Red Carpet Diamonds

Certificate of Authenticity

Name: Online marketplace Mercantile.

Launch Date: February 2012.

Owners: Callie Jenschke and Nicki Clendening, who co-founded NYC interior design firm Scout three years ago.

Contents: Twenty-five pieces of one-of-a-kind furniture, antiques, and artwork culled from the duo’s dedicated global flea market shopping. They hone in on eclectic items with world-roved wear and tear (or those that look “loved,” in their words). See: a decorative African headdress crafted from colorful feathers (pictured); an antique geometric-patterned Turkish rug; an elephant-legged carved rosewood side table from India.

Expiration: When one of the items sells, the girls replace it immediately with another treasure.

Notarized Signature: Signed, sealed, delivered.

Available online at scoutdesignsmercantile.bigcartel.com, $300-$5,000 (prices vary based on selection).

Photo: Courtesy of Mercantile

“A bottle of Boone’s Farm followed by a Zima flavored with Skittles.” — Us, 1997

“Single-malt Scotch, please.” — Us, 2012

Responsible for this personal growth: Ricky Crawford, a former Glenlivet brand ambassador who throws the funniest and most informative single-malt Scotch tastings this side of Glasgow.

In today’s video, he gives us a miniature lesson on how to order — and actually enjoy — a glass of the good Scottish spirit. Do as he says and you’ll be surprised how many heads turn at the bar.

Crawford’s as charming as he is Scottish. (Yes, the man wears a kilt.) And now you can book his services for all your soirees (birthdays, bachelorette parties, etc.).

Just don’t take any cheap shots.

To book Crawford for a tasting, go to rickyshopscotch.com.

Dallas’s food truck craze is on a roll. Join us in welcoming five new mobile restos revving up this month.

Tin Star Taco Taxi
The cab-inspired truck — dubbed Paco — serves gourmet tacos (chorizo and egg, fish, bacon and avocado, grilled chicken) and street nachos (chips topped with seasoned ground beef, queso, and jalapenos). Find locations online at tinstartacotaxi.com.

TX Delizioso
The Italian kitchen on wheels creates classic dishes with a twist. Think hamburger pizza, chicken Parmesan, and cream cheese and mozzarella-stuffed mushrooms. Fun fact: It’s registered with the Go Texan program, which means cooks use mostly in-state products. Find locations online at facebook.com.

Little Vessel Grill
Tapping into the Asian-American scene, it’s not your average truck grub. Menu items include tomato soup shooters, pulled pork tacos, and avocado, chicken, and blood oranges stabbed with a skewer. Find locations online at facebook.com.

Cajun Tailgators
The purple and gold truck owned by two LSU alums hopes to bring the flavors of Louisiana to Texas. Just in time for Mardi Gras, the truck rolls out Cajun-style gumbo, shrimp po’boys, fried boudin balls, and beignets. Find locations online at facebook.com.

Dos Paisanos
Expect south-of-the-border bites from Dallas’s first Salvadorian-meets-Mexican truck. We’re talking staples such as burritos, tacos, and carne asada, as well as lesser-known plates like pastelitos (meat pies stuffed with potatoes, rice, and beans). Find locations online at facebook.com.

And that’s the word on the street.

Photo: Courtesy of Tin Star Taco Taxi

When it comes to cracking codes, you’re right up there with Morse, Bond, and Einstein.

But it doesn’t take a genius to decipher simply stunning jewelry.

Case in point: Kathleen Whitaker’s understated Dot and Dash earrings collection.

A fan of freestyle mixing and matching, the ceramist/bonnet maker/jewelry designer casts fourteen-karat gold posts and sells them individually. (Two of our favorite West Coast boutiques, Mohawk General Store and Totokaelo, snapped up the line within months of spotting Whitaker at L.A.’s Echo Park Craft Fair.)

Sequin-style studs, staple bars, and multipost rods (think knuckle-duster rings for your ears) add up to sets that say “Indeed, I am a badass,” without shouting it from the rooftops.

And that we read loud and clear.

Available online at generalstore.com, gravelandgold.com, or totokaelo.com, $35-$230. For more information, go to khwjewelry.com.

Photo: Serena Mitnik-Miller / Courtesy of General Store

Count us in.

SHOP
Five and Ten
What: Tony fashion boutique Forty Five Ten opens a smaller sister shop with an edited mix of coveted contemporary and luxury labels like J Brand, The Row, and Lanvin.
Why: Oh Brownie, Diptyque, and Assouline for foodies and nesters, too.
When: Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m.
Where: 60 Highland Park Village (214-252-0510).

FOLLOW
DailyCandy on Pinterest
What: Our just-launched pin boards cover everything from food and fashion to weddings and kids’ parties (beautifully, of course).
Why: Recipes, the latest street style, decorating ideas, and more.
When: You need a little inspiration.
Where: Online at pinterest.com/dailycandy.

RESERVE
Chef’s Table Dinner
What: Asador hosts a three-course feast ($45) focused on fresh, local, and creative fare, including smoked Hudspeth Farms pork chops with braised greens and apple upside-down cake with dulce de leche ice cream.
Why: Wine or port pairings with each course.
When: Fri., 6:30 p.m.
Where: 2222 Stemmons Fwy., in the Renaissance Dallas Hotel. R.S.V.P. to 214-267-4815.

HELP
Community Volunteer Fair
What: Junior League of Dallas connects locals with charitable agencies to make it easy to sign up to volunteer throughout the year.
Why: Step up to the plate.
When: Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: NorthPark Center, 8687 N. Central Expwy., in the NorthCourt.

TASTE
Townhouse Kitchen + Bar
What: It’s not-your-average mall bistro, thanks to creative cocktails, an extensive wine list, and fusion comfort dishes (blue cheese potato chips, barbecue duck quesadillas with blueberry-lime salsa, bacon-topped donuts).
Why: The industrial-chic decor transports you beyond the big boxes.
When: Sun.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 11:30 a.m.-midnight.
Where: Galleria Dallas, 13270 Dallas Pkwy. (972-300-0986).

Photo: Brittany Edwards for DailyCandy

Unleash the beast.

CARRY
Anicase
What: The cheery, colorful 3-D iPhone cases ($20 each; get 15 percent off with code dailycandy15) are modeled after furry friends (pandas, tigers, leopards, owls) in danger of becoming extinct.
Why: It’s a call to action you’ll want to take — 10 percent of net profits is donated to protecting endangered species.
Where: Online at anicase.com.

FOLLOW
DailyCandy on Pinterest
What: Our just-launched pin boards cover everything from food and fashion to weddings and kids’ parties (beautifully, of course).
Why: Recipes, the latest street style, decorating ideas, and more.
Where: Online at pinterest.com/dailycandy.

ORDER
Good & Lovely
What: A personalized, thoughtful monthly subscription service ($14 and up) delivers the necessary supplies for when your inconsiderate, irritating cousin Flo comes to town.
Why: Cramp-relief heat packs, bath salts, chocolates, and Moroccan Mud Spa Bar samples.
Where: Online at goodandlovely.com.

BUY
Craft & Culture
What: Seattle-based shop showcasing a revolving cast of emerging artists with a sleek, postgrunge look that might make you break out your Nevermind CD.
Why: Elizabeth Patterson’s golden Arkansas quartz necklace ($120), Meghann Sommer’s Letaiyo necklace ($95) with recycled silver fox fur, and much more.
Where: Online at craftandculture.com.

SEND
Besotted Brand
What: Tristan B. recently launched a bespoke custom-design studio, full of clean-lined stamps, envelopes, labels, tags, and waxed linen twine bound in mini hatboxes.
Why: Say hi with the DIY stationery kit ($25), complete with “hello” calligraphy stamp and Euro-style true kraft envelopes.
Where: Online at shop.besottedbrand.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Anicase

We’d be lying if we said unlimited coconut water and granola bars weren’t huge incentives for going backstage during New York Fashion Week.

But it’s also pretty freaking cool to be surrounded by beauty’s greatest talents as they do their thing.

In today’s videos, we venture into the chaos and ask the experts to give us the inside track on the looks at some of our favorite shows. We get a floral nail-art tutorial at Rachel Antonoff (above) and explanations/inspirations for the asymmetrical chignons at Suno, avant-garde braids at Creatures of the Wind, and loose ponytails at Tracy Reese. 

As always, some are more wearable than others.

But at least they won’t take up any room in your purse.

Want to keep watching? Check out our backstage beauty videos for the spring/summer 2012 shows at Timo Weiland, Erin Fetherston, and Rebecca Minkoff. And by all means, read up on current Fashion Week shows on our Tumblr.

If you can whip up a covetable do using butterfly clips, matted braids, and glitter, then you must be a miracle worker. Or you’re Kérastase stylist Odile Gilbert, who did exactly that at Creatures of the Wind last Thursday. In this video, Gilbert (the master behind the hair for Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette) explains her look.

Want more? Check out our backstage videos at Rachel Antonoff, Tracy Reese, and Suno.

We love seeing ponytails on the catwalk (it gives our go-to look sartorial credibility). In this case, Tresemmé stylist Jeanie Syfu kicks the simple style up a few notches by leaving front sections out and pinning them over the rubber band. Watch this video to learn how she does it. 

Want more? Check out our backstage videos at Rachel Antonoff, Suno, and Creatures of the Wind. 

You know when you pull your hair back to wash your face and somehow it looks so good you wish you were going out? Okay, so maybe that’s happened only once. But it’s the same accidental elegance Kérastase’s Odile Gilbert channeled for Suno last Friday night. In this video, she discusses the hairstyle and her inspiration.

Want to keep watching? Check out our backstage videos at Rachel Antonoff, Tracy Reese, and Creatures of the Wind.

Overheard at the water cooler this Valentine’s Day morn.

Receptionist: Hot plans tonight?

Single Sarah: Oh, yeah. Me, Matthew Morrison, and takeout.

R: Spice it up with Zukali.

SS: Who?

R: Think hot, Mexican, and totally doable.

SS: Keep talking.

R: More like tasting. It’s a new gourmet toppings label out of McKinney that makes small-batch salsa and fire-roasted poblanos and jalapenos. Owner Cesar Sanchez is a real mix artist. His jalapenos, for example, are marinated in a blend of soy sauce, lime juice, and spices. They go great on Mexican bites, of course, but they give a kick to burgers, fish, and hot dogs, too.

SS: Oh, I can glee it now.

Available at The Cajun Turkey Company, 5519 Arapaho Road, suite 118 (972-866-9400); online at zukali.com, $7 per jar.

Photo: Guillaume Garrigue / Agent 485 / Courtesy of Zukali 

Dear Cupid,

My only complaint about my beau is that he hogs the grub when we go splitsville. How can I make sure I get my fair share of mac ’n’ cheese?

Yours,
Starving in SF

’Sup Starving,

The answer is simple: Become a heartbreaker with Heart Parts eating utensils.

The florescent, palm-size tools are meant to be cracked in half, then used to stab, scoop, or even cut your nosh of choice. Product designer Fatima Fazal created them to bring the love back to sharing a meal.

Heart Parts come in boxes of ten, so they’re great for parties. Because they’re dishwasher safe, made with 66 percent less plastic than similar wares, and are completely biodegradable, you can enjoy your supper without guilt.

Even if you’re fed up with him, at least you’ll be properly fed.

Xo,
The Guy with the Arrow

Available online at iheart-this.com, $10.

Photo: Courtesy of Heart Parts

 

A stem in the right direction.

SMELL
Indie V-Day Florals
What: Local florists Bows and Arrows and The Wooly Thistle team up to deliver five sizes of arrangements in romantique (pastels) or sexy (bold) style options.
Why: Sweeten the deal with cupcakes, cookies, or macarons.
When: Today-Tues., noon-5 p.m.
Where: Bows and Arrows, 4908 Bryan St. (214-828-2697).

WAG
An Evening for Dog Lovers
What: Shutterbug Teresa Berg and musicians from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra showcase their talents to raise money for rescue group Paws in the City.
Why: Entry includes wine, dessert, and a concert.
When: Mon., 7 p.m.
Where: Event1013, 1013 E. 15th St., Plano (972-890-7970). Tickets ($50) online at dogartdallas.eventbrite.com.

Paradise 4 Paws
What: The doggie hotel hosts a party with indoor play time, professional pics ($5 for three) by Dog Biscuit Photos, goodie bags for Fido, and drinks for Mom and Dad.
Why: Entry fee ($10) benefits no-kill shelter Operation Kindness.
When: Sat., noon-2 p.m.
Where: 3010 N. Airfield Dr., Grapevine (972-456-0010).

SHOP
FIG Finale
What: Fashion Industry Gallery unloads fall/winter clothing from contemporary labels like Alice + Olivia, DVF, and True Religion at up to 75 percent off.
Why: Special preview shopping party with cocktails, music, and free valet.
When: Preview party, tonight, 6-9 p.m.; sale, Fri., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: 1807 Ross Ave. (214-748-4344). Tickets ($15-$50) online at figfinale2012.eventbrite.com.

Furnish & Feed
What: Nest Dallas takes 1 percent off your total purchase (qualifying merch includes lighting, rugs, special orders, and sale stuff) for every nonperishable food item you donate (up to 20 percent).
Why: Food supports CitySquare. She who donates the most items wins a $500 store gift certificate.
When: Thru Feb. 29. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: 4524 McKinney Ave. (214-373-4444).

Photo: Natalie Shelton / Courtesy of NBarrett Photography