Tuesday, January 31, 2012

SUNLESS TANNER LOVERS UNITE

I have probably bought every SELF TANNER known to man to find the perfect SUNLESS TAN!  One that doesn't streak, doesn't smell and doesn't make me look orange the next day... Sound familiar??  If you too are on the quest for the perfect HEALTHY tan, this post is for you~
When I have an event and need PERFECTION my go-to girl, Leanne Hassel  is the Airbrush Queen Bee!  Her mobile service Expert Tan will make house calls by appointment only and has even been featured in
Allure Magazine as The Best in Beauty for Dallas~
I LOVE her!! A package of 4 will run you $140  LEANNE HASSEL  (214) 924-7754

But what to do for everyday use "in-between" events?  I'm a HUGE fan of the Kate Somerville skincare line.  She developed a tanning towelette for regular client Paris Hilton and I must say I like the sun kissed glow it leaves your skin.  Not too dark, not too light........it's just right!  AND the application is so easy in individual packets - a box of 8 tanning towelettes is only $48.00
 Kate Somerville even has a special Somerville 360 Face that gives you a natural glow and has Peptide K8 for anti-aging!!  The best part?!?!  They don't SMELL!
                                           
Happy Tanning!!!
xoxo,
Linda                                                                              

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A TEXAS SIZE DISAPPOINTMENT

POSTED BY ALAN PEPPARD ON MONDAY~
Dallas Maverick Shawn Marion's Thursday night blowout party to salute his new teammates (plus quasi-teammate Khloe Kardashian ) has been postponed. Marion had planned to welcome Lamar Odom and his wife, Khloe, as well as Vince Carter and Delonte West, to his 12,600-square-foot mansion, located a long three-point shot away from Dirk Nowitzki's Strait Lane estate.
But finding an off night for several
NBA millionaires and one Search Engine Optimized reality TV star has been a scheduling headache. The party is tentatively scheduled for next week, instead.
Simmie Cooper and his firm, Cooper Homes, built the massive Marion home. He and his wife, Linda, will co-host the gathering. Bells and whistles on the big Marion pad include a theater, a ballet/exercise room, a large mosaic pool and a visible wine room


ACTUALLY.......as of today (Wednesday), the party is officially canceled.  DALLAS MORNING NEWS were contacted last night as were other media to inform them "In an attempt to reschedule the Welcome reception, regretfully, the event must be canceled."  Permanent scheduling conflicts.......
So disappointing especially knowing all the hard work that went into making it happen in the first place.
We have chosen to take the high road with no finger pointing, just a sincere apology to anyone we involved in the event as a sponsor or vendor. 
As I'm writing this I feel a sense of calm now, after riding the storm both literally and figuratively here in Dallas this past 24 hours.  As I tweeted yesterday.........Stop the ride, I want to get off~
We did.
xoxo,
Linda

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A TEXAS SIZE WELCOME

My husband is a home builder.  Not just any kind of home builder, Simmie Cooper of Cooper Homes has been touted as the "Home Builder to the Stars" by Real Estate blogger Candy Evans of Candy's Dirt.  To clarify though, Dallas has few celebrities so our "Stars" are our famous athletes from the Mavs, the Cowboys, the Rangers and the Stars.  He also builds for some of the most elite in Dallas.... Type AAA+ personalities, and for the most part, so successful in their own field, they too are considered "Stars" in their social circles.
Mavericks star Shawn Marion lives in a Cooper Home, so when Lamar Odom got traded to the Mavs and moved to Dallas with wife Khloe Kardashian,  it made perfect sense to host a party in their honor, and also honor the other new players Vince Carter and Delonte West.

A little back story.......I actually met Khloe K. last year and spoke with her for at least 20 minutes while we were both waiting on a flight to Burbank from DFW (American has now cancelled all those flights, making it much more of a hassle for us Angelino's turned Texan to make a visit back to L.A.)  She was absolutely LOVELY and exactly the same person you see on TV, because of that I felt like I already knew her and we talked about everything from how horrible Scott was on the show (he really isn't edited to look bad, that's just him) to how excited she was for her new hubby Lamar being in the Lakers playoffs.
Hosting a Texas-Size Welcome for them was the perfect idea, (if I do say so myself  )and Shawn Marion graciously agreed to host with us and have the event at his beautiful home~

Shawn Marion's beautiful home built by Cooper Homes
Whether it's on TV or for a great party, Hosting is truly my calling, and I really wish we could have invited all of Dallas/Ft. Worth to attend! TRULY! I'm so excited about all we have planned....here's a little insider's scoop before the national media gets to cover the actual event!~
To honor Khloe and Lamar and make them feel truly welcome we wanted to make sure the menu would be something they actually liked. Chef Samir Dhurandhar of Nick & Sam's will be serving an assortment of culinary treats inspired by Khloe and Lamar's actual wedding reception menu.
Dee Lincoln's Restaurant & Bubble Bar has a fabulous array of drinks planned such as a champagne cocktail with floating gardenia petals and "The Cooper-Tini".
For the dessert, I have featured Chocolate Secrets on my show "Shopping is my Cardio" multiple times and asked owner Pam Eudaric Amiri with In-House Chocolatier, Kate Weiser to put together something fabulous! Trust me they will NOT dissappoint!

Let's not forget the Hostess Bags!!!  Since Shopping IS my Cardio- some of my absolute favorite finds will be found in our Cooper Homes take home totes!
Thank you SO much to Kate Somerville, Beauty For Real Lipglosses and Neiman Marcus for all the wonderful gift items provided!
Also planned....I organized a special Welcome Gift Basket for Mrs. Odom filled with Neiman Marcus goodies compliments of the NM Downtown Flagship store. :)))
That's all the scoop for now!
xoxo,
Linda Cooper






                                                                                   


Sunday, January 15, 2012

INSIDE SCOOP

Thanks for watching today's show featuring THE BEST OF 2011 of SHOPPING IS MY CARDIO on Designing DFW with Jocelyn White!  It was really hard for me to choose only four stores as the BEST, but each of the stores featured today are very special to me~

         CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEST OF 2011 SHOW NOW-

When it comes to shopping for myself I love a store with a unique selection AND at affordable pricing!  PIECES CLOTHING BOUTIQUE, located at Snider Plaza is our BEST NEW WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORE~
Sister act, Lacy and Julie Thomas have really scored to find an AMAZING selection of clothes and accessories for any occassion.  I love the selections I "modeled" for the camera and ended up getting most of the outfits for my personal wardrobe!  It was so much fun shooting this segment and Lacy and Julie were awesome to work with!!  Add PIECES to your wardrobe and click below to visit their website!
                                                                            
When is comes to finding the perfect gift for ANY occassion, gorgeous artwork and glasswork for your home, beautiful handcrafted jewelry, and a wonderful assortment of Judaica items this store takes first place!
For our BEST GLASS GALLERY AND GIFTS it's THE CARLYN GALERIE.  Mother and Daughter team Cynthia and Wendy have a truly gifted vision for hand selecting items for the store and a fantastic relationship with customers both old and new.
The ART featured at The Carlyn Galerie is produced primarily by American Artists with a variety of over 200 Artist's work featured in the store at any given time. I joked that the selection's are like "Room Jewelry for your Home" as they really make a room "POP"!

                                                                               
I have a MAJOR sweet tooth....so I get absolutely giddy when visiting CHOCOLATE SECRETS AND WINE GARDEN. Featured many times on our show, with their wonderfully sinful chocolates made with love by In-House Chocolatier, Kate Weiser.  Among the other treats in store are a Gourmet Ice Cream Bar, deliciously decadent Hot Chocolate with homemade gourmet marshmellows, and a fabulous crepes menu~
Chocolate Secrets is hand's down our store for the BEST CHOCOLATE AND TREATS!
Owner Pam Eudaric-Amiri has allowed creativity to run wild with inventive new ways to make Chocolate Secrets a culinary treat for the senses.  Be sure to check out their inventive selections for Valentine's Day!
Pam and Kate have even collaborated on a new venture~
Be on the lookout for a series of Chocolate Secrets BOOKS coming soon!!!

                                                                                 
Living in Texas, it wouldn't be fair to not feature a store filled with Western style treasures~
Located in the Ft. Worth Stockyards, husband and wife team Brenda & Gerald McDonald own The Bum Steer, The Adobe Art Gallery, The Texas Rose and The Cross Eyed Moose all within spitting distance of each other in Cowtown!  Featured on the show for THE BEST WESTERN FURNISHINGS AND ACCESSORIES it's BUM STEER but just so you know....The Adobe Art Gallery made a big appearance too!  We couldn't resist! They have the COOLEST stuff!  My favorite pieces were the horn furniture!

                                                                     
So there it is......the BEST OF 2011.  I can't wait to find more amazing stores to shop in for 2012!
Be sure to check out the featured stores today either online by clicking on each store logo here or in person~
Happy Shopping!
xoxo,
Linda Cooper    



Sunday, January 8, 2012

KATE SOMERVILLE

One of my FAVORITE FINDS (and often a treatment I partake in before stepping in front of HD cameras) is The Dermal Quench Treatment by Kate Somerville.  I am a huge fan of Kate's skin care products but this treatment is truly AMAZING!  Think of it as your daily water supply going straight to your face!  Hydration, baby! In fact, before red-carpet events, tons of celebrities get this exact same treatment at her beautiful spa in Los Angeles. 

Kate Somerville Spa in Los Angeles
 And the best part?...........it's a complimentary service offered at Neiman Marcus stores at the Kate Somerville counter! Yes, you must book your appointment in advance (preferably the day of the event) for the full effect.  The same treatment at the Kate Somerville Spa in L.A. is $260! 
It's a combination of oxygen, vitamins and hyaluronic acid blown into your face via machine that plumps, hydrates and gives age defying results.  Seriously!

I love the entire line but listed are my absolute favorites! - The Quench Face Serum,
The Cytocell which I've been using religiously now for two months.  It turns your skins cells over quickly and improves skin tone. I swear my skin has never looked better!                                                                                 

                                                                                
And last but definitely not least a 2x a week treatment to get rid of deadcells - ExfoliKate.
            
                                                                                                              
At the very least, definitely check out the Dermal Quench treatment at NM and learn about the line first hand.  I wouldn't steer you wrong :)))
Happy Shopping!
xoxo,
Linda Cooper                                                                                        

Friday, January 6, 2012

THE BEST OF "SHOPPING IS MY CARDIO" FOR 2011

People ask me all the time if my job is as fun as it seems.  YES!!  It is!!......who wouldn't like to get paid to shop?!
Our next show on DESIGNING DFW we will be featuring the BEST OF 2011 and let me tell you, it was hard to choose!  I have 4 segments featured as the BEST of SHOPPING IS MY CARDIO from 2011 on the show and all four stores are pretty special~
You will have to wait to see the show to see who's in the mix so STAY TUNED!
DESIGNING DFW - JANUARY 15th, 11 am on WFAA, Ch. 8
                                                                                   

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

THE BEST INCENTIVE TO GET TO THE GYM

Happy New Year Everyone!
For my first post of 2012, back from vacation, parties and basically an on-going eating frenzy since Thanksgiving....I reflect on a New Year's Resolution that most of us share.....LOSE those extra pounds gained this holiday season!!!                                                                                       
If that's not incentive enough, then I found a fabulous way to feel great about yourself while doing it~
H2o Active Wear has an AMAZING selection of Active Wear with fashion flair that will suck, tuck and flatter your way to make it to the gym in the first place! Showing up is half the battle :))
                                                                            
                                                                                
Now, usually I have to find this kind of workout wear online only, but owner Theresa Brunner has opened a store in Dallas and in addition she does trunk shows at various gyms all over the Metroplex.  Featuring the fabulous Israeli line Margarita and Brazilian line Equilibrium, the fabrics are made of Supplex Nylon and Lycra. The styles take you fashionably from exercise to errands and I am currently OBSESSED!  

                                                                                                         
H2o ACTIVE WEAR & SWIMWEAR
5910 North Central Expressway
Dallas, TX  75206
Located at the Premier Place Lifetime Fitness Club on the 7th floor of the Premier Place
Call Theresa to find out where her trunk shows will be this month~
(417) 343- 2234

http://www.h2oswimweardallas.com/