Forget what you think you know about this much-misunderstood town. You can go days without spying a single cowboy hat (or Republican), and most local fillies wouldn't be caught dead with big hair. Thanks to a quickening cultural scene, and a new crop of tiffany cufflinks nightspots and interesting shops, there's something to satisfy even the fussiest longhorn.

1. Grange Hall - In addition to striking flower arrangements and interesting home accessories (including rare Victorian taxidermy), this cleverly curated shop also carries unique pieces by jewelers like Julia deVille, Gabriella Kiss and Natalia Brilli. 4445 Travis Street; (214) 443-0600.

2. Ceylon et Cie - Dallas denizens love an exuberant tiffany earrings, and look to the designer Michelle Nussbaumer for brightly colored lacquer work, ethnic-inspired pieces and one-of-a-kind vintage finds. 1319 Dragon Street; (214) 742-7632.

3. The Joule - A sleek rooftop pool is only one of the draws at this handsome downtown boutique hotel. Designed by Adam Tihany, the rooms are comfortable, and the common spaces are dramatic yet inviting. Doubles from $229; 1530 Main Street; (214) 748-1300.

4. Cabana - Hidden behind an unmarked lavender tiffanys, Merry Vose's beachy-chic boutique is open during what she calls "mom hours," so it's best to call ahead or make an appointment. 4711 West Lovers Lane; (214) 674-9928.

5. Forty Five Ten - Ground zero for the city's best-dressed list (male and female), Brian Bolke and Shelly Musselman's fashion and housewares emporium turns 10 this year. 4510 McKinney Avenue; (214) 559-4510.

6. Tei-An - Head to this serene spot for excellent soba and sushi after a performance at the new Dee and Charles Wyly Theater or the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. 1722 Routh Street, One Arts Plaza, Suite 110; (214) 220-2828.

7. V.O.D. - Fashion-forward P.Y.T.'s come here for a cherry-picked selection of goodies by the likes of Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Zero + Maria Cornejo and Anne Valerie Hash, as well as vintage finds a la Alaia, Chanel and Gucci. 2418 Victory Park Lane; (214) 754-0644.

8. Park - You haven't lived until you've tasted the chicken-fried steak at this bustling restaurant. Have a well-mixed pre-dinner cocktail in the recently opened Bar Celine or chill out in the breezy garden. 1921 North Henderson Avenue; (214) 824-3343.

This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.

Vampires are so last decade -- these days, it's all about monsters. At the center of this scary trend is Lady Gaga, whose stage performances feature "Thriller" -style choreography and ghoulish costume changes. (Even Filipino prisoners helped push the trend with their famous YouTube video.) Alexander McQueen, who has cited Lady Gaga as an influence, recently showed an otherworldly collection accented with prosthetic makeup and podlike 10-inch reptilian platforms. Gareth Pugh also unleashed a legion of threatening, heavily powdered models in a broodingly romantic zombie romp, and Lanvin's disturbing new ad tiffany stars the photographers Vinoodh Matadin and Inez van Lamsweerde -- the latter in full-body makeup that makes her look as if she's been skinned alive. Perhaps the house should consider a partnership with the jewelry designer Emily Miranda, whose chunky pieces feature flesh-ripping animal claws. The film world is also right on trend. Spike Jonze got things going with "Where the Wild Things Are," which was tiffany pendant by remakes of "The Wolfman" and, in theaters soon, "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Natalie Portman has signed on for "tiffany note and Prejudice and Zombies," and Tim Burton's dark directorial oeuvre is being celebrated in a career retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art through April 26. From a pop-psych perspective, this macabre obsession reads as a projection of the collective anxiety we're dealing with, given a glossy sheen to make it less scary. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of financial crises and terrorist attacks, all we had to worry about were things that go bump in the night?

French children's fashion retailer idgroup invested four million euros in warehouse automation from Savoye for its 15,000 sq m distribution site in Leers, northern France, the first phase of which went live in January.

The system includes sorting, order fulfilment and tiffany pendant functions, and IT management of the automated part of the warehouse. The site will dispatch products to the 630 Okaidi and Obaibi brands globally, and will also service the group's online ordering capacity.

Previously the retailer's order fulfilment processes were carried out manually, with grouped collections using trolleys and a warehouse control system.

Savoye created customised automation programmes tiffany the logistics processes, except of the storage area, which will remain manual.

A second sorting system is set to be added in 2011. A pick-to-light system will also be installed in a zone dedicated to order fulfilment. All the automated systems will be controlled by Savoye's warehouse control system and tiffany ring to operate with idgroup's own WMS.

The plan is to have the facility's two sorting solutions fully operational by 2012. The Leers site will store more than 14,000 active product references, with some 12,000 boxes to be prepared daily, and 500,000 items distributed.

Feb. 12--Despite the recession, Valentine's Day sales are looking rather rosy, local retailers say.

"We are very fortunate. We seem to be doing quite well," said Debra Hopkins, a designer and manager at Jean and Hall Florists on Cherry Street. "I understand that's not the case for everyone."

Hopkins has a theory as to why men are still buying Paloma's X earrings in these lean times.

"Most of them know that regardless of the economy, unless they want the rest of the year to be miserable, they better get in and do something."

Consumers plan to spend an average of $102.50 on Valentine's Day gifts, down from $122.98 per person last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Total Valentine's Day spending is expected to reach $14.7 billion, the group says.

John Mayer, owner of Lawrence Mayer Double heart pendant on Mulberry Street, said volume seems to be about the same as last year. The store ordered 16,000 short-stemmed roses and another 5,000 long-stemmed ones to prepare for Saturday.

"Flowers are really one of the less-expensive things you can do," said Mayer. "They're cheaper than going out to dinner."

For example, Mayer's shop offers a dozen short-stemmed, "cash-and-carry" roses for $20.

"We try to sell the products so there's something in a price range for everyone," Jean and Hall's Hopkins said.

The economy, she said, had the store "a little anxious" when ordering flowers this year until early orders started coming in. The store has almost sold out of promotional arrangements offered through the national online vendor Teleflora, Return to Tiffany Heart tag pendant made-to-order purchases seem to reflect a "typical year," Hopkins said.

"We have people who are buying two or three dozen roses, arranged together," she said.

The National Retail Foundation survey conducted last month showed that 16 percent of consumers planned to buy jewelry for Valentine's Day, compared to 16.8 percent last year.

Stephen Bashinski of Bashinski Jewelers on Riverside Drive said he has been surprised at the early business. Most purchases usually are made closer to the day, he said.

"We're so much busier than we ever thought we would be," Bashinski said. "As long as there is love and romance out there, we're going to be busy."

Richard Rader of C.R. Rader Jewelers on Cherry Street said he expects business to pick up as Valentine's Day draws nearer.

Fortunoff Holdings LLC, which has operated fine jewelry and housewares furnishings stores for more than 87 years, will conduct a court-ordered bankruptcy liquidation sale beginning on Thursday, February 26th. The sale, which will include all 20 store locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, was ordered by the bankruptcy court as a result of Fortunoff's Chapter 11 filing earlier this month.

In what will be the most significant sale in Fortunoff's long and storied history, inventory valued at approximately $212 million will be completely liquidated. Customers will find tremendous savings on everything in the store, including fine jewelry and watches, Two Hearts pendant jewelry and silver, everything for the table, fine gifts, home furnishings including bedroom and bath, fireplace and outdoor furnishings.

The Fortunoff sale is being managed by a joint venture group of leading national retail liquidation firms, including: Great American Group, LLC; SB Capital Group, LLC; Tiger Capital Group, LLC; and Hudson Capital Partners, LLC; along with jewelry liquidators Wilkerson and Associates and The Gordon Co.

"These are unprecedented economic times, and it's unfortunate that after all these years, a New York icon like Fortunoff is going to close and people are going to lose their jobs," said Harvey M. Yellen, Chairman of Great American Group. "Fortunoff has been a destination for fine jewelry, home goods and gifts at incredible value, and the going out of business sale will offer a final opportunity to purchase this quality Atlas tag pendant at even greater discounts."

Bobby Wilkerson, President of Wilkerson and Associates added, "Since 1922 consumers have looked to Fortunoff for its quality, selection, and value of fine jewelry. This liquidation sale is affording an excellent opportunity to shop for quality jewelry and watches at incredible value."

In addition to the merchandise liquidation of Atlas tag pendant, all store fixtures throughout the chain will also be sold.

Fortunoff has been operating under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code since February 5, 2009 (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, Case #09-10497.) Fortunoff is owned by NRDC Equity Partners, a private equity firm that bought the retailer out of an earlier bankruptcy in March 2008.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as counsel to the joint venture regarding the liquidation of Fortunoff.

Claire's Stores Inc. reported that its same-store sales improved in January and moved into positive territory in February.

However, in its preliminary report on results for the fourth Coin Edge disc pendant ended Jan. 31, the privately held value-priced jewelry and accessories retailer said sales and earnings were pressured down in the final quarter of 2008 by declining same-store sales and damaging currency fluctuation.

The Pembroke Pines, Fla.-based company, acquired by Apollo Management LP in 2007, said it expects to record operating income of between $39 million and $42 million, down from $78 million in the year-ago quarter. Excluding cost-cutting initiatives and other items, adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) is anticipated to be in the $75 million to $78 million range, compared with adjusted EBITDA of $115 million in the 2007 quarter.

Claire's projected net sales to fall 12.2 percent, to $393 Double heart pendant from $447.4 million. Excluding currency fluctuation, Claire's said revenue would have decreased 5.4 percent.

Comparable-store sales were down 7.2 percent, including a 7.8 percent decline in North America, but began to improve in January and were slightly positive in February. During the quarter, Claire's, which closed 118 underperforming North American stores, said it saved roughly $9 million, and it has identified about $20 million in new potential reductions for 2009.

For the year, the company expects operating income of between $77 million and $80 million, versus $114 million in the previous year. Claire's anticipates adjusted EBITDA of $212 million to $215 million, compared with $300 million in the previous year. Revenue is expected to dip 6.5 percent to $1.41 billion from $1.51 billion.

The company said it is analyzing the recoverability of its Elsa Peretti and other assets and expects to record a material noncash impairment charge for the quarter, which will be disclosed when it releases its audited fourth-quarter results in April.

Dallas jewelry designer Elizabeth Showers celebrates her new open-to-the-public showroom at 3131 Turtle Creek Blvd., Suite 1118, from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday. While there, shop her fall 2009 18-karat gold collection, enjoy Champagne and desserts, and use your Partners Card. For more information, call 214-879-9944.

See the latest trends in both fashion and hair at 6 p.m. Charm bracelet when Lovers Lane neighbors Osgood-O'Neil Salon and Elements collaborate on a fashion show. Seating is limited at the salon-hosted event, which includes nibbles from Bolsa, so get your $20 ticket at www.osgood oneil.com. The evening benefits children's charity Variety.

New York's Wilhelmina Models (home to Halle Berry's baby-daddy Gabriel Aubry) is sending representatives to Dallas in search of six-packs. More specifically, the Wilhelmina Hot Body Model Search invites nonmodest hard-bodies age 18 and up to Plano's Gold's Gym to show off their healthy lifestyles to a trainer and a camera. Five male and five female finalists from across the nation will head to New York later this year, where two winners (one male, one female) each will receive a five-year modeling contract and some glossy love in Shape or Men's Fitness magazines, co-sponsors of the contest. For details, go to www.wilhelmina modelsearch.com.

Louis Vuitton hits NorthPark Center Coin Edge disc pendant a major way on Monday, with the opening of a 6,200-square- foot location between Montblanc and the forthcoming Bulgari store. The free-standing emporium is Dallas' second LV location, joining Galleria Dallas, and offers a two-story glass facade opening directly onto CenterPark -- a second entrance through which to nab leather goods, men's and women's shoes, watches, textiles, sunglasses, jewelry and other logo loo

Pranaa Ayurveda Spa & Yoga celebrates a second anniversary this month and will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Stop by to check out Dallas' only Ayurvedic spa. See www.pranaa.com for info.

Stop by Victory Park's VOD Thursday to check out the Mad Max-ish shoes from LA-based LD Tuttle, which will be in the boutique as part of a one-day trunk show. The Italian-made but Belgian-looking designs were featured in the spring Double heart pendant runway shows from Victoria Bartlett and Dallas model turned brand builder Erin Wasson.

Nordstrom NorthPark previews spring 2010 looks from Jason Wu from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The New York designer's director of sales will be in the Collectors department on level two to assist with your selections. To schedule an appointment, call 214-231-3900, ext. 1350.

Sierra Leone-born, Finland-trained textile designer Elizabeth Anyaa is an artist-in-residence at Southside on Lamar and will host a trunk show there Saturday, featuring her handmade pillows, throws, jackets, capes, scarves, skirts and dresses. The show and sale will be in studio 104 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with a portion of sales benefiting the projects and programs of Dallas-based nonprofit Today Marks the Beginning (www.todaymarksthe beginning.org). LD Tuttle "Moon" open-toe calf-skin boot, $570, VOD18-karat gold Madeleine ring with diamonds, quartz and mother of pearl, $1,705, Elizabeth ShowersLV opens at NP.

The trademark application (serial number 79039147) was filed on March 20, 2007 and was registered on Oct. 20.

The description of the mark registered is "Frank Gehry Fish necklace is not claimed as a feature of the mark".

The goods for which registration Double heart pendant sought are "Jewelry, namely, jewelry comprised of imitation metal and stones, precious stones, precious metals and their alloys; pieces of jewelry manufactured from or coated with precious metals Heart Band pendant their alloys, namely, watch clasps; jewelry; cufflinks; tie pins; pieces of jewelry, namely, jewelry boxes of precious metal, jewelry findings, jewelry and precious stones; lockets; watch straps; bracelets; jewelry chains; rings; earring; charms; brooches; pins of jewelry; necklaces; bangles; nose rings". For more information about US Fed News trademarks please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, US Fed News.