Hello, Darling

FRI 9/2
Ask Amber Hodgson why she's a hairstylist, and her answer might surprise you. "Honestly? To piss off my parents, who wanted me to go to Baylor," she says. Hodgson's kidding -- we bet her parents are proud to see the Texas transplant celebrate the opening of her first salon, The Darling Room (1800 Baltimore, 816-898-3118) just in time for First Friday. Hodgson chose her site because the Crossroads, she says, is "creatively driven, like Austin" (where she lived until 2003). She got creative with her salon's look, too, with the goal, she says, of making it look like something "from an old English mansion, left alone for years." Chandeliers and sconces dripping with crystals light the room, and the tile in the front window is original -- and lovingly stripped of carpet glue by Hodgson's husband, Brad, who area music fans know from In the Pines. Join the fête starting at 7 p.m. Friday. Dancer Betsy Blodgett will be tap-dancing in the window. How's that for darling?--Rebecca Braverman

Something Dishy
You can't eat off of these plates.

FRI 9/2
Some diners are content with pragmatic plates, placing their microwaved meals on thin white ceramic disks or even flimsy paper moons. More aesthetically inclined eaters prefer patterns and colors that bring flair to everything from plain pasta to peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. And fine china, which owners preserve for theoretical special occasions that may never occur, ranks above regular designer dishes. But at the top of the dinnerware totem, transcending utilitarian purposes, are the 29 Plates and Other Ceramics on display at the Dennis Morgan Gallery (2011 Tracy, 816-842-8755). Some of the vintage pieces in this exhibition, which features artists such as Jim Leedy, Viola Frey and David Gilhooly, date back several decades. The plates' still-vivid colors and crack-free façades indicate they never endured vigorous scrubbing, high-speed drying or scrapes from wayward cutlery. Friday's opening reception lasts from 6 to 9 p.m.; the plates are on view until October 29. -- Andrew Miller

What's Your Fancy?
For KC, it's all in the details.

FRI 9/2
We've noticed that Kansas City has become a breed- ing ground for talented accessory designers. Last week we reported on Kylie Grater's Early Jewelry launch at Paragraph Gallery, and we're eagerly awaiting such a party for Laura Sterchi (www.laurasterchidesigns.com). And from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dingle Dry Goods (329 Southwest Boulevard, 816-472-1897) introduces Emmeline, a collection of what General Manager Cassie Lane brands "carefully hand-selected merchandise, including upscale, fancy and redone jewelry." Hmm ... we do love us some fancy. See www.dingledrygoods.com for details. -- Annie Fischer