Get to Know Denise:
Occupation:
Journalist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
What does beauty mean to you?
For years, I have felt beauty cannot be defined by something as temporary as appearances. Not to say that some of the most stunning people I know don't also happen to have lovely hearts. Beauty is the effect of what radiates from within. The thoughts we keep in our hearts that no one can hear but that can be felt, with no words. The love for another or for a passion that keeps us always looking ahead to the next moment. The selfless act of giving and the only expectation in return is that they knew they were worth every second.
Who is your beauty/style icon?
One of my favorite shows growing up was Punky Brewster. I loved how her character created her own style. Today, I have my own Punky, my 9-year-old daughter, Landry. She marches to the beat of her very own drum, complete with a disco ball. Her zest for life and off-beat fashion are things I admire and hope to emulate.
Who is your female role model, and why?
Life is too diverse to only have one. My life is fortunate to be filled with wonderful ladies I admire. My sister, Cindy Luce; my best friends, Lacy Sperry and Shelley Wells; my former boss Barbara Lundgren; and last but not least my daughter, Landry. These women and that little lady have created purpose and meaning. They have overcome and persevered, never at the expense of others and always with such grace. Because of them, I count it all joy. To them, I owe it all.
What are your hobbies?
My professional life has always been a thrill ride, literally. But life can feel empty without hobbies that ground our true perspective. I can't bake, craft or cut with scissors and my golf game makes a better bowling score. Without a doubt I have the most fun painting nails and doing hair with sick children, coaching little league, spending time with seniors and rocking a sick newborn to sleep. These are a few things that overfill my heart, and I appreciate the often-times profound impact they have on my life.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
Through my work with Meals On Wheels I was able to celebrate the birthdays of dozens of people who turned 100 years or better, each of them hilarious, wise and unforgettable. And who doesn't love birthday cake?
Why did you choose Fort Worth?
Fort Worth is unlike any other city in the Metroplex. There isn't another city that has a daily cattle drive, a 40-story high rise, a few more fabulous buildings, a destination plaza, the world's best margaritas and a drive-in, all within a five-mile radius. That isn't even the best part, which I consider to be the city's robust culture and deeply rooted heritage, along with the philanthropic instinctive nature of the more than 800,000 people who call Fort Worth home. I wasn't born in Fort Worth, but I can easily speak for those of us who aren't and say that it quickly feels like home. And there's no place like home.
What is your favorite thing about Fort Worth?
The people! A city is a place with buildings. A neighborhood is a place with houses. None of it means anything without good people. And Fort Worth is good people.
What do you consider your best feature or characteristic? (physical or non-physical)
Ha! I'd have to say my strangeness. I'd love to say integrity and transparency is what drives me. But those are really a byproduct of my weird strangeness. Growing up, I never felt I fit in and struggled daily to be like everyone else. I must have heard a million times how we are all like a garden of flowers, but why did I have to be the battery-operated singing and dancing flower?! It wasn't until later that I realized most of us are weird and pretend not to be so why not embrace it and honor it? This is coming from a person who owns a rather large collection of Pez dispensers. (Don't worry I don't talk to them, anymore.) But I say that as proof that I know a thing or two about being a strange person. And well, I have decided to let that flag fly at full staff. There is something inherently beautiful about just being yourself.
