Friday 29 May 2009

Big Time in Big D for the Big 10th! by Susan C.

Wow! May has flown by and that can only mean two things... Adela Meadows will be hosting soon and the Dallas 2009 Q Meeting is a month closer!
I promised to have the "real scoop" on the 10th Anniversary Meeting, so here it is:

Special hotel rates for members are now $129.00 per double! Book now! The hotel is on the small side.


Come to Dallas early or stay late and visit the Frontiers of Flight Museum, have a day at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, shop where there are more shopping centers per capita than perhaps any other city in the US, attend a home game of the Dallas Cowboys in their brand new stadium, attend an opera during the Inaugural Week of the Winspear Opera House, stay at The Gaylord Texan or the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas, for your last night or tour a vineyard in Grapevine, minutes North of DFW Airport on your last day!
There's so much to see! Perhaps, you want to re-visit Ft. Worth's Cowgirl, Amon Carter, Modern or the Kimbell Museum, that we saw in 2002. Perhaps, catch a film in the I Max, or eat at Angelo's or The Railhead for out of this world BBQ! You decide, we'll help you make the arrangements! You have to google the Gaylord Texan!!! WOW! There's a river inside!

My personal favorite, local & inexpensive restaurants: Rise No. 1...very unique and they have fab souffles!; Macaroni Grill, a nearby place for pasta; La Madeleine, a nearby place for great French Onion Soup, Caesar salad; Blue Mesa (across from Northpark) for unusual Mexican food or my local Tex-Mex fave, El Fenix; Corner Bakery, a good soup and sandwich spot. If that isn't a fit for you, just ask for more suggestions. A longer restaurant list is posted on the Q site.

News Flash: Last week, the current owners of the Stanley Marcus home, announced that they would begin renovations on the home and not raze it, as stated late last year! Hurray, chalk one up for the preservationists!

The Meet & Greet (Wed pm) - you heard it here first...during the event, live musical entertainment will be graciously provided by M. et Mme. Richard Williams - aka, Lucy and Dick!

The Flora Street Fandango (Thurs) - after a brief bus ride to SMU's campus, we'll have a docent led tour of one of the finest Spanish artwork collections outside of Spain, then board for downtown Dallas. After a quick loop through town, we'll be dropped off at Flora Street (the Arts District) where the DMA, Nasher and Crow Museums are. For anyone interested, the bus will at that time, make one trip to the Dallas Arboretum, drop you off and return in 1 1/2 hrs to make the one and only pick up and will return you to the Arts District. Throughout the day, the buses will make a loop through the area, so members can hop-on and hop-off buses at other sites, including the Dallas Aquarium, the Sixth Floor Museum or Neiman's. Mid afternoon, we will have a docent-guided tour through the Reves Collection at the DMA. In the late afternoon, we'll board the buses and head back to the Hilton for dinner on your own. Museum websites posted on Q homepage.

Picnic With Porquier (Friday) - a short bus ride from the hotel are the four collections and antique shop we'll tour on this day. You heard it here first...as a special treat for our 10th, each home will have a room or a tabletop, decorated with a seasonal or themed display using French pottery! It ought to be terrific! Betty O's charming Cape Cod-styled home and my house will be first. Betty favors HR Q and Malicorne and you can meet Nasdaq, the cat! You've already read about my faves, so I won't repeat that info. Midday, we picnic at Twila and Ted Moore's fabulous home. Your picnic lunch will be prepared, courtesy of the the Dallas area members! Thank you girls! Lucy, Dick and possibly a WA State friend, will once again provide some music for your listening pleasure. At the Moore's, we'll have two guest speakers. Kathleen T, who will talk about the musical instruments depicted on French faience and Elizabeth N, will give a presentation twice on "The Art of the French Table." Mid-afternoon, we depart for Ann S's gracious home and The Lovers Lane Antique Market, where Patsy McDonald and La Taylor will welcome us. Ann loves the Modern movement and Fouillen pieces, so that collection will be great! I bet the sisters will be in their Bretonne outfits as they greet us at the Market! Bring your cameras! Shopped out and on collection overload, we'll return to the hotel for dinner on your own.

The 10th Anniversary Meeting Day! - (Saturday) - The day starts with the business meeting, followed by two very special speakers...you heard it here first...Millicent Mali, will share her newest research on the actual Stories Behind the Legendes Bretonne and Jeffrey Ruthizer, our other guest speaker, will also have a very interesting talk about The World War I Plates and the History Behind Their Designs! Two outstanding presentations that will highlight a private collection, to be seen on the following day, containing many Malicorne and Porquier Beau Legendes plates and an extensive collection of WWI production! A State Fair of Texas themed lunch will be served midday, followed by the fabulous French faience sale! In the evening and scheduled in the beautiful Opio Room, the Farewell Banquet will be held. A French-themed evening is planned, along with a live auction, with proceeds benefiting Operation Smile. Please contact Sarah Anderson or me if you are bringing a donation item, either French related, faience or something made with your loving hands. Another YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST...in the works, are limited edition plates to be sold on Saturday, to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Q Club! All cities that have hosted meetings to date, will be commemorated on these special plates. Also, ONE very special plate will be produced for the Saturday night auction. Commemorated on this plate will be every Country or State having hosted a meeting, along with the names of the Club's Founders, Presidents and Meeting Organizers. Bring your checkbook! It will be a piece unique!!!

The Final Four - Sunday - Our buses will take us to the Pierre Deux Showroom, in the Dallas Design District, where we will be treated to a lovely Brunch. Store manager, Dianna Peebles, will host this special event. Members will be treated to a talk on the textiles of Provence and afterwards, we will be able to shop. Departing by bus, we will drive to the home of Floyd and Beverly S to see their extensive and fabulous collection of Porquier Beau, Fouillen, CA, Malicorne, WWI plates and a compote decorated by Alf Beau himself.

What a way to end the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the Quimper Club!!!

Now that you're practically a Texan since you've been reading the May blog and won't need a translation, I will end with this...
Are ya' finely gettin' fired up for tha' big event? I shur hope that tha' info I've shared will make ya' skedaddle on down to Dallas fer sum fun! Yule be so whomperjawed after grinnin' like a 'possum fer four days of fun that we may jus have ta shootcha! Trust me, you're gonna be fit to be tied if you miss this 'un. Anyun sittin' on the fence about this 'un, don't know come here from sic 'em! So, don't play possum and let the deadline pass ya' by! Tha weathur shuld be fine unless we have anoth'r frog strangler like we had in '02. Tha collections are fine as frog hair and I'll be happy as a clam to see ya!
Websites of interest: www.dallascowboys.com
Eliz. Arden Red Door Spa - www.reddoorspas.com (214)373.8338
Frontiers of Flight - www.flightmuseum.com
Gaylord Texas - www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan
Grapevine Mills Mall - www.grapevinemills.com


Adieu!

2 comments:

  1. Once again, a million thanks to Maggie for her help with the blog and posting pics! The photos in order are of: Pegasus - neon sign and early Dallas icon, atop old Magnolia Oil (Mobil) Co. bldg, PC Hilton, Meyerson Symphony Hall, Crow Museum garden, Sixth Floor Museum, "Old Red" Courthouse Museum & Reunion Tower at left, American Airlines Center and Pierre Deux Showroom.

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  2. Thank you Susan for a month of great blogs, we have all learned a lot about Dallas and you have opened our eyes to many fascinating people and places. The all new house tours will be a great draw in October and we thank all our members who will be opening their homes to us then.

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