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A Celebration of Houses, Parties & Gardens
The 19th Annual A Writer’s Garden Literary Symposium & Luncheon celebrated the art of gracious living, entertaining, and design. Held November 11, 2025, at Rosine Hall in the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, the event featured a 9:30 a.m. reception, a 10:00 a.m. program, and a 12:00 p.m. luncheon. Chaired by Christy Doramus and Melissa Smrekar, the symposium featured:
Together, they explored how beauty, hospitality, and personal expression come to life through our houses, parties, and gardens, creating an elegant, inspiring experience for guests. |
Symposium Speakers
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Alison KenworthyAlison Kenworthy is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer and the founder of Homeworthy, a media network that highlights extraordinary people and their homes. Founded in 2020, Homeworthy now generates over 1.2 billion minutes watched annually across its streaming platforms.
She formerly worked at ABC’s Good Morning America, where she covered entertainment stories from the red carpets of the Golden Globes and Met Gala. Alison grew up in the historic neighborhood of Georgetown in Washington, D.C., which is where she developed her love of homes and decor. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children. |
Blue Carreon
Blue Carreon is a former international fashion editor who is currently a freelance writer covering topics on lifestyle, fashion, and interior design.
He’s also the creative director of his eponymous home décor collection, and is the author of Conversations: Up Close and Personal With Icons of Fashion, Interior Design, and Art, as well as the best-selling Equestrian Life in the Hamptons.
Blue is an avid equestrian, tennis player, and gardener, and has been voted by Hamptons Magazine as one of the best-dressed personalities and top hosts in the East End. He resides in Manhattan, East Hampton, and Palm Beach.
He’s also the creative director of his eponymous home décor collection, and is the author of Conversations: Up Close and Personal With Icons of Fashion, Interior Design, and Art, as well as the best-selling Equestrian Life in the Hamptons.
Blue is an avid equestrian, tennis player, and gardener, and has been voted by Hamptons Magazine as one of the best-dressed personalities and top hosts in the East End. He resides in Manhattan, East Hampton, and Palm Beach.
Rebecca Gardener
Rebecca Gardner is the founder and creative director of Houses & Parties, a full-service events, interior design, and retail collective based in Savannah, Georgia and New York City. She has been named a top event designer by VOGUE and Harper’s Bazaar.
Her design work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, T Magazine, Elle Decor, Town & Country, and The Financial Times.
Her online shop, Houses & Parties, offers unnecessaries for devotees of the elegant and unusual in shoppable collections that feature the same style, wit, and treasure that defines her client work.
Rebecca's first title as an author, A Screaming Blast, will be published in September 2025 by Rizzoli.
Her design work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, T Magazine, Elle Decor, Town & Country, and The Financial Times.
Her online shop, Houses & Parties, offers unnecessaries for devotees of the elegant and unusual in shoppable collections that feature the same style, wit, and treasure that defines her client work.
Rebecca's first title as an author, A Screaming Blast, will be published in September 2025 by Rizzoli.