Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1439511
Painting by Donald Robertson I had almost made it to the finish line of the marathon of fabulous holiday soirées. I sit here now penning my letter with a dreadful cold. I'll set the scene: lying on my sofa (dog by my side) underneath a sumptuous cashmere blanket I received as a gift from Restoration Hardware, the lights from our Christmas tree blinking subtly in the background alongside the television, which currently is tuned to Netflix's 13 Reasons Why (don't judge me; I have a penchant for sappy melodramas when I'm under the weather). A friend I texted for sympathy simply responded: "Well, you shouldn't have been burning your Cire Trudon candle from both ends." Touché. Only a true confidante can put you back in your place for being a willing participant in what many of us refer to as simply December in Dallas. Occasionally you get an invite and truly start counting the days. I hope you'll feel that way about Donald Robertson's PaperCity- sponsored launch for his book Alcohol A Love Story at Cerulean Gallery. He'll be there to sign copies as well as answer questions about the paintings that illustrate the witty tome (which you can read more about on page 30) and will be available for purchase that evening. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Dallas' newest bon vivant, make your way to the opening reception tout suite. In fact, if you find yourself fortunate enough to be at a dinner party with Donald, then pull the ultimate party guest foul: Do a seating card switch and place yourself next to him. I promise, he'll keep you in stitches all evening long. In this issue, you'll find Rebecca Sherman's dramatic and inspiring feature detailing the story of how Christy Berry and her family survived Dallas' catastrophic October 2019 tornado. I was hanging on every word when she first submitted her copy, and it made my day to hear how the Berrys have created an even better home for their ever-growing brood. Also, hopefully you've got some travel plans for early 2022. Perhaps a journey to the sunny shores of Palm Beach, where you might be able to take some advice from my story beginning on page 50 titled: "24 Glam Hours in Palm Beach." You'll find a vocabulary list to make you seem right at home with the native tanned and moneyed set as well as some options of where to use your AmEx black card. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes that I stumbled upon the other day: "People will stare. Make it worth their while." For 2022, I'll be following Harry Winston's sage words and plan on bringing my A-game with me every day. Your tanned confidante, Billy Fong Editor in Chief P.S. I've long wanted to do a one- sentence Letter from the Editor. I should have done so this month, given the illustration created by Donald Robertson. I could've simply said: Dogs playing poker starring Billy Fong. 22