I spent the last week of July tooling around OKC in a brand spankin’ new 2013 Dodge Dart. And let me tell you, this machine is much more high tech than its predecessor. It has loads of sleek lines and style from front to back and everywhere in between, along with the biggest dash touchscreen I’ve ever seen. Click over to Dodge’s REDLINE blog to see what kind of road trip I took it on and what we saw along the way!
It’s been a few months since our last Taste Tour and I’m happy to break the silence with POPS, a place that you have to make a stop at if you’re ever in or driving through Oklahoma City.
POPS is on Route 66 just off of I-35, and you’ll know you’re there when you spot this gigantic 66′ tall pop bottle and straw sculpture. When the sun sets its LED lights kick on and the ensuing light show is something to behold.
POPS also has a great 50s style diner menu, including a Shake Shop that features ten hand-dipped flavors and endless float options.
The walls of POPS are cantilevered, and several of the dining tables sit directly under them giving a great overhead view. (If you look closely you can see the glue that holds the display bottles in place and keeping them safe from grabby hands!)
The entire site of POPS is really something to experience. So if you ever find yourself nearby take the time to stop in.
I know I can’t be the only one wondering where August went. I took a little road trip down Route 66 with my friend/photographer, Caroline. The perfect red lip for my skin color is no longer elusive thanks to NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl. Shared a pre-prom Scarlett O’Hara Gone with the Wind photo, along with this hot swimsuit shot that brought sexy back. Made an appearance in the September issue of Dwell magazine in their international bloggers article (pinch me!). Hit up Shop Good‘s annual Mustache Bash and the accompanying Gentlemen’s Market, where sadly one could not purchase a gentleman. Caught Womb Gallery in all its psychodelic glory. Goose the seizure kitten was adopted! My Roxy Girl turned the big 1-3. Reminisced a little about starting my freshman year at OU 15(!) years ago. And, of course, spent way too much time playing/cuddling/photographing Bebe.
With my guest room’s walls being so dark, I really wanted to leverage other accents within it to bring in some brightness. As in most bedrooms the bed is the focal point, and with this room being small (12′ x 12′) I knew I wanted to capitalize on using light colored bedding.
Enter Crane & Canopy’s Octavia duvet set. The most perfect silver-grey jacquard there ever was, overlaid with an abstract pattern of mums. Not terribly girly for my male guests, just a very nice neutral that opens up the entire space. And I think everyone who spends the night in this bed will appreciate how uber soft the 350-thread-count set is to the touch. In fact, I need to try it out myself – they say you should always stay over in your own guest room to make sure it will be comfortable for future occupants. (And yes, I should definitely iron that duvet out!)
Disclaimer: Octavia Duvet Set provided by Crane & Canopy. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!
I’ve never been big on wallpaper. Most of it just brings back awful memories of the two walls of my childhood bedroom that were plastered with some sort of navajo print. That I picked out. To go with the other two walls that were painted peach. PEACH! So you can see why I’ve steered clear for so long.
But over the past few years I’ve noticed a change in the tides. Wallpaper prints that I actually like, some of which that have been designed by artists I respect and admire. So when it came to the guest room I thought, well, it’s now or never.
So I started searching out wallpaper options and fell for something I never would have expected. This detailed pattern from HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams in a deep, dark navy blue overlaid with an almost metallic grey print – it’s the 441-5610 design and is a part of their Coastal Cool collection. The wallpaper is a thick and heavy quality paper, which added a little bit of a challenge to the actual hanging but gave us such a beautiful result. And because of the detail it’s virtually impossible to see the seams. I’m so happy with the end result, and so thankful for the help of my friend Tab who did most of the dirty work because this is most definitely a two-person job.
What’s your stance on wallpaper?
Disclaimer: Wallpaper provided by Sherwin-Williams. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!
Because the accent wall of intricately patterned wallpaper takes center stage in the guest room I really wanted to focus on having one main piece of art. My initial plan (pre-paint, pre-everything) was to hang a large print over the bed. But once I got the headboard in the room and realized it rose considerably higher than I remembered that plan went right out the window. Instead I chose this photography piece from Ivan Tsupka’s Minimalscapes series through Saatchi Online.
That luminous sun and white frame pop in a big way when hung against the navy wall. Saatchi Online has so many great artists that it was really difficult to decide, but I’m so happy with the direction I went. I also think it contrasts nicely with the secretary desk and white accessories directly underneath for a nice minimal look.
Disclaimer: Framed art provided by Saatchi Online. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!
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!
When it comes to creating the feel of a room the lighting is definitely a big part of the equation. Too soft and you might as well be feeling your way around in the dark, too harsh and you feel like you’re in a department store. A fine line for sure. I already mentioned that the small bedside lamp was repurposed from another room, but when it came to the ceiling fixture I wanted a bit of a statement piece. Nothing too over the top, but not your average run of the mill flush mount either.
Disclaimer: Light fixture provided by Euro Style Lighting. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!
I’ve really wanted to paint a room black for a few years now, and my guest room was the only candidate in my house for it. But once I chose the wallpaper for behind the bed and matched it up to Sherwin-Williams Indigo Batik blue, well, it was Love with a capital L. All the drama of black without a total void of color.
I went with their Emerald Interior acrylic latex paint in a satin finish. (If you recall, I used the Emerald Exterior on my front door.) It was the best fit for the vibrant hue I’d chosen because it offers incredible coverage and hide, and includes a built-in primer. It really is my favorite paint to work with, inside and out.
Here’s a little peek at the before, after I’d moved all of the things destined for my September yard sale into the garage. You guys, it was full of crap and ugly. When I bought my house this room was the brightest of reds, I even casually referred to it as the Murder Room. The day I closed on the house we started painting, and over the next two days we painted every space with the exception of the living room (which got a coat of light grey a year later). This room ended up being blah beige simply because I wanted to cover the red, but had no clue how I wanted to decorate the room just yet. So it stayed that way for the next five years.
Bebe was a great helper, she didn’t even eat any of the paint.
Even though I was planning on wallpapering over one wall the next day, I went ahead and painted all four instead of trying to save some time. It paid off in dividends by covering any little mistakes we made while hanging the paper and is highly recommended, I’m so glad I did it. The color was even better that I thought it would be, and I kept stepping back and stating “I really like this!.”
I splurged for this project and bought an actual canvas drop cloth after years of buying the cheap plastic kind. I’m weirdly looking forward to using it for years to come and accruing paint splatters!
Would you ever paint a room in your home this dark? Or have you already?
Disclaimer: Paint provided by Sherwin-Williams. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!
It’s only taken me 5 years, 1 month to make my guest room legit. As in there is a mattress that doesn’t involve the act of filling it with air, there is art on the walls, there’s a bedside table. Like I said, legit. I couldn’t be more excited to be able to comfortably host guests in my home now!
Now brass isn’t normally my thing, but this headboard is special. It was my step-grandmother’s. I toyed with the idea of antiquing it or maybe spray painting on a bright color, but when I found out how much she paid for it I just couldn’t bring myself to do any of those things. Once the room started coming together and I brought the headboard in I was glad I had left it alone, the brass brings a nice brightness that helps balance out the navy walls.
This room isn’t very large, maybe 12′ x 12′. It could have accommodated a queen sized bed but I went with a double. For how often it will be used I valued the extra walking space more.
A lot of what’s in here has been repurposed form elsewhere in my house. The bedside lamp was once upon a time on my desk, the coatrack used to be in the house I grew up in, the bench was at the end of my hallway. The only furniture I bought was the small bedside table.
On the bench I stacked some of my favorite books for guests’ to flip through and also set out a small carafe of water with glasses and a towel. The Buddha used to be on my bedside table, but I just loved the way he stood out against the navy wall and decided to relocate him.
I love the brightness this piece of art brings to the room, the light grey bedding as well. This secretary desk was my Dad’s when he was a kid and I really like the way it balances out the warm wood of the bench and coatrack on the opposite side of the room. I also set out a jewelry tree and small bowl for guests to place their belongings when they wind down at night for bed.
Last but not least is the amazing light fixture that replaces the awful ceiling fan that used to be in its place. It’s the perfect size for the space, and the glass balls look like they have tiny filaments throughout.
I’m still planning on mounting a few floating shelves painted in the same navy as the walls above the bench, they’ll make a nice home for my small colored glass vessel collection. I’d also like to find a nice floor length mirror to prop against the wall opposite the bed, I think it will help open the space up more. As you know, decorating is a never-ending process! I’ll be sharing more specifics about the different pieces in the room through the week.
