It was a meeting of the East and the West for the 2015 Cattle Baron’s Ball reveal on Wednesday, February 4, at Dallas Auction Gallery in the Design District. Among the incredible jades, cloisonné’s and malachite, there were the CBB lovely ladies with their feathered best, long legs and leather boots.
But don’t go thinking that this was strictly Far Eastern fare. DAG’s Kathi Shuford and her crew had all sorts of antiquities from around the world filling the 40,000-square-foot place. For instance, there was that killer parade saddle on display as well as Rudolph Valentino’s bed. Surprisingly, it was just about a full-size. Gee, the stories that bed could tell.
One of the early arrivals was Don Daseke with his “bride,” Barbara, who had her eye on an item or two. Was she shopping for herself? Nope. The interior decorator had a client or two in mind. Was it the vintage three-piece Louis Vuitton luggage? A painting? She wasn’t talking.
Dee Simmons was on a roll. Daughter D’Andra Simmons Lock was rock n’ rolling with her Hard Night Good Morning Skin Care and co-chairing Cancer Blows. Son-in-law Jeremy Lock was prepping an exhibit at One Arts Plaza. As for Dee, she was showing off her pooch via her cellphone. The Morkie had made such a hit with Dee that she was thinking about adopting a second pooch to keep company with her less-than-a-year old Maddie.
Marybeth and Kevin Conlon were multi-tasking. Yes, Conlon brother Keith had not only proposed to adorable Megan Somerville, but he had done it in such a way that P.T. Barnum and Donald Trump would have felt upstaged. After surprising Megan with a proposal, he suggested dinner at Al Biernat’s. When they got there, she found not only the Conlon clan, but that Keith had flown in her family. Even Allie Beth and Pierce Allman were involved with another surprise. The entire Conlon clan had been tight-lipped about the plans. Even when Keith was seen eyeballing diamonds at the Crystal Charity Ball’s party at Diamond Doctor the first week of December, nobody was allowed to let Megan know about the conspiracy. It seems wedding plans are already underway. They’ve already hired Professor D, after seeing them at CCB.
In the meantime, Marybeth and Kevin (remember we were talking about them earlier in the previous paragraph?) are in the final stages of setting up “Masquerade” for Genesis Young Leaders. Naturally, it’s not the same night as Megan’s and Keith’s wedding.
Other sights in the crowd included bearded Nate Burke taking compliments for the appetizers like the Baby BLT’s being gobbled up… 2014 CBB Co-Chairs Cindy Stager and Jill Tananbaum were looking relieved that their year was part of history.
Looking like auctioneers, CBB Co-Chairs Mary Martha Pickens and Tia Wynne took their place at the podium at 7:25 and announced that the American Cancer Society fundraiser would return to Gilley’s on October 3. This year’s theme would be “Cowboy Up To Take Down Cancer.” As for the entertainer, they pointed to a screen and there was a video of Tim McGraw.
Translation: Tim’s gonna “cowboy up to take down cancer.”