This past Tuesday I had a lovely lunch with a friend, and then spent the rest of the afternoon making my way through some local shops in OKC. It’s something I don’t do nearly enough, especially now when the city seems to be experiencing a notable growth spurt. Then and there I decided to dedicate the first post of each day this week to some of my favorite Oklahoma City locales. This is just a drop in the bucket and I’m planning on sharing more down the road, so stay tuned and join me for our first Oklahoma City Week!
First up is Just OK, an offshoot concept of next door neighbor Blue 7. Just OK gathers and purveys the best of the best products and art made right here in Oklahoma. We Oklahomans have a lot of pride in our state and Just OK does an amazing job of sharing that with everyone who comes in their door. Their tagline says it all, Oklahoma Goods for the Good of Oklahoma.
7518 N. May, Suite C Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116
405.604.5199
A huge thank you to everyone who came out last Wednesday and Thursday for my string art workshops at Anthropologie! We had a great time crafting, snacking, and raising money for Adopt a Classroom. More specifically Plaza Towers and Briarwood Elementary Schools that were demolished by May 20th’s Moore tornado. Check out everyone’s creations and stay tuned because I’ll be sharing the DIY for the project next Monday!
While in San Diego I had the chance to check out the new 2014 Nissan Versa Note. I have some serious brand loyalty when it comes to these guys – my last two cars have been Nissans – so I was definitely interested in what new technology they would be bringing to the table.
If you’ve been a Design Crush reader for a few years you might remember my last trip with Nissan, which resulted in 18 hours in Seattle. I’m happy to report that since I had arrived in town a few days early I didn’t miss any of the fun this go around! Thursday night we were treated to a delicious family style dinner at the newly opened location of Stone Brewing Co. at Liberty Station, it’s in a 60,000 foot space making it the largest restaurant in San Diego. That sounds sort of awful, but the way it’s sectioned off into smaller spaces makes it feel extremely intimate. And they have a bocce court!
We enjoyed our hor d’oeuvres and dessert in a beautiful courtyard. The space was perfectly green and peachy and full of succulents and chairs made out of whiskey barrels. So much inspiration! Then when the sun went down they projected a surfing documentary on this exact wall, no audio only music. It was honestly one of the most perfect nights, in the name of business or not.
Friday morning we were treated to the sight of an entourage of Nissan Versa Notes lined up outside of the Andaz! I was lucky enough to have Kirsten Grove as my driving partner, and she took the wheel for the first leg of our test drive. But before that we checked out the car and oohed and aahed over it’s 40 mpg capacity, best in class cargo space, and the Around View Monitor (AVM) that gives you a 360-degree view of your car. This little car packs a serious punch.
I love how Nissan built our drive around a few stops at interesting places specific to San Diego. After a drive through the high desert our first stop was Shaper Studios, where we had the chance to try our hand at shaping a surfboard! Along with giving birth to boards they also give lessons on shaping and glassing your own! So rad.
Our second stop (after a drive through beautiful vineyards and country) was Belly Up, the famed club in Solana Beach that’s known for getting bands right before they hit it big. We grabbed lunch right next door at the Wild Note Cafe. I had about ten minutes to give the menu a once over, order, and eat before catching my shuttle to the airport. Thanks for a fantastic experience, Nissan!
Disclosure: Nissan provided me with travel and hotel accommodations to attend the 2014 Nissan Versa Note media preview.
Day 2 of my San Diego mini-vacay brought even more sightseeing at the side of Design Milk! Our first stop – after bagels, duh – was the island of Coronado. I’m not sure what I expected, if anything, but I completely fell under the spell of this beachy village, its sweet shops, and its cottages.
Then of course there was the Hotel del Coronado, which I’ve dreamed of visiting for ages. I’d always pictured it living on a small cliff, but there it was right on the beach. The Del (as locals refer to it) is currently celebrating its 125th birthday, check out the oversize gold bow on the left turret!
The interior was pure old Hollywood magic and I really appreciated that the grounds are open to the public to enjoy as well as guests. Though I have to say it’s definitely high on my list to stay here for a getaway sooner than later!
Next up were the tide pools at Point Loma. It’s a long drive through the town, up a big hill, and past several military facilities to get there. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery was a beautifully sobering site as we neared our destination. The cemetery is spread out quite a bit, but all areas have this incredible view of either the bay or ocean side of the Point. Such a peaceful resting place for those who gave up their life for our country, and so well-deserved.
We made our way down the other side of the gigantic hill to the tide pools… only had neglected to think of what time the tide would actually be out. It wasn’t and the pools were covered, but we still walked down the crazy cliffside and admired the striated cuts.
We then stopped at the Cabrillo National Monument for some stunning views. All the way to right? Mexico. For real.
Our last stop was Old Town, the birthplace of California where the first Europeans settled. Everyone was dressed in era-appropriate clothing and the signage was especially noteworthy to this designer.
All of the shops were so cute, I left the pottery one with a small piece – a cat of course! My only regret is that I made Jaime eat ice cream for lunch at the Hotel del Coronado and we were too full to stop at one of the restaurants for a bite.
In the information center they had a to scale version of the town as it most likely looked in 1850, this is only about 1/3 of it all. I’ve visited lots of settlements like this in the northeast, but it was really interesting to see one in a different region of the U.S.
Many thanks to Jaime and family for a super fun visit!
Saw a minor league baseball game from some great seats! Kept working to reunite animals and their owners separated by the Moore tornado. Enjoyed plenty of deck time with a view, including cotton candy clouds. Bikes came out of the woodwork! Bebe practiced for a yet-to-be cast roll as Toto. Spruced up the guest bath with a new shower curtain and the living room with an arc lamp. Oh, and me with a cute purse. Ate strawberries like they were going out of style. Spent quality time with this stinky butt, and this tiny pony, and this sad-eyed pup. Managed to sneak away for a few days and unplug and see The Sandcastle Man along the way.
Last week I picked up and headed west to visit San Diego and one of my good friends, Jaime Derringer of Design Milk! San Diego was the last major city in California that I had left to visit and I couldn’t wait to pack my bags and get airborne. Not even a sinus migraine or delayed flights could hold me back!
After landing much later than originally planned, Jaime and her beyond adorable daughter picked me up at the airport and drove me directly to the source of all things good in the world – fish tacos at Rubio’s, the supposed birthplace of my favorite Mexican delight! Now that’s a friend.
The next morning I worked them off (and then some) when we went hiking at Torrey Pines. I complained a little, sweated a lot, but couldn’t have asked for a better view along the way. The area is so well maintained, it’s seriously impressive.
I loved all of the crazy foliage everywhere, not so much the rattlesnake holes.
After a few trails we drove down to the beach and stood in the freezing cold water, then walked along the edge a little. I was busy looking for shells and realized the west coast is all about rocks. I collected four smallish ones and proceeded to unintentionally carry them along everywhere I went for the next few days in my purse. Let’s just call it extra weighted cardio, shall we?
I fell in love with this unattended lifeguard stand against the rocky outcropping of the reserve behind it.
Next we headed over to La Jolla, where I promptly picked out several seaside homes to live in that I can only ever dream of setting foot in let alone affording. The little details of the town are what really stuck out to me (well that and the bazillion foot tall palms), and the juxtaposition of an Armani Exchange next to a local shop selling seashell wind chimes was a treat.
I loved this woman sprawled out in the middle of this park with her pink bike and pink outfit!
What happened next was this animal lover’s dream come true. SEALS!
We walked out onto the seawall and I was in heaven, I swear I could have stood there for hours observing these flubbery, flippy-floppy guys!
I promptly picked out my favorite – the light brown guy just to the right of center – and a few minutes later realized he wasn’t a seal at all. Instead he was the lone sea lion on the beach! Such a Kelly thing to do.
We stopped for lunch at the sweetest converted house, Cody’s, where Jaime had the best fries ever and my chopped salad was amazing. I think I could have sat there for hours under the shade of all their umbrellas admiring this little modern building.
When we got back to Jaime’s I was just about as exhausted as Lulu the English Bulldog looked.
Today I’m thrilled to announce a collaboration between Design Crush and Anthropologie to help raise money for the rebuilding of Plaza Towers and Briarwood Elementary Schools! The tornadoes that swept through my town of Oklahoma City last month have left not only a hole in our community, but in my heart. I’m lucky that my own part of town was left unscathed, but not everyone was that lucky. And it seems like the children got hit extra hard this time around with not one, but two elementary schools bring leveled by the May 20th twister.
And that’s where you, my fellow Oklahoma City dwellers, come in.
On the evenings of June 26th and 27th I’ll be leading a String Art Workshop at the Classen Curve Anthropologie location. From 6 to 8pm come hang out! For a suggested donation of $15 that will go towards Build a Classroom’s Donate For OK campaign, you’ll enjoy delicious refreshments, do a little mingling, then sit down and create some string art that I promise you’re going to love.
I’m looking forward to these workshops more than words can say and I hope to see you there! Spaces are limited, so please RSVP to oklahomacityps@anthropologie.com as soon as you decide to join us for this community event.
A few weekends ago we celebrated my Mom’s birthday atop the tallest building in Oklahoma when we dined at Vast on the 49th floor of Devon Tower. We had fantastic seating right next to the windows and a decently clear day for our meal, which was full of four delicious courses and cocktails. I tried jalapeno vodka for the first time – definitely a high point (for sure DIYing that!) – in a mango cocktail, and experienced bananas foster in an entirely new way when served as fried pies. And then I took half of my meal home and relived it all the next day in my pajamas. YUM.
Vast 101 N. Robinson Avenue, 49th + 50th floors | Oklahoma City, OK 73102 | 405.702.7262
You know the drill. You’re on Pinterest, you click through to something you want to add to your wardrobe, and it’s an image with no link. Or you’ve spotted a piece that’s waaay out of your price range and you’d like to find a more affordable version. Or maybe you just don’t have any idea what to wear with that cute summer skirt you picked up last weekend (ahem). It can be a long list of reasons why you can’t seem to locate the fashion you’re looking for, and until I discovered the hunt I was off trolling Google images just like the rest of you. BUT NO MORE, because now there’s The Hunt.
The premise is simple, The Hunt‘s community helps each other find the items they’re after. To start off sign up for an account in one easy step, then post a photo with some details about what you’re looking for. Congratulations, you’ve just created your first Hunt! Now the community hops to work either finding the piece you’re looking for, finding a more price conscious version, or even giving you solutions on what to pair a troublesome piece with. Brilliant, right??
I picked up this easy and comfortable skirt on a whim while shopping last weekend. I thought it would be perfect to pull on over my bathing suit or for a casual day out and about. But I have no clue what to pair it with besides a white t-shirt! That’s where The Hunt comes in and offers suggestions. I can already tell this is going to be a new obsession.
Suggestions started rolling in within minutes! And when you find someone with a fashion sense that you trust you can follow them to stay connected. Can you imagine all your friends joining and being able to get one another’s help and opinions at the same time? You should probably all sign up for The Hunt immediately.
This post is sponsored by The Hunt, however all words and opinions are my own.
May was most definitely a month of highs and lows. I celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Pretty Haute Mess and attended the Adobe MAX Conference in LA. Having a Press badge was so much fun! And I had Bebe’s photo printed on a t-shirt, which was just about the best thing ever. The Black Keys put on a great show to end the event. Back at home I made over a Goodwill cutting board with a bright neon pink edge. (Don’t worry, it’s just craft paint and the food won’t be on it.) We celebrated my Mom’s birthday and I made this Orange Coconut Cake. The weather heated up and I went back to my summer breakfasts of Noosa honey yoghurt, blueberries, and oatmeal. Then May 20th came along and upended everything, I watched on television as a town 20 miles from my was demolished by an F5 tornado. Instead of feeling helpless I jumped into volunteering at Animal Resource Center, I’ve been there every day since helping displaced pets be reunited with their owners. And then I took on two foster litters of 8-week old kittens, eight in all. We’re ready for you, June.
