A Taste of Sweden in North Texas

Once in a while, I'll have a craving for some European flavor and so I head out to the Ikea store in Frisco. No, not to shop for assemble-it-yourself furniture, but to have a fill of Swedish meatballs, lingonberry juice and those delicious desserts! As you can see, the menu prices are not too bad either. It's also food with a view, as you can see here. You get a vantage view of the Frisco horizon with that serving of meatballs and gravy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Even in these challenging times, there are indeed a lot that we can thankful for. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Fall is here!

Yes, the nights and mornings are much cooler and by the end of this week, the forecast is that temperatures will be at least 20 degrees cooler than we were at the height of the summer season. And the sure sign that fall is indeed here? Well, pumpkins of course. To see more of them at the Dallas Arboretum, click here.

A 9/11 Memorial

This week we commemorated the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy and so this week I wanted to feature this 9/11 Flight Credw memorial in Grapevine which is such a fitting tribute to the American Airlines crew as well as their passengers who lost their lives on that infamous day. Click here to learn more on how this memorial came to be. See more perspectives of the memorial here.

A Tribute to Summer

Summer is almost over and nothing is more fitting as a tribute to the season as a feature of Grapevine's newest indoor water park, the Great Wolf Lodge. This funnel-like structure is a signature feature of the attraction - it's where the various water slides of the resort merge and bring the "riders" outside the resort. To take a peek at what's inside the resort and more, click here to see!

Happy 4th!

Southlake celebrates the nation's 232nd birthday with Uncle Sam...on stilts!, fireworks, all-American bands and picnics galore! Happy 4th, everyone!

Meet Me at the Haltom Clock

This clock at an intersection in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth is certainly a good meeting spot, don't you think?

Gallery of Light

If ever you’re wanting to own one of Thomas Kinkade's original creations, then head out to Main Street in Sundance Square in Fort Worth. Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light, is unique as an artist as he emphasizes simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his paintings. Click here to see a sampling of his works from his online gallery.

A Skyscraper in Cowtown

Yes, downtown Fort Worth has skyscrapers too...including this one -

the D. R. Horton Tower which does house offices of one of the country's largest homebuilders, D. R. Horton Corp.

A Mooing Topiary

This topiary (of the bovine kind) stands at a corner of Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth. Click here to see a back-end perspective...

Old and New

Downtown Fort Worth is an interesting juxtaposition of old and new, as you can see...

On My Way Home

On my drives home after work, I just recently noticed that the light is usually red at this intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Highway 114 in Irving. So for posterity's sake, I decided to take a shot of what I usually see at this intersection. For "rush hour," traffic was moving pretty smoothly this afternoon, as you can see.

Square with Two Circles

This is not just another water fountain photo - the water fountains just provide a backdrop for this modern sculpure piece that can be found in the gardens of the Nasher Sculpture Center. This work of at was created in 1963 by British artist Barbara Hepworth.

Here's the museum's elaboration on the piece:

When Patsy and Raymond Nasher purchased this work in 1968, it was one of their earliest acquisitions in the realm of modern sculpture. Influenced by the timeless power of Neolithic stone monuments, Hepworth adopted the form of an upright slab. The distinctive hollowed out circles, a device the artist had used in her work as early as the 1930s, open up the solid mass and allow a continuous flow of space through and around the monolith. With the round apertures framing the surrounding landscape and the richly varied green patina of the bronze, the overall effect of the sculpture is one of natural forms and forces.

Eve

Spring is in full swing and it’s a great time to discover arts and culture in the metroplex. Plan a trip to the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and meet Eve. Eve is a classic from the French sculptor, August Rodin. According to the exhibit’s label, “Eve provides an outstanding example of the personal, expressive nature of Rodin's modeling…” To learn more about her, visit the museum site here.

Lake View

How would you like to wake up to this view every morning? You can...in Colleyville. In short, the city of Colleyville is all these: "Once a rural farming community, Colleyville has become a perennial favorite on the “best of…” lists in Dallas and Fort Worth, across Texas, and around the nation. Money magazine named the city to its list of “Best 100 Places to Live in America,” awarding it the highest ranking in Texas. Colleyville’s small town ambiance and big city amenities continue to earn it a place on the “best” lists of popular publications, including Newsweek and D Magazine..."

Terrible Two's

Actually, they're not so terrible at all. They are actually quite adorable. Proof in point - my good friend's 2-year old celebrating her birthday at The Little Gym in Southlake and having a swell of a time!

My Favorite Things - III

Definitely another one of my favorite things...this new farmer's market has come to town and this has made shopping for organics and other natural foods so much more convenient and reasonable too! Give it a try and check out their weekly specials here.

Cul-de-sac

Just one of many in our metroplex neighborhoods...

My Favorite Things - II

Cheesecake, anyone? Need I say more...

My Favorite Things - I

One of my all-time favorite stores and it's a few miles from my neighbothood. Do you have one in yours?