IT’s A CAR!
We’ve all seen the movie or TV commercial where, on Christmas morning, a loved one walks into the driveway to find a car festooned with a big bow — what a gift! Well, why not in real life? Toyota not only makes some of the highest-quality cars on the market, they have styles — and price ranges — to fit every person and pocketbook. And Toyota of Irving can even help with the big bow. Prices vary. Visit Toyota of Irving for inventory.
BACK FOR CHRISTMAS
It was just over a month ago that tornadoes devastated neighborhoods in North Dallas, including taking out North Haven Gardens. But the storied nursery will not be deterred. It’s back the week of Thanksgiving selling poinsettias, tannenbaums and other holiday greenery. Some traditions just have a way of fighting through.
Prices vary. Available at North Haven Gardens,
7700 Northaven Road or NHG.com
THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
What smells better than hand-poured, all-natural candles fragranced with high-quality scents? How about a new one every month? Vellabox is a candle subscription service that partners with many artisan chandlers from around the U.S. to curate a sensory experience, always accompanied by a small bonus gift. We love the aromas of Empathy, California “wine” candles (red and white!). Even the small one burns for 25 hours. That’s a lot of nose pampering. Starting at $10.
Available at Vellabox.com.
ALL THE MARBLES
The guys at Erdos and Ko know good design when they see it … and when they sell it. We love tons of stuff in their World Trade Center shop, including this snazzy side table. Made of green marble with gold-leaf finish, the 15-in. diameter table stands 20 inches high and fits sharply with any decor.
$595. Available at Erdos and Ko, 2050 N. Stemmons Expressway #10014 or ErdosAndKo.com.
TAKE THAT TO THE BANK
Who says a piggy bank needs to look like a piggy? Why not, say, a poochie bank? That’s exactly what the paint splatter statuettes from Interior Illusions are: Cute little coin holders with festive colors that are just as lovely as they are useful. Available in a variety of breeds… er, sizes and designs. $86–$143.Available at Outlines Men’s Wear,
3906 Cedar Springs Road or at OutlinesMensWear.com.
SHOE FETISH
What do you get the shoe-hoarder in your life who has every boot, slip-on, dock sider and Oxford on the planet? Why not a decorative set of vintage wood shoe forms from Dulce? These classic cobblers’ tools are gussied up with their own acrylic heels, to give them the aura of sculpture.
$140. Available at Dulce Interior Consignment, 1208 N. Riverfront Blvd
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CHASING A RAINBOW
In the wake of the Instagram-era, many folks like to immerse themselves in interactive pop-up exhibits, such as Dallas’ Sweet Tooth Hotel or Candytopia, often posing for and snapping selfies. But it’s not just big cities that have invested in such extravaganzas. Nestled off I-20 in Shreveport, La., stands Rainbow City, an enormous interactive art display that looks like a cartoon world.
This free pop-art exhibit, comprised of more than 40 colorful air-filled sculptures, will occupy Caddo Common Park, where the Shreveport Regional Arts Council recently held a Pride event within the display.
L.A.-based artists Arturo Sandoval III and Samuel Borkson spent several months planning and building the exhibit, an idea that stemmed from their desire to create an atmosphere able to unite diverse groups of people.
“Rainbow City was our vision for a communal experience,” Borkson says. “It’s just a welcoming, inclusive environmental installation. And doing it in Shreveport was special for us because it really nailed it home why we made that installation. And that’s to bring people together.”
Sandoval and Borkson first partnered in art about 18 years ago, titling their collaboration FriendsWithYou. Since then, they’ve fashioned works in sculpture, installation art, animation and spiritual engineering, among other media. Human connectivity often serves as a cornerstone in their works.
“When we started working together, we noticed that there was a lack of communal experiences,” Sandoval says, “that culture in general had done away with a lot of the convergence points of people, which we saw as an intricate part of the human experience. We set out to almost like redesign some of those gatherings of sorts, and that’s definitely one of the reasons why we created this experience.”
For Rainbow City, their main goal was to evoke physical interaction between people and the exhibit, as well as connect them to others’ similar experiences. Like other immersive pop-ups, visitors are encouraged to interact with sculpture pieces, and especially, each other.
“It’s not so much about the actual object but it’s really the space those objects contain and the people who are contained within it. And that’s the real art,” Sandoval says. “When we see people enjoying [our creations], then we feel like our work is actually alive.”
— John Carder McClanahan
Through Dec. 8. RainbowCityShreveport.com.
