The Nasher Gift Shop at NorthPark is Back for the Holidays

And that makes me very happy, as it’s always been one of my favorite gift spots. It opened over the weekend on the first level, near Neiman Marcus, and will remain there until January 6. For smart, beautifully designed gifts for art and gadget lovers, the Nasher Store really can’t be topped. A permanent location is still open for business downtown.

A D Staffer Works Up a Sweat at the New Bodybar in Highland Park

Summer is over. Our mission to procure a few visible ab muscles for poolside soirees has been replaced by hunting down the perfect boots. But we’re not letting ourselves go, altogether. No, we’re just waiting for the perfect fitness class to fall in our laps and make exercise during our chaotic holiday season convenient. Could Highland Park’s new Bodybar be the ticket? Chelsey Plumlee reports on her experience:

A fit and savvy coworker recently invited me to join her for a class at the new Bodybar studio in Uptown’s Travis Walk. Business developer Laurie Gatlin and Pilates master Kristin Moses have collaborated to bring Bodybar’s “Beautiful. Athletic. Real.” concept to life. The studio offers workouts that mix traditional Pilates, barre, yoga, and their signature “Burst” cardio segments between sets. A boutique entrance instantly drew me in with an earthy collection of jewelry, cozy active wear by Saint Grace, and a raw juice bar, but around the corner stood twelve of the most intimidating exercise machines I had ever seen. I spent the next fifty minutes jamming to pop music and following along while our instructor walked us through the “Reformer Jump!” class.

First Five Minutes of Class: Leaping up and down off of the “Jump” board was really disorienting at first, so naturally I laughed at how ridiculous everyone looked rather than focusing on the first few sets. Imagine jumping as high as you can then being pulled back down by weighted springs, all while lying flat on your back. Weird.

(more…)

Links We Love

Tracy Martin Taylor’s fresh hostess gift ideas on the D Moms blog
Elizabeth Midgett’s whole birthday wish list (but especially the colorful teaspoons) on The Now Stylebook
Merritt Beck’s favorite holiday things on StyleSheet
Judy Aldridge’s winter thrift store must-have list on Atlantis Home