Sweetie Darling, Get Some Champagne for Candy

 

It’s with a still-full stomach and a manageable hangover that I report from the “morning after” of the inaugural CandysDirt.com “Staff Meeting” event. On hand at one of the hippest pocket listings ever at the Athena were the bees’ knees of Preston Center real estate.

The invited included a cadre from Ebby – office manager Ginger Gill and agents Alan “Up/Down/Around Town” Hopper and million-dollar (listing) baby Victoria Bar de Quinones. CandysDirt is never discriminatory (but often discretionary, shhh) and so was happy to invite Ebby’s cross-street rivals Sharon Quist from Dave Perry-Miller, Carolina Rendon from Allie Beth Allman and (adding some testosterone to the mix) Coldwell Banker Park Cities Manager and Broker Associate Keith Head.

And of course the Candy’s team including Candy HERSELF, executive editor Joanna England, writers Beth Erickson, Leah Shafer, Karen Eubank, and newest columnist Jon Anderson.

Karen Eubank networked with the assembled who didn’t know about her double-life – Eubank Staging and Design. She’s quite the staging star, having been honored by a Best of Houzz Award 2015 and serving as 2012s RESA Chapter President of the Year before moving on to 2015 RESA State President of the Year. She’s also part of the MetroTex Leadership Academy 21 where she teaches courses that count as continuing education credits for Realtors.

As happens with these types of things, we thought we were just having a sip and a chat with colleagues and peers in a wonderful location when we struck on the idea to expand the concept. The Gaggenau wine fridge proved a potent idea factory, popping out champagne and wine like a PEZ dispenser all night.

And so, get ready:  CandysDirt.com is going to host “Staff Meetings” quarterly, in fabulous listings, with a very select invite list. The crème de la crème of the real estate and renovation worlds will come together to salute a particularly stunning listing. The networking will be as stunning as the locations and libations. We will invite everyone in the Who’s Who of Dallas Real Estate and the up and comers. And you never know when a TV camera crew filming a Reality show may make a sudden appearance!

Want in? Send us a note on a drop-dead (or unique) listing you think would put the zing in a CandysDirt.com  Staff Meeting. The venue hosting the event gets loads of free press, social media exposure, and an invitation to every future event.

No one snapped any pictures of the attendees (that they’d agree to share) because last night’s catering was the star! The globe-trotting hostess made it all from scratch or flew it in. We noshed on flown-in-from-Hawaii cheeses, Japanese Wasabi Peanuts, Brisket sliders from Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX, three kinds of homemade cookies and loads of other nibbles. The smell of mimeograph fluid was heavy in the air as everyone wanted the recipe for the Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes.

Of course the catering had to compete with the views of North Dallas coming into bloom.

Get a telescope and you can almost see Candy blogging in Preston Hollow!

The (anonymous) owner of this gem is a neighbor of the newest author to the CandysDirt.com team, Jon Anderson (me). With the quality of the renovation to this home and the dreary hallways currently being remodeled, this could be the first unit in Athena history to approach the $500K mark?

Without a doubt the list of finishes reads pure Highland Park – Gaggenau, Viking, Bertazzoni, Dornbracht, Kallista, Ann Sacks, Brazilian quartzite countertops, Aquabrass, Grohe, Toto, Sonneman and the de rigueur Bosch dishwasher. Such care was taken to maximize views that the kitchen features a completely recessed and flush to the ceiling extraction hood so cooks can see straight out to Galleria from their simmering pots.

The Master bath and closet were also brought into the 21^st century with a complete overhaul. Originally a poky, single sink affair with a cramped closet. The bath has been enlarged to accommodate two sinks and an extra-large walk in shower swathed in carrera marble. Delicious.

The new Master closet was created by closing off an inefficient hallway to produce a brand new, twelve foot deep, double-sided walk-in closet. A new doorway was put into the old cramped closet that now services the guest bedroom. This home has tons of storage along with a newly created laundry room.

Originally the washer and dryer were located in the kitchen. They have now been moved into a laundry room off the guest bedroom, freeing up space for the amazingly spacious high-rise kitchen.

This unit is move-in ready for the buyer looking for a more transitional space, finished to the teeth with the finest. Proof that even at the Athena, you can teach an old dog some fabulous new tricks!

And remember, Realtors, Brokers and Developers … next time, this write-up could be yours if you have what it takes to host a CandysDirt.com  Staff Meeting. Let us know… [email protected]