changing plans

Originally, Sam wanted to do an outside date this weekend. Then dreary, cold, Saturday happened. So he decided it was best to keep me happy and warm and we did a lot of fun things inside! I realize that the picture indicates otherwise, but a few minutes outside was far preferable to a few hours as per the original plans.

dinner & dessert. mod's

activity. Aphrodite and the gods of love exhibit at Philbrook

I've recently discovered crepes. Not just for dessert, Mod's fills theirs with chicken, turkey, ham, bacon, cheese, and any other fantastic "savory" thing you can think of. Highly satisfying (and cost effective). 

Even though I don't like sweet things usually, gelato is one of my all time favorite desserts. I always get stracciatella (italian vanilla). But I like to pair it with something creamy, like chocolate. This time I got the pistachio as well. It was one of the best things I have ever eaten.

Before we went on the rest of our date, we visited Sam's new office! He starts at Cyntergy on Monday, and we took a sneak peek at the lobby.

NPR always lets us know when there's a new exhibit at the Gilcrease or Philbrook that we need to catch. This particular collection really appealed to my 6+ years of Latin, which comes in useful about every two years. Or at least I bore people with some Latin fact or etymology basically every two years. 

All joking aside, the exhibit really was an interesting look at Greek/Roman mythology, specifically focusing on Aphrodite. One of the only exhibits throughout which I've ever read every plaque. Also any museum exhibit with parental warnings is worth checking out.

Despite the chill, we walked around the grounds for a while. Philbrook used to be the family home of the Phillips, legendary Tulsa oil mavens. Today, it's a museum and as spectacular as the art is on the inside, the gardens are what everyone comes to see. On this particular day, a wedding was being set up for that evening. In addition to kicking myself for not even thinking of getting married here, I could not stop staring at the beautiful set up. I almost volunteered to help the florist. shirt. similar here

pants. j.crew

shoes. toms

 tank top. old gap
chambray. j.crew
necklace. bauble bar
shoes. similar here

This may seem like a posed shot, but I really was mesmerized by this fountain. If I ever grow filthy rich, please, can I have a huge fountain at my estate? 

We ended the night at The Rusty Crane with my parents. Look for us to visit this restaurant on a date because it was awesome. Great branding, delicious food, and I had a drink that tasted like a cactus. Really. 

downtown

This week was crazy busy. We moved into our new house, I got sick and had to miss school, and we hosted community group at our new house on Thursday. Needless to say, even though we went on an amazing date last weekend, I never got around to posting it. But here it is. 

activities. the color run, coffee, and hanging out at the guthrie green

dinner. hey mambo

Our Saturday morning started off much different than it usually does. We ran in the Color Run! It is just a 5K, but it was the first race that either of us had run. It was one of the most fun things that we have done as a couple. 

Runners are supposed to wear white, and as the race progresses volunteers throw powdered paint on the runners, hence the name, Color Run. It reminded me so much of Holi, the spring festival in India. 

It was certainly a different experience for me. I grew up in Austin, where every run shuts down the city and causes no end of frustration for us non-fitness-o-philes. However, the Color Run was more party than exercise and really proved to be totally worth it!

photo via Aaron Stephenson

After finally getting all the paint out of our hair, we had an afternoon date. We got coffee at the phoenix, our new favorite coffee house. We then headed downtown to spend a little quiet time at guthrie green, a park in the middle of the Brady Arts District of Tulsa. We were surprised to discover that a concert was happening at the park, but it made the trip that much better.

shorts. j.crew

shirt. similar here

belt. similar here

shirt. j.crew

pants. banana republic

shoes. johnston and murphy

 Local businesses and downtown interests are really trying to revitalize the Brady district and surrounding areas. We're starting to reach critical mass, what with OneOK Field, home to the Tulsa Drillers, several great concert venues, new coffee shops, and great public spaces. It's exciting to see the city moving in a fun new direction. 

One of the problems with studying abroad in Italy is that I began to be really picky about eating Italian food. There are a few places in Tulsa that I think makes real Italian style quality food. Hey mambo is one of them. Order the arrabbiata (I know I always tell you to do that, but it's that good).   

 Jordan tells me that carbonara is a Roman specialty. I like it because it's got bacon in it. Not exactly the healthiest thing you can order, but hey, we were carb loading retroactively.  

Check out the color run next year, it's worth it. For those of you in and around the Tulsa area, what's your favorite new (or new to you) thing that's been popping up around downtown? 

monarchs and heads of state

It feels like summer now. Not because of the weather, but because we spent two weekends in a row at the ballpark. This week was another double date with the adorable John and Katie. Recently engaged, the two are a joy to be around. 

 Aren't they just the cutest? 

dinner. joe momma's

activity. tulsa driller's game

after party. celebrating Katie's victory

Joe Momma's is one of a few really great options within walking distance of the ballpark. If you're heading out there, park behind McNellie's and try any of the really great places on Elgin (Joe Momma's, McNellies, El Guapo's, -coming soon- Albert G's). We were so into our pizza that we forgot to take pictures. Oops.

We sit on the lawn at every Driller's game. It's only 5 dollars, you can bring your own blanket and picnic basket full of food, and every once in awhile you may get close to catching a home run ball. This particular night was no different. We loaded up the cars with blankets and headed to the ballpark. However, on our way to the game, this sweet older couple stopped us and asked if we would like free tickets right behind home plate.
We ran into a few friends out taking pictures for their wedding, which is coming up really soon! Stay tuned this summer if you want to know more about them, or see their faces from less than 1/2 mile away--I'm sure a double date is in our future.

A good mascot is a real bonus at any minor league park. Hornsby (a large blue bull with a pot belly) is the Drillers furry ambassador. Sitting right over the dugout is just asking for him to be in your face all night though. Bear that in mind when selecting your seats!

There's this thing called rally hats. They are used when your team is either losing or tied at the end of a game as an effort to rally them to a win. Basically it just means you wear your hat inside out. We didn't have hats on Friday but we did have free bags at each seat. So, rally sacks they were. And although we did not make it on the big screen for our creativity, the team did win with a walk off hit. So it was worth something.

After staging a woeful campaign at the plate all Friday night, the Drillers came up with two big hits in the 8th and 9th innings to squeak by the San Antonio Missions. Whether its little league, high school, the minors or the majors, baseball never disappoints for entertainment. 

 It's difficult to take pictures of our outfits on dates with other people. But I assure you, they were more functional than fashionable because of the temperature drop. Although I did wear my sparkly shoes, courtesy of Sam's sister Hallie. Just because we are at a game doesn't mean I can't be a little fancy.

We ended the night by toasting to Katie's accomplishments. Earlier that day, she won the Student Association's election to become the SA President in the 2013-2014 school year. The best part? Her fiance, John, is the current SA President, making them the first husband and wife to rule over the student body at TU. Love it.
Therefore, it was truly a star-studded double date: John and Katie--TU Student Association Presidents; Jordan and I--2011 TU Homecoming King and Queen. That's never leaving my resume. 

Linking up here! Check out Mary Beth's blog!