A Few of My Favorite Things

I’m playing Oprah today! Hundreds of products cross my screen on a daily basis as I search out the best to share with you, and a girl can’t help but have a few favorites! And while I wish I had one of each of these fantastic pieces to give to every one of you a la Oprah, I hope my opinion will hold its weight in salt for you. Because these are all shops and creators whose things I own, that decorate my home and my self each and every day.

 

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Splendid Orlando Oxford. These shoes are a new addition to my wardrobe for winter and I love their sleek look (no laces!). Splendid‘s entire lifestyle collection is ultra-comfortable and effortlessly chic, which is perfect for my every day and mixes with existing pieces easily.

American Giant Womens Heavyweight Full Zip Hooded Sweatshirt. I’ve been a hoodie aficionado since junior high, but it’s tough to find one that doesn’t resemble a garbage bag on a woman’s body. This zip up from American Giant is not only sturdy, but made especially for us ladies. If I’m home I usually have it on over whatever I’m wearing, it’s that good.

Emily McDowell’s Foods of the World New York City Tea Towel. Emily McDowell just might be one of the funniest people I know, and her humor translates seamlessly onto her illustrated line of cards, dish towels, and other miscellaneous goods. This towel featuring a recipe that actually involves zero cooking is just the tip of the iceberg.

Warby Parker’s Durand Eyeglasses in Woodland Tortoise. Warby Parker has had my poor vision and my heart in its grasp for several years now. I just recently snapped up this pair from their winter collection, the round-ish lenses are super flattering and their buy 1/give 1 model is tough to beat.

Bloggers Love Cats + Bloggers Love Dogs 13-Month Calendars. Shameless plug alert! I teamed up with other well-known bloggers who are animal lovers to create these two calendar downloads featuring our pets. All proceeds go directly to the Humane Society of the United States and all of the little critters in need.

See Scout Sleep’s Nice Grill Cream + Vermillion Brass Buckle Collar. Both of my pups wear this collar and it stands up to their rough and tumble lifestyles like no other. All of the pet goods See Scout Sleep offers are high quality, environmentally-friendly, and handmade in Louisiana.

Cursive Design’s Apex Studs. Cursive Design is one of my favorite jewelry shops by far, I just love Sarah’s eye for detail. These studs, along with much of the fall/winter 2013 collection, were inspired by a project we collaborated on together for NYFW 2012. They’re molded from vintage glass and cast in yellow bronze.

Jaime Derringer’s Untitled 3. I’m the proud, happy owner of three works of art by Jaime Derringer. Her bold use of color and constant exploration of shape and space never leave me bored. And both Jaime’s original pieces and prints are super affordable.

 

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Pencil Shavings Studio’s Gold Lucite Tray in Palm Springs. Pencil Shavings‘ designer Rachel Shingleton has a great way with both color and pattern. It’s reflected in her shop’s incredible line of phone cases, trays, paper goods, and more!

Alexa Chung’s It. There’s no denying she’s the darling of the fashion world, but after ready through this pink linen-covered book filled with short musings and photos she seems down-to-earth as well.

Paloma’s Nest Custom Monogram Tiny Text Bowl. Paloma’s Nest creates some of the best heirloom-quality ceramics I’ve seen. I own one of these plates and have gifted numerous others over the past few years. You just can’t go wrong with a piece that’s lovingly personalized like these.

Gingiber’s Deer Tea Towel. I love shop owner Stacie’s whimsical, geometric illustration style used on all of her animal characters! Gingiber‘s prints, pillows, towels (and more) are always the highest of quality and meticulously checked over.

Whimsy & Spice’s Chocolate Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies. Whimsy & Spice‘s tasty baked goods make the perfect gift for just about any occasion. Now’s a great time to stock up on hostess gifts, snacks for overnight guests, and of course a little something for yourself.

Miró Watches from Urbantrait. Among an incredible selection of modern watches from Urbantrait, Miró definitely stands out. Made from stainless steel, hardened mineral crystal, and calf leather it’s sure to stand up to wear and tear for years to come. Mine has made me a watch wearer again after years of depending on my cell! Find your favorite from tons of men’s watches and women’s watches.

Meow Meow Tweet’s Grapefruit Rosemary Body Oil. Come winter, lotions just don’t cut it for me. I coat myself in Meow Meow Tweet‘s body oil before I get out of the shower and don’t need to re-moisturize until right before bed. Each amazing scent if filled with natural ingredients and infused with botanicals.

strawberryluna’s Morrissey Pittsburgh Poster PETA Donation. My favorite stop for gig posters, and it doesn’t hurt that strawberryluna is based in my hometown either! Allison and Craig do stellar silkscreening work for more bands than I can think to name, and on more posters than I can count that I own.

 

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Even Ken and Barbie have a less than perfect life together, In the Dollhouse.
02/ A serpentine pedestrian bridge to be built in Changsha, China
03/ Tissue Animals brings tissue paper creatures to life with stop motion animation.
04/ 3,000 slats of wood form a maze/fence in Copenhagen for Trylletromler.
05/ The Kelpies tower over the Forth & Clyde canal in Falkirk, Scotland.
06/ Would you take a spin on the Swing at the End of the World?
07/ An entire alphabet on the wings of butterflies!
08/ Into the Mirror is a fashion shoot with an extra artsy twist.
09/ There are several way to help the typhoon victims in the Philippines, pick one and do it.
10/ Drinking your tea is lame, try inhaling it at The Breathable Tea Room.

This week on Design Crush:
Have you entered our awesome giveaway with Imm Living?! DO IT.
Twelve of the best DIYs from November. For you to create during all that time you don’t have.
Loving Grandiflora, a new shop on the home scene!
Tips&Tricks for entertaining this holiday season and throughout the year.
The ultimate warm weather wear roundup – including coats, hats, scarves, and mittens!
Five of my favorite art prints as of late.
The search for the perfect Christmas cookies. I’ve narrowed it down to 8!
We’ve started our coverage of holiday cards with part 1.
And we’ve continued 2014 calendars with part 4!

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Last Supper, notebook illustrations of characters sitting down for a meal.
02/ The Gooyesh Language Institute in Iran is made entirely of letters!
03/ Door to Hell is an aptly named crater in Turkmenistan that’s been burning for 40 years.
04/ The super expressive face of Jazzy the border collie.
05/ The art of smoke bombs and fireworks.
06/ Athlete compares the vastly different body types of Olympic athletes.
07/ Sad/creepy abandoned Santa parks of the world.
08/ Bring the beach indoors with this incredible surfboard table and benches!
09/ A super fun play net creates a kids’ reading level in a library.
10/ Party cheat sheets full of infographics for holiday event planning.

This week on Design Crush:
Listen to November’s Mix #30: I’m Waiting Here.
Plenty of 2014 calendars for you to choose from in Part 2 + Part 3 of our roundups.
Get a head start on your holiday entertaining with this fantastic giveaway from B by Brandie!
Sweater weather is here and we’ve shared 12 of our favorites.
I’m not hosting this year, but here’s my imaginary Thanksgiving 2013!
These Leaf Rugs also double as blankets.
Crazy layered acrylic paintings from Yago Hortal.
It’s time to think about advent calendar prep – here are 14 that are great!

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Hatchery

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Subscription boxes that show up on your doorstep once a month have become quite the trend, and I have to admit I love it. Who can’t appreciate snail mail and packages in this day and age of everything digital and here-and-now? Hatchery is one of the latest, striving to be foodie matchmakers! Each month receive six extra large sample sizes of different small-batch artisinal ingredients and condiments for $20, a guide for what to try them in/with is included. Then when you find something you’d love to make part of your permanent pantry visit Hatchery’s Marketplace and order the full size.

 

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The first box includes Chili Red Pepper Tapenade, Organic Ginger, Fowl Rub, Pear Vinegar, Ciao This!, and Tonic 02. As well as tiny wooden spoons for tasting right out of each container! Every maker is profiled on Hatchery’s site, so you know just what you’re getting and where it’s coming from. So what are you waiting for – request an invite to subscribe!

 

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I received product in exchange for this post. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!

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Feel Good Wednesdays

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PHOTO: Gregory Krum

A few weeks back I had one of the most raging headaches I can remember ever experiencing. Migraines run in my family and I fall prey to them about once a month, but when this one was still hanging around a whopping five days later I knew something was up. None of my prescription or OTC meds were doing anything to even dull the pain that was originating at the base of my skull and radiating up towards my ears and jaw. That’s when I scheduled a massage, thinking that maybe some sort of deep tissue maneuvering might work a little magic.

I met with a master masseuse who ended up using a variety of massage techniques – not all comfortable and relaxing – to try and relieve the extreme tension that had built up in my neck and back. That’s right, it was a tension headache in migraine’s clothing. When the masseuse was finished she told me it was a challenging massage to give because I wouldn’t relax and that we needed more than an hour because I was so tense. Then she asked me whether I was stressed about anything (not really) and what I did for myself (uhhhh). My response was a very truthful “I’m not very good at that sort of thing.”

The massage did help, but the masseuse’s words are what really stuck. I realized I physically need to make more time for myself. Being a full-time blogger I have the advantage of a flexible schedule, it also means that I don’t have your typical weekend off. So I’ve decided that Wednesdays are going to be my recharging time, smack dab in the middle of the workweek. Feel Good Wednesdays, if you will. I definitely won’t be taking the day off, but I will be taking more time than usual for myself. A yoga class, less caffeine and more hydration (like with bubbly Ozarka® Brand Sparkling Natural Spring Water), maybe a mug of tea to wind down, a longer walk with the dogs once the temperatures drop, you see what I’m saying. I’m hoping that by slowing down just a little my life will thrive even more.

How do you make time for yourself? I can use all the advice you can give!

Sponsored by Ozarka® Brand Sparkling Natural Spring Water. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!

 

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Olive & Co.

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The second stop for Oklahoma City Week is Olive & Co, a shop full of 20+ premium olive oils and 16+ balsamic vinegars. One of my favorite appetizers in the world is a simple dish of olive oil with a (sizable) dollop of balsamic and all the crusty bread I can get my hands on, so Olive & Co is a veritable mecca for me. The moment you walk in you’re encouraged to try as many of both as you’d like, little plastic cups and bread are located on the tables. Each cistern has a description of its contents similar to that of a wine which is vastly helpful, and oils and vinegars are available in four sizes that they decant directly from the cisterns you see here . Turns out the vinegars were so delicious I didn’t even need the bread and just tasted from the cup after the first! Both the traditional balsamics and white balsamics were so layered in flavor and depth that they were seriously life changing to the palette. I picked up bottles of strawberry balsamic and grapefruit white balsamic and have a little something up my sleeve to share with you all later today – stay tuned!

 

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7602 North May Avenue  Oklahoma City, OK  73116
405.242.6457

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Wanna see Wookies in real life situations? Here you go.
02/ Giant chrome T-Rex installed in the Seine River.
03/ Learn how to make ice shot glasses!
04/ Disciples, fans dressed like their favorite pop stars at their concerts.
05/ At Rest, heartbreakingly beautiful memorials for roadkill.
06/ Whoa, these kaleidoscope glasses are insane-o.
07/ The coolest 4th of July photo ever.
08/ 40 Days of Dating, two friends date for 40 days as an experiment.
09/ Switcheroo, an on-going dual portrait series of men and women swapping clothes.
10/ Candid photos of + interviews with 4th graders around the world.

 This week on Design Crush…
Mix #26: Open Up Your Arms
You Should Totally: Make DIY State String Art
Kristina Krough
Colour Block Book Ends
Erin Lightfoot
Jozef Mvra’s Masks
Lauren Wilcox Puchowski
Transition
Rebecca Rothfus

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Reconnected, turning fallen trees into art on trunk at a time.
02/ Perfect Tree in a Farmer’s Field.
03/ BBQ, a papercraft barbecue grill!
04/ I’ve never broken a bone, I’m holding out for these 3D printed casts.
05/ Adrift, a two year love letter to the San Francisco fog.
06/ The world’s first one person restaurant!
07/ This guy is everywhere this week – 40 year book photos, same outfit.
08/ Yay or nay on this hammock-shaped tub?
09/ Celebrating George Orwell’s 110th birthday with surveillance cameras + party hats!
10/ Why are more houses not painted like this?!

This week on Design Crush:
Hello, San Diego – Part 2
Martha McQuade
Alphabet City Coasters
108 Ways to Scream For Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet + More
Nissan Versa Note
Read Between the Lines
Happy 4th!
Doing Good With Anthropologie

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The Surf Café Cookbook

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I was pleasantly surprised that The Surf Cafe Cookbook isn’t referring to the west coast of America, but rather the west coast of Ireland. And while the recipes are a bit heartier and the water temperature a bit cooler, the lifestyle is strikingly similar. Authors Jane and Myles Lamberth own Shells Café in Strandhill and between the covers of this cookbook share colorful, local, organic recipes that would be equally at home on a picnic blanket or a dinner party table. They also share lots of useful tips, like how to gut a fish and choose the best wine among other tidbits along with page after page of lovely illustrations. I think I’ve bookmarked half of the pages already and can’t wait to dive in (no pun intended!) this summer.

 

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