Melissa Smrekar - HoustonNewMedia.org https://houstonnewmedia.org/author/melissa-smrekar/ Building "Bridges" Across the Bayou City! Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:25:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://i0.wp.com/houstonnewmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-cropped-Houston.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Melissa Smrekar - HoustonNewMedia.org https://houstonnewmedia.org/author/melissa-smrekar/ 32 32 103504436 Camila and Matthew McConaughey Dazzle at Dallas’ New Friends New Life Luncheon https://houstonnewmedia.org/camila-and-matthew-mcconaughey-dazzle-at-dallas-new-friends-new-life-luncheon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=camila-and-matthew-mcconaughey-dazzle-at-dallas-new-friends-new-life-luncheon Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:25:31 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=547690 On September 20, a sold-out crowd of 1,200 braved Dallas’ notorious Friday afternoon traffic to attend New Friends New Life’s (NFNL) “Stand For Her” luncheon and hear from the Minister of Culture himself. Beloved Texan Matthew M...

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]]> 826949 Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Annual Fête Raises $1.64 Million — Shattering Records and Painting a Brighter Future https://houstonnewmedia.org/dallas-childrens-advocacy-centers-annual-fete-raises-1-64-million-shattering-records-and-painting-a-brighter-future/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dallas-childrens-advocacy-centers-annual-fete-raises-1-64-million-shattering-records-and-painting-a-brighter-future Tue, 01 Oct 2024 18:31:33 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=547656 There is perhaps no heavier cause than child abuse, but Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) continually reminds supporters that “Hope Blooms.” If you aren’t familiar with DCAC, allow me to introduce you because DCAC is the ...

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]]> 827101 Catching Up With Bella Hadid and Adan Banuelos At The North Texas Screening Of The Celebrity Cowboy’s New Short Film https://houstonnewmedia.org/catching-up-with-bella-hadid-and-adan-banuelos-at-the-north-texas-screening-of-the-celebrity-cowboys-new-short-film/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=catching-up-with-bella-hadid-and-adan-banuelos-at-the-north-texas-screening-of-the-celebrity-cowboys-new-short-film Tue, 24 Sep 2024 13:25:12 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=546095 An international supermodel meets a salt-of-the-earth, handsome cowboy at a horse show. He doesn’t know who she is. Despite coming from such different worlds, they fall in love. She leaves the bright lights and big city behind, moving to a small ...

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]]> 823134 Fort Worth’s River Crest Country Club Transforms Into A Dolly Parton Wonderland For the 4th Annual Desert Rose https://houstonnewmedia.org/fort-worths-river-crest-country-club-transforms-into-a-dolly-parton-wonderland-for-the-4th-annual-desert-rose/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fort-worths-river-crest-country-club-transforms-into-a-dolly-parton-wonderland-for-the-4th-annual-desert-rose Wed, 18 Sep 2024 20:59:06 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=545159 Events season? Here you come again! Hosting a fundraiser on September 11, less than two months before a heated presidential election, presents the unique challenge of honoring the monumental day in history while also making a patriotic affair feel non-...

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]]> 820333 Dallas’ Internationally Decorated Turtle Creek Chorale and Cyndi Lauper Kicked Off Pride 2024 in Style https://houstonnewmedia.org/dallas-internationally-decorated-turtle-creek-chorale-and-cyndi-lauper-kicked-off-pride-2024-in-style/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dallas-internationally-decorated-turtle-creek-chorale-and-cyndi-lauper-kicked-off-pride-2024-in-style Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:44:00 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=534803 Kicking off Pride Month in style, Turtle Creek Chorale hosted its annual benefit gala, Rhapsody, on Saturday, June 1, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. 500 guests, in flashy, festive, and far-reaching interpretations of “black tie formal,” flocked downtown for...

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]]> 793630 North Texas’ Favorite Pop-Up Boutique Draws Laura Bush, Gene Jones, and More Generous Shoppers to Dallas https://houstonnewmedia.org/north-texas-favorite-pop-up-boutique-draws-laura-bush-gene-jones-and-more-generous-shoppers-to-dallas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=north-texas-favorite-pop-up-boutique-draws-laura-bush-gene-jones-and-more-generous-shoppers-to-dallas Thu, 27 Jun 2024 16:40:48 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=533502 The Salvation Army of North Texas’ Dallas Women’s Auxiliary (SAWA) hosted the 31st Fashion Show and Luncheon on Tuesday, May 7, inside the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Since 1993, the Fashion Show & Luncheon has generated more than $15 milli...

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]]> 787126 Inside the Fabulous, Fashionable World of Dallas’ House of DIFFA https://houstonnewmedia.org/inside-the-fabulous-fashionable-world-of-dallas-house-of-diffa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inside-the-fabulous-fashionable-world-of-dallas-house-of-diffa Tue, 18 Jun 2024 19:44:33 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=531901 For the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS’ (DIFFA) 32nd annual black-tie gala on Saturday, April 27, 2024, 1,200 regal attendees flocked to the Sheraton Dallas for the expansive affair, donning wide-reaching interpretations of this year’s them...

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]]> 783835 Dallas Cowboys and Tiaras — Inside ‘A Knight to Remember’ for Children’s Cancer Fund https://houstonnewmedia.org/dallas-cowboys-and-tiaras-inside-a-knight-to-remember-for-childrens-cancer-fund/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dallas-cowboys-and-tiaras-inside-a-knight-to-remember-for-childrens-cancer-fund Tue, 21 May 2024 17:12:57 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=526607 If we know anything for certain about the royals, it’s that they remain resilient in the face of adversity. For a truly regal affair, local supporters and national celebrities alike gathered together to celebrate the most resilient fighters among us: p...

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]]> 771719 For the Genesis Women’s Shelter’s Annual Luncheon, Sheryl Lee Ralph Hit All the Right Notes https://houstonnewmedia.org/for-the-genesis-womens-shelters-annual-luncheon-sheryl-lee-ralph-hit-all-the-right-notes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-the-genesis-womens-shelters-annual-luncheon-sheryl-lee-ralph-hit-all-the-right-notes Tue, 14 May 2024 20:29:55 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=523831 Few daytime charity events in Dallas compare to the size and scope of the Genesis Luncheon. For their largest annual fundraiser, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support hosted donors and guests for a seated luncheon at the Hilton Anatole on Friday, April...

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]]> 768985 The 2024 Mad Hatter’s Tea Transformed the Dallas Arboretum Into the ‘Gardens of Greece’ https://houstonnewmedia.org/the-2024-mad-hatters-tea-transformed-the-dallas-arboretum-into-the-gardens-of-greece/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-2024-mad-hatters-tea-transformed-the-dallas-arboretum-into-the-gardens-of-greece Wed, 01 May 2024 21:26:01 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=522904 I fell down the rabbit hole for the first time last year, arriving at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, the Women’s Council’s signature event, with a 10-pound boxwood poodle on my head. When I didn’t win th...

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]]> 762526 Robin Roberts, Resiliency, and Reverence for the Handwritten Note — Inside the Junior League of Dallas’ 2024 Milestones Luncheon https://houstonnewmedia.org/robin-roberts-resiliency-and-reverence-for-the-handwritten-note-inside-the-junior-league-of-dallas-2024-milestones-luncheon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=robin-roberts-resiliency-and-reverence-for-the-handwritten-note-inside-the-junior-league-of-dallas-2024-milestones-luncheon Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:34:17 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=521097 The Junior League of Dallas (JLD) hosted its annual Milestones Luncheon on Friday, April 5, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Sandwiched in a multi-course lineup of luncheons during Dallas’ filling spring social calendar, Milestones stood out as an optimistic ...

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]]> 760987 Scenes from the 2024 Go Red for Women Luncheon in Dallas https://houstonnewmedia.org/scenes-from-the-2024-go-red-for-women-luncheon-in-dallas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scenes-from-the-2024-go-red-for-women-luncheon-in-dallas Fri, 12 Apr 2024 21:06:08 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=517016 More than 1,000 open-hearted supporters of the American Heart Association (AHA) descended upon the Omni Dallas Hotel on Friday, March 8, for the 2024 Go Red for Women luncheon. The expansive annual fundraiser spreads awareness about heart disease, whic...

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]]> 751141 Sue Sartor Opens Her Second-Ever Store in Dallas’ Snider Plaza https://houstonnewmedia.org/sue-sartor-opens-her-second-ever-store-in-dallas-snider-plaza/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sue-sartor-opens-her-second-ever-store-in-dallas-snider-plaza Fri, 12 Apr 2024 19:42:21 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=516887 In an Instagram world where every retail space feels intentionally over-designed to be *a moment,* the Sue Sartor store in Dallas is charming and unpretentious. Alongside simple latticework and hung orchids, the brand’s signature Indian block-printed d...

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]]> 751153 Inside Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Fourth Annual ‘Mahjong for a Mission’ https://houstonnewmedia.org/inside-dallas-childrens-advocacy-centers-fourth-annual-mahjong-for-a-mission/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inside-dallas-childrens-advocacy-centers-fourth-annual-mahjong-for-a-mission Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:09:25 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=504931 Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) hosted its fourth annual “Mahjong for a Mission” tournament on Saturday, February 10, drawing together a festive crowd of galentines of all ages. With nary a man in sight, event attendees arrived promptly, on th...

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]]> 727651 The 2024 Broadway Dallas Gala Was a Shimmering Ode to the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll https://houstonnewmedia.org/the-2024-broadway-dallas-gala-was-a-shimmering-ode-to-the-queen-of-rock-n-roll/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-2024-broadway-dallas-gala-was-a-shimmering-ode-to-the-queen-of-rock-n-roll Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:19:38 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=504828 On Friday, February 2, Dallas’ spring social season commenced with Broadway Dallas’ glamorous and effervescent fundraising gala at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Unlike any other charity event in town, Broadway Dallas’ 2024 Gala included a full performan...

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]]> 726256 Carrie Underwood to Headline the 2024 Dallas Cattle Baron’s Ball Stage — Inside the Big Reveal https://houstonnewmedia.org/carrie-underwood-to-headline-the-2024-dallas-cattle-barons-ball-stage-inside-the-big-reveal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carrie-underwood-to-headline-the-2024-dallas-cattle-barons-ball-stage-inside-the-big-reveal Thu, 08 Feb 2024 22:40:14 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=503845 On Tuesday, February 6, 300 of Dallas’ most glamorous Cowgirl Barbies (and their Kens) gathered downtown at the newly-renovated Mirador for Cattle Baron’s Ball’s “Reveal Party.” The mystery to be unveiled? The entertainer who will headline the 2024 Cat...

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]]> 723366 Some of Dallas’ Most Giving Families Assembled to ‘Do the Most Good’ With the Salvation Army of North Texas https://houstonnewmedia.org/some-of-dallas-most-giving-families-assembled-to-do-the-most-good-with-the-salvation-army-of-north-texas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=some-of-dallas-most-giving-families-assembled-to-do-the-most-good-with-the-salvation-army-of-north-texas Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:43:43 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=499815 For native Dallasites, The Salvation Army goes hand-in-hand with football because of the agency’s 27-year partnership with the Dallas Cowboys. It’s fun to watch players jump in the giant red kettle after scoring a touchdown on Thanksgiving Day, knowing...

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]]> 714752 Scenes from the 2023 Highland Park Village Holiday Shopping Stroll https://houstonnewmedia.org/scenes-from-the-2023-highland-park-village-holiday-shopping-stroll/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scenes-from-the-2023-highland-park-village-holiday-shopping-stroll Mon, 18 Dec 2023 21:02:01 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=495795 If anyone arrived at Highland Park Village parched on the evening of Wednesday, December 6, 2023, they came to the right place for a remedy. The hot toddies were flowing throughout the Village during the “Holiday Stroll,” an annual celebration under th...

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]]> 702255 Dallas’ 2023 Tutu Chic Was a Beautiful Blend of Fashion and Footwork https://houstonnewmedia.org/dallas-2023-tutu-chic-was-a-beautiful-blend-of-fashion-and-footwork/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dallas-2023-tutu-chic-was-a-beautiful-blend-of-fashion-and-footwork Wed, 13 Dec 2023 18:27:49 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=494862 It would be far too easy to describe Texas Ballet Theater’s signature fundraiser as “too, too chic.” Give me a little more credit than that! There is a reason, though, that the long-limbed and fancy-free flock to the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera Hous...

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]]> 700636 AT&T Performing Arts Center’s 2023 Bravo! Gala Showcases The Dallas Arts Community https://houstonnewmedia.org/att-performing-arts-centers-2023-bravo-gala-showcases-the-dallas-arts-community/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=att-performing-arts-centers-2023-bravo-gala-showcases-the-dallas-arts-community Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:58:31 +0000 https://www.papercitymag.com/?p=494205 Spanning 118 acres, the Dallas Arts District proudly touts its status as the largest contiguous urban arts district in the country. The most impressive thing about the arts community in Dallas, though, is that it is both tight-knit and welcoming to all...

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