PW - Welcome to my frontier!

Ree Drummond may very well be my favorite #girlboss ever! I have to say, finally visiting Pawhuska after a decade of reading her blog and of watching her cooking show on Food Network these past several years, I was dubious as to whether or not all the hype would live up to my enormous expectations.

Well, um...it did.

Her show's catch phrase is "Welcome to my frontier!"

We definitely felt welcome!

Now, more than ever, I am in awe of what this seemingly simple Oklahoma-living, kid-raising, Marlboro Man-loving cook, wife, mom, and business owner has accomplished with such grace, poise, and low-key fanfare.  You walk in The Mercantile (otherwise known as The Merc) and instantly feel as though you've stepped into the home of a very close friend. From the gift wrap counter, to the colorfully displayed shelves of dishes, novelties, and linens, to the friendly sales clerks dressed in sharp, black button-down shirts with strands of PW's signature turquoise beads - it all bathes you in a warm, fuzzy feeling of belonging, of truly being a part of her frontier.

Mom and I both picked up this first issue of her new magazine. Y'all. You NEED to stop by your local Walmart (this is so not a Walmart plug as much as it is pure endorsement on the part of PW!) and pick up your own copy. It has been a very long time since I have read a magazine from cover to cover, but that is exactly what I did with this one! The articles are relevant, the editorials are heart-felt, and the pictures are just pure Americana. And in today's climate - who doesn't need a bit of THIS in their life?

Just this weekend my niece referred to me as a "fan girl," and I guess - even though I am a full grown, soon-to-be 50 year old, I am indeed a fan girl. There is something to be respected about a person with a dream that is totally centered around her family, her principles, and her desire to leave a positive imprint on the world around her that completely inspires me.

Maybe - from one transplanted gal to another - there is something about her that further encourages me to press further on my passion here at the B&B. To take heart that great things take great time to create, to nourish, and then to flourish.

The belief that these things are worth the time, the effort, the worry, and the sweat.

To know that in my own small, small way I love to say to others, "Welcome to MY frontier!"