shakespeare on the lawn

Summer is definitely a time to be outside. The past few summers in Oklahoma have been so unbearably hot that we couldn't spend any amount of time outside without the risk of melting. But this summer, oh it has been amazing. It has rained a lot more than normal and it's only reached 100 degrees a few times.

So of course we have gone on picnics. Picnics are one of my very favorite things. For our wedding we were gifted with that beautiful picnic basket that we have taken with us on some very memorable dates.

dinner. picnic from whole foods

activity. shakespeare on the lawn of the philbrook museum

A perennial Tulsa favorite is Philbrook's Shakespeare on the Lawn. Once a summer the lawn plays host to one of the Bard's comedies. This year it was A Midsummer Night's Dream. Because of recent devastating tornados in and around Tulsa, the show was held inside, but we still made use of the lawn beforehand. We love that Tulsa gives us the chance to experience high level theater on a reasonable budget. And we didn't have to wait all day like in some other cities (ahem, NYC). 

One of my favorite places in the world is Whole Foods. I used to hate grocery shopping until Sam suggested we try out the fresh produce at Whole Foods. Now we shop there for pretty much everything. It's such a fun environment, being somewhere where the employees know a lot about the food and love their jobs. For this date, Sam took me to Whole Foods and said we were picking out food for a picnic. We had so much fun choosing our dinners!

Jordan even got me to try out tofu crab cakes, which are less disgusting than you might think. Actually they were upsettingly tasty. Berries are the way to Jordan's heart. 

The show was fantastic, and we even ran into some friends from church who had the inside knowledge on the Tulsa theater scene (thanks, Chris and Elizabeth!) 

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. chambray. j.crew necklace. bauble bar shoes. similar here. shirt. similar here pants. j.crew shoes. toms 

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. 

birthday celebrations

              

Sam's birthday was this Saturday. We didn't get the chance to go on a traditional date, but we did have a lot of fun celebrating 23! Far too many restaurants were visited to talk about each one, so I picked out a couple notable excursions.

Thursday night my parents and I gave Sam his birthday present. I think it's safe to say he was pretty excited. 

First two albums I own -- The Smiths' "The Queen is Dead" and The Decemberists' "Picaresque." Perfect choices, In-Laws! 

dinner. smoke.

activity. the aquarium and philbrook museum

On Saturday, Sam's parents came into town to celebrate his day with us! We had a ton of fun going to the Oklahoma Aquarium. 

I concluded that fish are weird. 

Sam had been wanting to visit this place for four years and we finally made it! It's completely worth the trip. I learned so much about aquatic beings and the shark tunnel was amazing.

We don't have a picture, but google "african mudskipper" if you want to see my favorite. It looks like a grumpy man. 

After lunch we ventured to Philbrook Museum of Art in Midtown Tulsa. It was once known as Villa Philbrook, the home of oil maven Waite Phillips and his family. Now it houses amazing art from all around the world. Every second Saturday of the month the museum has free admission. 

When it's not an frigid and rainy day, the grounds of Philbrook are what draws most attention. On this day, however, I was more than content to peer out from a warm room.

As we walked around the museum, Sam's mom had everyone taking stock of what art we would like to take home, if given the option. I probably took the game too seriously.

You can't tell but I'm translating the latin on the frame. Old habits die hard; thanks, Mr. Bogan. Hopefully you will continue to read the rest of the post despite my very nerdy confession. I promise 1/2 of the people writing this blog are really cool. 

           

Matching sock buns.

            

The verdict? Sam wanted that giant modern art painting. 

The texture is amazing and the colors just kind of smack you in the face. 

     

And I will gladly take this captivating portrait of Greta Garbo by George Hurrell when the museum is done with it. I still can't take my eyes off of the photo. Now, off to watch Ninotchka, where I will fall more in love with this actress.

It was a great birthday weekend, thanks to all our friends and family! Thanks so much to the Moyers' and the Graves's for helping to make my birthday special!