Klembara’s “My Place” Story Earns Couple Trip to Academy Awards

Originally featured on blueribbonnews.com on February 18, 2019

In today’s rough-and-tumble world, it’s refreshing to meet a couple like Teresa and Gary Klembara of Garland.

Married for 36 years, the magic between them remains palpable – twinkling eyes, gentle touches and warm banter speak to an enduring love story that rivals anything in the movies.

It’s easy to imagine the sparks flying when they first met at J.C. Penney – he as a senior manager and she a manager trainee. They dated off and on for seven years before they, as Teresa says, “came to our senses and got married.”

Gary transitioned into a successful career as an international IT businessman and, after opting to leave her own successful retail management career at JCP, Teresa joined him on the road whenever she could. She also kept busy with sports and civic activities – “Keeping the home fires burning,” she says brightly.

Teresa’s bubbly laughter comes easily and often, especially when her affectionate rescue pooch, Brody, jumps into her lap for yet another smooch and snuggle. Gary shakes his head indulgently and pats Brody. This is, indeed, one lovingly pampered pup who, not surprisingly, embodies the couple’s lifelong commitment to each other and others.

They have a long-standing date for dinner and a movie with friends. “There are several couples we’ve been friends with for the past 30 years,” explains Gary. “When we’re in town we get together for dinner and a movie every Saturday.”

When asked about their favorite movie to win an Oscar this year, Gary favored “Bohemian Rhapsody” while Teresa leaned towards “A Star is Born.”

It’s not all butterflies and unicorns

Lest they sound entirely too Pollyanna-perfect, however, just watch Teresa at a Dallas Stars hockey game. (They’ve been season ticket holders for 24 years). Without going into too much detail, let’s just say that her otherwise ladylike demeanor gives way when the puck drops. “She’s hilarious to watch,” says Gary.

Then there’s their latest shared musical obsession – the Chicago-based heavy metal band Disturbed. “Their version of ‘Sounds of Silence’ is haunting,” she says.

“When they came to Dallas recently, we went to their concert,” adds Gary. “We probably looked a little out of place, but nobody seemed to mind.”

“See, we can be edgy, too!” Teresa quips.

Edgy or staid, the secret to their relationship is commitment – the promise to put each other first.

“We both tend to go with the flow,” says Gary. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to make the most of what it is or isn’t,” adds Teresa. They often complete each other’s thoughts.

Their latest opportunity – making the most of an out-of-the-blue invitation to attend the upcoming 91st Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 24th in Hollywood.

It’s an unlikely tale that not even a Hollywood scriptwriter could fashion.

A throne fit for a furry king

The story actually goes back nearly 25 years ago, when Gary – an admitted car guy – checked out Lexus and, admiring the brand’s comfort, beauty and sense of security, bought a GS300.

Several weeks later, it was Teresa’s first rescue dog, Lacey, who really sealed the deal with their second Lexus, an ES300, in what developed into a lasting relationship with Dallas-based Park Place Dealerships.

“I know how this sounds,” she chuckles, “but Lacey traveled with me all the time and the car’s armrest wasn’t big enough for her to sit by me, so I had to say no.”

Undaunted, their sales rep, Carl Keith, went to his home garage and fashioned a custom, leather-clad doggy perch. He called Teresa and showed her the homemade accessory. She welled up and bought the car “in three minutes flat.”

“I was blown away,” says Gary. That show of dedication from the dealership led to a relationship that continues to this day. In fact, Gary has acquired an astonishingly unbroken line of 18 Lexus vehicles from Park Place.

“We want our clients to think of Park Place as ‘My Place,” explains Dave Evans, Park Place Dealerships Chief Marketing Officer. “Park Place team members are committed every day to create an ownership experience that can’t be found anywhere else. Our clients have fabulous stories about Park Place members who have gone above and beyond to make their experience memorable and we are sharing some of those stories through the “My Place” campaign starting with the Klembaras.”

The campaign kicks off locally during the Academy Awards show on Sunday, February 24.

“We thought it only fitting that our stars, Teresa and Gary Klembara, should go to Hollywood and enjoy the Academy Award experience,” said Evans. “This is our way to say ‘thank you’ for their commitment to Park Place.”

So the burning question – what designer will they wear?

“Probably jeans and cowboy boots,” Gary grins.

“Texas chic!” Teresa pipes up. “We’ll represent Texas in all its glory. What do you think, Brody?”

Hearing his name, the rescue pup’s ears perk up and he answers with a lively bark.

Meanwhile, Carl Keith, the Park Place Lexus sales manager, is happy to play “best supporting” role in this story.

Yvonne Crum

Originally featured on parkcities.bubblelife.com on February 12, 2019

Friends of Yvonne and Mayo Crum had been trying to set them up for some time when they finally met May 7, 1967.

“I had just returned from Paris with a new dress,” recalls Yvonne, who at the time was a Braniff Airlines flight attendant. “I wore it to Jane Ventura’s birthday party. Mayo and I were talking by the pool. He had just said, ‘Everybody says we ought to meet,’ when someone pushed both of us into the pool. We went back to our apartments and changed clothes, and then went to dinner together. We’ve been inseparable ever since. We were engaged August 14 and married September 8, 1967. Of course, everyone said it wouldn’t last.”

Even as her husband of more than 50 years navigates the end stage of Parkinson’s disease, Yvonne Crum presses on to raise money for Alzheimer’s and dementia research.

“John Clutts, Aging Mind Foundation board member, called last year and invited me to lunch,” recalls Yvonne. “I asked what he wanted, and he said, ‘just to take you to lunch.’ I said, ‘come on, John, we both know there’s no such thing as a free lunch.’ But when he and Laree Hulshoff, Aging Mind Foundation’s co-founder, told me about their mission, of course, I agreed to help.”

Yvonne and Mayo Crum are Honorees of the 2019 Aging Mind Foundation Gala, which will be held March 23 at the Joule Hotel in Dallas. Registration for the Gala is available at agingmindfoundation.org

The Aging Mind Foundation was founded in 2013 to raise money to fund scientific research that seeks the cause and cure of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. 

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder. Symptoms usually start gradually, sometimes with a barely noticeable tremor. In Parkinson’s disease, certain nerve cells in the brain gradually break down, often resulting in dementia. 

“Several years ago Mayo began experiencing neuropathy in his legs,” explained Yvonne, “and on October 16, 2016, he fell and couldn’t get up. I called an ambulance and they took him to the hospital. He was transferred to a nursing facility with a Memory Care unit, and he hasn’t been home since. Last May, his doctor told us Mayo probably had six to seven months to live. Mayo is day to day now. I go see him several times each day, but I always wonder when I leave if that’s the last time I’ll see him.”

Yvonne is a philanthropic phenomenon. Beginning in 1969 when she was introduced to Ruth Sharp Altshuler, she and Mayo became involved with the Dallas Summer Musicals. Yvonne and Mayo had only been married two years, and she was still working as a flight attendant for Braniff. But she found time to volunteer, and over the years, served as president for six consecutive two-year terms. 

She flew for Braniff for 26 years, then spent another 20 years with American Airlines before retiring in 2010. She is in the “Flight Attendants Hall of Fame.”

Over the past 50 years, Yvonne has championed many charitable causes, including the Kidney Foundation of Texas, Dallas Children’s Theater, Mental Health Association, Nexus Recovery Center, National Women’s Board, Dallas Museum of Art, Northwood University and the DIFFA Style Council, helping to raise a total of more than $8 million for various charities.

Yvonne founded the Suicide and Crisis Center’s Fashion Stars for a Cause event. She has been honored with The Distinguished Woman Award from Northwood University in 2001, the Dallas Historical Society Award for Excellence in Volunteering in 2006, and in 2009 was named Woman of the Year by Les Femmes du Monde. Yvonne received an Honorary Doctorate from Northwood University in 2009.

The Aging Mind Foundation has raised nearly $2 million and has funded four Alzheimer’s dementia research projects. Proceeds from the 2019 Aging Mind Foundation Gala will benefit Yale University’s Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair program.

Presented by Headington Companies, The Joule and Forty-Five Ten, The Aging Mind Gala will be hosted by Greg Creed, CEO of Yum! Brands, with entertainment from country singer Jay Allen. Sherwood Wagner is serving as the Honorary Chair and Kathy Nelson as Gala Chair. 

During the State of the Union address, President Trump called on Congress to spend an additional 500-million-dollars over ten years in the fight against childhood cancer. Carolyn Alvey, board member with TeamConnor was interviewed by Chris Sommer at NewsRadio 1080 KRLD AM. Carolyn, what did you think about the proposal from the president?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2555343801146801

Originally featured on plano.bubblelife.com on February 8, 2019

In 2012, TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation created the KidzBinz Activity Box program for children going through stem cell transplants as a result of a cancer diagnosis. Following a transplant, a child might stay in isolation for up to 90 days to rebuild their immune system thus, significantly limiting the interaction with family and the outside world.

The KidzBinz Activity Boxes are tailored to each child’s preferences and might include paints, canvases, jewelry-making materials, books, scrapbooks, or an age-appropriate musical instrument. Hospitals have found the KidzBinz Activity Boxes provide essential components of quality pediatric health care by supporting the children’s psychological and emotional needs while easing their feelings of isolation and loneliness.

TeamConnor will be accepting donations for KidzBinz in February as an opportunity for the community to show love in the month of love.

The community can give in the honor of a special someone by making a donation directly to TeamConnor at TeamConnor.org or purchasing from the Amazon Wish List found on KidzBinz.org. Donations will provide sick children in our community with an outlet to express their feelings and creativity during one of the most difficult times in their young lives.

Every year, more than 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children, yet the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find cures for all childhood cancers.   

TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, including: the 15thAnnual III Forks Golf Classic, May 5, & 6, 2019; Splash Out Childhood Cancer, Summer 2019; and the 9thAnnualNorthwestern Mutual Clay Shoot, November 4, 2019. For more information on how to join the fight against childhood cancer, please visit teamconnor.org or Facebook.com/TeamConnor.

Originally featured on KRLD 1080 News Radio on February 6, 2019

Most pediatric cancer treatments have not significantly improved in the past 20 years.  Without funding, progress can not be made to advance childhood cancer treatments and potential cures.  For our most vulnerable population, this is unacceptable.  The TeamConnor

Childhood Cancer Foundation mission is to raise funds for national childhood cancer research programs, to build awareness that less than 4% of the NIH’s annual funding supports childhood cancer research, and to support inpatient programs.

TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation was founded as a non-profit 501(c)(3) by Connor’s mother, Joy Cruse, and shortly thereafter the first board of directors was established.  Since TeamConnor’s inception in late 2008, the organization has donated more than $2.3 million to hospitals and research facilities around the country.   TeamConnor would not be successful without our generous donors and supporters who attend our golf tournaments, auctions, fun runs, and various fundraising events throughout the year.

Today, there are many children battling cancer.  More funding means more research and increased treatment options available for children with cancer.  Ultimately, we are focused on finding cures.  Our organization continues to work tirelessly so that other children will not have to suffer.  Please help us fund more research for all childhood cancers.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Originally featured on dallas.culturemap.com on January 17, 2019

Who needs chocolate when you could shower your valentine with supercars instead? Dallas-based Park Place dealerships is launching a “Premier Tier” level of its vehicle subscription service, Park Place Select, that could have your honey-bunch hitting the road in one of the most luxurious cars in the world by this time next month.

The new service lets you swap or “flip” among your choice of five ultra high-end vehicles from their Premier Collection dealership on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas. Subscribers can choose among the Bentley GT convertible, Mercedes Benz G63, Maserati Quattroporte, McLaren 570 Spider, and Bentley Bentayga.

Swap as often as you like. Daily, even. But Park Place recommends flipping every couple of weeks, to appreciate each vehicle’s full-on experience.

All you pay for is gas. And, of course, the $3,000 joining fee and monthly subscription fee of $4,495.

This high-end offering begins, conveniently enough, on Valentine’s Day. (Sure beats droopy, overpriced roses.)

Begun last year, the program also offers subscribers three additional levels to choose from: Prime, Plus, and Premium, which range from $995 to $1,995 per month (not including joining fees).

Via a smartphone app, participants choose, and flip, vehicles from the brands at Park Place. Within 24 hours, the vehicle arrives at their door. Maintenance, insurance, and cleaning costs are included. There’s even an available concierge to facilitate the experience.

“Vehicle subscription programs are an alternative to traditional purchase and lease options,” explains Hesham Elgaghil, chief strategy officer for Park Place. “With Select, we’re at the forefront of offering unique solutions that serve our unique clients. The new Premier tier expands those solutions even more.” 

It’s a trendy thing to do. Today’s digital subscription model has moved well past books, magazines, and sock clubs to encompass pet supplies, boxed ready-to-make dinners, razor blades, media content, even bacon and bagels. 

But six-figure supercars? For that matter, vehicles of any type, via subscription? Some manufacturers and third-party providers think it’s a coming thing. Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Jaguar Land Rover have all announced subscription programs that are in varying developmental stages.

But Park Place is unique in that it offers Select tiers throughout their product lines, not just one brand. 

“We feel fortunate to have a unique dealership, the Premier Collection, where clients can experience high-end, exclusive brands through this new subscription tier,” Elgaghil says. “And we’ll continue to challenge ourselves to deliver innovative solutions.”

Originally featured on parkcitiespeople.com on January 14, 2019

McLaren Dallas, which serves North Texas, has announced that it finished 2018 with a robust sales increase of 29 percent over the previous year.

Why do you ask? Demand for new vehicles.

“We delivered our first of the new Ultimate Series cars, the McLaren Senna, in 2018,” said Heath Strayhan, general manager of Park Place Premier Collection. “Each of these vehicles contained highly bespoke McLaren Special Operations content.”

McLaren Special Operations undertakes special vehicle commissions and customization, and more customers are now choosing to add unique, personal touches to their vehicles, which has caused orders to triple over the past year, according to a news release.

Global sales for McLaren Automotive were up 43.9 percent. McLaren has increased sales every year since its formation in 2010. North America, which represents McLaren’s largest single market and over a third of global sales, surpassed 5,000 cars sold since sales started in 2011.

The MPC also built its most varied mix of products yet, including examples from each of the company’s now firmly established Sports, Super, and Ultimate Series lines. In addition to the McLaren Senna and 600LT, the company launched the first two of 18 new products under its Track25 business plan: the fully deposited Speedtail and the 720S Spider.

“By the fourth quarter of 2018, we began deliveries of the Longtail version of the 600LT,” explained Strayhan. “We recently delivered a McLaren 570S GT4, a high-performance track car, to a McLaren Dallas client. New for 2019 will be the highly anticipated 720S Spider, which will begin delivery this quarter. Our clients are very excited about all the options available and the ability to customize their car to be one of one.”

McLaren Dallas, located at 5300 Lemmon Avenue, is part of the Park Place Premier Collection, which includes Maserati Dallas, Bentley Dallas, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas.

Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place employs more than 2,000 people and operates 16 full-service dealerships.

For more info, visit parkplace.com.

Rev Up Your Engines at The Best Auto Shows in the World

Orignally featured on iconiclife.com

Supercars are the ultimate luxury symbol. If simply revving your Porsche isn’t enough, car events are a perfect way to get your automotive fix in some of the most dazzling vacation destinations in the world. Here, your ultimate guide to the biggest and best auto shows in the world.

GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW—Geneva, Switzerland

The Geneva International Motor Show began in 1905 and is considered one of the top five best auto shows in the world. Last year the show featured more than 900 cars and was the site of more than 150 world and European car premiers. The Geneva show offers the most comprehensive view of new trends, cars, technology and future developments of any auto event in the world. The show slated for March 7 to 17, 2019 is a bucket list for any true car lover. For a VIP experience, GC Prive offers everything from premium seats, boxes and hospitality suites, to personal hosts, chauffeurs and the opportunity to rent a super car during your stay.

Where to Stay: Most of the hotels near the Palexpo center where the show is held are budget options. Instead, stay in the heart of the city at the historic Beau Rivage. Opt for the two-story Celestial Suite for views of both the city and famous Lake Geneva. Hotels sell out far in advance of the event, so the time to book is now.

BARRETT JACKSON—Scottsdale, Arizona Billed as the Greatest Collector Car auction in the world, the flagship Barrett Jackson Scottsdale auction treats car aficionados to high-octane fun January 12 to 20, 2019. Last year, more than 1,700 vehicles sold for over $160 million, with the top vehicle, a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder commanding a cool $1.4 million. The very first pre-production hardtop 1965 Ford Mustang, and a rare 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta, are some of the highlights that will cross the auction block in 2019.

In addition to the auction, there are seminars, automobilia for sale and VIP parties. For the most exclusive access, the Craig Jackson VIP package offers skybox access, reserved seating in the auction area, parking, special auction block tour, a meet and greet with founder Craig Jackson, VIP bidder bar access, bidder registration and an invitation to the opening night gala.

Where to stay: Sanctuary Resort & Spa offers the ultimate auction package with three Camelback Mountain estates available ranging from 4,400 to 5,800 sq. ft.

PARK PLACE SUPER CAR SHOW—Irving/Dallas, Texas If it’s true that everything is bigger in Texas it’s no surprise that the Park Place Super Car Show slated for September 2019 is planning to grow exponentially entering its third year.

This newbie to the car show circuit features the most luxurious autos of any event in Texas. Held at the Four Seasons Las Colinas, the largest Four Seasons in the world, the grounds are a perfect backdrop to view gorgeous cars like this year’s best of show, a 1996 Ferrari 275 GTB 6C. The show features a VIP tasting experience highlighting some of the top tables in Dallas, a fashion show, and a sampling of some of the hottest new cars from brands like Porsche, McLaren, Bentley and more.

Where to stay: With the event onsite, the Four Seasons Las Colinas is the only choice. To get ready for the big event, book the oxygen infusion facial at the Well & Being Spa.

PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE—Pebble Beach, California The grand dame of American concours events, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is August 18, 2019, capping off an entire Monterey Car Week that begins August 9. Only 200 cars are chosen from more than 1,000 to appear in the concours event.

Last year, a 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C2900B Touring Berlinetta took home the top prize. In 2018, there were 10 world debuts and eight North American auto premiers. While the Chairman’s Hospitality Package is the most exclusive ticket package available, the only way to experience all the VIP events if your car is not accepted into the concours competition is to participate in the Motoring Classic. The 1,500-mile road trip travels from Seattle to Pebble Beach. Anyone with a quality pre-1968 auto can apply to be one of the 30 cars invited into the rally.

Where to Stay: The Lodge at Pebble Beach is the location for the Concours d’Elegance and the ideal place to stay. The historic property offers complimentary transportation via Lexus and admission to several private clubs in the area, as well as preferred golf tee time reservations.

MONACO GRAND PRIX—Monte Carlo, Monaco Considered one of the most prestigious and best auto shows in the world, The Monaco Grand Prixcelebrates 77 years when Formula One drivers take to the Circuit de Monaco May 23 to 26, 2019. Because the course winds through the hilly, narrow streets of Monaco, it is one of the most demanding, and slowest F1 races held. For a luxe experience, choose to see the race from the brand new Suite Terrace at the Majestic Palace, which has a view of more than 75 percent of the course. The package includes all-day gourmet catering with bubbly and fine wines. Or the ultimate viewing perch is from a yacht in Port Hercule.

Where to Stay: With views of the course from the Salle Belle Epoque Terrace, the historic Hotel Hermitage is a great base. Its location in the coveted Carré d’Or district puts you steps from restaurants, shops, the opera and casino.

Originally feature on NYTimes.com on December 21, 2018

Every December, the holiday classics return to television, mainstay tales like “Frosty the Snowman” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” And don’t forget those commercials where someone wakes up to a luxury car in the driveway on Christmas morning.

Except those ads aren’t just Yuletide fantasies.

Yes, there are people who give a car worth $60,000, $80,000 or more to someone special during the holidays, even rushing into a dealership on Christmas Eve. So many people give costly cars as presents that gift sales can make up 10 percent or more of December sales for luxury auto dealers, brand representatives and dealers say.

Also, yes: Those gigantic car bows are real, and they’re a crucial factor in making the sale.

“Gift cars are about 15 percent of our December business,” Chris Brunner, general manager of Park Place Lexus in Plano, Tex., said in mid-December. “We have seven cars sitting on our lot right now waiting to be delivered on the 24th.”

December is rarely the biggest month for overall United States auto sales, but it has been the best sales month for Mercedes, Lexus, BMW and Lincoln for three years running, and one of the best for Cadillac and Jaguar, according to CarSalesBase.com. December sales of those six luxury marques made up as much as 14 percent of each brand’s annual sales.

Individual dealers once typically pushed holiday sales in the same way as sales events around Memorial Day and Lincoln’s Birthday, but a 1997 promotion from Lexus put a Christmastime spin on things. In 1999, Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, premiered its “December to Remember” campaign — and those gigantic red bows. This year, Jaguar is going big for the holidays, with a prominent “Unwrap a Jaguar” campaign, and Lincoln, Ford, GMC Trucks, Chevy, Toyota and Nissan all have marketing timed to the holidays.

Of course, not every December car purchase is a gift, said Matt DeLorenzo, senior managing editor of Kelley Blue Book. The bulk of December sales are made to people picking up year-end bargains, customers exchanging leased cars and last-minute business purchases before the tax year ends. Still, the image of a gift car gives dealers a way to reframe end-of-the-year sales as more than moving leftover stock.

“It’s a great backdrop to push December sales,” Mr. DeLorenzo said, “but it’s like those Hallmark Christmas specials — it isn’t reality. Given that a car is the second-biggest purchase for most households, I doubt anyone is running out to buy a car behind their spouse’s back.”

Belay that Grinch-like sentiment for a moment and return to Park Place Lexus in Texas. There, less than 10 days before Christmas, Mr. Brunner was awaiting a buyer who is having a friend make his down payment.

“He knows his wife will spot it if he writes a check or puts it on his credit card,” he said. “We’re delivering that one during dinner on Christmas Eve.”

Yes, that happens, too. Mr. Brunner has sales representatives waiting to sneak cars into driveways during the wee hours of Christmas Day. “I’ve done a few deliveries at 4 in the morning,” he said.

“We had one salesman get a top hat and tuxedo, then rang the doorbell and presented the key with the car sitting out in front of the house,” he said. “However creative the purchaser wants to be, we’ll play along. It’s fun for us, too.”

Arranging a driveway surprise gets tricky in gated communities, though, so a more common approach at Jaguar of Tampa, Fla., is a surprise in the showroom, said Bryan Mobley, general manager of the Elder Automotive Group there.

“We’re open Christmas Eve, and when people come in, we’ll have the car ready and bowed up, sitting by itself,” Mr. Mobley said. “The car has a big tag on the window that says, ‘Present for …’ which is massive — it’s a third of the size of the door.”

But it’s the bow that matters to the point that, some dealers say, no bow can mean no sale.

“The bow is a huge deal. That’s everything,” said Mr. Brunner of Park Place Lexus. “I wouldn’t say the car is secondary, but if you don’t have a bow — really?”

Park Place buys 60 bows to give away, in addition to bows bought through Lexus that are used in the showroom. At Jaguar, the bows are white for the cars and red for Land Rover SUVs.

“Every year, I run out of bows,” Mr. Mobley said. “I ask people that if the bow doesn’t have any sentimental value, please bring it back. But the nicer the bow, the less likely it is to come back.”

At King Size Bows in Costa Mesa, Calif., the question a few months ago was how to ship an order of Lexus-style bows to Kenya, said Amber Kingaard-Hughes, who runs the business with her mother, Jan Kingaard. The last batch of custom bows for the holidays shipped on Dec. 17, but the company still offers 41-inch stock bows for $50.

“We sell thousand of bows for cars during the year but, obviously, during the holidays, it ramps up,” said Ms. Kingaard-Hughes, who has handcrafted bows for planes and trains as well as automobiles, yachts and even horses. “My dream job is to put bows on the Clydesdales for Budweiser,” she added. “That’d be classic.”

Most gift cars are given by men to wives, girlfriends or children, but there are exceptions.

“I was working two full-time jobs and thought, ‘If not now, when?’” said Lori Perkins, a New Yorker who’s the publisher of Riverdale Avenue Books and Romance Daily News. Ms. Perkins picked up a brand-new red Volkswagen Beetle in 2011. “I decided to buy myself a new car for Christmas because I’d grown up watching the Christmas car ads.”

She insisted on a bow. “I made the dealer take a picture and I sent it as a Christmas card to my close friends,” she said. “It made me very happy.”

The only downside, she said, sighing, was that the dealer made her return the bow. “I would really have liked to have driven my new car down the Henry Hudson Parkway with the bow,” she said.

Originally featured on ntxe-news.com on December 20, 2018

Under a giant storybook in a cozy nook, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price recently brought the “Twelve Sleighs of Christmas” and “Is it Christmas Yet?” to life with a special reading at Houston Street Toy Company in Sundance Square. The colorful toy store has been compared to the magical store in the fictional story Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium with surprises hanging from the ceiling and around every corner.

“Houston Street Toy Company is one of many places in Sundance Square where you can find truly unique gifts,” said Tracy Gilmour, marketing director for Sundance Square. “You can find the perfect gift for the “hard to shop for” person on your list with distinctive offerings from specialty stores like Earth Bones, Haltom’s Jewelers, the Virgin Olive Oiler, Parts Unknown, Willow House and Yours Truly, among others.”

Holiday magic continues in Sundance Square with visitors stopping to chat with Santa Clause. Those anxious to make the most of their time in the plaza can enter a virtual line while waiting to see Santa Claus. Upon arriving in Sundance Square, guests can simply send a text to check in at Santa’s Sleigh, allowing them to shop, eat, and relax until it’s time to meet Santa Claus. 

Every year, proceeds from photos with Santa Claus benefit the Fort Worth Sister Cities’ Youth Program. Visits with Santa are $20 (cash only), which includes a photo with Santa, who will be in Sundance Square through December 23. Check www.sundancesquare.com for specific times. 

Bass Hall will host a number of holiday events including performances of The Nutcracker throughout the month of December and a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert December 28th at 7:30 pm. 

Jubilee Theatre presents The First Noel, a memory musical that flashes back to Harlem in 1985 and follows the story of Noel as a child and her desire for Christmas in a house where holiday joy has been unwelcome for years. This family friendly production runs November 23 through December 23. More information and tickets at jubileetheatre.org.

Parking is always free in Sundance Square after 5 pm on weekdays. Before 5 pm, parking is free with validation from a Sundance Square restaurant or retailer.  Validation is good for 2.5 hours of dining or shopping, or four hours for weekday movies.  Weekends are free throughout the day and evening.  

Guests also have the option to valet park for free throughout Sundance Square with purchase from a Sundance Square merchant. Just look for the red umbrellas in 10 locations within Sundance Square. 

Sundance Square is a vibrant, award-winning entertainment district spanning 36 blocks in downtown Fort Worth. The multi-use development attracts more than 10 million visitors each year for dining, shopping, events, and performances. For more information visit sundancesquare.com or follow the business and entertainment development on Facebook.com/sundancesquare or Twitter @sundancesquare