Let's go Dutch!

Some days, I have this sudden urge to pack up and move - tornado season is one of those times! But I have to tell you, last Thursday was one of those days where I got in my car at the end of the night and just couldn't help but say out loud, "Man, it's an awesome time to be in Oklahoma City."

First on the agenda for the evening was the grand opening of Dutch.

This space is a collaboration between two of the most fabulous ladies in OKC's event scene. Not only does Dutch have great gifts for the home and a cash & carry option for flowers, but you guys, the arrangements that have been coming out of this shop are to die for! I mean seriously. 

  

  

The space used to be the old Phillips 66 gas station on Route 66. If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with this kind of stuff. But even if that wasn't the case, this little shop would be one of my favorites from the look of it alone. So cute, right?!

Before I even went inside, I knew I was head-over-heels in love. 

1. Kelly (one of the owners) is a doll! She's doing the flowers for Vicky's wedding this weekend.

2. I totally drool over every picture in their Instagram feed. 

3. I heard there was going to be cake at the grand opening... need I say more?

So when I went inside, I was prepared to swoon - well, get ready to catch me, I feel faint. 

Oh yes, there was cake - and good lord, it was delicious! I decided my favorite flavor on the table was the spice with cream cheese icing... I mean, I decided this by surveying the crowd, obviously... not because I tried the 3 varieties. Ok, fine. I did. But it was Amy's idea. I swear!

If you have cards... Elizabeth will come... Okay, so maybe I changed it a bit from "Field of Dreams," but it's true. Such a cute display!

I think it's safe to say that I'm officially obsessed with Dutch and all the offerings. I'm looking forward to going back and meandering my way through the shop to really look at all the products. It was a packed house for the grand opening - which is precisely what I hoped would be the case for them!

Up tomorrow on the blog, my rundown of PUSH >> OKC. The second "wow, my city rocks" moment from last Thursday.

xoxo, E

Dutch
Amy Cakes
#SSPrintShop 

About me... in other people's words

I've sat down at my computer, many a time, to write an "about me" for the blog. But every time I've tried, it just seems to come up short... or it's boring... or it doesn't sum up how wonderfully fabulous I am! (Kidding)

Well, this Twitter conversation with @frameworthyd prompted me to try again...

::insert a few messages that aren't relevant to this post::

a.) I cannot wait to share with you guys how I met this darling gal - you're going to flip over her work

b.) I had never heard of Skillshare - am I the only one?! Such an awesome concept! 

c.) Has anyone noticed how I'm already putting off working on my About Me?

Okay, focus...

To get myself started, I decided to find out how other people think of me. I didn't tell any of them what this was for - but I did preface my "How would you describe me in 5 words?" with "This isn't a trick!"

Survey says:
organized, fashionable, hardworking, kind-hearted and creative
thoughtful, creative, energetic, encouraging, loyal
smart, funny, organized, stylish, professional
FUN, organized, effervescent, intelligent, dependable... shopaholic (yes, that's 6 words)
clever, eloquent, expressive, sparkling, compassionate

witty, fashionable, strong-willed (it’s still 1 word if it’s a hyphen), confident, clever

passionate, thoughtful, pretty, original, brave
energetic, compassionate, honest, dependable and good-lookin'

My friends are pretty awesome, aren't they? I went ahead and highlighted my favorite descriptors above. There were a couple that surprised me! I also thought it was interesting to see which words were listed by multiple people.

Okay, here we go.

Hi! I'm Elizabeth - an organized, creative, fashion-loving Event Coordinator in Oklahoma City. My friends say I'm kind-hearted, funny, expressive, encouraging and witty. You might also hear them say I'm strong-willed, passionate, effervescent, sparkling and good-lookin'. 

In all seriousness, I am a Carolina girl who says "y'all" and can usually be found with a Diet Dr. Pepper in hand. I am obsessed with Barre3 and have dreams of being a calligrapher and stationery designer. I am a new homeowner, wildly passionate about the growth of my city, a big fan of baking, and a girl who really needs to get caught up on her DVR. 

I want to be the kind of woman who commands attention when she walks in the room, the kind of friend who is called upon in times of need, and the kind of person that I can look at in the mirror and be proud of.

This is my little corner of the blogosphere, and if you join me, you'll be along for the vulnerable, honest and fabulous ride that is my life as a twenty-something.

So... what do you think?
xoxo, E

PS. I have to share the followup my dear friend Kelly sent after her list: "I wanted to say trendy, as in you are totally plugged in and know all the cool things and places, but trendy can be a kind of negative word sometimes." I absolutely love that girl - and this made me laugh pretty hard!

Glass quarter full...

I fancy myself a "glass half full" kind of girl. Chances are if you ask the girls in the office how often I say "silver lining!" they'd tell you it's a little too often for their liking. But in the last year or so, once I started seeing the glass half-full, I've found myself to be a much happier person.

All that being said, sometimes the glass is 25% full, at best. I feel like life has been kicking my tail this week. Nothing truly important is wrong or out of sorts, but I definitely feel a little depleted.

Last night, while indulging in a little bit of froyo at the local spot, the song "Boston" by Augustana came on. How embarrassing is it to admit that tears welled up in my eyes? The chorus perfectly summed up my 25-percent-full feelings.

She said I think I'll go to Boston.

I think I'll start a new life.

I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name.

I'll get out of California Oklahoma, I'm tired of the weather.

I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain.

Well I think I'll go to Boston.

I think that I'm just tired.

I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind.

(Obviously I mad a couple edits)

I'm a talker - well, actually I tend to internalize things, but I'm trying to become a talker - anyway, I was telling a friend about how when I used to feel this way, I would think, "I have x-number of months left on my lease. After that, I can move (read: run away) if I want." Buying a house changes all that.

He asked, "Where would you go?"

"Boston."

It came out of my mouth before I even really had time to think about it. What's funny is, while the song was a great reflection of how I was feeling, it wasn't the reason I picked Boston. For me, Boston holds such dear memories of an awesome summer trip with Mommacita. The history, the weather, the food, the walkability, the shopping... it's all amazing. When I think of where I'd want to run off to, it's almost always Boston.

But like I said, I own a home and I have a great job - running away is never the answer.
(wait, isn't that violence? Oh well, I think it still applies.)

So, after day three of feeling 25%, I decided to do the thing that always makes me feel better. I turned the water as hot as it would go in my shower, put my favorite sad day song (which happens to be titled Run Away with Me) on single repeat, and I sat in the tub and let the water beat down on me. Quite a picture I created for ya, huh?

As I sit here and write this, I'm at 33%. That's a pretty decent size slice of pie. Once I hit "publish" on this post, I'm going to curl up in bed and get caught up on some blog reading. That should help too.

 

Both of these were in my Instagram feed this week - looks we're all needing a little encouragement.

No matter how empty my cup feels, I know that it still overflows with love from the people around me. My life is absolutely, positively wonderful. I truly cannot complain...

... but sometimes, I can feel 25%.

xoxo, E

In love with a stranger...

Sometimes the thing that cures all woes is to fall in love with a stranger...

Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Rector.



Go ahead, do yourself a favor and download his latest album. I promise you won't be disappointed. And just in case you thought you might not be "a romantic," this album will make you a believer.

xoxo, E

Update 25w25

So, it's been a while since my last "25 while 25" update... and I'm nervous to see the progress, or lack thereof, that I've made. But here we go, let's be authentic!

1. Train for and run a half marathon
This goal may have to extend to "25 while 25 - or through my birth month, even if I'm 26." The half marathon I'd hoped to run this fall just isn't going to happen. It's now October and a month of time that I'd planned on training has passed me by. I'm hoping the Spring will be a different story! This will NOT be the item that keeps my 25w25 from being a success!

2. Try 15 new Keep it Local retailers/restaurants

• I haven't been great about keeping track of this, but the only addition I think I can make is Bricktown Brewery.

In preparation for this post, I got very "Elizabeth" about this goal and decided the only way to achieve it was to get serious and get organized... so, I downloaded the official merchant list for Keep it Local and I've highlighted some spots I want to try. I've also recruited some friends to venture out with me!

3. Try 15 new recipes
So, I should probably start working on this one. But, my friend Bobbie started a new blog this week, and she's doing meal planning! I might just start with a couple of her recipes!

5. Take a calligraphy class
I'm signed up to take a class on December 4th in Dallas, and I'm absolutely GIDDY about it!

10. Buy a new purse
I've been surprised with a couple new purses... does that count?

Phillip Lim for Target//Kate Spade//Kate Spade

11. Send a care package to 3 different people, just because
Sent a necklace to Mommacita from Bow & Arrow

13. Read 5 new books
I'm still "in progress" with the last update -- that's embarrassing

14. Give up sweets for a month
I start October 1st - pray for me - and those around me!

19. Put $25, at a minimum, in savings every month
So far so good!

20. Try 25 new "tastes"
I had my first macaroon when Mommacita and I were in NYC. For those of you who love these French cookies, I'm sure the idea that I first tried one at the old age of 25 is appalling, but now I can say that I have! Added eggplant parmesan - courtesy of "Chef Kasey." I'm working on getting him to teach me to cook. Also, I tried Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese. I've had plenty of pimento cheese in my life, but the hatch chile was a new taste for me!

25. Write a letter to myself that I open at age 30
Boy oh boy, I am going to have a lot of material for this one... navigating life sure seems hard at times!

I'm glad to be back to blogging - but I'm also glad to be refocused on my 25w25 list! Here's to setting - and achieving - goals! xoxo, E

Life according to...

Life has been crazy... You know how I know?

Life according to my laundry room:
1. the clothes that are currently going in the dryer have been "reset" 3 times to get the wrinkles out because I've forgotten they were in there.
2. the tubs and boxes that I moved to my laundry room, while I got my garage drywalled, were just recently moved back out to the garage - even though the work was finished a week (or two... or three...) ago. Ok fine, the work was finished on September 4th.

Life according to my guest bedroom:
1. the pile of "recently worn" clothes on the bed is insane - and don't get me started on the 4 piles of clean, folded laundry - obviously, I didn't forget those were in the dryer. I promise there's a twin bed under all that.
2. the amount of jewelry on top of my dresser isn't because I've been in a rush (or too lazy) to put it away - it's a much more efficient way for me to survey what I have. (please just smile and nod along with me)

Life according to my blog:
1. my last post was July 12th
2. enough said

Life according to my Instagram: (okay, this is where it'll get fun!)

• I got to interview Chris Wiser, of the Sugar Free Allstars - as well as someone who has become a dear friend - about his kindie rock festival Wiggle Out Loud.

Can we be real here for a second? The wind was CRAZY the day we filmed - Gentry and I both did our best to keep our hair looking flowy - but I'm pretty sure it just looked crazy... and let's also acknowledge that my totally adorable top is totally unflattering in this video. Boo.

•  I took a little road trip and visited a Route 66 landmark

  

• The new KOSU studios opened in downtown OKC

   

• I had a blast with friends at our monthly food truck festival. #OKCNightMarket

  

• We had two kick booty events in one weekend at work - one, we got to deliver free ice cream to downtown employees, while driving Smart cars. The other, we had an awesome family-friendly festival on the Bricktown Canal.

 

 

 

• Sidenote: how awesome is this caricature by Quit Nguyen of the ladies on our DOKC staff!

• We started a new monthly event in the historic Automobile Alley district - called Shop Hop - and it was a HUGE success!

    

• We turned parking spaces downtown into mini parks - or parklets.

 

 

• The mayor even stopped by our parklet in the heart of downtown!

• Oh, I also started a part-time job at the cutest boutique downtown, Bow & Arrow. I work for 5 hours each Saturday and my wardrobe is already thanking me!

 

• I have started helping out more at The Spy. Ferr and I recorded some spots to promote the "Art on the Record" project for KOSU's new studios. 

Have I totally overwhelmed you with pictures? It's been a crazy couple of months, and the next couple will be even crazier! But this is the time of year that I love my job the most. The holidays are quickly approaching and we have a bunch of upcoming events! I really want to be better about updating my blog, so feel free to send me a text or two (Mommacita, Kimmy and Bobbie, I'm looking at you) to keep me accountable...

I better go fold those clothes in the dryer - the timer went off 20 minutes ago.

xoxo, E

5 Things Friday

1. I finally finished "Wedding Night" - seriously, Sophie Kinsella does it again.

2. I spent some time this week accessorizing my new living rooms shelves. To start, I pulled out the Kate Spade boxes I've been collecting for the past year or so... I didn't realize I had quite so many!

 ***

Here's the final arrangement! Yes, those are Russian President nesting dolls on the 3rd shelf down. 

3. Getting dressed after a shopping weekend in NYC is always so much fun! 

 

4. I get to hang out with Kelly this weekend, for the first time in I don't KNOW how long! I'm pretty crazy excited!

5. I'm going to attempt the incredible (for me) feat of trimming the bushes in the front of my house this weekend. They are a little out of control. I've got lots of Benedryl standing by. #NotAnOutdoorGirl #DIY

Happy weekend!! xoxo, E