Getting to know Chef Nico / Duet Jazz
Getting to know Chef Nico / Duet Jazz

Happy Sunday dears!

I am thrilled to share this wonderful Q+A with with the very talented Chef Nico Albert from Tulsa’s Duet Jazz. I told you a little bit about Duet Jazz in my Francophile’s Guide To Tulsa. Allow me to feel just a little smug whilst I talk about Duet Jazz. Seriously, it's all for you wonderful beings because you all deserve good restaurants in your life; in fact, you need them in your life.

du·et

d(y)o͞oˈet
noun: a performance by two people, especially singers, instrumentalists, or dancers.

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FeaturesSamantha RubleComment
3 Simple Refreshing Summer Cocktails Featuring Santa Cruz Organic 100% Juices
3 Simple Refreshing Summer Cocktails Featuring Santa Cruz Organic 100% Juices

Summer soon ending is most definitely deserving of a toast, and since fruity flavors are the way straight to my heart, I’ve got three simple cocktail recipes to share with you today in partnership with Santa Cruz Organic. So excited to be a Santa Cruz organic ambassador!! These cocktails are perfect too for hosting all of your “End of  Summer Dinner Parties” without breaking the bank!! We host so many events for friends and as much as I love it, I also have to watch my spending!

Think back to the last time you hosted a dinner party. When shopping for it, did you find yourself holding your breath the whole 5 minutes you spent at the cash register?!! Also when I say simple cocktails. I truly mean simple! Simple for the wallet, and simple to create. No more, party planners. Who wants to be chained to the bar cart station all day ?!

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Entertain, RecipesSamantha RubleComment
French Feels Better// Beautiful Skin With Patyka Paris
French Feels Better// Beautiful Skin With Patyka Paris

French women are known for many things—effortlessly coiffed hair, chic style, and a certain je nais se quoi women the world over try to emulate. But, perhaps what French girls are best known for is their unbelievable gorgeous skin. With time-honored skin care routines passed down from their mothers and grandmothers before them, a French girl is set up to have great skin from a young age—often looking like she’s still in her 20s when she’s about to turn 45! This is why Stateside, we can’t help but eat up all things French skin care.

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Beauty, FrancophileSamantha RubleComment
Girls Weekend In Carlton Landing
Girls Weekend In Carlton Landing

So lovely was the loneliness of a wild lake”

— -EDGAR ALLAN POE

If I had to compile a list of my favorite places I’ve ever stayed at, there’s no doubt that Carlton Landing would feature highly. Top three even!! Carlton Landing is a place of bucket list dreams and if you take nothing else away from this blog post, please take away this: you absolutely must visit at some time in your life. Save up and go for a special occasion, you’ll be on cloud nine the entire time you’re there - I guarantee it’ll be one of the most magical stays you’ve ever had. It’s like your very own Edgartown here in Oklahoma!

I spent every summer on the water as a kid and teenager with my lovely grandparents and they are the fondest memories to this day. So I invited my best girls to a lovely Carlton Landing girls getaway last weekend. I was so ready to escape and get close to the water! A girls weekend at the lake can offer excitement as well as relaxation which checks all of the boxes for any girl boss.

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City GuidesSamantha Ruble Comments
Girls Night In -The Francophile Addition Featuring Agalima
Girls Night In -The Francophile Addition Featuring Agalima

Those of you who know me personally, know that I am not much for getting dolled up for a night around the town. UGH. Even in my 20s, so not my thing!! I would so much rather be enjoying the company of my best girls in the comfort of my own home, in a cozy dress (albeit with makeup), chatting and laughing, and enjoying cocktails, music, and Netflix!! And of course because I am fully embracing French culture—this post is all about giving you some ideas to host your very own girls night in for your fellow Francophiles. I have compiled a French TV show list, as well as a French playlist, anddd the most delish simple recipe for a lavender margarita!! This is the perfect summer cocktail for when you’re feeling french, but your Texas twang can’t quite be subdued!!! I am even sharing a little DIY for a lavender face and body scrub

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Francophile, Playlists, RecipesSamantha RubleComment
Your Guide To Living Like A French Girl In Tulsa/ Eat-Sip Edition
Your Guide To Living Like A French Girl In Tulsa/ Eat-Sip Edition

Bonjour mon petit pois!

I swear my sophisticated aesthetic was influenced by my former life in France. And because of that, I’ve been a Francophile my entire life. Just like that Hemingway quote predicts—the City of Light stays with you. It really does.

I am so incredibly happy and lucky to be spending an extended period of time in France this winter for my 40th birthday. Of course Rodge would want me celebrating such an epic birthday indulging in escargot aux fruits rouges et fromage blanc at Du Pain et des Idées after strolling around Musée Bourdelle for hours with my 60’s French pop records in tow that I purchased that morning from La Violetera. Gah-this is what I see in my head!

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Francophile, City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Healing Bone Broth Breakfast Smoothie Featuring Bonafide Provisions
Healing Bone Broth Breakfast Smoothie Featuring Bonafide Provisions

Bone broth smoothies are a perfect way to get some extra goodness into your smoothies, especially in the summer when you feel too hot to drink as a broth. (Could it be any more humid outside..ugh..I hate this weather!) I’ve been adding broth into our smoothies this week to help Lin’s tummy conditions. It’s been a crazy two weeks in urgent care, and even the emergency room and even have a surgery consult today.

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Health + Wellness, RecipesSamantha RubleComment
The Best of France–In A Box
The Best of France–In A Box

Fran·co·phile

ˈfraNGkəˌfīl/

noun

plural noun: Francophiles

a person who is fond of or greatly admires France or the French.

Oui, yes this is me. Bonjour. 

 "Paris is always a good idea," Audrey Hepburn once said, and I'm sure any Francophile would agree. When they're not cafe hopping in the City of Lights or playing pétanque in Provence, any lover of France can still enjoy the je ne sais quoi of the country no matter where they are in the universe. Insert OuiPlease.

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Francophile, Beauty, Style, ShopSamantha RubleComment
Sleepover At The Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel
Sleepover At The Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel

Last weekend I surprised Lin with a little surprise trip to OKC for the night for his birthday!! It has been a REALLY stressful month for us and I knew it would be nice to just escape even if for only 24 hours. I was so delighted to partner with The Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel and it ended up working out rather nicely because as much as we did not plan to spend too much time in the hotel, Lin actually came down with a horrible upset stomach virus. Ohhh our luck!! I tell ya…we are definitely being tested right now.

Anyway..so thankful for our suite with a full bedroom and living room and TWO full restrooms. I mean how perfect for a girls trip to a Thunder basketball game or concert. Every tried doing your hair and makeup with 3 other girls in one bathroom?!!


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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Discover Authentically French Espadrilles With Atelier Aliénor
Discover Authentically French Espadrilles With Atelier Aliénor

I have been wearing quite a collection of comfy swoon worthy kicks lately! I never believed I would trade my high heel obsession but these days, I am so finding that comfort is just what I am needing!!! I am so excited to share my latest shoe obsession with you today and I promise you are in for a treat.

Enter Atelier Aliénor espadrilles. They are made in the south of France with the most premium materials and finest craftsmanship. The sole is entirely formed from jute for comfort and long lasting use. The exquisite leather they use comes from a French tannery that shares their values of craftsmanship, traditions and sustainability. They are just truly so special. It's not just the leather accents, gorgeous hues, and modern silhouettes — they're light, breathable, and look like they stepped right off the French Riviera, which is never a bad thing. They are so comfortable, versatile (easy to pack, wear, and transition day to night) and just plain gorgeous!!

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Style, Francophile, FeaturesSamantha RubleComment
An Everyday Table Setting Featuring Gracious Home
An Everyday Table Setting Featuring Gracious Home

Always looking at my gorgeous table as a canvas. And placemats are like a mini canvas and I am absolutely loving these neutral tangled Kim Seybert placemats from Gracious Home located in NYC’s Upper East Side. They create some beautiful texture and patterns and those are two things I really love! Placemats are the first thing I always grab for a last-minute dinner party actually!

Gracious Home shares my commitment to unfussy minimalism at the table!

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Entertain, HomeSamantha Ruble Comments
A Few Ways to Stay Cool In Houston This Summer
A Few Ways to Stay Cool In Houston This Summer

Summertime in Houston is killer ya’ll! I am literally melting.

I’ve never been a child of summer, so July is one of the unhappiest times of the year for me especially in Texas. The humidity is something else! The only way to describe summer in the south is: miserable. Going outside is not usually on the agenda for the day. The walk to your car, out of a store, to your house, or any walking magically makes you appear as if you just ran a few miles. Sweat rolling down your back and face, good ole summer fun! Anyway sharing a few cool spots to survive the temps! Sigh.

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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment