Shop Good Moore Tornado Relief Benefit Tee

I rarely take a weekday off from this space, so I hope you’ll understand when I say I’ll be taking the rest of the week to be where my head and heart are. Volunteering in my Oklahoma community, taking care of misplaced pets and attempting to reunite them with their loved ones. Most of you know how near and dear furry ones are to my heart and how much time I dedicate to trying to help them out. I can’t imagine losing everything and my pets on top of it all.

If you want to lend a hand in the effort you can donate to the animal rescue I work with, Safe Haven is accepting donations right here via PayPal. Simply note that it’s for tornado relief. Or you can purchase a Benefit Tee from Shop Good, a local store with a big heart donating 100% of the proceeds to the American Red Cross.

Again, thank you for all of your kind emails, tweets, and Facebook messages checking in. I’ll see you back here Monday.

Oh, how I wish I were one of the specially tapped business partners of Hälssen & Lyon who received one of these incredible Tea Calendars! Each day’s “page” is made from finely flavored, wafer-thin pressed tea leaves. The tea wafer can be detached, brewed, and enjoyed. The only thing that could possibly top this in my world would be The Coffee Calendar! (via Laughing Squid)

Calling all shopaholics!  I’ve given Beso my share of props before, but now the mega site that spends their days scouring the web and matching your style so you don’t have to has a free app. Which means that your habit knows no bounds! You can shop in the carpool line, while you wait for a bathroom stall to open up, even while avoiding a poorly matched blind date. Or, you know, in your pajamas in bed like I plan on doing.

The app makes choosing your fashion persona super easy. I went with Polished Casual because I love a great pair of jeans and a pair of flats like nobody’s business. Beso then culls through everything for me, so that I only get options that I’ll more than likely love to shop. In fact, everything shown in the first image are pieces matched specifically to my style – all sorts of smart.

Now, let’s get to giveaway part where Beso will buy a randomly selected winner one item they shared (up to $200 value)!

To Enter:
1. Download the free Beso Shopping for iPhone app.
2. Share any item you love to your favorite social media channel (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.).
3. Leave a comment below letting us know!
4. Do it all before Sunday, May 26th at 11:59pm CST.
5. Favorite up to 10 products for extra bonus entries!

Giveaway Rules + Disclosures

There’s no way I can start today without taking a moment to talk about yesterday’s destruction.

The biggest thank you to everyone who checked in to make sure I was okay. The monster twister hit about 20 miles southeast of my home, following nearly the same path as what was previously the most powerful tornado on record May 3, 1999. That one happened to be the first tornado I ever experienced after moving to OKC, it was finals week my freshmen year of college and I can remember how terrified I was as we hunkered down pre-cell phone era in the basement of my dorm. I’m not ashamed to admit I was clutching my favorite stuffed animal for comfort.

As bad as that was, this is at least three times worse. The F5 was over two miles wide at one point with winds up to 200 mph. Two elementary schools were leveled, one with luckier students than the other where they’re still recovering tiny bodies. It was on the ground for twenty miles and some people are comparing the destruction to atomic bombs and warfare in the Middle East. I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around the loss. Landmarks are gone, houses look like piles of matchsticks, there are at least 51 confirmed dead with I can’t even guess how many to come.

I’ve lived in Oklahoma on and off since 1998, and while it’s not where I’m from it is my home. Oklahomans are some of the most resilient people I know. They rebuilt the community after the bombing in ’95 and they rebuilt again after the May 3rd tornado. And we’ll do it again.

If you want to make a donation to help in that effort, text REDCROSS to 90999 and specify OK tornadoes.

Oklahoma Home T

I’m sort of beside myself with this collaboration between two of my favorites – POKETO and Lisa Congdon! Lisa’s bright, geometric style lends itself perfectly to these linen tea towels that will only get softer with use. Choose from a pyramids or herringbone pattern in two color palettes. (I can’t help but think how fantastic one of these would be wrapped around a summer hostess gift!)

That feeling of finding out someone who’s really good at one thing is also really good at another? Yeah. The Char-Bea collection by Ashley Goldberg for Urban Outfitters gives me those feelings in a big way. Her art translates so well to textiles with those big patches of color!

01/ This large-scale geometric projection in Paris is stunning.
02/ A chandelier that projects tree shadows!
03/ Epcot’s Spaceship Earth turned into an animated Mike Wazowski to promote new film.
04/ Vertigo-inducing POV footage of the spire being raised at One World Trade Center.
05/ The prettiest ad for funeral home services ever.
06/ A beautiful shimmering chain-link fence installation.
07/ Photographer Jaime Moore took photos of her daughter dresses as five historical women.
08/ Who knew cross-sections of food could be so interesting??
09/ Here is Today puts time in perspective.
10/ When a real dog is too much, Invisible Dogs in Poland is juuust right.

This week on Design Crush…
Mix #24: Holding Out to Settle
Bathing Beauties
Patio Perfect
Jane Farnham
Adobe MAX 2013: An Insider’s View
18 With a Bullet
May DIYs
KAARLO I and II
Ten Spring Salads

Click on the image to be taken to each recipe’s source.
All photos copyright of their respective sites.

Definitely not easy on the checking account, but what a pair of lookers! I love these two oversized contemporary rocking chairs from KAYIWA, KAARLO I and KAARLO II.

My apologies to Country Living, the original source of the Vintage Tennis Racket Mirrors.

Click on each image to go to the project.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.