Costume parties are hard to swing outside of Halloween season and the Kentucky Derby. It all comes down to the right theme, calling for the right outfit or props, that gets attendees to get in the mood. Luckily, Friday night’s Un-Birthday Bash and Summer Issue Release Party for La Mode Dallas at Southside on Lamar happened upon just such a theme, and it was wall-to-wall top hats and tutus for the event.

Happy Bastille Day! It’s time to break out the cake, hang a few streamers…wait. WTF is Bastille Day? Americans are notorious for forgetting (and/or not knowing) about historic events outside of our jurisdiction, so don’t worry too much if you are a wee bit confused here. The solution? Visit your favorite French bistro in town and get in the spirit of things. You’ll be respected as a cultural attaché, believe me.

I don’t know where I was in the mid ’90s (hair spraying my bangs and trying to get older guys to buy me yard-glass margaritas at a Salt ‘n Peppa concert, perhaps), but I wasn’t at Sfuzzi. My bad. The concept was not only popular in Dallas, but spread as far as Las Vegas before being closed down.

York Street

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, York Street has to be one of the best hidden gems Dallas has to offer. Realizing it existed, and in my neck of the woods was only the beginning, as finding the unassuming structure behind a gas station in Lakewood is a whole other story altogether.

With a name like Meddlesome Moth, there better be good drinks and grub to counterbalance the not-so-appetizing christening. Luckily, the Moth supplies these as well as ambiance and an incredible beer selection to boot.

I go to four different places for my individual needs. Skin care (i.e. facials, waxing), hair coloring, hair cutting, and nail care (so few places can file the perfect “squoval” shape.) Considering I live in the Big D, I don’t have a problem finding the best to fulfill my beauty whims. However, I recently discovered Uptown’s Salon 2122, situated in a little quaint house on Boll Street, which made me second guess my multi-destination makeovers.

I’ve long been a fan of the Love Hope Strength foundation ever since I met founder and CEO James Chippendale at Park one night as he was sipping cocktails with a couple guys from The Cult. Any charity fighting against cancer by way of extreme adventure climbs and rock star concerts held on daunting cliffs is going to be in my top three of, well, pretty much anything. If you’re against the former and a fan of any of the latter, I suggest you become a fan too.

It’s true about a lot of things: coffee is losing its flavor. Commercialization and convenience have made ours an age of drive-thru double-shot lattes with skim milk, and I for one won’t stand for it. Neither will Sanani.

“Oh say can you see”…ah you know where this is going, right? It’s that time of year again. Looking to show your patriotism this season? Do it in style.