairs with real leather versions.

Our initial findings revealed that some of the suspect Taylor chairs and ottomans supplied to Cost Plus World Market had been upholstered in a synthetic material. A majority of the dark brown Taylor dining chairs and ottomans are not affected by this issue.

Our customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, we will replace any of the dark brown Taylor dining chairs and ottomans that were made of the synthetic material.

According to GMA, Ashley and K-mart were less apologetic about their marketing terminology. "Ashley said that the Glen Eagle secretary desk was simply a brown cherry color and that the phrase 'solidly constructed' did not mean solid wood, but rather referred to the stability and tight construction of the piece." This all goes to show that the buyer must beware in picking out furnishings and other items. If you're okay knowing that it's comfortable, then pay what you want for it, but don't be dazzled by the marketing lingo hyping the item's construction or materials until you've proved the content to yourself. Sites like the Consumerist track some deceptions, but heightened skepticism will be your best asset in shopping.

Saladini crafted knives

These knives would never be accused of cluttering up even the most spartan modern countertops! Found in the NY Times:

"Tuscan Hills, a store in Princeton, N.J., that imports housewares from Italy, is the first retailer in the United States to carry the full line of knives from Saladini, a manufacturer in Scarperia, near Florence. Saladini’s hand-forged kitchen knives, corkscrews, flatware and cigar cutters have handles crafted from ox or buffalo horn or from Tuscan olive or boxwood. Custom pieces are available with deer horn, briarwood or bone handles. A five-piece set, above ($895), includes four knives and a carving fork, all with curved olive wood handles, stored in a block of olive wood. It would be a handsome splurge for the holiday cook."

Tuscan Hills, 342 Nassau Street, Princeton; (609) 921-9015; tuscan-hills.com

Central Texas Modern Side Tables

Through Crib Candy's wists, I found a few eye-catching pieces from Motif Modern Living. The furniture store, whose motto is "modern style. modest price", is south of Austin not far from the San Marcos outlet mall and offers a variety of contemporary and modern furniture. This Metro Nightstand ($219) has "an oak veneer with a charcoal roll-coat lacquer finish....The smoked glass top gives a sophisticated and elegant look. Features dual surfaces and a drawer for convenient storage, board-on-frame construction, and tapered die-cast metal handles."

Similar designs--the Low Platform Side Table ($229) and the Niche Door Side Table ($169)--are available through the internet shop at West Elm.

By Design in Arlington

While their website is bare bones, their online listing of furniture distributors offers some temptation. Distinguished as one of the only Texas dealers of Bo Concept furniture, By Design also carries several other lines of modern furniture, much of it inspired by the design classics. I'm going to have to check them out, since they seem to fly under the internet radar. This configuration of Bo Concept's Indvi sofa is priced at $2449, a little more attainable than the $6500 price-tag on B&B Italia's Arne sofa. Comfort testing results are pending.

2160 N. Collins
Arlington, TX 76011
Phone: 817-261-2800
Mon-Fri: 10-7; Sat: 10-6

Ligne Roset + Sample Sale = Nirvana

Thanks to a short post on Dallas Shopping Blog, I was drawn to visiting the Ligne Roset store in the Design District in search of super style at a discount. If there's one thing better than fabulous lines, it's finding them at a nice price. What can I say, I love getting something I love at a bargain! The Hi-Line drive store, which opened five years ago as one of the first design stores open to the public (the other Dallas location is on McKinney at Knox, see prior post), is spacious and full of fabulous sleek arrangements. There were several discounted pieces, including a fab gray Feng couch and matching daybed, a super chocolate-brown ultrasuede sectional, rugs and several occasional chairs. Resident kitty Vito had staked out on of the best chairs for himself, showing off just how comfortable European modern can be.

Alexa Grossman, owner of both local Ligne Roset stores, is one of the coolest furniture mavens I've met. She's knowledgable, savvy about high-end modern furniture (with numerous family members and friends in the business, she started learning the trade in her teens) and not one to hold back on her opinions. Her most important advice, getting good style that fits your personal taste is worth the wait of custom order, on sale or not. Designer furniture is an investment, she says, and prorating the purchase over several credit cycles can make the hippest furnishings available to folks without a large designer budget.

The sample sale wraps up soon, but Alex promises another one in the spring, and then probably only an annual spring sale after that.

Cantoni Modern Furniture

With the Partners Card in hand, "the world's finest original contemporary collections" just got 20% more affordable for the next week. The giant (30,000 square foot) North Dallas showroom features scene after scene of modern, serene, and comfortable arrangements. Selections include American Leather, Dellarobbia (whose two-piece Yasmin sectional pictured below, is very tempting), and Artek. A staff of sales and design consultants is available to assist, but I was able to wander the store for fifteen minutes without an officious intrusion.

Cantoni began in Dallas in 1984 and has expanded to five stores (also in Houston, Atlanta, Irvine, Los Angeles) and an outlet center around the corner from the showroom. The outlet features a mixture of floor sample chairs, bedrooms, lighting, and accessories, often 40% or more off the showroom price. If you're in love with the Menlo Park or Astoria sectionals, however, be sure to check out the American Leather outlet before you break out the AmEx...there might be a better deal!