Image by Lance Selgo, of Unique Exposure Photography

There's a feeling of pride that comes from living in a furnished home, rather than just a shelter. Going above barren fundamental need, having a thoughtfully designed area to collapse in affects our coping abilities. With attachment to space comes increased emotional connections -- both to our physical location and our willingness to let others in.

That's not news to Lisa Robison and Kim Turner, the organized forces behind Dwell with Dignity, the local non-profit that decorates and furnishes donated spaces for families transitioning out of homelessness. It's such a lovely mission, and watching theirAbout Us video made my eyes get all sweaty.

The mission has united Dallas' design community. Now, when furniture arrives slightly damaged to a showroom, it's often donated to the cause. Dwell's objective is further bolstered through its biannual shopping events, like the one popping up this Friday, at 1100 Slocum Street, Suite 590.

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www.facebook.com/SPECTIFIEDDesigns

Some of Spectified's EL wire specs.

Local entrepreneurs Austin Emmert and Caden Stevens are bringing focus to the "making-people-look-cooler-when-they-party" business. Last year, the former fraternity brothers turned business partners founded the eye wear line, Spectified. The attraction lies in the electroluminescent wire (aka EL wire), that's built into the frames, causing the shades to light up.

The glasses have been popping up at concerts and music festivals, and according to Emmert, they've been illuminating the faces of music industry celebs like David Guetta, Diplo, Black Eyed Peas, Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris. No big deal.

We got with founding member Austin Emmert and asked him a few things about his emerging business and where he plans to take it in 2013.

Can you tell me a little about how your business started?
We had seen similar glasses in the past but felt like we could come up with a style that was more illuminate and attractive. We would wear our prototypes at major festivals and found ourselves overwhelmed by attention. Everyone would scream "Oh my god! Where did you get those?" "those are badass," "can I take a picture with you?" Caden and I then discussed pursuing this venture full time. I quit my job in March and haven't looked back.

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Hop on in!

If you didn't get a chance to pile into that adorably retrofitted Warby Parker school bus at its welcome party on Saturday, I completely understand. It was slammin' in there.

For slackers like me and possibly you, the Warby Parker bus is pulling the parking break at 2323 Henderson Avenue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Monday (Jan. 21), then rolling up to the Shops at Park Lane from the 24 to 27.

You really can't miss it: It's a giant bus.

Tonight is a great time to swing by: They're throwing a happy hour party from 5 to 8 p.m. (RSVP here). To sweeten the deal, Team Warby Parker is bringing in freshly-baked pies and doling out light pours of wine, so get over there and say hello to that incredibly charming and well-spectacled staff. Plus, it's your chance to try on all of those glasses that you've been checking out on the website.

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We all seek regression around the holidays. Presents, apparently, require money to purchase. Shortened work weeks leave you stressing, rather than embracing this period of -- what is it? -- Joy and togetherness, right.

Caffeinate your inner child, then set it loose this evening at the final Adult Crawl Night of Neiman Marcus Downtown's famous window tubes.

You'll please your adult side, since the $20 ticket kicks cash to the North Texas Food Bank, and you'll finally be able to go all human-hamster in those see-through chutes. Neimans and the NTFB have been offering the events on Thursdays leading up to Christmas, and this is your last chance to join in. Tonight's final Adult Crawl Night runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and comes with a complimentary drink from the espresso bar.

You're pressing the edge of online shipping, nobody wants to be near the mall and Christmas will be here in five days. We have ideas, or rather the Perot Museum, Nasher and Dallas Museum of Art do. Those gift shops are packed with scores for everyone on your list, and by supplementing your holiday shopping in those institutions, you're also supporting local arts. See that, you went from way behind to holiday hero in no time at all.

Gifts for the inquisitive rug rat (Above):
Left --Exciting book of science experiments Perot: $14.95

Center -- Ultra plush dino slippers Perot: $19.99

Right -- Vault of elements, based on Theodore Gray's famous collection, with a bunch of real elemental miniatures (including gold). Perot: $39.99 [Note: If your kid is older, there's a great app of this element chart available that uses fun,3D imaging]

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Spread cheer and slip 'em something they really want this holiday season.

If you're just now looking at a gift guide, congratulations. You waited it out. We knew you would, champ. Your reward for lazy patience? You can ride our holiday shopping coattails to gifting glory because we've searched Dallas and the interwebs to find 27 presents that are as affordable as they are thoughtful -- mostly, anyway.

Yep, you're welcome.

Everyone wants a crown. It's one of a newborn's first thoughts - "food, water, screw this, I want a crown." Make dreams come true with this decorative white or gold porcelain crown. But be warned, if you buy the white version, it just means you love him or her less.

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Macy's has announced that many of its stores, including all Dallas area locations, will stay open for the entire 48 hours of the pre-Christmas weekend. It begins at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21 and ends at midnight on Sunday, Dec. 23.

This is great news since I often need a place to sober up around 3 a.m. and Macy's has that furniture section full of tiny Goldilocks's beds. They make me feel like a giant. Like a drunk, sweaty giant.

And If I'm restless, I can stumble through the housewares department, leisurely dragging my fingertips across the KitchenAid stand-up mixer in seafoam green. YES. MY LIFE HAS TURNED OUT EXACTLY AS I PLANNED.

For breakfast, there's that lovely cooking demo -- which for a barfly seeking shelter, is a lot like having a private shelf. Hmm. This marathon will work out quite nicely. Thanks, Power of Macy's.

Autographed, with gun? I can't afford not to buy it.

When living in Miami, I was surrounded. Every South Beach bodega window displays look the same, outfitted with grotesquely (read: AMAZING) tacky odes to Tony Montana. Rifles, framed "art," and joint rollers branded with His Image face the streets -- a city's twisted welcome to out-of-towners.

Since Scarface is turning 29, let's do a little holiday shopping and visit those home furnishings that inspire heavy drug use, extreme bloodshed and female seduction.

1.) Autographed Photos With Real Gun, Framed. (Above)
It's a South Beach staple. There's no way that autograph is real, but every Miami office place, at one point or another, has considered pooling their money to buy one for Boss' Day. Want it? $599.00, right here.

See Also: It's Scarface's Birthday, So Texas Theatre is Screening It in 35mm This Weekend

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Why hello to you too. Stationery by Lilco Letterpress.

Sifting through photos to learn more of who's involved with Wigwam, the pop-up shopping experience launching on Thursday in Oak Cliff, has tipped us into a dangerous level of excitement. It's the type of fervor that makes you rethink the phrase "emergency fund" and question who really needs a 401K, anyway.

The four-day event combines Dallas' best independent jewelry makers, leather craftsmen, luxury bath goods scientists and flat-out artists to provide a personal shopper grade platform for holiday gifting. We got a sneak peek to share with you, so call up your landlord and ask if that rent check has really cleared, then browse.

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Catherine Downes

Jeremy Turner, owner of the mobile vintage store The Vintagemobile, has a little side project going this Christmas season: selling 3,000 Christmas sweaters. He's been collecting the festive garments since last January, and now it's time to spread the itchy holiday cheer.

"I started selling Christmas sweaters on The Vintagemobile last Christmas, and when I saw how popular they were I planned on doing it bigger the next year," he says. "I wanted to try and sell thousands and pictured selling ones that I would light up too."

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